Games of the Powerful

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  Putting on her leather pants and shirt quickly followed by her belt knife Celedryl virtually flew into her boots. Putting out her fire with her water bottle, she hurried to the stream to refill it before replacing it in her pack. Slinging her pack over her back, followed by her quiver of arrows, she picked up her bow quickly heading across the valley toward the falling objects. Not understanding what she was seeing she became fearful knowing that if she continued heading toward the falling objects she very well might learn what they are and regret doing so.

  Drawing nearer to where she thought they might land she knocked an arrow and waited with Farwalker. They did not have long to wait when the shiny objects came crashing to the ground ripping up grass and flowers sending up clouds dust and debris the intense noise they made on landing reverberating across the valley. Celedryl hurriedly turned away shielding her face from fragments of dirt and rock flying in her direction. Skidding to a halt nose first into the ground the objects tore up a two-hundred foot trough on the valley floor before coming to a thundering stop.

  When the dust and dirt finally settled, she got a better look at the objects. Their long tube like metal shape gleamed in the bright sunlight with multicolored lights blinking on and off and the huge sail like canvas trailing behind on the ground behind amazed her. Seeing the heat shimmer off the metal similar to a heat mirage across the valley in high summer she thought whatever they are; they were too hot to touch. Unexpectedly, a buzzing sound reminding her of a beehive but much louder startled her and Farwalker. The top half of both tubes began opening slowly causing her and Farwalker to tense ready if an attack was forthcoming. Quickly drawing back on her bow, she watched them open wondering what awaited her. Am I in danger? Should I run while I still can and tell the clan of this wondrous thing? Something deep in the recesses of her mind stopped her, a tiny voice telling her to stay and see this through.

  Celedryl watched as two people stepped out of the pods to stand near each other in front them staring at her with startled expressions on their faces. One a beautiful woman and the other an extremely attractive man in a type of clothing she has never seen. She could see the look of surprise mixed with intense caution on their faces and wondered whether they were wizards of some kind or another and if so why were they worried about her and her little bow. Either way if they charged her or tried any magic she knew she could get at least one and Farwalker the other. She decided to aim her bow at the woman thinking she would be the faster of the two if they suddenly charged her. When they began speaking with each other, she could not understand a word of what they were saying.

  “So we go from the burning pod into the fire?”

  “I think you got that wrong Ethan. It is from the frying pan into the fire.”

  “I was trying to make it fit the circumstance,” Ethan said dryly.

  “What language do you speak and what or who are you? Are you wizards that you control these magical things?” Celedryl demanded to know pointing her bow at the escape pods.

  “Danielle she is trying to ask something and I bet she wants to know who we are. I think we need to defuse this before it escalates."

  “I agree maybe we should sit-down slowly right where we are. I think we could rush her, but I am sure she would get me before I take two steps and I am not ready to die on some planet in who knows where galaxy. Besides we are on her planet and I have a feeling we need her if we are to survive. Look at the dog she has with her, he is magnificent.”

  “Danielle I think he is a wolf not a dog that aside we should do what you say before we scare her into shooting you with her arrow. She does seem to have it pointed mostly in your direction.” Slowly and very carefully not to alarm the girl they sat on the ground next to the pods placing their hands on their legs.

  Seeing their genuine acquiescence she released the tension on the bow keeping the arrow notched but pointing toward the ground, walking slowly toward them, she stopped within ten feet of them. Kneeling on her knees with her bow nocked in her left hand, she let her pack slide off her shoulders to the ground next to her. With her right hand, she opened her pack taking out her water bottle making a universal drinking motion near her mouth. The two strangers nodded their heads vigorously smiling appreciatively. Tossing her water bottle to the man who deftly caught it, she watched him take the stopper out of the bottle and hand it to the women to drink first from it. Celedryl liked that he let the woman drink before him it showed that they were at least civilized and polite in nature.

  “This water is wonderful Ethan,” Danielle said enthusiastically handing the bottle back to Ethan who quickly took a drink before replying.

  “Sure is cold and thirst quenching. It could also be that our thirst was keener than we thought.”

  “I don’t think so it is plain good. I am starved I wonder if she has any food in her pack. We did not get to finish our lunch with Mitch today.” When she said that, she suddenly broke down sobbing with her head down hands over her face. Ethan jumped to his feet not caring whether he frightened the girl with the bow. He quickly knelt next to Danielle and held her until the sobbing subsided.

  Celedryl saw this and wondered what had befallen them to cause the women to sob so. She sat there patiently as the man assuaged the sobbing woman. She knew something was amiss, but it would have to wait until later to learn what had befallen them, because now they needed to make camp before nightfall and find something to eat. Deciding to trust them she waited until it appeared the woman had gained control of her emotions before standing. With her right hand, she motioned them to follow her heading to a campsite that she frequented not looking back to see if they were following her.