27
On The Trail
There was a brief debate over what to do with Loran's sphere of light, but in the end they opted to keep it lit. The Out-Dweller already knew they were there, and presumably its master, the fugitive, would find out as soon as it communicated with him again. Given that, thoughts of stealth lost out over the necessity of seeing their surroundings, the better to not be ambushed again.
They set off.
Almost immediately, the Out-Dweller's trail left the beaten path through the grass, veering more northeast than north. Julian presumed they would encounter another beaten path at some point, but after a quarter hour or so, by his best reckoning, it appeared that was not to be the case.
"It really was quite clever," Melanie said, from where she walked to Julian's left.
"Huh?"
