28
The Lair Of The Beast
At first glance, the camp, or base, or whatever, was nothing to look at. A lean-to lay propped up against a little spur of sheer rock that rose from the side of the hill, really the side of the mountain, as close they must have been to the true peaks of the Saddleback Range now, all twining branches with loose piles of fallen pine needles thrown atop it. It would barely keep a stiff breeze off its inhabitant, let alone a good rainfall or snowfall.
Not far from the lean-to, a bonfire burned. The same fire Julian saw from the hilltop an hour ago, though it was even larger than he would have thought, from so far away. The fire's creator had thought ahead, though. A circle of large rocks, almost knee-high, surrounded the fire, preventing it from growing beyond its i
