Chapter 9: Making the scout understand

I glanced around at the stream before heading into the burning forest. I knew the fire would not burn to long with all the moisture but we needed to get further away from the colony. The animals might or might not respond to the fire this time but the Cariss sure would. I started a long circle back to the south and glanced at the scout, “Stay behind me. If I stop, you stop.”

She opened her mouth but I was already moving again. I moved through the brush as quietly as I could. The scout on the other hand was making enough noise to attract every Croclin in the area. I stopped in a small open area and turned to look at the scout, “If you keep crashing around every dangerous animal on the planet is going to try to eat you.”

She looked at me strangely, “Dangerous animals?”

I shook my head, “You are a scout right?”

She blushed, “Well ... I was actually just couriering the ship when I got the fleet call and...”

I groaned and turned back to start moving again, “Just try to watch where you step and what you touch.”

I had only taken one step when a large Croclin burst through the brush across from us. It looked scorched and pissed. I aimed and fired and the lizard’s head exploded. I glanced at the white faced woman and started moving. I moved past the convulsing body and into the brush. The next clearing made me stop and turn to go around.

The women started across and I spun to grab her arm, “See that small mound on the other side of the clearing? That is an Antasurus hive. Unless you have a death wish stay away from them and try not to let any see you.”

I nodded in the direction I was headed and she turned to start off. I shook my head and caught up and stirred her through the brush. It was not long before a crush made me pulled her to a stop as I listened. I shook my head and turned to move away from the sound. A break in the brush let me look into a clearing to see several Simeron.

Facing them was a Rex and it did not look happy. I squeezed the woman’s hand and quietly pulled her after me. I move as fast as we could walk without making to much noise. When I stopped beside a group of Spine Trees the woman moved as if to get closer to the bush inside and I yanked her back and hissed, “Do not even think about it.”

I looked around and headed towards a tall ladder tree, “Come with me.”

I had to give her a hand up to the lowest branch before jumping and swinging up. Fifteen minutes later we were close to the very top of the tree. I moved a little higher and cut a few upper branches before weaving them through the lower ones. I finally sat back after positioning the woman, “What is your name?”

She looked away from the ground to look at me, “Dawn.”

I smiled, “Nice name, I am Simon. This world can kill someone not paying attention Dawn. Beside the Dangerous animals there are dangerous plants. Stay close to me and try not to make to much noise. Do not touch anything that you think is pretty or smells nice, more than likely it is a trap.”

I looked down into the forest, “The Cariss do not know it but they are fighting two enemies, us and the planet. The Croclin are the most dangerous because there are more of them.”

I turned as she yawned, “Rest for now. The Cariss are still trying to find out what happened.”

She sat back and closed her eyes, I relaxed but kept watch. When the Cariss patrol walked under the tree I touched Dawn. Her eyes snapped open and I gestured for her to stay silent. Before she could answer or do anything an adult Croclin screamed and ripped into them. I shifted and watched the carnage below us until the Croclin pulled a Cariss warrior after it into the brush.

I looked at the white faced Dawn and back down to the few Cariss still alive. I sighed and took aim, I fired rapidly and killed the few survivors before starting down the tree, “Time to go.”

Dawn scrambled down after me and followed as I led her away from where the Croclin had gone. She seemed subdued as I moved through the forest carefully. I whispered a deion to her about plants or animals when I could. It was several hours before I heard the firing behind us as Cariss encountered something. I was going south, a direction not explored much.

The constant firing behind us told me the Cariss were back to using a sniffer as they followed me. Now it would become harder. When Dawn began stumbling in the semi dark I helped her up into the branches of a ladder tree. I helped her move higher and made a nest before sitting back against the trunk. I closed my eyes but kept my pistol in my lap.

I woke to the faint hint of the rising sun. Dawn was curled up in the make shift nest I had made, sleeping peacefully. I checked the area below and around tree before waking her. I helped her down and we started walking again. I collected berries and a few other eatable plants and we ate as we walked. I had angled slightly to the southwest.