a lot of ground to cover,” Buck said uneasily.
“Yup.”
There were a number of trails that had been mismarked or left off the map. It would be impossible to cover all of the area with just the four of them in a time frame that could make a difference to the men who were lost.
“Is there a way to narrow it down a little?” Phillip crouched beside her and peered at the parchment in question.
Shea shut her eyes, allowing herself to feel a moment of relief. This was the reason she hadn’t left yet. Every time she steeled herself against their disdain or disbelief they did something completely incomprehensible like follow her down whatever rabbit hole she found.
“It would have to be a trail that had shown up on other maps but had recently been declared a danger zone,” Buck said, crouching on her other side. “That way if the intended target had any familiarity with previous maps it wouldn’t be too suspicious.”
“I’m guessing the route would have also been left off the maps given to the scouts so none of them got it into their heads to check it just in case.” Phillip picked up Shea’s journal and squinted at it, trying to decipher her scribbling’s in the dim light and compare them to the bigger map.
Shea looked up at Eamon, the only one of them who hadn’t said anything and also the one who would ultimately decide if they would investigate this theory or continue following their orders.
The torch cast harsh shadows on the sharp planes of his features, concealing his thoughts. He placed both hands on his waist and rocked back and forth, bending his head slightly. Shea knew from prior experience that it was the pose he used when he was thinking over his options.
The two at her side pretended to ignore Eamon’s internal struggle, but, like her, they held themselves tight in anticipation.
“It probably wouldn’t be too far off the area we’re searching so as to further allay suspicion,” Eamon finally added.
The three exhaled in relief before bending to compare notes and observations. The hunt was on, and if there was anything Shea had learned in her time with the Trateri, it was that they loved a hunt, whether of man or beast.
They decided their quarry had been coming from the north and a little to the east since most of the scouts had been sent north and slightly to the west. After discarding some of the more mountainous paths and the ones with little probability of beast activity, they were left with four strong possibilities and a remaining three that held an outside chance.
“That’s still too many,” Eamon said, looking at their work.
They all sat back, disappointed. Even if they were right, it wouldn’t help them unless they could narrow their search to a smaller area. While Eamon and the others were convinced of Shea’s theory, there was very little possibility other scouts would be.
Searching outside their designated area was dangerous. If they failed, it could be seen as a sign of insubordination, leaving them open for challenge. If Eamon lost a challenge then he’d be stripped of his rank, and they could all be punished. It wasn’t a happy thought.
“We could split up,” Phillip offered. “Each take a separate route.”
Eamon was already shaking his head. “No, that’s not going to happen. If they were set on by beasts, I don’t want any of us out there alone trying to save them.”
“How about groups of two?” Buck said.
Eamon bent his head in thought.
“That might work,” he said. “I still don’t like it, though.”
“It’s probably our only option,” Shea said softly. “If we narrow the search any further, we risk eliminating a path they could have taken and missing them entirely.”
Eamon nodded in agreement, though his expression in the flickering light made it clear he didn’t like it. Shea sympathized and knew that he’d blame himself if anybody didn’t make it back to the rendezvous alive. That was the burden that came with being in charge, and it was one she didn’t envy him.
He unhooked one of the oblong canisters from his hip and handed it to Buck. “Alright, but if you find him or get into any trouble, shoot one of the firebugs into the sky for help. I’ll pair up with Shane, and we’ll take the three that are the furthest northeast. You two take the rest. When you’re done, meet at the fork in the river that we passed this morning.”
Back at the