Trail Blazer

Tension was arising within the caravan. They had been travelling from Sauropolis (spelling) and they were headed to Bonabba (spelling). They were in the most dangerous part of their journey. The center of the Rainy Basin. Tension had been high when the trip had been planned. More and more caravans heading through the Basin had been attacked after the discovery of the temple ruins of the King. The carnosaurs had become uneasy as their ancient grounds were being uncovered. What made it worse was that the fish that the carnosaurs would be made happy with were not available as not enough to fill even one basket could be caught. It seemed that something was stalking them as well. Rustling in the bushes could be heard and the snapping of twigs was a sound that was heard too many times for comfort. Adam who was one of the natives riding to Bonabba was watching out nervously. They had crossed from their normal path and would be passing the temple ruins too closely for comfort. A pair of sandbox writers were perched nervously to one side of the carriage while Eva another native was standing up humming to herself. Another human and a Camptosaurus partner rode with the caravan. Tension had been high from day one and already even before they had set off two people had thought better and were going to take a caravan around the Rainy Basin. Skybax had been sent ahead of the caravan recently and there seemed noting to report of any danger of any kind. That hadn't really made anyone feel any better though. The carnosaurs had ambushed the other caravans that had traveled through the Basin according to survivors of other caravans, it had been decided this would be the last caravan to go through the Basin until the carnosaur activity let off a little bit. The Brachiosaurus who was taking them through the Basin kept giving off nervous grunts every now and again. "It would all lead ton disaster" is what kept running through Adam's head. Although anyone who looked at him would say he was calm Adam was really very nervous inside. The caravan continued along for another hour. Adam's calm face was disappearing slowly and his palms were sweating a lot, so much in fact that he almost slipped over the side. But thankfully he didn't. He took that opportunity to quit looking over the side so far and just stayed in the center. It was to nerve racking to sit down. The two sandbox writers had fallen asleep together, one neck over the other and Eva had gone from a humming to a low sound in her throat. Yes the tension was getting to everyone it seemed. Well kind of anyway. The sandbox writers didn't seem to bothered and the Camptosaurus and the rider who was names Michael, a Dolphinback who had decided to travel with his partner, who was appropriately named Red Head, for his head was red and the rest of his body was a Grey green color. Another rustling sound was head from the bushes louder then normal and a set of tracks stood clearly in front of the caravan. This time the Brach stopped and scanned around nervously. He refused to go any further into the basin, until he was sure it was safe. Hanna the partner to the Brach sighed. She knew what he was like. He wouldn't move anywhere until he was sure it was safe. She didn't blame him. She was just as nervous as any other member of the party was. "What's going on up there" Michael called from Red Head's back.

"Yeah" joined in Adam "what's wrong. Why have we stopped?" he finished. The two Sandbox writers frantically nodded their heads in unison.

Hanna sighed "Michael would you be kind as to look around please" Hanna put in the sweetest tone she could taking the present situation. Michael exchanged bewilder glances with Red Head then set off to check the area. The next unknown amount of minuets in their lives seemed to be the longest. No one talked, the Brach kept shifting his enormous weight about and Michael and Red Head were no-where to be seen.*** Red head pushed his way through the undergrowth of the rainy baisen. His parallel eyes darted in all directions. Michael s eyes were making the same movement but he didn't have the undergrowth to push through so he had more time to check the surroundings. *** Back at the caravan the travers were getting impatient. "Where are they" Hanna wondered "they have been gone for over 20 minuets now. Something must have happened to them"*** "That's long enough lets go back now red" Michael had started to show fear at being away from the caravan. A series of grunts became the reply, which loosely translate as. "But if we return to the caravan with only a small area surveyed then Longback will not want to continue on" he turned his head to look at the dolphin back. "You wouldn't want that would you?" he gave the saurian equilvient to a smile knowing he had won this one. "I guess" came the slightly annoyed voice of Michael realizing he had been beaten again by his partner. *** "Look something must have gone wrong with them." Hanna replied to Adam. "So if something's gone wrong then we should go and look for them" came the reply from the irritated Adam. "But Longback won't go anywhere. I can not really blame him to be honest." Hanna said the last bit quieter as if not wanting Longback to hear him but he did.*** "Ok Red it really s time to go back to the caravan now" Michael hadn't stopped trying to pursued Red Head to turn around and go back. "I suppose. We have been gone for quite along time." Red Head turned his bulky body and started back the way he had came. He stopped abruptly. "What's wrong red? Why did you stop?" Michael leaned forward to look ahead but saw nothing but the undergrowth. "Which way did we come from?" Red Head asked rather abruptly. "Excuse me?" Michael looked at him. "If that was a joke and I hope it was then it wasent very funny" he looked worryingly into Red Heads eyes.*** "Ok so we have come to an agreement here have we?" Hanna had done quite a lot of compromising to stop what seemed to be a big augment in the making. " So we are going to stay and wait for a hour and if hey do not come then we will leave?" Hanna seemed confident this was the right thing to do. "Ok I'm in. they were going to separate from us a little further into the baisen anyway, their most probably on their way now" Adam replied. Eva just nodded and the sand box writers had agreed to anything that would get them out of the baisen the fastest. ***

"This is bad, very bad. How could you get lost like that?" Michael was al hot and bothered about the fact they were lost. "Well its not all my fault. Someone here could have tried to remember where we had gone" came Red Heads reply, as he was just as angry as Michael was with this. "Besides we were going to separate from the caravan to go to Crack Shell point. If we can not be 25 meters away from the caravan how do you feel about traveling alone through the rainy baisen??!!" Red Head snorted at the end of this speech "so don't you go blaming it on me strait away young Michael." Red Head snorted again and turned back to deciding which way to go. Michael thought about what Red back had just said. So he was 15. Didn't make a difference did it? He thought again. Red Head was 26. Maybe he should have partnered with someone about his age. Then again he didn't understand this partner business, it confused him. He didn't mind being with Red Head oh no he liked being with him but he wasn't sure if Red Head felt quite the same. But that was the least of his problems at the moment. Red Head had set off to the left of the fork they had got lost at.*** an hour had passed at the caravan and yet Red Head and Michael had not returned. Hanna would have to go with her compromise and unsteadily Longback set off on what should take the rest of the day and most of the night to. Hanna had only reached the compromise because if they had stayed then the whole group would be in danger. She had not wanted that. She believed in Michael and Red Head and in the fact that they could look after themselves. She sighed and whistled encouraging things to Longback who seemed to be wavering in his walking path.*** nothing more had been said between Red Head and Michael. They had been walking for an hour and five minuets. Red Head was trying to think of a way towards the exit. But so far he had not succeeded in any way shape or form. It appeared unknown to them that they had wondered way off their original course and had stumbled into clan grounds.