Joseph VII

The parasaur watched him nervously, its eyes white with fear. Joseph soothed it in the most calming tone he could muster, brushing its scaly flank as he slowly buckled its custom-made saddle on. A stablehand was mirroring his movements on the other side, clipping the saddle onto the huge lizard. Although by no means a master animal whisperer, Joseph got along fine with most of their domesticated creatures. After a few more hesitant groans and rumbles, the parasaur bowed its head to let him finish attaching the saddle. Joseph smiled and produced an apple for the duck-billed lizard to crunch on after the saddle was safely secured. He nodded thanks to the stablehand for his help, took the parasaur by the reins, and led it outside of the cave that they used for a makeshift stables.

The other two rangers were already waiting for him outside, mounted on their own parasaurs. All three of the beasts were various shades of green; they had all been taken from the same herd, after a long and tiring chase. Although the tribe had other animals stationed at Open Hearth, these were the only parasuars they had managed to tame thus far. The three duck-billed giants were skittish creatures, but they seemed calmer together, so the parasuars were almost always grouped into their own personal herd. Their keen senses and strong stamina made them great mounts for scouting the nearby forests, so Joseph had favored them over megaloceros for reconnaissance missions. Although the giant elk were agile mounts capable of travelling great distances, they did not fair as well in jungles and thick brushy forests. The humidity of the south was troubling for the cold-climate mammals and the dense, cramped terrain made it difficult for them to travel and detect danger. Joseph usually opted to make use of the local fauna rather than the ones they had brought from the north. They were simply better adapted to the environment. So far they had only managed to tame a few herbivorous beasts such as parasaurs, iguanodons, and gallimimus, but the hunters of Open Hearth were hard at work capturing new creatures everyday.

Joseph used handholds on his parasaur's saddle to clamber onto its back. It was like rock-climbing up a rough slew of boulders, and the view from on top was not dissimilar either. The parasaurs were large muscular titans that towered over humans, at least two or threefold in height. It had been a bit unnerving at first, transitioning from riding the comparably smaller megaloceros to such huge creatures, but Joseph was getting used to it. He liked the feeling of power from atop the huge herbivore, as if he could trample over anything that got in his way. Joseph took a few moments to make himself comfortable in the saddle, for they had a long day of riding ahead of them. He signalled for the other two rangers to fall in behind him and pressed his parasaur into a steady canter. The fresh sunlight of dawn gleamed down on their small party as they lumbered toward the southern gate.

The parasaurs shook the very earth with every step, kicking up clouds of dust. Joseph balanced himself snugly into the saddle and steered the large beast with gentle tugs of his reigns. His parasaur had the dullest coloration of the trio, but also the most skittish temperament. Joseph was always careful not to startle the giant or else he was liable to getting thrown from its back. He certainly did not relish the thought of plummeting from this great of a height. Fortunately after a few weeks of working with the parasaurs, he had never once gotten thrown from the saddle. A few rangers had not been so lucky; after getting bucked off their saddles, they were still recovering from broken bones in the infirmary. Joseph worked with the parasuars every day to get them accustomed to him and their new duties. He had heard stories from other tribes of parasaurs being used as war mounts. The giants would be deadly if used in a coordinated charge, but first they had to be trained to overcome their natural instincts of fleeing from danger.

When Joseph neared the gate, two guards opened the huge double doors for him and his party to get outside. He took a moment to inspect the gate for weakness before nodding in approval and edging his mount onward. One of the first things Joseph had done upon arriving in the south was establishing a defensive perimeter with wooden barricades, ditches, spikes, and guardsmen to patrol it. He had learned his lesson once and nearly paid for it with his life. He would never make the same mistake again.

After being approached by Otto to govern the southern base, Joseph had initially been very anxious and apprehensive. His worst memories were associated with this area. . . but also some of his best. What had convinced Joseph to accept the position was the fond memories he had made with his friends here in these lands. Joseph had wondered how many new castaways would never get to experience those same joys if they succumbed to the wilderness without any help. He wanted to establish a secure stronghold in the south to help all the new survivors get used to living on the Island. A safe haven like Open Hearth would have gone a long ways in helping him and his friends when they first arrived, but there had been nothing for them. They had been forced to survive on their own and suffered the consequences. Because of my efforts, I saved countless people from that same fate. Joseph had vowed that so long as he lived, he would do his absolute best to keep the new castaways safe.

He had taken several measures to reinforce this policy, including erecting dozens of new shelters stocked with supplies, creating two coastal way castles on either side of Open Hearth, and setting up daily patrols along the beaches. So far they had been flooded with new survivors and their numbers had quickly swelled from about thirty to nearly eighty within just a month. Joseph had noticed that a lot of survivors were washing up here, compared to other parts of the beaches. Otto's insight had been correct and it had definitely been wise to create a safe haven here for new castaways. Joseph had dubbed it "Open Hearth" for the safety and refuge it provided to new survivors. He always made sure to keep it stocked with extra supplies and housing for however many new people showed up.

After about a month, life at Open Hearth was beginning to stabilize. Joseph had been quick to establish all the necessities, including dividing up roles for his men and women, building all the essential structures, and stockpiling food. The last time Joseph had been down south, he had nearly died to a pack of megalosaurus. Although he was very reluctant to return out of fear of the night demons still lurking nearby, Joseph had convinced himself that it would be different here. He had felt more confident returning to the south at the head of a large host. All the early preparations had been in anticipation of an attack, but fortunately none came. Joseph was proud to know that so far nobody had died under his command here. However, despite all his success at fortifying the Open Hearth and saving new survivors, he had to remember his primary goal for accepting this task; investigating sightings of other dangerous tribes.

Joseph had been sending out scouting parties every few days but none had found anything. Joseph was keeping track of all the locations they had searched on a map. They had started out by looking around the beaches, then probing their way southward into forests and jungles. Most of the coast had been searched already and now Joseph was personally leading expeditions outside. Most of his other duties had either been handled already or delegated to his advisors.

As the party plodded onward through rough dirt trails, Joseph took a moment to admire the beauty of fall. It was different here in the jungle, where some plants stubbornly refused to change color. The warm climate seemed perfectly stable despite the shifting seasons, thus keeping most ferns, trees, and shrubs content. Nonetheless, other trees obeyed the changing of the seasons and sported lustrous yellow and orange leaves, some of which drifted down around the group like shoals of shiny minnows. Joseph brought his party to a gentle river. The currents were flowing down toward the beach and the ocean, but the river was still fresh water. He dismounted from his parasaur, letting the large beast drink from the shallows and munch upon river reeds. The other rangers dismounted from their own steeds to let them rest. They had a long day ahead of them and the parasuars would need all their energy for the journeys to come. Joseph called the other rangers over to him.

"We'll ride upriver, away from the beaches and deeper into the forest. Comb through the bushes but stay within sight of each other."

The other men nodded and returned to their mounts. Joseph took a few moments to stretch his limbs before climbing onto his parasaur's back and reorienting himself with the landscape. Joseph wheeled his parasaur around and pressed his heels into its flanks, driving it upstream along the muddy riverbanks. Travelling along the river's edge would speed up their progress considerably, since they wouldn't have to weave through the denser parts of the forests. The river was also the likeliest location for survivors to establish camps, since water meant life. Joseph signalled for his rangers to split off from the main river bank into the green and gold undergrowth. They would travel parallel to him, scouting around the bushes for signs of human life. Joseph himself would stick right next to the river and coordinate their efforts, while also scanning both sides of the water for human life.

As they travelled, they passed all sorts of fauna and flora. It never ceased to amaze Joseph how he could always discover some new plant or creature during these expeditions. Even after long months upon the Island, it still had surprises in store for him around every corner. They passed great lofty ferns, smooth rubbery jungle trees, thick grey oaks with orange halos, and even birch forests rippling with tempered gold leaves. The underbrush was thick but not unmanageable; the parasaurs trampled through them easily, and mounted atop their huge beasts, the rangers could easily see over ferns and bushes that otherwise would have been an endless sea of green, yellow, and orange. The rainforest canopy was inhabited by tropical birds of countless colours, chittering monkeys, small reptiles, and swarms of insects. The forest floor was home to small mammals and lizards, but nothing terribly threatening. The compies and pegomastax scattered whenever their parasaurs lumbered anywhere close. It was so lively in the jungle that most of its inhabitants seemed to have forgotten about fall.

Joseph kept his gaze concentrated on the riverbanks, where the most dangerous creatures would be. Large predators like carnotaurus and allosaurus often stopped by the rivers to drink and potentially catch an easy meal. Fortunately no large predators were nearby. Even if there had been any, Joseph's parasaur would have detected them far before he ever had a chance. The duck-billed lizards had extremely acute senses of hearing and would have been able to pinpoint potential threats through their calls. It was just another one of the reasons Joseph favored the creatures for scouting missions in the jungle, where humans were inherently at a disadvantage from the countless hiding places that carnivores could lay in ambush.

By midday, Joseph's party had passed herds of triceratops, parasaur, and iguanodon, but no humans. His rangers had not spotted any telltale signs of human life such as campfires or lean-tos amongst the shrubs, and Joseph had not spotted anything along the riverbanks either. He signalled a short break for both riders and mounts. The parasaurs grazed upon vegetation and drank from the river, while Joseph and his rangers ate their rations. After the brief break, they mounted up and continued riding until they reached a shallow point of the river. Joseph wanted to turn back so they could reach the safety of the Open Hearth before night fell. It was pointless to go back the exact same way they had come, since they wouldn't uncover anything new. So he ordered his rangers to ford the river onto the other side and ride back from there. The parasaurs waded through the river easily and made it to the other side without any trouble. Once all three rangers were safely on the other side of the river, they set off toward home.

After hours of hard riding, the sun was already beginning to waver on the horizon and they were still nowhere near Open Hearth. Joseph had underestimated the time it would take to return home. Damn it, he berated himself. I should have been more cautious. I thought I had learned my lessons before but plainly not so. It will be my fault if we get caught out in the night, away from the safety of our walls. Joseph tried not to panic. They were equipped with supplies to establish a rudimentary shelter for the night, and they were stocked with enough rations to last three days. However, it was not so much the issue of supplies that concerned him. It was the other dangers that lurked in the night. . .

Joseph ordered a halt to assess their situation. Based on the landmarks they had passed, they were still two or three hours away from Open Hearth. The party could either stop and fortify a base for the night or continue riding for home, through the night. Both options presented dangers, so Joseph opened the matter to a group vote. Both the other rangers elected to make for home with all due haste, so Joseph approved the plan. Each ranger carried a torch, which would last for three or four hours. Joseph decided that if they were making a beeline for the safety of Open Hearth, they might as well use their resources accordingly. The rangers at the front and back of the group would light their torches, to give them as much vision as possible and dissuade any threats from attacking the most vulnerable areas of their travelling formation. They would hopefully be back inside the Open Hearth before their torches burned out. If not, they would only be left with a single torch to sustain them for the rest of the journey.

Joseph led the way back home, one hand wrapped around his reigns, the other brandishing his torch. The sun was only barely peeking over the horizon and they would soon be plunged into near total darkness. Joseph's fire illuminated a sphere around him, just far enough for him to see halfway across the river. However, Joseph kept his gaze firmly in front of himself. His priorities were no longer finding traces of other tribes, but getting himself and his men back to safety. Joseph concentrated on the blurred line where the darkness of night crept up against his torchlight, waiting for something to appear. He had the unnerving feeling that he would encounter something he did not wish to see tonight. . .

The ride blurred into a few ceaseless sensations; the muffled plodding of parasaurs on the muddy riverbank, the eerie howls of the wind echoing through the forest, the stirring of the golden vegetation on the fringes of torchlight, and the occasional wildlife calls that pierced the muted silence of the night. The tension was almost unbearable by the time they caught sight of something strange ahead.

"Look there, Lord Joseph. Light!" One of his rangers shouted from behind.

Joseph flinched from his thoughts and looked ahead. Sure enough, there was a ring of flames burning up ahead, each fire spaced apart by a few dozen meters. Joseph immediately sighed in relief. The orange and red glow of braziers along the lip of Open Hearth's cliff had never been a more beautiful sight. They were within sight of the protective barrier along the crest of the valley, where fresh guardsmen would be patrolling along their fires. Joseph flicked his reigns to double his mount's pace. They were only a few miles from safety.

However, as they were racing along the riverbank something caught Joseph's attention from the corner of his eye. A flickering orange glow. It skimmed in and out of existence as they rode past trees. Fire? Joseph dug his heels into his parasaur's side, and the large beast rumbled to a halt.

"What's the matter, my Lord?" Joseph's rangers pulled up beside him.

He silenced them with a quick hand gesture. "Look there," Joseph whispered.

Off in the forest, half hidden by bushes and tree trunks, was the unmistakable glow of a fire. This far in the jungle, it would be completely hidden from the guardsmen stationed atop the Open Hearth. But the fire was just barely visible from Joseph's position on the riverbank. He immediately blew his torch out. If they could see the other fire, then whoever was in the jungle could see them. The other torchbearer quickly followed Joseph's lead, and they were plunged into darkness. Only the distant glow of the moon, the light from Open Hearth, and the fire in the jungle illuminated their position.

Joseph dismounted quickly and quietly. He motioned for his rangers to huddle near him. "There's someone, or multiple people, in the jungle," Joseph whispered.

"Perhaps a lost survivor trying to find the Open Hearth?" a ranger suggested hopefully.

Joseph sighed. "Could be. We don't know for sure, but it doesn't look good. If they were trying to reach the Open Hearth, they could walk there in under an hour. The patrol fires are definitely visible from their location."

"But the fire in the woods isn't visible to our guards?" the ranger surmised.

"Exactly." Joseph strained to get a better look. Now that his eyes had adjusted to the darkness, he could make out the distinct silhouette of a hill. "Whoever created this fire strategically placed it behind the hill in a densely wooded area, where our men won't see the glow or the smoke."

His rangers exchanged wary looks. Joseph felt no point withholding information from his men, so he shared his grave conclusion. "Whoever's in the forest is spying on the Open Hearth."

Both men were visibly alarmed now. They began offering explanations, suggesting courses of action. Joseph silenced them before their panic took full hold. "We need to investigate further. Tie your mounts here and follow me closely on foot."

Joseph silently returned to his saddlebags and retrieved his hunting bow, slung it over his shoulder, and clipped a quiver of arrows to his belt. He felt around in the darkness to make sure his dagger was still sheathed to his waist. The other rangers armed themselves likewise and fell in behind Joseph. His hunting instincts took over and he crouched down low, moving slowly and silently toward the fire. Joseph's heart was beating faster than a gallimimus. Just pretend it's any other hunt, he thought to himself in a futile attempt to calm his nerves. Stay silent and they'll never know you're there.

The moss and fallen leaves helped muffle Joseph's footsteps. Even then he was still having doubts. If they have any sort of carnivores with them — raptors, carnos, anything — they'll smell us from a mile away. Not to mention the fact that we would be hopelessly outmatched. Joseph paused to steady his breathing. One shot, he told himself. It just takes one good shot to the head to kill any creature. I need to be ready for anything. They were close enough to see everything illuminated by the fire now. Joseph unholstered his bow and nocked an arrow to the string. He made sure his rangers were also armed before pressing any farther.

There was nobody near the fire, Joseph realized with dread. He paused at the very edge of the firelight and scanned the camp, staying completely still for what felt like hours but couldn't have been more than ten minutes. He hoped that the strangers might involuntarily reveal themselves; any telltale rustle of the bush would alert Joseph to their presence. There was no movement aside from the natural stirring of leaves in the wind. Joseph motioned his rangers to him and mouthed "cover me". The men nodded and drew their arrows all the way back to their ears, swiveling around to watch the perimeter of the camp.

Joseph crept closer, his bow drawn. He paused behind the bushes, listening for any noise. Nothing. Joseph sent a quick prayer to any gods that might be listening, then entered the clearing.

He expected to be instantly atttacked with teeth, claws and blades. Nothing happened. Joseph swiveled around, beads of sweat dripping down his temple. His heart seemed to beat loud enough for the whole jungle to hear. He waited, poised for the slightest hint of life. Nothing happened.

When Joseph had finally convinced himself that the clearing was abandoned, he took his eyes off the bushes and began to investigate the camp. The fire was still blazing, but it was small and stunted. A pile of firewood lay near the flames, but it was evident that nobody had fed the fire in some time. Joseph scanned the rest of the clearing. There were three logs surrounding the fire, makeshift benches with enough room to seat at least five or six people. There was also evidence of mounts being stationed here; patches of recently upturned dirt where they had grazed, piles of scat, and hastily slashed leads still tied to trees. Whoever had been here had abandoned the fire quickly. They must have seen our torches by the river and fled immediately.

Joseph's mind was spinning. Multiple people were here, with herbivorous mounts. No evidence of any carnivores, and they were quick to flee rather than fight. These were likely scouts sent to spy on our base. That sent chills down Joseph's spine. He had to confirm his suspicions. There was still a chance, however slim, that these were just travellers minding their own business who had mistaken Joseph and his party for raiders. Joseph looked up to the hill. If he had been in charge of the group here, he would have stationed most of his men by the fire, while others took shifts at the top of the hill watching Open Hearth from the safety of the darkness.

Joseph crept back to his men and made them hold positions in the shadows, outside of the fire. He instructed them to stay hidden for as long as possible. If they were found, he told them to shoot first and ask questions later. The lives of his men were Joseph's highest priority at this moment. They had to assume whoever had been camping here was hostile.

Joseph crept up the hill alone, finding a path along the boulders. It took a few minutes but he made it to the top safely. Sure enough, it was a great vantage point from which to spy on the Open Hearth. Everything was clear and visible, from the defenses to the buildings. Joseph could tell where everything of strategic importance was, from the number of guards on the hills, to the location of the food stores and the armory. He could even see the faint silver glimmer of water from the valley's central pond, where they drew their fresh water. Joseph had left his spyglass in his saddlebag, but if it were here he was sure he could even make out the individual faces of the guardsmen by their fires.

Joseph's heart sunk when he saw it; flattened grass where someone had lain down, in the shape of a human body. There were definitely people here watching us, Joseph realized with dread. For a few moments it seemed completely surreal. How long has this been happening for? How much do they know? And what will they do with this information. . .

Joseph was feeling panic take over his body. He shook his head and tried to calm himself down. At least now we know. And to think we would have continued on, oblivious to the enemies right under our noses if today's patrol hadn't been so late. . . Joseph steeled himself for a few moments to regain his composure, then returned to the fire below where his men were waiting.

We have to be more wary now. I'll warn the rest of the garrison and send letters to all the other castles. Now that we know an enemy is out there, we need to be prepared. Joseph made up his mind. And we need to explore further into the south.

Author's Note:

DinoNerd89, Interesting development indeed but so far the Hermit is reluctant to tell Otto anything about his powers. I'm sure we'll be seeing more of her soon. . . Thanks for the review!

Caleb R. Waterson, Glad you enjoyed! As you saw in this chapter, the tribe won't stay in a peaceful golden age forever. I can't give away many details but I will say this: the megalosaurus pack will appear again!

Einria, Thanks for leaving a review I'm glad you've found my story! Hahaha I'm happy you picked up on those relationship hints and are enjoying the plot. P. S. I think you couldn't see the previous review since you left it as a guest. Anyway, looking forward to your continued support!

Bladerunner24k, And the plot thickens again! Thanks for the review!

VoteableDuke, Lol I was hoping it wouldn't be too obvious. Either way, your intuition paid off and you're certainly right about this period preceding something bad. Thanks for the review!

TheIckleBoots, I'm glad to have a fellow Game of Thrones fan on board! Haha I'll take it as a huge compliment that I was able to invoke GRRM's themes. Thanks for the suggestion, we'll definitely be seeing Keith again. And I have been thinking about redwood tribes, so they might be in store too! Thanks for the review and I'm looking forward to hearing more reviews from you in the future!

Thanks for taking the time to check out my work, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Feel free to comment, ask questions, or criticize my story, review is always welcome! If you liked what you saw, make sure to check out the other ARK stories on this site! Have a great day!

- DaRumpyBurr