The wind is whispering beteween the stilt like a strange warning to unexpected guest.
The village in the rain show a desolate sight to the newcomers.
The habitations are perched at 4 to 5 meter of height with a rectangular form. with one entry and nothing else.
The cabins are surrounded by the forest in all side if we exclude the front. A strange and deserted village in the middle of the swamp.
The facade of each habitation in front of the river has a little "terrace" made of logs. A rope ladder for each cabin is the only access .
In the middle of the arc formed by the deserted village wood is piled up as if to start a big fire. At first sight there is nothing else.
it gives to Dust a feeling of oppression.
Everything is so … primitive.
The rain start to fall faster and when you combine this with the fog you can't see what is ahead.
Only vague shadow can be seen.
They look at each other a bit at lost to what to do next.
In the end it's Old man who after sighing say what every one want to hear.
- Let's rest here and wait for the rain to stop.
After this they disperse in silence under the eyes of Dust.
Two wipe his glasses and reach for the closest ladder followed by Follower. Handsome and Princess choose the same habitation too soon after.
The charismatic women speak a bit with Old man. With the rain its difficult to hear the exact words used but in the end she climbs on the ladder of the cabin in the middle without any care for her dress.
The luxurious clothes shine even against the dull light who reign here.
Turning back she hold out her hand to the old man to help him in his ascension.
Behind the older man, Ugly who seems to be quite clumsy is next. Under his weight the precarious rope swing one way to the other.
In a sudden movement the cord twist around his ankle in an uncomfortable angle and the boy who observe all of this think for one second that the old ladder will break twisting by the way the ankle of the man.
But he is wrong.
Ugly calm himself down and doesn't end up upside down. Crouching his hug body while holding in one hand the rop he unties the cord.
After that Purple-belly appear to be hesitating but in the end Pony doesn't ask for his opinion and the duo enter the cabin in the middle like Old man and the others two people.
If it wasn't clear before now Dust need to be blind to not see that two teams has formed in their group.
Just like that the boy find himself all alone on the ground.
Wait.
All alone?
He looks at his right then at his left and find Suspicious reaching the top of the cabin at the far left. Making himself the sole occupant.
Shameless the boy run to catch up with him while being well aware that his companion wanted no one to follow.
No way in hell that i will stay all alone here.
Catching the cord only at this time did he notices how old and precarious the thing is. It's greyish and little insects run along the twisted cords infesting it.
When he climb on it he hear the ladder squeaking under his foots. He has the crazy thought that something under him will take him by the foot and drag him down. Like a child in a cave all alone catching up with unreasonable fears. And who end up
running in the stair to go out because he thinks something will chase him in the dark if he isn't fast enough.
Dust accelerates his movements.
When he arrive at the end of the ladder a shadow fall on his head.
By standing there at the edge of the terrace Suspicious effectively block him.
For a second they don't say anything.
Their mouth shut, Suspicious look at him right in the eyes. The boy blinks, evades his sight but stay stubbornly on the ladder
Gulping his saliva he tries to win the other over.
- Come on. I won't attack you.
Like the menacing crows on the branchs around them the red- haired man pierce him with his mere gaze.
in one hand he keeps the lantern. The flames flickering weakly in it. On the other hand he has his stick.The bag at his feet.
The stick that Dust offered him.
Will he push me down with the very one stick I offered?
-All alone you are an easy target no matter how sure you are of yourself. Who will keep the guard when you sleep?
Silence.
Dust try hard to convince. His speech jumbling and his cheek burning.
-Imagine that I will kill you in your sleep. To what? Take your head. Ok then how will i explain it to other? They will directly know that i am the murder.The same goes for you if you kill me. At best they will
expel the murderer of the group and steal your or my head at worst it will be the perfect excuse to kill the murderer and to have two heads to exchange with the Smuggler. So there is no gain.
New silence.
He add knowing that what he say really make no sense.
- No gain but there is pain.
Dust is starting to lose his confidence. He tries hard to not back off. Turn out he can speak for so long and be so ridiculous.
- Right?
This time his eyes clash with the icy blue of the red haired man.
- I don't care. You come up or not its your choice.
On this words Suspiscious tilt his head , give him a smirk , turn his back and enter the cabin.
What the fuck?
If he doesn't care why didn't say so first?
Why letting him speak for nothing?
Clenching his teeths he climbs onto the terrace.
His hair plaster his cheeks and his jaw, his pants stick to his tight and his top isn't better.
He can't stop trembling under the cold.
Wait. Was he threatening me? No way.
Checking once again for his dagger he throws a glance to the ground in an after thought.
From here you can only see white fog and nothing else.
How can they know what it is under them? What if someone come?
The boy think about it and take the ladder in his hands. Slowly he roll the cord an put it on the terrace. Imitating what Two had done in his cabin team.
Then he hurries to the door. Well if they can call it a door.
It's simply an open entry with a piece of leather hanging to stop the wind.
........
They look at the trunk. There is some kind of mark on it.
They know this place by heart.
Every root every rock and every flowers.
Bluish fingers caress the cuts softly. Some part of the skin is infested by needle holes where some tiny larvaes crawl.
One of them find another trace on the mud.
Footseps.
Travelers?
They try to find the marks on other trees. And they find them little by little.
To be this careless it can only be Travelers.
a dozen or maybe more.
Travelers.
A lot of heads.