Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Whizbang Dustyboots" data-source="post: 4365740" data-attributes="member: 11760">Hearing no reply from the kids, Emmerson goes down on one knee at the last spot where he can see the children's tracks. After a moment, he stands back up and points."Green Mountain. Moss Pond. Maidensbridge."He points to himself."No clue."He points at Tucker."As a born and raised Bridger, what's the thing to do for kids? Anything they like to do in spring? Any place they like to go?""Depends on the kids," Tucker says, looking at the trees immediately around them, and selects one that looks fairly pliable.Using his sword, he scrapes off a two-foot patch of the dark bark all the way around, revealing the lighter wood beneath. He carves a simple X on the side facing the direction they've just come from."We start walking in circle, spiraling outward, to see if we can pick up the trail again. This tree will mark our center. You want to start on the mountain side or the pond side?""Pond. I've always liked water.""Good enough. Go three paces out from the tree, then start north. Keep the tree on your right while you work your way around. I'll keep it on my left. Hopefully by going in opposite directions, we'll increase our chance of spotting something."Keeping in mind Tucker's instructions, Emmerson walks and searches. In the back of his mind, he recites a prayer to Lothian that asks for missing children to appear unharmed.Emmerson and Tucker try their spiraling search pattern for a long time with no result. Although Emmerson seems content to continue placidly on, Tucker grows more and more annoyed and is about to call for a change of tactics when he spots a series of small footprints in a muddy deer track. Looking back and forth, he sees it runs almost directly north for a very long time. The footsteps fade in and out -- the deputy curses Hazel for not being here to follow the fainter trails -- but the track seems likely to be an almost direct path to Moss Pond.Emmerson jogs over to him."Found anything?""There." Tucker points at the fading footprints."Lothian be praised," Emmerson says gratefully.</blockquote>

Verification