No Human appeared near the gate, nor could Shanta smell any in the immediate area. That, too, was unusual. It was not yet late enough at night that they should have all returned to their strangely shaped homes. At that time, there was always one of the Humans somewhere very close to the gate.
Shanta peered through the lattice of the gate. Figures walked about far inside the Human village, but she saw none anywhere near the gate. Tentatively, she reached out and lightly touched the intertwined mesh. It felt cold and smooth, but not harmful to her in any way that she could detect. Still, she did not allow her fingers to rest there for long.
Looking up, she saw the top of the fence that lay several meters above her. Along it rested with much finer strands lined with what appeared to be sharp points, like the thorns of the kamara vine. Shanta hoped that they did not contain the same painful poison as well. Even if they were, she felt certain that she could avoid them—should she be able to climb that high without being noticed.
Cautiously, she wrapped her fingers around the mesh, feeling the smooth texture of the unfamiliar material along the surface of her skin. It felt like no vines that she had ever touched. There was nothing living in its essence, of that much she was certain.
0 comments:
Post a Comment