Halt nodded to the narrow path that lay through the trunks in front of them. It wound and twisted from side to side as it found its way around the massive grey trunks. But it always returned to its original direction, which was south-east.
‘I see they’re still leaving a clear trail for us to follow,’ he said.
Will glanced in the direction he indicated. He could see a small fragment of cloth trapped on the sharp end of a broken branch.
‘I see they’re not being any more subtle about it,’ he answered. Both of them kept their voices low, only just above a whisper. They had no idea how close the enemy might be.
‘No indeed,’ Halt agreed. ‘I’ve seen plenty of footprints along the way, too. You’d swear they were made by a giant, from the depth of them.’
Will reached down and felt the ground with two fingers. The grass was short here among the dead trees and the ground beneath it was dry and hard. ‘Not as if it’s soft ground, either.’
‘No. This ground dried out many, many years ago. They’re doing it intentionally again. Letting us know exactly which way they’ve gone.’
‘And which way they want us to follow,’ Will said.
A faint smile creased Halt’s face. ‘That too.’

Halt's Peril, Chapter 20