Nancey altered her course to move further away from where Brad had fallen. The sorcerer altered course, too. Huh, she thought, Maybe it's not a friend.
In her mind she plotted a course through the woods that took her on a widening spiral that would eventually have her darting in and out of range of the sorcerer. She started sprinting and channeling from the air to boost her stamina.
The sorcerer continued following as she spiraled, but moving in a slow arc, adjusting course for a little while, then maintained a straight path. Either they figured out what Nancey was doing or they couldn't track her. Still, Nancey thought, That's pretty good distance for a non tactile. Nancey estimated the sorcerer's range to be approximately a mile through dense foliage.
Nancey wondered how they could have been so precise in heading to her original position when they were miles away, then she recalled Brad's aura, peeled off in wisps. This sorcerer can see, she concluded, She must have been following his tattered aura. And then, considering how much and how quickly the aura dissipates, and how fine the tattered threads must have been, This sorcerer can see well.
Nancey decided she had to find out more. She darted back in range of the sorcerer, sat down, and started to channel. She continued to monitor the sorcerer's progression towards her while she put together another gateway spell. It was done hurriedly, but it didn't matter, she wasn't going to use it for travel, she was going to make bread crumbs out of it.
When she had gathered enough threads, she peeled some off and twisted them into an illusion. Then she started running again. She moved out of range of the sorcerer and placed another illusion. And another. And another.
As she crossed a clearing she noted from the sky that it was approaching dusk. The humidity was still fairly high, but the temperature was dropping as the day wore on. It would probably rain tonight, but it wouldn't begin until well after nightfall. Nancey briefly wondered how much time she had spent crafting the illusion of a new trail. Then she sat down for some quiet meditation to replenish her gateway spell.
She rose and moved away from the clearing. She wanted to be far enough away that if she had to jump, it would be a relatively safe distance away. She found a new spot and sat down to wait for the sorcerer to catch up.
She waited until the sorcerer was close enough to shout at, she weaved an invisibility spell, and then she masked it, leaving her pursuer with the impression that she was suddenly gone.
Her new friend walked cautiously into view, she was most likely a woman, based on her build, but wearing a cloak that obscured her face. In this humidity? Nancey wondered to herself. The sorcerer approached Nancey, but stopped a few feet away. She stood there, then turned in a slow circle.
Nancey felt her new friend go stiff and slow her breathing. Nancey was certain she was sighted, So why doesn't she take off the hood so she can use her eyes?
Then Nancey felt a gentle pulse in the sources. It was like a warm halo centered around her new friend, expanding outward. It certainly wasn't strong enough to break an illusion, if that's what she was trying to do.
Academy brat? she wondered to herself. And then, Ah! This silly sighted sorcerer is trying to feel the sources. She was generating a gentle manipulation in order to more clearly see the sources that surrounded her. It was a good trick, and it told Nancey that the sorceress suspected that something was off. For some reason she hadn't trusted what she saw, which spoke volumes.
Her new friend started walking in a slow circle, Nancey was briefly worried that she was going to stumble into her hiding spot, but she stopped and gave up. She was still doing that creepy slow breathing and deliberate movement.
Definitely female, Nancey concluded, she could just make out the strong cheek bones, and thin parted lips coming together to form a subtle smile of victory.
In a moment of panic, Nancey tugged her gateway spell. She hadn't waited to figure out what her new friend was channeling, and when she landed in the clearing, the soles of her soft-skinned boots were singed.
Definitely a fun new friend, she decided. She started meditating again, having used the location recently it wouldn't take long to weave a new gateway spell.
Let's see how close I can get before you see me this time.
Image from Pixabay.