Teaser - Men of Twelve Chapt 5, Scene 2

From the draft of my novel in progress Excerpt from The Men of Twelve Chapter 5, scene 2 By L. V. Gaudet © January 2007 Started writing Jan 16/07 Aelric pointed towards the rough line of the stream cut through the trees. A thick oak tree stood beside the opening of the gash in the woods created by the stream; its twisted naked branches looking old and wrinkled, branches reaching out with clawed spindly twigs like hundreds of twisted fingers forever trying to grasp something. The tree was leaf-less and dead looking, but having not yet lost the small spindly leaf twigs the absence of which is distinctive of a dead tree. Its dark brown, almost black looking bark was the typical deep wrinkled crevices of an oak tree. Green moss stained yellow-brown where most of the afternoon sun hit it to dry it out clung to the rough bark. The tree looked like it belonged in the dark corners of night within a twisted horror story. The horses shifted and nickered uneasily. The two dwarves exchanged glances, discretely making ancient runic signs with their hands. "That's it," said Ranald, "let's go." He turned his horse from the road, riding across the short grassy expanse towards the crack in the woods and the dark spindly leafless oak. The rest of the men followed, their horses giving a little nervous dance as they approached and passed by the old bare tree. The troupe disappeared into the trail sliced through the woods made by the shallow stream bed. Still in a lifeless daze and riding double behind Duberrol, Aiken showed his first sign of awareness of his surroundings, turning his head to stare with his strangely changed and vacant eyes at the ugly leafless old oak tree as the horse he sat upon slowly walked past it. He continued to stare until the tree passed out of his line of sight, disappearing behind the trees. Then he slowly turned his head back to return his vacant stare straight ahead. The dead looking bald tree standing guard over the entrance watched the riders retreating backs as they disappeared down the watery path into the woods.