Now and again, she turned around to make sure that the wooded patterns had reappeared on the ground.

The chilly morning breeze brushed softly by them. A pair of hornbills were calling in duet, their cries piercing through the silence. As they climbed ahead, the road grew steeper but they kept up a steady pace.

Soft rustling on their right brought them to a halt.

A strange animal crossed their path; it looked a bit like a cow, and bit like an antelope. It was tall and seemed strong. It had bluish-grey skin, two curved horns between its ears, a distinctive white patch at its throat and a small black beard below it.