by Liara Woo
Joran sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "It doesn't matter, Katie. They'll find us anyway. They'll track Darktail; when our scent suddenly appears on the trail they'll know we dismounted. And I don't see anything around here that can suitably mask our scent."
Katie's shoulders slumped. "So what do we do?" she asked, discouraged.
"Run, and hope for a better solution to present itself," the elf answered grimly. Katie's heart sank even more. But her feelings lightened when she felt him grasp her hand and saw him smile encouragingly. She tried not to be distracted by the strength in his fingers or the smoothness of his skin.
Together they began a light jog through the woods at a tangent from Darktail's path. Katie was highly conscious of the dry leaves crackling and twigs snapping loudly beneath her feet, but Joran appeared to make no noise at all. He might as well have been a shadow, ghosting over the forest floor and blending into the dappled shadows of the night.
Katie felt her lungs begin to burn. She wished she'd tried harder in P.E. class last year; maybe it would've helped her build up more endurance. As it was she was forcing herself to breathe deeply—in through the nose, out through the mouth—instead of gasp for each breath like a drowned person. It didn't last very long; after a few more paces she was wheezing hard, and her thighs were on fire. Keep going, she urged herself, rolling her ankle after her foot landed on a loose rock. Come on-Joran can do it, so I can do it!
Right?
But soon Joran began to slow down until he was merely standing, swaying dizzily. Katie bit her lip. "You can do this," she encouraged kindly, albeit breathlessly, taking his hand and pulling him forward. At first he made a good attempt to keep running; despite the sweat streaming down his face and the weariness in his eyes he stumbled forward, no longer trying to stay silent. He crashed over branches and small plants, his head hanging low, until he tripped and sprawled face-down in the dirt. Katie spun back towards him when she heard him hit the ground; he didn't try to get up. She bent down and saw that he was completely unconscious.
Great; what now?
Gently she rolled him over and sat down beside him, her brow furrowed in concentration. In about thirty minutes, her entire life had been flipped upside down. I'm alone in the middle of an unfamiliar forest with an elf that needs me to help him get back to his homeland somehow. Apparently his kingdom is at war, too. What am I supposed to do? She felt a finger of fear touch her heart. What do I do now?
At least I'm not alone.
She sighed and wrapped her arms around herself, shivering slightly. When that boy—elf—wakes up, I'm going to find out what's really going on, she decided.
She yawned tiredly. Sleep sounded extremely tempting at that moment. Her head was nodding and her eyelids were drooping. She curled up on the ground, forcing herself not to worry about the possibility of being hunted by forest rangers, or sprayed by skunks, or attacked by a wild animal…
* * *
Back at camp, Cami watched from her cabin door as Mrs. Sorenson spoke to some forest rangers with hunting dogs.
"…rode away on a buckskin stallion! I have no idea how she got it, Perkins! That's what I've been trying to tell you!"
Suddenly a horse trotted into the camp. Cami's heart leapt; she recognized him as the horse Katie and Joran had escaped on. Then, with a jolt of fear, she realized that the stallion didn't have any riders on his back. Where's Katie? she wondered fearfully.
The taller of the two rangers spoke. "So this is the horse? Apparently the girl and the thing dismounted at some point. Don't worry, though; our dogs are more than capable of bringing them both back. Do you have something of the girl's that they can use to track her scent?"
Mrs. Sorenson approached cabin eight. Cami leaped back onto her bed and pretended to be sound asleep, like the other girls, while the camp director picked up Katie's sleeping bag. Cami heard her footprints fading away and got back out of bed and peered outside.
The tall ranger took the bag and lowered it to the dog's noses, issuing an order that Cami couldn't hear. The dogs sniffed every inch of it and then took off into the forest, pulling the rangers after them by their leashes.
I have to tell Katie, Cami thought. She swallowed nervously. There was still a part she could play in this adventure. She watched as Mrs. Sorenson slowly approached the buckskin—Darktail was his name, if Cami remembered correctly—and tried to touch his face. Darktail snorted and shied away from her, skittering sideways before tossing his head and cantering into the forest.
"Oh, well," Mrs. Sorenson sighed. "He is a wild horse, after all."
Cami snuck out of her cabin, moving through the shadows as quietly as she could. She froze whenever pine needles and leaves crackled beneath her feet. Mrs. Sorenson didn't seem to notice. Cami kept walking into the moonlit forest, shivering from the cold. As soon as she hoped she was out of earshot of the camp, she called Darktail's name. Her voice seemed ten times louder than normal in the silent woods. "Darktail," she said again, with a bit more confidence. "Darktail!" But there was no response.
If only I could speak to animals like Katie, she grieved. My plan failed. She sighed slowly, regretfully, and turned back towards the camp. Then she heard a soft whinny, and she turned around to find Darktail trotting swiftly toward her.
Cami took a deep breath. "Alright, buddy. I know I don't speak horse, and you can't speak English, but please try to listen anyway," she said. His ears swiveled forward and Cami felt encouraged. "You have to tell Katie that the rangers are hunting her with tracking dogs—I think they're called bloodhounds."
Darktail cocked his head to one side as if confused. Then he walked even closer and stared into her eyes. Suddenly he backed away a few steps, whinnied, and trotted back. He wants me to go with him, Cami realized excitedly. Hesitantly she reached up and placed her hands on his broad back. He held still as she pulled herself up onto his back, and then he set off at a swift canter.
Cami gasped first in horror, and then in amazement. She was riding a wild, untamed stallion, all alone in the forest! She'd always dreamed of such a moment…and now here she was, all alone, riding one without a saddle, without reins, without Katie… it was amazing!
Soon her awe faded into intense concentration as she struggled to maintain balance and keep herself seated on the horse's back. She clung desperately to his mane and squeezed his sides with her legs, although with a fully trained horse that would have ended in a disaster.
Darktail increased his speed to a gallop as he travelled across vast fields, aspen groves, and kingdoms of pine trees. He was breathing hard by the time he finally slowed to a stop in one of the fields. He halted beside a long wooden fence, and then he let out a loud whinny. At first there was only silence, and far away a cricket chirped. Then Cami heard an answering whinny from far in the distance. A thundering of hoof-beats shook the ground, and a pretty brown horse galloped towards them. It was obvious that he was domesticated; he had a halter, a sleek, glossy coat, and shoes on his hooves. The name 'Chocolate' was engraved in a nameplate on the halter.
"He's a translator," Cami said out loud, nearly laughing. The brown horse bobbed his head in affirmation. So Darktail found a horse who lives with humans and understands some of their language, she realized. Quickly she repeated her message for Katie, and the horses spoke to each other in their own tongue. Chocolate galloped off, and Darktail tossed his head, turning to look at her. Cami held tighter to his mane, and the wild stallion set off again, back to the camp.
Thank goodness, she thought. The message got through. She lay low on Darktail's back, focusing once more on keeping her balance.
The Chase
The Chase
Katie felt a breeze on her face and shivered. She opened her eyes and sat up, grimacing at the stiffness in her back. The sun had risen and the trees cast dappled shadows on the forest floor, which was covered in yellow-brown pine needles, dew-drenched soil, and patches of dry grass.
Joran was standing several feet away from her.
He was gazing off into the forest, into the light of the sun, with a troubled look on his face. Katie couldn't help staring at him; it was the first time she'd seen him in bright daylight. His long hair was a golden yellow that was darker at the roots. His skin was the color of buttermilk, and there was a faint pink tinge to his cheeks. His large, almond-shaped eyes were a stunning shade of blue-green.
Joran turned to look at her, uncomfortable under her gaze. "What?" he asked self-consciously, the tips of his pointed ears turning red.
Katie blushed, shrugging and looking away. Then it occurred to her how strange it must be for him, stranded, or so he said, in a faraway, foreign world. "Are you alright?" she asked sincerely.
Joran turned away from her, looking instead at the sky. "Would you be alright if your father was dead, your best friend was captured by merciless demons, and you were trapped in a strange world you didn't even know existed until last night?"
Katie lowered her head. Stupid question. With an obvious answer. "Sorry," she mumbled. She picked at the grass for several long, awkward moments before she was ready to speak again. "If…if you don't mind me asking, how did your father die?"
Joran looked down at his bare toes. "I don't know much of it. I do not know if there was a fight, or if they killed him as he slept. But he was murdered by demons." He sniffed, and Katie suddenly wondered if he was crying. When he spoke again, his voice shook. "My father, the greatest king in all of the ages of Allagandria… if it had not been Halthren who told me, I'd never believe it. Halthren never lies…"
"What do the demons look like?" Katie asked quietly, trying to change the subject while still gaining information. If she was going to assist him, if indeed it was possible for her to send him back and help him fight his war, shouldn't she know what the enemy looked like?
"They are hideous black creatures that look like small dragons without wings," Joran growled, his voice now firm and full of hatred. "Their teeth protrude from their jaws, and their noses are squished up on their snouts beneath their eyes. Their faces are like skulls; their eyes are small and yellow within sunken eye sockets. Their armor makes them appear to be clad in bones…the gleaming, black ivory bones of their own kind, and other bones as well…white ones. The bleached bones of their victims."
Katie shuddered. A thick cloud had passed over the sun, and suddenly the forest seemed darker. She was instantly aware of all of the shadows cast by trees, bushes, and a variety of other plants. Hideous creatures could hide in those shadows if this were Joran's world and not Earth…
"It's dark out," she whispered.
Joran sat down beside her, smiling grimly. "This isn't darkness," he murmured. "Darkness describes a place where light and goodness can never dwell. The sun is still there, Katie. You just can't see it right now. Soon the cloud will pass on, and the light will return in full once more." He looked up at the sky again. "When the demons raided my home, they cast a shadow over the moon. But the moon did not vanish; it didn't cease to exist simply because it was hidden. After a few moments the moon's light broke through the shadow, casting its silver rays down once more. The moon's light was stronger…and that is encouraging."
"How?" Katie asked.
"The moon broke through. The Darkness couldn't hide it. And if the moon can shatter its bonds…perhaps Light can, as well."
"Light?" Katie asked, raising one eyebrow. The way he said it…it didn't make any sense.
"The forces of goodness," Joran explained. "The elves of Kylaras. You may have noticed that at night, I glow just a little bit. This is because elves are pure light and goodness in a physical form, with bodies, hearts, minds, flesh and bone. Likewise the demons are pure darkness and evil in a tangible form. At night, you wouldn't see them glow, but you would feel colder around them. And in sunlight, they seem to… well, they glow black; it's like a dark cloud surrounds them. It's hard to explain…"
"You're doing fine," Katie assured him, trying to picture the image in her mind. "So you're the prince of Light. Which makes you their leader now, right? You really do need to return to…to…Silverland, or whatever."
"Kylaras," Joran corrected. "Yes, I need to return. Halthren was captured by demons who will torture him for information about me. I can't bear to think of him in such agony. Demons have no mercy; I do not think they even know what it means. I don't know what they'll do to him, but…he's certainly in trouble. I must get back, and you can help me."
"How?" Katie asked, feeling skeptical. "I still don't see how this is possible. Nothing I can do creates a portal or anything."
Joran bit his lip and wouldn't meet her gaze. "Then… we hope for a solution to make itself known."
Katie huffed, frustrated. Not that again. Then she heard hoof-beats and looked up, searching for the source of the sound.
Darktail raced through the forest, leaping over bushes and fallen logs. He skidded to a halt before them, spraying dust and pebbles. Joran leapt to his feet.
"The woodland wanderers are hunting you down with violent dogs," Darktail recited. He was breathing heavily. "Your little human friend asked me to deliver her message. I think that the translation was a little bit off; perhaps she meant that there are forest rangers tracking you with bloodhounds."
"I like dogs," Joran commented with a casual shrug. "Especially wolves."
Katie couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic; he seemed completely serious. "Some dogs are mean," she reminded him.
"Not to elves," Joran replied. Raising his voice, he called out, "Dogs of the humans! Do not let your commanders find us!"
A howl answered him, faint but unmistakable. "We only obey our masters. We will find you, stranger, and we will tear you apart. The girl we will spare, but you are dooooooomed!"
Katie looked at Joran as if to say, I told you so. "Perhaps we should run. Now."
"My thoughts exactly," Joran agreed, leaping onto Darktail's back. He looked down at her. "Come."
Katie raised her eyebrows skeptically. "They can track Darktail, you know." Then she heard the barking of a large group of angry dogs in the distance, and Joran's face went pale. His request had set them on edge, and instead of remaining quiet like they should have, they were howling insults at him—the worst of which included promises to tear his heart out.
Katie swallowed nervously. "It'll work," she said, joining him on Darktail's back. In an instant the horse was again charging through the woods. "So…elves never get tired, do they?" Katie asked, trying to distract herself from the anxiety settling in her stomach.
"Quiet," Joran whispered. "And yes, we do. Our strength is tied to the sun, moon and stars; at night, when there is less light, we grow weary and must sleep. And while being exposed to extremely powerful Darkness, our strength wanes because the light is suppressed. If we're around demons for too long, our hearts grow weary and we are greatly weakened. That is one reason I'm so worried about Halthren. If he's held by the demons for too long of a time, he could become horribly ill."
"So…Darkness makes you sick? How do you fight the demons, then?"
"Demons aren't powerful enough to entirely sap the energy from an entire army of elves. It's when we're on our own, or in very small numbers, that it pains us. We have the same effect on them, if only a few come too close to a village or an army. Unfortunately, there are always more demons than elves. Now be quiet, or the dogs will hear you!"
Katie noticed that the barking was getting louder and even more intense. She tried to swallow despite her suddenly dry throat and glanced over her shoulder, almost positive she could make out the brown pelts of dogs in the distance.
Suddenly a low branch hit her chest, knocking her off of Darktail's back and to the ground below.
"Katie!" Joran exclaimed in a hushed voice, abandoning the horse to go to her side. Darktail continued to run, now fearing for his own life should the dogs catch him. Katie didn't blame him. She lay still on the forest floor, trying to breathe again.
Suddenly there were two bright eyes wide with concern p
eering into hers. "Are you alright?" Joran asked anxiously.
Katie moaned and sat up dizzily when she got her breath back. "I…I don't think anything's broken," she wheezed. Joran grasped her hand and helped her to her feet, looking at her with sincere concern as she kept a hand at her chest, over her pounding heart. The dogs' furious barking was even louder, and the two youths could hear the rangers trying to regain control of their angry dogs.
"Run!" Joran whispered sharply, grabbing her wrist and pulling her on. Katie stumbled after him, feeling clumsy and slow—a rare experience for her. Normally she was the fastest and the most graceful. Joran was so much more agile and swift than she was. Though he looked as slender and willowy as a sapling, he was strong, fleet, and lean. Katie did her best to follow him over the uneven ground, but twice she tripped and almost fell. If Joran hadn't steadied her, she would have twisted her ankle.