Both Naz and Vin stopped and stared for a moment in disbelief at the distance the ape flew through the air, before landing in a puff and cloud of powder snow. They watched, but the ape did not get back up.
Vin was the first to react, turning on the ape now confronting Carter in a standoff. He threw himself on the ape, using his weight to bury it and squash it into the ground. Vin reached down and with a swift twist, snapped the ape’s neck, leaving it lifeless beneath him.
Vin rolled away and lay panting, trying to catch his breath and to slow his heart rate. The fight had lasted for one short burst of violence, leaving them all shaking and gasping for air. Holly still lay propped against the wall of the pass, seemingly unconscious and oblivious to the battle that had gone on around her.
‘Good job, you two,’ Naz said, finally slowing down his gasps as he recovered from the adrenaline rush. ‘I didn’t want you to get involved. We could have handled it,’ he said to Carter.
‘I know you could have handled it, but it was taking you too long,’ Carter said.
The two bears grinned at Carter’s attempt at humour.
‘Besides, I couldn’t stand by and see my friends under attack and do nothing.’
Naz and Vin both noticed the use of “friend” by Carter for the first time.
‘That’s right,’ Naz smiled. ‘Friends stick together and help each other. You would make a good Guard if you weren’t so skinny,’ Naz joked.
‘I’m not skinny, I’m built for speed.’
They all broke out in laughter to break the tension of the ambush that had been avoided.
‘Maybe we can make him an honorary Guard, like an honorary Scout,’ offered Vin.
‘Good idea, Vin, I’ll put it to The Boss. You may even get extra rations.’
‘What? Extra pies! Why don’t I get that, Naz?’ Vin asked.
‘Probably waiting for your promotion to come through. Come on, enough of this banter. Let’s get moving. The sun’s getting low. We’ll get some of that magic moss on these cuts and scratches. We don’t want them getting infected. Who knows what those apes have been doing to make themselves smell so bad.’
After cleaning themselves up, Naz said ‘Okay, same as before. Vin, you lead, I’ll take Holly. Carter, you take the rear. Move out, Guards!’
Vin and Carter smiled at the thought of being Guards together. They moved deeper into the pass, always hoping to see the welcome sight of a Gateway light opening before them at the next turn, but the sun moved behind the western peaks, throwing the pass into deep shadow and sending the temperature falling rapidly, without any sign of escape.
Finally, Naz called them to a stop. He laid Holly on the ground, making sure she was well wrapped in blankets.
‘Best get some food in us before the temperature drops too far. We’re going to need the extra energy,’ Naz said. ‘It’s gonna be a long wait.’
‘Maybe not,’ said Vin, pointing to a shimmering light that now appeared across the pass. ‘I think we got company. I think we’re going home!’
Laughing, Naz picked up Holly and the three companions ran towards the Gateway that had opened for them.
*
Stepping out of the tunnel, the travellers stood in awe at their surroundings. A patrol of six Guards stepped forward to greet them.
Carter was shocked at their appearance. The Guards were tall and well built, carrying themselves with pride. Their skin was light and their hair blond, in contrast to Carter’s Clan, who were all of darker skin and black hair. They wore their hair long, and some of the guard had full beards, making them look even larger.
‘Is that you, Naz?’ asked the Boss.
‘Sure is, Boss.’
‘Well, I’d never have recognised you. What happened to all that belly fat you’ve been dragging around for years? You’re looking lean and mean, Naz. An’ who’s this guy?’
‘It’s me, Boss, Vin.’
‘Vin? No! I don’t believe it,’ the Boss said, laughing. ‘We better get you some pies, Vin. Your Mom’s gonna think you’re ill. An’ who’s our visitor?’
‘Boss, I want you to meet our friend, Carter.’
The Guards all looked with interest at Carter, never having befriended a hound before.
‘You’re most welcome in our land, Carter.’
‘Thank you, sir, and our soon-to-be king, Samuel Southernland, sends his greetings and an invitation to your people to visit us in our lands at the earliest possible opportunity. He also gave me a letter of introduction, if I could just get it from my sack.’
‘Your credentials have been vouched for by our Guards, Naz and Vin. I’m sure the Big Boss will be happy to accept your letter and make you welcome.’
Turning again to Naz, he asked, ‘What you got in the bundle, Naz?’
‘It’s Holly.’
‘You’ve got a Southerner there? What happened to her, is she okay?’
‘It’s a very long story which I’ll look forward to telling you around the table. Can we get some fresh food, Boss?’
‘Why sure, you look like you need it. You Guards, give ‘um your rations, we can eat on the way.’
The Boss left instructions for three Guards to stay and watch the border while the others returned with the Crystal to town.
Vin turned to Naz and said, ‘Come on, give her to me now, you’ve carried her long enough, I’ll take her for a while.’
‘Thanks, Vin. I could use a break. Come on, Carter, we’ll show you home.’
They marched north with a lightness in their step that they hadn’t felt for a long, long time.
The plateau stretching out before them had taken on the vibrant hues of the desert growth. Fresh shoots sprang to life following a heavy rain. The lush green carpet was interspersed with a rainbow of flowers taking advantage of the rare downfall.
‘Good to be home, eh, Vin?’
‘You’re right there, Naz. First stop, the baths.’
‘That was quite a fight you had with them apes,’ called the Boss.
‘You saw all that?’ asked Vin.
‘Yep, we were biting our fingernails to the bone, but there was nothing we could do. We were waiting for them to bring up the Crystal. You get hurt?’
‘Just a few scratches, but their doctor gave us some magic moss. You put it on your injury and it cures you in no time. We got some here.’
‘Really! The doc’ll be interested in that. And it’s just a moss?’
‘Yep, grows wild all over the place down there.’
‘Well, that is a gift.’
They trekked on through the late afternoon, over the flat plateau, leading away from the mountains. Holly slept in peace for the first time throughout their journey. Carter, feeling comfortable in the easy company of the guards, trotted to keep up with the urgent pace set by Vin and Naz to get home. Towards sundown, Carter saw what looked like a cloud on the horizon.
‘Is that a sandstorm heading this way?’ he asked Vin.
‘That’s no storm, that’s the lights of our town. I think they’ll be staying up late to welcome us home. We’ll be there soon, then you can eat and sleep until your heart’s content. You deserve it.’
The cloud on the horizon quickly turned into a warm glow, and then twinkling lights shining in the distance.
‘I can see my house,’ called Naz, and the walking pace seemed to speed up.
Vin turned to the Boss. ‘Hey, Boss, will you do something for me? Will you carry our guest for a bit?’
‘Sure, Naz, pass her here.’
After laying Holly gently in the arms of the Boss, Vin turned to Carter and winked, ‘Come on,’ he said, ‘you’re in on this too.’
‘In on what?’ asked Carter.
Vin winked at him again, ‘I’ll show you.’
Vin walked a little quicker to catch up to Naz. ‘We’re too exposed here on the plateau. The quicker we get off it the better, don’t you think?’
Naz looked at him, and suddenly remembered the day across the border
when Vin had said the same thing.
Naz smiled, ‘Yep, the quicker we get off this plateau, the better,’ he said, smiling.
Naz started to increase his speed, and Vin followed. Vin walked even faster and Naz broke into a jog. Seeing Naz jogging, Vin started running. In moments they were both racing each other as fast as they could.
Vin shouted back over his shoulder, ‘Come on, Carter. Last one home gets the cold bath water.’
Carter took off, joining in the fun, laughing as he easily passed them both.
‘Hey, that’s not fair, you got four legs,’ shouted Naz after him, who was having trouble running for laughing so much.
‘Will you look at them clowns,’ said the Boss to his men. ‘You’d never believe they were our most experienced Guards from the way they act sometimes.’
Carter loved the feel of the wind through his fur again. He was lost in his thoughts as he jogged along, making sure he was just a little faster than the bears, just a little way in front.
His mind drifted off to his time with Kerri, running to escape back to the border. The danger, the excitement, but also the easy company of the girl he’d looked up to forever. The girl he most wanted to notice him, the girl who’d been the best runner in the Clan, until the day he’d finally ran faster. She hadn’t liked coming second, but he secretly hoped she didn’t mind coming second to him. After all, she remembered his name now, she’d asked him to dance, and she’d kissed his cheek when he’d panicked. He could still feel the touch of her lips. Kerri, he thought, what are you doing now?
*
His thoughts came back to earth with a jolt. He began to make out a line of people ahead, holding burning torches, guiding them home. Carter suddenly felt very conscious that he was a stranger in this land. He pulled up in a sliding stop that kicked up a cloud of dust. Naz and Vin charged past him, shouting ‘You’re gonna have a cold bath, Carter!’
He couldn’t help but smile, despite his nervousness at approaching the town. The way Naz and Vin acted made him feel so much pleasure at being called “their friend.”
The bears collapsed in a heap at the line of townspeople, laughing and slapping each other on the back. The whole town rushed to greet them.
Everyone wanted to shake Naz and Vin’s hand, or give them a welcome hug home. After a few moments, Naz cleared his voice and called aloud, ‘Everyone, I want you to meet someone who saved our lives…’
‘Twice!’ Vin called out.
‘… saved our lives, TWICE!’ corrected Naz. ‘But more than that, he also accepted our friendship. This is Carter.’
There was much murmuring and nodding of heads among the townspeople. Carter overheard the word “twice” repeated, often in awe.
‘Come on, Carter, let’s get out of this fur,’ Naz called over his shoulder. ‘Follow us.’
The Boss caught up with them and walked beside Carter. ‘You’re amongst friends now,’ he said. ‘You go along with Naz and Vin, I’ll take care of your friend. Holly, isn’t it?’
‘That’s right sir, Holly’s her name. She’s been unconscious for a long time so she’s going to be really weak when she wakes up.’
‘We’ll take good care of her, you go and get cleaned up.’
‘Will you take me to her when she awakes? She’s likely to be very scared. She’s been through a living nightmare.’
‘I’ll have the ladies take good care of her. Don’t you worry, we’ve dealt with these traumas before.’
‘Thank you, sir.’ Carter trotted forward to catch up with Naz and Vin.
‘First things first.’ Naz said, turning to smile at him. ‘Do you like water?’
‘I was born to swim, Naz.’
‘Then you’re gonna love this.’
They led him to a large building, made of intricate stonework, supported by columns of a white glistening marble. Carter looked in amazement at the size and the beauty of it. Walking through an archway, they entered an enormous open space, the domed ceiling supported by columns carved into the shape of men, supporting the weight of the beams on their shoulders.
‘These are our heroes of old,’ said Naz, serious for a moment. ‘And there’s Ran,’ Naz said with pride, pointing to a statue on a marble pedestal. ‘Did we tell you about him?’
‘No, you didn’t.’
‘That’s right, it was the big man, Casey, we told the story to. We’ll tell you all about him, but first, the serious stuff,’ said Naz.
He led them up a small flight of steps to stand before an enormous pool of water covering the entire floor space of the building. There were wisps of steam rising from the water’s surface, which stretched almost mirror-like, away before them.
Burning torches had been placed in rings mounted on the walls. The soft glow of the flame creating a calmness that blended with the silence of the building, broken only by low gurgling sounds of water at one end, and a gentle splashing of the cascading waterfall entering the pool at the opposite end.
‘The water is warmed under the ground,’ Vin said, with obvious pride at the achievements of his people. He pointed to the stream of water, running gently down over rocks into the main pool at the far end. ‘We pump it out of the ground and feed it straight into the pool. It drains out there,’ he pointed out.
‘The water’s always fresh,’ said Naz. ‘So first, we clean ourselves off, to get out of this fur. Come this way.’
Naz led then to a room at the side of the pool. As Carter brushed against the smooth sides of polished marble on the wall, he noticed that the walls were warm.
‘We pump water down through the walls, to make them warm,’ Naz pointed out with pride.
‘I’m speechless,’ said Carter. ‘I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.’
‘You’ve seen nothing yet,’ said Vin laughing, ‘You wait until you see my kitchen!’
‘It’s okay to change back to your man form here, Carter,’ said Naz. ‘You won’t be affected by ageing after crossing the border. You won’t get old and weak.’
‘But I thought you said if I didn’t change to a hound when I’m outside my own land, I’d age very quickly?’
‘That’s right, but not here, not in our town. The Crystal protects us! It radiates a ring around the town that stops all the bad effects for people outside of our land. It’s like a little sanctuary for everyone. We don’t know how it works, but anyone living close to the Crystal isn’t affected by ageing. We’ll tell you all about it over a bath.’
‘You know, I’ve never seen what you guys look like,’ said Carter.
‘Now’s your chance,’ said Vin.
The two bears became very serious. They sat on the stone benches behind them. Carter watched the concentration on their faces. Slowly, their white fur seemed to retract into their skin, the paws and long sharp claws turning into strong hands that gripped the edge of the bench. Their faces shrank, making their mouths take on the wide shape of men, the sharp fangs becoming straight white teeth that smiled with pleasure. Carter stood looking at Naz and Vin in their man forms sitting before him.
‘That feels so good,’ said Naz.
Carter surprised himself as he realised he’d never thought of his new friends as men, only as bears. They sat on the stone bench, tall, well-muscled, and hair of blond, so unlike his own.
They sat grinning at him. ‘Not what you expected, eh? Come on, it’s your turn. Grab a towel and we’ll take you through.’
Carter went through the changing as he’d learnt, then, wrapping towels around themselves, the trio walked through another columned archway where three deep baths had been cut into the stone floor.
‘The first one’s hot, the middle one’s warm, that one’s cold. You’re our guest so take your pick, Carter.’
‘I’ll take the warm one.’
‘Good choice,’ said Vin. ‘Go on, Naz, you can have the hot one.’
‘No, no, it’s okay, Vin, you can have it.’
‘Why thanks, Naz,’ he said, and jumped straight in, creatin
g a wave of warm water that spilt over the floor.
Naz stood looking, dumbstruck. ‘Vin, you were supposed to insist that I have the hot one.’
‘Was I? Oh, sorry Naz. I’ll remember next time.’ He laughed sinking under the water to immerse himself.
Naz lowered himself very slowly into the cold bath, shouting as if in pain as the water covered him.
‘Come on, Carter, wash away all that dirt and grime, then we’ll go for a swim.’
‘Now you’re talking,’ said Carter.
After their bathing, they made their way back to the pool, where steps descended into the warm waters. For the first time in many weeks, Carter felt at peace with his world, in the place he loved the most. In water.
*
They swam and dived, glided and floated, luxuriating in the spa waters of the pool. Feeling the waters rushing over his skin, pulling himself beneath the surface or floating lifeless staring at the decorated ceiling, Carter was lost in his happiness. It was Vin that finally pulled him out of his waking dream.
‘Can you hear that? Can you hear my belly complaining? I’m not going to survive much longer without something to eat,’ Vin told them. He led the way into a marbled side room, where towels and clothes had been laid out for them to change into while they’d been swimming.
‘These are for you,’ Vin offered Carter. The pants were of a soft brown cloth. The shirt was multi-coloured and warm and fitted him well.
‘I really need to check on Holly,’ Carter said.
‘The Boss has left her at my home. My Mom will be taking care of her. We’ll go now and see how she is,’ said Vin.
He led the way through the town, proudly pointing out the beautiful stonework of the most important buildings. Eventually, after being greeted by what seemed like everyone in the town, the three arrived at Vin’s home. The solid wooden door was already open. Vin stepped through into a room which to Carter seemed to be mostly kitchen. It was dominated by an enormous table in the centre of the room. A large clay oven was built into one wall, where a lady was bent, unloading trays of crisp brown pastries from it. Vin’s Mom turned as they entered, smiling warmly. She dropped the trays on the table, forgotten, and rushed to greet them.
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