by C. F. Cooper
Gary left the cave and made his way to the campfire where he found Smallgrass and Smallgrass cooking up some breakfast.
“How are you feeling,” he asked.
“Like I’ve returned from the dead,” said Smallgrass. “Gary, you must realise that you are a shaman. You’re vision of Devin confirmed that. You are a bridge between life and death.”
Gary thought about what Smallgrass said. “From what I saw and what Devin told me, I don’t think there is a divide between the two. They are simply different forms that life takes.”
Smallgrass smiled. “You even sound like a shaman. Listen to the voices in your head Gary. Listen to your dreams. The world beneath talks to you and what it tells you may very well be the difference between victory and defeat for our quest.”
“I had a strange dream last night. Octavia and Daisy were in it. They were standing in front of me naked.”
“Yeah?” said the other Smallgrass, “On the other hand, sometimes dreams are probably just dreams.”
“Did you know Octavia is married?”
“Yes, of course. Her husband is one of the fiercest and most brutal fighters I have ever seen. Any enemy of Hannibal has good reason to be very afraid.”
“Great,” Gary whispered under his breath.
“Have you and Octavia argued?”
“No, nothing like that. Tell me, you two are partners. Do you ever, well you know?”
They both stared at him blankly. “Eh, no. What are you asking?”
“Do you ever sleep with other badgers?”
“Sleep?”
“Okay, make love. Do you ever make love to…with other badgers?”
Smallgrass and Smallgrass looked at each other, then back at Gary. “There aren’t too many badgers that live close to us and almost none that have our taste, so I guess we were very lucky to find each other all things considered.”
“Right, but theoretically?”
They stared at each other again, speaking with their eyes. “There was that one time with the otter,” one of them said. “But the smell of fish. Ugh, never again. And of course you turned us down so that would have been…interesting.”
“Let’s eat,” said the other. We found some wild mushrooms this morning. A rare treat.” He spooned a portion onto three plates and passed them round.
Gary wasn’t hungry. He realised now that he was never actually hungry in this land, but the mushroom tasted delicious. He felt as if he was tasting the whole forest. Octavia appeared and joined them.
“Good morning Octavia,” said Smallgrass. “Join us for some wild mushrooms.”
“Is that alright with you Gary?” she asked.
“Yes,” he mumbled. “Why wouldn’t it be?”
“Well, I don’t know. I wouldn’t want to be accused of eating around.”
***
Leo approached the fire where the group of friends were sitting. They were eating in silence. Smallgrass and Smallgrass throwing each other the occasional look and shrug of the shoulders as they observed the awkward silence between Gary and Octavia.
“Good news, we have heard from Daisy.”
Gary leapt to his feet. “Where is she?”
“Tracking Sasha. She has left the village and appears to be heading back to Autumnfall.”
“Why is she tracking the cat woman. Why didn’t she come back to find us?” said Gary to no-one in particular.
“From what her cousin said Sasha was one of the village’s fiercest fighters, yet she was turned,” said Smallgrass.
“I know Sasha,” said Leo. “It’s true. She is the last person you would expect to be entranced.”
“And she was not only turned, she turned the village.”
Octavia nodded. “If we can find out what happened to Sasha, we will have the key to defeat the doomwalkers.”
“Daisy shouldn’t be alone. It is dangerous.”
Leo frowned. “She is safer now that she is on her own. Rabbits are quick as the wind and silent. They make the best trackers. Believe me, a human, a lizard and two badgers are not the companions you need when you are following someone with a degree of stealth.”
“Leo speaks the truth,” said Octavia.
“So, we just leave her out there on her own? I won’t do it.”
“No, we follow her, but we don’t try and catch up with her until she tells us to,” said Smallgrass.
“Octavia?” Gary asked.
“Daisy is brave and strong. She knows what she is doing. We must follow her and be close enough to help when we are needed.”
“It doesn’t seem right.”
“You can’t always be the hero Gary. The four lands existed before you and, earth willing, will be here after you have gone. Your help is welcome, but we must be our own heroes, our own saviours.”
Gary nodded. “When I first came here, I didn’t want to fight for it. Now I sometimes feel like it is up to me alone to save the world.”
“You don’t get to have all the fun,” said Smallgrass.
“Sleeping around, eating around, fighting around,” said Octavia.
Gary stared at her. Was that a crease in the corner of her eye? He felt as if he was beginning to understand the inscrutable lizard woman and her bone-dry sense of humour. Gary laughed and shook his head. “Okay, okay, so we follow her. We let Daisy be the hero for now.”
“We all do what we’re told to,” said Leo. “Just like Daisy has.”
Gary frowned, “What do you mean?”
“Daisy is following the orders of the council of the resistance and we must do the same.” Leo turned and waved his hand gesturing them to follow him.
Gary looked at Smallgrass and Smallgrass. They shrugged, no wiser to Leo’s meaning than Gary. They stood and followed Leo. He made his way through the forest, tracking a narrow path that took them out of the gully where they had found refuge. After following a steep rise for several minutes, they finally came to a clearing which was circled by standing stones. In the centre was a stone table.
Leo spoke. “The old myths tell of a council of all creatures who passed into the garden. They met here and agreed how the land would be ruled for the benefit of all. All disputes were settled by the council. After generations of peace and harmony there was no need for the council. It dissolved and the moss grew over this place.”
“And the myths said the council would only ever meet again if the four lands were threatened,” boomed a voice from behind them. Gary turned to see a towering Lizard man standing between two of the stones. He made Octavia seem slight and fragile by comparison. “And so here we are.”
“Hannibal!” Octave boomed. She ran towards him and embraced her husband. “The children?”
“They are well,” he replied. “They fight on with the rest of us.”
“And fight on we will,” said a white mountain tiger as it emerged into the circle.
“As long as twenty of us remain alive, freedom shall not perish,” said a small high-pitched voice.
Gary looked around and eventually spotted its origin as a polecat scurried from the edge of the circle to the stone table. Other creatures emerged from the shadows and made their way to the centre.
Octavia and Hannibal walked hand in hand. Gary looked over at them nervously, wondering what Hannibal, the largest creature he had ever seen, would think of his wife’s behaviour the previous night.
“Hannibal, this is Gary, a son of Adam.”
“News of your presence has spread faster than the doomwalkers. Welcome Gary,” he nodded.
“Hi,” said Gary nervously.
“I believe I can detect the scent of my wife from you Gary. Did you make love?”
Gary froze on the spot. “Very good sense of smell lizards have,” said Smallgrass. “Can smell blood half a league away.”
“I…I..well…”
Hannibal nodded his head. “I thank you Gary. I can see that Octavia is full of lifeforce.”
“Making love with Gary was intense,” said Octavia. �
��I think the human blood adds something to the coupling.”
“Interesting,” said Hannibal.
“I offered,” said Smallgrass, “but he wasn’t interested. My loss, Octavia’s gain.”
“Okay, could we all stop talking about it,” Gary shook his head. “It may be normal for all of you, but I’m still not comfortable with this.”
A large swooping sound disturbed the conversation as an Owl landed in the centre of the table.
“Friends,” said the owl. “Gather round and report.”
“Everything outside of the forest is taken in Springrise,” said the polecat. “Their magic does not seem to penetrate as well here, and the doomwalkers are reluctant to spend more than a few hours at a time away from open ground.”
“She speaks the truth,” said the mountain tiger. “There is resistance to the king, but it is all in the forests. That is why my kind has been mostly free from the takeover.”
“Interesting,” nodded the owl. “Leo, did you and your followers remain untouched by doubt in open ground or had you already fled to the forest?”
“Some of us did remain immune, including our friends here,” he indicated towards Gary and his fellow travellers.
“All but one,” corrected Smallgrass. “I was overwhelmed by the magic. It was only the power of Gary that saved me.”
“The human?” asked the owl.
Smallgrass nodded and explained what had happened. The council listened in silence, looking at each other and nodding.
“It seems that your presence is no mistake,” said the polecat.
“Agreed,” nodded the owl.
“But it is a mistake. I am only here because the professor could not pass through the portal.”
“Who is this professor?”
Gary explained how he had met the professor and been pushed through the portal by him.
“And you think that is mistake?” asked the owl. “No, your portal of Ikea would only let through someone it knew would help. You are attuned to the lifeforce and it can talk to you. It will not intervene directly, but it will through the agency of others.”
“I’m really not that special.”
“Yet, the lovemaking was more intense than I have ever experienced,” Said Octavia. “I think that must mean something.” Gary blushed and looked at Hannibal who was nodding in agreement.
“Tell us more.”
“Really, I don’t think it’s relevant,” said Gary. “What’s important is finding Daisy.”
“Tell us Octavia,” said Hannibal.
Gary stood in silence, staring at his feet as Octavia recounted in minute detail their night of passion and how it had made her feel. The visions she had seen.
“And you saw these visions too?” Hannibal looked at Gary.
“Yeah, pretty much,” he mumbled.
“And when you made love to Daisy?”
Gary shook his head and felt the heat rise in his cheeks. “Really, I have no idea what Daisy did or didn’t feel.”
“She had visions,” said Octavia.
“What, she… she spoke to you about it?”
“She was very keen for us to make love Gary. She wanted to find out if it was real or just imagined.”
“She was convinced Octavia would have the same experience but wanted to be sure,” said Smallgrass.
“Wait, what? So, everyone was discussing my lovemaking behind my back?” His companions all looked at each other, then to Gary and nodded.
“Well that’s great. Just great. It would be nice to have some privacy you know.”
“I’ve heard enough,” said the owl. “Gary, I don’t know what the lifeforce has planned for you, but it has something. You are the key to the battle with the Ice King. We will mount the resistance to the doomwalkers from the forest, but you must travel to the centre of this evil if you are willing. It will be difficult, and you must do it with only a few allies so that you can slip unnoticed between the lands on your way to Winterhaven. It is your destiny. Will you choose to accept it?”
“Well it’s the only way home,” said Gary. “I thought I could live here, but I can’t. I can’t take all this discussion of my private life. But I’m going nowhere without Daisy. We need to find her first and make sure she is safe.”
“No one person is more important than the fate of the four lands,” said the owl.
“Yeah, well me and the lifeforce, we’re like that,” Gary crossed his fingers. “And the lifeforce says your wrong. One person is important, because that’s what makes it worth fighting for.”
“We don’t have time for personal feelings, much as I admire your loyalty.”
“Well, the thing is, it’s not your choice. You can’t force me to go to Winterhaven. All you can do is stop me going after Daisy. But here’s the thing. You all seem to think that I have some special link to the river of life.” The assembled group around the table nodded in agreement. “So, if that is the case, who is to say I am wrong. Maybe it is the lifeforce that is pushing towards Daisy. Maybe that is part of the destiny.”
“Maybe you are falling in love,” said Smallgrass.
“Maybe I am. Maybe that’s all part of the plan. Regardless, I’m going to follow Daisy and make sure she is safe before I go anywhere else.’
Smallgrass felt a lump in his throat and wiped away a tear. “Well said Gary, well said.”
The owl paused to think and finally nodded her approval. “Who are we to say you are wrong. Your instincts have served you well so far. Son of Adam, you must do what you have to, but do it fast. We don’t have much time.”
“Autumnfall is a day’s march following the one straight line,” said Leo. “From what Daisy has said, it sounds as if Sasha is taking that route. You can make your way there without leaving the cover of the forest. Our people are scattered throughout the land. They will keep the doomwalkers at bay if necessary.”
Octavia turned to her husband. “Hannibal, you know I must go with him, don’t you?”
Hannibal nodded, “And I must go with you. We have been apart for too long.”
Octavia looked at Gary for his agreement. She then turned to the badgers. “You should stay here and recover.”
Smallgrass leapt to his feet. “I will do no such thing. I will not be defeated by one setback.”
“Talk some sense into him Smallgrass.”
The other Smallgrass cocked his head to the side, thinking for a moment. “Nope, can’t remember ever succeeding at that in the past. Unlikely to now.”
Octavia shook her head and seemed to frown. Gary realised that, despite her manner, she cared deeply for the badgers. “I guess we’re stuck with them Octavia.”
“Indeed, you are. We are not finishing our quest hiding in a forest when the four lands are in peril.”
“We are a team Octavia,” said Gary. “Let’s finish this together. If Smallgrass hasn’t fully recovered by the time we catch up with Daisy we can skin him alive and make a hat with the fur.”
Smallgrass and Smallgrass roared with laughter and this time Gary was sure he could see a twinkle in Octavia’s eye.
“Take this,” said Leo, removing a pendant from around his neck and passing it to Gary. “It contains pure water from the river of life. It has been passed down through my family for generations. A badge of office for guarding the well of life at the heart of Springrise. It may be of use.”
Gary shook Leo’s hand. “Thank you. I will try not to let you all down.”
“Just be true to yourself Gary,” said the owl. “That is all any of us can do. I must go now, but I will return.” The owl turned and pushed off from the table beating its wings as it rose into the air. “Safe journey good friends,” she shouted as she swooped past Gary and climbed above the trees, disappearing from view.
Chapter 16
After leaving sanctuary of the gully that acted as a hideout of the resistance, they had made their way to the edge of Springrise, staying within the forest, observing the comings and goings of the doomwa
lkers in the distant open ground whenever they skirted the edge of the trees. It seemed to be true that the doomwalkers would only venture into the forest for short periods of time.
“It must mean something,” said Smallgrasss.
“For some reason, the magic that keeps them entranced is weaker in the forest,” said Hannibal. “I’m sure of it. They are weaker in the forest.”
Night fell as they reached the great dividing swamp. Unlike Summervale, there was no mountain ranges separating Springrise and Autumnfall. A large swamp like forest acted as the border between the lands. A wide flat plain created a break in the swamp along the one straight path. This was the path that would be taken under normal circumstances.
“So, we keep to the forest and avoid the open ground, agreed?” said Gary.
“If that is what your heart tells you,” said Smallgrass. “It has been a good compass so far.”
The others agreed and they remained concealed from the open ground as they entered the swamp. Looking around Gary wondered if Daisy has navigated the swamp and whether she was still safe. The swamp was covered in tall dark trees that reached to the sky and blotted out what light remained in the evening sky. The ground was covered in thick dark sludge like liquid, the trees roots rising out of the liquid like fingers. They looked as if they were trying to pull the trees back down into the swamp. Thin paths of solid ground weaved their way through the undergrowth.
The companions formed a single line and lit their torches as the last of the light died out. The torches flickered and cast shadows in all directions. As they progressed further into the swamp, they heard the sound of liquid bubbling all around them. Creaking groaning sounds accompanied the bubbling sounds. The shadows created by the torches seemed to create silhouetted monsters who followed them through swamp.
“I don’t think we’ll meet any doomwalkers in here,” said Gary.