Wess moved to the ledge to look for Avanda, Brimmelle and Thorik. He couldn’t see anything from his position so he jumped to his feet to work his way down from the falls and around a large rock face. Emilen yelled over the edge with no response. The noise from the falls drowned out her voice.
Grewen arrived, splashing out of the water as he kicked his bulky feet onto the dry rocks. He had seen what had happened and gently set Ambrosius down so he could help. Stepping over to the edge, he leaned over Emilen and looked down. He saw three wet Nums holding onto an angled rock. More accurately, Thorik was holding onto the rock with one hand and Brimmelle with the other while Avanda was holding onto Thorik. Brimmelle appeared to have been knocked out and he was dripping with blood.
Grewen knew that there wasn’t enough footing for him to maneuver his large body down the cliff wall. Instead, he gave instructions to Wess, who was currently working his way toward them. “Brimmelle is hurt and unconscious. You need to hurry before Thorik loses his grip,” he added to expedite Wess’ descent.
Wess yelled back a reply that Grewen’s little ears couldn’t pick up over the roar of the water.
Emilen went to comfort Gluic. “I’m sure Brimmelle will be fine. They’ll make it back up and we’ll all be home safe before you know it.”
Gluic untied a bracelet of wild flowers from her arm and wrapped them around Emilen’s wrist. “You keep telling yourself that, my dear, if it makes you feel better. But truth be known, we will never see Farbank again.”
“Don’t give up so easy. We’ll reach Kingsfoot in one piece and take a boat swiftly back to the village. We’ll survive this journey,” Emilen insisted.
The elder woman’s face went cold and stiff. “Perhaps you don’t understand, my dear. You and I will never see Farbank again.”
Emilen never knew when Gluic was serious or teasing her. She smiled and assumed it was the latter. Channels were known for their strange ways and they had no difficulty in reminding others of it.
By the time Wess reached the fallen members, Grewen had dropped one end of the rope to him while the other was wrapped around Grewen’s fingers, tightly held by both thumbs of his right hand.
Wess reached out as he told Thorik to swing Brimmelle over. Within a few slight swings Wess was able to grab his leg and pull him off to a safer place where he laid him down. Helping Avanda and Thorik off the outstretched rock, he then returned to Brimmelle to check his injuries. The elder Num was bleeding from a nasty cut to his forehead as well as his hands, which he apparently sustained in an attempt to catch himself.
Wess tied the rope securely around Brimmelle and Avanda. Once he gave a tug on the rope, Grewen quickly pulled them up and had Emilen and Gluic remove the ropes before he lowered it again for Thorik and Wess. They both tied themselves on and grabbed hold of the rope over their head.
“Thanks for helping me up there. Another second and I would have lost my balance on that rock,” Wess said to Thorik.
“I’m sure you would have done the same for me,” he replied.
“Let’s not test that theory.” He then gave that arrogant smile of his. But this time it didn’t bother Thorik as much. Wess looked up and with a tug on the rope they launched up into the air and landed in Grewen’s grasp.
Howling and clicking from the far side of the water continued as the apes made no attempt to enter the rushing waters.
After the group moved out of view, Emilen began cleaning Brimmelle’s cuts and scrapes as he slowly started to wake. He moaned about the pain and mumbled various passages from the Scrolls of Wisdom to calm his headache.
They rested and recovered as berries were picked and eaten, as well as roots and mushrooms. The autumnal palette of the hillside was a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach.
Grewen ripped entire shrubs out of the ground. After a quick slap against the side of his foot to dislodge most of the dirt, he placed them in his mouth, dirt and all. His constant hunger was easily quenched with nearly every plant he walked past.
Gluic returned to Brimmelle with a few dark green leaves with reddish veins, as he complained about his head pounding with pain. She rubbed the leaves together between two small rocks to squeeze out the liquids from within them. After removing the solid remains of the plant from the rocks, she softly rubbed the moist rocks onto his temples.
“Pepper’s mint will remove your pain,” she informed him as Brimmelle blinked his eyes from the strong vapors the liquid gave off. Moments later his headache reduced and his thoughts cleared.
Thorik sat near Ambrosius with a handful of berries. “You’re looking a little thin, what do you say about some Ciderberries? Ambrosius?” With concern, he placed his pale hand on Ambrosius’ chest to make sure he was still with them. He was. “You’ve overslept and missed the high adventure. Come on now; let’s see a bit of life in you.”
“He’ll be fine,” Grewen stepped in, “but I’d suggest keeping your distance from him if you know what’s good for you.”
Surprised at the comment, Thorik asked, “Are you threatening me?” He took two strong steps toward the giant who had him shaking with fear just the previous night.
“No. Just stating the facts. You put your life in danger each time you get close to him,” Grewen said as he watched Draq swooping in out of the sky toward them.
“And how is that?” Thorik asked as he turned back to Ambrosius just in time to be knocked down by the landing dragon.
“Get away from him, Fesh,” Draq demanded.
Thorik slid on his back halfway to Grewen, before rolling back to his feet and dusting himself off. “Now you wait just a minute. We’ve saved this man’s life more than once and we deserve the right to continue to-” He stopped as the dragon moved up and over him, leaning his head down to press his forehead against Thorik’s tilted back head. Draq’s black eyes stared at Thorik while he started pressing Thorik down.
“Until we know who you are, you have no right to anything.” Draq defined the new rules of their journey. “You will provide food, water, and shelter for us and we will provide it to him. You will not touch him or be near him without our permission.” He had pressed Thorik down to his knees. “Do you understand?”
“No, I do not,” Thorik pushed back. “You don’t know us, but we don’t know you either. Ambrosius has never told us about you, let alone that he is safe with you. Yet, we are expected to trust you when you aren’t willing to do the same for us.” His short little body pressed his head up a few inches against the dragon that was now starting to breathe hard.
“I don’t have to trust you. You, on the other hand, have no choice.” Draq reached out with his leg and kicked Thorik onto his back again before leaning over him and pressing one of his claws onto Thorik’s chest. “One or more of you may be a traitor and I cannot take the chance of him being harmed.”
By this point Avanda and Emilen were furious at the situation. “Leave him alone,” shouted Avanda.
“Thorik, get out of there,” Emilen called, fearing for his life.
Thorik thought about how unfair this was. He had jeopardized everything to bring Ambrosius this far and now these strangers were going to take over. In addition he had lost his leadership role again. Every time he felt that he had control of his life it was taken away from him. “Not this time.” He continued to be pressed into submission from the weight of the dragon leaning on his chest with one leg.
Thorik glanced over at Grewen who was relaxing against a tree watching for Thorik’s reaction to Draq’s demands.
“You’re right,” Thorik squeezed out.
Emilen was relieved that there would be no more bloodshed today. Wess, on the other hand, was disappointed that he had given up so quickly. He was just starting to respect the Num and felt this character flaw had resurfaced.
Draq’s narrow eyes never left Thorik as he backed away and let him stand.
“You’re correct. I have no choice but to trust you.” Thorik brushed himself off again before glancing over at Grewen
and then back at the reflective scaled face of the dragon. “You will take care of Ambrosius while I lead us to Kingsfoot.”
Grewen’s left eyebrow rose as he looked over to see Draq’s response.
“I follow no one,” Draq replied standing his ground.
“Fine. Then leave us,” Thorik continued. “Ambrosius asked me personally to lead him to Kingsfoot to find the truth of what happened. And unless you wish to defy his wishes, I will lead us.”
“I could kill you all in but a moment’s time,” Draq replied.
“Yes, you could,” Thorik said honestly. “And then you would need to explain to Ambrosius how you killed us for trying to protect him. I’m sure he will be grateful.”
“What faith do you have that I won’t kill you now and tell him that you were ripped apart by thrashers?” Cocking his head slightly as he edged it forward, “Why should I trust that you have had such words with him?”
“The way I see it, you can kill us at any point you wish. Believing that you will or won’t take such actions will not help my mission to bring Ambrosius to Kingsfoot. Although killing us prior to talking to Ambrosius could cause you great issues. I don’t think Grewen would lie about such things to him. So, I don’t have to trust you. You, on the other hand, have no choice.” He stared Draq in the eyes while his stomach fluttered from the stress of his bluff.
The eyes of the other Nums darted back and forth between Thorik and the dragon, waiting to see the next move.
Draq reached out, grabbing the Num and lifting him off his feet as the dragon’s wings wrapped around, surrounding them from all outside influences. Cramped and encased inside the creature’s wings, Thorik was pressed up against the silver-scaled body. Draq breathed out hot moist air and flared his nostrils down at Thorik. His large teeth began to show as the right side of his lip rose to expose the black of his gum line.
Thorik was now a prisoner, as his feet dangling off the ground and his arms were locked at his sides from the pressure of the surrounding wings. He pushed his head back to look up at the dragon’s face that hovered above him. Perhaps he had taken too big of a risk. Stepped too far. Pushed too hard. He began to sweat from the hot humid air, which was hard to breathe.
Draq finally broke the stressful silence of staring Thorik down. “Don’t play your games with me, Fesh. If I feel at any time that you pose a threat to Ambrosius, I will strike you down without warning.”
Thorik gasped for breath in the tight environment and replied, “Same goes for me.”
Draq squinted, trying to see more than what was on the surface. “You have courage little Num, and a fierce loyalty to Ambrosius. I can respect that. Just remember that you will be no good to him dead.” Draq eyed him again as Thorik mustered up the strength to raise his head and eyed him back. Draq continued, “He was lucky to have found you. You may lead the group to Kingsfoot while I scout ahead for trouble.”
“More thrashers?” Thorik squeezed out.
“No, Fesh.” He pulled him in even closer. “Thrashers are the least of your concerns. We need to avoid hunters.”
“What are they hunting?”
“Ambrosius.”
From the outside of the glossy winged cocoon, the group watched as it finally opened up and set Thorik down on his feet. He was paler than normal and weak in the knees, but he stood up as strongly as he could manage.
“We have come to an understanding,” Draq stated to the other Nums. “Thorik will be leading you to Kingsfoot and Grewen will care for Ambrosius while I scout ahead.”
“Thorik?” Brimmelle spoke up, as he lay on the ground with a bandage around his head. “I lead this trip. I am in control here. I’m the Fir!”
“This is not a debate!” Draq ordered. “Thorik is in charge or you will answer to me.”
Oddly enough, no one argued the dragon.
Chapter 12
Reunion of Old Friends
Fate of Thorik Page 12