We had, at last, begun to see more insects around us. They were many different types. Most were tiny like gnats yet others were the size of houseflies. Thankfully the flies avoided us. I put that fact in my ‘plus’ column for this new world. I recalled a summer I spent in Florida. I loved the sun and surf but got tired of engaging in combat every night with hordes of ravenous mosquitos.
Before long we reached the hills and climbed up. I looked but could not see the hill from which I had recovered the clothes I wore. When we began climbing Vynn again took the lead. He was obviously an experienced scout and he found us the most easily traversed paths through the rocks. I was glad that Dwan had altered one of the animal pelts with which he had been clothing himself into a garment which was very much like a pair of shorts. Being below him on the climb it was less embarrassing for all of us. After we had ascended and descended several hills he stopped and looked back at us with a big grin on his face. He spoke rapidly to Dwan while pointing to the summit of the rise we were currently climbing. Dwan nodded and sat, indicating for me to do the same. Vynn set off again in the direction of the high point of the hill.
“Vynn thinks he has been here before”, Dwan said through Tinker, “These hills are riddled with caves and he is fairly certain one exists up ahead. It has been used by our warriors as an emergency shelter. He wants us to stay here while he makes certain that it is unoccupied”.
“Should I not go with him in case he needs my help? What if the cave is occupied and he is attacked?”
She smiled as she sat and stretched out her legs. “If Vynn does not wish to be seen, no one will see him”.
I found that information to be comforting. Evidently Vynn had skills that would be extremely helpful in our bid to make it back to civilization.
After a half hour or so Vynn came sliding back down the hill, gesturing for us to follow. It was a difficult climb and I brought up the rear as we struggled up the steep rise toward the crest. At one point Dwan slipped and started to slide backward. I reflexively put out a hand to stop her and my hand made contact with her rear. I was immediately embarrassed and pulled it back but then she resumed her slide so I put my hand back again, stopping her fall but resuming my embarrassment. Dwan shifted her feet and regained a good purchase on the rocks. When I looked up she was laughing, as was Vynn. It was then that I noticed my hand was still on her backside. I could actually feel the flush rising on my face as I pulled my hand away quickly.
About twenty feet from the top of the rise there was a level area about ten feet across. Beyond that was a hole in the face of the hill. It stretched about eight feet in height and was just wide enough to allow one person at a time to enter. Vynn led us inside. It was noticeably cooler inside the cave. We all filed in to find the narrow opening extended some twenty feet back into the hill. It eventually turned abruptly left, then right, then left once again. At the end of this final turn the passage widened into a comfortably large and somewhat round hollow. The overhead was nine feet above us and the cave itself was about thirty feet in diameter. There was a small hole in the ceiling that was blackened around the edges from smoke. A large fire pit in the middle of the cavern floor bore witness to frequent past usage by others. Crude benches had been erected from raw wooden branches and were pushed against the sides of the cave. The wall held four stout posts cradled in holes. The posts were covered with congealed animal fat and had been previously used as torches. In one corner was a barrel under a slowly dripping stream of water. Lights, beds and running water. All the comforts of home.
We spent the early evening talking, using our little friend as a translator. She did not seem to require paying much attention to us to accomplish this task. In fact, she appeared to be focused intensely on the important mission of removing every last speck of dirt from her fur. Despite the grime of our trek she was once again beautifully white and silky. Her fur reminded me of that of a Persian cat.
While Dwan and I talked, Vynn kept himself busy refreshing the fire from a pile of dry wood, bringing us water and basically running the camp. He would pause periodically to answer questions from Dwan but he seemed to enjoy keeping himself active. I was actually beginning to feel guilty at letting him shoulder the entire load but Dwan insisted that I give my injuries at least another day to improve.
As the light from the smoke hole overhead turned from bright to dim and eventually to inkiness, Vynn finally sat and leaned back against the cave wall. All of us were sitting cross-legged around the small fire. The warmth was refreshing and the flickering flames drew our attention as the day’s struggles expressed themselves as a somewhat comfortable minor exhaustion and drowsiness. Dwan handed out heaps of berries on soft cloths and three objects about the size of potatoes. I sniffed mine suspiciously. Vynn attacked his, devouring it in huge bites. I took a cautious nibble. It tasted like a cross between a yam and a regular potato. I immediately engaged in a race with Vynn to see who could get their potato down the fastest. It was that good. Dwan sat watching us with an amused look while she ate hers with feminine restraint.
After dinner we took turns leaving the cave and finding private spots in which to relieve ourselves. I was last. When I came back into the cave my two new companions had scattered soft animal skins on the floor in preparation for the night’s sleep. Vynn offered to keep watch for the entire night, a notion that I immediately squashed. He finally agreed to wake me midway through night so I could pull my own watch. Dwan argued for a turn but we both urged her to get a good night’s sleep. She was not happy but she was smart enough to see that we were not going to wake her anyway. She dressed my wounds again, remarking that they were healing well. She also examined a few cuts on Vynn’s hands, apparently deciding they needed no further attention. My leg wound was feeling tight but the red gel kept the pain almost unnoticeable. I finally lay down on the skins and stretched. Dwan kicked off her footwear and I did the same along with my vest. I was very much aware of how close she was. Vynn headed out through the tunnel entrance to find a spot outside from which to keep watch.
Tinker skittered around the cavern sniffing at our gear and climbing on the rustic furniture we’d found there. Once satisfied with her inspection she hopped onto my pallet of furs and snuggled into the place between my shoulder and neck. She was growing fond of that particular spot and seemed to find it comfortable. From where I lay I was looking directly at Dwan. She still looked great, even with slight smudges of dirt on her face and arms. Her dark hair had fallen over one eye. I guessed her to be in the neighborhood of five feet, nine inches tall and wonderfully proportioned and athletic. I was now almost to the point that her beauty was having less of an unnerving effect on me.
Right after I had that thought Dwan opened her eyes and rose up on one elbow. She spoke in her language, the mental translation coming to me from Tinker immediately:
“Oh. Thank you,” she said.
“Excuse me?”
She sat fully up and crossed her legs. “I said thank you.”
Now I sat up. “I’m sorry,” I said, “Did you just thank me?”
“I did.”
“For what? I didn’t say anything”.
Dwan drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Her smile never faltered but her eyes dropped shyly. “You said I am beautiful. That was a very nice thing to say”.
I could always tell when I was blushing and right then I was certain that I had to be bright red. I looked accusingly at Tinker who had shifted from my neck to my lap when I sat up. Her head was against my thigh and she had one eye open. She gave a twitch of her mouth and whiskers which I could swear was a smirk, then closed the eye.
I swung my gaze back to Dwan. My mouth opened and closed several times but I was unable to think of what to say.
“Have I upset you, Tag-Gar?” she asked. “You seem uncomfortable”.
I shot Tinker a glare but her eyes were still closed.
“Well,” I began, “I didn’t really say that.”
Her smile faltered. I saw a look of disappointment on that pretty face. And perhaps a little bit of hurt.
“Oh. I am sorry.” She turned her face away, leaving me to wonder if she was disappointed or simply embarrassed.
“Oh no, don’t be sorry. I do think you’re beautiful, I just …didn’t say that…out loud.”
Dwan turned back to me, her face wearing a mischievous half smile. “I thought as much. I did not hear you speak in your language yet I heard your voice in my head. I think perhaps your little friend has decided to get even with you for our laughter at her last night regarding the spirits.”
Tinker turned over onto her back and gave a big stretch and yawn, looking as innocent as a lamb. Dwan leaned over and scratched her belly eliciting a soft purr.
“There is no need for you to be embarrassed about finding me attractive, Tag-Gar. I think you are attractive,” she said with lowered eyelashes. The effect was mesmerizing.
“You, uh…you do?” I could think of nothing else to say.
She raised her eyes to mine. “Of course I do. I find you to be powerful and courageous, of course, but mainly I love looking at your beautiful blue eyes. No other man on this entire world has eyes like yours”
“Wow!” I answered lamely.
“Wow?” Evidently Tinker had been unable or unwilling to provide an adequate translation for that expression.
“Oh, uh…that means...well, it means that I am so thrilled at knowing that you are attracted to me that I can’t think of anything else to say.”
We continued to chat for a while with no more hijinks from Tinker before sleep tugged at us. Dwan fell asleep first, me shortly thereafter. I was awakened a few hours later by Vynn. He looked beat. I patted his shoulder and sent him off to bed. Tinker scrambled up my leg, perching on my shoulder. It seemed she wanted to share my watch.
We felt our way through the dark tunnel, emerging from our refuge into the slightly chilly but still comfortable night. The starlight was very bright and the two small moons made the landscape below us visible. I stretched and yawned then found a rounded rock upon which to perch. Tinker moved down to my lap, standing on her hind legs and looking up at the stars. I studied my little friend thinking how fond of her I had grown. So many times during our brief association I had noticed an intelligence in her, much stronger than any animal I had ever encountered.
I decided to try something. Using just my mind and thoughts I reached out to her, calling her name. She didn’t look at me but I saw one ear twitch. I continued on, speaking to her in my mind. “Tinker, I know you can read my thoughts. I know you understand what I am thinking.” Another ear twitch. “Can you speak to me?”
She crouched down and used her hind leg to scratch behind her neck like a dog. I persisted.
“Tinker. We both know you are more than just an animal. I don’t know why you have decided to help me survive here and allow me to communicate with the people here. I would probably be dead if not for you. Can you speak to me, my friend?”
She stopped scratching. Slowly, she turned in my lap and raised up on her rear legs until she was looking directly into my eyes. Her eyes projected the kind of intelligence that only a sentient being could. She reached out gently with one forepaw and touched my cheek.
My mind was flooded with…something. There were no words, just realizations. I knew that she was my friend and that she loved me. That was the only word for it. The emotion was much like the way a human loves a friend. I was struck by the understanding that she would be my companion for as long as she was needed. She was here to help me. And I would need that help. Because we had a huge task in front of us. An enormously important task. And a dangerous one. And Tinker would give her life if such was needed in order for me to succeed.
I was a little stunned as this surge of awareness poured into my mind. It took no time at all, being an instantaneous delivery of knowledge. I continued to study my little companion. I saw that her eyes twitched back and forth from one of my eyes to the other, just like a human would do when speaking with another person. I mentally sent other questions to her. What is the nature of this task? Why is it dangerous? Could I be killed? Will I ever get back to my old life and world? She did not answer. She took her paw away from my cheek and lay down on my lap, wrapping her tail around herself. Apparently that was all of the information that I was going to get out of her tonight. But it was enough. It answered my biggest question. Besides her incredible ability to translate and relay thoughts from one person to another Tinker was as intelligent as any person. I stroked her fur along her back and she responded with her purring sound. As she slept I continued my watch.
About three hours after my sentry duty had begun the sky began to lighten off to my left. It started as a deep purple and slowly faded to a pinkish-blue color. I was enjoying the color show when Tinker startled me by jerking herself up to all four legs. She was obviously on edge and alert, the fur along her spine sticking straight up and her tail spiking up like a bottle brush. She gave a high-pitched growl, staring in one direction. An awareness of impending danger gushed into my mind.
Immediately on alert, I picked her up and stood, staring into the direction that she was gazing. The sun had still not emerged from behind the horizon and it was very dim. But as the light grew I was able to pick up something in the far distance. Movement. Something was moving out there. Several things, in fact. Tinker’s body grew tense in my arms. For the first time since I had found her I felt the small, sharp claws emerge from the hidden pockets on the tips of her fingers. Her growls became more intense.
Finally, the sun peeked over the horizon giving me enough light to see the things that were moving in our direction. It took another moment or two before I could be certain. It was a group of humanoids. And they were grey.
***
DANGER
Vynn and Dwan joined me, all of us squatting behind a large rock as we surveyed the valley floor in front and below us. The sun was higher in the sky now and we could clearly see the danger that was approaching. A ‘tenfold’ of the savage Grey Ones was jogging directly toward our elevated hiding spot at a brisk pace. They were heavily armed with spears, swords and clubs. As we watched them their leader would occasionally stop and crouch down, examining the ground in front of himself.
Tinker, perched as usual, on my shoulder, continued making her low growling sound. It was obvious she had no kind feelings towards the brutish group.
Vynn pointed at the leader. “He follows our footsteps. We will hide here and see if they can track us over the rocks. If they can we will have to fight. If we tried to run now they would see us from the high ground and chase us down.” The warrior looked about himself. “This is a good place to defend. They must climb up the same way we did, one at a time. It will keep us from being surrounded.” Vynn looked at Dwan and me and smiled. “And there is always the chance they will not see us.” From his expression I deduced that he considered such a chance as not being likely.
Vynn led us back into our cave and had us start carrying weapons outside. He and I each had a sword, a spear and a knife. Additionally, I had my shield, helmet, shin and forearm armor and my mace. Dwan had the slender sword I’d found for her and a wicked-looking dagger. She had both of them belted around her waist. I saw her swinging the sword with both hands, testing its heft. She obviously meant to fight alongside us. While I could appreciate her spirit, I had serious doubts about how much she could add to our efforts and, really, I didn’t want her hurt.
Fully armed, Vynn and I resumed watching the horde of sub-humans as they grew closer to our perch. We were well concealed but they were frequently casting looks upward as if expecting their prey to be hiding in the high ground.
I asked Vynn about battle plans. I figured he was the warrior and had faced these beasts before. He pointed to the level area about ten feet down the hill from the entrance to our cave and a little below.
“There is enough room for all of them to gather there. If they are skilled fi
ghters they will do that. If they are like most of their kind they will attack us one at a time as soon as they climb up to this level.” He turned to look toward Dwan and back at the ascending Greys. There was a troubled look in his eyes.
“What is it, Vynn?” I asked.
“It was my duty to defend Healer Dwan before. I failed.” He walked to the space that was just beyond the level clearing below our cave. “I will meet them here and hold them as long as I can. Any that I kill will be fewer for you to defend against. When I fall you can keep the rest from getting to her. She can wait in the cave. I’ve seen you fight, Tag-Gar. I know you can defeat any who make it past me.” He said it like the logic was unassailable but I wasn’t buying it. I checked the path leading up to us and saw that the Greys were definitely on to us. They would be climbing up to our level within ten minutes.
Something rubbed against my ankle and I looked down to see Tinker. After getting my attention she climbed up my leg to my shoulder. She wrapped her tail around herself and chirped softly to me. I briefly forgot the advancing danger and allowed her to flood my mind with calmness and tranquility. It washed over me like a gentle warm fog. The fright and worry that had been draining me since the moment I’d seen the Greys began to fade. I first started feeling calm. Then confident. Tinker’s small hands touched the side of my cheek. In my mind I felt her communicating with me in her way, with images and emotions. I saw a vision of me standing in front of the entire pack of Greys. I was particularly aware of the way I towered above them. I saw how my thighs and arms dwarfed those of my attackers. I also saw them struggling to climb up the path to our cave. I saw in my mind’s eye how difficult it had been for Vynn, Dwan and myself to make that same climb. A recognition dawned in me of a way to meet this threat. Tinker was filling my head with something else too. I fought the feeling briefly then surrendered to it. I stood as tall as I could, squared my shoulders and put on my helmet. I picked up my shield and drew my sword, marveling at how right they felt in my hands. At least right now, in my own mind, I was The Legend of Olvion and this was what I was here for.
The Olvion Reality (The Chronicles of Olvion Book 1) Page 11