Stevie began his swing, his eyes closed for an instant, and the broad sword crashed into the stone wall that had grown up in front of Abby at the same moment the wolf charged. The sound of the sword and the dull thud of the wolf collapsing to the ground unconscious echoed up the pit. Everyone went silent.
Stevie's hands stung, and he said, “Where did that...oh, good job, Jo. Is it dead?”
Abby said, barely able to catch her breath, “You saved me, Jo.”
Jo looked up with a sheepish smile. “I'm glad it worked. I didn't think it would.”
Cindy pointed at the ground. “I don't think it's dead.”
Stevie stepped toward the beast and raised his blade with both hands. Howls erupted from all around.
Jo jumped up and yelled, “No, don't kill it!”
Stevie stopped, “What?”
Jo knelt by the beast. Its head bleeding, and she put her ear to its chest, and said, “It isn't mean; it’s just doing what comes naturally.”
“You know what comes naturally to me? Not getting eaten by wolves,” said Stevie.
Cindy said, “What are you doing? You idiot, you're healing it! This isn't a fairy tale where you pull the thorn out of the lion's paw, and he becomes your buddy. This guy wants us for breakfast.”
The walls continued to crumble and give way to the path that was winding its way to the pit floor. Jo waved her hands over the wound, and the bleeding stopped. She said, “I think I can keep it sleeping until we figure a way out.”
Abby said, “Jo, maybe you could make some more of those walls. We don't have very long.”
Jo waved her hand one more time. “Oh, yes, you're right...sorry.”
She jumped up and dragged her foot along the ground in a big arc around the group and then drew some glyphs in the air.
Stevie grabbed her arm, “Wait, what about a door? Won't we be trapped if you make it surround us?”
Cindy said sarcastically, “If she can make walls grow from the earth, she can probably make them create a door later after we've NOT been eaten.”
Stevie looked at her, angry at first, then smiled. “Okay, I'll give you that one, but let's drag wolfie outside the wall.”
Cindy, Abby, and Stevie all grabbed hold of the beast and moved him outside the marks. Jo went back over the marks after everyone was back inside.
With a loud crack the path reached the pit floor. Wolves, badgers, some nasty-looking big cats, and a few animals they'd never seen before poured into the pit. Some, not waiting for the ones in front of them, scrambled down the last few meters of the wall. A hoard of creatures that didn't seem at all impressed with Jo's compassion rushed towards them.
The wall started slowly at first, but, when Jo saw the attack, she froze, full of fear. The more frightened she got, the faster the walls grew until they were high enough that the creatures were out of sight.
Cindy screamed, “Higher, make it higher! They can jump.”
The wall was nearly four meters high when the first animal hit the wall. Moments later another beast attacked. The sounds of claws scratching and trying to climb were coming from all around the wall.
“Make a roof, please. I'm sorry I made fun of you. Make a roof,” Cindy said, grabbing Jo by the shoulders and shaking her.
“I'll try.”
Cindy let go.
“Oh, no, I can't reach that high,” Jo said, sounding scared at the realization.
Abby said, “Get on Stevie's shoulders,”
Stevie bent down and Jo threw her legs around his neck and he stood up. “I still can't reach the top.”
Abby said, “Make it anywhere.”
“Oh, okay,” and she moved her hand in a straight line across the top of the pit wall. “Stevie, move to your right, slowly.”
The loud thwack of a fireball shooting from Cindy's staff made everyone stop and look around. “I just saw a paw over the top. They're climbing! Hurry!”
Abby notched another arrow and took a spot next to Cindy.
Jo waved her hands, and the ceiling began to grow. A strange-looking, five-legged creature pulled itself to the top of the wall. Cindy and Abby hit it with a fireball and an arrow, and it flew backwards. The cacophony of the creatures attacking was deafening. The roof finished and then there was darkness.
The scratching, growls, and howls muted.
Cindy was crying. “I'll never make fun of your magic again. I promise.”
Jo, somewhat shyly, said, “Thanks.”
Cindy said, “Those shoes and your outfit? They are a different story, but I'll save that for later.” Cindy threw her arms around Jo. “Just kidding.”
Stevie asked, “So, how is everyone enjoying their Thanksgiving weekend?”
Abby said, “I've had better.”
The attack raged on outside, and it was tough to get comfortable.
***
The man wore leather armor. He looked scary and had a scar under his right eye. He also had a cape, which George thought looked awesome though still scary. The man pulled a chair from under the kitchen table with a quick jerk. He spun it around and was sitting in it before George knew what happened. He was fast.
In a thick Russian accent, the man said, “What is small boy doing in my forest?”
“I'm lost,” George said, looking at the floor.
“You have sword and shield, das?”
“Yes, but I'm not very good with either of them. I mostly just fall down when there is trouble.”
“You have no teacher, no mentor?”
“No, I just got them a couple of days ago. I'm not much of a threat, I promise.”
The man stood and walked around the table. He pulled out a chair and said, “Here, sit. I get you something to drink. And your friends, I feed them, too.”
George did as he was told. A moment later the man set a mug in front of George then went outside. The man pulled a half bale of hay and threw it on the ground. Billy said, “Thank you, sir.”
“A talking guinea pig, how interesting. Do you have a name, talking piggy?”
“I'm Billy, and this is Badger. He doesn't say much.”
“I'm pleased to make your acquaintance. I'm Drago Ivanovich.”
Badger said, “Wheek,” and started to nibble on the hay.
Billy said, “We appreciate your kindness.”
Drago gave a smile and patted Billy. He went back inside and said to George, “Drink up; you'll like it.”
George took a swig from the mug. It was chocolate and mint with a hint of cinnamon. The warm drink made him feel strange. “It's good.”
“It is more than that. Follow me, my little comrade warrior.”
George picked up his shield and sword and went out back with Drago.
“You heard my name is Drago.” He held out his hand.
George shook it. “Thanks for not shooting us earlier.”
“No problem. Now, let me show you a couple of things. My teacher taught me this on my first day many years ago.” He drew his sword.
George held up his shield. He was nervous. “I don't know what to do.”
“Do you want me to hit you with my sword?”
“No”
“Then block it with shield,” he said and swung at George.
George held the shield up and felt the blow land. It was loud and almost knocked him down.
“That is good, but spread your feet like this. Better for balance. Ready?”
“Yes,” George said, sounding a little more confident.
Another blow fell upon the shield. This time, George was steady.
“Okay, now from above, you must raise your shield and bend your knees. Give a little with the blow.”
George did as Drago had told him.
“Okay, now swing your sword at me.”
George gave a mighty swing, and Drago parried it. George almost fell down. “You need to keep your balance, or it will be a very short battle. Try again, but remember, an attack forces defense.”
George didn't swing a
s hard and felt their swords clash. Drago moved quickly to one side and swung a return blow, but George blocked it then attacked one more time. Drago said, “That is good. You learn quick.”
“Thanks.”
“It takes many thousands of hours to master blade and shield, but your first lesson is done. That means you are on the right path. Understand?”
“I think so. I need to keep my balance, block and attack, but I don't need to swing as hard as I can because I might fall down.”
“Excellent. Let's go back inside.”
George sat down back at the table and looked at his shield. It had a couple of serious dents, and the dragon was scratched. Drago saw the look on his face and said, “Here, let me see your shield.”
“It's okay; don't worry about it.”
Drago held out his hand. “Now, please.”
George handed it to him. Drago went to a box and pulled out a glowing hammer. He set the shield on an anvil and drew some glyphs in the air. A fire started in the kiln that was in the middle of the room. He began to work. The dents and scratches were quickly pounded out. He drew another glyph over the hammer and struck the dragon. “I like dragons and now yours is good as new.”
“Thanks, Drago, I really liked how it looked when it was new.”
“It will always look new. Go ahead and hit me.”
George picked up his sword and swung. Drago blocked with George’s shield but there wasn't any sound. “You hear that?”
“It didn't make any sound. It was weird.”
“If you are in a fight, the first time your opponent strikes your shield, there will be a brief moment of confusion about the silence. When that happens, their guard will be down for a fraction of a second. Understand?”
“Yes. I should attack.”
“Not just any attack. A thrusting attack and aim for their knee. You likely can't win a fight on one strike, but the first advantage, the silence, can be turned into a second advantage, weakening their balance.”
“That is a great plan. I won't forget it.”
“Good. Now drink up; it will help you remember. That drink is a learning potion and now you know how to use your sword and shield. Well, a little bit, anyway.”
George felt great. Drago brought him some beef jerky. “Now, tell me how you came to be in my forest.”
In between bites George recounted everything they'd been through since they came out of the cave. Drago listened and ate an apple, cutting out pieces with a jeweled knife. George thought everything about Drago was cool, even how he ate, and it was cool how he listened to the story. Nobody ever listened to George. When he was done, Drago got up and went to a cabinet.
It was made of a very dark wood and creaked when he opened the double doors. Drago pulled out a long tube and brought it to the table. He pulled out a rolled-up piece of leather. George picked up his mug, and Drago rolled the leather out on the table. It was a map.
“Okay, if you were with Flora and Tempest, you were here,” he said, pointing to the map and continued, “You are here.”
George looked on and tried to remember as much as he could. Maybe it was the drink, but he was pretty sure he wouldn't ever forget this map. “How far am I from Flora and Tempest’s place?”
“It is twenty kilometers, which is interesting.”
“What is that in miles?”
“Twelve point four.”
George pointed to the map. “Is this the stream and the field?”
“Yes.”
“So I came through the door somewhere over here.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, we followed the river until we saw the really nice field. It was so pretty that we figured it was a trap and went around.”
Drago groaned. “I keep that field mowed and looking nice to encourage people to go that way so they won't bother me.”
George felt bad and said, “Sorry. I guess it didn’t work on us. I'm glad I met you, though.”
Drago smiled, “I'm glad you wandered through my forest, too. Now, what I don't understand is how you walked through the door and landed so far away. If what you told me is correct, it shouldn't have been that powerful. At most, you should have landed no further away than here.” He drew a circle with his finger.
“What does that mean?”
“It means your friends could be anywhere in this circle,” he drew one around where George had landed and continued, “Or even farther. I don't know.”
George hung his head. “I'll never find them, and we'll fail the challenge. It will be my fault, and they'll hate me. I'll never have any friends.”
Drago took a small medallion out of a pouch on his belt. “Here, this will bring you good luck.”
It had a dragon on it just like the one on his shield. George said, “Thanks, it is awesome.”
“It was something I was saving to give to a friend. Now I have.”
George's eyes lit up and said, “You're an awesome friend. I don't have a present for you, though.” He felt bad again.
“You have given me a great present.”
“I have?”
“Your company.”
George smiled, and Drago continued, “Follow me.” He led them through the hall that went to the tower. They climbed the stairs all the way to the top. George was tired when they got there. “Now, look out from here. That direction is where you landed, and over there is where you came from. That mountain peak is probably about as far away as your friends could have ended up. It is a lot of ground to cover, but I have other friends who will help.” Drago pulled a ram's horn off of a table and gave a mighty blow.
Birds flew up from the trees, and George watched as the forest seemed to be coming alive before him. George watched in amazement as he saw the shadowy figure moving along the treetops and heading straight for the tower. The creature leapt from the tallest tree and sailed towards them. It landed on the outside wall and scurried up until its head was barely peaking over the parapet.
Drago said, “We must help our new friend find his comrades.” He turned to George, “Tell him what they look like and their names.”
“Stevie is tall, well, compared to me, and he is big, too. He's black and really nice. Abby has long red hair, and she's carrying a silver and blue bow. Abby's nice, too. Jo, well, she is shorter than Abby and has a magical leather bag. Jo is cool. Cindy is blonde.”
There was a soft bang, and a cloud of smoke swirled up from where the creature had been hanging onto the wall. George looked, but he couldn't see where it had gone.
Drago said, “Now we wait.”
***
An hour had passed. It was pitch black. The sounds of the animals trying to get in was wearing on everyone's nerves.
Cindy was digging through her backpack and found what she was looking for: the laser pointer. It wasn't much, but the tiny bit of light made her feel a little better.
Jo said, “It is getting a little hard to breathe.”
Abby agreed.
Stevie asked, “Can you make the walls even higher? Maybe we could open a hole in the roof?”
Jo stood up and walked around the walls she had grown. She was pretty tired, but she gave it a try. Sure enough, they started to grow upwards. She worked her way all around their little hut then said, “There, I think that is high enough that they can't get in. Should I make the roof pull back?”
Stevie said, “We better get ready first just in case something is already up there.”
Abby notched her bow, and Cindy held her staff ready. The roof began to pull back and light shone through. It hurt their eyes, but nothing jumped down on them.
“Should I make the roof disappear entirely?”
Abby said, “No, wait, stop it right there. I have an idea.”
Jo stopped and sat down. She was exhausted. Abby kneeled beside her. “I know you're tired, but do you think you could grow us some stairs?”
Stevie said, “That is a great idea. It is like you've built us a tiny fort. From the roof, we can s
ee what all the beasts are doing.”
Jo stood and began making pillars of earth grow up from the ground. The first one was easy, the next a little harder. She made five of them and stopped. The pillar stairs only went half way up, but she was too worn out to make any more. Jo slumped to the ground, “I'm sorry. I can't make anymore. I need to rest.”
Stevie said, “You did great. Here, Abby, you get on my shoulders, maybe you can climb up there and see what is going on.”
It worked and Abby climbed up on the roof. The walls had grown about one more meter and she could see the animals below clawing and scratching to get to them, but it was too high and smooth. Stevie helped Cindy get up there, too. He asked, “What do you see?”
Abby said, “I think we’re safe for now. They can't get up the walls.”
Cindy said, “We're still trapped, though.”
Stevie said, “Jo needs to rest. When she gets her strength back, we can worry about what to do next. For now, we have a defensible position and that is a good thing. We're going to be okay. You two keep an eye on things, and I'll figure out our supplies.” Stevie’s optimism made everyone feel better.
Stevie took each of the backpacks out and carefully set all the supplies in neat rows. He gave some water to Jo then made sure Abby and Cindy drank next. Cindy said she wasn't thirsty, but he made her drink anyway. The sun was high overhead, and it was getting warm. The creatures were starting to lose energy. Some had stopped attacking the wall.
An hour passed, and Jo felt good enough to make two more stairs. It didn't reach all the way to the top, but it was close enough that Stevie could get up there, too. “I'll keep guard for a while. Why don't the two of you go get some rest with Jo? We are going to need to sleep in shifts until she is recovered.”
Cindy said, “That still doesn't get us out of this pit. We're screwed.”
Stevie smiled. “Don't you get it?”
Cindy said, “Get what?”
Stevie drew a big square on the pit wall and said, “She can make tiny sideways pillars come out of the wall. She can build us a staircase all the way to the top.”
Abby gave Stevie a little nudge. “You are so smart.”
Cindy, still a grump, said, “That will take forever.”
Secret Doors: The Challenge Page 10