The room cleared and the two Myrmidons returned to efficiently clean and rearrange the table and chairs. They approached Zie to see if here were any last requests.
He dismissed them. “Leave us now.”
They left the room, making soft clicking noises, and closed the heavy door behind them.
Zie stood over his chair, his hands clasping both sides of the ornate backrest. “Now Degarl, what is bothering you to the point of distraction with this Fae business? Surely you understand that when we marched into the caverns seventeen years ago and found that the Fae had already forcibly opened the Broin and taken the contents from it, that the Faeble was irreparably broken. We left the Broin in your keeping for…sentimental reasons only. It has no meaning and you need to understand that the hard work of the Bureau is paying off royally now, our Omega Order will pave the way for Fȍe leadership of the masses. That pitiful sliver of hope that the Fae upheld for so many eons is fading fast and that little rock you held so dear…has no power. We will regain the Broin, as I am keen to have it in Fȍe possession. It serves as a fitting memento of a time that will soon be recalled as just a distant fairy tale anyway. I have put the Vollens on the case so leave it to them. They are subtly tracking the girl, not drawing too much attention to their mission.”
“Vollens are the least subtle creatures around. Their stench alone precedes them, so why don’t you let me take over the case? I could—” Degarl found himself silenced as Zie curtly interrupted, “Why Degarl, that would be a waste of your talents. That hapless orphan girl does not pose any threat; it is high time you fully stood in your black bloodedness as Fȍe and let go of your feeble past. I will remind you once more of the deal you struck with me that evening, so many, many moons ago.”
Degarl was immediately taken back to the stormy night of the Great Battle of 1675. His people were being annihilated and he and his fellow warriors could not protect them. Their bows and arrows, although accurate and powerful, were no match for the deadly firearms of the enemy. A group of four soldiers had cornered Degarl (or Pallin as he was called in those days, his Wampanoag name), wrenching his bow from him. They had pushed him to the muddy ground. Tethering his hands and feet with thick coarse rope, one of them had pushed his boot onto his face and had gathered his long dark hair into his hands, pulling it taut and leaning in with the knife they had ripped from his belt.
“Think I can get a wig maker to turn this mane into a prize piece?” he sneered to the others. Just as he leaned in to take his prize, a large cloaked figure leapt in and slit his throat with a silver dagger. Two more cloaked men accompanying him swiftly disarmed the other three soldiers with what appeared to be studded leather whips. They fled as the whips came in at their faces and their assailants chased closely at their heels.
Pallin opened his eyes as the figure pulled back his hood, to reveal a shock of light brown hair and piercing eyes of a Pale Face, who spoke perfect Wampanoag and asked him, “How would you feel if I gave you the power to help your people regain this land in honor of their spilled blood?”
Pallin did not recognize this pale faced warrior, but thought he must have been someone from the far northern tribes, to speak his language so well. He looked at the bloody devastation and carnage around him, the women, children and his fellow tribesman screaming and writhing in pain and terror, causing a soul-wrenching agony to blister through his being.
“Yes! Anything to help me avenge my people,” he pleaded frantically. “What do you want from me for this?”
Zie Monde reached again for the small silver dagger in his belt, and ordered, “Give me your hands.”
Pallin managed to lift his tethered hands, thinking that the bonds would be cut. Instead, Zie turned one hand out to expose the wrist and cut a thin deep line across it. He repeated the motion on his own wrist, and pressed it hard onto Pallin’s, causing him to let out a guttural cry. Intense heat and pain seared through his entire body, and he closed his eyes and curled his body into a tight ball. Zie muttered an incantation in a language both dark and foul and although the blood ceremony lasted only minutes, it felt like an eternity and he lost consciousness.
When he opened his eyes he looked up at Zie. “Where am I? Who are you?” Completely disoriented, he had no recollection of what had just taken place.
“Arise Degarl Dafȍe, slowly, as you will feel very light-headed when you stand. Here, let me cut your ties and then we must make haste.”
He severed the ropes. The wrist wound had completely sealed over, leaving only a black line of scar tissue. From behind dense scrub, a great black stallion appeared. Zie mounted the steed and reached over, grabbing Degarl, and effortlessly helped him to the rear of the saddle.
The newly exchanged essence of the great warrior Pallin, was already at work and Zie was reinvigorated, and felt his immense power.
Degarl’s thoughts returned to the present-day boardroom, as he mused, A deal that was forged in a sea of blood fueled by anger and desperation, has resulted in centuries of disillusionment.
CHAPTER 13
Tripping
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”
– LAOTSE
A dawn sky previewed a cherry red sunrise over the still inky horizon.
“Beth dear, have you got everything packed now? Lionel and Toby are here so we need to get your things out to the car. Make sure you grab your sleeping bag and that little travel pillow I found for you.” Maggie was fussing around her and then remembered the bag of treats she had left in the kitchen and went to fetch them.
Lionel and Toby came in through the door. “Here lass, give me your pack and I’ll put it in the back of the truck with Toby’s. Looks like you’ve got a fine day for hiking, though looking at that sky, remember the old sailors’ motto; “Red sky at night—sailors’ delight, red sky at dawning—sailors take warning.” The weather could turn over the weekend. Gee you’ve packed light – have you got a decent rain jacket in there?”
Beth smiled at him. Both he and Maggie were so very caring of her. “Oh Lionel, of course I have, Maggie has been right through the contents with me too. I just pack well and we’re only gone for three days.”
Maggie walked them out to the car and, grabbing Beth in a bear hug, she whispered into her ear, “Take care of your beautiful self now won’t you?” She handed Beth a bag of home-made chocolate chip cookies and some dainty cupcakes in a box.
Toby’s eyes lit up when he saw them.
Maggie added sternly, “Toby, don’t you go eating all of these at once either, they are to last more than the bus ride. I’ve packed some marshmallows for you to toast by the camp fire. Look after each other.”
Lionel drove into the car park and they gathered their bags and headed towards the waiting yellow school bus. Approaching the luggage compartments, Beth found her path blocked as Daybian stepped across the path and stood towering above her, his muscular arms folded across his chest. “Well, look who’s coming on my road trip. If you want to hang out with a real man in the woods you’ll have to ditch that weakling and—”
“Daybian, oh Daybian, there you are, have you been hiding from me?” Shelby came bouncing enthusiastically between them. “I promised Miffy I’d take care of you over this weekend.” She turned to Beth and whispered, “and not take my eyes off him and keep Jemma and Ashley away too. I really do have my hands full.”
Beth gave her a quick half smile and hastily stepped around them, throwing her backpack into the bus stowage; “Ewww, thinks he’s God’s gift that big jerk,” she complained to Toby. “Why didn’t you tell me he was in your marine biology class? I would have found a reason not to be able to make it. He creeps me out the way he uses his stand over tactics like a big oaf.”
“Oh, Lady MacBeth…I don’t think you’d have wanted to miss this trip for anything. Just you check out who pulled up and is right now getting out of his car, with camping gear in hand.” Toby smiled broadly.
Beth felt her face blushing as she
turned her head slightly to use her peripheral vision and there in all his gorgeousness was Logan. He slammed shut the door of his bright green Jeep Wrangler, flung his small pack and sleeping bag over his shoulder and strode over towards the bus. He looked sensational, his tousled hair blowing in the breeze. He wore faded jeans and a gray tee-shirt.
Beth stood riveted and could not take her eyes off him.
“Yep, they needed another male teacher on this trip so aren’t you lucky he drew the straw? And you can pick your chin up off the ground now and wipe off that drool. Think about it Beth, there’ll be him, you and the deep dark forest.” Toby used dramatic hand gestures to set this romantic scene.
“Shut up! You’re not helping the color of my face and don’t be so ridiculous. There is hardly going to be romance with all these people around, let alone the legalities of the whole situation,” Beth answered.
“Bingo! See you have thought about the romance! Lucky for you, the music on Life Trax I’ve made for you has this covered. I’ve sent it to your phone so when you finally do get to get it on, you can do it in style.”
Toby dodged Beth’s hand as she turned to playfully punch him in the arm.
The other students were all arriving now, putting their bags into the storage bins. Professor Cragg called them all into a group and they completed a roll call. Jemma and Ashley were standing behind Beth and she could hear them arguing over who would sit next to Daybian on the bus.
Shelby broke up their argument. “I’m sitting with him on the bus. I have made a pact with Miffy so you two will have to just live with it. She doesn’t trust either of you alone with him, even on a crowded bus in broad daylight, let alone wandering around in the woods.”
Jemma spoke first. “That Miffy, stole him from me in the first place. She doesn’t have a title on him.”
Ashley chimed in, “But let’s remember the real truth Jemma, I had him first. You took him from me!”
Beth rolled her eyes at Toby and he grinned. “Lucky you, sharing a tent with that lot.”
“Come on, let’s get a seat on the bus a good distance from them, so at least I can enjoy the trip there.” She grabbed Toby’s arm and they jumped into the third row after watching Shelby drag Daybian toward the back of the bus. Jemma and Ashley followed in hot and flustered pursuit.
“I just don’t get it. They are like bees to a honey pot. What on Earth do they see in him?” Beth whispered to Toby.
“It’s not a honey pot kid, it’s a money pot! Having that vast family wealth behind him makes him a prize catch. Even though he apparently is not in the family business; I don’t think he has the smarts for politics. Mind you, with some of the idiots who’ve been running in recent years he might do really well. Anyway, rumor has it that his dad is not his real dad. He was the result of an affair with—”
Beth cut him off. “Now, now, Toby don’t go spreading gossip or I’ll have to set you up for the cheerleader tryouts!” Beth laughed, happy to be able to dish him back some of his own medicine.
Beth looked over the seats to the front of the bus and there, looking at her through the large rear-view mirror, was Logan. He gave her a warm smile and then averted his gaze back to the Marine Biology teacher, Ms. Flanders, a wiry, well-muscled, woman of fifty-five years old, with bronzed, lined skin, twinkling aquamarine eyes and fine very blonde hair, caught up in a relaxed-looking chignon. She had spent her youth on the World Champion Pro Surfing Circuit, before having a run in with a particularly agitated great white shark, off the coast of Australia. She was dragged from the water by a quick-thinking film crew, who managed to get their boat close enough to the shark to belt it with an oar on its head, causing it to let go (although there was a strong rumor that the surfer herself had dealt the shark a lifesaving blow to the snout) but not before it had taken a large chunk from her thigh. Kim Flanders did not surf professionally again, but, she became a marine biologist and a keen shark protection activist. She married the camera man who had pulled her from the water, and they went on to film incredible documentaries all over the world, showing the secret life of sharks and how the human race could benefit from learning to respect and co-exist with them. She had returned home to Scituate to retire from all the travel and had taken up the teaching position. The students had soon realized that for someone so small of stature, she was not to be messed with.
Beth used the large rear-view mirror to take unnoticed, occasional, glances at Logan as he was listening intently to Ms. Flanders. According to Toby, she always had fascinating stories to tell the class, showcasing a life lived to the fullest.
The trip to the White Mountains took three hours, with vivid blue skies and sun. They were not scheduled for a stop. Having such an early start meant most of the students took the chance to nap, but Beth just took in the passing scenery and enjoyed her Logan vantage point. On arriving at the drop-off point, Beth gently prodded at Toby, who had been sound asleep, leaning against the window.
“Wake up Sleeping Beauty, we’re here, and it looks absolutely breathtaking.”
“Everything’s breathtaking to you – too many deserts and cities for you, but this is normal for me. Blue ocean and now some huge trees and you think you’re in Heaven, although I think there’s other scenery here that’ll keep you busy.” He tilted his head towards the front seats.
Beth ignored his last comment and gathered up her hoodie, stepping out into the aisle as they filed off the bus and went to find their packs. The hike to their designated first night camping area would take the most part of four hours and Beth was pleased when she put on her backpack that it was so light. Toby indicated her to watch as both Jemma and Ashley struggled with theirs.
“That’ll be interesting with a couple of hours steep incline. Packs get heavier with every step of a hike. Especially with quarts of bourbon in them!”
“Never mind, they have their pack horse Daybian, if Shelby will share him. And what do you mean by bourbon? Why on earth would you bother bringing that camping and how do they buy it?” Beth asked.
“Oh, Lady Mac Beth, Jemma’s dad runs the liquor store down in the harbor, so my guess is she just smuggled it home. Will be interesting to see if they brought any other substances along. Gee, you had a sheltered old time at boarding school.”
Professor Cragg and Ms. Flanders called them into a huddle to do another roll call and relayed a few ground rules before they set off.
Professor Cragg began; “Students, by now you all will have selected your hiking buddy. It is mandatory that you stay together at all times so it is best suited you choose someone of a similar fitness level. Ms. Flanders and I will take the lead and Mr. Yeats will bring up the rear of the group.”
He pointed a bony finger to one of the students at the back of the group. “Luke Bolling, you will buddy up with Mr. Yeats. I can’t have any stragglers left behind.”
Luke was almost as round as he was short. A very keen science student and a semi-professional gamer, he spent almost every spare minute online gaming. This and his propensity for junk food was not a winning combination, as the hike ahead would definitely prove.
Ms. Flanders continued, “We will take it in turns to carry the tents, so the load will be shared. About an hour and three quarters into the hike, you will lose cell phone reception. For some of you this may feel akin to losing oxygen, but please know that there are no known cases of death or disability through no cell usage. We would like you to use this time to observe this spectacular National Park and we will be stopping for lunch and a break at beautiful Arethusa Falls.”
Professor Cragg spoke again, obviously on a topic that garnered his interest as his intonation varied ever so slightly. “Arethusa Falls, named after the nymph Arethusa, meaning ‘the Waterer’. Greek mythology tells us that after a chance encounter, a river god named Alpheus became completely besotted by her. She fled her home beneath the sea and then surfaced on land as a fresh water fountain.” Professor Cragg added, “So you see, students, a perfect story for our combined
classes of Environmental Science and Marine Biology.”
“Does he always sound so excited? Enviro must be riveting.” Beth spun around to find the male voice belonged to Daybian who had come up behind her.
Shelby was by his side and let out a giggle. “Oh Daybian, you are too funny! Do you know Beth? She’ll be sharing our tent. Won’t you? The other girls’ tent is full, so we have a spot for you.”
“Lucky you,” Toby standing nearby mouthed to Beth, who glared at him.
“Gee Shelby, thanks for that but there are only three other girls in the group and I thought I’d let you Cheer girls be together. Maybe you’ll want to work on a routine. I’ll be okay with Tamara and the others.”
“All good Beth, they only have a three-person tent and we drew the long straw and ended up with the roomier four-person one. Besides, Tamara and those other girls are just a bit too nerdy, they’ll just want to talk academics and sleep. We’ll be having a full-on party in ours, we are so much more fun.”
“Okay Shelby, sounds great.” Beth tried to summon some false enthusiasm.
Professor Cragg adjusted the strap on his faded pith helmet, and hung brown leather-bound binoculars around his neck. He was still wearing his tweed jacket, albeit over khaki hiking shorts, long white socks and boots, and with his spindly legs glaringly white, he certainly looked the part of a mad Professor.
He tapped the ground with his gnarled oak walking staff, which had an owl’s head carved into the top. “All right students, we’re ready to begin our trek. Try and keep up with the set pace and stay together. I’ll be stopping briefly at points of interest, please keep your eyes and ears peeled for any fascinating flora and fauna.”
The Way Page 12