The Acryptus Tree

by Rucker Highworthy

  “Well what about Finn?” asked Adelaide , her lower lip starting to quiver. “We can’t just leave him in Pinewood for Huglund to take at dawn. I don’t want to think about what those rotters might do before he gets here.”

  “Oh don’t worry, miss,” Cherry comforted her. “Taz said to be out of the woods before sunrise. She would save your Finn.” “And that means unless we go right this second, we will be running behind the mob they’re raising at the moment for us, instead of the other way around,” said Raoul. “So, if we could all just grab our own plugging bags and hurry along, that would be great.”

  According to the map, there were approximately sixty eight mines scattered around the surrounding landscape, spreading out for just under a quarter mile. In order to start from the correct point, the group would first have to make their way past the back yards of several houses until they reached one with a red painted fence. Once there, a shallow creek bed would stem out into the woods, leading them on until it reached a small mound of earth with a rock shaped like an eagle’s beak sunken on top. Then it was a straightforward, yet perilous, trek zigzagging around a field covered in mines, which the map accurately depicted, moving quickly and carefully along until they were beyond the dangerous terrain.

  As they finally reached the rock, the group all took a second to gaze out at the open field before them. One wrong step, a loud boom, and there wouldn’t be much left to see.

  The voices of townspeople giving chase were closing in behind them. There was nothing else to do. Clayton took Adelaide’s hand. She, in turn, seized Cherry’s, who clasped Raoul’s. One by one the group slowly jogged forward. Clayton constantly checked the map for the next set of instructions. They hadn’t been in the field for less than two minutes before a disturbing, yet joyous, sound reached their ears from not far behind them. It was the sound of mass confusion and panic as multiple voices started screaming behind them.

  “What ith wrong with these maths?”

  “They’re all wrong.”

  “What the rot did they do?”

  “Min e is still good, I just know it. Follow me.”

  A mine exploded near the rock. The panic grew more intense. “Those little rotters, I’ll kill them all! Watch your step…” Another explosion followed.

  “We need to go back! Please. Someone help!”

  Two more mines exploded. The field immediately flew into chaos. Members of the mob started running blindly in every direction. A dozen more explosions followed, some at the same time, others five or six seconds apart. The bloodcurdling screams and curses of frightened townsfolk chilled Adelaide’s blood as she struggled not to look back.

  Suddenly, there was a loud screech close behind the group. Cherry cried out in terror as she turned her head to behold a figure closing in on them. The figure screeched again, this time with a cackle that would raise the hairs on a warrior’s neck. Clayton shivered as he recognized its owner: Jade. She was still in the chase with her forehead bandaged up and her hand wrapped with a blood soaked rag. Her shrieks grew louder and louder, gaining ground as it outpaced the rest of the mob and started to close in. She couldn’t have been more than ten yards behind the group now, drawing closer with every leap.

  “Ha ! Hold on now, little pretties!” she screamed frantically. “Come on back. We aren’t so bad once you get to know us. Come on now, please. Come cut me some more. I like it! Cut me good. I won’t ask again, you rots! Now come…back….here…”

  An explosion permanently ended her rant. Raoul felt his body jerked forward as the blast caught him off guard. He soon regained his footing and hurried on.

  Freud Blankis was still alive, trying his best to coax the rest of the mob back to the safety of the beak shaped rock. Every now and then, he would cast a threat out at the fleeing group. His voice soon became inaudible as the field ended, and one by one, the fleeing Red Hands started laughing in uncontrollable relief.

  “We made it!” Adelaide exclaimed. “We’re free.” “Not yet , we aren’t,” Clayton bluntly stated. “We still have to clear these woods by dawn, and it can’t be more than twenty five minutes to sunrise. Raoul, watch our backs. Adelaide, would you please watch our little friend here? We aren’t losing anyone else tonight. Now let’s go.”

  A delaide grabbed Cherry’s hand and pulled her along. Raoul brought up the rear, his small blade still clenched tightly in his hand. Clayton spoke comforting words to the group as he led them along, his arms lashing out at oncoming foliage. He didn’t seem to be following any sort of determined path, just urging them on northward, where he knew the woods had to end sometime.

  The trees vanished abruptly before them and the various tunes of the forest night life grew silent and still. The road they had seen the day before lay stretched before them. Beyond it rose the same wall of freshly grown corn stalks that had blocked their vision the day before. There wasn’t a barn or farmhouse in sight. The slumbering sky above them was melting away to reveal the pink hue of an early morning, a grey haze still lingering as the sun’s rays creeped up over the tallest corn stalk and illuminated all that was around them.

  “Maybe there’s help nearby,” Adelaide suggested, grabbing her sides as she struggled to gain her breath. “They might even be someone who is not on Huglund’s payroll.”

  “Perhaps,” Clayton replied, “but after our dealings with strangers lately, I would rather take my chances relying on ourselves. Let’s cut through this field here until we find some secure ground to make camp. From there, we can await Finn and Taz.”

  “If they make it, that is,” Raoul chuckled. “Don’t even start, Raoul King Jr!” Adelaide snapped at him. She was terrified about what might have happened to Finn, even before Taz had gotten there.

  “Look. There are horse tracks on the road,” Cherry exclaimed, pointing downward. “They look fresh, too!” “Huglund,” muttered Raoul. “That eerie rotter is really starting to annoy me.” “We’ll deal with him soon, Raoul, I swear to you. But for now we need to focus on staying alive, that’s all that matters,” Clayton told him.

  “Here, here!” exclaimed Cherry.

  Raoul glanced over at Adelaide, who nodded gingerly. He sighed and shook his head.

  “Right then,” he muttered. “Let’s get moving off this open road before someone spots us.” With that, the group hurried into the corn field. The early morning sun peaked above the crops and brought with it the full light of day.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Adelaide awoke to the late morning sun beaming above her head. She found herself curled up on a bed of corn shucks with Cherry lying close beside her. The little girl was making cooing sound as she nestled her face into Adelaide’s shoulder, her hands lightly wrapped around her arm.

  As she lay there, still the hunted convict she’d been several days before, Adelaidecouldn’t help but feel immensely calm. Perhaps there was just no more fear left in her body to use. It just felt good to finally stare up at a bright cloudless sky, the sun blinding her eyes as she enjoyed the warmth settling down upon her face. The first few weeks of spring had always been her favorite time of year, ever since she was a squirm. The way the cool crisp air blended with the gentle heat settling down from the sky as the sun shone bright and unchallenged above. The grass was as green as it ever would be, freshly grown out of the enriched soil that was, until recently, imprisoned by coats of malicious frost and snow. The buds of various flowers were popping their heads out as well, not quite ready to reveal their lovely untouched petals, but confident enough to tease their onlookers. Everything just felt more alive this time of year, and had that wondrous feast continued on uninterrupted, and those rotting Tibris Guards on an errand of violence had never come to Havendale, it might have felt all the more marvelous. So, it was with a saddened and wounded heart that Adelaide took in the beauty of that early spring morning, allowing it to consume her mind and soul as she quietly hoped it would last forever.

  A loud grunt of discomfort grabbed her attention. Raoul was lying a
sleep in a wheelbarrow several yards away, his head cushioned against his shoulder and his legs hanging awkwardly over the side. He mumbled something inaudible and twisted himself into a more comfortable position.

  Clayton was standing guard nearby. Adelaide guessed he had been up ever since they’d set up camp several hours earlier. Tired as he must have been, his posture was unwavering.

  Adelaide couldn’t help but feel a deep respect growing for him as he stood there, staring sleepily out at the surrounding corn stalks. Sure, she liked giving him a hard time, but inside she had always known he would be there for her…for all of them. Why did she always give him such a hard time? As far back as she could remember, she’d always been quite prejudiced against him and his many accomplishments.

  Shaking off the small blanket across her, Adelaide decided to offer to stand watch for a while, in order to give him some much needed rest. As she rose from the ground, she gently placed it under Cherry’s head. The little girl smiled happily, as if falling into a beautiful dream. Looking down upon her, Adelaide suddenly found herself wondering what life would have been like if she’d had a little sister.

  “Good morning,” Clayton said. He had turned at the sound of her movement. Adelaide noticed his finger lightly touching the spot on his chest where the Acryptus Tree was. His eyes seemed troubled and full of questions.

  “Good morning,” she replied softly as to not awake Cherry. “How did you sleep?”

  “Well enough, considering.”

  Clayton nodded solemnly.

  “Has Finn returned yet?” she asked.

  “Not yet. The sun hasn’t been up long now. Let’s wait a while and see what happens. I’m sure he and Taz are on their way.” Adelaide looked down as Cherry fluttered open her eyelids and yawned loudly beneath the warming spring sun.

  “Hey there, little one,” Clayton laughed. “Sleep well?” “Oh so very well, thank you,” she exclaimed. Her face was shining and her eyes were full of gratitude. “Do you guys think it would be alright if I woke up Raoul?”

  “Well, I sure as rot wouldn’t do it myself. Maybe your face is exactly what he needs to see before I give him next watch duty.” “Nonsense,” Adelaide objected. “I will gladly take a shift if you want some rest.” Clayton shook his head. “No, your charge is to keep track of this little girl here and make sure no harm comes to her. We owe her our lives, as well as our freedom.”

  “Don’t forget Taz,” Cherry reminded him. “True,” laughed Clayton. “I will have to extend her my fullest gratitude once she arrives with our friend. I know Adelaide will be pleased.”

  Adelaide smiled. She couldn’t show to the group how concerned she was about Finn and what had happened to him. After finding out the town’s true colors, not to mention the unspeakable habits they indulged in, it was not worth dwelling on.

  Her fears were soon put to rest. Not five minutes after Cherry had successfully awoken Raoul from his awkward slumber and helped him rub the soreness out of his legs, there came a rustling noise to the south. This was followed by a series of loud sneezes and snorts.

  Adelaide smiled broadly. She had just started writing away into her journal, making it several sentences in before closing it up.

  “That would be Finn,” Clayton laughed. “He gets the fits from corn, you see. Little rashes and bouts of sneezing strike him every time he passes it.”

  “Sounds like a real keeper,” grumbled Raoul. “Oh shut up,” Adelaide retorted savagely. “He made it. He’s alive.” Sure enough, Finn Wessel soon stumbled out of the corn. His hands and legs were bleeding from constant scratching and his eyes were both swollen and red with inflammation. Taz followed behind him. She had switched her risqué outfit for a pair of leather pants, a v-neck tee shirt, and a bomber jacket.

  “I tried….I tried to tell her I was all-allallergic,” Finn said, gulping for air, “but she just, just shoved me inside and called me a b-b-big squirm. Even after I couldn’t…even after I couldn’t breathe she still wouldn’t let….let me stop.”

  “That’s because if we had stopped , we might have rotting died,” Taz replied sarcastically. “You were the one who insisted on staying long enough to see what Huglund did to Pinewood after he discovered our escape.”

  “So Huglund did show after all?” asked Clayton.

  “Oh yeah,” Taz laughed. “He showed not long after I freed your companion here.”

  “How did you escape?” Adelaide asked.

  Taz smiled over at Clayton. This smile lingered, something that made Adelaide feel a little riled up. “After I g ave the map to your friend Raoul,” she declared. “I decided to go back and mess around with the others I left on Oderheim’s official desk. A little spilled ink and some additional drawings proved pretty effective.”

  “How did you get in?” Clayton inquired. “Well,” Taz started. “About a week ago, I fell into it with this guy from town. He was in love with me from the start, but I wasn’t that type, given my occupation and all. Anyways, one night after a good plugging, he gave me a spare key to meet him in Oderheim’s office on future evenings. I guess he was a custodian of sorts. He up and left Pinewood some time ago, and I’ve held onto it ever since. I thought it might be useful.”

  “This fellow of yours,” Finn chimed in. “What was his name?”

  “Hollis Pearl.” Adelaide gasped quietly and cast a glance to Clayton. He reached into his pockets and pulled forth the locket from the woods.

  “I think…I think this may have been meant for you,” he solemnly stated, handing it to Taz. She looked down at it and shook her head.

  “That’s just like him,” she muttered. “Spend more shine than he can afford on worthless trash with some winking jargon scratched inside. I told him over and over it wasn’t necessary.”

  A moment of silence passed. She stared down at it without flinching. Adelaide thought she saw the makings of a tear forming in her right eye. Feeling one forming, Taz blinked and quickly changed the subject.

  “Rotting oaf took off without even giving it to me,” she chuckled. “Anyways, I’m sure he’s better off. Much more I’ll wager than the whole of Pinewood.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Adelaide. “ I placed the maps back in the drawer and locked it up before Blankis arrived to collect them,” Taz informed the group. “As he and half the town went running off to find you, I freed Finn from the cellar and snuck him out a back way. We could hear screaming and loud explosions, so I reckon plenty townsfolk got what they had coming. The rest suffered Huglund’s wrath not long after. We camped out on the edge of town just as the Tibris Guards rode in. Oderheim’s face went white as his hair when he realized you’d all escaped. He blamed it all on Jade, Boras, Garrick, and anyone else who was already dead. When that didn’t work, he blamed it on Freud. So Huglund had that sidekick Kobal take Freud’s head. And then he took Oderheim’s. Anyone who tried to flee was cut down or trampled. They would have burned the town to ashes if there wasn’t risk of a forest fire.”

  “Oh,” Adelaide murmured. Knowing the grief of losing one’s home flooded her with pity for their newfound ally. “I’m so sorry about your town. I really am.”

  Taz looked at her curiously. “Why? Anyone I ever loved in that rotting place split or got killed, except for Cherry here. Good riddance, I say. They all got what they deserved.” Her tone was cold and unwavering.

  “Isn’t that a little harsh?” Finn murmured to Adelaide. “Harsh, you say?” Taz exclaimed, shooting them both an unnerving look. “Tell me, have you got any idea what they made me do back there? What happened when I didn’t comply?”

  “Well,” Clayton began, clearing his throat. “I don’t know about any of you, but Ithink….”

  “We didn’t mean anything by it,” Adelaide assured her. “No, of course you didn’t,” Taz retorted. “I’m convinced. How could I ever have misjudged you?” The sarcasm in her voice was piercing and direct.

  “I like this givie,” Raoul chuckled. “Thank you,” Taz replied coldly
,” but you see , that is precisely the problem. Your friends here imagine me as the sort of shameless plugger who enjoys a good toss for a couple shine. Rot, why even a couple? You think I’d bend and stretch for less, don’t you?”

  Adelaide bit her tongue as sharp retorts struggled to emerge. Finn shook his head and waved Taz off. “Well , let me promise you this,” she continued, her hands shaking and shoulders quivering. “I remember every time I said no, and the burns, cuts, and beatings that followed. The loss of anyone who stood up for me strikes my rotting heart again and again. This life isn’t the one I chose. So, I don’t want you or anyone else looking at me like I asked for it. Are we clear?”

  A biting chill descended on the group as darkening rain clouds swiftly appeared overhead.

  “Are we clear?” Taz repeated. A quiet sigh broke the following silence. All eyes turned to Cherry. She was shuddering uncontrollably as the cold air brushed her skin.

  “I suggest we get a move on,” Raoul growled, wrapping his blanket around her. “That is, of course, unless anyone here has anything else to say?”

  Finn started to speak, but a nudge from Adelaide silenced him.

  “Good,” Raoul said. “Now, what comes next?” “The Tibris Guards will be scouring the road once they’ve cleaned up at Pinewood,” Clayton announced.“By then, I’d like to be as far away as possible. I reckon this storm will brew another hour or two before downpour. If we strike out now, we can find a barn to wait out the torrents.”

  “I never imagined we’d get this rotting lucky,” Taz remarked, casting a pleasant grin upward towards the thunderous turmoil. “You call this lucky?” Adelaide asked sarcastically. Clayton coughed loudly at her tone. “I do,” Taz replied. “A storm like this will wash away any tracks we leave behind. Neither Huglund nor Necrya herself will be able to follow us then.”