“Calm down,” said Osmont. “To the best of my knowledge, there has only been a single death related to them, and that was to an old lady who was frightened when she saw one wandering in her field. Look, I’m not going to lie and tell you that there are no dangers, but as of next week all of you will be on your own and acting as representatives of Haven, so you better be able to handle yourselves.”
“That’s easy for you to say,” said Caddaric. “You’ll be staying here and sleeping behind the safety of a wall.”
“Actually I won’t,” said Osmont. “Your professors will be out patrolling the woods. None of us want to be bombarded with your feeble attempts to pry information about the exams from us, so we’ll be keeping our distance and you will hopefully never see us after the initial trip into the woods.” Osmont let that sink in for a moment, but when the fear didn’t leave the students’ eyes, he continued, “Clachwards aren’t dangerous if you stay out of their way. If they do cause problems, then you can use light to move them away. By this point all of you should be able to create a light bright enough to keep them at bay, and if not, then keep a large fire burning. If you ever do get in trouble, then send a red light into the air and we’ll come to your aid.”
“What if there’s a Downfall tonight?” asked Caddaric.
“What about it?”
“I’ve been told that they hunt people down and attack them during it.”
“You should be careful not to attribute intentions to mindless automatons. Yes, there is some evidence that they act more aggressively, but if you stay out of their way then you will be fine.”
“There is one more thing before we head out,” said Marrok. “Since the intention of this trip is to prevent you from spending your entire time face down in a book, we’ll be checking your bags to make sure that you don’t have any schoolwork with you. Furthermore, we have ways to monitor what you are all doing. Any groups of students caught studying together will receive a penalty on their examinations. So carefully weigh the risks, before breaking this rule.”
“All right, girls come over to this side,” said Moncha. “Boys on the other.”
The girls lined up on one side of the courtyard while Professor Moncha and Mama B checked their bags while Professors Cleary and Higgins checked the boys’ bags. After their bags had been checked, they were each given a package of supplies. Poking through his, Donovan saw that there was a bedroll, a stack of sandwiches and water. Donovan grabbed a machete off a small stack and tied its sheath around his waist. He saw that he was one of the few students taking a knife.
“This is awful,” said Kort. “I was actually planning on studying this weekend and now this.”
“Look on the bright side,” said Donovan. “You weren’t going to study nearly as much as most of the other students so, relatively speaking, this helps you out.”
Kort stood there trying to make out what Donovan had just said, when Osmont called for them to follow him out the gate.
The students formed a long snaking line which followed him down the hill. Kort found himself between Caddaric and Ravyn on the path.
“Remember when we met coming up this path?” asked Kort.
“How could I forget?” said Ravyn. “You were the biggest buffoon that I had ever met.”
“He still is,” said Caddaric.
Kort stayed silent for a few moments before bursting out laughing.
“You’re a good man, Caddaric,” said Kort. “Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”
“And you have improved a lot this year, but I’m still not going to invite you over for dinner again anytime soon.”
“Good because I wouldn’t come unless it was by royal decree.”
“I could arrange that, you know.”
“Look at you two, joking around like a couple of friends,” said Ravyn. “It’s amazing how much can happen in a year.”
Before they knew it, they were on flat ground again and heading into Kenelm Forest. Osmont lead them down into a steep ravine, and Haven was lost from sight. Following a twisting path through the woods, they lost track of what direction they were travelling. After three hours of walking, during which Cleary caught four students quizzing each other, who were all told that the transgression would be reflected on their final mark, Osmont led them to a large clearing in the woods.
“This is our designated meeting place,” said Osmont. “Before we let you go your separate ways, who has been camping before?” Just over half of the students raised their hands including, to Donovan’s surprise, both Caddaric and Delaney. “If you haven’t been camping before then I recommend you stay with one of these people who have, but it’s entirely up to you. None of you will be allowed back in Haven until after full dark tomorrow night. If you wish, you can meet us back here before dusk and we’ll lead you back, or you can make your own way back. Until then, you can do whatever you want to. The professors will be telling scary stories tonight at dusk in this clearing, if anyone is interested.”
Osmont struck up a quiet conversation with Professor Cleary while the students scattered to setup camp. Many of them tried to stay in the clearing but Professor Moncha quickly shooed them away.
Donovan, Kort, Delaney and Ravyn waited for Caddaric, but when he headed off with Clyde and his other cronies, they decided to find their own spot.
“Didn’t take him long to ditch us again,” said Ravyn, as they followed an old animal trail into the woods.
“Where do we want to camp?” asked Donovan.
“We can’t go too far,” said Ravyn. “I don’t want to get lost and get stuck in these woods.”
“You have nothing to worry about,” said Kort. “I have a keen sense of direction. I’ve yet to become so lost that I missed a meal.”
“That’s reassuring.”
“Good enough for me,” said Donovan. “We don’t have a tent, so I’d like to find somewhere with a bit of shelter in case it rains.”
“And a stream,” added Kort. “You can’t go camping without a stream nearby.”
The four of them continued to wander until Kort finally declared a spot adequate for their needs. They found a relatively flat spot of ground near the top of a small rise, with a creek running at its base. Ravyn and Delaney began clearing out all of the rocks in their sleeping area while Kort dug a fire pit. Donovan heading out to search for dry wood for the fire.
He bent down beside a fallen log to search for dry tinder when he heard voices in the distance. Tinder in hand, he headed towards the voices to see who their neighbors were. Cresting a small rise, he heard a familiar voice. Dropping to the ground, he quietly crawled forward until he could see Caddaric and his five cronies making camp.
“They think that this will keep us from studying,” said Caddaric. “They are sadly mistaken. I’m going to get the top marks in our class and this only helps me.”
“Do you have a way to sneak back into Haven?” asked Clyde.
“No, of course not,” said Caddaric. “I’ve known many wizards while growing up, and one of them told me about this tradition. Every year they surprise the students with it, and every year they come to the same clearing before leaving us on our own. So last weekend I left Haven to go for a walk and I stashed a copy of my notes in a hollow tree near the clearing.”
“That’s genius,” said Clyde. “Let’s go grab them so we can start studying.”
“Not yet,” said Caddaric. “The professors will stay near the clearing until after story time. So on our way back here tonight, we’ll get the notes.”
Donovan slowly eased his way backwards and went to tell everybody what he had heard.
Chapter 22
“There isn’t really a banshee around here, is there?” asked Brutus, head darting from side to side as they left the clearing after listening to the professors’ stories.
“It’s the witch you have to worry about,” said Clyde. “Summoning muck monsters and bringing trees to life. How do you avoid that?”
“You can’t b
e serious,” said Brutus. “If you hear the banshee’s song, then it’s already too late. You can run from a muck monster, and light trees on fire.”
“Light a tree on fire?” said Clyde. “When it has you wrapped up in its branches?”
“Will both of you be quiet,” said Caddaric. “They were just stories meant to scare you.”
“Well they worked,” said Brutus. “If I even see a white mist, I’m shoving you at it and running the other way.”
“Is anyone nearby?” asked Caddaric.
They spread out around him and couldn’t see any other students. Caddaric stepped past a forked tree which had been struck by lightning and found the fallen log where he had hid his notes. Reaching inside the hollow end, he withdrew the pack and slung it onto his back.
“Alright, let’s head back to camp and get some studying done,” said Caddaric.
***
“That was amazing,” said Kort. “How did they create that glowing mist during the banshee story?”
“Magic,” said Donovan.
“I knew that much,” said Kort. “But how?”
“I doubt it was hard at all,” said Ravyn. “Here, I’ll show you.”
The four of them were hurrying back to their campsite after listening to the professors’ stories. The sun had already set, so they were travelling by the light of a glowing orb which Ravyn had created. She altered their course so they’d walk closer to the creek.
She stopped beside the creek where a luminous white amorphous entity began to take shape beside them.
Kort pointed at it and would’ve ran away if Donovan didn’t hold him back.
“Settle down,” said Donovan. “Ravyn made it, right?”
“Yeah,” she said. “You could too with a little effort. Draw heat out of the air to create the mist, space a few faint lights behind it, and this is what you get.”
Kort calmed down, but still wouldn’t move any closer.
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” asked Donovan.
“Yeah,” said Kort. “That will freak them out.”
“Will you, Ravyn?” asked Donovan. “Please for us. You’d only need to create it on top of the hill. As soon as they start yelling, you can let it go and run back to camp as if nothing happened.”
“You told us yourself that we’re more likely to get our faces smashed in than actually scare them off with our plan,” said Kort. “If you could do that, and one of us does the banshee’s howl, then they’re sure to be scared off.”
“Alright, but I’m only doing it to keep you two from getting hurt,” she said. “I still think it’s foolish, but clearly you two won’t be dissuaded.”
“We owe you,” said Kort.
“Who can do a good high pitched howl?” asked Donovan.
Everyone shook their heads, when a high pitched, mournful wail arose behind them. Turning, they saw Delaney standing there with a bright smile on her face.
“That was great,” panted Kort, “but next time warn me before you scare me half to death.”
They hurried back to their camp so they could get into position before Caddaric returned.
Donovan stacked wood in the fire pit and inserted the tinder in the open area beneath the wood.
“I don’t know when we’ll be able to sneak back here, but if you light the dry stuff on the bottom, everything should catch,” said Donovan. “I’ll signal you when Kort’s in position and we need the banshee.”
Donovan and Kort ran into the darkness. Climbing to the top of the rise where Donovan had spied on Caddaric earlier, they went over the plan.
“Ravyn will create the banshee right where we are,” said Donovan. “You circle around to the right by those bushes. That way we’ll at least be chasing them towards Haven. When they leave their camp, whether running away or chasing after you, I’ll run down, grab the notes, and run away from our camp.”
“Then we all meet back at our camp later for a good laugh,” said Kort.
“I’ll sign that,” said Donovan, holding up his right forearm.
Kort pressed his forearm against Donovan’s to complete the ‘X’ before heading to his spot. Donovan crouched down to wait.
A cool breeze reminded him that it was still spring, but he was glad to be surrounded by the sounds and smells of the forest. The birds had stopped singing when the sun had set, but he could hear a squirrel scurrying around in a tree above him. He could smell the rich soil and green grass around him, and had to resist the urge to lay his head on the soft surface and fall asleep.
He heard Caddaric and his friends coming before he saw them. Their loud voices ringing out into the darkness. He saw that Caddaric had a new bag hanging over his shoulder. He gave them a few minutes to settle down and start a fire before sneaking off to alert Ravyn and Delaney.
Crawling back up to the top of the rise, he signaled down to Ravyn behind him to do her magic. He immediately felt a chill in the air to his left. He risked a glance and saw a small patch of mist forming. Turning back to the camp below, he locked onto where the bag with the notes was sitting.
The mournful wail arose from behind him. Despite knowing its source, the hairs on his arms stood up. Below him in the camp, everyone froze, listening, before Tam pointed up at Ravyn’s banshee. Chaos ensued as everyone started to yell in fear, and scramble away.
Right on cue, Kort began thrashing around in the brush, and Brutus, Thurl, Tam, Bodhi and Clyde all ran off.
Caddaric drew a machete from its sheath and headed towards where Kort was making noise.
As soon as Caddaric left the camp, Donovan got to his feet, plunged down the rise into their camp, and grabbed the bag.
“Don’t kill me!” yelled Kort.
“Hey, get back here you cowards!” yelled Caddaric. “It was a prank.”
Caddaric and Kort emerged from the bushes, Caddaric still brandishing the machete.
“Let him go or I’ll burn your notes,” said Donovan.
“You don’t know what you’re doing,” said Caddaric. “Get out of here, both of you.”
“Then let him go, but I’m taking these with me.”
“No, you fool. I need those. It’s part of my plan. I—”
Caddaric was interrupted by the crashing noise of his cronies returning to camp. Their eyes went big when they saw Donovan and Kort standing there. Donovan locked eyes with Clyde before taking off with the notes slung over his shoulder.
“After him,” said Clyde. “He’s got the notes.”
The five of them went running after Donovan.
“Idiots,” said Caddaric.
“You’re the one who chooses to hang around with them,” said Kort.
“Not them. You and Donovan.”
“You’re just pissed that we messed up your plan.”
“What you don’t realize is that I included a bunch of errors in that copy of my notes, so they would do poorly on their exams.”
“Wait. You weren’t trying to help them?”
“No. They proved themselves to be false friends and I was trying to get back at them for playing me like a fool.”
“Don’t I feel dumb.”
“You look it, too.”
Meanwhile, Donovan was running for his life through the dark woods. With no destination in mind, he was following the path of least resistance, hoping to put some distance between himself and his pursuers.
The stars were out and the moon had risen which shone just enough light down through the foliage to navigate by, but he still kept stumbling over half buried tree roots on the trail he was following.
He stopped after five minutes of running. Taking a few deep breaths, he listened for pursuit and was shocked to hear someone close behind him. Taking off again, he leapt over a narrow creek bed and climbed a steep hill on the far side. The trees opened up on the other side of the rise and he sprinted down a gentle slope. Turning to check for signs of pursuit, he saw figures cresting the rise just as he entered the brush at the bottom.
Conti
nuing in the same direction until the trees blocked him from their sight, he turned to his right and ran ten yards before diving over a fallen log. He squished himself against the log and waited.
It took a while for the blood to quit pounding in his ears, and even longer for his breathing to return to normal, but when it did he could hear movement through the trees.
“He’s around here somewhere,” shouted Clyde. “Spread out and we’ll find him.”
The sounds slowly faded away, but Donovan didn’t dare poke his head over the log. He heard a branch snap in the distance, then the measured pace of footsteps heading towards him. He waited until the last second possible to spring up from his hiding spot, intending to scare whoever it was before running.
He leapt up and saw a large dark shape blocking the moonlight. The Clachward reached out and grabbed his arm.
Chapter 23
A high pitched scream split the air.
“I think that was Delaney,” said Kort. “I’ve got to check on them.”
“I’m going after those guys to see if I can calm them down before they do something that they’ll regret later.”
“Good luck.”
“You too.”
Caddaric headed off in the direction that Donovan had run, machete in his right hand, and a small orb of blue light being guided by his left. Following the broken branches, he came to a trail. He couldn’t tell which way they had gone, so he chose a direction at random and began jogging down the trail.
The moonlight shining down from above turned the branches into dark, reaching arms. He couldn’t help but think of the story Professor Cleary had told them earlier about the tree coming to life and squeezing the life out of their helpless victims.
A branch snagged on his jacket, and he savagely hacked at the tree with his machete. It took a moment to calm down and continue along the path.
He heard a scream from off to his left. It didn’t sound like anyone who he was chasing but, after a moment of indecision, he headed towards its source.
He carved a path with his machete until he reached an area with little underbrush. Students cowered against trees in the area, staring transfixed at a Clachward that was standing in their midst, turning its head back and forth as if sniffing the air.
Mercury Mind (The Downfall Saga Book 1) Page 24