Red Leaves and the Living Token

by Benjamin David Burrell

  Handers didn’t travel much and hated coming here to retrieve passengers. He would’ve sent Rinacht ahead to secure their passage if there had been time. After what could’ve literally been half the day, the two finally reached the front of the line and moved to the next open ticket window.

  “Yes?” The ticketing agent greeted them.

  “We’d like two tickets on the next barge to Shishkameen.” Handers explained.

  The agent sunk back into his window and consulted a stack of papers attached to the wall. After a moment, he poked his head out again. “The next available tickets are for the 9:30 am boat, two weeks from today.

  “Two weeks?” Handers stammered. “No no. We need something much sooner. We’ll pay extra.”

  “I’m sorry sir. We are fully booked until then. Boats to Shishkameen are usually booked two to three weeks in advance. Do you have your foreign travel papers with you?”

  “What? Since when do we need foreign travel papers?”

  The ticketing agent stared back at them without emotion. “Since always.” He pointed to another line at the opposite end of the large hall. “You can apply for papers there if you do not have them.”

  The agent leaned to the side and motioned to the next person in line. “Next!”

  Handers didn’t move. “So how long does it take to get papers?”

  “Three to six months, usually.” The agent answered calmly.

  “Three to six months! Thats outrageous!” Handers shouted in protest.

  “Next!” The agent repeated.

  -

  Rinacht set down two large pieces of luggage in the entryway as Handers came in the front door behind him. His home was warm and inviting, giving the impression that someone had spent a good deal of time worrying about making it so. It reminded Raj every time he came in of better times past. The best he could do was keep things tidy and arranged in the format that was left for him. Heaven forbid he ever have to replace anything. He’d be hopeless.

  His wife had hand picked every piece of furniture. Making sure each was well crafted but not too audacious. She had fretted over the color and design of the rug for almost six months before finally deciding. The window dressings were even worse.

  What would she think of this mess he’d made, he wondered. She was always better at communicating with people. Moslin probably would’ve confided in her, told her everything she was feeling. They would’ve talked about it, worked it out, and nothing more would’ve happened.

  Handers dropped down into a comfortable arm chair.

  “Six months? Unbelievable.” He muttered.

  “I'm sure this woman must be running into the same problems.” Rinacht offered.

  Handers shook his head in disagreement, “If you have the determination to take a child you have the determination to find alternate passage. Either that or she planned ahead.”

  He rubbed his forehead, then got up suddenly and headed for the back of the house.

  “Sir?” Rinacht called after him.

  “Prepare the wagon and the animals.” Handers instructed.

  “Sir?”

  “We'll have to take the old roads.” He called as he hurried down a hallway.

  “With respect, sir. I don't think that's a good idea. Without an escort or guide? Its incredibly dangerous.”

  Handers turned around. “What choice do we have! It my son!”

  The only people who travel the border by land are the ones who can’t get papers. The smugglers and criminals! The people who can’t get through legitimately. If we get caught, they’ll think we’re…”

  “Then we can’t get caught!” He turned and rushed off again down the hallway.

  “I leave in the morning. You are under no obligation to come.” He called back.

  -

  Rinach and Handers sat atop an old but sturdy wagon stacked high with disheveled luggage and supply barrels. It creaked and rattled as its large wooden wheels ground through the deeply rutted dirt road, rocking the loosely packed contents dangerously side to side..

  The forest formed a wall on both sides of them, restricting Hander's clan animal escorts, four large black bears, to walk either in front or behind them. Each bear had a breast plate on its chest with the Oso emblem of Hander's family clan.

  After what seemed like an endless repeat of the monotonous rocking back and forth, the dry road turned muddy. Raj watched the wheels with alarm, making sure they didn’t sink in too deep.

  After a few moments, they came around a bend in the road. As they straightened out, they could see that the muddy road up again of them vanished all together down into the beginnings of a swamp. Raj pulled back on the reigns and stopped the wagon. After they jostled to a stop, he stood up to get a better look.

  The swamp continued as far as he could see through the trees. And there didn’t seem to be any way around it either. It went on as far as he could see to the right as well as to the left.

  “This doesn't look promising.” He grunted.

  “No. No, it doesn't.” Rinach growled back.

  Handers snapped the reins, urging his horses forward. The animals kicked their legs and splashed down into the swamp water, holding their heads up as high as possible. The bears growled and hung back on the dry road. Handers noticed and turned around.

  “Come on!” He commanded.

  They shook their fur then step down into the water with a loud displeased growl. The wagon continued to sink as they moved forward. After a few minutes, they seemed to level out. The water line stayed just below the bed of the wagon.

  “See? Not so bad.” Handers smiled. They were still moving forward, that was all that mattered.

  Ahead of them the forest was becoming less and less clear. The distant trees where disappearing into a grey mist. He started to wonder how they’d maintain a straight course. That was assuming the road underneath them stayed straight.

  If they could get across the swamp, he imagined they’d be able to find the road again, if they had veered off. He turned back to check on the wagon and its escort. The water was still below his cargo. That was a relief. At least they’d have a dry place to sleep and food to eat.

  The bears didn’t seem to mind any more. They kept pace behind the wagon, keeping their heads just above water.

  He turned back around and noticed something in the distance. A shape emerged out of the grey mist. As they moved closer, it appeared to be a road intersecting their path. Parked on that road almost directly in front of them was a fancy black carriage. Two large black horses, tied to the front of carriage, shot out streams of hot breath in the cold, wet air.

  “Woow.” Handers called to his horses as he pulled back on the reigns. He turned around quickly as his bears were moving around the wagon to intercept.

  “Take the front but do not engage.” He called to them.

  The side door of the polished black carriage opened and two men stepped out onto the running board then hoped down to the ground. They were exceptionally well dressed, in silky black suites that seemed entirely in appropriate for their location. One of the men disengaged the harness from one of the horses and climbed up on its back.

  The horse and its rider turned sharply then splashed down into the water, heading quickly towards Handers and his wagon. Handers watched him approach, becoming clearer through the fog. He really hoped to avoid any kind of confrontation. But if there ever was a place for it, this would be it. He’d have to be ready.

  The man on the horse was Zo. That was good, he thought.

  “Hold there, sir!” The man called out.

  Handers laughed under his breath and looked over at Rinach. Hadn’t they noticed he’d stopped as soon as he saw them? He wasn’t moving now, was he?

  One of his bears rose up on his hind feet. Apparently the man was a little to close for him.

  “Shhh... Shhh... Down...” He tried to calm him.

  “You're crossing private land.” The man shouted.

  “My apologies. We were on
the road to the Shishkameen. Seems we've strayed. Could you point us back to the road?”

  The door of the black carriage opened again, and a third man, just as well dressed, stepped down onto the dirt. He whistled to his companion on horse back then signaled to bring them back to the dry road.

  The man on horse back turned back to Handers. “Follow me, please.”

  Hander's brown horses dragged the wagon up out of the swamp tilting and swaying the payload almost enough to tip it into the water. The bears shook like wet dogs shedding the muddy swamp water.

  “Looks like you could use some help.” Offered the man who had just climbed from the carriage.

  Handers laughed, taking a quick survey of his wet, muddy clothes. “Yeah. You could say that.”

  “I have a home not too far from here. You're welcome to follow us in. Clean rooms, warm water, and stables.” The man continued.

  “Wow, that sounds really nice.” Handers answered.

  “Sounds extraordinary!” Rinacht agreed quickly, giving Handers an enthusiastic smile and nod.

  “But...” Handers continued. “We... we really haven't much time.”

  Rinacht’s face sank into a furrowed brown. “We have to sleep somewhere, Raj.”

  The man pretended to be shocked, over playing the expression.

  “Please, I'm offended. The Lord of this valley offers you help, and you refuse? Where's your manners? Besides, you're in dangerous and unfamiliar land. You don't seem to have much protection, and you don't seem to know where you're going.”

  “He speaks the truth.” Rinacht gestured towards the man.

  “I'm sorry. My son. He's missing.” Handers explained. “We know where he might've been taken, but we've got to get there and head them off before we lose the trail.”

  “My goodness, man. Why didn't you say so? How awful. I won't delay you any further.”

  He stepped past the carriage and pointed out into the swamp in the direction they were headed. “Keep this direction till you get to the other side of the swamp. You'll find the road a little further to the right.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Be careful!” The man admonished.

  -

  Handers and Rinacht sloshed back and forth on the flat plank of their seat on top of the wagon as it trudged through the muddy swamp. The bears growled behind them. Their tolerance of the wet mud wasn’t going to last for ever it seemed.

  Handers glanced over at Rinacht, who was staring blankly into the smooth water of the swamp.

  “It wasn't just the issue of time.” He contended.

  Rinacht didn’t break his stare.

  “I don't know. Something just wasn't right.” Handers added.

  Rinacht turned finally, “You just don't like people who have more money than you.”

  Handers laughed. “That must be why we get along so well.”

  Rinacht, snorted in response, his gaze drifting back to the grey ahead of them.

  “I never did thank you, by the way, for coming with me.” Handers said, interrupting the silence.

  “No thanks necessary.” Rinacht said.

  The wagon sloshed back and forth in the water.

  “But next time someone offers us clean sheets and a bath, if you refuse, so help me...” Rinacht clenched his fist and hit it against his open palm in a mock attack.

  Raj laughed.

  -

  Handers woke to a hard jolt. The wagon had tipped back hard knocking him against the seat. He’d been staring at the empty grey ahead of them for so long he must have dozed off.

  The bears had moved up ahead of the wagon. That must’ve spooked the horses he thought. But he couldn’t see any reason the bears would’ve moved up.

  Then he heard it. A faint blare in the distance, muffled by the thick fog. It sounded like a horn of some kind.

  “What was that?” Rinacht asked.

  “I don't know.” Handers admitted.

  They both stood up to get a higher vantage point. It was the same everywhere he looked, row after row of thick tree trucks fading back into the fog.

  “Do you see anything?” Handers asked.

  “No.” Rinacht answered.

  Off to the right, several of the distant tree trunks, far enough that they were still grey silhouettes in the fog, grew in size faster than the others. As though they were moving forward towards them.

  “Wait.” Hander signaled in the direction of the subtle movement.

  The trunks appeared to be growing darker and larger as though they were coming towards them out of the fog.

  “Are those trees moving?” Rinacht asked.

  “Look.” Handers signaled to the other side of the wagon. More thick trunks moved towards them, clearly separating themselves from the rest of the trees.

  Rinach turned to look behind them. Handers followed. Sure enough another handful of grey silhouettes slid towards them without making a sound.

  “I think we have company.”

  The silhouettes took on more and more detail as they got closer. The tall, slender trunks seemed to be made up of smaller appendages. At the base of the appendages, Handers could start to make out the features of a face.

  “Botann Soldiers!” Handers yelled. “Bears defend!”

  The Bears stood up on their hind legs with a series of ear rattling ROARS then quickly formed a perimeter around the wagon.

  Without warning, thick vine like cords shot out of the grey mist and whipped around the necks of the Bears. Before they could react, another volley came at them from another direction, whipping with a snap around their legs and arms.

  The Bears pulled against the cords fiercely, breaking all but the thickest. With any free arm, they ripped and tore with their massive claws.

  Another volley of the cords came in a wild flurry, whipping and snapping. Then another and another until the bears were overwhelmed and immobilized. The cords tightened further, lifting the massive beasts into the air over the water.

  Handers watched in horror as his buffer of safety vanished. He’d never seen anything like this before. Completely unprovoked. What could they have possibly done to warrant such an attack?

  Another slurry of cords shot out of the fog, this time ensnaring Rinacht and Handers.

  “Ah!” Handers cried as the rough vines ripped at his skin.

  With a loud crack, the cords tightened and yanked them off the wagon. Handers sucked in a deep breath as he watched the surface of the water spinning up towards him. He felt the splash and immediate shock of cold. His mouth opened instinctively for air but got nothing but water. He opened his eyes in alarm, trying to find the surface.

  He could see light above him. But as he tried to kick and swim his legs didn’t move. He was bound too tightly. Alarm turned to panic. He couldn’t move and couldn’t breath.

  Then with a jolt something else moved him. The cords dragged him underwater towards something. He had no idea to what until his feet lifted up onto ground followed at last by his head. He was above water, spitting and gasping. Who was doing this? Why?

  After he cleared his lungs enough to breath, he looked over for Rinacht. He was lying next to him a few feet away wrapped in vines like a cocoon. From what he could see they had been pulled up onto a small island of dry earth in the middle of the swamp.

  He felt strong hands pulling at him, then his body rolled and he was on his back with a violent thump. A ring of Botann soldiers stood above him. One, who was standing in front of the rest, signaled to the other as he said something in a language Handers didn’t understand. Then he knelt down close to Hander’s face.

  “I suggest you help us find what we're looking for.” The Botan said quietly in Zo.

  The vine covering Handers mouth slithered back enough to let him speak.

  “Take it! What ever it is, take it.” Handers exclaimed.

  A loud crash erupted beside them. Handers craned his neck in the direction of the noise.

  The Botann Soldiers had tipped his wagon, spl
itting it in half, and spilling his provision onto another small, elevated dry spot a few feet away. Two soldiers stood on top of the pile of provisions holding up a crate before tossing it down and smashing it open, it’s contents spilling into the swamp.

  The Botan who had knelt beside him suddenly grabbed the vines around Hander’s chest and lifted him up into the air as he stood. He pushed his face nose to nose with handers.

  “Tell me where it is before I lose my patience.” He snarled.

  The vines tightened all over Handers' body, cutting into his skin and causing excruciating pain. He gasped, the air knocked out of him. The pain was so intense he couldn’t think. He couldn’t think of an answer to the demand.

  A short distance behind the soldier, another who was standing guard turned from something he was watching and glanced back at the soldier holding handers.

  “Captain!” He called in alarm.

  The captain shifted his attention away from Handers and looked back at the guard. Immediately the vines around Handers loosened allowing him to gasp for air. The soldier standing guard gestures toward a ring of lights in the distance, glowing through the fog. The lights were bobbing up and down slightly as they grew closer, brighter.

  “It’s an Attack!” Screamed the captain.

  The Botann soldiers jumped down from the wagon debris and swooped into a formation around the captain.

  One of the soldiers jumped towards the closest tree and wrapped his body around its trunk, slowly melding with it, conforming his body to its shape. The tree shook violently, then cords shot out from its branches, dropping down like rain towards the approaching ring of fire.

  With a quiet swish, a single arrow with a burning tip cut through the air arcing down towards the soldier wrapped up with the tree. A burst of flame exploded with a loud crack as the arrow knocked the soldier down into the water.

  The remaining soldiers tightened their ring formation around their captain.

  “Hold your position!” He yelled.

  In a sudden burst of speed, the ring of lights erupted out of the fog revealing a mob of horse men galloping wildly with crossbows, tips lit a fire, held out in front of them. In a blur of splashing water, they circled in around the tight pack of Botan soldier and stopped with their cross bows locked on their close targets.