‘This one won’t last long, it’s the stone I picked up the other day when the apes were trying to invade. Let’s get this done quick,’ said Naz. ‘And remember, when you get through, move, don’t stand there daydreaming.’
The bears led the way into the tunnel of light; a resounding CRACK! rang out as they entered. With determined stride and heads down, they passed through the border as quickly as they could. Carter followed them slowly, another CRACK! making his ears ring. Unsure of his footing, he edged forward until he felt the solid ground of the rolling hills of the Lower Plains that he remembered. Stepping into the midday sun, Carter was struck again by the beauty of the land. The green hills leading to the far distant majestic mountains, snow-covered and dominating everything in the land.
The thought running through his mind was You gotta move, it’s dangerous to stand here, MOVE NOW!
But Carter felt rooted to the spot, spellbound by the beauty of his surroundings. He felt a tugging on his arm and was dragged to the ground by Vin. With a final effort, he shook his head to break the hypnotic spell of mindless staring off into the distance. Vin was holding him down, his attempts at whispers were booming in Carter’s ear.
‘Breath deep, concentrate on my voice,’ Vin said.
Slowly, Carter managed to focus on what was being said to him, the veil lifted from his eyes and he could see the reality of his surroundings.
‘It’s okay, it happens to all of us when you first step through, you get mesmerised, staring in wonder at everything, but you get used to it, you prepare for it. It’s the most dangerous moment, when you can be attacked at your most vulnerable.’
Carter nodded. Lying beside Vin, the first thing that hit him was the smell of burning, still fresh on the wind that blew towards them. Naz lay at the top of a rise, scanning the land around them for danger.
‘We were lucky,’ Vin pointed to the Gateway close behind them, ‘We came out in a hollow between the hills. The Gateway tunnel can’t be seen. It’s looking okay, otherwise Naz would be hightailing it back here.’
They stayed low, looking at Naz just below the hill’s crest, watching for any sign of movement around them. A moment later, he waved his arm, calling Vin and Carter to join him.
‘It’s looking quiet, we’ve got through without being seen,’ Naz whispered.
They lay in the grass each side of Naz, intently looking at their surroundings, watching for the slightest movement, but all looked still.
‘Do you smell ape?’ Naz asked Carter.
‘No, just burning, that’s all I can sense,’ Carter said.
‘Okay, so here’s the plan, we hole up in this hollow, keep guard on the Gateway until it breaks down. I reckon we’ve not long to wait. This was the stone we used last time to get the lost people through the border, and there’s not much left of it. Once the stone crumbles and the Gateway collapses, we know nothing can get through to invade the Southlands. Then we make our move.’
‘Good plan, Naz.’
‘But what happened to the day? It was early morning a moment ago,’ asked Carter.
‘That’s one of those things you have to accept about travelling through a Gateway. All your time gets shifted, you never really know what time of the day or night it’s gonna be when you step out,’ said Naz.
‘Yeah, stop for a pie on one side of a Gateway and it’s like a whole day has passed on the other side,’ said Vin.
‘Carter, you’d better change into your other self. It’ll stop you from ageing so quickly, and you’ll have a better sense of smell if any of those crazy apes come wandering by.’
‘Why do we get so old so quick if we don’t change to our animal form?’ asked Carter.
‘Dunno,’ said Naz, ‘that’s just how it is. There’s so much stuff we don’t know about Gateways, but we do know it’s really dangerous for people to cross a border without changing their form. It can take a terrible toll on your body. Look what happened to Sam.’
Carter nodded, turned and retreated down the hill where he could stand without being seen.
He closed his eyes, closed off all his senses from distraction, and focused all his thoughts on looking inside himself. He felt an inner calling, like an old friend trying to free itself. Carter could sense his heart growing stronger, getting bigger with each beat.
He remembered his teachings from the lost people before he was sent into the alps.
“Look into your heart,” they’d told him.
Carter could feel the rush of strength through his body, his heart growing larger, the hound drawing closer until he felt his chest explode with the power of his racing pulse. He looked down and saw his arms and legs grow longer, his hands and feet change to padded paws, the nails long and sharp between his webbed feet. His back stretched to take on the shape of the hound, seeking release from inside. The fur hung long around him, his head stretched to take on the fearsome jaws and nose that could sense the slightest change in his world. Carter felt once again free, courageous and powerful in this world filled with danger.
Naz and Vin turned as Carter padded up this hill to lay beside them.
‘You sure are some fearsome looking thing,’ said Naz in awe. ‘Glad you’re on my side.’
‘I hope the apes think the same thing,’ said Carter.
‘That’s not gonna happen, them things are possessed, there’s nothing they’re afraid of, they’ll attack anything that moves.’
‘Yes, I remember,’ Carter thought back to their last encounter.
‘The only good thing about them stinking to high heaven is you can smell them from leagues away.’
‘You take the eastern rise over there,’ Naz said, pointing to their right. ‘If you smell anything out of the ordinary, you come running, but keep it quiet. Vin, you take the west hill. As soon as the Gateway collapses we move.’
* * *
Naz lay below the hill crest, looking out over the burnt out grasslands. The smell of fire was overpowering for him. He worried about Carter, having to travel through these lands again, where there’d been so much fear and violence, but he was also a little glad that Carter was with them. With his superior sense of smell, he’d be able to give them plenty of warning of any danger.
His mind drifted back to the night he’d seen the grassland on fire, the sinking sense of dread falling to the bottom of his stomach, knowing that it was the end for this land and its people. Once the forest had ignited, opening the doors to the rampaging apes, the people of this land could never stand up to them, let alone defeat them. Those people were lost and condemned to age very quickly once they sought safety in the Southlands.
What a waste of a beautiful land, he thought sadly.
Naz looked to his left, checking to make sure Vin was still awake. He was glad to see him alert, scanning the hills in front.
He’s turned into a great Guard, Naz thought, one of the best partners I’ve had.
The sun moved slowly between the east and west mountain ranges, dragging the lethargic trio through the heat of the afternoon. Through heavy eyes, they scanned the grasslands before them, willing the Gateway to close down as the black stone disintegrated through the heat and sound generated by being at the border.
* * *
Naz took a moment to watch the sun dip below the high peaks to the west, the shadow of the mountain ridge racing across the valley floor to the mountains of the east, plunging their world into darkness. The sky took on the rainbow hues from red to purple and finally, to a pitch black as the day passed away.
Naz sensed the faintest breeze on his face. North wind, he thought, please don’t let there be storms in the passes, I’m not sure Carter’s mind is strong enough yet to deal with another one.
Finally, they heard a crackling behind them. They turned to see a shimmering in the dip between the hills where the Gateway stood. With a flash and a momentary WHOOSH! like a rushing wind through the alpine passes, the Gateway collapsed, leaving no trace of it every existing in this land.
&nbs
p; Well, the only way now is forward, Naz thought to himself.
With its disappearance, Vin and Carter moved to join him on the slope.
‘Let’s go find Holly,’ said Naz.
A shiver passed over Carter for a moment when his reason for being there was finally voiced.
‘Then home, and fresh pies,’ Vin said, raising their spirits. ‘I’ll tell you now, you’ve never tasted anything in your life as good as my pie.’
‘Not even roast fish?’ Carter replied, getting into the banter.
‘For you, I’ll make a fish pie that you’ll never forget. You’ll never want to leave our town again, it’ll be so good,’ Vin laughed.
The others laughed along with him, and with raised spirits, they looked to the north-west, to the brooding mountains silhouetted against stars of the deepening night.
‘Vin, you take the lead, Carter, you stay between us and keep that nose of yours moving.’
Carter smiled, ‘Yes, boss,’ he called out.
‘That’s the spirit, except I’m not a boss, yet.’
‘You will be once we get home and they hear of your exploits,’ said Vin.
‘Just doing my job, Vin.’ Naz said. ‘They’ll be putting you in charge of catering when we get back.’
‘I won’t take it,’ Vin called over his shoulder, ‘I’m a Guard now.’
And one of the best, Naz thought to himself proudly.
* * *
Vin led them through the charred grasslands, their ash cloud unseen in the depth of the night. Naz carried with him a branch, which he dragged along behind them, hoping to cover their tracks through the ash field. He remembered the stories from the Southerners of how the apes had been seen searching and communicating with each other to track down the lost people. This was something new for the bears and needed to be passed on to the Big Boss. They’d always assumed the apes to be mindless and possessed. The fact that they worked together made them more dangerous than anyone ever suspected.
With relief, they arrived at the foothills, which had been saved from the inferno by the change of wind direction. Once they were away from the smell of burning and the ash cloud that they’d been kicking up, the clearer air helped them make better progress. They climbed through the night, reaching the lower scree slopes and the field of fallen boulders.
Naz moved to the front, to grab Vin’s attention. ‘We’ve made good progress, Vin, let’s find ourselves some cover between the rocks where we can hide out and rest up for a while.’
‘Okay, let’s try and reach the end of the boulder field before stopping. We’ve a little light now with the coming dawn.’
‘Good thinking, Naz, find us somewhere to rest, close to the end of the field.’
They scrambled through, over and around the boulders, racing the coming dawn to get through the jumbled maze of fallen rocks, until Vin suddenly lifted his arm to stop. Naz and Carter immediately stooped low, so as not to be seen, then moved quietly forward to where Vin was crouched.
‘What is it, Vin?’ whispered Naz.
‘I saw something move on the slopes over there near the end of the boulder field.’
Naz looked at Carter. ‘You smell anything?’
‘I can smell goat. I recognise it from home. I can’t smell any apes around. You can smell them from leagues away.’
‘Could it have been a goat, Vin?’
‘Always possible, all I saw was movement out of the corner of my eye. I didn’t get a close look at it.’
‘Okay, we’ll stop here. We all stand guard ’til we’re sure it’s safe. Only then do we rest.’
They lowered themselves to different sides of the boulder, searching for the slightest movement. It was with relief that Vin finally whispered, ‘I can see it now, it’s a goat, there to the left.’
They all let out a sigh of relief. ‘You two stand down, but pass me up something to drink, will you?’ asked Naz. ‘I’ll take first watch while you two eat and sleep. I’ll wake you to change over later.’
Vin and Carter moved deeper into the crevice between the fallen rocks, pulling blankets from their packs. Vin passed the water up to Naz, who drank deeply, thankful to clear the dust and ash from his throat. Passing the water flagon back to Vin, he caught sight of Carter, already fallen into a sleep of exhaustion.
Vin climbed back up to join him. ‘He’s done good, for such a young one,’ said Vin.
Naz nodded in agreement. ‘Unfortunately, he’s years ahead of his time, with all this crossing borders and premature ageing going on. He’s likely to be all grown up by the time he gets home.’
‘But him changing into a hound will protect him from the worst of it, Naz.’
‘Yeah, up to a point. Don’t you feel older, Vin?’
‘I hadn’t noticed. Just feeling really tired.’
‘Yer, crossing borders does that to you too. I tell you, I’ll be glad to get home.’
‘You’re right there, Naz. Bet your family won’t recognise you.’
‘That’s what worries me. This has been a long trip, a lot longer than we thought it would be. You best go and get some rest. I’ll wake you later.’
Vin clambered down between the rocks, deciding to give food a miss in favour of some badly needed sleep. He looked over to Carter, who even in his sleep seemed to be fighting his own demons, his legs thrashing about as if to escape something only he could see.
I sure hope he finds peace soon, Vin thought, just before falling into a deep carefree sleep filled with dreams of family and home-cooked pie.
* * *
Lulu lay in her bed, gripped by a fear that seemed to be squeezing her heart. A cold sweat covered her forehead, she felt hot but shivered uncontrollably.
In her mind, she heard her own voice, far away, shouting to her...
Wake up... wake up... it’s a dream.
Forcing herself to open her eyes, she gasped in relief to find herself in her own bed. The morning sun starting its climb above the pine forests in the distance, the sounds of the Clan preparing for the coming day, drifting through her window.
She sat upright, her night clothes cold and damp around her. Forcing away the last of the voices she could still hear in the deepest reaches on her mind.
‘Mom, Dad, there’s something you need to know,’ she called.
She immediately heard her father’s steps across the hall approaching her door.
‘Lu, what is it?’ opening the door in a rush, concern plain to hear in his voice.
‘It’s Holly, I heard her again, and there was someone else.’
‘Was it Carter?’ Salli asked, coming quickly to stand beside Sam.
‘No, Mom. It was someone talking to Holly. The voice was really... evil sounding, like it was telling her what to do, like it was controlling her. But it made her really, really scared.’
‘What was it saying, was it a man’s voice?’ Salli asked in a rush.
‘It was a man, he was telling her to wait, that her time would come, and come soon. His voice was really deep. The only way I can describe it is like it was almost booming. His voice was shaking me and Holly, right inside here.’ Lulu touched her heart. ‘I really felt in a panic, Mom.’
‘What was Holly saying?’ Sam asked.
‘She seemed to be awake, but she couldn’t see anything. She kept calling to Carter, to come quickly, “Please come” she kept saying. And then this voice almost wrapped itself around her, and she started to scream and scream. It’s horrible to hear.’
‘I know,’ said Salli, ‘I heard it too.’
‘What?’ Sam’s shock left him fumbling for questions to ask.
‘When, Mom? How long have you heard them? Who is it that’s tormenting Holly?’ Lulu’s questions came tumbling out in a rush.
Salli sat on the bed beside her daughter. Sam, feeling lost and confused, pulled up a chair to sit beside them.
‘I didn’t want to say anything until I was sure,’ Salli said, taking her daughter’s hand in hers. ‘I heard them the s
ame time you did. I heard them now, this morning. But I’ve been hearing the other voice too, and I didn’t want to frighten you.’
‘I’m frightened now, Mom. I’m scared for Holly and Carter. Who is this other man, what’s he doing to Holly?’
‘As you said, he’s trying to control her, but she’s strong. She’s resisting his will. She’s believing that Carter will come for her. She trusts him to come. It’s what’s keeping her sane, otherwise she’d go mad there listening to him.’
‘Who is it, who’s trying to control Holly?’ asked Sam.
‘I can’t tell you, not yet. I need to be sure and I need to be certain that Lu is protected from him.’
‘Protected!’ Sam said, shocked. ‘From what, he can’t hurt Lu?’
‘He mustn’t know that Lu can hear him. Nor that I can hear him. Otherwise he’ll come looking for us.’
‘I don’t understand, Salli, I don’t understand what you’re saying.’
‘I don’t understand it myself yet, but I need to before I say anything more.’
‘Who is it, Mom?’
‘I really cannot tell you yet. I’m afraid to even say his name, in case he hears it.’
‘Salli, this is crazy, no one can hear you!’
‘Is it any crazier than our children turning into hounds? Or those lost people out there turning into cats, or Mountain Lions, or whatever else they want to call themselves? If Lu and I can hear him, I know he’ll hear us if we answer. I can’t say any more, but this time, Sam, I’m asking you to trust me.’
‘I do, Salli, I trust you completely, but I have to know what’s happening if I’m going to protect you.’ said Sam.
‘When the time is right, I’ll tell you both everything, but I must be sure myself first. It’s something from my past that I have to find. I promise I’ll tell everything soon. Just please don’t ask me anymore. It’s dangerous to even think about it. Lu, when it happens again, you must not answer, don’t try to help Holly in any way, or he’ll hear you. Do you understand?’
Lost Lands (CHANGING TIMES Book 2) Page 4