by Mary Coffin
Her knee was tightly wrapped but it didn’t hurt anymore. She tried to shake the grogginess from her mind and vaguely recalled images from a dream. It included Jimmy, and the others, but she couldn’t remember details. She watched the others talking and suddenly it hit her.
“Hey.” Her voice was a raspy whisper. She cleared her throat and called out. “Hey! We have to go.” She tried to get up as they approached and Cnāwan jumped off.
Jon put his hand on her shoulder. “Careful, now. Let’s have a look first.”
Mel knelt down and removed the wrapping. Through the tear in her pants, there was only a small scar where before she had an open wound that bled. “Looks good.”
She rested on her elbows and looked up at them. “We have to go. The trackers are coming. Jimmy’s coming.”
“That’s what we were just talking about,” said Mel. “Jon and Ben saw them when they were out. How did you know?”
“I had a dream,” replied Fynn. “We have to go now or it will be too late.”
Jon, Ben and Mel glanced at each other. Jon held out his hand and helped Fynn to her feet. Her leg felt normal – like nothing had happened.
“Cool,” she said. She took several steps to ensure it was healed. “It feels fine.”
“What do you mean or it will be too late?” asked Ben.
“In the dream, he beat us to the gate and blocked it. He’s got more men with him.”
“Then let’s get going,” replied Ben.
They slipped on their packs and set out, once again. Cnāwan led them in the same direction. They passed the area of the porcupine encounter and, fortunately, there was no sign of the rodents.
Knowing they were close, and that the trackers were in the area, prodded them onward. With a new intensity, they were focused and driven.
Cnāwan led them laterally around the side of the mountain. It seemed like they had travelled about half way around it when the cat abruptly sat. She looked down the slope and perked up, as though she were listening. She visibly took in a breath and let out a sigh.
Jon and Ben were nervous, like they expected to see someone pop out into the open at any moment. Even Mel and Tibby appeared on edge.
Do you feel it? asked the cat. Everyone nodded. Their bodies tingled with a heightened awareness. We’re here, Cnāwan sang.
“I can feel it but I don’t see anything,” said Fynn.
“It’s here,” said Ben.
Cnāwan stood and walked around the vicinity, honing in on the exact location.
“Mel, keep an eye on Cnāwan while we get ready. Tibby, you’ll want to get that bottle ready to give Cnāwan a taste as soon as the gate is opened. Fynn, take the necklace out. The bottom portion, with the two triangles, is the key. Jon can help you remove that section. I’ll get the book out.”
Jon sighed. “What a wonderful day for going home.”
Chapter 38
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Fynn stared at Jon. “What did you say?”
Jon smiled. “It’s a wonderful day for going home.”
All of a sudden, Fynn felt like everything was in slow motion. She gazed at Tibby. He had the top off the bottle and was holding it, ready to give some to the cat, while he watched it walk around the area. Ben removed the book from his pack and caressed the leather cover. Fynn noticed the center of the front cover had a design etched in it, which was the exact shape of the triangles hanging from the necklace. Jon was in the process of gently removing that section from the wire lace around the locket.
Jon noticed the puzzled look on Fynn’s face. “What is it?”
“Déjà vu,” whispered Fynn. “This has happened before.” Her eyes shifted back and forth as she tried to recall why the situation was so familiar; then they went wide, as the memory surfaced. “The dream I had back at the cave...” She looked over at the next hill and, through the trees, barely made out some movement. “They’re coming! It’s Jimmy. Over there.”
Jon and Ben looked in the direction where she pointed. They watched as numerous forms came into sight and then disappeared again behind trees. They were far enough away to not be heard but close enough so that, if any one of them looked, they might spot Fynn and the others.
While Ben watched the men, he asked, “Cnāwan, how’s it coming?”
The cat didn’t respond.
“Cnāwan?”
If you’d all quit talking, I might be able to hear the vibrations easier.
Fynn was nervous. She watched Ben and Jon. Then she whispered, “If we’re in the vicinity, can’t we just open the gate?”
“We have to be directly in front of it. If we approach it from an angle, we could be thrown into a different dimension. It must be precise,” Ben murmured.
She looked across at the search party being led by Jimmy. Fortunately, it didn’t appear as though the men had spotted them…not yet anyway. Then she turned and looked in the direction from where they had just come around the mountain. Jon saw the concern on her face.
“What else was in that dream of yours?”
Fynn faced him and swallowed hard. “Porcupines,” she whispered. “Three of them.”
Jon handed her the triangular key with the cobalt blue stone in the center. “Here. You’re the one who has to do this.” Then, using both hands, he made a fizzle ball. Fynn watched as he packed the energy into a concentrated form. Once it was bright yellow, he let go with his hands and focused on it momentarily to keep it suspended in mid air. He proceeded to make another.
Tibby looked nervous, as well. He caught Fynn’s eye and shrugged his shoulders, like he was asking what he could do to help besides stand there, waiting to give a cat a drink of some elixir. She gestured with her upturned hands to let him know she had no clue.
Suddenly, a quill flew past them through the air. Everyone instinctively dropped low. Another one landed in between Jon’s feet and lodged in the soil. They didn’t see the rodents yet or he would have thrown a fizzle ball. A moment went by before one of the porcupines came around a bush and was in plain sight. A couple more quills shot through the air as though they were ejected from a dart gun.
Jon had two fizzle balls suspended before him. He grabbed one, stood up and tossed it. It barely caught the nose of the rodent and dissipated. It was enough of a hit to stun the animal momentarily but it wouldn’t knock it out of commission for as long as a direct hit.
Ben observed the men on the next hill. Once Jon threw the fizzle ball, it caught the attention of one of them; he saw the bright yellow form fly through the air. Ben still couldn’t hear their voices but saw the man stop and talk with a second man. The man pointed in their direction. Through squinted eyes, Ben saw that the second man was Jimmy.
Chapter 39
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This is the spot. The vibration is the strongest here. Cnāwan sat.
“Just in time, too” said Ben. “We’ve been spotted.”
Fynn watched Jimmy give instructions to his men to break up into several groups. He pointed for two groups to approach from the left and right sides while another group, led by Jimmy, was using the direct approach to run down their hill and then straight up the steep slope to where Fynn and the others were.
A second porcupine came into sight and Jon threw the other fizzle ball. It struck the ground to the side of the animal and the particles scattered but it had no effect on the porcupine. Jon proceeded to make another fizzle ball while several quills sliced the air. Fynn felt the hairs on the back of her neck bristle at the close proximity. Obviously, the others did too, and everyone crouched lower still.
The porcupine was on the move, heading directly for them, so Jon had to estimate the new distance. He tossed the ball higher into the air and, on its descent, the animal stopped to sniff something on the ground. Fynn feared it would be another miss but as the rodent continued moving, the ball came down on the lower half of its back
and instantly stunned it.
Misha let out a cry to let Jon know she was there to help. With three groups of men approaching, he wasn’t sure what good it would do.
Tibby extended his arm to the cat. “Do you want this now?”
The cat gave him a casual glance, as though it didn’t have a care in the world. Then he heard Not yet.
Jon quickly weighed the situation. The group flanking on their right would most likely come up behind the gate. If that was the case, then the gate would offer them a small amount of protection once it was opened. He looked at the group being led by Jimmy and saw that they were making headway going down their hill but he knew the climb up would slow them down, even if they were in good physical shape. He decided to send Misha toward the third group.
“Hafoc, floege,” and he motioned in that direction with his hand. “Slaw!” He commanded for the bird to slow that group down. Knowing he wouldn’t see the bird again, he quietly said, “Good bye, Misha. Thanks for your help.” She gave one last squawk as she flew in that direction.
Ben held the book flat in his hands so that it would open toward Cnāwan. “Now, Fynn! Use the key!”
Fynn gave a fleeting look at Jimmy’s group and saw they had reached the bottom of their hill and crossed an open area. They were about to start the climb upward. She looked at the key and then at the book cover to determine how it fit. Her hands were shaking as she reached over and placed the triangular piece into the cover. She turned it slightly and it dropped perfectly into place.
At first, nothing happened. Fynn looked down the side of their hill again and saw that some of the men were struggling and couldn’t keep up with Jimmy but he was making fast tracks.
A flash of blue caught her eye and she glanced back at the book. The cobalt stone was glowing and a small band of blue light shot into the air and descended back into the stone. The cover of the book slowly rose and the pages glowed so brightly, she had to look away. The light projected from inside and illuminated an invisible surface in the air behind Cnāwan.
The lit surface, in the shape of an arch about eight feet tall and half as wide, had no depth to it. Fynn quickly saw that behind it, everything looked normal, with trees and vegetation spread across the mountain.
The opening was as flat as paper but inside the gate, however, there was depth. There was a sunlit footbridge made of wood slats with ropes for handles. As Fynn gazed into the gate, she saw a dark space framing the inside edges but it wasn’t solid. The dark was actually a gap of space between the gate and the footbridge. The space around the edges must be what Ben referred to as the cause for mistakenly entering other dimensions.
Tibby was on his knees, the bottle still in his hand. The sight before them totally captured his attention. “Wow!” All of a sudden, a sharp pain pierced his upper leg and something grabbed his hand. “Owww!”
Cnāwan, with claws fully extracted, had climbed onto his leg and reached out with paws to grab the hand holding the bottle. Now would be a good time!
“Hey, that hurts,” said Tibby. “All you had to do was ask.”
What do you think I’ve been doing? You didn’t hear me. She pulled his hand down to get closer to the bottle.
“Okay. Okay.” The cat opened her mouth and Tibby tipped the bottle and let a couple drops come out.
Cnāwan smacked her lips like she just finished eating lobster or some tasty fish. She licked her paw and stroked her face a couple times. Then she looked at the bridge on the other side of the gate and back at the bottle in Tibby’s hand. More!
He let a couple more drops fall into her mouth. She licked her chops. Let’s go! Cnāwan was the first through the gate. She sat on the bridge and looked back at the others. C’mon. Hurry!
Mel went through next with Tibby directly behind her. Ben walked through it but had to carry the book in an open position until everyone got through.
Jon looked at Fynn and said, “You’re next.” She started to stand when she spotted something behind Jon.
“Lookout! Another porcupine!” She crouched back down.
Jon kicked himself for forgetting that Fynn’s dream had a third rodent in it. He told himself that he needed to take her dreams more seriously from now on. She was more sensitive and receptive to the Gädweg than he realized.
While quills shot all around them, he formed another fizzle ball. The longer one packs the energy, the stronger the effect, but he knew he didn’t have the time to make one so concentrated.
He quickly formed a ball and threw it. It fell short. More quills flew past and Fynn heard him grunt. He formed another one and tossed it at the critter. It caught the edge of its body and stunned it slightly. The rodent lay down and was slightly dazed but still conscious. It shook its head like it was trying to clear it of grogginess.
Jon reached over to push Fynn up. “Go! Now!”
As Fynn stood to run to the gate, she caught a glimpse of movement on the hill below her. Jimmy had outrun his group and was almost to the top. His face was beet red and he had slowed to a trot but was still pushing onward.
Jon got up with Fynn but he limped when he stepped on his leg.
“You’re hit,” said Fynn. She pointed to his calf where a porcupine quill stuck through his pant leg.
“I’ll be okay,” he grabbed her arm and just as they stepped through the gate, Fynn screamed and stopped.
Jimmy had caught up with them and had a tight hold on her other arm. He was too busy catching his breath to talk but he was trying. Jon grabbed Fynn around the waist with one arm and used his free hand to pry Jimmy’s fingers off of Fynn’s arm.
The others stood on the bridge and watched, helplessly. There wasn’t much room to maneuver and Ben had to keep the book open until Jimmy’s arm was clear of the gate. Jon’s energy was weakening fast and he couldn’t loosen Jimmy’s grip so he reached through the gate and gave one good push in his chest. Jimmy had to take a couple steps backwards to keep from falling down.
Jon pushed Fynn ahead of him and they stepped back from the gate.
“No. Stop!” shouted Ben.
Fynn looked back at the gate and saw that Jimmy was just about to pass through it.
“You’ll die if you come over.” Ben held his palm up. “Believe me; your energy won’t be able to sustain the vibrations here.”
Jimmy hesitated. He was unsure of what to do. His breathing had slowed but thoughts were racing through his mind. He looked at Fynn. “How do you know my father’s name?”
“You weren’t supposed to remember,” she whispered.
She studied his face, still trying to glean some understanding of what kind of a person he was. She stepped in front of Jon and stared at her half-brother, on the other side of the opening. She wasn’t sure at this point whether to make something up or tell him the truth. Clearly, his emotions were taking him on a rollercoaster ride.
Finally, she blurted, “We have the same father.” She watched as confusion and shock registered in his eyes. She didn’t mean to torment him and thought the truth would be best but she couldn’t think of anything else to say that might help Jimmy.
Ben slammed the book shut and the gate disappeared.
Chapter 40
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It happened so fast it startled Fynn.
Pffft!
The gate vanished into thin air and was replaced with the other end of the footbridge that led to a different mountain.
“I’m sorry,” said Ben. “We couldn’t let him come through.”
Fynn turned to face the others but was perplexed by how Jimmy remembered their conversation. She had erased his memory. So how did he remember?!?
She didn’t say anything as she turned to face Jon and the others. Cnāwan was already at the other end of the bridge, waiting. Mel and Tibby were on their way across.
“It doesn’t work with Wærs,” said Jon, as he took a step toward Ben and faltered. H
e grabbed the rope to steady himself.
“What?” asked Fynn.
“Forgietan,” mumbled Jon.
Ben immediately saw why his friend struggled. He handed the book to Fynn. “Here. Carry this.” Then he grabbed Jon’s arm and slung it over his shoulders. With his hand around Jon’s waist, he helped him walk but, by the time they got to the other side, Ben was carrying him. He lay Jon down on the ground.
Cnāwan, the cat, immediately became Cnāwan, the beautiful emerald-eyed woman. She knelt by Jon’s side and placed her hand on his chest. A tear rolled down her cheek. “Hey, don’t wimp out on me now, ya hear?”
Jon tried to smile.
“I kept my word,” she continued. “Now you have to keep yours.” She took his hand in an unusual position. Her hand held the inside of his wrist and he lightly closed his hand around the inside of her wrist in a bonding hold. He gave a slight nod of his head and then closed his eyes.
Cnāwan gazed at Ben, who was kneeling on the opposite side of his friend. “Keep him alive! I stashed supplies near here before I left. I’ll be back as fast as I can.” Her movements were graceful but quick. She disappeared into the woods.
Mel and Tibby stood next to them. As Fynn approached, it suddenly dawned on her what Jon was saying. It didn’t work to erase Jimmy’s memory because he’s a Wær - a half-Wær, to be precise. So, that’s why he recalled their conversation before he was struck down by the fizzle ball. Forgietan had no effect on Jimmy.
She looked down at Jon. He didn’t look well. Her voice quivered. “Will he...” She had difficulty getting the words past the emotions that surfaced and she turned away.
Tibby saw that she was on the verge of crying. “Will he be okay?” he asked.
“It depends on what supplies Cnāwan brought and whether she returns right away,” said Mel.
“Help me get him over to that tree where we’re,” Ben scanned the area as though they weren’t alone, “less exposed.”
They moved him about ten feet and, as they lay him gently on the ground, he moaned. Ben produced a blanket from his pack and covered him.
“I guess we should explain the ymbgang,” said Mel.
“Oombjang?” asked Tibby.
Just then, the ground shook and it was accompanied by a loud roar. Birds in the area took flight.