An instant later, Reneeke passed beyond the depression and his head once again broke the surface.
“You scared the life out of me,” exclaimed Jaikus in a hushed whisper.
“I’m okay,” he replied. “Hole.”
From there on, the depth of the water gradually diminished. Jaikus was soon able to let go of Reneeke’s shoulder and walk on his own. When the water was once again at mid-chest level, Reneeke brought them to a halt.
Mere yards away from their objective, he held up his hand, then pointed off to the right of the knoll. A small wave was making its way across the surface. It wasn’t making directly for their position, but then, it wasn’t moving away from them either. The wave’s trajectory would bring it to within three feet of where they now stood.
“I think we have finally got its attention,” Reneeke announced. Glancing to Jaikus, he could see the fear in his eyes. “Be ready with the last two branches.”
Nodding, Jaikus tightened his grip upon them.
“Stay close.”
Jaikus didn’t need Reneeke’s warning to practically tread on his heels; fear of being ripped apart was doing an ample job all on its own.
Two pairs of eyes tracked the wave’s movement. Now that they knew they were discovered, they quickened their pace toward the carcass of Master Hymal’s horse.
Reneeke turned to face the bow of the wave, all the while continuing to progress closer to the knoll. He put both burning branches in his left hand, then held out his right. “Give them to me.” Once he held all four branches; two burning brightly in one hand, the other two awaiting their turn to be lit in the other, he said, “Get the packs.”
As Jaikus hurriedly splashed across the last few yards to the carcass, he heard Reneeke add, “And hurry!” There was a definite edge to Reneeke’s voice. Afraid to waste even the brief time glancing over his shoulder would take, he raced forward.
Drawing near the carcass, he saw the two blood-soaked packs, bulging with Master Hymal’s reagents. In an instant, his knife was in hand as he fell to his knees in the bloody froth. Grabbing a strap, he put blade to leather and easily severed its hold.
Whoosh!
Light blazed forth as Reneeke ignited the last two branches.
“Back!”
Jaikus pulled the first pack free then glanced over his shoulder. There, not more than fifteen feet away, stood Reneeke with twin blazes now raging from both hands. In the water before him, the mossback recoiled from the sudden conflagration of the remaining branches.
“Hyah! Back!”
Sidestepping to match the creature’s movements, Reneeke moved to interpose himself between it and Jaikus. Waving the branches to and fro, he shouted again as the mossback tried to outflank him. Leaping forward, he scored a direct hit on the creature’s face with an intensely burning brand.
Roaring, it twisted about and vanished beneath the surface.
“Where did it go?” shouted Jaikus.
Reneeke kept eyes on the water as he said, “You let me worry about that. Get those packs!”
Pack two took another second to free, and now that he was close, could readily see where the third was pinned between the ground and the ribcage.
From the corner of his eye, he could see Reneeke moving closer as he scanned the surface for signs of the mossback’s return. But he couldn’t worry about that now. He had to get the third pack free.
The ravaging of the mossback had left ample opportunities for him to acquire a good grip on the horse’s remains. By grasping two protruding ribs, he pulled with all his might. Fortunately, the mossback had consumed most of the meat, and thus had reduced the weight sufficiently to enable Jaikus to drag the carcass from atop the pack. Once it was free, he quickly cut the strap and gathered it up along with the other two.
“I got them!” he shouted just as a shadow leapt toward him from further up the knoll. The mossback had doubled back.
“Rene!”
Panic lent strength to his leap as he sought to escape the creature’s attack. Easily clearing four feet of the knoll’s surface, he landed awkwardly upon a pile of rocks and immediately crashed to the ground.
“Hyah!” shouted Reneeke as fiery brands rushed forward to Jaikus’ aid. “To me, creature!”
Arcs of fire danced in the air and the mossback paused at their approach.
Jaikus scrambled back to his feet.
“Get to the water, Jaik.” Holding the fiery brands as a mighty swordsman would his trusty blade, Reneeke jerked his head toward the water. “Get going.”
“What about you?”
“I’ll be right behind you.” Then he saw the rear legs of the mossback bunch, readying for a leap. “Hyah!” he shouted as he stepped forward, wielding the brands before him. The mossback snarled, but remained where it was. His bravado had squelched the creature’s impulse to attack.
When he heard the sound of Jaikus entering the water, Reneeke began backing up to follow. Never taking his eyes from the mossback, he stepped from the knoll and into the water. Brands of fire still held before him, he watched the mossback as it moved to place itself next to the carcass of the dead horse. Snarling a couple more times, it seemed, for the moment, quite content to allow them to leave. Reneeke was more than happy to oblige.
Step by step he entered the water. Farther behind him, he could hear Jaikus swimming with all speed toward the far shore. But such an act he could not afford to emulate, for to take his eyes from the mossback would be the worst sort of folly.
Knee-deep, he waved the brands back and forth. Their fuel now all but spent, the fire was beginning to subside. He hoped that with the threat to its food moving off, the mossback would no longer wish to pursue. After all, it had just eaten its fill, and that was normally the time when predators were the most passive. Though the way it continued snarling and pacing back and forth along the edge of the knoll, passive this creature definitely was not.
As soon as he reached the point where the water was to his upper chest, he tossed two of the brands aside. Having been the first ones lit, they were now little more than charred remains. With one hand free, he was able to increase his departure by using it to swim while still retaining the two burning brands in his other.
Stroke, stroke, glance back to the knoll. When he saw the mossback still near the carcass, he would continue on. It took six repetitions of that cycle before reaching shallower water where he could dispense with the swimming and return walking along the bottom.
“We did it!” cried Jaikus. Grinning broadly, he held up the three packs.
Reneeke returned his grin. “Yes we did, Jaik.” Moving through the last of the water, he once again glanced back to the knoll. But with the withdrawal of the torches, the area had returned to darkness. Of the mossback, there was no sign.
He held the burning brands before him and saw how they were all but spent. “We better get out of here.”
Jaikus nodded vigorously. After handing Reneeke one of Master Hymal’s packs, and taking a burning brand in return, he turned toward the trees.
A god-awful roar split the night as a troll’s nightmarish visage entered the radius of the brand’s waning light. In the blink of an eye, the memory of something Charka once said flashed across his mind…
Where fire keeps mossbacks away, there are other creatures that it will attract.
Roaring once again, the troll attacked.
Chapter Fourteen
The sheer unexpectedness of the appearance, and subsequent attack, of the troll froze Jaikus into immobility. However, such paralysis was short lived. Darting back, he escaped certain death as razor sharp claws raked the space he had occupied only a split-second before. And the creature kept coming.
He tried to draw his sword as he fled backward, but the terror produced by staring into the merciless eyes of the troll kept him from succeeding. Even though his hand was on the hilt, he couldn’t seem to draw it forth.
Then Reneeke was there.
Coming alongside his fr
iend, sword drawn and shouting “Hyah!” to draw the creature’s attention, he allowed Jaikus time to back away unfettered. But in so doing, had now become the focus of the troll’s attack.
Jaikus finally managed to free his sword as the creature’s claws shot forward in an attempt to ravage Reneeke’s flesh. But his friend had been too quick. Dodging backward, Reneeke simultaneously brought the blade down. To his surprise, the blow struck the thick, tough hide of the troll’s forearm and cut clear through to the bone. Yowling in pain and rage, the toll yanked its arm back, almost taking Reneeke’s sword with it in the process.
Spine now somewhat firmly back in place, and feeling that perhaps his undergarments might need a thorough cleansing when all was said and done, Jaikus charged forward. He hit the troll with a resounding blow to the side as it moved to attack Reneeke yet again. But for all the strength he put into it, the blade barely left a mark.
Jaikus’ lack of success was not lost upon Reneeke. “Get out of here, Jaik!” he shouted, as claws again shot forward bringing terrible, ripping pain. Unable to react swiftly enough, he was left with a shredded jerkin and furrows oozing blood from mid-breast to collarbone.
Though woefully outclassed, he wasn’t about to give up without a fight. Thrusting toward the creature’s face, he managed to score a hit dead center to the troll’s left eye. Four inches of blade sank into the optical cavity before the troll’s head jerked backward. A fraction of a second later, it let loose a scream so primal in its intensity, that it caused both lads to take a quick step backward.
Unwilling to disgrace the god of luck by refusing to take advantage of such a fortuitous blow, Reneeke turned, grabbed Jaikus by the shoulder, and shouted “Run!” as he propelled him away from the pain ravaged beast.
In the hand of Reneeke, their single remaining, burning brand lit the way. The one Jaikus had carried lay somewhere upon the ground near where the troll first appeared. From behind, the troll’s outcry quickly turned from one of pain, to that of sheer, unadulterated, rage. It wasn’t long before they heard it crashing through the undergrowth in pursuit.
“Rene…”
“Just keep running, Jaik.”
Keeping to the densest parts of the Swamp, they were gradually able to put distance between them and the troll. Its great bulk was hindered by the thick growth of trees and brush through which they ran.
Even in the shadowed landscape through which they ran, Reneeke had a fairly good ‘bump of direction.’ He directed their progress toward where he was certain Charka had said Reakla lay, only diverging when the lay of the land required. When they came to an area the moonlight revealed to be one of open water or deep, sucking muck, he would circumvent such obstacles before returning to the proper heading.
“It’s not gaining,” said Jaikus.
Reneeke nodded, then paused as they came to the edge of yet another scum covered pond. Behind them, the sound of the troll’s pursuit could still be heard. “Get a pair of torches.”
“But, it’ll see us!” exclaimed Jaikus. It was one thing to have a solitary brand that barely gave out much light. But to have two torches burning at full capacity, it’ll be a beacon announcing to every nearby creature that dinner has arrived.
That’s when Reneeke turned and revealed the deep scratches the troll’s attack had opened across his chest. As Jaikus gasped at the sight, Reneeke said, “I don’ think a little extra light is going to matter, Jaik. I’m sure he can track us by smell alone. At least with torches, we can find our way around these quagmires much more readily.”
“Right.” Quickly removing his pack, Jaikus produced two torches that he then lit from the all but spent brand. Flaring to life, the torches brought their immediate area into full view.
“Perfect.” Then tossing the nearly exhausted brand to the ground, Reneeke took charge of one of the torches and searched for the optimal route around the pond before them. By the time Jaikus had his pack back in place, he had found the route. “This way.”
The short pause at the side of the pond had allowed the troll to gain ground. A cry from behind alerted them to the creature’s closer proximity.
Once around the pond, Reneeke led them forward along a span of dry ground between an all but dried up quagmire on their left, and a small, pond to the right. The sound of the troll’s pursuit kept them moving faster through this unfamiliar territory than Reneeke was comfortable with. But still, better the unknown ahead, than the flesh-ripping, life-ending ‘known’ behind.
The strip of land soon turned into a full fledged expanse of dry, solid ground populated by a dense grove of trees having long since given up the ghost. Shadows danced ominously within the dead forest.
“We didn’t come this way,” said Jaikus. Glancing into the trees, then back toward the darkness concealing the approaching troll, he couldn’t decide which one frightened him most.
“No, that’s true, Jaik. But it looks like we’re going this way now.”
As he passed through the outer fringe of the treeline, Jaikus asked, “How’s the chest?”
“Stings something awful.”
“We could use one of those healing potions Lady Kate gave us.”
Reneeke shook his head. “Save it for when we really need it. I can deal with the pain.”
Jaikus could hear the sound of pain in his friend’s voice. He worried that the wounds would become angry, as such wounds often did, if they weren’t taken care of soon. “Any idea how far we are from Reakla?”
“Not exactly. Hours, I would think. And that’s if we aren’t forced to double back.”
“Let’s hope not.” Doubling back would surely cause them to encounter their persistent adversary. He couldn’t understand why the troll was still pursuing them. Didn’t they ever give up?
The trees were an off-brown color, almost as if their pigment had gradually been leeched away. Not a leaf was left on any of the branches above, nor were any present upon the ground below. Farther up on the trunks, at a point where the torchlight faded away, the color looked to be bleached out altogether, not being much more than a pale white.
Nocturnal sounds that had accompanied them throughout their flight from the mossback’s knoll, gradually began fading away. The deeper within the forest of dead trees they progressed, the quieter the world around them became. Except, that was, for the intermittent roar of the troll, and the sound of its passage.
“I don’t like this place,” Jaikus said. Shadows produced by the torches created dark, ominous shadows amidst the trunks around them, fodder enough to fuel Jaikus’ overactive imagination. Ten minutes hadn’t passed before he began seeing fell beasts lurking to either side, beasts that only existed in his mind.
A demonic serpent turned out to be a fallen trunk. An ogre bearing a double-headed battle axe was revealed as nothing more than a misshapen tree. Get a grip on yourself, Jaik, he told himself. But such assurances had little effect in taming the wild thoughts that transformed shadows into fearful apparitions. He kept as close to Reneeke as he could.
Reneeke kept a furious pace. Alternating running with periods of walking, they were able to maintain their lead on the troll. When he unexpectedly came to an abrupt stop, Jaikus failed to notice in time and ran into his back.
As he rebounded off his friend, Jaikus gave a quick, “Sorry,” before seeing why it was that Reneeke had stopped. Not six feet from where they stood, a rivulet cut its way across their path. Wide enough to prevent either of them from attempting to leap across, it effectively barred their way.
Then from out of the darkness behind them, came the sound of the troll’s roar, which only served to amplify the direness of their situation. It wasn’t close, but definitely closer than it had been.
Moving to the rivulet’s edge, Reneeke gestured along the bank to the right. “See if there’s a way across down that way,” he said. “I’ll check the other. Hurry.”
Jaikus looked toward the ominous shadows, imagination once again working overtime. “Down…there? By myself?
” he asked nervously, but Reneeke was already moving off and failed to reply.
As if he wasn’t terrified enough, their ever present pursuer gave out with another roar. Their momentary pause along the water’s edge had allowed it to narrow the gap still further. If they didn’t ford this rivulet, and soon, the troll would very shortly be upon them.
Jaikus stiffened his resolve, and set forth along the bank of the rivulet. Thirty paces, he told himself. If a way hasn’t presented itself in that time, he would return. Counting his steps, he raced forward as quickly as he could.
At no point along the thirty-pace dash did the rivulet narrow to such an extent as would allow them to leap across. If anything, it grew wider. At thirty paces, Jaikus paused and held his torch high as he gave the area one last look. No fording opportunities presented themselves. Turning about, Jaikus began racing to rejoin Reneeke.
As he ran, Jaikus spotted the light from Reneeke’s torch through the trees and altered his course to intercept. “Find anything?” he asked as he came up behind his friend.
Reneeke glanced over his shoulder and said, “Maybe. You?”
Jaikus shook his head. “It only grew wider.” Sounds from deeper within the trees drew his fearful gaze. “What are we going to do?” Glancing back to Reneeke, he saw his friend pointing toward a sandbar some fifteen feet from shore.
“If we can get there, we can easily cross the rest of the way.” The span of water on the far side of the sandbar was less than five feet across.
“But I can’t leap from here to there.”
“You don’t have to,” replied Reneeke. He then drew Jaikus’ attention to a tree rising not far from the water’s edge. It was slightly askew and leaned in the general direction of the rivulet. “All we have to do is knock this tree over and walk across.”
Having grown up on a farm, Jaikus understood all too well the impossibility of what Reneeke was suggesting. “Can’t be done.”
“We have no choice.”
Just then, they heard the grunting of the troll followed by the snapping of a dead branch. They turned and looked in the direction of the sound. The beast couldn’t be more than a hundred feet away. “Then we fight.”
Jaikus and Reneeke Join the Guild Page 19