by F M Andrews
“He probably knows that. He seems to be the forgiving sort,” Lutex encouraged, smiling. Lifen let out a loud sob.
“It all seems so petty now. I mean, I may never even see my father again if I go with you to … to … Feld? Is it?” Lutex nodded again. “I never even said goodbye to him properly, I was so mad at him making me leave,” she cried, burying her face in her hands and giving in totally to her grief and self-recrimination.
Lutex slowly let himself relax a little and leaned his head back onto the rough tunnel wall behind him. The whole process had been exhausting but successful. Nothing but full disclosure would have made the princess leave her home, her people and her duties. It was a major victory, a challenge overcome although unfortunately, Lutex knew, as he sat staring at the flooded tunnel, this was just the beginning. The next problem was equally challenging and he had no idea how they were going to solve it.
As Brack quietly collected all their belongings and rekindled the torches, the princess wept, Jeveran slept and Lutex sat contemplating the obstacle blocking their way. Much had changed. He could now use his talent openly, the dilemma was how could he use it. ‘Come on, thick whit,’ he berated himself. He had been brought up around water, it had been part of his world most of his life, there must be a way around this. A boat would be of no use, maybe a closed in boat, yes, but how would he make one of those? There was no wood down here. He could make a long breathing tube … but once again, there were no materials to make it from, not to mention the fact that he had no idea how long it would need to be.
Scenes from home replayed in his mind, children jumping off the wharf and diving for shellfish. The image of his brother, disappearing into the depths, a trail of bubbles in his wake suddenly made him feel incredibly homesick. Tubble came and leaned up against him purring and as he absently patted the soft fur. A thought kept nagging at him, something to do with his last image, it was as if the answer to their problem was teasing him, sitting in plain sight, just out of reach. The bubbles! That was it! He sat bolt upright, laughing. Of course the one thing he did have down here was air. He could use that to make one huge bubble to breathe in, to take them all to the other side.
Quickly, he shared his idea with Brack and the princess. Both agreed, bravely, that it was worth trying, leaving him with one last issue: Jeveran.
“We can’t leave him behind. We need him to take the message to the army,” Lifen exclaimed. “We won’t have enough time to make a detour to the camp,” she reasoned. “He has to come with us. We are running out of days, aren't we?” She looked at Lutex daring him to deny it.
“Yes.” He nodded, unable to meet her eyes.
“I thought so. He will listen to me,” she announced, patting Lutex’s hand before going to sit next to the sleeping troll. Lutex was amazed how quickly the princess had taken control and he was not sure he entirely liked it. However, he could not deny that in her own way she was quite useful.
Quietly Lutex revived the troll, becoming invisible once more so as not to startle him too much. It took a few moments before he woke and when he did, it was with a start. Lifen was there with a reassuring hand and immediately he began to relax. Lutex could not understand what was being said and he tuned out the gentle, reassuring tone and instead, concentrate on working out exactly how his idea would work.
Several prototypes later, he was confident that he had a workable solution. Grabbing Brack’s hand, he was surprised to catch the troll’s thoughts unguarded. The young troll was staring at the princess in disbelief, incredulous that she was now being so nice to the man she had been tormenting the whole time they had known her. It was very obvious that Brack had quite a low opinion of Lifen; in fact, ‘spoiled brat’ seemed to sum up his thoughts quite well. Lutex shrugged. He couldn’t disagree, but unfortunately she had the shard, and therefore, they had no choice, she had to come with them.
Lifen turned to Brack, said something, and he relayed it to Lutex. “It is okay for you and Tubble to become visible again, the princess has explained everything.”
Lutex gulped. Lifen might think that she has the king’s man under control but he was not so sure that his sword was not just for show. Brack, sensing Lutex’s reservations, stood and drew his axes. “Stand behind me,” he ordered. “We will do this slowly.” Tubble let go their disguise and Jeveran jumped. The princess was talking very fast now, one hand on Jeveran’s arm, restraining him, but the troll was staring at Lutex, eyes blazing with hate. Lutex edged out from behind Brack’s protection and offered his hand. Several long, cajoling sentences from Lifen later he reluctantly reached out and made the connection and once again, Lutex opened up his life for inspection and once again, reason and truth won out.
This was all taking precious time and Lutex was keen to get going and now that everyone was on-board, it was the moment to see if his plan would work.
“I think I have an idea of how we can get through this water although I want to try it out first. Tell the others not to worry, I will be back shortly,” Lutex explained to Brack before he stood, calmed himself and began to summon the power once more. This time he created an enclosed sphere of force that rose from the floor to well above their heads, then cautiously he shuffled towards the water. The trick would be to allow his feet to move without letting in water. Excitingly, the first few steps proved promising. The tunnel floor was wet, yet no water leaked into his bubble. He continued deeper and deeper until he was totally submerged. It was pitch black and disorientating but he was dry and breathing.
Slowly, he turned and made his way back up the slope to the others. As his head cleared the water, he was greeted with the sight of the three amazed trolls, their mouths hanging open in astonishment. Tubble, of course, was not impressed and was instead busy watching insects dance in the torch light. There was still a lot of unknowns about this idea, such as, ‘how long could he sustain a bubble big enough to hold the five of them?’ and ‘how long would the air last?’ However, if he wanted them to come along, he didn’t feel it would be a good idea to voice all these uncertainties to the others at this point. Best they believe he was confident that it would work.
It still took a bit of convincing before the others reluctantly agreed and there was a lot of precious time spent carefully packing and discussing escape plans. Lutex was impatient, and although he knew he couldn’t rush them as it was their lives at stake here, he was aware that time was marching on and for all he knew these vital moments might be the difference between reaching the pickup point on time or being just too late.
Finally they were ready. As much as possible was stored within their waterproof packs, leaving the four of them standing, shivering, in their undergarments. The torches were put out as they would use up too much air in the bubble, and instead Lutex created a small ball of light held in his hand, illuminating them all, ignited by talent. There was no point in delaying their departure any longer, Lutex created the bubble around them and on his word they shuffled forward as one. It was a strange sensation, slowly sinking beneath the murky, dark waters, still breathing air and still dry. By the time they were fully submerged, the floor had begun to flatten out and Lutex surmised that they were now directly under the moat. He tried to remember just how wide it was but couldn’t.
Slowly but steadily they made their way forward. At one stage, a strange creature with large whiskers and no eyes flitted past, causing them all to jump, but it disappeared back into the darkness as quickly as it had appeared. All appreciation of time vanished. Their total concentration was trained on placing one foot in front of the other and trying to conserve as much air as possible. At last the ground began to slope upwards once more and with relief they knew that they were on the home stretch but Lutex could feel that the air was beginning to run out. His chest was becoming tight and it was getting harder and harder to breathe, harder and harder to concentrate on holding the bubble. All he could do was hope that the air would last until they broke the surface once more.
A short while later
he knew that their luck was running out. Everyone was gasping and Lutex was feeling dizzy. It was time to make a sprint for it. All understood, and as one, on his command, they began the desperate race for the surface, but they did not make it. Disaster struck. It all happened at once. Lutex ran out of air, lost his grip on the power and the bubble disintegrated. Water swamped them and with the last vestiges of breath everyone kicked frantically for the surface.
Desperation gave them strength, although there was no way of knowing how far they had to go to reach precious air again. Lutex held onto his pack and kicked. His lungs were screaming and every instinct was telling him to breathe, just breathe. Imperceptibly a feeling of peace crept over him and unknowingly he surrendered to it. The last thing he remembered was the thought that at least he had died trying to do the right thing.
Chapter Thirty
Lutex’s peace was not to last.
It was rudely shattered as a large hand grasped his arm, hauled him upwards and threw him onto the hard ground, spluttering and gasping like a landed fish. His ears slowly cleared and he could hear the others coughing and vomiting close by. The haze fogging his brain began to lift, bringing the seriousness of the situation into sharp focus. He could not contact Tubble! They needed light. He had to see what was happening. Shakely he sat up, pushing his wet, dripping hair off his face and began to draw power once more. It was so much harder this time. The distraction of his worry for Tubble made it difficult to concentrate. Eventually a tiny spark began to glow in his hand. Holding it high, illuminating a small space around him, reflecting off the water just a hair's breadth away from his feet. The walls, roof and floor of the tunnel just swallowed the light and gave nothing back.
Glancing frantically about, he could only see two trolls. There was no sign of Tubble or Brack! Panic set in. Surely it had been too long for anyone to survive now. Panicking would not help, he reasoned as he forced himself to relax. Shaking he crawled over the two huddled figures, shining the light on their faces. Lifen and Jeveran blinked back shivering. Using the wall to help him stand, he lifted his small flickering light higher and stumbled towards the water, searching desperately for any sign of life, unsure of what he could do to help yet unable to stop looking.
The nothingness was complete. Apart from the two trolls gasping breath and the gentle lapping of the disturbed water, all was quiet, all was still. It was as if his two friends had just vanished into the depths, leaving no trace behind. It was his worst nightmare come to life. Two people he loved, killed because of a decision he had made. This was not their mission, they were just innocent bystanders caught up in his world. Slowly he sank to his knees, unable to stand, his legs giving way under the futility of it all. He bowed his head, fervently wishing that he could that he could swap places, that Brack and Tubble could be alive instead of him.
The explosion of noise and the tsunami of water threw him backwards, extinguishing his light but igniting his hope. Quickly he scrambled back to a sitting position and concentrated once more on illuminating the tunnel. A sob of relief escaped him as Brack rose to his feet clasping a bedraggled Tubble by the scruff of the neck. The cat was inert, unresponsive and joy turned to worry. Lutex rushed into the water up to his knees to help Brack bring the waterlogged cat to shore. Without thinking he lay Tubble on his side and gently tried to pump the water out of him before beginning to breathe for him just as he had seen Hexrick do.
“Come on, Tubble,” he called through their touch, through his breath. “Come on. Live! I need you. Please live.” It was no use. Tubble was not responding. Brack was still pumping the cats back legs into his body to try and expel any water, but it did not appear to be doing anything. Tubble was gone. All that was left was a lump of flesh covered in sodden fur. He seemed so small. Such a tiny body to have housed such a large spirit. Brack placed a sympathetic had on Lutex’s shoulder, hung his head and closed his eyes, conveying eloquently their shared anguish. An enormous sob began just under Lutex’s rib cage only to burst upwards and explode unheeded as the boy flung himself onto Tubble’s lifeless form.
“You can’t die. Please don’t leave me,” he screamed into the cat’s mind, accusing, demanding and lamenting all at once. “Please, please,” he wept unable to contain this overwhelming sense of loss tinged with guilt. Tubble would still be alive and happy in the mountains if it wasn’t for him, if he hadn’t decided that he was invincible and that his talent was strong enough to get them through the water. Tubble had believed in him and he had died because of it. Lutex could not let him go. Reaching for him, he drew the lifeless animal into his arms in a fierce, possessive hug, burying his face in the wet fur. “Tubble, please come back,” he whispered as his tears flowed.
The first convolution took Lutex completely by surprise, giving him no time to escape the flood of water that spewed from the cat’s mouth and nose. He didn’t care, he just hugged him tighter. Tubble was alive! Lutex found himself laughing and crying all at once, rocking back and forth on his knees, in delight, the sodden cat clasped tight in his arms.
“Let go! Need to be sick.” The thought was weak and without its usual air of certainty but to Lutex it was the most wonderful words he and Tubble had ever shared. Carefully Lutex placed him down on the ground. Unable to relinquish his touch, he left his hand on his friend's shoulder, feeling him shudder and shake as he rid himself of the water he had swallowed.
It wasn’t until the princess shifted uncomfortably, that Lutex's focus turned back to the others. With effort he used his talent to dry and then light the torches that Jeveran and the princess had miraculously held onto during their desperate swim for the surface. The heat wasn't much, although it took the edge off things. Everyone was wet, cold and miserable. Lifen was visibly shaking and her lips were blue but despite this, she took charge, and in no time they were all delving into their packs for dry clothes. Lutex sacrificed one of his shirts to towel off Tubble but couldn’t help but smile as the princess ordered everyone to turn and face away from each other as they changed. ‘Girls,’ he thought to himself. No matter the situation the rules of modesty and propriety had to be enforced.
Soon, amazed at the difference a few moments in time could make, Lutex sat in his dry clothes, eating a sugar bun that Jeveran had passed him, watching Tubble begin to slowly sit up, coughing and wheezing but definitely alive. Brack came and sat next to him and made contact. “Just proves that we should always make the most of what we have got while we have it, eh?” he commented, staring at Tubble, a sad smile on his lips.
“I always thought I did, but nothing prepares you for losing a friend,” Lutex though back, glancing up at Brack to make sure he understood that he was included in that category also. Brack nodded sagely, acknowledging the unsaid message. Once they had finished eating and repacked it was time to get moving. Lutex was concerned by how subdued the princess was. She even let Jeveran help her to her feet; it was so out of character and he hoped she was all right. Maybe everything had suddenly become much more real for her and she was having to come to terms with the fact that people might die during this adventure. Lutex shrugged. They would deal with it later, whatever it was. For now they had to get moving. Tubble tried to stand but his legs betrayed him, wobbling so much that he had to sit back down again and Brack gently scooped him up, passing his torch to Lutex, and the bedraggled party continued on its way up the gently sloping tunnel.
They were all subdued and there was little conversation, just the sound of their footfalls and their breathing. Lutex happily noticed that Tubble had gone to sleep in Brack’s embrace. The journey took on a trance-like quality, a world unto its own, a world apart. It was a long, steady climb back to the outside world, although fortunately, the tunnel seemed to be in better repair on this side of the moat.
Spider webs were the first indication that they might be nearing the end. Next came the hanging tree roots causing them to zigzag and duck their way past, and when their feet began to crunch on windblown leaves they knew that the entrance
must be near and a glow up ahead confirmed it.
Dousing their torches, they made their way forward as quietly as they could and, rounding a sharp bend, they were greeted with day light diffused through the thick forest undergrowth that obscured the entrance. They had made it! The relief was palpable. Glancing around, Lutex received wide grins all round and he was taken back by the feeling of camaraderie he had for these trolls who he would have recently regarded as his enemy. Normally, Tubble would have gone first to see if it was safe for them to exit but the cat was clearly in no shape to be walking let alone spying. He was still falling in and out of sleep and was not taking any interest in the world around him at all. Lutex guessed that the reconnaissance job had fallen to him now as he was the smallest and, of course, had magic.
Cautiously, Lutex edged through the tangled growth concealing the tunnel. It was early evening, which meant that they had been travelling for half the night and nearly one whole day. No wonder he was exhausted. His last sleep had been nearly two days ago. He shook his head to clear it, blinking into the warm, late sunshine. As quickly as he could, he crept out of the darkened entrance and, sighting a likely tree, began to scale it hoping that it would give him a better view of his surroundings. Obviously they were still in the king’s hunting forest as it was full of life, untouched by axe or fire. Insects buzzed unhindered and small mammals skittered through the leaf litter. Lutex once again found it strange that there were no birds.
The tree he was sitting in was ancient and its sentience long buried but its muted murmurings gave Lutex an idea. Clambering down again he sought out a young sapling. Before touching it he centred himself. The last thing he wanted to do was become immersed in the intoxicating wonder and lose all track of time. Others were depending on him. Respectfully he reached out and touched the young tree. He had forgotten how amazing this joining was and it took all his willpower just to skim the surface and resist the urge to plunge into the welcoming depths. It did not take long to ascertain that no Krax had ever passed this way; it was climbing back to the real world that was the hard part.