Isle of the Ape

by Jason Halstead

  Chapter 18

  Patrina tried to roll over but couldn't. She groaned and tried to open her eyes, only to have something press against her face. That brought her fully awake and made her struggle, raising one hand to reach for the hand pressed against her lips.

  "Be silent!" Carson hissed at her as she pulled his hand away. He turned his head and nodded. Patrina lifted herself up enough to feel her body aching from the abuse she'd taken. She collapsed back down but not before she'd seen one of the chitin-covered crawlers looking around with its head popped above the grasses in a clearing.

  Patrina waited but glanced around at her surroundings. She and Carson were resting side by side in some sort of cloth sheet. It was curved in the middle, forcing them to be in contact with each other. Leaves and vines were wedged in the cloth, confusing her further. Did the trees grow clothing here?

  She shifted a little and winced. She hurt all over. From her feet to her hair, she felt like she'd been pounded on by Bucky and his companions. It wasn't far from the truth, if her memory was right. She tried to lift both her hands slowly and then released a silent gasp when she realized she still held her axe in her hand.

  "It's moved on," Carson whispered, startling her out of her shock.

  "Where are we?" Patrina asked.

  "Not far from the village. One of my hideaways," he said.

  "What is this?" Patrina plucked at the fabric beside her.

  Carson grinned. "Impressive, isn't it? The grasses here can be picked apart so they're almost like threads. I wove them together into this hammock. It's my favorite place to sleep—very comfortable."

  Patrina grimaced and struggled to sit up. "I'll take a bed or a pallet, thank you."

  "Well, it's better with one person and not two," he admitted.

  "How did I get up here?"

  "I carried you," Carson said. "Couldn't get you to let go of that axe, for that matter, so it wasn't an easy thing."

  Patrina lifted her axe and stared at it. "How long have we been here?"

  "You slept the afternoon and the night away," he told her. "I was going to fetch some fruit but I didn't want to wake you."

  "I'm awake now," she said.

  Carson grinned. "Then I'll be back soon!"

  Patrina opened her mouth but Carson sprung up and grabbed a branch overhead. He pulled himself away from the hammock and swung away before he let go and dropped below her sight. She shifted in the hammock and had to grab on when it felt like it was going to roll over and dump her out. She tried again, moving slowly, and saw Carson padding away on the ground some twelve feet below.

  Patrina collapsed back into the strange bed and let out a soft groan. She felt like she'd been kicked by an entire team of horses, or maybe ridden down and trampled by her father's guards. She shook her head slowly and picked her axe up again to stare at it. "How did I keep you?" she whispered.

  The axe shared none of its secrets with her.

  Patrina sighed and lowered it. She twisted her head and then moved her arms as much as her situation allowed. She stretched, feeling her abused muscles waking up and protesting. Her back ached and her knee seemed to have been dipped in liquid fire when she tried to bend it. She stared at it and saw how swollen it was. Patrina sighed and wondered how she was going to get to the ground. She could roll out of the hammock, but she'd take enough falls the day before.

  "Alto!" Patrina hissed. She sat up and winced at the pain in her stomach. It was going to be a very long way down to the ground. And from there she had to make her way across the island and back up to the castle. Then she'd have to fight and kill the apes. "Nothing to it," she mumbled.

  "What's that?"

  Patrina gasped and almost fell out of the hammock. Carson had returned with several fruits cradled between his arm and his chest. His other hand held on to the tree for support.

  "Why didn't Bucky kill me?"

  Carson's smile faded. "Here, take these and eat something."

  Patrina looked at the bananas, oranges, and small brown fruit Carson carried. She set her axe down and let go of it and then had to fight a momentary panic that she would lose it. She pushed her fear aside and turned back to Carson's bounty. She took a banana first and peeled it back before taking a bite. After she swallowed, she stared at him and said, "Speak."

  Carson's growing smile faded again. "I'm not really sure," he said while his eyes danced around and looked everywhere but at her. "He usually kills them by accident. He's got a bad temper."

  "Bad temper?"

  Carson nodded. "When our ship was swamped by a storm, a bunch of us washed up ashore. We stuck together and made for the village. Haunted or not, we knew our best chances lay there."

  "Is it?"

  "Is it what?" Carson asked.

  "Haunted."

  "Oh! No, the noise you hear is the wind blowing through some rocks on the southwestern side of the island. There's a bay that, when the tide is low and the wind is high, air will whistle through."

  Patrina snorted and finished off the banana. She took one of the brown fruits and looked at it before she jammed her thumb through the velvety skin and dripped juice from it. She slurped it up, her eyes growing as she tasted the succulent juice. She tore it apart and devoured the green and yellow fruit inside.

  Patrina took the last of the fruit he'd brought and stared at him while she peeled the orange. "Keep going," she prompted him.

  Carson sighed. "The apes were here when we got here. First time we ran into them, it wasn't pretty. We lost five men. After that, we took to avoiding them, but the apes always found us. They'd take one or two at a time and leave us alone for a while."

  "How many men did you have?" Patrina asked.

  "Close to thirty, I think," Carson said with a shrug. "Every time somebody was taken the captain would tell us, 'Buck up, lads, we'll get through this.'"

  "Bucky?" Patrina asked.

  Carson nodded. "Just before night, he was snatched up. We sat around lost for a while until somebody repeated that saying. It started us laughing, but it wasn't a good laugh if you know what I mean."

  Patrina nodded. "How old were you?"

  "Fourteen," Carson said. "I'd hired on in Gafford."

  "That's one of the free cities, right?"

  Carson nodded. "Downriver from Everlin on the coast. Don't let the name fool you, though; there wasn't nothing free about living there."

  "So you were laughing," Patrina steered the conversation back.

  "Yeah, we were. Out of that we took to calling him Bucky. Except the captain was wrong. It never did get better."

  "How long have you been alone?"

  "On and off close to the entire eight years. I've seen a few others and even talked to a couple of people, but they never stay alive."

  Patrina winced. "Why doesn't Bucky come for you?"

  Carson shook his head. "I don't know," he said with a sigh. "Seems like we got an agreement. I stay out of his way and he stays out of mine. Except when there's other people. Then he takes them."

  "What's he do with them? Before, you said he plays with them? Like toys?"

  "I don't know why or how; he just seems fascinated with people. Likes to watch them. He feeds them and keeps them alive, but sooner or later they always end up dead. Usually one of the female apes ends up stepping on them or crushing them or something."

  "So that's what you meant when you said, 'not again'?"

  Carson nodded.

  "He let me go," Patrina said. "Stopped one of his girlfriends from killing me."

  "I think they get jealous of the attention he gives his pets."

  Patrina scowled. "He didn't just let me go; he brought me to you."

  Carson looked away from her. "Yes, he did."

  "Why?"

  "I don't know! He's a saint's-damned overgrown monkey! How should I know what he thinks and feels?"

  "You've shared this island with him for eight years," Patrina said. "I saw him up close. He touched me. He's smart. I don't know how sm
art, but he reminded me of Winter."

  "It doesn't snow here," Carson said.

  "Not the season—my unicorn."

  "Unicorn?" Carson repeated.

  "Alto found it in a bewitched wood and they escaped together. They came north to find me and Winter chose me as his companion."

  Carson shook his head. "Unicorn? Like, with a horn and white hair and everything?"

  "Yes. He's amazing and smarter than a lot of people I've met. I'm not sure but Bucky might be as smart as Winter from what I saw of him. I think he understands us."

  Carson nodded and stared into the distance. "I think you're right."

  Patrina frowned as a chill crept down her spine. "Why? Have you talked to him before? Did you do something?"

  Carson sighed and turned away from her. "Your ship is gone. They didn't wait for you," he said.

  "Carson, answer me!"

  "It was years ago," Carson said. "When we figured out he was taking people. I barely had any hair on my chest; I was young and stupid."

  "What did you do?" Patrina snapped.

  "He got me!" Carson blurted out.

  Patrina stared at him, speechless with his admission. A silent moment passed between them, and she saw the fear and shame in his eyes. "What happened?" she asked again, this time using a tender tone.

  "I begged and pleaded. Cried, sobbed, the usual childhood antics," Carson said.

  "So he let you go?"

  Carson chewed his lip and nodded.

  "There's more, isn't there?"

  "Does it matter?" he asked. "We're all stuck here now. Shouldn't we just make the best of the situation?"

  "I'm Lady Patrina, daughter of the Jarl of Holgasford," Patrina said. "That ship and others will be back. They will tear this island apart looking for me. And for Alto. My father gave my hand to Alto and even named him thane of Rockwood, as soon as it's rebuilt, that is. You've been trapped away here but everyone in the northern regions knows of Alto. He slew Sarya and rescued me from her clutches."

  "Who's Sarya?" Carson asked.

  "A dragon!"

  Carson's eyes widened. "Oh!"

  "Oh! is right," Patrina said. "So don't think this island is going to be a hiding place much longer. A couple of days at most, and then it will be overrun with kelgryn soldiers. My father won't leave a rock unturned, searching for me."

  "Sounds like you don't need me to help you then," Carson said. "You can just wait here and they'll come and get you."

  Patrina nodded. "I'm sure they will, but I need to make sure Alto and Namitus are still alive when they get here. And this island—it's beautiful. I don't want it being torn apart."

  "What's Namitus's role in all of this?" Carson asked.

  "He's my brother," Patrina lied.

  Carson frowned. "Different mother?"

  "Something like that," she said. "But it doesn't matter. Tell me the rest of the story."

  Carson stared at the ground far below them. At last he sighed and glanced at her. "I struck a deal with Bucky. I told him I'd help him if he let me go. I'd keep people from hunting him or looking for him and that I'd give him anybody I could."

  "You—" Patrina trailed off, unable to finish her thought. "You gave him people?"

  "I was a stupid kid!" Carson cried out. "I wanted to live! He understood me and he let me go. Then I ran out of people but he left me alone. I stayed out of his way and then more people arrived. He always knew when that happened. He'd show up and I'd have to find a way to deliver."

  "That cave was a trap, wasn't it?" Patrina asked, controlling her voice carefully to keep the fury out of it.

  Carson shook his head. "No! It's been years since anyone has showed up. I had no intention of giving you to him. I wanted to get away. I wanted to go with you! Do you know what it's like having nothing but giant apes, hungry cats, and enormous lizards as company? I love the jungle but I miss people."

  "Bucky gave me to you!" Patrina hissed.

  "What?"

  "Bucky knew. He knew you wanted to leave. He knew you needed a companion so he gave you me."

  "I never made a deal like that!" Carson insisted.

  Patrina stared at him and nodded. "I believe you. But I think you underestimated Bucky. I think we all did."

  "So now what?" Carson asked. "You go back to your palace and leave us on this island?"

  "No, we get Alto and Namitus. If an army of men approaches, Bucky's not going to be happy."

  Carson grimaced. "How do we do that?"

  "There's a tunnel under the castle; if we can get them free, we can slip into it. Bucky can't follow us down there—it's too small."

  "Where does it lead?"

  "To a river and that lagoon you told me to swim for."

  Carson gasped. "I never knew that river went anywhere! How'd you find it?"

  "Same place I got this suit of armor and my axe," Patrina said as she laid her hand on the handle of her axe. She felt better almost instantly for having it in her hand.

  "An armory under the castle? Doesn't look like much for armor. I mean, it looks good on you. Really good! It's just—"

  Patrina held up her hand. "I know how it looks. If you know what's good for you, you'll keep your eyes on mine and off my armor."

  Carson's white teeth contrasted with the bright red color of his cheeks. "Yes, um, lady."

  Patrina scowled. "Just Patrina, please. My friends call me Trina."

  "Am I a friend?" Carson asked her.

  "Help me save my companions and you'll be one of my best friends."

  Carson stared at her and then nodded. "All right, first thing is we've got to get you down and then get you cleaned up."

  "Cleaned up? Why now?"

  Carson wrinkled his nose and said, "I don't know what you did in that cave or with those apes but, well, Patrina…you stink."

  Patrina opened her mouth to snap at him. She stopped and remembered being sneezed on by the ape. She sighed and nodded. "Yes, a bath would do me well."