Chapter Four
The small group of cheerful explorers traveled several miles through the forest before coming to a narrow road. The beaten dirt path led them toward the lush green mountains. Nicole began to sing a soft, haunting melody in a strangely compelling language no one understood. Shortly afterward, the animals started to appear. The others noticed the small creatures of the forest pausing a short distance from the narrow trail, watching them as they passed. As the group pushed deeper into the wilderness, the animals grew bolder, approaching the path yet staying just out of reach. Nicole began to halt their procession as a deer, or small ground creature appeared to greet them. Cooing softly, she would bring it near. Dismounting, Nicole knelt and reached out to the gathering of animals. Nearly all responded, coming to her side to be caressed and fussed over.
“Nicole, I’m thrilled you’re making new friends.” Jack groaned when she stopped for yet another animal embrace, “But I think I can speak for the others when I say cut it out! You’re driving me crazy!’’
“I’m sorry if my conversations with these simple beasts annoy you, Barbarian. However, they’re guiding us toward our destination,” Nicole answered softly then casually leaped back onto her horse allowing the small red fox to run back into the brush.
“They’ve been talking to you?” Hopper’s deep voice carried through the trees.
“Is there any possible way to get directions without dismounting?” Jack countered.
“That would be rude,” Nicole replied and sent her horse into a gallop down the path.
Sarah suppressed a grin as they followed the impish elf deeper into the forest. The trees grew to immense proportions, and the thicket became denser, filling the forest with dark shadows. Hopper moved forward, wanting to be closer to Sarah under the darkness of the giant trees.
“It smells like rain, we should keep our eyes open for a safe place to wait out a downpour,” Hopper announced, searching the dense canopy of overhead for any sign of the sky.
“Let’s keep going,” Jack countered. “The sky was clear the last time I caught a glimpse of it. Besides you can’t smell rain until after it falls, Hopper.”
“I’m telling you, I smell rain.” Hopper glared at Jack’s broad-shouldered back.
“It’s not rain,” Nicole called back to them. “We’ve reached the river.”
Glancing ahead, Jack could see a break in the trees showing only a clear blue sky. “Are you sure?”
“We’re on a bluff.” Nicole moved her horse aside, allowing Jack a view of the tall cliff that overlooked a wide river winding through the forest. “I’m afraid the trail’s washed away,” she added motioning to the side of the incline. A hint of what was once a sloping path dropped off into a mess of dirt and rock near the center of the descent.
“It’s steep, but I think we can make it.” Jack urged his horse closer to the edge. “I’ll go first. When I’m down, follow me one at a time,” he called over his shoulder and headed down the slope toward the sandy base near the edge of the river. The trail pitched severely at the far edge of the bluff. Jack urged his horse over the edge, and the mare began a controlled slide down to the base. The loose dirt was soft and unstable. Reaching the base, he called up to Nicole, “Stay away from the inside edge. The cliff is giving way.”
Without hesitation, Nicole urged her stallion forward and down the slope. Sarah and Hopper followed without incident. Moving upstream along the ragged edge of the river the small group rode in silence. Their eyes searched the distance in anticipation of what or who might challenge them next. Nicole was the first to hear the roar of the massive waterfall where several creeks fed into the river. The adventurers moved into the trees and approached from the cover of the forest. They cleared the trees and stood in awe at the beauty of the scene.
Three separate streams poured into a pool at the top of the falls. The water cascaded over a vast, glittering white rock bank. It was framed by layers of dense fern-like ivy filled with large blossoms of sweetly scented purple and burgundy flowers. The waterfall was not part of the main channel of the river. It fed into another smaller channel that emptied into the river at a sharp angle. The massive boulders surrounding the edge and the base of the falls created a large dark pool of foaming water that bubbled over into the mainstream. The falls were not of massive height, but the rocky cliff varied such that the swiftly moving water caused a deafening roar as it pounded into the surface of the many tiers of staggered boulders.
“This is incredible!” Hopper bellowed, barely audible over the roar of the falls. “It looks too good to be real.” He gleefully jumped off his horse to examine the structure more carefully.
Nicole slid off her stallion and headed toward the far edge of the boulders near the base of the falls. “It’s solid; I can’t see any opening behind the falls,” she yelled to no one in particular.
Jack appeared next to her, stuffing his sword in his belt. “It must be on the other side.” He turned and waved Hopper and Sarah near.
“How do we get across?” Hopper frowned, taking in the depth of the bubbling pool. “It looks to be at least 30 feet deep here, and the current is something we don’t want to play with.”
“We could go upstream along this smaller river and see if there’s a shallow area to cross,” Sarah offered.
“All right, you stay here and keep looking. I’ll head upstream.” Jack ordered, heading for his horse.
“Who decided you were in charge?” Nicole challenged, showing part of her old personality for the first time since they arrived. “I don’t think we should separate. What if we’re attacked?”
“I thought you loved to fight,” Jack answered, without looking back.
“I do, and I’m good at it.” Nicole tilted her head back showing a bit too much pride, “But Strong said to stay together.”
“Well then... Are you coming?” Jack mounted and urged his horse toward the river bend.
“Hopper?” Nicole looked at him expectantly.
“We’ll be fine.”
With that, Nicole whistled for the speckled stallion, leaped onto its back and galloped after Jack.
He searched the trees for signs of the Elf Warriors as they reached a sharp turn in the river. Just ahead was a broad area where the river slowed. It looked like it would be manageable for crossing.
Nicole caught up with Jack as he entered the river. She tapped him on the shoulder and motioned toward a small patch of writhing water saying, “Water Moccasins, best to stay clear of them.”
Jack’s eyes narrowed. He realized her suggestion was a bit too late. The current moved more rapidly than he expected. It was carrying the snakes directly at them. “Move!” he shouted.
Nicole drove her horse into the water ahead of him. Jack urged his mare into the deep water near the center of the stream. The horses slowed, struggling to swim against a strong current. Glancing over his shoulder, Jack drew his sword. They were not going to make it.
Suddenly, Nicole reined her horse and pushed behind him. “Keep moving,” she ordered, placing herself between Jack and the snakes. She began to sing a slightly different version of the same haunting melody as before.
“I don’t think elves are snake charmers,” Jack said reaching back to grab the reins of her horse. She ignored him and continued to sing. The snakes went limp in the water in the nick of time. They floated silently past. Jack yanked on the speckled stallion’s reins and urged the horses up the embankment without a word. Turning back to watch the serpents disappear downstream, Jack motioned for her to continue.
Sarah and Hopper came into view on the other side of the falls as they rounded the bend. Jack galloped up to the edge of the falls and dismounted to inspect the rocks. Hanging on to the flowering vines that cascaded over the side of the falls, he peered behind the rushing waters. “No cave here,” Jack announced, turning back to find Nicole gazing into the depth of the frothy pool.
“Nothing on this side,” Hopper’s deep troll voice
shouted across the water.
Climbing down from the giant white rocks, Jack stared into the bubbling water. The image of the snakes came back to him. Glancing at Nicole’s sober reflection in the water, he spoke as quietly as the roar of the falls would allow, “I guess I owe you an apology.”
“Why?” Nicole glanced up to meet Jack’s gaze.
“That song of yours, it kept me in the game.” He smiled softly, studying the deep green eyes that stared at him. “That’s the third time you’ve come to my rescue.”
Nicole’s eyes danced with mischief. She gazed into the water and added, “Let’s just stick to the activities of today. Anyway, I am sure you will have a chance to repay the last two favors very soon. That is if things pick up. I expected a little more excitement than the simple treasure hunt this has turned out to be.”
“Find the cave, I bet there’s plenty of excitement waiting for us inside,” Jack said, kneeling beside the pool.
“It’s down there.” Nicole pointed to a shadow at the bottom of the water.
“Awesome.” Jack was invigorated by the prospect of some deep water exploring. He glanced across at Hopper and Sarah. They were also examining the pond, and arguing. Jack and Nicole navigated back across the river. The group unsaddled their horses and spread their saddle blanket on the ground. Sarah emptied the contents of the two leather satchels onto the blankets. Dining on a cold leg of lamb, rye bread, and hard cheese, they discussed the churning waters of the pool.
“It’s too deep. The water is too rough to make it back in one breath, much less take the time to search for whatever’s supposed to be down there,” Sarah explained passing the leather flask of sweet wine to Hopper. “It’s dangerous enough exploring a cave with diving equipment, let alone one deep breath of air.”
“Maybe it’s not a cave; it could be a nook or crevice in the rock that just looks like a cave. We have no idea what that dark area is down there. We could be on the wrong path,” Hopper added, draining the last of the red wine.
“Maybe we’ve got the wrong waterfall,” Sarah suggested.
“We’ve got the right falls; there isn’t another one on this side of the mountains,” Nicole countered.
“I suppose a little birdie told you that?” Jack teased, his eyes sparkled with amusement.
“That’s right, big boy. You want to make something of it?” Nicole bantered back.
“Okay, I’m a certified diver,” Jack said. “Why don’t I swim down there and take a quick look around. Then we can decide what our best option is.” Jack stuffed the last morsel of lamb in his mouth and licked his fingers clean.
“I’m with Jack,” Nicole declared rising. “But there’s something we haven’t considered. There could be... complications.”
The others rose and stared at her, waiting for her to continue. ‘‘I can safely vouch for the lack of piranha, or were you thinking more along the line of a seven-headed monster?” Jack said shaking his head as he moved toward the bubbling pool. “Let’s get on with it.”
“How can you be so sure Nicole isn’t right?” Sarah followed him.
“Well for one thing, if there were a creature nearby, the horses wouldn’t be so relaxed,” Jack called back to her. “And if there were a sea serpent, Nicole would have located it and sung it to sleep by now.”
“No one hears a crocodile swimming toward them under the water.” The calmness of Nicole’s voice stopped Jack in his tracks.
“I’m not a wildebeest, I am an accomplished swimmer.” Jack turned to look at her and added, “With a knife.” His expression turned to amusement. He sat on the glistening white stone at the edge of the pond, and removed his dark leather vest. Nicole’s eyes ran down the length of him admiring his taunt muscles and the prominent six-pack on his abdomen. Dropping his sword on the side of the bank, Jack pulled off his dirt-encrusted boots and dove into the water.
Gathering at the edge, the others watched as he disappeared into the dark waters below. Jack swam quickly to the bottom in the icy water. It felt good to be back under the water. He’d forgotten how much he enjoyed those diving trips with Tom and Hopper. He felt a great sense of freedom under the cold, the weightlessness, the way the water moved across his skin.
The entrance to the cave was evident from his vantage point at the center of the pool. Unfortunately, the force of the pounding current kept Jack at bay. His lungs strained for air. Jack pushed off the rock bottom and fought to the surface, releasing what little air left in his lungs. Gasping, he broke the surface of the water. Working to catch his breath, his spirits fell at the realization of the impossibility of their task.
“There is a cave down there,” he panted, climbing out of the water. “The current is wicked. The cave sits directly below the falls. Unless I stay near the bottom, it’ll pull me in and roll me around. I would be out of the game before I got close enough to see inside. The force of the water is just too strong.”
“We have to divert the flow.” Sarah frowned, glancing up at the water tumbling over the cliff.
“That’s impossible,” Jack sighed, “There’s too much water.”
“We need to slow it down, just enough to allow Jack access to the cave,” Sarah explained, “Something temporary.”
“Then what?” Hopper looked down into the water shaking his head. “If whatever it is isn’t right inside the entrance, whoever went in would drown searching for it.”
“He’s right, Sarah. It took everything I had just to get a look at the entrance,” Jack agreed. “Our friendly psychologist is making this too hard.”
“No, we’re just not looking at it from the right perspective,” Nicole corrected. “What Sarah said earlier makes more sense. We need diving equipment.”
“That’s easy, point in the direction of the nearest dive shop and I will just skip right down there.” Jack winked at her.
“I’ve got a better idea.” It was Nicole’s face who now donned the amused expression. “Sarah and Hopper you work on the falls. Jack, come with me.”