CHAPTER VI
And then Lucas and Bell walked in together, ordering drinks as they walked across to the table. The few people in the inn greeted them and Bell stopped to chat briefly with one man.
“How do we go?” asked Lucas.
“It is well,” answered Mattaeus.
“And shall be better with a few ales,” Lucas said eagerly as he sat, keeping himself between the room and Dylan who was now against the wall.
“And a good pie,” Bell added pulling up a chair.
The serving girl came with four beers and a cup of warmed milk.
“Thought it’d be better than water,” she said and winked at Dylan.
They talked about where they needed to go and the best ways of getting there. They ate big, meat filled pies which were delicious and decided it was best to get an early night and start early in the morning.
%%%
That next morning came and Dylan found himself lying on the hard bed. He had been too tired to notice last night and had slept well, but now he could feel all the bumps and humps. He also realised that there would be no shower; maybe just wash from a bowl like they had done once when they went camping. Already he missed the comforts of home.
Home.
He felt a little sad and sick thinking about it and when he might be back there. He’d spent so many hours dreaming and wishing he could escape and now that he had he just wanted to get back there.
He heard his Dad get up, dress and walk out. Last night the Shadow Ranger had told him that they would need to get hot water from downstairs and when he got back Dylan saw that it was indeed a bowl to wash from. Thankfully his Dad had packed a few bars of soap.
Once they were washed and dressed they went downstairs to find Mattaeus, Lucas and Bell already up and eating. They joined them for bacon and eggs. Same as at home and Dylan felt sad again.
“By thunder, this bacon needs sauce,” Lucas grumbled.
Bell laughed. “A Fifth Worlder already, Lucas.”
“What is this ‘sauce’?” the Shadow Ranger asked.
“It is divine, made from tomatoes, ahh, I feel sad just thinking of it.”
They ate in silence and then left. Bell had already asked around for horses, but there were none for sale so they set out on foot once again until, not too far out of town, a man with a horse and cart gave them a lift and set them down some way away. From there they would need to cross the forest to reach the Mountain Forest of Nun.
“Isn’t there an easier way?” Dylan asked.
“There is,” said Bell, “but it is much, much longer.”
Dylan sighed.
So they trampled through the woods, sometimes there were paths, sometime just hunter’s paths and sometimes no path at all. And soon they were deep in the forest, only a little light was filtering through the trees and it was chilly.
Everywhere there was noise and Dylan felt a little scared. He was used to noise, but the noise of cars and people, not the noise of trees and unseen animals and birds. What if they met another Lien? Or something worse?
“What lives in the forest?” he asked.
“All kinds of things,” Mattaeus answered. “I bet Bell knows better than I, being a Ranger.”
“But you’re the Shadow Ranger.”
Mattaeus laughed.
“Different kind. To range means to walk all over, so a Ranger is someone who walks all over. Bell is a Forest Ranger and that means he walks all over the forest like a guard. Protecting it and the people and animals that live here.”
“Cool,” Dylan said and walked ahead to Bell all the while with Lucas close at hand.
“What really does live here?” Connor asked the Shadow Ranger.
“Who really knows? These forests stretch for miles, I’m sure there are parts even Bell does not know.”
“Dangerous things?”
Mattaeus laughed. “Yes, but let us hope you do not have to learn of them.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
An hour later Connor of the Shed had to learn of one.
“Are we lost?” asked Lucas.
“Not exactly,” Bell replied scanning the trees.
“But you don’t know exactly where we are.”
“No. This is the Wild Woods, it’s between the Forest of Capel and the Forest of Nun, so we are on the right path.”
“I wish there was a path,” Dylan moaned.
“By the shadows I would say it is that way,” the Shadow Ranger said.
“I agree,” Bell agreed, “but the underbrush seems to grow thicker that way, perhaps we can go around it this way.”
“As you say,” Mattaeus replied.
They moved on slowly, but Bell stopped quickly.
“What is it?” Dad asked.
“Shh.”
They stood and listened, but Dylan couldn’t really hear anything. They moved on slowly and then Dylan realized he couldn’t hear anything; the forest had gone silent. They walked into a large clearing and the sun felt good on his face, warming his body. Bell once again stopped and they all listened and then he could hear something, a low rumbling noise that grew louder. Bell drew his sword and Mattaeus and Lucas did the same.
And then it came out of the trees, it looked like a man, but it was taller than anyone Dylan had ever seen, it must have been more than twice his Dad’s height and its body was a mix of greens and browns. It had two eyes on its face, two at the top of its forehead and one on its chin and it held a tree trunk like a club.
“Stay back, Guardians,” the Shadow Ranger shouted and they moved back into the trees.
The thing bellowed and swung its club, but the three men ducked and rolled away. There was not much room in the clearing and they tried to circle the beast.
Dylan stood behind his Father, who had his sword drawn, and was terrified.
Until he heard someone call his name.
He looked around, but there was no one there and then he heard it again. It sounded like a woman; she called for him to come to her.
He tugged at his Dad, but his Dad didn’t move. The voice called again and oh, he wanted to go to it. He knew he shouldn’t leave his Dad, but he found that he was already walking towards the voice. It got closer and she knew who he was; it was his Mother. He could feel tears running down his cheeks, he was so happy, he couldn’t believe it. Yes, this was a better place; this must have been what his Dad was talking about. He walked quicker, pushing branches out of the way. The voice kept calling and it was so sweet. He wanted to be there with his Mother and then there she was, just a few metres in front of him, standing behind a bush.
“Here I am, come to me,” she said.
He took a step forward.
%%%
The Shadow Ranger had managed to get behind the beast, but it kicked out every time he got close, still swinging its club at Bell and Lucas. Then Bell rolled under the club swing, up to his knees and sliced at the thing’s leg. It screamed in pain and swiped Bell away with a huge hand. He flew and fell into the bushes, but it was enough time for the Shadow Ranger to run in and slice at the beasts back.
%%%
Dylan stopped. Something was wrong.
“Come to me, my son,” she said again.
Was she naked? It was hard to see in the swaying light, but he thought so. Why would she be naked?
But he still took another step forward.
“Yes,” she said.
But he felt a little sick in his stomach, felt a little scared of her.
“No,” she said, “don’t be scared,” and she smiled and he took another step closer.
%%%
The beast spun and swung at the Shadow Ranger who leapt out of the way. It was too much for the beast’s wounded leg and it fell to one knee. Lucas charged, his axe held high.
%%%
Dylan took another step, that smile was so nice. Oh, his Mother at last. How he had dreamt of this day and with another step closer his fear left him and he was ready to run into her arms when his Dad broke o
ut of the trees and pushed him to one side.
“I see your feet,” his Dad screamed and his Mum looked at his Dad then back at him and then she seemed to change, for a moment her face looked like a deer and then like a woman, blurring in and out and then it turned and ran into the bushes, falling onto all fours.
“No,” screamed Dylan, but she was gone. He looked at his Dad, tears running down his face. “Why did you do that? That was Mum.”
“No, it wasn’t,” his Dad said coming over to him. He tried to hug him, but Dylan pushed him away. “It was a Deer Woman.”
“A what?” he calmed down a bit.
“I’ve only read about them, but they have feet like deer and they pretend to be women to get men to come to them.”
“Why?”
“So they can trample them to death.”
“That’s horrible.”
“It is, but when you see their feet the spell is broken.”
Dylan nodded slowly, it was all so weird.
%%%
“Stop,” shouted Bell and Lucas stopped with his axe held above the beasts back. It still knelt on one knee, but was breathing hard and bleeding.
“Chuntik, you are beaten. If you choose to continue to fight we will have to kill you,” Bell said loudly to the beast. “If you choose to go and leave us in peace we will let you. You need time to heal.”
“Mercy, human?” the chuntik said slowly. “This is a strange turn of events.”
“It is your choice, we have no wish to kill the forest dwellers unless needs must.”
The chuntik got slowly to its feet, groaning as it did. It looked around at the three men.
“Thank you, humans,” it simply said and lumbered back into the forest and was out of sight as Connor and Dylan came back.
“Where have you been?” Lucas asked Dylan.
“Just hiding out the way,” he lied. “Where’s the beast? Did you kill it?”
“No, Bell granted it mercy,” the Shadow Ranger said and then laughed. “I think not that anyone has ever treated it that way.”
“It did seem confused,” Lucas added.
“Well we should move on, do you not think?”
“Yes, the day is shortening,” Mattaeus agreed and they pushed on again into the forest.
%%%
After what seemed like hours to Dylan they could see the grey mountains rising above the forest. They looked scary, cold and dead.
“We are close,” said Bell.
“How do you know?” Dylan asked.
“I feel a change in the forest.”
“I feel it too,” the Shadow Ranger agreed.
“I feel the need for a good ale,” Lucas grumbled.
“Perhaps these magicians will have a potion for you to drink,” Mattaeus grinned and slapped him on the back as they walked on.
And then they came to another clearing, this one bigger and having a bungalow in the centre. Smoke lazily drifted out of the small chimney above a thatched roof and beyond that the mountains loomed large. The Foreshadow of Balance stopped.
“We must be careful,” Mattaeus said, “We know nothing of these magicians nor their power.”
They walked slowly towards the house, but saw no one and nothing happened until they were close. Then the door opened and a woman stood at the doorway. Dylan thought she looked very pretty; she had long golden hair and was as tall as his Dad. She wore a light, white dress with uncovered shoulders. The Foreshadow stopped.
“Who is to come forward and greet me?” the woman asked with a small smile.