Read The Sword and The Seven Stones: Diamond Page 3

  Chapter 3

  They had been following the compass for what felt like hours when they finally came to an opening in the cave. Walking towards the opening, Harry smiled and patted Alman on the back. “Finally, we have sunlight. Alman saw the shadow move before he had the chance to grab his sword. The force threw them both in the air, back into the cave. Alman shook his head and then turned to see what had struck him so hard. The cat was big. The fangs dripping of saliva. The beast’s eyes were like glass. Alman knew looking into them, that they were to be this beast’s next meal. Harry took out his sword from the sheath and held it up. Alman watched as the beast looked back and forth between the two of them. Alman finally got up and moved very slowly towards Harry. Before he could get to his friend, the cat sprung from his place and jumped right on to Harry. Without thinking, Alman took his sword out and brought it down, plunging into the back of the cat. The scream from the huge beast was deafening and vibrated off the walls of the cave. Alman watched as the cat slumped over to the side. Harry got out from underneath it and scrabbled over to the side of the cave wall. “Where did that thing come from?” he asked as he tried to get his breath back. Alman took his sword out and cleaned it against the cat. He felt the ground move, grabbed Harry and starting running for the cave’s entrance. He was pretty sure that the one he killed was the sentry. He was supposed to make sure they didn’t leave. They ran into the sunlight and listened as the screams came from behind them. As they ran down the hill, Alman realized that they weren’t being followed. He called out to Harry. “Stop, I don’t think they can leave the cave.” Harry grabbed onto a tree and looked back at his friend. Bent over, his breathing finally slowing down. “What do you mean they can’t come out of the cave?” Alman leaned up against the tree with his back against it. “I heard of them in tales but never did I think that I would actually see one.” Once they both got their breaths back, they started to walk down the mountain. When they reached a point where the river split, Alman knew that they needed to start walking west. Looking down at his compass, he starting walking in that direction. He told Harry about one night at the palace. “We had a guy come into the palace one, night talking to my father about these huge cats. He said that when he left the cave, he fell and turned in time to see the cats’ eyes get burned from the sun. My father told him it was nonsense because he had never seen one before.” Alman told him how his father sent men out to see if they could find the beast this man talked about but they found nothing.

  They made their way along the river, which Alman knew they needed to follow since they lost all their things plus the horses when they fell through to the cave. Harry knew they would have to eat soon with the hunger pains already gnawing at his stomach. He took the hook and string out of his coat pocket and fashioned himself a fishing pole using a branch from one of the trees beside him. Going to the water’s edge, he threw the string in and kept watching it as they walked along the river bank. He had been fishing like this since he was young, so Alman knew they would be eating today. It wasn’t long before he had three fish on the string. Alman set up the fire from whatever dry wood he could find. He had it going well when Harry came up with the fish ready to go. He tossed both on the coals and then flipped them after a few minutes. Harry loved to be outside. He hated being cooped up in the palace all the time. He would get Alman in trouble with his nannies a lot when they were young. All the two of them wanted to do was be outside. Sun, rain, snow, it didn’t matter. Harry put the fish on an oversized rock when it was done. As they picked out the meat from under the skin, Harry looked at Alman. He knew this sword was causing something in his friend to act so strange. He would never have suggested to go to the west forest. When they were back at the cave, he noticed the diamond in the sword glowed bright as he was bringing it down upon the beast. He didn’t know if Alman had seen that.

  Nelvil saw the first one go up in the air, then the second. He took out an arrow and placed it on the bowstring and pulled back. The arrow flew through the air and as it took off, another was released. Both birds came down with a thud. He walked over to the birds and picked them up by the necks. Reed had gotten up for his turn at watch when he was leaving the shelter. When he got back, everyone was up. He gave the birds to Churil and with swift cuts and pulled feathers, the birds were cooking over the fire within minutes. They ate big in the beginning of the day because the hunting was better by daylight. They didn’t need to kill big game to eat. Reed and Jordon tended to the horses and they were ready to leave as soon as they were done. “Which way do you want to go today? We can continue over the mountains or follow the river. Nelvil knew that Gavin had probably thought of those two options all night. When he was sent out to do something, Gavin made sure he covered every possibility.

  Gavin thought about going over the mountain. It would save them a day’s ride for sure but if he was correct, he thought Alman would follow the river. Once he found him, he would bring him back to his father. They finished with their meal and put out the fire. “Okay men, let’s find them and get them home. We will go the way of the river.” Gavin gripped the reins a little stronger to keep his horse from talking off. Gavin knew that the horse was getting excited to go. He turned and started down the mountain to the river below. He hoped that Alman and Harry weren’t too far ahead. He didn’t have much time to get him back.

  As they made their way through the trees, Gavin held up his hand to stop the men. He got off his horse slowly and walked over to the two horses that were standing by a tree. The horses turned in his direction and then backed away from Gavin. Gavin held his hand out for scent and Alman’s horse recognized him. He walked up to Gavin and then Harry’s horse did the same. They were nervous and scared. They had never been out of the stable all night. The only thing that worried Gavin right now was where the riders where. He took both the reins and handed them to Jordon. He was in the back so the other two would follow them. “I want you to look everywhere. We have two horses without riders. Let’s hope they aren’t hurt.” As they made their way closer to the river, the men keep looking all around them to see if they could find them. The men knew that when they found a horse without a rider, there were two things that came to mind. The first one would be that the rider was killed and the second would be that he got knocked off and is lying somewhere with injuries.

  When they got to the river, the sun was beating down on them. The day was going to get hotter. Summer solstice was almost upon them. They got off their horses and let them go for a drink at the edge of the river. Gavin looked around for any tracks while he took of his jacket. He noticed some footprints in the mud as he walked up a little way and saw the birds gathered atop a large rock. All trying to get to whatever pieces that were left of the fish. Reed noticed the spot where they made a fire and that it was still warm. Gavin knew that he would find him this day. He ran over to his horse and threw himself into the saddle. The river’s edge was filled with river stones that made it treacherous for the horses to walk on, so they walked in the shallow parts of the river.

  Gavin knew that they should be coming up on the two of them soon. It had been over two hours since they left the spot where Alman and Harry had their breakfast. The water started to ripple all around them and the horses started to move around in a panic. As his men tried to get control of their horses, Gavin got to the side of the bank and then turned just in time to see Harry’s horse go under. Jordon struggling with the reins in his hand, almost got pulled off his horse. The reins of both the horses got tangled. He let go just in time. He tried to get the other horse out of the water but before he could, it screamed out in pain and then was taken below the water.

  Gavin had never seen anything like it. All of them wondering what it was. “I never would have believed someone if they told me that something like that existed,” Churil said after he finally got his horse to settle down. It wasn’t a fish and it wasn’t an animal. The tentacles had piercing claws on them. It wrapped itself around its prey like a snake an
d Gavin could tell there was no getting out of that grip. It swallowed the horse whole. There was nothing left. Gavin needed to follow the tracks but he knew that any one of them could be next. He led them away from the water and then kept going along the tree line. “Eyes everywhere, men,” he said to them. He didn’t know what to tell Nicholis when he got back. He was the one that sat next to his friend and laughed at the stories that would come to the King. Now he would be one of those men.

  Alman and Harry heard the scream from the horse and stopped in their tracks. They had been following the river for over four hours and they were still headed west. Alman didn’t want to come into contact with whatever made that noise. As the thought went through his mind, a tentacle reached out for his leg. Harry saw it come out of the water and took his sword, slicing it in half before it could reach Alman’s leg. Alman turned to look at Harry, as he saw another tentacle reach out for him. He grabbed his sword and waved it in the air, slicing through it. They both made their way up the embankment. “Alman, the closer we get to this forest, weirder stuff is happening. Do you just want to turn around?” Alman wanted to do just that but he knew that he had to go on. He had to bring back that sapling. He knew that this was just not an adventure now. He really was set out to save others but what did he have to face to get there? Wiping off his sword of the gel-like substance left behind from the creature, he turned to look at his friend. “Harry, I’m going. I have to. If you want to go home, then go. I won’t judge you.” Harry knew he spoke the truth but would judge himself if he let his friend do this alone.