The two of them sat together in silence for a little
while longer, before going back to join their companions. The four of
them sat together for the rest of the afternoon, talking about this and
that – how much further it was to the pass; what they expected to find
there; what they hoped to do when and if they found the breaknut. Time
passed, and there was still no sign of Scaltard. They had expected him
to return before evening, but, as the sun began to go down, he still did
not come.
“We should never have sent him on his own,” worried Hedegar.
“Scaltard
can take care of himself,” comforted Vixel, though there was a hint of
worry in her voice, “He’s done so for many years.”
“Besides,”
added David, “We did not send him on his own. He has the guinea pig.
That creature might be small and not able to talk, but he is a clever
none-the-less.”
“Hmm,” mused Susan, “I wonder how he got to be
like that? He was, after all, a simple unintelligent animal from our
world. Makes you wonder what properties the Wood-Between-the-Worlds must
have to have changed him like it has?”
“Yes,” mused David, “When
I was there, the wood made me feel sleepy, and I almost forgot who I
was or why I was there, but it’s as though it had the opposite effect on
him…like it woke him up.”
“Whatever are you two going on about?” cut in Vixel.
Susan
explained to Vixel and Hedegar them about the rings and the Wood
Between the Worlds. She also told them more about her family’s
adventures in Narnia. After her cry earlier in the day, she found it
comfortable talking about her family and reliving some of their happy
memories together.
Breaking only to prepare dinner, they spent
the rest of the evening in the glow of the campfire as Susan recounted
those glorious days of what seemed to her a different life time. She
received a good deal of teasing and abuse from Hedegar and Vixel over
the story of Prince Rabadash of Calormen, whom she had almost agreed to
marry. David said nothing throughout this tale, but kept his eyes on her
the whole time with an almost indiscernible smirk of bemusement on his
face. Susan secretly wished she knew what he was thinking, but said
nothing and moved quickly on to the tale of the hunting of the white
stag.
Though still worried about Scaltard, they all slept well
that night, filled with the wonder of Susan’s tales in that far off
world.
*-*-*-*
The next morning, there was still no sign
of the tortoise and his companion and they began to debate what should
be done. David was all for going off to search for him but Susan was
worried about separating the group any further and Hedegar was still not
healed enough to be lifted up the ledge. Besides, they wouldn’t know
where to start looking. It seemed most prudent to stay where they were
so the tortoise could find them again. That was assuming, of course, no
harm had come to him.
They were no closer to a decision about
what to do when they heard a wheeking noise coming from the direction of
the ledge. David ran over to see what it was, and found the guinea pig
standing there. Alone.
They were no closer to a decision about what to do when they heard a
wheeking noise coming from the direction of the ledge. David ran over to
see what it was, and found the guinea pig standing there. Alone.
Susan
ran up after him, and they watched as the guinea pig stood on top of
the ledge, squealing with excitement. When David asked where Scaltard
was, the squeals got louder and slightly frantic. He gesticulated wildly
with his paws, but neither of them could make any sense of his
explanation. He kept pointing his left front paw in the direction he had
come from, then ran out of sight from the ledge top, before returning
with more pointing and squealing and running off.
“I think he
wants us to follow him,” suggested David. Susan nodded. “I’ll go and see
what he has to show us. Maybe Scaltard is hurt.
“I’m coming with
you,” insisted Susan, still reluctant to split the group or let anyone
go off on their own. “Vixel can stay with Hedegar.” David was inclined
to protest, but thought better of it.
Susan ran off to tell Vixel
and Hedegar what had happened and to get her backpack with the first
aid kit and other supplies. She came back and she and David scrambled up
the ledge, Susan going first this time. As soon as they were up, the
guinea pig began running off again and they followed.
It was slow
going with such a small animal, and they hoped it wasn’t far. It might
have made more sense for one of them to carry him, but then they
wouldn’t know which direction to travel in. The ground here was still
pretty rough and after about half an hour, travelling in this way, the
guinea pig stopped for a rest.
While they were sitting on some
boulders in the shade of a thorn tree, they suddenly heard a rustling
noise coming from a nearby bush. Susan and David both froze, having not
forgotten the incident with the snake. They sat in silence for what
seemed like an age, and there were no further noises. They began to
relax, and at last David dared to say in a lowered voice, “We should
probably move on from here.”
They stood up cautiously and began
to gather up their things when there was a further rustle from the
direction of the bush. It was a silly thing to do, but something
compelled David to call out, “Who’s there? Come on out!”
There
was silence again, but at last, moving slowly and furtively, out came a
small thin creature that looked something like a weasel, but was lighter
coloured and slimmer. It reminded Susan of the creature called a
meerkat that she had once seen a picture of in a book on exotic animals.
Nervously, it made its way over to them. “Can you speak?” asked David.
It appeared there would be no answer, but at last it squeaked out a frightened “Yes, who are you?”
“I’m
David, and this is Susan,” the former answered, “We are looking for a
friend whom we think is in trouble. A tortoise, have you seen him?”
The creature shifted his eyes uncertainly, before lowering them. “Maybe,” he answered.
“Maybe?” cried Susan, “What does that mean? Have you or have you not seen our friend.”
It
took some coaxing, but at last it came out that the meerkat had
witnessed an altercation between a tortoise and a hare and lizard. At
first they had greeted one another in a friendly manner, but then the
latter two creatures had started to get rough. A brief scuffle ensued in
which the hare and lizard came out on top. The last thing he had seen
was them leading the tortoise away.
The meerkat had apparently
been too far away to hear anything that was said, although something in
the way he spoke led Susan to suspect he was not telling them
everything. It seemed obvious that the creatures that Scaltard had
encountered were none other than Loopel and Akadis, though what they had
kidnapped Scaltard for she could not guess.
The meerkat offered
to lead them to the place it had happened, but learning it was quite a
distance, they decided it was better that they return first to Vixel and
Hedegar and discuss a plan of action. The return trip was much quicker,
as they could carry the guinea pig.
Vixel was shocked by the
news of what had happened, but Hedegar simply shook his head as though
he had suspected that those two creatures were up to something. In the
process of the conversation, it came out that the meerkat did remember
having overheard some snatches of dialogue between Loopel and Akadis and
Scaltard. They said something about a clue, and a pass and that the
tortoise should lead them to it.
“It seems to me,” suggested
Hedegar, “that for some inexplicable reason, they want to find the seed
for themselves and have kidnapped Scaltard to show them the way to the
next clue.”
“At least we know where to find them,” encouraged
Vixel. “Now if only we can find a way to the pass. Scaltard was our best
guide, and we still have no way of getting past the ledge.”
“I
can show you a way,” offered the meerkat, almost out of the blue. “You
want to get to the Phairdayle pass, do you not?” The companions looked
at one another quizzically. None of them had specifically said this was
the pass they were aiming for, though it was not difficult to guess.
“It
means crossing the river, but there is an easy ford not far downstream
and another easy crossing further up, but the land on that side is much
easier.”
While the meerkat went down to the river to wash and
drink (it had been a long day of travelling for him), the four
companions discussed their options.
“Do you think we can trust
him,” asked Susan. She had been unsure of him since the beginning. His
initial nervousness and reluctance to tell them things gave her an
uneasy feeling.
“Why ever not?” asked David, surprised. “He told us where Scaltard is being taken and has offered to show us the way.”
“Susan
does have a point,” put in Hedegar. “There is something about him. We
should consider the possibility he is working for those two… and was
sent to put us off the trail.”
“His story makes sense to me,” put
in Vixel, “If they are after the seed, taking Scaltard to the location
of the next clue is most logical. I say we accept his help.”
“I don’t know,” sighed Susan, “Why was he so nervous?”
“Think
of what he’d seen,” suggested David, “Wouldn’t you be scared? Here he
is travelling in an uninhabited part of the country, and he suddenly
witnesses a tussle and a kidnapping. And then he meets us. How was he to
know whose side we were on?”
“I suppose you’re right,” Susan
conceded. “Seeing two humans in the middle of nowhere would enough to
frighten any creature. Most of our friends didn’t even trust you or me
at first. So, shall we let him lead us?”
“If the rest of you trust him, I do,” voted Vixel.
“I
say we be wary,” put in Hedegar, “But as dear Susan once pointed out,
having to trust people we don’t know and take risks is an expected part
of any adventure. Let’s follow him, but be on guard.”
“He seems to me like an honest meerkat, I trust him,” added David.
“Okay. I’m with Hedegar, but it seems like our best option,” concluded Susan.
The
ford was not far downstream and was wide, shallow and stony. The
creatures all made it across with just a few wet paws. Susan and David
removed their socks and shoes and rolled up their trouser legs.
The
meerkat was right about the terrain on the other side being much easier,
and they made good progress during the few hours of the afternoon that
remained. They set up camp in a bushy area a sensible distance from the
river and prepared dinner. They estimated that by that time the next
day, they would have reached the pass.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
<div style="text-align: center;"> I</div>
Susan Pevensie woke with a start. She'd been dreaming. As consciousness edged it's way into her foggy mind, she remembered where ...
-
(NaNoWriMo - Day 5) “So it is the spring,” mused Hedegar. I shall have to have another look. “No tricks,” reminded Akadis. If we f...
-
Susan Pevensie woke with a start. She'd been dreaming. As consciousness edged it's way into her foggy mind, she remembered where ...
-
(NaNoWriMo - Day 23) The next morning the delegates set off bright and early. Of those that were left behind, David was the most restless...
No comments:
Post a Comment