Chapter Four
Roxton sits by the campfire next to Marguerite, he hasn't left her side all evening. They'd all celebrated her return earlier in the day; everyone had talked and laughed all day.
Veronica, Malone and Challanger had gone to sleep half an hour ago and now only Roxton and Marguerite remain awake, neither wanting to fall asleep for fear of waking up and finding the other gone. They stare into the fire blaze and watch entranced as the flames flicker in the night's calm breeze.
Marguerite rests her head against Roxton's shoulder her hair falls in front of her face and he brushes it away. He smiles and watches her as she falls asleep looking peaceful and happy. He kisses her gently on the forehead and carries her into the tent.
ROXTON: Goodnight.
She grabs his hand as he moves away.
MARGUERITE: Where are you going?
ROXTON: I'm on watch, remember?
MARGUERITE: Of course I remember.
She lets go of his hand.
MARGUERITE: Be careful.
ROXTON: Always.
He waits until she closes her eyes then resumes watch outside. Marguerite opens her eyes and watches Roxton as he looks far into the night. Veronica who's sharing the tent smiles at her concern for the hunter.
VERONICA: He's not going to disappear.
Marguerite laughs at the comment.
MARGUERITE: No that's my trick.
VERONICA: Good to have you back.
MARGUERITE: It's good to be back, it's funny on the times when I've been stuck in the treehouse for days I could never wait to get out and now I've not been there for days I can't wait to get back.
VERONICA: You don't know what you have until it's gone.
Marguerite looks at Roxton again.
MARGUERITE: Truer words were never spoken.
VERONICA: Do you remember? Everything I mean?
MARGUERITE: Most things...I gradually remembered you and Malone and Challanger. It's little things that I don't remember like what my room looks like or how to get back to the treehouse, you know?
Veronica nods.
MARGUERITE: I forgot all the things that I wanted to remember and my life before the Plateau, bad things that I always wanted to forget...I remembered almost straight away...When I saw you all before for the first time I knew something was different and I couldn't remember what it was then Roxton gave me the flowers and I remembered Summerlee was gone and all the sadness and pain of that day came flooding back all at once and...
VERONICA: And it was like you were reliving that day again in seconds.
MARGUERITE: Yes and then all the memories of other bad things that happened on the Plateau came back too.
VERONICA: Everything that's happened on the Plateau has shaped us, changed our lives. When you and the others first met you were unsure about each other and then as we gradually got used to each other we became friends...Even the bad things that have happened helped bring us together.
MARGUERITE: I remember that I didn't trust any of you at first and then two days ago I hated you all and then all the memories came back and I remembered that you aren't my enemies, you're my family. You and Malone are like the sister and brother that I never had, Challanger's the wise uncle, Summerlee is the loving grandfather I always wanted and Roxton...He's the prince charming I never knew existed.
Veronica laughs.
VERONICA: Well you can't have got all you're memory back yet because a few days ago you'd never have said all that.
MARGUERITE: Well don't get used to it that was a one-time event...I don't ever remember being so philosophical.
VERONICA: Well if any of us have any problems from now on we can come to you oh wise one.
They both start laughing.
MARGUERITE: Don't expect that to become a daily routine...Not unless you're planning on paying me.
VERONICA: Not a chance.
Outside they hear a noise Marguerite grabs the gun and her and Veronica run outside. Alight glows to the east and Roxton watches it captivated, Veronica and Marguerite walk over to him.
MARGUERITE: Listen!
VERONICA: I don't hear anything.
MARGUERITE: A voice! Near the light.
VERONICA: What is that anyway?
Marguerite walks towards the light.
ROXTON: Wait!
MARGUERITE: Don't worry, I'll be fine.
She walks into the light, it covers and grows brighter. In front of her she sees a large staff encased in the top are five oval crystals, she reaches for it and fire surrounds it. She looks through the fire and sees a small clearing surrounded by five trees, the branches over the staff. She walks closer and it disappears. She hears the voice again; Marguerite turns to Roxton and Veronica.
MARGUERITE: He's coming! We need to leave.
They sense the urgency in her voice.
ROXTON: (To Veronica) Wake Malone and Challanger we're leaving.
She runs into their tent.
MARGUERITE: We have to go this way.
ROXTON: What did you see?
MARGUERITE: The next step.
* * * * * *
It's still dark when the explorers finally stop to rest. They lie back against a large tree.
CHALLANGER: We shouldn't be travelling at night.
MALONE: Would you rather we stayed and faced Samun?
CHALLANGER: He's just one man.
MARGUERITE: He's unstoppable now, he's not just one man he has Bokrah's power.
CHALLANGER: We can't even be sure we're travelling in the right direction.
MARGUERITE: We are I know we are.
VERONICA: Is he still following us?
MARGUERITE: He will be, he's not just going to give up.
ROXTON: We'll keep covering our tracks, it'll be harder for him to find us.
MARGUERITE: That won't help, he'll have seen the light too, he'll try and destroy the staff...We need to keep moving.
They stand and continue on their way. Marguerite suddenly falls back against a tree. She grabs her neck as though she's in pain; the others rush to her side.
She sees them being attacked by Vantu; the images flash to Malone falling to the floor after being hit by a poisoned dart.
Roxton moves her hand away from her neck.
ROXTON: There's nothing there, what happened?
Twigs snap behind them, ht explorers aim the guns in that direction. Malone walks forward.
MALONE: There's nothing there!
MARGUERITE: (Shouts) Malone, get down!
He ducks as a dart flies past him and embeds itself in a tree.
MALONE: How did you...
ROXTON: Run!
He helps Marguerite up and they run with the Vantu still giving chase.
They eventually stop fifteen minute's later cliffs surround them, they look for a way out.
VERONICA: It's a dead end.
MARGUERITE: It can't be!
MALONE: Look around we're trapped.
ROXTON: Their still coming.
Marguerite looks around near the trees carefully until she sees a small path.
MARGUERITE: Down here.
She leads them down the small hidden path; it leads them through a group of trees and then into a clearing covered by five overhanging trees.
MARGUERITE: We're here.
She walks into the clearing.
ROXTON: There's nothing here.
MARGUERITE: Look closer.
Veronica steps in front of Marguerite and fire surrounds her.
MARGUERITE: Don't move.
VERONICA: That won't be a problem I don't have anywhere to go...Get me out of here.
CHALLANGER: (To Malone) find some water.
MARGUERITE: Wait! There's another way.
ROXTON: Don't do anything crazy.
MARGUERITE: I won't.
She walks into the fire, Roxton reaches out to pull her away. Malone pulls him back.
MALONE: Look.
CHALLANGER: Incredible!
Marguerite passes through the fire and stands in front of the staff.
VERONICA: How'd you do that?
Marguerite picks up the staff and for the first time the others see it too.
MALONE: Well would you look at that!
CHALLANGER: How did she know it was there?
The others shake their heads in answer. Marguerite puts the crystal end of the staff into the fire and it slowly dissolves into the staff, each crystal slowly turns orange/red in colour and a small fire burns in the middle of each.
MARGUERITE: (To Veronica) you can move now.
They walk out of the clearing and come face to face with the Vantu, Marguerite steps forward with the staff and they flee.
MALONE: You led us here to get a staff?
MARGUERITE: The staff is the key, we need to get to Bokrah, to help him.
MALONE: And what about Samun he'll try and stop us.
MARGUERITE: I think he'll try and stop us once we get to the mountain.
CHALLANGER: How do you know all this?
MARGUERITE: The lights, the visions are showing me the way.
CHALLANGER: This is suicide.
MARGUERITE: If I leave Samun wins and the druids and I will die, if I go I have a chance.
ROXTON: Well I don't have anything planned for the rest of the day.
MALONE: I'm always up for a challenge.
VERONICA: I'm in.
CHALLANGER: Majority rules. After you Marguerite.
MARGUERITE: Thank you.
They set off for the next part of the journey, Roxton and Marguerite at the front, Veronica, Malone and Challanger following behind. And Samun watching them all the time.
To be continued...
