I'd love to know what you think of this chapter! They're finally in Middle-earth--but where? That remains to be seen. See the end of this chap. for more details. As always, please review, but save your flames for your bonfires!
Avery slowly stirred, raising his head with some considerable effort. He was pleased to find that the nearly unbearable pain he had suffered from just after the bus wreck was completely gone, though he was still in basically the same position he had been in--sprawled on his back, with his right hand tightly wrapped around someone else's. Still somewhat dazed, he reached beneath himself with his free hand, trying to make sure that there weren't any unfriendly shards of glass that he might be cut by if he moved around any. To his surprise, however, he met not the crumpled metal of the bus roof, but fine sand. Nor, he realized with a start, was there any part of the wreckage he saw earlier above him--only blue sky with a few ragged wisps of cloud.
Sitting up and feeling only stiff rather than sore, he loosened his grip on his twin's hand and rubbed the back of her fingers. "Ril?" he asked uncertainly. "Wake up."
Averil shifted somewhat, then pushed herself into a sitting position with clumsy, half-asleep movements. "Ave?" she murmured, pushing a loose tendril of dark hair away from her face and giving him a questioning glance. "You look better!" she exclaimed suddenly, giving him a rather childlike smile that let her twin know that she was not entirely awake. Then she looked around them, and her dark brows went up. "Are we dead?" she asked, touching her temple with one hand as if trying to find the wound that had been there.
"We…I don't know," Avery answered, a frown pulling at his mouth as he glanced around. Just a bit beyond where they lay, the sand disappeared beneath the undulating waves of what had to be either an ocean or sea, or a very large lake. "We might be--"
"Where the HELL is my purse?!"
Averil visibly flinched as Bethany's voice split the relative silence. "If we are dead, I don't think we made it to heaven," she told Avery frankly.
Despite the situation, Avery felt his mouth curve in a smile, and he got to his feet. "I think the more appropriate question, Bethany, is 'Where the hell are we?' I think you can do for a while without your glitter lip gloss." He experimentally flexed the shoulder that had been injured; it bent with almost no trouble. Could have sworn I had dislocated it or torn a ligament or something, he mused to himself.
As Bethany glowered at Avery, one of the drummers spoke up. "It's easy to see where we are," Virginia said in chatty tones, shaking the still-unconscious person next to her. "We're at the beach. And I for one am bloody grateful to the powers that be for dropping us here, though they could have switched out our uniforms for swimsuits and beach towels."
Her nonchalance was somewhat disturbing. "Aren't you worried?" Averil asked as Virginia pulled off her navy blue band jacket and threw it unconcernedly on the sand.
"Nope," Virginia answered, smoothing her hair into a ponytail.
Bethany's jaw dropped, and for the moment she forgot about her lost purse. "What's wrong with you? Are you crazy?!"
"Not that either, dude," she answered calmly. "In a minute I'm going to wake up, probably in a hospital bed with a cast and a lot of pain. So I figure, while not enjoy this totally sweet vacation while it lasts?"
Brandon rolled his eyes and marched across the sand to her, then reached out and pinched her arm briskly. "You're not dreaming, dummy," he told her succinctly.
"Serious?!" Virginia yelped, her eyes going wide. "Holy cow! Where are we?!"
"That's what we're trying to figure out, idiot," Averil grumbled. Avery knew that she didn't mean to sound as harsh as she did; whenever Averil got worried or sad, she usually got snappish and angry. He squeezed her shoulder soothingly.
"What are we going to do?" Brandon asked, looking to Avery for an answer. "I don't even know where we are--every beach I've been to has had hot dog and snow cone stands and a lot of hotels." To Avery's surprise, the other band students looked at him as well, as if they expected him to have some sort of plan.
"Well…" he frowned. "We obviously don't have any food, water or shelter, so finding that will be our first priority. And we should try to find somewhere with a phone or the internet so we can let our families know we're okay. And we should elect a leader to make decisions, so we won't be arguing over who should do what."
"But you're talking like we're in the same world," Brandon pointed out. "How do we even know we're still on the planet Earth? And if we are, how can we be sure we're in the same time period?"
"Dude…I hadn't even thought of that," Virginia murmured, looking somewhat alarmed. "How far are we from home? And can we ever get back?"
Bethany's blue eyes widened. "Shut up! We have to get home!" she snapped.
"But I'm just saying…what if we can't?" Virginia persisted.
"Shut up!" Bethany cried again. "You're going to mess it all up! You're going to make us not be able to get home! You're going to jinx us! You're--"
"BETHANY!" Avery shouted, halting the majorette in her panicked outburst. "Bethany," he said again, more softly. "Just breathe, okay? We're not going to say that we can't get home--or that we can--until we find out more about this place. Right now we're just going to stick together and find some help. Is that alright?"
Bethany didn't answer, but some of the high color had left her cheeks. The rest of the band was quiet, standing in a loose clump on the shoreline. "Well, here," Sam spoke up suddenly. Avery noticed his twin's eyes narrow--she still hadn't forgiven him for his journal theft of the day before--and shot Averil a warning glance. "I have a big pack of Juicy Fruit in my pocket. I guess it wouldn't be fair to keep it all to myself." He reached into his uniform and pulled out the gum, handing it to the person next to him. "Everyone take a piece."
Avery smiled in approval. "You might not want to eat that yet," he called over the murmurs of the band. "After all, you might be even hungrier later, if we can't find any food."
"My, aren't we the cheerful one?" Averil murmured.
"So, Avery, you seem to be the man with the plan--what are we supposed to do now?"
Avery blinked in surprise. "Well--" he began, somewhat awkwardly at being put on the spot again. "I guess we need to pick a direction and start walking. We're not likely to find food or shelter here in the sand."
"Just pick a direction?" Bethany asked skeptically.
"It's not as hard as it sounds, really," Averil answered. "There's only three directions to choose from--along the shore one way, along the shore the other way, or inland."
"I say inland," Brandon piped up. "I don't feel like sleeping in the sand, and there doesn't seem to be much chance for food or shelter around here."
"And I say along the beach," Sam answered. "Because at least if we walk along the shore we know where we're at and we have a guide for getting back where we were. If we go wandering around we might never find our way back to the shore."
Avery nodded thoughtfully. "Both very good points--but I think Brandon's right. I don't see much chance of getting shelter here on the beach."
"What are we standing around here for, then?" Virginia demanded. "We're burning daylight!"
"I'm with Virginia," Averil piped up, running one hand along the sequins of her color guard uniform. "Wherever we're going, let's go already, because I'm dying to get out of this goofy outfit."
Avery nodded. "Everyone team up with a partner," he called. "Walk beside them, one pair right behind another. Make sure your partner doesn't get lost or hurt. If something happens to your partner, yell ahead for us to stop. And if you hear someone else yelling for us to stop, and you don't think I've heard, yell with them. But try not to make too much noise otherwise, because we don't want to attract anything like wild animals. Got it?"
"Can we choose our partners?" Virginia asked.
Avery sighed. "What am I, your second-grade teacher? Of course you can choose your partners. Just make sure everyone has someone. If there's an extra person, one group will have to be a group of three. Look out for your partner--and they'll look out for you." The band murmured to themselves as they paired off into groups; Bethany grabbed Sam's arm, and Virginia cheerfully joined Brandon. Averil possessively seized her twin's wrist before anyone else could.
"Sorry," she told her brother as he gave her a bewildered look. "But I don't like half these people. And besides, I know that you'll be leading, and I want to see where we're going. I've always been better at keeping my sense of direction than you." Avery didn't respond, so his sister added, "You don't mind, do you?"
"Of course not," Avery answered, watching to make sure that every band member had a partner. "You ought to know better than that."
"I think you've been elected the leader," Averil added.
"Don't be dumb. I'm just good at keeping other people from tripping out. I've had lots of practice with you, after all." As Averil stuck her tongue out at her twin, he addressed the band. "Everyone ready?" he asked.
The students agreed, some nodding and others calling things ahead to Avery or flashing him a thumbs-up and a grin. "Let's get this show on the road, baby!" Virginia called out over the general commotion.
Avery and Averil turned their back to the ocean and began walking at a moderate pace inland, cutting a path through the grasses that waved knee-high where the sand ended. "Here goes nothing," Averil murmured.
Hours passed slowly. The trip was not as bad as Avery had feared it would be; the day was warm, but not stiflingly hot, and their band shoes were surprisingly comfortable, once they got used to the terrain. "After all," Averil whispered to him at one point, "they were made for walking, weren't they?"
On the outside, Avery observed, his sister seemed to be enjoying the day; she had pulled her hair back and kept lifting her tanned features to the sunlight, as if to soak it all in. However, Avery had lived with his twin for eighteen years, and he could see beyond her casual demeanor to the glint of fear that shone in her dark eyes. "Hey," he whispered to her. "We're going to be okay."
"I know," Averil murmured, but the quick smile she gave him was forced.
"Don't worry," he told her soothingly. "I'm going to look after you."
"I know you will, Ave," Averil sighed. "You've always looked after me. I'm not worried about that." Her voice was very soft, barely on the cusp of hearing.
"Then what is bothering you, little one?" Avery queried, breathing the words out as softly as she had--no sense in bringing more trouble than what was already upon them.
"I don't know," Averil answered. "I mean, at least we're not injured, and--well, what's the worst that could happen?"
"Don't say that," Avery murmured. "There's always something bad that could happen to even the most careful of--hello! What's that?" he said suddenly, shielding his eyes.
"What's what?" Averil whispered.
"There's something in that little dell over there." His dark eyes narrowed. "I can see the sunlight flashing off the metal. Whatever it is, it's not very big."
"Probably some poison grass monster thing," Averil muttered. "I'll go check it out."
Avery stopped short. "No, you stay here with the band," he answered. "And I'll go have a look."
"Ave, don't be such an idiot," Averil muttered. "I might not be able to beat you at kickboxing, but I can sneak around in the woods better than you, and you know it. If there's something dangerous, I don't want you to be harmed. And if I see anything suspicious, you know I'll come straight back--because while I wouldn't mind being a heroine there's no way I'm going to die fighting some seven-headed creature to save Bethany and Sam."
Avery's mouth quirked, and he realized that she was right. "Okay, Averil," he murmured. "But if--" He stopped himself and shook his head. Averil wouldn't do anything stupid. He hoped. "Just be careful, alright?"
"Right!" she answered cheerfully, giving him a mock salute. "Now you hold down the fort, soldier!" Abruptly Averil dropped to all fours, slinking through the grass like an eight-year old child playing hide and go seek.
"Everyone be still," Avery said just loudly enough to be heard. "I think there might be something ahead and I've sent my sister to check it out."
"Great, we're doomed," Bethany grumbled. Avery muttered something under his breath, but held his peace.
A few moments later, Averil returned, looking somewhat shaken. "Well?" Avery asked her as she stood upright. Averil wordlessly held out a slender, straight object.
"You found a stick?!" Bethany exclaimed in annoyance.
"That's an arrow, dude--even I knew that," Virginia answered.
Avery's mind raced with possibilities. "Were there any more?" he asked somewhat urgently.
"Some." Averil was abnormally pale. "It looks like there was a skirmish of some kind ahead. There's a little stream with some bushes beside it just over the next rise. And there's this big area where the grass is all trampled and muddy."
"Did you see any bodies?" Avery asked, his face grim.
Averil shook her head. "I didn't get very close."
"Alright, let's move!" Avery declared. "I want some of you to come with me--D.J., Brandon, Aaron, and…"
Virginia stood. "I'm so coming along."
Averil moved to stand beside Virginia. "Me too."
Avery shook his head. "No," he answered firmly. "It might be dangerous, and--"
"We can handle danger just as well as you can," Averil said, lifting her chin slightly. "And Virginia and I are more light-footed than you guys are, so if there's something we need to sneak up to we can. Not to mention one of us screaming in our highest voice carries a lot further than a yell from you guys, and the band will be more likely to hear it." Virginia nodded agreement, looking as stubborn as Averil, her gray eyes flashing challengingly.
"Any other volunteers?" Avery asked, rather sarcastically. "No? Fine. Sam, you're in charge; keep them quiet and keep them still, or else you guys might be seeing a lot more of these arrows." For once, Sam seemed rather solemn; his eyes were grave as he nodded at Avery. "Let's go," Avery told his small group of makeshift scouts. "Stay close to the ground and try to keep a screen of grass or brush between yourself and--well, everything. And try to stay quiet! Watch what Averil and I do." Avery began creeping through the grass, hoping that his dark clothing wasn't as visible as he felt it was.
As they neared the crest of a high rise, Avery dropped to his stomach, motioning for the others to do the same. On his elbows he scooted forward until he could see the stream Averil had spoken of. It was quite small--he felt he could clear it in a single step without any trouble--but it apparently contained enough water to support the bushes that dotted its banks. Averil was right--for a wide space, the grass had been trampled, as if many people had been there--or as if there had been a skirmish. A soft whistle reached Avery's ears, and he turned to see his twin sister giving him a questioning glance. She cocked her head in the direction of the small valley and raised one brow.
Avery hesitated, then nodded at her. Staying flat on their stomachs, the six students inched closer until they were only a few yards from the stream. "I don't see anyone," Brandon breathed. "Do you think it's safe to stand?"
Avery frowned in thought for a moment, then nodded. "Let's crouch for now," he answered. "We need to stay close to the ground to look for clues anyway."
"Clues? You mean more arrows?" Aaron asked, keeping his voice low as the others had.
"No," Averil answered before her twin could speak. "Things that give us information. Like, anything that could tell us if it was a battle against other people or wild animals--a lot of dead animal carcasses would tell us it was probably against animals. But corpses would tell us that there may be two warring factions in the area. Got it?"
"Right," Aaron answered, carefully making his way across.
"There's stuff that looks like blood on these leaves," Brandon called; Avery glanced to his left and saw that Brandon was beside the bushes near the stream. "But it's dry."
"If there was a little scuffle here, I don't think it's been within the last hour or so," Virginia added. "Not just because that blood--if it is blood--is dry, but because the trampled grass is on both sides of the stream, but the water's not muddy. It's had time to clear."
"Look at this, you guys," Averil called softly, kneeling near the trampled grass. "I think it's been a good while since anyone was here." She indicated the prints in the ground with one hand. "I'm almost positive that these were made when the ground was wet--like it was raining, or else had just rained. But the ground's really dry now, and these prints look old. See?" She lightly ran one slim finger along the edge of the print, and a few dry crumbs of brown earth fell away.
"That's good," Avery sighed. "The last thing we need right now is to get caught in the middle of a battle we have no part in."
"It doesn't look like there was a battle here, really," Brandon piped up. "Just like a small group of people was traveling along, and they stopped by the brook to refill their water bottles or whatever. And the enemy group had the same idea, or else they were also after the water. And when the two groups, met they fought. That's what I think."
"Battle, skirmish, whatever. I still don't want to be in one without any weapons," Averil answered dismissively. "At least, not until I can at least beat Avery at kickboxing."
"Guys?" Virginia called, her voice sounding strange.
"That'll never happen," Avery teased his twin.
"Guys!" Virginia repeated, sounding more urgent this time.
"Coming," Avery answered, and the group began to make its way in the general direction of Virginia's voice. "Where are you?" Avery asked.
Virginia's hand abruptly appeared from among the brush. "Here," she called.
Changing his course, Avery scooted between two bushes and knelt beside Virginia on the stream bank. The others crowded in behind him, making the already tiny opening in the encroaching shrubbery seem even more cramped. "What is it?" Avery asked, looking with concern at Virginia's pale features.
She didn't answer, but Averil grabbed her brother's shoulder. "Ave…look," she breathed, sounding as uneasy as Virginia looked. Curious, Avery followed Virginia's gaze--and abruptly froze.
On the other side of the stream, all but invisible beneath the shelter of the shrubs, was a body.
Whee! Scary dead-looking things. Now, since I aim to please, I'd like to ask if anyone has a preference of who/what the body is--elf, man or orc? Living or dead? Royalty, nobility, commoner, or outlaw? You don't have to, only if you have time, because I already have a general idea of what I'm going to do next--but your suggestions do inspire me, and I'd appreciate it if you could give me an idea of what your predictions are. Like I said before, it is not necessary, only optional if you're extra bored! = )Love from Narwain