After several minutes, Notaku began to calm himself. His breathing slowed, and except for an occasional hitch in his chest, his sobbing abated. As the shock wore off, the boy was able to start putting the pain in perspective, which made it less intimidating. It still hurt a great deal, to be sure, but he could deal with it. For now.
He peered out from beneath the wagon at the men, now gathered around the dead campfire, apparently discussing what to do. He squinted his eyes, trying to focus them, and thought that Brooker might have the journal in his hand. The rest of the men, who had watched the scene previous, now also sat around the fire site.
Notaku did not know what to do. He had not been able to break free from the chains, and even if he did, the information he needed was in the hands of the human. Feeling completely helpless, he lay on the ground and simply watched. The sun beat down from above, but the cart was actually fair shelter from it, and Notaku stayed well beneath it.
For a long time, the men only talked of what their options were, and what they knew for sure about the gem. They had gotten the fire back up and cooked the evening's meal, and now spoke as they ate. "You think that fool got the gem before he was killed?"
"He couldn't have. It wasn't on him, was it? That cub over there didn't have it."
"He could have hidden it."
"The cub?"
"No, the fool whose bones are buried in the caverns. You think he hid it there in the caves?"
Brooker's voice: "It is possible...though I'm not sure if I would want to go back there again without a little more than a 'maybe'. Although at this point, it's our only option." He sighed, and stood. "I say we take a night's rest, and get back to it in the morning."
The others also stood, stretching, or yawning. No one protested this plan, and soon the men were pulling out their bedrolls and blankets from the cart. Brooker, however, walked up to the cart and sat down, looking at Notaku was an appraising eye. Not wishing to be lying down so near the enemy, Notaku struggled to sip up, fighting tears at the pain the movement caused. His arm had healed fairly well, and the wound in his shoulder was only sore, but the recent beating had left quite enough damage. "Who are you?" Brooker finally asked.
Not having expected this, Notaku blinked. And then he answered warily, "My name is Notaku."
"Why do you seek this gem? You claim you do not want its power, only to return it where it belongs."
Notaku frowned, wondering why this man was asking this. He considered actually telling him the whole thing, but after a moment decided he really didn't want the human to know how important it was to him. "It is my Test of Bearhood," he said finally, and then translated, "My Rite of Passage."
Brooker nodded. "I see. You're a Barbic."
Once again taken by surprise, Notaku said nothing, only wondered just who this man was, and how he knew so much. Having never seen a human before now, Notaku assumed that humans knew little of Gummies in return. "Yes," he finally said, narrowing his eyes.
Brooker nodded. "I thought so. You see, I've fought with your kind before. And after seeing the stubbornness of your spirit, and the violence of your nature... I know enough of Barbic Gummies to know what they're like."
"Violence - what we're like?" Notaku sputtered. You-after what you...look what you did! Barbics don't go looking for trouble, or looking for riches and power, humans do!"
Brooker's voice remained calm, but the look on his face was ugly. "You killed one of my men before we laid a hand on you," he said in a soft voice. "Browne over there may limp on the knee you broke for the rest of his life if the healers cannot fix it on our return home. You, a young child, were sent on a brutal mission that would very likely have killed you even if we never found you, simply to prove you're ready to be a man. Barbics are violent and savage." The man stood, looking down at Notaku with an expression the boy could not read. It might have been hate, but it might have been sadness, too.
Without another word, Brooker left to retrieve his bedroll, leaving Notaku feeling shocked and upset at this view of his people. The weight of the death he had caused settled into his heart once more, and he bit his lip, wondering for a moment if the human didn't have a point. Were Barbics savage and violent? He thought on this for several moments, his mind dwelling on everything the human had said. "No," he hissed. "We're not like that...we're not!" Humans killed for treasure, and tortured people for power. And sometimes just for fun! He thought of the look of sadistic enjoyment on Taylor's face as he brought out the whip, and how the archer had mocked him, lamenting that he hadn't been able to get another arrow in him.
Very confused and upset, Notaku lay back down on the ground to try and get some rest.
Sleep was not forthcoming for the youth, and it was a very fortunate thing, for glinting in the dying embers of the campfire was something lying on the ground beside the cart. It was right about where Brooker had sat before going to bed... Notaku could not determine what it was, but he knew it had not been there before.
Creeping as quietly as he could, the boy made his way over to the object, and as he neared it, his blurred vision was able to make out a set of keys! His eyes widened and a surge of hope jolted his heart. He was suddenly shaking as he reached out a hand to grab the keys, his senses suddenly on hyperalert, ready to hide the keys if someone so much as twitched. But luck was with him that night, and no one so much as snored.
Notaku felt around with the key until he had fit it into the hold on the manacle around his leg. He turned it both ways, but it did not budge. Biting his lip, he tried the next key, and the next, feeling it out in the dark. And on the fourth key, the sound of a soft click was music to his ears, as the manacle fell open. He gave a silent prayer to the powers that be, thanking them for this good fortune.
And the next second, froze stock still, a chill cutting through the heat of the desert to make his hackles rise. Brooker had stirred, mumbling in his sleep. Thinking quickly, the boy set the keys where he had found them and crept back a bit under the wagon. He almost closed the manacle again then lay down, shamming sleep. For a moment, he thought these precautions had been in vain, but then he heard Brooker rise, hissing that he had lost his keys. He heard rapid footsteps approach the cart, heard the man kneel, and mutter, "There..." He sensed him looking to see if the boy was still there, felt a hand on his leg... He tensed here, thinking that if the man did more than just cursory check that he would discover that the manacle was loose, and that meant Notaku would have to fight. But the hand only brushed the metal of the manacle, then withdrew. Notaku let out the breath he had been holding when the human moved back to his bedroll, keys clutched in his hand.
Notaku waited at least an hour before making his move. When the breathing of all the men was slow and even, Notaku slipped the manacle off of his foot. After so long being chained, his ankle was a bit swollen and red, but he could walk with hardly a limp. He stood on the other side of the cart, out of sight of the humans in case one were to wake, and took a moment to gather his wits and his nerve. If he failed in this, the quest would fall, and everyone he cared about would die. And Notaku? Notaku might die, but h might simply be kept prisoner, and he wasn't sure which was worse.
He tested out his arm, which did not hurt at all except for a very mild ache. His shoulder had healed well enough, though it would leave a scar. The only thing that would be a problem were the vicious whip lashes he'd taken only hours before, that burned pain when he moved too much. They had scabbed over, but they still hurt a great deal. He wished he knew what plant the mages and healers used for their pain soothing potions! But since he did not, he would have to deal with it as best as he could.
Notaku looked around the camp, squinting to make out the forms of the humans. There were six, lying around the dead campfire, their forms rising and falling with their breathing. He couldn't make them out, but he could tell they were all there. He mentally cursed Taylor for crushing his glasses. His bag... Notaku's bag was in the cart. He looked up at the cart, which was quite big enough to be a house for a small family of Gummi bears. But there were plenty of things that he would be able to climb on. He was thankful his arm didn't hurt anymore, else the task would have been impossible. It's just a Test of Bearhood, he told himself. Just another set of ropes to climb, though not as difficult.
Silently the boy climbed up on the tailgate of the wooden cart, then scrambled up and over the side. He landed lightly, then froze, as the cart creaked with the extra weight. But when no one made a sound, Notaku continued his search.
He spotted his sling and his bag of ammunition lying on the floor next to the food supplies. And next to those, he found his bag among the food supplies, and found that everything was still there. Everything but the man's journal, and Notaku's parchment. And those were in a pouch that sat next to Brooker's sleeping form.
Notaku's face was pale as the moon that shone on the campsite as he realized how close he'd have to get to the humans. And if he were seen there, out in the open, there would be little chance of escape. Getting away before one of them woke would be difficult enough as it was. Standing on his toes, the boy tried to peer over the side of the cart, but it was too high. After a moment's thought, he stole an extra waterskin and some food rations, and stuffed those in his bag as well. Grumbling silently, he went to the rear to climb back out.
Notaku put his bag under the cart, behind a wheel, and for a moment simply peered at the sleeping men. Water. He should get water, first. He crept to the stream and filled both waterskins, and set them with his bag, then crept back to the campsite. Taking a big breath, he headed for Brooker's sleeping form.
Taylor snorted in his sleep, and Notaku froze, crouching down to the ground, his eyes wide with fear. But the man only turned over in his bedroll and began to snore loudly. That was all right with Notaku, it would help to mask any sound he made.
He tried to keep an eye and ear on the men without staring at them, for he found that most Gummies knew when they were being watched. He didn't think that humans had the wit to do the same, but he wasn't taking any chances.
Reaching Brooker's pouch, being as silent as he could manage, Notaku untied the rawhide that held it together and peered inside. Not able to make out anything that was in there, he began taking things out one by one and setting them on the ground. Finally, he found the items he needed, and scurried back to the cart. He hastily stuffed the journal and parchment in his bag, and after a moment stuffed the waterskins in there as well. He'd taken the whip not only on his back, but some on his sides as well, down to his tail end, and he didn't think tying a waterskin to his waist would feel good.
Okay, he thought. That's it, you've got what you need, now get out of here before they wake up! He would have to be careful. If they had any clue as to where he had gone, they'd be able to easily catch up to him. On foot, versus on horseback...no contest.
Notaku crept out from under the wagon, and had gone only a step or two before he stopped short and blinked. Horses... No, he thought. Those things are huge, even if you could get up there, what if they made a racket! But still...if he could get away with a horse, that would shave days off his journey! And his time was already half gone!
Well, there was no harm in trying. If the humans woke while he attempted to take one of the beasts, it wouldn't have mattered anyway, because they would have caught him. Decided, Notaku crept towards the cart once more. The horses were tethered to the traces of the carriage next to barrels of water and some piles of hay, and looked quite bored, to Notaku's eyes.
As he approached the animals, they seemed to show no objections to him being there, simply looking at him once, before looking away again. But even without his glasses, Notaku could see that they were not well-cared for animals. They were a little thin, for one, and there were scars on them that indicated that they too had felt the whip on their hides. Notaku felt a surge of anger at the humans...bad enough that they hurt each other, and hurt children, but defenseless animals!
He spent a moment talking to them, in the quietest of tones, knowing that if they were anything like the unicorns, that they would be able to hear. He decided that he would let them all loose, but the one he would use. And even then, once his quest was finished, he would give that one his freedom as well. No horse deserved this. And letting them go would ensure that the humans had no way of chasing him down. At least not easily.
He did not think that he could get a saddle on the horses; even if he could lift them, he would never be able to reach. But surely he could ride on one's back? He had once ridden a unicorn that way, after all. One by one, he released the heavy rope that tethered the horse to the metal traces, and gave the horse a heavy pat on the hind leg. They seemed to get the idea, and most began meandering towards the desert.
Barbics were generally well known for their connections to nature, and their love of creatures big and small. And Notaku was no exception. He had untethered the last horse, but the gentle creature seemed to know what Notaku was intending, for he did not follow the others into the desert. He only stood there, watching him with mild interest. "Hello," said the boy quietly. "Can I ride you? We can both get away from the humans..."
As if understanding what the boy was asking, the horse bents its head and nuzzled him, knocking him to the ground. Notaku very nearly cried out as he landed on his back, and clenched his teeth as tightly as he could for a moment before standing up. Shakily, he patted the horse's leg. "G-good..." he said. But gods, had that hurt!
The boy looked up at the horse, wondering exactly how he was going to get up onto the horse, but the creature solved that problem for him by bending its front knees and kneeling down. The boy still had to climb up onto the cart to get on his back, but it was a lot easier. Once there, clutching his bag, he smiled. "Okay," he whispered. "Let's go...but quiet." He gave the horse a little nudge, and it stood, drank a long drink of water, and began walking unconcernedly off.
At first Notaku was not sure how to tell the horse which way to go, but after a bit of experimentation found that tugging gently on its mane did the trick. A tug to the left , and he switched directions. Pleased, Notaku got going in the direction he was fairly sure he had been heading in the first place. He had been a week into the journey, and sidetracked two days in the wrong direction. Hopefully, with the horse, he would be able to get there within a few days.
Notaku did not risk a gallop until they were a half hour outside the humans' camp, and then he urged the horse to go a bit faster. A bit faster, and then faster yet. He wasn't sure how fast a horse could run without endangering it, so he erred on the side of caution.
As it was, not even at a full gallop, the boy was having a great difficulty staying on the horse's back. He was very small, and there was a lot of room to sit, but it was still a bumpy ride. His bag in front of him and his hands tightly clutching the mane, Notaku held on for dear life.
The horse seemed to be enjoying running, without the burden of man or cart, or even trappings. For a while he simply ran, his hooves making dull clopping sounds on the dirt. But eventually it did slow down to a fast walk, which was just fine as well. It was a great deal faster than Notaku could walk, and it was certainly easier to hold on.
He did not stop until well into morning, when he tugged on the horse's mane to stop him, and looked way down at the ground. He blinked for a moment, but then the horse knelt once more, and Notaku was able to jump down. The whip lashes on his body hurt when he landed, but not nearly as much as they had the night before. He looked at them, wincing, and was a bit puzzled when he felt himself start to shake. Now, away from the people that had hurt him, he seemed to be reacting to the fear more than he had before. At first he tried not to cry, but as he looked around and saw no one but the horse, he put his face into his arms and let himself cry. He cried hard enough to hurt the lashes on his back, but didn't stop, in fact could not stop. If he did, he felt the fear might just eat through his body, and that wouldn't be a fantastic thing to happen.
After several minutes, Notaku began to quiet, finding that he felt a good deal calmer, and even happier after he vented. He wiped his eyes and looked up, slightly startled to see the horse's face very close to his own, his head cocked as if to wonder what was wrong. Notaku smiled, and reached up to pet his nose. "Big Brother," said Notaku quietly. "I will call you Big Brother." Big Brother seemed to like this name all right, as he made a little nickering sound, and Notaku could have sworn he grinned.
They were able to follow the little stream the humans have camped by for nearly three days, and by then, Notaku could see what they approaching. His heart felt like it had sunk into his stomach when he realized what that mass of shimmering green had meant. He could think of only once place within weeks of the Valley that was filled with trees, and that was the forbidden Jungle. The place where many grown warriors had ventured, and none had come out alive.
Dawn was approaching, and Big Brother looked up at Notaku as if to ask, "Well? Are we going or not?"
Notaku bit his lip, then glanced at the rising sun. It was soon be daybreak, and he was very tired. He could make his decision when he awoke the next night. "No...no, let's stop for now, okay? Besides, we should rest and drink water while we're here. We've got more than a day to go until we get there, and the stream turns south...and we've gotta keep going west."
Notaku was not sure if Big Brother understood what he said, but he knelt down so Notaku could get down, so he suspected that he did understand. The boy smiled and patted the horse's side, before Big Brother stood up again, and went over to get a nice, long drink of water. They had traveled almost the whole night without stopping.
At first, Notaku had worried about finding things that Big Brother could eat, but like the jackrabbits, he seemed fine dining on the scruffy grass that grew in patches all over the desert. Notaku knew little about unicorns, and even less about horses, but this one seemed quite adept at caring for himself. He watched the horse amble over to a patch of grass and make a meal of it. Grinning a bit, Notaku took out some of the bread and dried meat he had taken from the humans.
He wondered how long it had taken before they realized what Notaku had done. He wondered if they would be able to track him. He had traveled almost continuously, hoping that they could get far enough away for the humans to lose the trail. During their journey, he had eaten and drunk fairly well, though he was still being cautious as to how much food he took in. The whip lashes began to heal, and didn't hurt so horribly after a couple of days. He still woke up sometimes, shivering, having dreamt about the ordeal, but he found that the farther he got from the humans, the more he could deal with what they'd done to him.
Riding a horse was strangely tiring. Although not as tiring as walking constantly, it was still a drain on the boy's energy, and he wasn't sure why. He was just sitting, and holding onto a mane, what was so tiring about it? Still, he thought as he yawned widely. I suppose that balancing, and sitting still, and keeping a grip makes a person tired.
Once Notaku had finished his bread, and taken a long drink from the tiny stream, he curled up carefully on his side to sleep.
The journey for the next day or so was very quiet. And then, not two hours from their destination, Notaku stopped to sleep. He had hoped to make the Jungle areas before he bedded down for the night, but he was too exhausted, and the sun had already cleared the horizon. For now, he would sleep, and face the unknown when he was more alert.
He was wakened sometime in the afternoon, from what he could tell, by the less-than-gentle nuzzling of Big Brother's snout. Notaku groaned, and opened his eyes, sitting up to get away from the almost frantic nudging. "Wha-what's..." he began to say, but before he could finish, he caught what sounded like hooves...and not too far off.