Suddenly, Notaku was completely awake. He scrambled to his feet and squinted into the distance, seeing only a cloud of dust heading right at them. Had the humans tracked them? Or was it a completely new danger? Notaku bit his lip and threw everything into his bag except his sling and its ammo. This he cinched around his waist, not minding the lashes on his right side. If the humans were coming for them, he wanted his weapon easily accessible.
Seemingly relieved that Notaku was awake, Big Brother knelt down to let the cub onto his back, then stood and took off at a full gallop. Not having expected it, and never having ridden anything that went that fast, Notaku was nearly thrown from the horse's back. He yelled, and grabbed onto the mane, sprawled out on his front side across Big Brother's back. After a moment he righted himself and adjusted to the ride.
He heard an angry yell far behind him, and recognized Brooker's voice, and growled. He should have known it wouldn't be that easy to get away! He supposed that they caught the horses, or at least some of them, that Notaku had set free, and were now mad as heck.
He felt something rush by his face, and looked back in alarm. Through the dust, he saw the vague figure of a man sitting straight up on his horse, drawing his arm back...that miserable archer! Eyes widening, Notaku ducked down flat, letting the next shot whiz over his head. But Notaku was very small, and a moving target, this would be to his advantage. And this time, he could fight back!
Grabbing a round stone from his pouch, Notaku fitted it in his sling, and whipped it into a lethal spin. Now...how to do this? He was not comfortable letting go of Big Brother's mane, and so he would have to twist his body around to let the stone fly. He did, releasing the stone almost over his shoulder at the pursuing humans. It was a lousy shot that actually almost hit Brooker, rather than Fletcher, but it was enough to make Brooker's horse shy, and nearly dump him on the ground.
Big Brother made an angry neighing sound, and increased his speed. Another arrow whizzed by, close enough to rip at his hair and nearly throw him off his horse. He growled and spent a moment catching his balance. Then he loaded another stone.
This time he hit his mark. There was a yell, as Fletcher was knocked from his horse, sprawling in the sand, his horse galloping away from him. Notaku felt a grim sort of satisfaction at the archer's fall. As he looked back, he saw the blur of the man's body stagger to his feet, so at least he wasn't dead. If he kept his wits about him, he might even survive.
Now all he had to worry about was Brooker. So far as Notaku could tell, it was only the two; the other horses must have found their freedom. And Brooker's horse was fast. Notaku's blood boiled as he saw the man using some kind of short, thick whip to force his horse to increase his speed, and he turned to snarl at the gaining foe. Brooker snarled back, looking almost feral, as he came nearly abreast with Notaku's horse. "I'll kill you for this!" Brooker promised, whipping yet more speed from his exhausted horse.
For a moment, Notaku's temper was such that he wanted to leap from Big Brother's back and pummel every inch of the human that was visible, but instead, he grasped his horse's mane and tugged on it. Big Brother gave him a look that plainly asked if he was crazy, but Notaku tugged again, and Big Brother slowed down. That way he could take better aim with his sling, and Brooker's poor horse wouldn't be run so hard that he collapsed!
Notaku heard a curse as Big Brother stopped, and Brooker overshot him by several yards. The boy stood on his horse's back, sling in hand, ready to whip off a shot at the human the moment he returned. Brooker savagely reined in his horse, turning it so that he faced the angry Barbic cub. At Brooker's pause, Notaku took the opportunity to hurl his stone. It missed, but not by much. Brooker spat a curse that Notaku had never even heard his father say before, and kicked his horse's sides to spur him forward. Notaku loaded his sling once more, and whipped the stone towards Brooker's head. He was aiming a bit high, in case he was off; he didn't want to harm the horse. This time the man fell, sprawling ingloriously in the dirt. "Go!" Notaku cried, sharply nudging Big Brother into a run. He grabbed his bag before it fell to the ground, then sat down and hung on tightly.
Notaku looked backwards in time to see Brooker's blurry form getting weakly to its feet, reeling from the glancing blow Notaku's sling had dealt him. Notaku breathed a sigh of relief; Brooker would have to take time to recover if he wanted to get anywhere. And hopefully that would give him and Big Brother time enough to gain the cover of the foliage.
Big Brother ran hard, until the pair reached the edge of the Jungle, and then slowed down considerably. Notaku tugged on his mane to stop him, and looked apprehensively in. It looked just like a jungle should look, all dense bushes and tall trees. It looked strange out here in the middle of such barren desert, but here it was, before Notaku's eyes. He could not catch sight of anything within except green, and he bit his lip. He remembered all the stories he had ever heard of the Jungle, from elvin folk that skinned people alive, to giant monsters that ate trespassers. No one knew how true those stories were, but they did know that anyone who went in never came back.
But then, what choice did he have? The instructions on the paper directed him here. There was always the chance that the parchment he had found was not supposed to be in that cave, that the human had carried it there from another location, but Notaku did not think that was so. By instinct, he knew that he had found that paper right where he was supposed to find it, and that the directions were true. And so, he was meant to enter this Jungle.
Taking a big breath, he whispered to Big Brother, "Let me down..." The horse knelt, and Notaku slid off. He gave a "come on" gesture to Big Brother, and the two slipped inside the trees.
Notaku half expected to be struck down the moment he walked in, but of course that did not happen. He did notice an abnormal shift in climate though, that reminded him somewhat of the damp caverns he had explores days before. It was hot, and humid, and made breathing a little difficult for someone used to the arid desert. He took a moment to adapt somewhat, then continued on, hearing Big Brother's cautious footsteps behind him.
The Jungle was a wonder to the young Barbic. The great, fat trees that grew in the Valley were nothing compared to the towering specimens that grew here. These trees, while thick enough to support such height, still seemed slim to Notaku, as they tapered up into the canopy of the jungle. Plants with leaves bigger than Notaku's entire body seemed to grow everywhere, and bright, vibrant colors of flower seemed to grow everywhere. For a little while, as he walked, he simply gazed in wonder at what he saw.
He stopped a dusk in a little clearing, with the highly unwelcome feeling of being watched. Had Brooker been able to track them in this dense Jungle? He looked around nervously, but neither smelled nor heard sign of human pursuit. He sighed wearily, and opened his bag to get some dried fruits out to eat. He munched on these while looking around, trying to stop any spies. Highly frustrated when he saw nothing whatsoever, Notaku growled and put his head in his hands. This quest had been nothing so far but a farce!
Feeling quite discouraged, he brought out a waterskin and took a conservative sip of it. As damp as it was in this place there was surely water somewhere near, but he wanted to make sure. When he finished, he realized that Big Brother was likely thirsty after their pell-mell rush into the Jungle, and dug out the other waterskin for him to use. He opened the top and held it up for the horse. Understanding, Big Brother came over, leaned his head down low, and took the spout in his mouth. As if he were feeding a newborn animal, Notaku tipped the skin forward, and let some of the water splash out into Big Brother's mouth. Not too much, though. If they didn't end up finding water, they would have to be careful with the rations.
After resting for a half hour or so, recovering from the encounter, Notaku stood up and sighed. He did not want to continue, he just wanted to curl up and pretend that it all was a bad dream, but he could not. His Valley was depending on him, and there was something in his spirit that was getting highly indignant at the idea of giving up. He supposed that was either his courage or his honor speaking.
"Well, come on," he said to Big Brother. "Guess we should get as far as we can..."
The two picked their way through the brilliant foliage for several hours; the sun had set and the forest had grown quite dark. Notaku held up a lantern to see his way through the trees. He estimated that it was midnight or so when the feeling of being watched intensified, and he heard the slightest movement in the Jungle. He froze, his hand going for his sling, when the silvery, sharp point of an arrow appeared right in his face. A jolt of adrenaline went through his system, putting a chill down his back and sharpening his senses a bit. His peripheral caught sight of at least two others like it, all pointing at him. "I wouldn't do that, if I were you," said a soft voice.
Notaku blinked; the voice spoke his language! He frowned, slowly taking his hand from his sling, and holding the lantern up. The arrowheads seemed to glow in the lantern's light, thought their owners remained in darkness. "Lower your lamp," came the same voice. Notaku thought it might have been a female, but he wasn't sure. What he was sure of, was that it was not Brooker or any of his crew.
"What if I don't?" the boy asked. His tone was more curious than challenging. His answer was the creak of a bowstring being pulled back, and the arrowhead retreating the slightest bit from his face. Whoever held the bow had drawn it back further. "Okay...guess that's my answer." Oddly, though he was tense and alert, he was not overly alarmed. He slowly set the lantern down a couple feet away from him, and was a little startled when the flame went out on its own. He felt no breeze, heard no water. One odd thing he did notice, though, was that the arrowheads were still glowing, and yet odder, they were all in perfect focus.
"Lay your sling on the ground."
Notaku bit his lip, but looking at the arrows surrounding him (there were about eight) he decided he had better do so. He had seen (and felt) quite enough arrows of late!
Only when the sling was on the ground did the owner of the soft voice step from the shadows. There seemed to be a soft, natural glow about the creature, and Notaku frowned as he tried to figure out what it was. It looked vaguely human in shape and make, but he could not tell if it was male or female. This being was smaller than the humans Notaku had met, and had a soft face with high cheekbones. Clear blue eyes looked back at Notaku, and a wild shag of reddish hair topped a pale face. It wore clothing made from leaves, and covered very little on its body. The same almost misty glow that surrounded the arrowheads seemed to cling to the being as well. Notaku thought it might be male. Human children perhaps? Was this what they looked like in their youth? "Who are you?" he asked.
"Silence," said the being. Its...his? voice was still soft, yet commanding. Were these elves, then? "We will ask the questions for now. What is your name?"
Notaku scowled at being ordered around, but another glance at the surrounding arrowheads convinced him that cooperation seemed the best course of action. Uncertain, Big Brother stepped back a few yards. Trying to look at least somewhat courageous, he said, "I am Notaku Barbic."
The being (also inexplicably in focus) looked the boy up and down. "Where are you from?"
Notaku turned, pointing (and apparently alarming one of the archers, whose bowstring creaked ominously) toward where he thought the Valley was. "There, there's a Valley there that -"
"We know of this Valley." Notaku hissed briefly in irritation at the being's interruption. Whoever and whatever this was...it was rude! "You are a child of the Barbics?"
Notaku nodded. "Yes. I'm twelve."
The being narrowed its eyes. "Then you are almost an adult."
Notaku hesitated here; it seemed that whoever this was, it had something against adults. He took a big breath and said, "Well...yes. But I am not yet. I'm here on a quest." He glanced at the other archers, then back at the one that seemed to be in charge. "Can I get something out of my pack and show it to you? A parchment?"
The being looked at him appraisingly for a few moments, and then nodded. "Very well. But do it slowly. And if you draw a weapon, these archers will fire."
Notaku swallowed, but he nodded his head. Almost too aware of the silvery arrowheads, aware of how silent it was, and how grim the being's face looked, Notaku slowly knelt down. He took his pack from his bag and began rifling through it, until he felt the wrinkled parchment. He made sure to be very slow in drawing it out, so as not to spook the people who held weapons to his head.
He stood with the parchment, the arrows staying in their bows, and Notaku unraveled the parchment. "I was sent on a quest," he said. "I started at some caverns two weeks back that way...I found this. And...well...this it what's in this direction." His breathing a little more rapid than normal from nervousness, he carefully handed the parchment over to the being.
It took the paper, a suspicious look in its eyes, and read it over. He was quiet, and still, for a long time, which gave Notaku a chance to look him over. The more he looked, the less human this being seemed to be. It were only a little taller than Barbic adults, for one, and very slight. Its ears came to points, like a cat's, and as he looked more closely, he saw that its eyes had no pupils. It was kind of creepy looking, truth to tell. "This was written by our hand," it said quietly, then looked back at Notaku. "What is it that you seek?"
"I'm, well, I'm on a quest to save my Valley. A blue gem was st -"
Notaku was cut off by an angry hiss from behind one of the arrows, and he heard another soft voice utter, "Another thief, then...we should be rid of him." Another surge of adrenaline accompanied the trepidation that chilled Notaku's heart.
"Yes," said another. "He has entered forbidden Jungle...and is obviously enough a man to seek power."
The first being hissed at the others, obviously a signal to be quiet. "You will not shoot unless I give the word!" it commanded. The level of its voice never rose, but there was a force behind it that quieted the dissenters. It turned back to Notaku. "Continue."
"U-um, well..." Shaken, Notaku had to think a moment before remembering what he had been saying, and explained briefly about the visions the mages had had, and that he sought the gem that had been stolen.
"And the power of this gem will save your Valley?"
"Well no, not quite. I guess...I think the gem was what kept the mountain from breaking the land apart, ands when it was stolen, the mountain got more and more..." He frowned, trying to think of the word he wanted, finally coming up with "...unstable. And it will crush our Valley by midsummer if I can't find the gem and get it back where it belongs."
"And you know where it belongs?"
"Well, kinda. I know it belongs in Derelict peak, and I found a journal of the human that stole it, and it shows just where he got it, and all."
There was a tense sort of moment during which the being simply gazed at Notaku, as if trying to find evidence of a lie. There was none, of course. Finally, the being handed the parchment back, and made a hand signal in the air. To Notaku's relief, the arrows were lowered, and he let out a huge breath. Once the arrowed were lowered, the people behind them also stepped out to look better at him. And like the one who had spoken to Notaku first, they were in perfect focus. All of them seemed to hold the sort of ethereal glow that the first one did, and Notaku could not discern a gender among them. They all seemed to be of the same build; short and lithe. Their hair was wild, of many different colors. Notaku saw one who had electric blue hair, and another whose hair was sun-yellow. But the colors seemed softened, somehow, but the hazy glow that surrounded them.
"Follow me," said the creature, heading farther into the woods.
Notaku hesitated. "What about Big Brother?" he asked finally, looking back to his horse, who was nibbling at some grass underfoot. At his name, he looked up and cocked his head.
"He will be fed and watered, and well taken care of until our business is done."
Notaku was not sure, but he thought the being's voice had softened a bit on seeing Notaku's concern for the animal. He looked once more to Big Brother, who was now nuzzling one of the strange creatures. The creature smiled and rubbed its nose. Big Brother did not seem to deem them a threat, and so Notaku would trust his judgment. He nodded, and grabbed up his duffel. Keeping his eyes on the archers and their bows, he picked up his sling and his lantern. He noted some tense expression, but no one raised their weapon to him. Apparently when the leader decided a person was no threat, everyone treated that person as such.
Notaku put his sling away in his bag, and closed it up, as a gesture of good faith. A couple of the beings nodded in approval at this, and Notaku gave them a tentative smile. Then he followed the first creature into the woods. Four of the others followed along behind.
He did not have to light his lantern, it turned out, as the beings glowed enough that the way was sufficiently lit for walking. He stifled a giggle at the impish thought that they would make good flashlights.
"Where are we going?" Notaku asked.
"We are going to meet the Guardians of the forest," said the being. "They lead our kind and guard the rainforest from intruders."
"Rainforest?"
"Simply another name for 'jungle', which is what your kind calls this."
"Oh." He was quiet a moment, and then asked, "How long will it take to get there?"
"Three days." Notaku winced, biting his lip. "I must get this gem before midsummer..."
"It is understood. We will not hinder your journey."
"Oh. Well...okay." Notaku thought of how long he had been away, and realized that it had been almost a month. It sounded a good deal more alarming to think "almost a month" rather than "three and a half weeks". A month seemed like so much longer a time. Yawning, he stumbled a bit, grasping a vine for support. He was shocked when the vine wrapped itself around his wrist and helped him to his feet.
Hearing that Notaku had stopped, the being turned around and smiled, looking a little amused. "Yes, this Jungle is alive, and sentient to a degree. It is a place of earth magic, and of life. The Jungle seems to have taken a liking to you."
Notaku blinked, and then laughed, which felt very good to do after his recent ordeals. "Thanks," he said up to the vine, which seemed to twitch in acknowledgement.
"We will travel until dawn, which I believe is the schedule you had set to avoid the worst heat of the day."
"Well...yes."
"That is wise."
"What's your name?" Notaku asked. After all, they knew his.
"I am called -" and here he spoke something that sounded a little like the babbling of a stream.
Notaku blinked, and stared for a moment, catching the creature's amused smile. "Er...do you have a name I can say?"
At this, it actually laughed, but it was not a mean laugh, and Notaku found himself grinning. "Call me Brookvoice."
"Are you elves?" Notaku finally asked.
At this, Brookvoice turned around, looking mildly annoyed. "We are fae. There is a difference."
Notaku stopped, uncertain. "Sorry...I didn't know. Some tales of this place say there's elvin people here. So...I just asked, is all."
Brookvoice finally nodded. "Your apology is accepted. Most fae get angry when they are compared to elvinkind. Elves are cruel and impish, and delight in making people miserable. We, while we do kill, do it only to protect our home and our people."
"So there are elves? Wow... I thought they were just myth. But I though fae were just myth, too."
Brookvoice chuckled, but said nothing, and they trekked on.
After four hours of this, Notaku hadn't the energy to make any kind of conversation, and when Brookvoice stopped to make camp, Notaku was highly relieved. He yawned, taking some rations from his pack for his supper. Smiling a bit, Brookvoice looked at his supper and then to Notaku. "A fan of stale bread, are you?"
Notaku snorted. "Not quite. But it's all I have. I got caught by some humans, but I got away and took some of their supplies. The horse was theirs too, but they were treating them badly..." Notaku scowled and clenched a fist in midair. "Those..." he broke off, not able to find a word strong enough for what they were.
"You care for and respect the creatures of the earth," said Brookvoice quietly. "That is admirable. He stood, and walked over to a tree, speaking quietly to it for a moment. After a few seconds, he reached up and picked a fruit as large as Notaku's head. He handed it to the cub, smiling. "Go ahead, it is edible to your kind, and quite healthy."
"Thanks," said Notaku sleepily. After a moment, he sent a "thanks" the tree's way as well, then sniffed the fruit. He was not sure what it was, but it certainly smelled good. He looked at it, realizing that its size was going to make eating it quite messy. He shrugged, and took a big bite, and was delighted at how delicious it was. Especially after nearly a month of eating dried meat, and then gruel, and then stale bread and more dried meat! The fruit was mildly sweet, and very juicy, refreshing. Not caring much what he looked like, he ate the entire thing, then lay back in the moss, a look of sheer contentment on his face.
Brookvoice, chuckling with amusement, pointed a little way into the trees. "There is a stream there if you would like to wash and drink. And if you need to defecate, do it over there. The urine and feces will help the new growth."
Brookvoice's tone was quite matter-of-fact, as if talking about defecation were an everyday topic. Stifling a youthful giggle, Notaku nodded, and disappeared into the trees. He did both of what was suggested, then came back and curled up on the moss, feeling full and content for the first time in a while.