I meant to upload this yesterday but apparently the site was having technical difficulties. Oh well. At least it's better today.
Peter
I cursed myself as I sprinted through the jungle, Edmund close behind. I was not made for being in the trees. The closeness of the branches, the limited line of sight, the shadows, nothing about forests or woods or jungles appealed to me. I was never very good in them, despite how I liked to pretend in front of others. If it hadn't been for my brother, I would have walked straight into the horde of creatures and they'd be having Pevensie stew right now. If they even bothered to cook me. From what I'd heard, Fell Beasts had no qualms about devouring their prey raw. The thought was not a pleasant one and it spurred me to reach back for Edmund and push him in front of me. If anyone was going to get eaten alive, it should be the one who didn't notice the danger in the first place. Edmund moved through the jungle with the ease and surety of any native animal. Bumbling was the best word I could think of to describe my own movement. My only comfort was the fact that the Fell were as clumsy as I was.
I wasn't sure which one of our pursuers had been clever enough to think of it, but the next thing I knew, a moderately sized rock hit me in the back hard enough to knock me to the ground. I landed heavily, arms and legs akimbo. Edmund scampered on for a few yards before noticing I wasn't following. He started coming back for me and I immediately shook my head at him.
"Go, Ed!" I shouted.
He stubbornly persisted in his backtracking. The noise of the pack of Fell was quite close. The stamp of bare feet on dirt, nasally breaths, the click of claws. I knew we didn't have time. But there was nothing I could do. Edmund was already beside me, helping me to my feet. Mentally, I promised myself to have another talk with him about doing what he was told. Once I was upright, with my limbs all sorted, Edmund dashed off again and I was left to keep up as best I could.
He was agile and light-footed, effortlessly bounding over a fallen log. The log proved to be more of an obstacle for me, and as I struggled over it, a gnarled hand latched onto my ankle. After two forceful yanks, I tumbled down the wrong side. The skeletal face of a goblin loomed over me, framed a pair of boggles. I kicked off the hand that held me, and quickly wriggled under the log. It provided just enough cover for me to escape. My pursuers were likely unable to mount the log, and they were too large to fit under it as I had. I didn't stay around long enough to find out for sure. I bolted into the trees, hoping Edmund wasn't so far ahead that I wouldn't find him. There, a little ways in front of me, I spied a figure running. It was human. Edmund. Gathering my strength, I put on a burst of speed, hoping to catch up.
Without warning, he veered to the left. Assuming he had seen something that I had not, like last time, I also went left. He was harder to keep track of now, his path weaving from side to side in no discernable pattern. Every now and then, he seemed to vanish, only to reappear in another place. But it must have been a trick of the shadows. Finally, he stopped with his back to me. I came up beside him, grateful for a chance to catch my breath. I glanced over my shoulder, checking for the mob of creatures.
"I think we've lost them," I said.
Edmund gave no response.
"Do you have any idea where we are? How far we are from the beach? Or even which direction it's in?" I questioned without heat.
He stood there. Silent and unmoving.
"Ed?" I reached out to tap him on the shoulder. And my hand went straight through him.
Before I could react, the shape in front of me dispersed into the vaporous form of a wraith. Two glowing eyes burned red at me as it whipped around to face me. It levitated higher, looming threateningly above me. If past experience had taught me anything, it was that without Rhindon, I was powerless against this monster. I braced myself for its imminent attack. But the wraith never had the chance. A minotaur stomped out from the nearby bushes, planting himself in front of me. With a deafening bellow, he proclaimed his dominance. The wraith drew back, hesitating only a moment before flying off. I also turned to run, having no desire to wait for him to notice me.
But a heavy hand grabbed my upper arm, holding me immobile. He yanked me around, pulling me close enough to see the spots of saliva dotting the hair around his mouth. His breath was hot and moist, with a terrible stench. He lifted me off the ground, staring at me with his beady eyes. Then he backhanded me, hard. As my head snapped to the side, my teeth caught my tongue and the coppery tang of fresh blood filled my mouth. Without warning, he dropped me. I landed on my back and struggled past the sudden onset of dizziness to scramble away from him. Having every advantage, he allowed me a yard or so before leisurely walking up behind me. I heard his weighted hoofs approach and knew I had just seconds to act. I whipped my sword from my belt, drawing it across his hairy thigh. Without giving him the chance to recover, I kicked him where I had just cut him. With a groan, he collapsed to one leg. I quickly stood, drawing my sword back to deliver a fatal blow. But I underestimated him. He growled and swung his head, aiming his horns at me. I was forced to jump back. Seeing that, he levered himself into a standing position before pawing the ground and lowering his head. I recognized the behavior and ducked behind a tree just in time. His horns flashed in the moonlight right where I had been standing. His next attack came only seconds later. The tree groaned when he slammed his skull against it, horns appearing on either side of the trunk, very nearly gouging my arms. When he backed up to prepare for a second charge, I ran.
Admittedly, it was not the smartest plan I'd ever had. But, then again, I normally had Edmund beside me to balance out my stupidity with a bit of rationality and a huge heaping of common sense. The reminder that my brother was missing was hardly necessary, yet it stabbed through me and I made a rash decision to doubleback around. Again, Edmund was the more clever out of the two of us and I'm sure he would not have approved of me heading straight for the raging minotaur. The plan was an illogical, stupid, and reckless one. But it was unexpected. And I'd never met a minotaur that could improvise. So I reversed direction abruptly, using a screen of hanging vines to cover my change in orientation.
It was too late to change my mind. Using the thunder of the brute's own steps to mask my lighter ones, I sprinted past him, imagining the giant arms reaching out and snatching me as I went past. But, by the grace of Aslan, he never saw me. He kept going forward and I kept going back. I hoped we'd never see each other again.
It was probably futile to seek out the stream. The wraith had led me in such an extraordinarily zigzagging pattern, and I had run off farther after that, that I doubted I would ever be able to figure out my way to where I had last seen my brother. My real brother. Not some monster in his image. But I had to try. Keeping my sword at the ready, readjusting my stride to a more easily maintained jog, I pressed on through the trees. It seemed strange to me that the moonlight came more easily through the trees than the sunlight had. I suspected it had something to do with the evil nature of the place. Whether the jungle had started out that way or simply become tainted by the Fell creatures that inhabited it, I didn't know. Either way, it didn't matter.
My foot snagged on a bramble of some sort, and I fell. Again. My sword went flying, and so did I. A sturdy tree trunk halted my flight, and I grimaced when I detected the warm blood welling from a gash in my forehead. After picking myself up, brushing moist dirt and clinging leaves from my tunic, I resolved never to step foot inside another jungle. Or forest. Or wood. Or clump of trees. Edmund was more than welcome to keep his woodland realm all to himself. Personally, I was through with trees, and branches, and roots, and sticks, and twigs, and dirt, and mud, and vines, and dim light, and long shadows, and strange noises, and dangerous animals, and anything else related to forests or jungles or woods that I couldn't think of at the moment.
Something moved nearby. I raised my hand, settling into a ready stance. Only to be reminded that I no longer had possession of the pirate sword. Keeping half my attention on the section of jungle I guessed my company to be approaching from, I dropped to a crouch to search out my lost weapon. Fortunately, my fingers closed around the hilt of the blade and I pulled it close. The advancing creature stopped, as if it too had sensed it was not alone. I stayed balanced on the balls of my feet, knees bent, poised to strike at the first sign of hostile intent. A minute dragged by. And another. Noiselessly, I passed the sword to my left hand in order to wipe my sweaty right palm along my thigh. The air was thick around me, undisturbed and quiet. I strained my eyes but saw nothing beyond the silvery outlines of trees, bushes, and vines. The cut on my forehead leaked a few more drops, the liquid tickling at my eyebrow, so I swiped it away with the back of my wrist. Tired of the suspense, I impatiently leaped forward, making my presence known. The thing in the shadows startled, falling back a step into a patch of moonlight.
It looked like Edmund. But I wasn't about to let my guard down around a second time. There was the very real possibility this was the wraith, coming back to finish what the minotaur had interrupted. I slipped behind a tree, watching it carefully.
"Peter?"
I blinked. The wraith hadn't tried talking before. But that didn't mean it was incapable of speaking with Edmund's voice. I watched as it came forward slowly, cautiously almost. Or perhaps menacingly. It could be hunting me. I ground my teeth and waited until it was passing right next to me. I got caught up in the moment, forgetting which blade I was holding, so accustomed was I to having Rhindon that I jumped out from behind my shelter, swinging the pirate sword at the right height for decapitation.
"Peter! Stop!" The figure had excellent reflexes, dropping beneath the attack just in time. "It's me."
Engaged in the fight, having lost my chance to flee undetected, I took another swipe at it. This time, my strike landed. And I knew it was truly my brother when the blade skimmed across his upper arm, tearing a hole his sleeve and nicking the skin beneath.
"Edmund!" I exclaimed happily.
"Yes, like I already told you," he grumbled, clamping a hand down on his mild injury.
"Sorry about that," I apologized sheepishly, nodding to the cut.
He shrugged. "It's nothing more than a scrape."
"I thought you were a wraith," I explained.
His arched eyebrow revealed his disapproval. "And you thought you could fight it with that?" He tipped his chin disdainfully at the sword in my hand.
"Honestly, I wasn't thinking much at all," I revealed, embarrassed.
He shook his head with a snort.
"Have you found the way out of here?" I asked eagerly.
"Do you think I would be standing here if I had?" he returned wryly. "And by the way, you look awful," he added.
"Thanks," I grumbled, wiping a sweaty and dirty hand over my sweaty and dirty and bloody face. "But you're hardly looking courtly yourself."
He shrugged. "I wasn't planning on impressing the Fell beasts who are currently trying to kill us."
"Speaking of which…" I trailed off, clearing my throat. "We should probably head out if we don't want to get caught."
"Again," Edmund muttered cheekily.
"What was that?" I asked, knowing full well what he had said.
He folded his hands behind his back, the very picture of faux innocence. "Nothing."
"Tell me, which one of us got snatched by a harpy?" I teased.
"And who got jumped by a werewolf?" he countered.
"Or cornered by a tiger?"
"Or stumbled into a group of goblins and boggles?"
I held up a hand. "This argument is pointless."
"You only say that when I'm winning," Edmund complained.
The bushes around us came to life, shaking and rustling. Petty squabbling forgotten, my fingers flexed around the hilt of my sword, while Edmund tensed beside me. Seconds later, a pack of ankle slicers burst from the undergrowth, darting about like fish in a river. I prepared to fend off their attack. But it never came. Instead, the little creatures ran pell-mell past us, giving us the same attention as tree trunks or other obstacles. They scurried around our legs without stopping, a dozen or more of them, shrieking and waving their scrawny arms aloft. Edmund and I exchanged a look. Then the ground beneath us began to quake as a series of thunderous thumps echoed through the trees. Beneath the bass of that noise, a higher pitched squealing became audible. I lifted my sword defensively.
The trees were suddenly parted by the ginormous shape of an ogre. My mouth dropped open in shock. The beast was larger than any I had ever encountered. In one massive hand, he held a wriggling minoboar. The thing continued shrieking in fear and as Edmund and I watched, the ogre put the Fell into its mouth, biting down with pointed teeth. While loudly chewing on the single mouthful, the ogre pulled what remained of the minoboar from between his jaws, tossing it into a bag that hung around his waist. The bag looked to be made from an animal hide, no doubt a previous victim. I glanced at Edmund. His face was twisted in revulsion.
"Ed, run," I whispered. When he continued to stare, I raised my voice. "Edmund, run!"
Instantly, the ogre's attention snapped to us. With a growl, he swung his arm at us, knocking me and my brother to the ground. I winced when I heard the crunch Edmund made when he hit a tree. Picking him as the weaker target, the ogre advanced on him. I jumped to my feet, rushing to put myself between them. Edmund rolled over, a hand held protectively to his ribcage. I grabbed his elbow and hauled him upright roughly.
"Go, Edmund. Run and don't stop no matter what," I ordered. "I'm right behind you. Run!"
I shoved him, hard. He took a couple stumbling steps before shaking out of his daze and setting off at a sprint. I whirled back to face the ogre. The beast's nostrils were flaring and he threw back his head to let loose a roar. Taking advantage of the unexpected opportunity, I ducked into the jungle, following Edmund. I hadn't gotten far before I felt thick fingers wrap around my torso. The next thing I knew, I was being lifted into the air. I struggled to get free but the ogre's hand only tightened until I couldn't breathe. Through the black spots swirling through my vision, I could see his open mouth approaching. A burst of strength rushed through me and I twisted around until my sword arm was free. I jabbed the tip of my weapon into the closest of his meaty fingers. Surprised more than hurt, his grip sprang open and I tumbled to the ground. Angered, he reached for me again. I rolled between his legs, and attempted to get to my feet. Only to have my left ankle give out under me. Swallowing a groan, I sank to my knees.
The ogre spun around as quickly as he could, given his size, and narrowed his eyes at me. His flat lips peeled back into an unpleasant smile, his thick tongue darting out to moisten them. Refusing to surrender, I surged upright, ignoring the protest of my ankle. Settling into a guarded stance on my other foot, I lifted my sword, returning his hungry expression with a determined one. He regarded me and my blade for a moment, then reached out and ripped a large branch from the closest tree. His new weapon added to the already considerable reach of his arm. He clearly had the advantage, as I could scarcely risk getting close enough to wound him without putting myself within striking distance. Under normal circumstances, I would seriously consider a tactical retreat. But my sprained, possibly broken, ankle ruled that out as an option. Therefore, dispatching the ogre quickly was my only choice. He had height, weight, and muscle against me. My usual advantage of speed and agility was severely impaired by my ankle. Alone, injured and without backup, I inhaled and closed my eyes for a second, offering a silent prayer to the Lion.
And opened them just in time to see the ogre attack with surprising swiftness.
ChildofGod: that title fits as well, all though it is a bit of a mouthful ;) *glances left and right nervously* *accepts cordial* I will only take one drop, I promise!
NarniaGirl: I completely understand-real life is such a bother, isn't it? :P Here's another cliffhanger for you. It was unintentional, I swear! The chapter was already written before I got your review.
CinnamonRoll4Lif: Ooooh! Yummy! I wish I got cinnamon rolls for every story I wrote. But these are fantastic! I don't have to share them, do I?