After so many days alone with Maraly and the Bennet siblings, the man's presence startled Janner so badly that he staggered backward, tripped over a stone, and nearly fell. Janner couldn't tell from the man's smile if he was a friend or an enemy. Could he be one of the rebels? one of Gammon's men?
Maraly, Elisheva and Zev still slept under a pile of furs at the camp, a stone's throw away. Janner glanced at his pack, where his sword lay.
"Don't do that, boy. I'm fast. Faster than a bomnubble." The man lifted his coat and tossed something big, white, and furry. It thudded to the ground and rolled to Janner's feet. The grisly head of a bomnubble stared at him with dead eyes.
"It was on your trail," the man said. "Caught your scent after you and your friend ran off with the pelts."
Janner's face flushed. Nearby, Zev stirred, he blinked his eyes sleepily and stopped when he heard people talking. He recognized Janner's voice but who's that guy?
"Don't feel bad, boy. It was a fine idea, and mighty brave of you four to enter a bomnubble den. But you're lucky there wasn't another asleep in the back of the cave."
"Who are you?" Janner asked.
"Someone who's been watching you."
Zev froze, his eyes clenched shut. Were they busted?
Janner said nothing, but the sea dragon's warning rang in his mind: He is near you. Beware.
"You're making good progress, if it's to the Ice Prairies you mean to go. That is where you mean to go, isn't it?" the man asked with another of his mysterious, too-friendly smiles.
"Maybe," Janner said, and he felt like a fool when the man doubled over with laughter.
"Well, maybe you'd like to fall in with me. That's where I'm headed too, and I've made the trip a number of times. Besides, these mountains are crawling with Fangs you probably don't want to meet."
"Fangs? You're lying. They can't survive the cold," Janner said.
"That used to be the case," the man said, growing serious.
Say what? Zev listened in closely.
The man explained. "Not anymore. These Fangs do just fine in the cold. Too fine. So fine, in fact, that all I've worked for is in danger. My army, my weapons, my hopes to defeat the Fangs and banish them from my land—all of it will be lost unless I can find a way to stop the Fangs."
"Gammon?" Janner figured out that was the man standing right in front of them.
"Aye," said the man. "And your name is Janner Wingfeather. I'm here to help you get to Kimera. The rest of your family is waiting."
"What? How do you know?"
"Got word from one of my men that a peglegged pirate, a little girl, her mother, and a round old man with spectacles arrived in Kimera a few days ago. They said their two boys and an older girl who was their friend were missing, so I've been looking for you. Why don't you and your brother there come with me? Your friends can join in too. Ordinarily I wouldn't be in such a rush, but I have an appointment to make."
Janner's shoulders slumped. "It's not my brother. That's Maraly—she's a Strander. My brother was taken by the Black Carriage."
Gammon's eyes flickered with—something. Janner assumed it was disappointment and hung his head.
"I'm sorry to hear that, Janner," said Gammon quietly. "Then Gnag the Name-less has caught his prey. Maker only knows what he will do with him."
"Gnag doesn't know who he is," Janner said. "They think he's just another boy from the Strand."
Gammon thought for a moment. "Well, there may not be much hope for your brother, but if the Fangs dont realize who they've caught, there may be some hope for the rest of us." Gammon stepped forward and held out his hand. "You've had a hard journey, lad. Why don't we move on? If we hurry, we'll be safe in Kimera by sundown, and you can rest in the company of those who love you." Janner felt a rush of relief, and all his suspicions about this man in black vanished. He nodded at Gammon and shook his hand.
Aw no, Zev turned over and began shaking Elisheva and Maraly awake. "Lish! Maraly! Wake up, we got company!"
"Zev, what is it?" Elisheva sat up sleepily and when she saw Gammon, she gasped.
Gammon held up his hands. "You needn't be afraid, you and your brother are safe."
Then Maraly awoke. And when she saw a man in her three feet away, she shrieked, leapt to her feet, and would have flung her dagger at him if he hadn't sprung forward and seized her wrist.
Elisheva looked ready to arm herself until Janner said the man's name was Gammon.
"The leader of the rebels?" Elisheva squinted. The man was sort of familiar, but she couldn't place it.
"Whoa, did you say rebels? As in a resistance waiting to fight the Fangs?" Zev questioned.
Janner then assured Maraly that Gammon was a friend did her snarling cease and Gammon released her.
"You're strong for a girl," said Gammon.
"Girl or boy makes no difference to a Strander," she said gruffly as she snapped her dagger into its sheath. But it was clear the compliment made her proud.
"We could use more like you in Kimera. Strong and quick and willing to fight when the time comes. That's why all of Skree is in this mess, after all."
"Because no one fought when the Fangs came?" Janner asked.
"Aye. My countrymen scattered like hens in a coop." He winked at Janner. "But in a few days' time, we'll see another kind of scattering. I've a plan that just might save us all." Gammon then set his eyes on Elisheva, "You must be the Key that's got the Fangs riled up."
"Guilty as charged," Elisheva replied. "Thanks to Janner here, my little brother managed to avoid getting sent to the Nameless Psycho."
Zev had finally calmed and introduced himself. "Name's Zev, put 'er there!" He extended his hand for Gammon to shake.
Gammon chuckled and shook Zev's hand.
"What kind of plan?" Janner asked.
Gammon paused, and Janner again thought he saw a shadow pass over his face. "I can't exactly say. Nine years of slipping in and out of lower Skree, dodging Fangs and trolls at every turn, makes a man keep his secrets in his own head. Migg Landers is a fine example of that. He was loyal to me for years, but men have a way of wearing down. Betrayed you, Ronchy, and me too. Got himself a Fang bite for his trouble. Don't look so surprised. I know all about what happens in Dugtown, boy. Hardly a troll burps that I don't find out about it from one of my men. Whatever plan I have, I aim to keep it to myself. But you can trust me-this goes for you too, lass," he said with a nod to Maraly, whose distrust was plain on her face. "And for your friends here. You won't find another fella more eager to get these Fangs out of Skree, nor a man more loyal to his land."
Elisheva stood her hand on Zev.
"I can see from the way you are all eying each other that you need to have a talk," Gammon said. "I'll move on to the north side of the lake and wait for you there. But don't take too long. The far slope of the Witch's Nose is a bad place to be after dark." Gammon then strode away until the furs on his back gave him the look of a bear moving along the water line.
"Are you worried?" Janner then asked Maraly, Elisheva and Zev. He trusted Gammon, but he cared a great deal what they thought. Maraly was shrewd and had far more experience around crooked men. Elisheva and Zev had lived a city, despite being out of their depth, they'd adapted well.
"Aye. I'm worried," Maraly said as she kicked dirt over the embers. "Question is, which is more dangerous, the mountains or the man?"
"Good question." Zev pointed out. "Think we should we risk it?"
Janner looked across the lake at Gammon, visible as a small brown patch amidst the rocks. Beyond, in the distance, towered white-toothed Mog-Balgrik. The mountain looked much more dangerous than the man.
"I'd feel better if we make it to the Ice Prairies and think up a plan to find my and Zev's dad." Elisheva said, "But I trust you."
"I just want to get to the Ice Prairies," Janner said. "Let's go with him, all right?"
Maraly sighed. "Aye. But I'll have me dagger handy."
Elisheva relented, "Look, if he tries anything funny we jump him and run for it. Ok?"
"Aye."
"Let's do this." Zev nodded.
"Good," Gammon said when they approached a few minutes later, their packs on their backs, furs draped over every inch of their bodies.
The five of them left the lake and walked into the bitter wind. All that remained of their camp was the bomnubble's head, upon which a little yellow bird perched and sang.
The day was clear and cold.
But between them and the safe haven of Kimera lay what seemed an eternal expanse of stone and snow and wind. After they pushed through the pass, the ground fell away to reveal a magnificent hollow in the earth. They stood for a few minutes, agape at the airy nothingness before them.
Far, far below, a greenish river snaked through the canyon, as narrow as a thread from this height. The walls of the canyon were so steep and smooth that not even snow found purchase. To the left and right, the Stony Mountains parted.
On the far side of the canyon the mountains continued, and Mog-Balgrik was their champion. Though the sky was unbearably blue and free of a single wisp of cloud, the peak of the Witch's Nose pinned a swath of ghostly mist to the heavens.
"I stop here every time," said Gammon. The wind whipped locks of black hair across his face, and he held one gloved hand up to shield his blue eyes from the light. "Grand, isn't it?"
Janner and Maraly were speechless. Elisheva and Zev nodded, not saying a word.
Gammon pointed at Mog-Balgrik and grinned. "That's where we're headed. I know it looks like we'll never arrive, but the going is easy until we get to her foot. Then it's up around her shoulder and down into the Ice Prairies."
"Great." Zev whispered.
"That's good." Elisheva said.
Janner smiled, but Maraly did not.
"You all right?" Janner asked her, then immediately regretted it. Of course she wasn't all right.
With every step, Janner was closer to those who loved him, Th Bennet siblings approached a safe haven, but Maraly was farther from her only family. The fact that they wanted her dead only made it worse.
Maraly shrugged. "Well, are we goin' or not?" she said, then spat. The wind took it, and the five of them watched the little ball of spittle float down into the canyon.
Gammon led the four young ones along a trail that was barely visible but simple enough to follow, and the company walked eastward around the canyon rim to the north side. Always the drop was to their left, bringing to mind times of the cliffs at Glipwood.
Elisheva and Zev exchanged glances, this was a perilous hike and it wouldn't be too far fetched if they going to mountain climb the next minute.
If someone had told Janner earlier that summer that he would have seen the things he had seen, he would have scoffed. He had braved Fingap Falls, felled Fangs (though not very many) with his bow and arrows, survived the Fork Factory, torn through the empty streets of Dugtown by the light of the torch towers, and now he was deep in the Stony Mountains, covered in wolf skins with friends.
Mog-Balgrik was a terrible sight but no more so than many of the things their eyes had seen.
The sun sailed across the clear sky and slipped behind a mountain. At last the canyon was behind them, and they zigzagged up the face of the Witch's Nose. Even Gammon was winded, and he stopped every few minutes to allow the others to catch up and find their breath. The trail was littered with shale and pebbles, and the higher they climbed, the more snow was piled above and below.
"We have to...hurry," Gammon said between breaths. "It's not far now." He pointed to a cluster of boulders above and to the right. "We just have to make it to there; then we circle the mountain and...well, you'll see. I think you'll enjoy the last bit of our journey. Quick now! The sun descends!"
There it is again, Janner thought. That tickle of recognition. He knew he had seen Gammon before—but where?
Gammon sprang up the face of the mountain toward the boulders. Pebbles clicked and tumbled into snowdrifts below.
Janner took a deep breath and followed, Maraly close at his heels with the Bennet siblings bringing up the rear. The air was thin, the wind biting, and the first stars shimmered in the air above the great peak. At last they reached the boulders.
A well-used trail wound between them, and Janner found Gammon resting inside. The rocks provided a buffer from the wind, and after so much time in the great openness of the range, the cleft was a nest of safety.
"It's dark, lad. The snickbuzzards will be wheeling."
Janner's face fell. Elisheva and Zev's eyes widened with surprise. Maraly drew her dagger and clenched her jaw. Gammon nodded at her with admiration. Janner fumbled to find his sword and with a great commotion managed to draw it from the skins draped over his backpack.
"What do we do?" he asked, hating how frightened he sounded.
"The dusk isn't gone just yet, so we might get lucky and only see a few birds. Listen close." Gammon bent over and looked the children in the eye. "Keep as close to me as you can, clear around the mountain. It's not a short distance, but it's not too far to run without a rest. Can you keep up?"
"Yes sir," said Janner. Maraly nodded and spat again.
"We are now." Zev said holding his fire crackers and Elisheva's sling.
Got it. Elisheva clutched her sword
"Once we're on the east side of the mountain, we're all but home. We just have to mount the boggan and slide to safety. But as I said, the buzzards will be wheeling. If I were alone, I'd sleep here for the night and press on in the morning. But time is precious, and with you four warriors on guard, I think we'll make it without a scratch. All clear?"
"Er," said Janner, "what's a boggan?"
Gammon laughed. "Don't worry about that. You'll see soon enough. Get behind me and have your blades drawn. When the snickbuzzards swoop, hack away."
"Hack away," Janner said with a gulp.
"Hack away," Gammon repeated, clapping Janner on the shoulder. "Or at least be ready for anything. You ready, little lady?"
Maraly narrowed her eyes at Gammon. "Aye, I'm ready. Killed more snickbuzzards than you, old man. Eaten more too, I'd bet."
Gammon straightened with a chuckle. "That you have, lass. I'm certain of it." He led them through the corridor between the boulders and halted at the exit. "You all ready to run? If were lucky, they'll have soup on the stove for us. There's always a grand welcome for Skreeans in Kimera."
"Ready," The four said.
"Now!" Gammon cried, and they burst from their cover. They ran through the snow across the face of the mountain.
All that remained of the daylight was a smudge of pale yellow at their backs. Before them, beyond the mountain, stars shone like diamonds. As they rounded Mog-Balgrik, the moon came into view, yellow as a wolf's eye and casting a rich light over the vast sweep of the Ice Prairies.
Janner's vision blurred and his legs trembled. He couldn't run much longer. He would have to stop for air, and if the snickbuzzards came for him, so be it. Moments before his will was snuffed, he crashed into Manly and they tumbled into the snow. They came up sputtering, covered with snow and slush.
"Get up!" Gammon cried. "They're coming!"
Janner pushed himself to his feet and pulled Maraly with him. Elisheva drew her sword. Zev was fumbling with the sling and a stone.
Gammon struggled with an object buried in snow, casting nervous glances at the sky. Silhouetted against the blue-black sky, blotting out star after star, was a descending cloud of snickbuzzards.
To be continued….
Author's note: Working on the chapters and editing them. TBH I was starting to lose interest in even updating since no one else seems to notice the new chapters but me and one anonymous reviewer.
LaTee: Glad you're enjoying it. It's nice to see someone more consistent with reviews who appreciates what I put out there, instead of nitpicking.