Ewar's Outtake Part Three
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It was time for Ewar to travel to the future. Bella was on his lap. Alistair wished him luck and activated the chair.
Chaos ensued.
Alistair had no choice but to retreat a safe distance away, his back pressed against the cave's farthest wall, as his friends disappeared before his very eyes.
For Ewar, the experience was borderline traumatic. Zapping noises bombarded his eardrums. Electric sparks danced in the air surrounding him and Bella. The cave chamber turned wobbly, then blurry. He blinked, but his vision did not improve.
Another crack of lightning and all went dark.
A peculiar sensation plagued him, as though he was rushing forward and being pressed backward into the chair at the same time. His only comfort was knowing Bella was there with him.
Bright, tiny dots appeared from within the darkness. Ewar assumed they were a part of the night sky. It wasn't long before he realized his mistake. Thousands of stars don't zip past you faster than a charging bison, leaving streaks of light in their wake! The effect left him both dizzy and nauseous. Now he understood why Alistair had encouraged him to close his eyes during the journey.
Without warning, the chair lurched underneath him. Everything came to a halt.
The star-like dots had been snuffed out, leaving Ewar unable to see. His instincts told him that he had arrived somewhere. Yet, something felt off. Inescapable bitter cold had swept over him. His limbs were weightless. At the same time, he felt oppressed, as though an unseen force threatened to crush him.
He took in a breath.
Water!
It flooded up his nostrils, and when he went to yell, more filled his mouth. He snapped his jaw shut and sealed his lips together, but it was too late. Panic had already set in.
He needed air... NOW!
All coherent thought fled. His only concern was to get out of the water. But, where should he go? It was impossible to tell up from down! His arms and legs flailed wildly. The basket Alistair had given him fell off his shoulder and disappeared into the blackness. Ewar could not have cared less over the fate of his supplies, not when his life was at stake.
Amid the confusion, an inner voice screamed at him.
Bella!
His heart skipped upon realizing she was no longer on his lap. He scrambled to find her, but the task was not easy. The pitch-black water robbed him of most of his senses. He could not see, hear, or smell. Only his sense of touch remained intact. Reaching out, his fingers grazed something an arms-length away. With relief, he recognized Bella's long hair. He followed the trail until he located her head, neck, and shoulders. Quickly, he locked his arm around her waist, vowing to not let go until they were both out of the water.
He looked all around, searching for an escape route. To his left, he noticed a place where the blackness was in a lighter shade. As he went to investigate, his lower leg caught on something hard and unyielding. He couldn't swim! Once again, panic took over. He thrashed around like a trapped animal.
It was sheer luck that his erratic movements took him exactly where he needed to go.
He crashed shoulder-first into a solid wall of rock. Shaking off the pain, he used his free hand to explore. A little to the right, he located a hole large enough for himself and Bella to squeeze through. Although there was no guarantee of safety on the other side, it was their only hope for survival.
With one last forceful kick, whatever had clung to his leg was dislodged, allowing him to swim unencumbered.
The moment he exited the hole, he noticed a difference. The suffocating darkness was left behind. Faint, shimmering light shone from above. It had to be the sky. But it looked so far away! Not even the lake where he learned how to swim was as deep as this. His chest ached and his muscles burned from exertion. His instincts said he must breathe, even if it meant breathing in water.
It was becoming increasingly likely he would drown within sight of what could have been his salvation.
Which would mean Bella would die along with him.
That grim possibility pushed him harder. He fought through the pain, paddling faster than he had ever before. The pale light grew stronger. And through unshakable determination, he made it to the top.
"Ghuahh!"
He sucked in fresh air the moment he broke through the surface. It flowed into his lungs and bloodstream, revitalizing him. While it was an enormous relief, his worries were far from over. The water was brutally cold. He needed to get himself and Bella to dry land as soon as possible - but he was unsure where it might be. Early morning fog surrounded him like a blanket. It was impossible to see through. He was forced to choose a direction at random and start swimming.
He pulled Bella along, ensuring her head remained above the water line. Eventually, he was able to make out a vague outline of something big up ahead. His feet soon touched a muddy bottom. Finally, land! He carried Bella out of the water and collapsed on shore.
He took a moment to collect himself. His chest still heaved, and his limbs were sore. He had never been more exhausted in all his life. Other than that, he was unharmed. The only casualty were his shoes. The natural materials were not meant for total water submersion. They had disintegrated on his feet.
He rolled onto his side to check on Bella. Wet hair was plastered to her face. When he brushed it away, what he saw stole his breath.
Her skin was ghostly pale. Her lips were tinted blue. She looked...
He couldn't finish the thought. It was with great dread that he placed his ear against her chest.
She was not breathing.
It would have been easy to fall apart at the discovery, but something forced him to remain calm. How many lives had Arl saved by keeping his composure? Ewar mimicked his healer uncle's bedside manner and began chest compressions on Bella.
It was the same healing touch she had taught his people.
There was no opportunity to dwell on the irony. Her life lay in the hands of a man who wouldn't have known the technique if she hadn't shown it to him herself. Instead, Ewar concentrated on pumping the area above her heart. Occasionally, he blew into her mouth, filling her lungs with air. Keeping the correct rhythm was a physically demanding job. It monopolized what little energy he had left. Still, he did not dare rest.
"Ggrrgl."
The noise rumbled from within Bella's chest. He stopped giving compressions and tilted her head to the side. Liquid drained from her mouth. Then, came a soft, hiccuping cough.
Her eyes remained shut, but she was breathing on her own again.
Seeing her alive was a balm to Ewar's soul. Nevertheless, he broke down. All of the anguish he had endured in the days following Bella's injury came flooding out of him. He had been so close to losing her - not once but twice! First when the Soul Eater attacked, and now when she almost drowned in his arms.
He laid his head against her shoulder and wept for the first time in years.
The trill of a songbird brought him back to his senses. He was wasting time. Bella needed a warm bed and dry clothes. Otherwise, she might catch a cold... or worse.
Ewar scooped her up and debated on what to do next. Alistair had instructed him to leave her near a house, insisting the residents would know what to do once they found her. But, there were no homes to be seen. He saw only a mountainous wilderness and what appeared to be a lake shrouded in mist.
The chair was supposed to have taken them to Alistair's cave and beloved valley in the distant future.
Had it taken him and Bella elsewhere instead?
Ewar shrugged off that conundrum and focused on finding help. He looked to the sky and noted that the sun had not yet risen above the hills. It was early morning. Mud puddles were scattered around, indicating it had rained recently. The fog was persistent. He could barely see anything more than a stone's throw away. He wandered around without any idea of where to go. It wasn't until he detected a pungent aroma in the air that his luck changed.
Smoke.
A fire had to be nearby. And where there was fire, there were usually people.
He tracked the scent. It led him up an incline and into a grove of hardwood trees. They stood in perfect rows, and the ground was free of leaf litter. It was unnatural, but he could not allow his curiosity to distract him.
As stealthy as a fox, he moved through the miniature forest. In the middle, he discovered a campfire of smoldering coals. Three tents sat not far away. They were brightly colored and did not appear to be made of animal skins. Creeping closer, he heard light snores and heavy breathing coming from inside of them. Carefully, he laid Bella by the remnants of the campfire. It would provide her with some warmth.
This was it.
Ewar knew he needed to leave before he was spotted. Alistair had been adamant about that. Still, Ewar could not resist giving Bella some form of goodbye. He leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips.
"Get well," he whispered in the language of his people. "I will be waiting for you."
He rose and began backing away. This simple task took Herculean effort. A piece of himself was being left behind.
How could Alistair expect him to leave her like this?
Strangers were inside those tents. Who's to say they would do the right thing and seek help for her? And even if they were trustworthy, the sun was barely up. Hours might pass before anyone awoke and noticed there was a severely injured woman at their campsite.
It was a possibility Ewar refused to allow.
He gathered a handful of stones from the ground and stuffed them inside the tool pouch hanging from his rope belt. Looking around, he located a large tree covered in thick foliage. He climbed it and took a seat on a branch midway up. It offered a bird's eye view of the campsite below. Thanks to the foliage, no one would notice him unless they looked up and studied the tree thoroughly.
Ewar retrieved a rock from his pouch and took aim. It landed just short of the nearest tent. The next one he threw harder and hit its target. The tent shook but made very little noise. Ewar was forced to change tactics. He scooped up nearly every stone he had and threw them all at once.
Most bounced off the sides of the tents, but a few struck their metal pole frames. One stone clanged against a cooking pan that was left outside. The racket it created was enough to wake even the deepest of sleepers.
"What's going on?!"
Five people poured out of the tents. Ewar was slightly disappointed to see that they were young boys. Would they even know what to do in an emergency?
All of them were looking around in confusion. A redheaded boy spoke first. "I wonder what made all that noise?"
"Must've been hail," answered another boy. "Hey, George. You said the forecast only called for light rain!"
"That's what my weather app said; don't blame me if they got it wrong!"
"I don't see any hail," commented the redheaded boy.
"Maybe it melted."
"In the ten seconds it took for us to get out of our tents? Jack, that's the dumbest thing you've ever said!"
A fourth boy - the tallest among them - held up his hand for silence. "Shut it, guys. Look!"
Every head turned toward the woman lying unconscious by their campfire. They were all stunned into temporary silence.
The red-headed boy gulped. "Is she dead?"
"I dunno, Ethan," said George. "Sure looks like it, though."
While the others wondered aloud where she could have come from, the tallest boy was the only one brave enough to check her condition. He pressed two fingers against Bella's neck.
He flinched back. "Shit, she's got a pulse!"
"She's alive?!"
"Yeah, but she needs help. George, gimme your mobile."
"No way! Use your own."
"Mine's out of battery."
"Then use someone else's! You're not using my phone. The police would trace it back to me and know exactly where we called from."
"So?"
"We're trespassing, Oli! When the cops figure out we camped here without the owner's permission, they'll tell our parents - and my mum thinks I slept at your house last night. If she finds out I lied, she won't let me leave the house until I'm like... thirty."
Some of the other boys echoed George's concern. The tallest boy - Oli, evidently - raised his voice.
"Calm down! I've got an idea."
Ewar eavesdropped on the discussion but understood only a little. The boys decided they would say nothing about camping. They would claim to the "police" that they came to the "reservoir" for an early morning hike and found the unconscious woman somewhere on the trail. If pressed, the boys would say they couldn't remember where. That way, their campsite would remain a secret.
Now that their story was agreed on, their tents were quickly dismantled. Ethan was put in charge of hiding the gear until they could come back for it later. The rest of the boys formed a team to carry out Bella. As they moved her down a trail, Ewar followed like a ghost. It was a good thing there was fog. The landscape was largely grass with very little cover. Ewar used the fog to his advantage. No one would see him as long as he stalked them carefully.
After some time had passed, the terrain flattened somewhat. The trail met another, much larger, path. It was black and perfectly smooth, unlike any Ewar had ever seen. The boys stopped at its edge and waited. Ewar had no choice but to conceal himself behind an outcrop of rock. Before he could question why the boys had stopped, a peculiar humming sound stole his attention.
A large blue object appeared on the path.
It moved by itself! No one pushed it. Ewar came to the realization that the humming noise was coming from it. Blinding lights shone from the front. When Ewar squinted, he saw that it wasn't solid blue. He could see through the object in certain places - and a MAN was sitting inside!
A memory hit Ewar out of nowhere. Hadn't he seen something like this before? Bella once showed him the image of a similar object on her magic stone.
He shook his head. No, not magic stone. She called it a phone.
"Car," he whispered into the misty air.
Two of the boys ran out in front of the car, waving their arms and yelling. The car slammed to a halt. The man stepped out of the vehicle to speak with them. Ewar couldn't make out what was being said. But, he did see the man pull out something and hold it to his ear. It looked exactly like Bella's phone, the one still inside her pocket.
Minutes went by. The boys and man kept watch over her. A rolled-up shirt was wedged under her head to act in place of a pillow. That small act of kindness gave Ewar hope that she would be treated well.
Suddenly, there came a piercing wail. Ewar slapped his hands over his ears to muffle the noise. Another vehicle appeared with flashing lights. A woman stepped out this time. She was dressed in all black except for a bright yellow vest covering her shirt. By the way she strode up and took charge, Ewar guessed she was an authority figure - or "police" as the boys had mentioned before.
As the woman checked on Bella's condition, another car identical to hers showed up. Two men wearing similar outfits began talking with the boys. Oli pointed them toward the trail that was just used to transport Bella.
All it would take is for someone to walk a few steps down the trail and Ewar would be seen.
And according to Alistair, that would be very bad.
Ewar took one last look at his wife. She was being cared for now. Even so, turning his back and leaving her with strangers felt like a betrayal.
He forced himself to go. It was too risky to stand. The fog was thinning out. Within another half hour, it would all be gone. He had no choice but to belly crawl his way to safety. While it wasn't pleasant, he had done this maneuver many times. It was the best way to sneak up on grazing animals.
Once he had made it some distance away, he took his chances and ran.
Daylight was melting the cloud cover. He needed to find somewhere to hide. But first, ensuring his survival was his top priority. His damp clothes and the chilly temperature were a risk to his health. So, he followed the trail back to the boys' camp. No one was around. The tents and other gear were missing as well. The fire appeared to be out, but Ewar knew better. A small amount of smoke lingered. He dug through the ash until he located a charred piece of wood. As he blew on it, an ember glowed orange from within.
It was exactly what he was hoping for. He wrapped the wood in a fresh leaf and took off running again.
His instincts urged him to stay close to the lake since it could provide both drinking water and food. However, doing such a thing would be the height of stupidity. Other people would be drawn to the lake, too. If he tried hiding near it, it was almost guaranteed he would be discovered. His best bet was to find a place so uncomfortable that no one would bother stepping foot near it.
His only choice was to go up the mountainside.
Ewar was shivering and out of breath by the time he found what he needed. A small patch of woods grew on a steep incline between two peaks. He looked for signs of recent human activity but found none. The unlevel ground discouraged most people from camping there. It was perfect. The trees would provide cover even in the daytime.
Although he was tired, starting a fire was his foremost concern. He couldn't build one just anywhere. The smoke could potentially draw unwanted attention to his campsite. He would have to use tricks to conceal its presence. The easiest method was to construct the fire underneath the densest tree canopy. The smoke would spread out over a wider area, dissipating as it filtered through the branches above.
The ground was damp. So too was the wood lying on it. His knowledge of how to survive alone in the wilderness came into play once again. He looked for dead branches hanging from trees and other elevated surfaces. They would be less prone to holding water. He managed to gather an armload of decently dry wood this way. For tinder, he used his flint tool to make wood shavings. The shavings were fed to the ember he had confiscated from the boys' campfire. Soon, he had a small fire going.
The clothing Alistair had given him was still wet. The fabric clung to his skin, making him uncomfortable and cold. He went to take off the shirt but paused at the buttons. They looked so small and delicate. If he handled them incorrectly, he would surely break them. He pushed each one through their hole slowly until the shirt was open in the front. He sighed in relief. None had been harmed.
His shirt and pants were hung from a branch. Then, as naked as the day he was born, he leaned against a tree closest to the fire and gave in to his exhaustion.
00000000000000000000
He slept until late afternoon.
His empty stomach rumbled, startling him from deep sleep. Stretching his stiff muscles, he stood and checked his clothes. They were dry thanks to the warmth of the fire. He dressed himself and decided he needed to check his surroundings for danger. It took only a short time to do a patrol of the area. No one had ventured near his camp as far as he could tell.
He paused at the wood line. He could see across a great distance thanks to the high elevation. The scenery was beautiful. Everything was green. Down below was a body of water of previously unimaginable proportions. He could barely believe that he almost drowned in it a few hours earlier. Strangely, the hills and mountains surrounding the great lake looked familiar...
His stomach dropped. He knew exactly where he was now.
The chair hadn't accidentally sent Bella and himself to some unknown location. Those hills and mountains were the same ones he, Mett, and Ehmay had climbed.
This was Alistair's valley.
Except, it now existed underwater. How had the "small" lake Alistair had spoken of grown into such a monster? It had consumed everything, including the cave that was supposed to have been Ewar's shelter.
It made him wonder what else regarding the future Alistair had gotten wrong.
A buzzing noise distracted him from his melancholic thoughts. Ewar looked all around but saw nothing out of the ordinary... until he spotted a white smudge in the sky. It maintained a steady course as it traveled east to west. Ewar ruled out the possibility that it was a bird. As the sound increased in volume, he noted its similarity to the sound the cars had made.
The answer hit him.
"Airplane," he muttered.
Bella had told him that humans would one day build things that could fly. Many people could fit inside a single airplane, and it could travel around the entire world in a day. He believed her stories, of course, but seeing one for himself was eye-opening. She hadn't exaggerated. Everything she had told him about her birthplace was real.
The knowledge was frightening. This world was nothing like the one he was born to. It made him feel small and insignificant.
Alistair's advice to stay hidden made even more sense.
He retreated to camp, his hunger growing by the minute. He had already taken stock of what the woods had to offer food-wise, which was very little. There were no nut trees or berry bushes. Stinging nettles grew in abundance, but without a way to boil them, the leaves would be too dangerous to eat. Drying them was another way to make them edible. However, drying took days and he was hungry now.
He would have to hunt.
It was not safe to leave camp. He would have to wait until after sunset. To divert his attention from the hollowness of his stomach, he began construction on a shelter. His stone knife sawed through the trunks of several young saplings. Ewar was thankful he had stored the knife in his tool pouch. The basket of supplies did not make it out of the lake. He tried not to dwell on the fact that he lost access to food and a blanket that would have kept him warm. He would have to survive by using his wits alone.
The secret to building a shelter was to utilize what Mother Nature had already provided. A large tree that had fallen in the recent past became the back wall of Ewar's shelter. For a roof, he tied together the young trees he had chopped down and added layers of bark and mud to help keep out the rain. The floor was lined with dry leaves to act as cushioning. The front of the dwelling was left open. A fire pit was built there. It would keep him from freezing to death on cold nights.
The shelter was complete by the time the birds were settling into their perches. Night would come soon. If he was going to hunt, he needed a weapon. He located a long, straight stick and sharpened it to a point. While he would have preferred a stone spearhead attached to the end, it would take hours to find the right stone and then knap it into the proper shape. For this hunt, the sharpened stick would have to do.
By the full moon's light, he crept from his hiding place and stood on a ridge overlooking the submerged valley. It was quiet. With squinted eyes, he spotted the glow of a fire on the opposite side of the lake. Someone was camping over there, just like the boys who found Bella.
He shoved the memory to the back of his mind. If he stopped to think about her, he would only worry and nothing would get done.
His footsteps were light as he made his way down the mountain. Two small streams were within reasonable distance of his camp. He scooped up a handful and drank. Later, he would use birch bark to make a vessel to store the precious liquid.
Since no one was around, he decided it was safe to use the trail. It made getting around easier. Even so, he remained cautious. At every sound, he stopped and listened. At least once he heard the scurrying of a small creature in the dark. He would set traps to catch it later. On this night, however, he wanted something bigger.
Trusting his intuition, he followed the trail up and over a hill. Alistair's valley was left behind. Up ahead, Ewar could just barely make out a plot of land flatter than any he had seen all day. The field was ideal habitat for grazing animals. If he could find and take down just one, he would have enough meat to last for weeks.
Excited by the possibility of a good meal, Ewar moved swiftly along the deserted trail. After a good amount of walking, he was surprised to find that the path was cut off by a barrier. A structure built of stone and wood stood between himself and the field. It reminded him of a wall of a house, yet it obviously wasn't since there was no roof. The structure was also very long. Did it ever end? He wasn't sure.
Ignoring the anomaly, Ewar climbed over it and landed on the soft ground on the other side. The grass was tall and lush, perfect for herbivores. He adjusted the spear in his hand and slouched slightly to conceal his presence. It wasn't long before he heard rustling grass, grunts and snorts.
Ewar headed towards the sounds.
Eyes squinting in the darkness, he began to make out rough shapes. He furrowed his brow once he got close enough to see what he was dealing with. The animals were around the size of a saiga antelope, which he had hunted often back home. That was where their similarities ended. Winter was not yet in sight, yet these creatures were still wearing heavy coats. Didn't most animals shed their outer fur when it was warm? And, why did the herd merely stare at him curiously? Did they not recognize danger? Any other animal would be running for their lives.
He could not afford to question his good fortune. He charged at them.
A few of the animals were spooked by his sudden movements. They made strange "baah" noises and backed away. The rest of the herd, however, were too confused to do much of anything. Ewar picked one animal at random. Since his weapon was not as deadly as he would have liked, it would require more strength than usual to pierce through that thick coat and hide.
He raised his weapon and braced himself for the kill.
One snarl changed everything.
A beast appeared seemingly from thin air. It growled like a wolf and had the general shape of a canine predator. Except... it was much smaller than any wolf Ewar had ever seen. And what wolf had floppy ears? And black fur with white markings?
There was no time to mull over these observations. The beast placed itself between Ewar and the herd. Its hackles were raised. Teeth were barred, gleaming like ivory blades in the moonlight.
"Ruff!"
It was unexpectedly loud. Not even a wolf could have produced such a threatening sound.
Suddenly, Ewar's sharpened stick didn't seem so reliable.
He turned and ran. He had a feeling if he looked behind him, the beast would be in hot pursuit. This was confirmed when something bit the back of his foot.
Thanks to an adrenaline rush, he launched himself over the wall surrounding the field and raced up the hill from which he originally came. The beast did not pursue him any further.
Ewar reached the hill's summit and ran out of steam. He had no choice but to rest. A small, insignificant cut was on his right heel. He wondered why the beast only nipped his foot when it had the teeth to cause worse damage. And now that he was thinking of it, why did the beast focus on him when there was an entire herd of grazing animals to hunt? Did the beast want to scare away competition?
Well, it worked. Ewar vowed to never hunt outside of Alistair's valley again. It was much too dangerous.
Dawn was steadily approaching. He used his time - and the improved lighting - to his advantage. While foraging, he found a handful of young sorrel leaves and stuffed them into his mouth. They were sour but perfectly edible. Under a rock he found three fat grubs. Although he preferred animal meat, he could not afford to turn up his nose at an easy meal. A bramble bush covered with white blossoms was another fortunate find. He plucked several of the flowers and scarfed them down. The rest he would leave undisturbed. The blossoms would turn into berries one day soon, and he was aware he might need them desperately by the time they were ripe.
As the sun rose, he dashed up the incline to his camp. He was not tired enough for sleep yet, so he worked. First, he collected the nettles scattered around. The fibrous plant made excellent rope, which meant snares could be made.
This was how he caught a red squirrel. He roasted it over a fire and ate well for the first time in two days.
With his belly full, he was able to give thought to other matters of importance. Alistair's cave was underneath the lake. The chair was there as well. Ewar did not like the chair. It held power beyond imagination. But how else would he and Bella return home?
There was no other choice. He would have to find that chair.
It would be unwise to jump into the search immediately. For three days, he monitored what the average day was like in the area. Early mornings were normally quiet. The trails were usually empty until well after the sun was up. Only once had Ewar seen someone awake other than himself in the predawn hours. Thankfully, the man had been too focused on enjoying the scenery to notice that Ewar was crouching behind a boulder.
The trails cleared around dusk. Ewar wasn't sure where everyone disappeared every night. While there was often at least one campfire burning near the lake after the sun set, it did not account for the great number of people he had seen hiking the trails earlier that day. Had they left and gone home elsewhere? Or, were they staying on the other end of the lake? Ewar had seen bright lights down that way. They did not flicker as a campfire would. The lights remained steady at all hours. Something about it made Ewar shiver. They felt unnatural.
He would not risk going anywhere near them.
On the fourth day since he had arrived in this strange new world, he decided it was time to look for Alistair's chair. After assuring himself that no one was around, he made his way down to the lake. He walked its shores until he came upon a cove. A cliff stood on one side while a wooded area sat on the other.
It was the same place where he had pulled Bella out of the lake. The cave was nearby, deep under the water.
Ewar stripped down to nothing. He folded his borrowed clothes carefully and set them on a rock for safekeeping. While staring at the water's surface, he inhaled and exhaled in order to build up oxygen into his bloodstream. He swung his arms and twisted his body to loosen his muscles. His final preparation was the most important: he closed his eyes and asked the Great Spirits to help guide him where he needed to go.
He stepped into the water and hissed at the cold sting. Grinding his teeth, he pressed forward and dove in headfirst. The plan was to explore the area in sections. If he was methodical in his search, he would locate the cave eventually.
The murky water made exploration difficult. He had been at it for a while when he once again returned to the surface for air. The sky was pinkish-gray instead of dark lavender. The sun had risen considerably.
He shook the water drops from his head. His ears drained. That's when he detected voices floating in the air.
He swam back to the cove without hesitation. Still dripping wet, he threw on his pants. There was no time to put on the shirt. The voices were getting closer. Whoever was talking was only moments away from rounding the bend and discovering him.
He stuffed the shirt under his armpit and crawled into the densest bush available to hide.
Seconds later, he was proven right. The figures of a man and woman appeared. They were talking back and forth as they strolled along the lake shore. Although that was perfectly normal for a couple to do, Ewar did notice something odd. The woman had a yapping creature tethered to a cord in her hand. The animal was ridiculously small, barely larger than a squirrel. Besides yapping, it liked to relieve its bladder every few steps, which slowed the couple down significantly.
"Charlotte, take off the lead," said the exasperated man. "Let Peanut run around for a while."
Charlotte did as the man suggested. The little creature's yapping increased now that it was no longer under anyone's control. Ewar assumed it would flee into the wilderness, as most wild animals would do if they were freed from a trap. But, no. It merely sniffed the ground and chased a stray leaf, earning chuckles from the people. And when it stopped to defecate, the man collected the droppings in a bag.
What strange people, thought Ewar. Why would anyone want to keep animal scat?
As the trio passed near the bush where Ewar had taken refuge, the tiny creature stopped mid-stride. Its nose twitched, sniffing the air. Black, beady eyes zeroed in on the source of the smell.
"Ru-ru-ruff! Ru-ru-ruff!"
The small animal stuck its head into the bush and growled. Ewar expected for it to try to bite him. Instead, it only showed its teeth. In a way, it reminded Ewar of the beast that stalked the field. But it was such a silly notion. There was no way this tiny creature could be related to that beast!
The man whistled. "Stop that, Peanut! Leave the rabbits alone!"
"Shouting isn't going to help," said the woman. "If you want Peanut to stop, you have to distract him from the bad behavior." She pulled out a small pouch and spoke in a high-pitched voice. "Look what I have, Peanut! Want some snackies?"
Peanut's ears perked up at that last word. With one final snarl at Ewar, the animal trotted away from the bush and was rewarded with a piece of food. As it was busy eating, the woman tethered it again and the three of them moved on.
Ewar waited until the coast was clear before coming out of hiding. He sat there a moment to sort out what he had seen. Why were the man and woman so determined to keep that animal? And why did they feed it? Were they fattening it up to make a meal out of it later?
He had so many questions.
The next day, he returned to searching the lake. It took a full week before he found the yawning black hole.
Getting to the cave wasn't too difficult now that he had the location memorized. Swimming inside it, however, was something else altogether. Ewar could see nothing once he passed through the entrance. It brought back traumatic memories. He pressed on, using his senses to guide him. He knew for a fact the cave was small. But when bathed in darkness, it felt endless.
The next stage of the operation took several attempts. Ewar could search only a small section of the cave by feeling around before needing to return to the surface for air. He found rocks aplenty. He even came across the basket that had been filled with supplies, though what hadn't floated away was almost certainly ruined.
But the chair? It had vanished without a trace.
He returned empty-handed to his shelter and attempted to make sense of it all. It was doubtful someone else went down there and stole the chair. And while the chair held extraordinary powers, it couldn't have disappeared on its own.
That's when it hit him.
During his hectic escape from the cave, something had trapped his lower leg, preventing him from being able to swim as he needed. He remembered he freed himself right as he was passing through the cave opening.
What if that "something" had been the chair?
It was the worst possible news. The cave sat on a slope. The chair might have continued rolling down that slope to the deepest, darkest part of the lake.
Even if he trained every day for the rest of his life, he would never be able to swim to such a depth.
It felt as though someone punched him in the gut. The chair was their only means of getting back home. How would he break the bad news to Bella? And, more importantly, how would she react?
Rather than focus on the possibility that she would be upset that he had lost the chair, he distracted himself by just surviving. Plants, nuts, and roots made up a large portion of his diet. He built traps and set them in the lake each evening. In the mornings he checked them for fish. Sometimes he was lucky; most days he was not. Snares caught small game occasionally, like rabbits and squirrels. He butchered the animals and smoked the meat over a fire for preservation purposes. He looked for signs of bigger game to hunt, but he never saw any.
Where were the bison? The horses? The elk? If he could track down and kill just one, he would have plenty of meat to live on. The skin would be useful, too. Blankets and water pouches could be made.
As Ewar entered the second week of his stay, he was reminded of another set of instructions Alistair had given him. The area surrounding the lake was vast. He needed to leave clues behind so Bella could find him. So, Ewar gathered clay and mixed it with water to make a red pigment. Crushed stone created an earthy brown. Black was made with burnt wood he ground by hand.
Armed with this color palette, he set out to do as Alistair advised.
During his many outings looking for food, Ewar came across flat objects with words written on them. They were attached to poles along the trails. Ewar stopped in front of one and read it.
Public Footpath
Causeway 3/4 mile
Unsure what most of it meant, Ewar decided it did not matter. This object would grab nearly anyone's attention. He had a feeling if Bella came across it, she would notice it too.
It was perfect for what he had in mind.
A piece of bark was his easel. His fingers were his brush. He painted the mystic symbols of his people: swirls, dots, and hand prints. He left his mark wherever he could, such as the flat piece of wood which said "Maldrew Point 400 yards." Boulders and the trunks of trees were not exempt, either. Once Bella was well enough to return to Alistair's valley, she would recognize his work. All she would need to do is follow the symbols up the mountain to where he was hiding.
Yet, as time passed, his hopes for a happy reunion grew fainter.
Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months. It had been early summer when he last saw her face. Back then, he held on to the belief the medicines would revive her quickly. He had seen enough of her homeland to believe nearly anything was possible. But, the warm season was almost over. The leaves would be turning brown soon, which meant winter was not far.
Why hadn't Bella returned to him yet?
Ewar tried not to assume the worst. His wife was strong. Stubborn, too. It was just taking longer than expected to heal her wound.
Even as he maintained this façade of hope, depression reared its ugly head.
It took everything in him to not curl into a ball and let the worry consume him. He reminded himself daily that he had to be prepared for when Bella recovered enough to come and find him. The painted symbols he created had to be reapplied often since they were exposed to the weather. He also had to check his traps for food. However, some of his other chores seemed too much of a bother to continue, like shaving. Hair sprouted thick across his jaw and upper lip. A bearded face was more susceptible to frostbite. Still, it was not enough to motivate him to shave it off.
The sun was high in the sky. It was not safe to leave the shelter at such a time. People swarmed the trails on nice days. Even as the sound of their voices occasionally drifted to his ears, the isolation weighed heavily on him. There was nothing except his memories to keep him company.
Ewar thought back to when he first met Bella. She stumbled into his life and made a permanent impression. Their marriage started off rocky. She had no idea what she was getting herself into when she accepted the hair comb he had made. He was devastated at her rejection, but Arl encouraged him to not give up. Following his uncle's advice, Ewar worked hard to build trust with her. He and Bella lived as roommates first. Later, they became good friends.
And, just as Arl predicted, Bella made the move to something more.
For the first time in ages, Ewar recalled that night. It was a few days before the cave lion attacked the village. As normal, Bella took the bed. He had been asleep on a mat by the fire. At some point during the night, he was startled awake by someone screaming. He found Bella thrashing around under the blankets, trapped in a terrible dream. He shook her shoulders until her eyes blinked open. She was grateful for his intervention and also reluctant to go back to sleep. She insisted he keep her company for a while in her bed.
He was not going to argue with that.
Bella showed him images on her phone to pass the time. He saw cars and buildings taller than trees. Seeing that such things existed in her homeland came as a shock. It was a bit frightening to know humans would one day be powerful enough to create them.
Even so, it was very late. Ewar couldn't keep his eyes open for long.
Imagine his surprise when he awoke hours later still in her bed - with Bella all over him.
She spoke no words, but her moans more than made up for the lack of conversation. Ewar could scarcely believe it. Her hands seemed to be everywhere at once, exploring him eagerly. Before that moment, he was unaware that something could almost feel too good. He feared he would explode in pleasure - and he couldn't let that happen. The experience needed to be good for the both of them.
He was rightfully anxious. The last time he had been intimate with a woman had not turned out well.
His first marriage had ended two years previously. Hopes of finding another wife were looking dim. Then, one day a nomadic tribe visiting his village were allowed to stay overnight. One of the women of that tribe showered Ewar with attention. Although he didn't feel particularly drawn to her, he wasn't foolish enough to reject her advances. Single women were rare. He couldn't be too picky or else he might be condemned to permanent bachelorhood. His hope was that once he got to know her better, the two of them might eventually develop warm feelings for one another.
The woman invited herself into his bed. The experience was neither remarkable nor terrible.
The next morning, as her tribe prepared to depart, he asked when he might see her again. She laughed in his face. The village gossips had already informed her of his rumored infertility.
"I need a man who can give me children," the woman sneered. "You're only good for relieving an urge."
Ewar learned a hard lesson that day. Henceforth, he kept his guard up. No one would take advantage of him again.
Bella was nothing like that woman. She was a breath of fresh air in comparison. Bella didn't throw herself at him just to scratch an itch. And, she couldn't understand why anyone would reject him because of baseless rumors. She even wanted to help him find a new wife.
What Bella didn't know was that while she was orchestrating ways to make the villagers believe he was cured, Ewar secretly hoped to keep the wife he already had.
So when he awoke that night to find Bella sliding her hands down his torso, he rejoiced.
Wasting no time, he touched her the way he had been fantasizing about ever since he married her. Her breasts felt full in his hands. He dragged his tongue along the shell of her ear, earning a shiver out of her. One of her legs locked around his middle on its own. When she began rocking her hips against the bulge in his loincloth, he bit back a groan. If being with her like this felt good, how much better would it be without any clothing at all separating them?
"I waited so long for you," he had breathed in his native tongue.
Silence.
Although the language barrier at the time kept them from conversing freely, Bella would normally acknowledge him in some way. Her giving no reply at all was unlike her.
Ewar pulled back a little. "Bella?"
While there was a soft smile on her face, her eyes remained sealed shut. Had she ever opened them? They had been so busy touching one another, he hadn't paid close enough attention.
This was when he realized.
Bella had been asleep the entire time.
He slid out of her bed and fled across the room. What had he done? Arl told him to be patient with her. Yet, he had almost taken her while she was completely unaware!
Ewar had never felt more guilty in all his life.
Sleep was impossible. Alone on his mat, he laid awake for the remainder of the night. He could barely meet Bella's eyes the next morning. When she asked him if he had slept well, he wanted to vomit. Was she suspicious of him? Perhaps she was only half asleep last night and remembered more than she was letting on. Was she angry that he touched her as a husband would? Would she storm out of his house and refuse to be alone with him ever again? He could not blame her if she did.
But as the day wore on, he discovered that there was no reason to worry.
Bella treated him the same as before, warm and friendly. She had even gone out of her way and made an herbal tea for him to enjoy while he worked. He guessed Bella had been too sound asleep to recall their brush with intimacy.
A small part of him was disappointed. He wanted to be memorable to her.
Thankfully, his rational side told him not to get discouraged. Wasn't she the one to initiate it all? He had awoken to her touching him. Maybe, somewhere deep inside of her, she wanted him too. She just had to figure that out for herself first.
Ewar's patience paid off handsomely. Before the warm season was over, Bella became his mate in every sense of the word.
Those happy memories faded into the recesses of his mind. Once again he was faced with harsh reality. His wife was hurt and had been taken somewhere he could not follow. He was alone in a world he did not understand, huddled underneath a shelter that might fall down during a strong storm.
It suddenly occurred to him that he never told her what happened that one particular night. Why hadn't he? She might have blushed a little upon hearing how she had fondled him in her sleep. She would have definitely laughed. And if he had to guess, she would have been very much willing to recreate the incident just for the fun of it.
He took in a shaky breath. It hurt to think of such things.
"Ewar..."
Startled, his head jerked up. Bella stood in front of him, looking like she stepped out of a dream. Her hair hung loose over her shoulders. She wore only a nettle-fiber tunic that ended at her upper thighs. How had she gotten hold of it? That tunic and most of her other clothes were left behind with Ehmay...
"Where have you been? I missed you," Bella crooned. "Have you missed me?"
Ewar opened his mouth. How long had it been since he last spoke? "Ye-yes," he croaked.
Her smile spread wider. "Then why are you sitting way over there? Don't you want to touch me?"
He did, more than anything. He reached out to take her hand.
She vanished right in front of his eyes.
"Bella!"
He blinked and looked all around. Everything was quiet. His campsite was the same as ever. There were no footprints other than his own.
His head fell into his hands. He was seeing things now. Bella had never been there.
That didn't stop her from coming back the next day. Or the day after that.
"Ew-ar," she called seductively.
He twisted his mouth to keep it shut. The urge to talk to someone - even someone not really there - was almost too great of a temptation to pass up.
The false Bella glanced over her shoulder and giggled. "Let's go swimming. The lake looks nice today."
He watched her disrobe. Her tunic fell to the ground. A part of himself wanted to admire her nakedness, but what would be the point?
He slammed his eyes shut and rocked in place. "It isn't real. It isn't real. It isn't real," he muttered.
She laughed at him in that carefree way he loved. But this wasn't Bella, he reminded himself. It was an imposter.
Just as quickly, the laughter ended.
Ewar cracked open an eyelid. He was unsurprised to find that the false Bella had disappeared again. It was maddening. Why did he keep seeing something that wasn't really there?
A nagging voice in the back of his head whispered a dark possibility.
The village elders often told stories around the fire. One such tale involved the Akkant. The Akkant were said to have been people whose souls got lost immediately after death. They were doomed to wander the plains forever, searching unsuccessfully for a route to the afterlife.
Perhaps Bella had become an Akkant and this was the only way she could return to him.
Grief swallowed him. To think she had died, that he would never touch her face or smell her scent, was too much to bear. Time lost meaning. He no longer had the motivation to hunt or to eat. His stomach stopped complaining of its emptiness. Even his body knew surviving without his love was impossible.
For a brief moment, he imagined the fit Ehmay would have if she heard he was not caring for himself. But she wasn't there. No one was. Nothing mattered anymore.
He stared blankly ahead, waiting for the end to come. Vaguely, he heard the rustling of dead leaves, as though someone was walking through the woods towards where he hid. On this day, he couldn't summon the energy to care. So what if he was found? The worst they could do was kill him - and he was halfway there already.
"Ewar!"
He looked up with a dull gaze. The false Bella had returned sooner than expected. Although it hurt, he could not refuse to soak in her image while he still could.
But, why did she look different than the other times she appeared to him?
She wore modern clothing similar to what he had seen of the people hiking the trail. Her face was thinner, and her head was covered by a snug fitting hat. She looked tired, too. Her forehead was beaded with sweat. But what stuck out the most was the fact her eyes were damp.
The false Bella never cried.
"Bella?" he said with rising hope.
She whimpered. Her arms opened, inviting him to come to her.
It was possible this was a trick of his mind, but he was too far gone to care.
He ran to her. When he swept her into an embrace, she did not vanish the instant he touched her. No, she hugged him back! She was solid and warm, exactly as he remembered. What could he do but to kiss her?
Their lips met. His tears of joy mixed with hers. He knew without a doubt that she was real, because only the Bella he knew and loved could bring him back to life.
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A/N-
That's the end of the outtakes. I hope you enjoyed them (even though they dealt with the saddest part of Ewar's life). The next time this story updates will be to let you know that the first chapter of the SEQUEL is available. Ewar will have to learn how to live in the modern world while depending on Bella to keep him out of trouble. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll cringe from second hand embarrassment at times lol. It's going to be a lot of fun.
Again, I want to thank each one of you for taking the time to read this story. Your support during these last few months especially have meant the world to me. Big hugs to all of you!
P.S. If you ever have trouble reading my stories on FFN, please note that I am cross posting them to AO3 as well. Just google my name, Foenix2phorks, to find my AO3 profile.