The Mission Begins

by Kevin J. Fitzgerald

  For the first time, they noticed how quiet the woods had become. No bird or beast was heard. There was no wind. The only sound they heard was the soft gurgling of the river nearby—and even it seemed to whisper in secrecy. Every fiber of creation seemed to lean in towards them, wishing to perceive their very thoughts. The air was thick and oppressive; more like a hot, humid summer day than the middle of stark winter. The only other sound was the loud “gulp” of Frenjoo from behind Eucon. The sound seemed to waken Eucon, and he glanced back at the squirrel. He leaned in to Paladin and Rolo, and whispered, “We have already said too much. Come with me,” he said. “I know someone who may be able to help us.” With that, the racoon turned and started up the log.

  “Us?” Rolo balked.

  The raccoon turned quickly, surprised somewhat at the guinea pig’s lack of discretion. “Yes,” Eucon said hoarsely. “Us.” The racoon’s eyes narrowed, and he looked soberly between the three of them. “If this tale you tell is true, my friends, then what you speak of will soon affect all of us. Trust me,” he smiled. “My friends and I are the least of your worries, uh. . .” He paused and pulled his head back, suddenly shocked at himself. “Oh my goodness,” he gasped. “Where are my manners? I never even got your names!” Eucon laughed, and shook his head.

  “Frenjoo,” the squirrel said quickly.

  “Paladin.” The rabbit smiled at Frenjoo’s innocence.

  There was a pause as Eucon nodded at them.

  They all looked at the guinea pig a moment. At first, it didn’t seem that Rolo was going to answer. He only stood with arms folded. Finally, however, he spoke. “Rolo,” he answered gruffly, and Eucon smiled again.

  “Rolo,” he repeated. “Yes, well, Rolo, as I was saying. . . My friends and I are going to be the least of your worries. If what you say is true.”

  “It is,” Rolo asserted.

  “Then come,” Eucon said, and looked around, as if once again becoming aware of some unseen listener to their talk. “We will speak no more of this in the open!”

  Eucon started up the log, grasping it with his long, agile fingers, and going as easily as Frenjoo had scampered up the tree. The others followed without a word. Debate at this point seemed futile. Rolo went first, his light body and small size accommodated well by the log. Frenjoo scampered behind him. Paladin came last, and actually had the worst time of them all. He fell twice. The first time, he only had the wind knocked out of him, and jumped right back up onto the log. But the second time, he was almost to the top when he felt his footing go, and he scrambled frantically against the bark. His nails found nothing, and he fell the entire height of the rise. This time, he landed violently against the rocks on his back. The pain was excruciating, and he cried out loudly. In an instant, Frenjoo bounded down the log again and was helping him to his feet.

  “Come on,” Frenjoo said. “We’ll take it slow.”

  Paladin finally made it up to where the others were waiting at the top, and they set off at once. Eucon led the way. The others followed him through nearby bushes and onto a small, not-so-obvious trail that wound along the crest of the rocky incline they had just ascended. They seemed to make their way in the same general direction they had already been traveling, but the way now seemed more difficult. In places, they picked their way through thick nettles and other brush. Their fur became quite shoddy-looking in places. Because of this, they traveled in determined silence for a while.

  Eucon would pause and look about them if there was any sound. But the further they traveled on, always making their way steadily downwards, the woods seemed to lose the ‘unfamiliar’ feel of the hollow and came alive again with more normal activity. Their mood lightened, even though the pace Eucon held was quick and deliberate. He trundled along undistractedly, humming quietly to himself.

  Perhaps it was because of his apparent ‘no nonsense’ mode that it ended up being Rolo, out of all of them, who took a liking to Eucon more and more as they went. Indeed, the guinea pig seemed to have gotten over his initial apprehension about the raccoon, and before long the two of them were chatting like old friends. Rolo listened to Eucon talk about his life in this particular forest, and the guinea pig shared stories with the raccoon about the forest from which they had come.

  Paladin noticed that Rolo didn’t mention Agabus, Shepherd, or any of the others in the Utergei at this point. He thought this was probably wise.

  They traveled most of the day without stopping (save for a drink or two from the river). By late afternoon, the ground leveled off before them. Here the ground was gray and gravelly; foliage became scarce. Looking back, Paladin observed they had come all the way through the mountains now, and were leaving the canyon behind. He wondered if they would ever see the Canyon of Faces again (or if they would ever have need to). Yesterday’s events at the railroad bridge seemed a distant memory. Steep rock cliffs still rose on either side, but not so high, and gradually descending in height.

  “We are nearing the entrance to the Poisoned Glen now,” Eucon called back, though he didn’t halt. The trail they were on widened, and the gravel under their feet became sharp. More abrasive. Their paws soon became full of uncomfortable grit. This slowed their pace even more. Before long, the sun, or Quijada, was sinking behind a small ridge in front of them. Paladin couldn’t help but think that, in that respect at least, they were back on track.

  “Always keep the escaping of Quijada directly in front of you,” Agabus’ words played in his mind.

  The path widened until very few bushes or shrubs were seen at all now. The ridges on either side were almost completely gone, and instead became a mixed patchwork of light grays and rustic colors. It was a lonely and forlorn landscape, and seemed to go on forever without change. Even the river, which still wound its way through the midst of the grey floor beside them, had become a dull, colorless ribbon.

  Around them, dusk came on full—and still they trudged on wearily. A few times, Frenjoo dozed and stumbled. Paladin caught him by the arm and steadied him. Eucon seemed tireless.

  Where is he taking us? Paladin wondered.

  Suddenly, their path swung sharply to the right. The ridges fell away completely from either side, and there—sweeping out in front of them like an enormous carpet in the darkness—was the Poisoned Glen. They managed their way down a few precarious jagged steps, and stopped, perched upon a rock outcropping overlooking the lifeless land before them. In the dim light of dusk, it seemed nothing more than a gray shadow upon the land; a swallowing void that stole the world from in front of them and met an invisible horizon somewhere in the distance. Looking upon it one was tempted to wonder whether it was, indeed, a physical plain, or a huge abyss that opened before them—one that slept now but would awaken upon any intrusion to claim its next hapless victim. The cool breeze that swept off the Glen should have been welcome after their long journey. Instead, it was ominous and loathing, as if whispering secret incantations in their ears as to why they should turn back and journey no further.

  The three companions gazed upon the Poisoned Glen in awe. They huddled closely together, vulnerable and exposed upon this rock shelf at the entrance to the Poisoned Glen, and wondered just where on earth the raccoon was taking them.

  Eucon (who had seen the Glen before) left them standing, and could barely be seen standing under a lip created by a huge boulder lying atop another nearby, just where the ridge ended and the Glen began.

  Paladin squinted in the darkness to see him. It was difficult to make out his frame against the dark background of gray rock. Were it not for his patches of white fur here and there, Eucon would have been completely invisible. Paladin could hear Eucon chattering quickly and quietly, then falling silent, as if listening. Then suddenly, from out of the gloom, came first his eyes, and then his entire head leaning forward.

  “Pssst!” Eucon waved loudly. “The badgers are waiting! Come on!”

  As the others watched, Eucon turned and disappeared into a dark alcove within the rocky ridge. For the f
irst time they could just make out a warm, dim glow coming from between the rocks where he had gone.

  “Badgers?” Rolo coughed, suddenly seeming more concerned than ever.

  Frenjoo’s eyes glowed like two lanterns.

  Paladin started after Eucon.

  “Paladin!” Rolo hissed, sounding nervous for perhaps the first time Paladin could remember. “Wait!”

  Were it any other circumstances, the rabbit might have been inclined to listen to whatever concerns the guinea pig had. But, being as tired as he was, it being as late as it was, and the fact that it was either start across the Glen or look for shelter back the way they came, and the fact that Eucon had proven trustworthy thus far, Paladin instead continued determinedly in the direction of the small alcove where the racoon had gone without so much as a glance back.

  The other two stared silently for a moment.

  Wind kicked up off the Glen.

  The cry of a single hawk split the night.

  “Come on,” Rolo finally conceded.

  In the growing darkness and deepening shadows about them, it didn’t take long for Rolo and Frenjoo to catch up with Paladin. And soon, one by one, all three travelers slipped into the darkness of the unknown chasm before them.

  CHAPTER 18

  “The Badgers”

  They emerged into a large open chamber after fumbling awkwardly in a dark passage for a few moments. At first the room seemed empty, save for Eucon who waited for them at the entrance. But as their eyes adjusted to the room they found it was quite large, and cozy, and warm; a welcome change from the chill blowing in off the Glen. In one corner they noticed a pile of soft-looking brush, apparently a sleeping area. Paladin couldn’t help but think how wonderful it looked right now! Set off to one side was a large round rock, with two smaller rocks on either side. The floor upon which they stood was cool, soft earth—a blessing to their paws after treading the gritty surface of where the canyon’s end met the beginning of the Glen. Above them, the wind howled and whistled its way down into the den through gaps and crevices in the rocks. All in all, it was a lovely little den.

  “Paladin,” Eucon said as the rabbit emerged first into the room. “Rolo,” he added. Then, “Frenjoo. I’d like you to meet two very special friends of mine, Runnelwood and Maycroft.”

  Eucon turned and the others watched as, out of the gloom at the far end of the den, two large, snuffley badgers waddled. It startled these travelers—mostly because they simply had not seen them in the room up to that point. But also because . . . well, if you’ve ever encountered a badger yourself, you can imagine how a rabbit, a guinea pig, and a squirrel might feel! Of all of them, Frenjoo felt the most uncomfortable. He wrung his tail nervously. Amazingly, it was Paladin who felt the least uncomfortable (and probably because he was just more tired now than anything). What followed was a sort of introduction time wherein the badgers did a lot of sniffing of the visitors, along with whispering between themselves and Eucon. I realize this sounds strange to you or I, but we must remember that in the world of the chendrith—especially amongst those from differing forests—a lot can be communicated through smell. It would be like our own shaking of hands and making small talk. Living here, at the entrance of the Poisoned Glen, a location which over the years had brought them all kinds of strange passers-by (some pleasant, and others not so pleasant), Runnelwood and Maycroft had simply learned the value of taking time to get to know someone the hard way.

  The three companions did not pick up much of what was whispered in secrecy between Eucon and the badgers; it seemed as though they used a different dialect than their own. Still, they knew these badgers could have spoken in the common chendrith tongue if they wanted. They were obviously talking things over with Eucon, which they did not want the others to be aware of. Neither Paladin nor Rolo begrudged them this choice. Still, it was an awkward time; one felt rather exposed. They did not know if they should be preparing themselves mentally for a bit of well-earned relaxation, or for more weary travelling through the night. The animals were exhausted. It was difficult to not simply fling oneself down upon the nearby bed, or beg for a morsel of food. On more than one occasion, Frenjoo nodded off and bumped into Rolo. Paladin admired how well the guinea pig controlled his temper, given the circumstances. It seemed mainly to be the male badger—Runnelwood—and Eucon, who did the majority of the talking. The female badger—Maycroft—did more listening. At times, their discussions seemed quite heated (or at least it seemed to them, listening without being able to understand the dialect they spoke). During these times particularly, Maycroft would go from listening to Eucon and Runnelwood to looking at the three companions with compassion, smiling gently. She especially seemed to look with pity upon Frenjoo.

  After what seemed like hours, the discussion ended. The badgers set about busying themselves with something behind Eucon, while Eucon himself turned to face Paladin, Rolo, and Frenjoo. He held out his hands, clapped them together, then rubbed them excitedly. “Ahhhh!” He smiled widely. “What did I tell you? The badgers have agreed to help us!”

  The reactions from the three companions varied.

  For Frenjoo, the sound of Eucon’s voice—loud after all the whispering—jolted him wide awake. He lifted his head from Rolo’s shoulder and looked around the room with glazed eyes. He tried to remember where they were.

  Rolo harrumphed and muttered under his breath, “Great.”

  Paladin was far too tired by this stage to be anything other than relieved. He said nothing, but nodded.

  “Come,” Eucon said, holding out his hands and taking Paladin by the paw.

  “Yes,” Maycroft said, coming to them, “come and sit down! Ooooh,” she squealed, looking at Frenjoo and Rolo. “You’re chilled to the bone! And you look so tired! Are you hungry, dear?” she asked Frenjoo, taking his smaller hand in her larger one.

  “Y-y-yes, Missus Badger,” Frenjoo stammered, nodding furiously as if for emphasis (the poor squirrel hadn’t quite caught Maycroft’s name).

  “Well, you just come right over here and set yourself down,” she said. “Poor little thing. Let me see,” she rummaged. “We’ve got some earthworms. . . do you like them?”

  Frenjoo, tired as he was, didn’t even try to not wrinkle his nose.

  “Oh, we just love them,” she exclaimed. “They’re Runnelwood’s favorite. And you,” she said, turning to Rolo. “I just can’t wait to hear all about how a-a-” She looked at Eucon. “What did you say he was?”

  “A guinea pig,” Eucon and Rolo both said together.

  “Well!” she exclaimed. “Have you ever heard of such a thing? I just can’t believe it! Can you believe it, Runnelwood?”

  Runnelwood currently busied himself with setting out food for all the company, and was content to give no reply to her expressions of astonishment. He

  obviously could believe it.

  I must say that what followed next was truly a time of wonderful refreshment. It was just what the three travelers needed after the past few days. The meal was simple but good, a time during which both Runnelwood and Maycroft kept disappearing through a dark doorway that opened off the main chamber and re-emerging with more food. Paladin assumed this was a storeroom, or pantry, of sorts. They seemed to have plenty of food, and each of them was able to eat as much as they liked. I won’t take the time to fill you in on their entire conversation, as it would take too long and you would probably be bored, seeing as how it was really only the kind of getting-to-know-each-other kind of talk one might hear at any dinner party. But the three companions soon learned that badgers were the kind of folk who, when they had made up their minds about people, their minds were made up. The badgers could now see why Eucon was so fond of the travelers, and why he had wanted to bring them here. It was extremely comforting for Paladin, Rolo, and Frenjoo to have found company such as this, especially after having to leave the security of the Utergei. It was not long before the party was gathered around the table (the large rock off to one side they had see
n earlier), chattering like a group of old friends.

  Eventually, the talk turned to the mission and purpose of the travelers at hand. Tired as they were, the three of them talked into the night, until the room itself seemed to quiet down. Paladin, Rolo, and Frenjoo spoke guardedly at first, not knowing just how much Eucon had told the badgers. Paladin learned that he had been wrong in an earlier assumption. He had guessed that, when Runnelwood busied himself with making preparations after his and Eucon’s initial conversation earlier that night, that Runnelwood was not necessarily a personable sort; that Maycroft played this role in their relationship and dealings. But through the course of the evening he quickly learned that, while Maycroft might say a lot (which she did), she did not necessarily communicate much. On several occasions she would interrupt the recounting of their journeying, and Paladin caught sight of Runnelwood taking hold of her paw and quieting her, so that they could listen. This he did without drawing attention. And it was primarily through Runnelwood’s kind and patient questioning that he began to draw the account out of the travelers, making them feel safe, where they could pour out their hearts. Soon, they spoke openly about Paladin’s capture and rescue, the Son, the Utergei, S.I.N., their mission, the whole thing. Even Rolo seemed to share quite comfortably as the evening wore on. It was during this time (and really as the result of one of Maycroft’s interruptions), as they shared about leaving the banks of the River Emunah and passing the night in the haybales, that they were amazed to discover that the river they had fallen into at the railroad trestle bridge was none other than the Emunah itself! While Eucon, Runnelwood, and Maycroft certainly thought this was incredible, to the three companions sent out by the Utergei it was nothing less than a miracle! They had thought they were lost and off-course for goodness knows how long when, in reality, they had been on course all along! At the mentioning and description of Spirit, Runnelwood sat up with particular interest, listening attentively, almost with a look of concern on his face. At last he quietly held up a hand, interrupting Paladin.