They were soon scrambling over rocks in their climb for the pass. The gap that Avi had pointed out seemed the only possible place to cross the mountain range that stood like a line of razor-sharp teeth, waiting to bite the careless or the arrogant who failed to treat the mountains with respect.
Dray called a stop for a moment to drink and catch their breath. He looked down on their coastal settlement far below. The Clan members remaining behind looked like specks of dust, hurrying around the town they’d now started to build. His eyes drifted out over the ocean, stretching off to an infinite horizon. He saw the white line of surf breaking in a continuous ribbon off shore, the water changing from a deep, dark blue to the turquoise clarity closer to the beach. He breathed deep of the clear air, still tinged with the taste of the ocean. Checking his position again, his eye followed the mountain range ahead, stretching back to the coastal plain, where it seemed to fall straight down into the ocean in the far distance.
As always, he wondered, What’s beyond that mountain range? Is it the northern desert this time, home to the Snow Bears?
The vibrant green of the lower hills and treeline contrasted magically with the golden yellow sands and the darkness of the ocean depths in the distance.
We couldn’t have picked a better spot he thought, his heart soaring at the majestic view stretching out below him.
He was pulled out of his reverie by Casey. ‘We should move.’
Dray nodded his agreement and looked up, searching for the easiest route up.
*
They reached the pass at nightfall, standing for a moment between the two razor-sharp peaks to watch the sun set over the ocean to the far west. With the darkness quickly approaching, so too came a rush of wind through the pass, directly into their faces.
‘This is the narrowest point, Casey,’ called Lulu. ‘You form your rear guard here. Send some runners as far forward as they dare, to watch the mouth of the pass for anyone or anything approaching. I’ll go forward with Kerri and Dray.’
‘I don’t like this plan, Lu. It doesn’t look right to me,’ he said.
‘I know what you’re thinking, but it’s going to be okay. Kerri will be with me.’
‘I should be there, looking out for you both,’ he said.
‘You will be, Casey. I need to know you’ve got my back. I need to know that when we have to run, there’ll be no nasty surprises waiting for us.’
‘You know you can’t attack those things. Their blood and their smell will make you vomit. I’ve seen it before. You need our troop with staffs to stand off from them and hit them from a distance.’
‘I’m not going there to attack the apes. I’m going to guide Holly and the others out. This is where we’ll make our stand, and I need to know you’ll be here waiting for us, not dying of exposure in the open, up ahead. Now, set your guards and cover up. It may be a long wait.’
He shook his head in resignation, knowing there was nothing else he could say.
‘We’ll be okay,’ Lulu said, giving him a quick smile of encouragement. She turned and approached Dray and Kerri.
‘Time for us to change,’ she said.
They stood together, seeing each other as people and realising this might be the last time they would be together. They’d all fought the apes before, so each knew what a formidable enemy they were facing. No one was looking forward to stepping into the pass, but each one had their own reason for trying. With a final smile of friendship, knowing that the coming task was to be a shared nightmare, they closed off their minds to the coming danger.
Concentrating to focus on their own inner spirit, they looked deep within themselves to free the animal they’d discovered there. Watching their hearts pumping stronger, giving them the power to bring out the animal that slept inside. Feeling their chests expand, giving their hearts room to grow strong and powerful. Their limbs took on their animal form. They sensed their hands becoming larger, palms becoming pads and fingers becoming long, sharp claws. A thick fur formed over their bodies and teeth extended over their lower jaw. They stood clawing the ground ready to pounce. They stood as Hounds and Mountain Lions together, ready for battle.
‘Dray, you need to come with me,’ Lulu called.
They moved into their agreed positions, the Lions leading the way through the snow, with Lulu and Kerri in the centre.
‘Do you know this area, Dray?’ asked Lulu.
‘I’ve never been on this mountain, but I do know there’s only one clear route from the northern area to the west, and that’s along the upper flanks of this mountain range. Going higher, the rock becomes far too steep. It’s also crumbling beneath your feet, so it’s far too dangerous for climbing. If they are coming from the north, they’ll have to come along this line,’ Dray said, pointing to the ridge on their left.
They moved into the pass following behind Dray, the Mountain Lions sure-footed and silent, surrounding Lulu and Kerri in the centre. Fighting against the oncoming wind, they each fought their own personal battle against the rising storm. Passing the Clan’s runners, who were keeping watch ahead, they moved deeper through the widening funnel.
*
It was Kerri that first caught the smell on the wind. Sniffing the air, she turned to Lulu. ‘Apes ahead,’ was all she said.
She ran to the front of the group to where Dray was leading. The smell was nauseating, making her gag with the stink.
‘I know, I can smell them myself now,’ he said, before she could say anything.
‘From the stink, there must be a lot of them,’ Kerri said.
Dray nodded. He turned to the Lion behind. ‘Send word down the line, “Apes ahead.”’
‘Can you tell where they are?’ he asked Kerri.
She shook her head. In this rising storm, with the wind howling in her face, it was impossible to sense anything for certain. Kerri desperately sniffed the wind, trying to narrow down the point of danger as they slowly crept forward into the storm.
She touched Dray on the shoulder to stop him moving further and both crouched low in the snow. She was sure they had not been seen, but was also sure that they were now very close. Moving her head from side to side, she found them. She was trying hard not to vomit from the stench she would always remember, from when she’d had one by the throat.
Through the swirling flurries, she began to make out movement ahead. They were standing out in the snow, covered in ice that clung to their matted hair. She could see them shivering uncontrollably, hugging their arms around themselves, but there was no escape from the cold for them.
Kerri put her mouth close to Dray’s ear. ‘The longer it takes for Carter and the others to get here, the better chance we have,’ she said, trying to be heard over the wind, but without calling attention to herself.
Dray nodded, his eyes glued to the shapes waiting in the storm to ambush their friends. ‘When Carter and the others arrive, I’ll make for the leader there. We need to knock a hole in that line for Carter to break through to the pass. We can lead them straight into Casey’s defence line,’ he said.
‘I’m the fastest runner. I’ll break through. I’ll have more chance of getting back to Casey without being caught,’ said Kerri.
‘This is something I need to do, Kerri. I’ll go…’
Before he could finish, the lead ape stood to his full height and let out a roaring bellow that could be heard throughout the pass. He looked and sounded a formidable foe.
Kerri looked at the ape and looked at Dray. ‘You’re right. You should go,’ she said.
Dray smiled at her and rose to his feet. ‘You make sure Lulu gets back okay.’
She could see the uncertainty in his eyes. That’s courage, she thought.
*
He stared into the spiralling liquid, concentrating his mind on Holly, but for the first time, he could see nothing except swirling clouds and mist. He focused all his thoughts down to a single question, Holly… where are you?
But the mists would not clear. He tried co
ncentrating harder, but nothing would change. He suddenly realised this was all Holly could see. She was stuck in a snowstorm, surrounded by cloud and mist.
He called gently, soothingly, making his voice sound so sympathetic.
‘My little bird! What are they doing to you? My poor Holly, they have led you into another storm, even though they knew the terrible storm you suffered before, but they still led you into another one!’
He opened his senses to her, listening, seeing, feeling intently. He felt her shiver. He sensed the rising panic and he welcomed her terror.
‘Let me take care of you, Holly. Come to me. I’ll take you away from the storm.’
Then he heard her voice. ‘I have the Crystal. It’s mine… I have the Crystal. It’s mine… I have the Crystal.’ She kept repeating it, like a mantra, no other thoughts were allowed to pass through her mind.
He smiled. So close, so very, very close. At last, he told himself.
He tried again, ‘Come out of the storm, Holly. Let me guide you home,’ he spoke soothingly.
‘I have the Crystal. It’s mine… I have the Crystal. It’s mine…’
My little bird is breaking down. It’s the terror of the storm, he thought dispassionately.
‘Holly, lay down. The storm will soon pass and I’ll come quickly to take you home,’ he said gently, his voice seductive in its warmth against the biting winds.
‘I have it. It’s mine… I have it…’
She kept fighting with herself to not think anything else, but she was getting so tired and so cold, and he was promising to take her out of the storm and…
‘It’s mine… It’s mine…’
She’s lost, he thought without any sympathy. Now, careful not to destroy what little is left.
‘Let me help you Holly. You can keep the Crystal. I only want…’ But he never finished.
Holly screamed, an ear-piercing scream that rushed across the distance, bubbling and exploding from the bottom of the bowl in which he looked. He fell back, shocked himself at the force of the exploding liquid.
*
He sat on his marble throne, lost in his own thoughts.
She is getting stronger. It will be so much more enjoyable to watch her mind crumble when I take the Crystal from her.
Now all I need do is wait for the storm to pass, for a chance to see through her eyes, but silently this time. Get inside her thoughts without her knowing.
His mind wandered to dreams of holding the Crystal in his hand, feeling the warmth and the power vibrating through his body. But something on the floor distracted him. He became aware of movement from the corner of his eye.
Looking down at the golden bowl at his feet, he noticed the surface of the liquid in the bowl was shimmering, reflecting the candlelight back in a broken pattern, flickering at times as the liquid started to vibrate and ripple. He stared intently, turning his full attention to the slowly circling liquid. A vortex was forming!
It took a moment for him to realise what was happening. Someone else is using the Power of the Calling! Is someone trying to touch Holly?
‘No!’ he shouted to the empty room, rushing from his marble throne. ‘It can’t be. There is no one else!’ he screamed.
He stared again into the swirling vortex. The liquid bubbled vigorously, but he could hear nothing, he could see nothing, not even the storm. But the vortex kept moving around the bowl. Someone is calling and someone is listening.
His understanding came like a blow to the stomach, making him feel sick. There was someone else who knew how to use the power, and they were calling the person he’d broken contact with, the one he’d thrown away when he’d sent the Power of Thunder to stop him chasing Holly. He could hear nothing, but he knew someone was calling Carter. He kicked the bowl with all his might, the liquid flying off in all directions.
*
‘Go west, Carter. Lulu is coming for you. Don’t stop, she’ll find you.’
Carter’s thoughts came back to her, clear but also with fear in his voice.
‘I’m here, Salli, but I can’t see anything. The storm is bad. We’re so cold.’
‘Do you have it, Carter? Is the Crystal safe?’
‘It’s so cold here. The storm is killing us. I want to sleep and wake up when it’s over.’
‘Don’t sleep, Carter. You must keep moving. Trust the wind to bring you home, Carter. Follow the wind west.’
Suddenly the spinning stopped, simply disappeared from the bowl without warning.
Something really bad just happened, Salli thought.
*
Carter lay in the snow, his mind crying out for sleep, but he forced himself to his feet.
‘I understand, Salli,’ he said aloud. ‘Follow the wind!’
He turned to Holly behind him. ‘We must move,’ he shouted. ‘We’ll die if we stay here. Follow me.’ He could see her physically shaking. That’s not cold that’s making her shake like that, he thought.
‘Naz, Vin, we can’t rest here. We must keep moving. Lulu is coming to help us,’ Carter shouted. And if Lulu’s coming, Kerri will be with her, he thought, feeling a surge of confidence. If Kerri’s here, everything will be okay.
They staggered to their feet, helping each other up. ‘Don’t let go of each other,’ shouted Carter, his voice ringing out over the howling wind.
He led them off, letting the wind push him forward, no longer caring where his feet landed, but believing that he would get off the mountain and the wind would take him home. He believed Lulu and Kerri were coming for him.
The wind stopped for a moment between gusts and he caught the faintest smell across the now still air. The smell froze his blood more than the wind could ever do. Just for a moment, he’d smelt apes. The wind resumed and the stench was carried away from him. He stood, frozen to the spot, unable to move. From out of the swirling snow cloud there appeared a creature as large as a Snow Bear. Carter had never seen one so big nor looking so evil, as if it had crawled out of a pit of hell to confront him.
The remains of its fur was matted and covered in hanging ice, its face tortured by staring continuously into the wind. Its eyes portrayed an unlivable pain, of cold, exhaustion and mental torture. The eyes showed a blackness like holes in its head, filled with hate and rage for everything in life. It looked up and looked into Carter’s eyes and bellowed, a sound of victory and relief at having found its prey. Raising its arm aloft, there appeared from out of the gloom the apes who’d survived the storm, covered in long hanging chunks of ice, formed over their matted fur and naked flesh.
Naz and Vin stepped forward beside Carter. They both lifted themselves up to their full height, shaking the ice from their fur. Without any hesitation, Naz charged at the enormous ape.
13
Chapter Thirteen
The Battle
WITH ARMS OUTSTRETCHED and claws extended like daggers, Naz leapt at the towering ape. Crag saw Naz’s flying charge and took a step back to brace himself, ready to sidestep the attack and bring his clubbed fist to the side of Naz’s head as he flew by. Turning his body to let Naz sail by, Crag felt his legs collapse under him and a searing pain shoot up and down his legs. His knees buckled and he fell where he stood, unable to support himself.
Naz was already in mid-air when he saw the enormous ape go down. Not understanding what had happened but committed to the charge, he swung his arm with extended claws, feeling himself slicing through the skin and muscle of the ape’s shoulder. Naz hit the snow and rolled to his feet in one movement.
*
Dray could see the debilitating effects of the cold on the apes’ movements. They were slow and lethargic, unprepared for the altitude and the numbing force of the raging wind in his face. Dray used his speed to reach the ape who had taken it upon himself to block the pass alone. Dray was behind him before the ape was aware of his coming. With two swift strikes, Dray slashed his razor-sharp claws through the tendons and ligaments at the back of the ape’s knees. Crag collapsed where he stood
, unable to support his own weight on his knees and incapable of fighting the compounded pain and agony rushing through him. Dray narrowly missed being flattened by Naz sailing past to land in the snow beside him. Dray saw Crag’s arm drop uselessly to his side with blood pouring from a wound inflicted by Naz.
They’re here! The thought raced through his mind with a surge of relief. They’ve made it.
He turned to where he knew Kerri to be lying in the snow. ‘They’re here!’ he screamed into the wind. ‘The Bears are here!’
Dray could see the ape, Crag, on his knees in the snow, bellowing with rage but unable to raise himself. The cold will kill him before morning, he thought and turned to face the apes emerging from beneath the snow. As if in slow motion, they shook themselves off and tried to move themselves forward to attack.
*
He stood over the bowl of spiralling liquid, unable for a moment to take in what was happening. He could see the world through Crag’s eyes. When he heard the apes call to attack, his heart raced with excitement.
I was right, I have them in the pass, he gloated with self-satisfaction. He saw the bear charge and Crag step back to counter it. Then he saw Crag collapse, but couldn’t understand what had happened. He watched as Crag knelt there, unable to defend himself, whilst the ape slowly looked behind to see what had happened. He saw the Mountain Lion looking at the ape and the shock of understanding felt like a cold knife to his heart.
‘They’re behind you!’ he screamed. ‘Duck! Duck!’
*
Crag knelt in the snow with blinding pain in his legs. The searingly hot pain of his arm seemed a welcome relief from the unending cold he’d been enduring for days.
Soon I can sleep and escape this cold, he thought. He could see the second bear emerge from the storm ahead, the long staff in his hands. Even with the howling wind, he could still hear the SWISH! of the staff slicing through the air. The voice thundered inside his head “DUCK!” “DUCK!” Crag was long past caring. He welcomed the escape from the constant thunder in his head and the unbearable cold in his bones. Crag looked at Vin with the relief of one condemned to suffer and finally being given peace. He roared into the wind, finally glad it was all over.
Lost Lands Page 24
