“Good morning. This will be the final leg of the challenge other than the dinner where the winners will be announced. It is perhaps a childish idea, but let me assure you, the difficulty level has been raised significantly. You will each be given a compass. Somewhere on the grounds, something has been hidden. The compass will lead you in the general direction. You still have to find the area and figure out what the object is that we hid. There is only one. You will all be searching at the same time. A number of obstacles have been set in your way. You are allowed to bypass them by any means. The other competition will be each other. You are not allowed to kill each other, of course, but convincing a group to walk in circles or anything else you can think up is allowed. Finding the object is not the end either. You must also make it back. If a group finds you with the object and is able to take it from you and make their way back, they win, not you. That said, enjoy. You may collect your compasses on the way out. The challenge begins now.”
The students looked startled for about half a second. Then, there was a mad rush for the door. Everyone was pushing and shoving in an attempt to get an edge on the other groups. Justin, however, did not rush towards the door and his group followed him. He went back to the food left over from breakfast.
“What are you doing?” wondered Maya thoroughly confused. “I might expect this kind of thing from Gavin, but you can’t possibly still be hungry.”
“I’m not. Think about it. This isn’t going to be a child’s game that lasts an hour. This could go on all day, if not into the night. I’d rather use a minute now and plan ahead than have to drop out later tonight because Gavin’s too hungry to go on,” he winked at Gavin as he said the last part.
Justin might have been joking about Gavin, but the idea was a good one and they all began stuffing easy to carry food that was unlikely in go bad for a day into their bags, which, they had all brought to breakfast in case. Lucy grabbed a few hard rolls and rolled them in a napkin. Then, she added apples and oranges. She wasn’t sure if the cheese would still be good by the time they stopped for another meal, but she felt it was worth a try. Justin had a water skin that he filled with water.
“Ok, everyone ready? We should be able to make up the rest as we go along.”
With that they made their way to the door, where the commotion had settled down considerably. Maya grabbed their compass and took a bearing. Gavin was all for running, but Justin argued that it was a waste of strength. Lucy and Maya agreed with Justin. Running around was more likely to wear them out than get them where they wanted to be. Besides, you never know when a group was going to count on other groups running around and set an ambush. So, on they walked.
They quickly neared the woods where Orin sent them through the obstacle course. The bearing did not lead them through the course, but off the beaten down track and into the woods. Maya led, checking the compass often to make sure they didn’t miss a change in direction. Gavin brought up the rear. He would be the hardest to ambush from behind. They did not expect groups to try to something like that, but some groups might be upset about the ease with which their group had been beaten in an earlier contest and might look for an easy payback. Justin and Lucy walked together trying to think up ways to win.
“All the groups were given a compass. It doesn’t tell us how far we have to go, only a direction,” started Justin.
“So, the best way to ensure we get there first is to take out other groups along the way,” finished Lucy. “Part of me feels that’s dishonest, but at the same time, if a group tried to do something to take us out, I’d feel it was fair play. Any good ideas?”
“I think we should start simple and work our way up. Let’s start with some fun wards. There may not be anyone behind us, but why take the chance that they end up in front of us?”
They stopped for a minute so Justin could lay a ward, a deception of sorts. Anyone who passed the rock they stopped at would feel like they were going the wrong way no matter what the compass said. Lucy and Justin continued to bounce ideas back and forth. When the compass signaled a change in direction, Justin set a ward that, when triggered, would make the next group feel so drowsy that they would at least have to rest for while if not take a nap. Gavin thought up the next one. Justin set one that would cause any group crossing that section to become extremely hungry. None of them were sure that the wards would actually accomplish much, but it was a fun way to pass the time as they trampled through the woods. They could hear other groups in the distance, heading in the same direction as them.
“We can hear them, and I think they are much too close,” commented Gavin. “Can we do anything about that?”
“Probably, but we would also have to stop to do that,” said Maya. “I’m not sure it’s worth it at this point. Besides, somewhere along the way, we are bound to run into obstacles. Won’t they weed some groups out?”
“True, it can’t hurt for us to wait a little while longer. I do think we should make it a point to waylay any group moving in the opposite direction as us,” suggested Justin.
“I have an odd question,” spoke up Lucy. “I know we’ve been setting wards. Is it possible to, sort of, throw wards? Can we make them land in front of one of the other groups?”
“I’m not sure about that, but we could send suggestions in their general direction. It won’t be as effective as setting wards. However, a mild suggestion might build with time and pay off in the long run like a stitch in the side or more hunger, anything that might slow them down for a break. I think it’s worth a try. Do you think you can do that while walking?” asked Justin.
“I have no idea, but I’m willing to give it a try,” said Lucy.
“I’ll try the groups on the left; you take the ones on the right. Try to keep them simple.”
Lucy threw the idea of thirst in the general direction of one of the other groups. Along with that she tossed the idea that they were all very hot, hoping that the two suggestions together might at least make them take a water break. Being hot and thirsty, often caused people’s tempers to be short so she tossed the suggestion of a headache for good measure. Lucy told Justin the ones she had done and he laughed.
“Those should work well. They are simple and make sense in the situation. People’s minds are more open to suggestions that make sense. It would be harder to make them think they were a dog.”
“And what did you think up, oh great one?”
“I tried to send my thoughts out and find specific group members to plant ideas in rather than ideas as a whole. Two guys in one group have noticed that their hands itch and are starting to think they have developed poison ivy. I think one of the other people in the group can cure it, but they will probably have to stop. All stops take time away from them and give us time. Another group has a member that is developing a paranoia of being followed. I’ve got another sneezing away. He thinks he is allergic to trees.”
“Justin?” inquired Maya, “I don’t mean to interrupt the fun and games, but what’s to prevent another group from doing this to us?”
“Good point,” said Justin. “Now might be a good time to set up wards against that kind of thing. Thanks for the reminder.”
Justin set up the wards that should keep suggestions of any kind out. While he did that, Lucy resent her previous suggestions out again of thirst, heat, and headaches. They heard noises that implied fighting off to the right, but did not investigate. Whether a group was fighting with itself, another group, or something created as an obstacle did not particularly concern them. They kept moving.
The day was hot. There was not much of a breeze to move the air around, and in the woods it began to have a stifling feeling. They were all glad of Justin’s water bottle, which he was able to refill provided they did not completely empty it. It is one thing to encourage a thing to be more or less. It is another thing to create something out of nothing. There is water all over in a forest, in the leaves, the trees, the moss, and the air. However, taking the water out does deprive that thing of wa
ter. Taking the water out of a leaf might give you a sip of water, but it causes the leaf to shrivel and die. This didn’t bother some people, and perhaps other groups were doing that, and most people would do it in a life or death situation. Justin preferred not to harm living things when he could avoid it. At least when it came to nature and animals. He did not seem to have a problem hurting people, such as they had in sparring, but he preferred to heal.
They walked uphill, still following the compass. Lucy was surprised that they had not come upon anything unusual yet, but then, maybe the obstacles were closer to the goal. Lucy was glad that all the training they did put them in such good shape. They might not be moving terribly fast, but they hadn’t stopped to take a break yet either. Lucy hoped that would work to their advantage. Around midday, they dug in their packs to eat some lunch, but they continued to walk as they ate. It was Gavin’s well-honed senses that got them past the first obstacle. Lucy was swallowing her last bite of roll, when Gavin shouted.
“Arrows! Duck!” With that, he threw himself on the ground.
Everyone else followed suit. Justin threw a shield over the group as the arrows struck bouncing off hard air. They lay still for a minute waiting for a second volley. Justin threw Gavin an inquiring glance.
“I heard crossbow triggers,” he said. “They make a click just before firing an arrow.”
Justin nodded, but did not move, nor did he release the shields. “Lucy, can you backtrack the arrows and find out how many people we are up against?”
Lucy nodded, closed her eyes and concentrated. She sent her senses in the direction the arrows had come from and searched. Puzzled, she searched some more. Then she let her senses return.
“I can’t find anyone. I can’t sense any people in that direction. Let me take over the shield and you can look for yourself,” Lucy suggested.
Justin agreed and his face looked blank as he searched. He came back with the same response.
“A booby trap of sorts then?” asked Gavin. “It would have been easy to set up crossbows to fire.”
“That sounds dangerous,” said Maya.
“No one said this was going to be easy,” said Justin. “I’d also be willing to bet that any booby trap that could hurt anyone is carefully monitored. Had any of us been hit, I’m sure a professor would have been here almost immediately to heal us. I’m also sure that accepting that healing would be the equivalent of holding up a white flag.”
“That makes sense,” replied Maya.
They decided it was safe to proceed, and Lucy released the shields. They stood up and continued to follow Maya. After that they were swarmed by mosquitoes and gnats. Annoying, but bearable. Justin was able to encourage them to find better food elsewhere. They hadn’t gone much further when vines from a tree they were passing under snaked out and wrapped around them. Gavin wrestled himself free and helped the others. The vines were looking for easy victims and were not willing to put up that much of a fight.
Despite the adrenaline accompanying the higher sense of alertness, it gave them hope to think they were on the right track and getting closer. Justin periodically sent his senses out ahead a little to see if he could find anything amiss. It didn’t help with obstacles like the attacking vine, but they were able to skirt a pit covered with leaves. It was only a few feet deep. Deep enough to cost groups time if members fell into it, but not so deep as to seriously hurt anyone.
Once it got dark, they did stop to eat some more and discuss their options.
“I don’t think anyone has found it yet,” said Maya.
“I agree,” said Lucy. “I don’t think they would let everyone wander around in the dark if someone had brought it back already.” She bit into her apple.
“Can you see the compass in the dark?” asked Gavin.
“Normally, no, but I can put a simple glow spell on it. I might not be as adept as Justin or Lucy, but I can do some simple things.”
“I don’t like the idea of trying to sleep out here,” said Lucy.
“I don’t either,” agreed Maya. “In fact, I don’t think I could sleep. I’m not tired.
“I think we should keep moving then, at least until some of us are tired enough that we might sleep. I don’t know if other groups will try to camp or keep going. I’d imagine they would keep going, especially if our guess is right that no one else thought to pack food,” said Justin.
“It is very dark though. I suggest tying ourselves together or something like that so we don’t accidentally get separated,” said Gavin.
“Fabulous idea,” said Justin. “Anyone have any rope?”
“Why is it that with all the stories you hear about people needing rope, people still forget to bring it?” asked Maya.
Everyone chuckled.
“In the future, let’s make it a point to remember rope on all outdoor adventures,” suggested Lucy.
“I second the motion. In the meantime, we could hold hands,” said Maya.
“Why don’t we use Maya’s compass trick and make ourselves glow?” suggested Lucy.
“I don’t know about that,” said Gavin. “It makes us easy targets for anything out there.”
“I see your point. What if we made only the bottom half of our boots glow? That should help us keep track of each other, and at the same time anything close enough to see the glow can probably hear us anyways,” said Lucy.
They all agreed to that plan of action, at least until it proved other than reliable. They finished up what they were eating and made the bottom half of their boots glow. Maya checked the compass, and they continued onward again. The obstacles they started to face were less obvious than the ones they had faced during the day. They were designed to make you stop and ask, ‘what was that?’ They heard rustling in the bushes. Gavin thought he heard steps behind him. Every time they paused, Lucy or Justin would send out their senses to see what, if anything, was there.
Maya turned the group left and they entered an area that was highly populated by owls. It was unnerving to feel birds swooping close to your head. Lucy was glad she was not alone. About the time the feathers brushed the top of her head would have been the end of her resolve had she been alone. Gavin breathed a sigh of relief when they were clear of the owls. Lucy smiled, thinking of Gavin being uncomfortable, but agreed with him wholeheartedly.
It was then that the howling started. The first one was so faint that Lucy wasn’t sure if she really heard it or imagined it. The darkness did have a way of playing with one’s imagination. The second howl was louder than the first. Lucy was certain it was not her imagination. The third howl came from their right. That was unsettling. Multiple howls meant multiple predators. The fourth howl came from behind them.
“Ok, I have to know,” said Maya, “Justin, are we being surrounded and stalked by wolves, or is it an illusion?”
“I can’t tell,” replied Justin.
“What do you mean you can’t tell?” asked Maya sounding worried. She jumped as a howl came from the left. “It’s official. We are surrounded. Justin what are we surrounded by?”
“I’m not sure,” said Justin again.
“Explain,” demanded Gavin as a howl came from behind them sounding closer.
“I searched each direction to be sure. I sense that there is something there, but I can’t sense what. I’m sure I would be able to identify most animals. I can tell you there is a bat flying to our left and a squirrel three trees ahead of us, but I can’t tell what is howling.”
“Ok, what does that mean?” asked Lucy. “Could it be an animal you’ve never come across before?”
“I doubt it. I would still be able to sense that it was an animal even if I couldn’t identify it,” said Justin.
“Could it be a suggestion, or could we have tripped a ward?” asked Lucy.
“How so?” asked Maya, as a howl sounded in front of them, the closest one yet.
“We planted wards to make people tired. Someone could have planted wards that would make us hear wolves. T
he professors know some of the groups have the ability to sense around them. Could they have made the ward sophisticated enough to make you think you sensed something? Not knowing what you sensed could increase the fear and anxiety of the howling.”
“Lucy has a good point,” said Justin. “I think it should be possible. We are shielded from suggestions, but we could still trip wards. Let’s stay close, move a little slower, but continue on. If it’s a ward, we’ll be clear of the affected area eventually. If it really is a pack of wolves that is going to attack us, we can’t do much other than be alert and ready until they attack. Staying here and waiting for them isn’t going to do us much good.”
Maya rechecked the compass, and they started off again as another howl came from behind them. They kept walking. The howling was definitely unnerving. Each howl sounded closer. Lucy felt her heart beating faster. She too periodically sent out her senses in case things changed. Like Justin said, it felt like there was something there, but she couldn’t be certain. The closer the howls came, the closer they walked to each other and the jumpier they became. Lucy accidentally tread on the back of Maya’s heel just as a howl sounded behind them, and Maya jumped half a foot in the air. If they weren’t so scared, it would have been comical. Maya took a minute to recover, checked the compass, took a deep breath, and pressed onward.
Every time they heard a howl, they waited to hear the accompanying sounds that an animal moving through the forest should make. The howls were almost right next to them, but still no attack came. Eventually, they began to notice that they were not hearing any more howls in front of them. Lucy wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or not. Part of her felt like they were being herded. However, it didn’t make sense to surround your prey and then herd it. Soon there were no more howls from the sides either. The farther they walked the farther behind them the howls sounded. Once the howls were fainter, they relaxed a little and spread out so they stopped bumping into each other.
The Eye of Elicion: The Kinowenn Chronicles Vol 1 Page 25
