Just then the jungle floor pounded as something huge approached. A loud growl ripped through the air and the trio was frozen in terror. The pounding came louder and closer and before they could recover, a huge creature stood at the edge of the clearing. The creature was twice the height of the little one in Bakhai’s lap and much, much wider. Its skin was also leathery, but tough and wrinkled. It had large ears that hung off at angles, like small flags, and a large bulbous nose. The most prominent feature of its face though was huge mouth that spanned almost the entire width of the face. The mouth was open like the entrance to a cave and its teeth were long and sharp. It didn’t appear happy.
“Still think bringing the small one back here was a good idea?” asked Rejji as he started to slowly slide his sword out of the sheath.
“It was hurt,” Bakhai said defensively. “And I wouldn’t react that way if I were you. It was my trip vine that caused it to get hurt. I should at least try to help it recover.”
“That’s the mother, isn’t it?” trembled Mistake. “Can you talk to it? Explain that we meant no harm. Tell her we were trying to help her young one? Can’t you do something?”
“I could try to explain,” nodded Bakhai as he stared at the large creature, which was just standing at the edge of the clearing glaring at them. “The problem is that I don’t know what species to imitate. I have never seen a creature like this. I don’t know where to begin. Maybe it can sense that we mean to help and not harm her young one. She hasn’t attacked us yet.”
The creature’s mouth closed and the glare softened to a squint as it scanned the clearing as if looking for more humans. Finally, its eyes returned to stare at the Fakarans.
“I think I believe you,” the creature said. “I am going to see how Tiny is now. If you even think about touching a weapon, I will tear your hearts out. Do you understand?”
The Fakarans mutely nodded and Rejji’s hands rose so they were not near his sword. The creature stomped over to Bakhai and lifted the child off his lap. She held it to her chest and murmured into its sharp pointy ears. She ran a massive hand over the child’s orange hair in a loving caress and in a few moments the child’s eyelids popped open and revealed a set of piercing blue eyes. The child squirmed and suddenly realized where it was.
“Elf, Tokak!” Tiny exclaimed. “I smelled an elf.”
Tokak’s eyes squinted at the Fakarans and her bulbous nose crinkled as she sniffed the air.
“Smells a bit like elf,” Tokak agreed. “Hard to tell with so much smoke though.”
Tokak lowered Tiny to the ground and stared at Mistake. She lumbered closer and started sniffing the air again.
“Is that your names?” Mistake asked nervously as she backed towards the fire. “Tokak and Tiny?”
“She is TinyTokak,” declared Tokak. “I call her Tiny sometimes. Where are you from?”
“From a small coastal village far south of here,” offered Mistake. “I am not an elf though, just a Fakaran. Do you like elves?”
“I love elves,” grinned Tiny, showing a huge mouth full of very sharp teeth. “Eating elves make trolls smert.”
“Eating elves?” shuddered Mistake.
“Yes they very good to eat,” nodded Tiny. “That how I got hurt. I smelled elf and tripped in the jungle.”
“And you could have been attacked by a tyrik,” scowled Tokak. “I have told you not to go running off like that.”
Tokak turned from Mistake and looked at the two male humans. Rejji still had his hands away from his sword and Bakhai still sat by the fire.
“Who are you and why are you here?” Tokak asked.
“I am Rejji,” answered Rejji. “My friends are Bakhai, who is sitting down, and Mistake. I am responsible for them coming here. If we have trespassed on your territory, it is my fault not theirs. We are being chased by the Jiadin and entering the jungle was the only way we could survive. We plan to leave it as soon as we can find our way.”
Tokak’s large ears wagged when she nodded her head. She looked down at Bakhai. “And you are a talker?” she asked.
“A talker?” echoed Bakhai. “I am not sure what you mean.”
“You talk to animals,” explained Tokak. “It sounded like you were going to attempt that to communicate with me.”
“Yes, I was,” admitted Bakhai. “I can talk to the animals. I did not know what you were though. How is it you can talk?”
“Do you think that humans are the only ones who are smert?” Tokak asked.
“Can we eat the elf?” interrupted Tiny. “Please.”
“You will eat nothing, Tiny,” scolded Tokak. “I have warned you about running off. Besides, these humans have saved your life. That makes them friends and we don’t eat friends.”
“Even if they are elves?” Tiny pouted.
“Even if they are elves,” affirmed Tokak. “Besides, I am not sure she is an elf. It has been so long since I smelled one and the fire hurts my sensitive nose.”
“Are there other talkers?” Bakhai asked. “Other people who can talk to animals as I do?”
“There are,” Tokak nodded after a long pause. “It is not for me to talk of them though.”
“You mentioned tyriks,” interjected Rejji. “We heard stories about them. They are large spiders, aren’t they?”
“They resemble spiders,” agreed Tokak. “They are very nasty creatures. They eat trolls. You do not want to go where the tyriks are.”
“Where are these tyriks?” asked Mistake.
“In the jungle,” answered Tokak. “They are everywhere in the jungle. Avoid them if you wish to live.”
“But we are in the jungle now,” Mistake said, confusion evident on her face.
“Yes, you are,” nodded Tokak. “The jungle is not for humans. You are best to leave right away.”
“Is there a path that goes towards the Bone Mountains,” asked Bakhai. “We are on a quest to find the Sage of the Mountain and we believe that is where he is. Bad people await us outside the jungle. We would rather try avoiding the tyriks than return the way we came.”
Tokak squinted again at the Fakarans and after a long pause answered, “There are many trails through the jungle. Some lead the way you wish to go. I doubt you will survive the journey, but if certain death awaits you the other way, I will point one out in the morning.”
“That would be wonderful,” responded Rejji. “We are willing to take our chances in here. Perhaps you would like to join us on the journey?”
“We do not travel far from here,” Tokak replied. “We know this area well and it is our home. There are few tyriks in this end of the jungle and we like it that way. I will point you to the trail in the morning. You should get rest. You may need to run a lot tomorrow.”
Tokak grabbed Tiny by the arm and marched her out of the clearing. Unlike the pounding of the ground they heard when Tokak had come running, the two trolls moved silently.
“A lesson well learned,” sighed Rejji after the trolls had left. “I doubt we would be alive if I had killed TinyTokak. This certainly is a strange place.”
“She was so cute before she opened her mouth,” frowned Mistake. “I thought she was going to eat me.”
“She is still cute,” smiled Bakhai. “Her teeth are needed for what she eats. Funny how it looked like she barely had a mouth at first. Very interesting creatures. I should like to visit and talk more with them some day.”
“I think I will skip that trip,” chuckled Rejji. “Once is enough for me. She offers good advice though. Let us get some more sleep.”
The Fakarans settled down for the second time and drifted off to sleep. The morning was noted by a lightening of the jungle, rather than sunlight. The large trees blocked most of the sun, but it was light enough to travel safely, although everything was cast in a shadowy gloom. When the Fakarans awoke, the trolls were waiting for them. TinyTokak was munching on a small pig.
“Share that with your new friends,” instructed Tokak. “Have you no manners?”
“Thank you, Tiny,” smiled Mistake. “I think that is plenty for us. You enjoy the rest.”
Tiny beamed and hopped back onto the log she had been sitting on. Mistake handed the slab of meat to Bakhai and excused herself as she retreated into the jungle. Bakhai ran a couple of sticks through the meat while Rejji rekindled the fire. Tokak watched intently as the humans cooked the meat. Tiny seemed interested only in the remains of the pig she was devouring. Mistake returned and the three humans divided the meat and quickly finished their morning meal. Mistake took what was left of the slab of meat and stuck it in her sack while Bakhai and Rejji doused the fire with dirt.
Tokak led them along the small trail they had been on the night before. She was a tremendous storehouse of knowledge concerning the jungle and she pointed out plants and animals as they walked. She indicated which plants and animals were poisonous and which ones to avoid for other reasons, such as the plants that spit up streams of acid when you came near them. Tiny frolicked along, sometimes darting into the jungle, only to dart back out moments later. The little troll was a bundle of energy who almost always seemed happy and content. The small trail finally came to a slightly wider trail and Tokak stopped.
“This is as far as we go,” Tokak announced. “Follow this trail for many days. When it stops, try to pick a smaller one going in the same direction. Be wary though. This trail is wider because many creatures use it. Most of them will not be friendly to humans. The talker knows what I mean I think. Beware of the tyriks. It is a horrible way to die. The other animals will at least kill you quickly and efficiently.”
“Will we ever see you again?” asked Bakhai. “I would like to if that is permissible.”
“You are a friend now,” Tokak grinned with a smile that reached from ear to ear. “You are always welcome to visit. When you get close, we will know it.”
Without any further farewell, the trolls turned and went back up the small trail. The Fakarans walked briskly along the wide path. Droppings along the trail indicated that it was indeed used often by a variety of creatures, but whatever they were, they seemed to avoid confrontation. At one point, the Fakarans had to detour around a huge snake that had taken up residence on the trail. When high sun came, the orb was actually visible overhead. The group stopped for a rest and nibbled on the meat Tiny had given them.
They continued on for several hours until they came to a small stream crossing the path. As the pig meat had made them all thirsty, their water flasks were empty and they stopped to refill them. Mistake filled hers first and stood watching the small fish dart around in the stream. Suddenly, Bakhai yelped and dropped his flask into the stream as he swiftly withdrew his hand. His hand was bleeding in several spots.
“They bite,” scowled Bakhai. “Look at this. Must be seven bites all at once.”
Rejji quickly pulled his own flask out and capped it. He retrieved a long stick from the side of the trail and tried to move Bakhai’s flask to the edge of the stream. The school of small fish attacked the stick viscously and stripped the bark off of it in seconds.
“How are we going to cross it?” questioned Rejji. “Those fish will eat through to our bones.”
Bakhai tore a strip of cloth off of his food sack and wound it around his hand. Mistake reached into her sack and cut off a sliver of pig meat. She tossed it into the middle of the stream and it exuded an oily slick as it hit the surface. The school of fish darted to it in seconds.
“Get my flask and let’s cross quickly,” ordered Bakhai. “The meat will carry them downstream a bit, but I think they will be back for more.”
Rejji hurled his stick farther downstream and grabbed Bakhai’s flask. Together, the Fakarans dashed across the stream.
“That was quick thinking, Mistake,” Rejji said.
“I am just glad I didn’t decide to bathe in that stream,” she replied. “No wonder nobody ever leaves this place alive. There are so many things waiting to kill you.”
“Well they haven’t gotten us yet,” responded Rejji. “Let’s keep being cautious and maybe we can get through it.”
They continued along the trail, but Rejji noticed that the animals were not giving them as wide a berth as before. They seemed more curious and less fearful the longer they were on the trail.
“You should change that cloth,” Mistake said to Bakhai.
Rejji stopped and turned. The strip of cloth around Bakhai’s hand was soaked with blood. Bakhai ripped another strip of cloth off his food sack. When he removed the old one, Rejji saw Bakhai’s hand. Each of the bites was oozing blood and the sores appeared larger than they were originally. Bakhai’s hand was also swelling. Bakhai wrapped the hand with the new strip of cloth and was about to put the old one in his sack.
“Don’t do that,” Rejji said. “Throw it away.”
“I can clean it when we stop,” protested Bakhai. “We should not waste anything. We will find no cloth in this jungle and I can clean the old and reuse it.”
“I have been noticing the animals coming closer to inspect us as we pass them,” Rejji informed his friend. “I wasn’t sure why before, but now I realize that they smell the blood.”
“Of course,” nodded Bakhai. “You are right. I did not notice them coming closer. In fact, I have been feeling quite drowsy. My mind feels foggy and thoughts are not coming clearly to me.”
“Poison?” queried Mistake, her face a mask of concern.
“I don’t know,” admitted Rejji. “Whatever it is, I don’t like it. You stay behind him and keep an eye on him. Maybe we can find a stream without those fish and we can clean his wounds.”
Mistake nodded and Rejji led the group forward. He started paying more attention to the animals as they passed them. The creatures did not openly confront them, but rather followed them a bit before losing interest. After an hour, Rejji had the disturbing feeling that they were being watched. He caught flickers of movement out of the corners of his eyes, but every time he swiveled his head to look, nothing was there. At first he wrote it off as just being jittery, but the longer they walked, the more certain he became that something was stalking them. Several things, he corrected himself, because he caught the motions on both sides of the trail.
Rejji halted the group to check on Bakhai who was sweating profusely. The new cloth was again soaked with blood and his eyes were so puffed up that Rejji thought they would close entirely if the swelling didn’t stop. Mistake came alongside him and whispered in his ear.
“I sensed them too,” he replied. “Both sides of the trail. We may not make it out of this, Mistake. Bakhai is in bad shape.”
“I am alright,” argued Bakhai. “It is just a little hard to see. Let’s keep going.”
Rejji was torn between stopping for the night and trying to comfort Bakhai or trudging onward in hope of finding a clear stream. The watchers along the trail decided for him. They could not afford to camp where they were being watched. Rejji tore another strip off Bakhai’s food sack and changed the bandage. The hand was a mess of blood and open sores. Bakhai grimaced as Rejji tightened the strip in hopes of reducing the blood loss. He tossed the old bandage into the jungle and started marching along the trail again. Mistake put her arm around Bakhai and helped guide him so he didn’t have to keep his eyes open.
The jungle started to darken as the day drew towards night. Rejji knew they could only proceed for another hour or two at most before it was too dark to see. The creatures shadowing them alongside the trail grew more numerous and Rejji’s nerves began to fray. He began to hear sounds behind him in the jungle as if a large number of creatures were following them, just waiting for Bakhai to drop so they could pounce upon him.
As they rounded a bend in the trail, Rejji halted and stared into the distance. He
saw a huge black cloud several feet over the trail ahead of them. He shook his head, trying to make sense out of what he was seeing, but he could not. He blinked his eyes several times, but the black cloud remained.
“What is it?” asked Mistake.
“I guess my eyes are tired,” Rejji said. “It looks like a black cloud over the trail. Maybe you should lead and I will help Bakhai along.”
“There is nothing wrong with your eyes,” declared Mistake. “I see it too. I was just asking what it was.”
Suddenly, the black cloud moved slightly and Rejji saw the long, hairy legs attached to it.
“Tyrik,” swallowed Rejji.
“Mercy,” exhaled Mistake. “That can’t be real. It can’t be. I am not going anywhere near that thing.”
“Well there are some kind of creatures behind us too,” Rejji said softly.
“They haven’t attacked us yet,” responded Mistake. “No wonder the trolls were afraid of these things. What about the narrow trail on your left? Can we duck down that and hide maybe?”
“We don’t know what is down there,” protested Rejji.
“Rejji!” exclaimed Mistake as her voice started quaking, “I don’t care if there is cliff and a bottomless pit down that trail. If that spider thing sees us we are dead. I am taking Bakhai down that trail and running as fast as I can carry him. Are you coming?”
“Alright,” agreed Rejji as he grabbed one of Bakhai’s arms and draped it over his shoulder.
Rejji heard noises behind them as he helped support Bakhai, but he ignored them. He kept his eyes on the tyrik as they pivoted towards the narrow trail and started running. The trail was barely wide enough for the three of them and Rejji felt the plants ripping at his arms, but he ignored them and raced to keep even with Mistake. Bakhai’s feet were dragging along the ground now as the trio sped along the animal trail. Rejji broke out in a sweat as fear rippled through his body. He felt shivers course through his body and each step seemed to reverberate throughout his body. He could hear Mistake gasping for breath and his own breathing sounded like thunder in his ears.
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