Snapdragon Book II: In the Land of the Dragon

by Brandon Berntson

  Gavin didn’t know what to say and shook his head. Seth smiled to himself.

  They had come to the banks of a wide, slow moving waterway reminding Seth of Samuel’s Creek. The river here was much wider and deeper, moving sluggishly south. The pine trees thinned, making room for more gray rock. On the other side of the river, the rocks rose into a steep hillside barren of trees.

  “Anyone want to try their hand at fishing?” Albert said, slipping off his pack. The others did the same.

  “Look,” Eddie said. “Wood ducks.”

  On the water, two wood ducks moved along casually side by side.

  “How do you know what kind of ducks they are?” Gavin asked. “Did you write a paper on that, too?”

  Eddie shrugged. “No. I watch the Discovery Channel. What can I say, I like nature shows.”

  Gavin shrugged, and Seth chuckled to himself again.

  Clouds drifted back over the sky, obscuring the blue, making everything dark and gray, the green more pronounced. The area was lush with growth. The silence and the open mountains dazzled Seth, and he realized he was getting swept away by the simplicity of the land.

  The backpacks were set on the ground. Albert pulled out a small box of spinners, found one he liked, and fixed it to the line of one of the fishing poles. “Who wants to go first?” he asked.

  Gavin volunteered. “I want to try. But you’ll have to teach me.”

  “It’s easy,” Albert said. “Pull the bail back like this. Hold the line with your finger, and then…let her rip. It’s all in the wrist.” He did it artfully. The sparkling silver spinner sailed out over the water and plopped down with a small plunk! Albert reeled. “Keep the pole down toward the water, and reel slow, but not too slow.” He handed the pole to Gavin after reeling in and set up the other fishing pole.

  Gavin had a difficult time trying to get the spinner to go where he wanted. It took him a few casts to get the hang of how the bail worked, but before long, he was casting and reeling in as Albert had done.

  The others talked idly amongst themselves while Gavin fished. A look of deep concentration etched the boy’s face, tongue clenched between his teeth. The difficulties he’d had with his arm were apparently gone. He no longer winced when he exerted himself, casting the spinner into the water.

  “Last one to catch ’em,” Malcolm said, “has to cook ’em.”

  “Good thing I’m the first one fishing without tuberculosis,” Gavin said. “Maybe the constant battle has something to do with toxic energy. Everyone take a number. Mandripore! That’s a deep river!”

  Everyone looked at one another, furrowed their brows, and shook their heads.

  “Mandripoore?” Eddie asked, frowning.

  “A world in the deep nether regions of space, Higgs,” Gavin said, reeling. He did not look at Eddie as he spoke. “A little place I like to call home. Mandripoore is a land filled with deep rivers and lots of trees. It’s a fantasy world, Higgs. Get with the time share program.”

  “Time share?” Eddie said, frowning.

  “Forget it,” Gavin said. “You watch nature shows. I watch fantasy shows.”

  To Seth, hearing Gavin revert to his random talk, was a relief. It was somewhere around the time of the skate party he’d last heard Gavin talk that way.

  Several dragonflies cruised over the water, darting here and there. The wood ducks had moved farther off to the right. The wind picked up with slight gusts, then settled back again. Silvery clouds parted, revealing rays of warm sunlight, and hints of blue.

  Gavin suddenly hollered with excitement next to the riverbank. “Holy cow!” he shouted, holding the pole as if it were electrocuting him. The pole bent in a distinct arc toward the water, bouncing and jerking with the weight of a fighting fish. Gavin’s eyes were wide with excitement. “I got one! I think I got one! Oh, holy mission statements! Throw a log on the fire!”

  Albert dropped the other pole he’d been putting together and hurried over to Gavin, just as excited. He was laughing. “Take it easy,” the boy instructed. “Keep the line tight, but don’t force him in. Let him play with it a bit.”

  Seth stepped closer, looking on. The rest of them gathered around, watching the line split and zigzag through the water. Eddie patted Gavin on the back. Malcolm and Kinsey smiled. Seth tried looking over Malcolm’s shoulder into the water, so he could see the fish.

  “Yip-on-a-jip-ster!” Gavin exclaimed, now using a British accent.

  Kinsey and Malcolm laughed. Eddie was hypnotized, huddling next to Gavin, anxious to see the fish.

  Albert continued to instruct Gavin while the smaller boy kept pressure on the line, reeling only when Albert told him. The larger boy knelt by the bank at Gavin’s feet, and grabbed the line carefully. He stood up quickly afterwards, two fingers hooked through the gills of a five-pound brown trout. “How about that!” Albert said, holding the jerking fish for everyone to see.

  Kinsey cheered. Eddie clapped Gavin on the back again.

  “You’re a natural,” Malcolm said.

  Albert, looking as proud as Gavin felt, tossed the spotted brown onto the high grass, where it flopped and gasped for air.

  Seth looked at Gavin; the boy seemed ten-feet tall, eyes filled with delight.

  “Wow!” Kinsey said. “I’ve never seen anyone catch a fish that big before! It’s bigger than you Eddie!”

  Eddie laughed, then stopped. “Hey!” he said, catching the joke.

  “Golly!” Gavin said, shocked. “I ain’t never even caught a fish before!”

  When Seth looked at Gavin, he noticed the boy’s eyes welling with tears. Gavin wiped his eyes.

  “Man!” Albert cried. “I bet that’s a five-pounder! Maybe six! It’s huge! Gavin, you are the main man! Ace in my books, baby! I think I’m a little jealous!”

  Eddie bent over the fish, inspecting it. “Who’s gonna clean this thing?” he said, turning to the others.

  “You’re gonna clean it, Higgs!” Gavin said, giggling through his tears.

  “No, way!” Eddie said. “I’m not putting my hands in that thing.”

  “I’ll gut it,” Albert said. “I know it’s kind of gross, but I actually enjoy the slippery buggers. That one’s gonna have a lot of guts, too.”

  “Oh!” Kinsey exclaimed, shuddering. “That’s disgusting!”

  Albert chuckled.

  “Man,” Gavin said, looking at Seth. He was smiling broadly. “Did you see that? That was the coolest! The best! And you guys were here! You guys got to see it! No one would ever believe it! Man, I think that was the single, most greatest moment of my life! Jipson and flanagans! Prosper the bumpkin!” Gavin shook his head as if he couldn’t believe it, still smiling to himself. He plopped onto the ground, putting his elbows on his knees, and laughed loudly, shaking his head.

  Malcolm stepped over. “Hemingway would be proud,” he said, handing Gavin the pole. “Here.”

  “Nah,” Gavin said. “Let someone else go. I had my turn.”

  Malcolm nodded. “Higgs! You’re up!”

  Eddie looked frightened by the prospect. He’d never fished before, either.

  Albert—as with Gavin—instructed Eddie on how to cast, and before long, Eddie was tossing the spinner into the river and reeling in.

  Kinsey came over and sat down next to Seth. “You okay?” she asked. Her hair was slightly tangled. Streaks of dirt lined her face. To Seth, she’d never looked more beautiful.

  “Yeah,” he said, smiling and nodding. “I’m great.”

  “You’ve been quiet for a long time,” she said.

  “Just thinking,” he said.

  Kinsey nodded, leaned over, and put her head on his arm. She sat up a moment later, looking into his eyes, smiling, then turned back to Gavin. “That’s a big fish, Gavin,” she said. “Are you sure you want to eat it?”

  Gavin beamed. “I’m not gonna opt out of a hot meal on account of getting sentimental.” He raised his arms above his head in a salute of victory. “Fight when I’m talk
ing to you! Man, that was awesome!”

  Again, the nonsensical talk made Seth laugh.

  Malcolm took a seat next to Gavin, and they watched Albert and Eddie fish.

  “Anyone else want to go?” Albert said, turning to the others. “I got another pole here. No sense in just one of us fishing.”

  “I’ll go!” Kinsey said, bouncing to her feet. “Show you suckers how a lady fishes! And this lady can fish!”

  Seth smiled.

  Gavin looked to where the trout lay on the grass. It wasn’t flapping around anymore. The boy hadn’t stopped smiling since Albert brought the fish onto the bank. He nodded to himself.

  Seth looked at Gavin, then at his friends: Albert standing next to Eddie while the boy fished, Kinsey taking time farther down the river, staying out of Eddie’s way, and Malcolm sitting next to Gavin. He thought about Masie and what she’d told him that night at the drive-in…about making memories.

  Seth looked at Gavin again. The boy nodded at him and smiled.

  “Holy Jeez!” Eddie hollered. “I got one! I got one, too! I can’t believe it! Race across Egypt!”

  Eddie adopting Gavin’s random idioms made Seth and Gavin look at each other and laughed uproariously.

  It was a rare moment. Even Kinsey reeled in, setting her pole down, and ran over to see. Malcolm, too, jumped up and ran to where Eddie reeled and fought the fish along the bank.

  Gavin and Seth both looked at each again and shrugged. Hopping to their feet, they joined the others.

  iii

  Eddie and Kinsey each caught a fish. Albert hooked one, played with it for a while, only to lose it before lifting it onto the bank. Despite being skunked for the day, Seth and Malcolm were still excited for the others.

  Albert, beside the bank, pulled out his pocketknife, and sliced each fish up the belly. Eddie watched, shuddering, as Albert sawed the heads off, ripped out the guts, and tossed them into the river. He washed the blood off his hands when he was done.

  “How can you stand that?” Eddie said, making a face.

  “Like I said,” Albert told him, smiling. “I kind of like it.”

  Eddie shuddered. “Gives me the willies.”

  Of the three, Gavin’s fish was the biggest.

  Kinsey mentioned that now was as good a time as any for lunch, and she wrapped the fish in some extra tinfoil she’d brought.

  The others collected wood to get a fire going. When the flames grew steady, Kinsey set one of the fish wrapped in foil in the skillet. She doled out tin plates and forks again while the others sat in a circle around the fire.

  When the fish was done, Albert reached carefully into the pan and unfolded the foil, letting the steam out. “Watch this,” he said, leaning forward. Albert pried open the belly of the fish with his knife, grabbing the bones near the top of the spine. He kept it firmly in the pan with the knife, trying not to burn his fingers, and pulled the skeleton free. Most of the bones came away easily. He quickly threw the remains in the river and blew on his fingers. “Dig in,” he said, and they did.

  Kinsey wrapped another fish, while the five boys ate, and proceeded to cook another.

  “Fish for supper,” Gavin said. “Far out. Burgers in space. Don’t have tartar sauce or lemon juice, but who’s complainin’? At least it ain’t rainin’. Jeez, Albert, save some for Kinsey.”

  Albert shook his head, and the others smiled, shoveling in forkfuls of fresh, white meat.

  Seth was surprised how good it tasted. He’d had fish before, but never fresh out of a river. The meat fell apart in his mouth. He was impressed and surprised by Kinsey and Albert’s knowledge on how to catch and prepare a meal. He wouldn’t have been able to do it himself. Without them, they’d be eating raisins, peanuts, and jerky still.

  Kinsey prepared all three, while Albert repeated the same de-boning process. Eddie wanted to de-bone one of the fish himself, but all he did was burn his fingers. He sat around the fire blowing on them.

  Soon, though, not wanting to delay, the meal settling nicely in their bellies, they cleaned up, put out the fire, and headed along the banks of the river. Farther along, several fallen trees made a makeshift bridge, and they were able to cross to the other side.

  The clouds grew thick again by early afternoon, the chill sharp on their noses and cheeks. They put their hats and gloves on again, the cold threatening an early snow. Climbing across several hills, they came into dense forests again.

  The fish had provided a resurgence of energy, and Seth was optimistic as they trudged ahead. His legs, however, grew taut and sore. He wondered if the others felt the same.

  The forest opened around mid afternoon, revealing a blue, glassy lake, bordered by tall pine trees. Barren mountains of rock blocked the sky on the other side.

  They hardly spoke as they moved around the edge of the lake, keeping close to the shoreline. The wind was calm. Before dark, and eager for a fire, they stopped and made camp in the surrounding trees. The cold was a nuisance, hinting colder weather ahead. They held their hands out to the flames, but it did little to alleviate the chill.

  “We’ll have to pull out the long underwear,” Malcolm said. “Man, its getting cold.”

  When the darkness fell, they were surprised by how tired they were, and went to bed early. The first few days had proved eventful and tiresome.

  The sky was filled with low clouds when they awoke the next morning, and the others agreed with what Malcolm had said the night before. Rummaging through their packs, they changed their clothes, layering themselves in long underwear, shorts, socks, and T-shirts.

  “Make sure you don’t overdress, Gavin,” Kinsey said, helping the boy out of one of the many shirts he’d layered himself with.

  “Hey,” he said. “I’m just trying to stay warm.”

  “Yeah, but if you layer yourself too much,” Kinsey said. “You’ll sweat to death under all your clothes. You want to layer yourself enough to keep warm, but loose enough for your body to breathe.”

  “Huh,” he said. “I didn’t know that.”

  “Don’t mention it.” Kinsey smiled.

  Once they were situated, Malcolm rummaged in his pack, and gave a package of gaiters to everyone.

  “What are these?” Albert asked, taking a pair.

  “Gaiters,” Malcolm said. “You put them over the top of your boot and up on your leg. That way, if we walk through heavy snow, your feet won’t get wet. I don’t think we’ll need them today, but just hold onto them.”

  Albert nodded. With the tents down, rolled up, and the packs ready to go, they began their trek. Seth noticed, after donning the clothing, that he was noticeably warmer than the day before, giving him more encouragement.

  Looking west at the land unfolding around him, Seth followed his companions deeper into the mountains.

  iv

  Through the remainder of the week and into the next, they persevered and fought the terrain. September turned to October, and the temperature dropped a little more each day. The landscape opened up into wide mountain meadows and grasslands, then turned to rocks and hills again. Still, they ventured on, fishing when they came across rivers and lakes, but failing to produce the same luck as when Gavin had caught his fish that day. Sometimes, they shared an entire fish—half the size as the one Gavin had caught—between all of them. Eating anything hot, though, seemed a blessing.

  Gavin was—as the days progressed—healing and returning more to his old self. The swelling had diminished, the dark bruises turning yellow and eventually fading. Both eyes were bright and clear now, and he smiled with more frequency. Gavin appeared healthier than Seth had ever seen him. The haunted look he’d come to associate with the boy had completely disappeared. A stout, even solid conviction had hardened his features. Being away from home, from his mother, and out here in the open air—despite the dangers—had a healing quality of its own.

  No one talked about the monsters. No one mentioned the fissures, the beaming pillars of light, the giant beast, or the war
ring figures in the sky.

  Seth wondered if Ben had injured his enemy, and if the Dragon was licking its wounds until it was ready to assault them again.

  For the next two weeks, they found fresh water and ate enough to keep them energized, living off fish, rice, and cereal bars, though the supply was already dwindling. Still, they were fortunate enough at times to stumble upon lakes and rivers, which produced decent-sized trout on occasion.

  The thin air, however, began to take its toll, making it harder to breathe as they climbed, and the going slowed considerably. During the trek, they found themselves on top of hills with breathtaking vistas and endless mountains ranges on all sides. The six of them would stop and stare, overlooking the world, taking in the sight before moving on again.

  A jackrabbit watched them between two dead trees. Seth mentioned shooting it for another hot meal, but with the .30-.06, Albert said there’d be nothing left but rabbit fur. They grew anxious for hot meals again, resorting to their dry food supply, and snacked only when they needed.

  “Now would be a good time for some Lembas bread,” Malcolm said once.

  “What’s Lembas bread?” Eddie asked.

  “It’s from Lord of the Rings. Elven bread. A little goes a long way, keeps you full with just a few bites.”

  Eddie nodded and took a small bite of his cereal bar.

  Soon, the land opened into endless valleys of grass, making it easier to travel. Signs of vibrant colored life—despite the hint of winter—were everywhere. Purple and red wildflowers grew across sloping landscapes of green, and when Gavin asked Eddie what they wore, the boy simply shrugged.

  “I don’t know all of them, ya goof,” he said.

  Moving farther into the mountains, the peaks grew taller and more ominous. Without the beasts and the threat of dark magic, the world was as any other—spectacular to look upon. His friends were silent as they soaked in the views, struck by how inspiring, untouched, and yet brutal the land appeared.