Snapdragon Book II: In the Land of the Dragon

by Brandon Berntson

  We’re going back, but evereething feels rong I never thot we actuly wud make it to the palace I didn’t reelly beleeve it was real. Why? All had a bunch of dreems? None makes cents.

  Gavin, we luv an miss you.

  So what for stupid palises the same disipointmunt follows us. We get our hopes up, we get crushed that’s life.

  The palise has taken our frend it mite take a few more before its all over. How r we ever suposd to looke back and be glad we did this? Thats wat I’d like to noe. Happy? Give me a brake! To hell with this stupud jurny and this stoopud palice I don’t care, eether To hell with it all and to hell with you 2, dad! If I get back, I mite giv him a peace of my mind! Hear that?

  TO HEL WITH YU!

  The last few days have been kayahtic, I just dont have the enirjy to go into it.

  We’ve seene a lot of teribel things, don’t mayke cents, nevr will. Maybee it was Hell. I don’t noe. I just remembr seeing blud every were what seemd miles, blud and deth, and creechurs I forget. ill just theenking abot it, and I’m alredy sik.

  Maybe sumeday I’ll tell you. Maybey sumeday I’ll tell yu about the palise. only pepel gostly nites in armur that had nuthing inside, and the roome holding the pepel wayting for uz It nevir mayke sens Not to me Selibrate what? We’re on the verje of deth at leest Kinsey is and I don’t feel 2 far beehind.

  Gavin tocked about how the palise was something 2 tayke him awae from his mother, that he wuld nevir have to deel with her again. It was tru, dident think it would hapen the way it did. thot we wood groe up toogether see him smiling injoying a life hee shude hav had a long time ago stupid palice dreams and things anyway who gives a shit?

  Sumetimes, I reely hait life. Sumetimes, I really hate God. What the hell is He doing eneeway?

  I feel like Gavin has beene cheeted he nevir got to enjoy enytheeng wile he was alyve. His happyiest momants were jurneeing with us. I gess that’s okay, noewing we culd giv him that, if nuthing els Ill never furget the way his fase glowd wen he cot the fish that dae, like a beekon. I smile jus theenking about it. I luved him I gess thats OK to say, wethar you’r ten or wethar your watevir I nevir felt closr to aneebodee, even in short time. Heal alwayse bee with mee, thats for shore. Rest eesy, Gav’ bee free.

  I have to stop for a minute I kant thinck straayt loosng Gavin…

  Were maykeeng are way home now nevire thot I’d say that. We have evereething we need, except penosillen, which Kinsey needs mor thn aneethng.

  God, I just want too mayke it home.

  Dafeeting this creschure just dosnt seeme as importent as are own safeetie but I gess we tocked about that we didn’t tayke this tripe for arselfs Stupid palise

  We martch on, dispite triales. The wind is colde feeles beter stay out of the wind in the tents, awaye from fire, at leest for mee. Wen I step outsde, I feele lyke cerrling into a litel bal and dyng.

  Pleese ghod will u sho mersee? Will yu at leest triee sayve us?

  Helth for Kinsie.

  I theenk how funee how speerichool pepel get the closer to desastr.

  Mayebee wee wil tayle this tayle with ar mowths insted of ar pens.

  Werever yu ar Gaven I hope yr sayfe I luv and mis yu,

  Higs.

  iii

  Kinsey lay shivering in the heat and the cold. The heat came from her forehead and body, but the cold came in through the tent. The sleeping bag was wrapped tightly around her, eyes closed, forehead hot and damp. She did not hear anyone speak, but she shivered, shaking her head back and forth, and mumbled incoherently. Kinsey was, Seth feared, on the verge of death.

  He brushed her hair back behind her ear, the wind beating obnoxiously at the tent.

  Their plight worked into him, aggravating him to the point of fury. As a kid, he couldn’t recall such anger. He’d supposed he’d been feeling it since Gavin’s death.

  Seth ground his teeth together and wanted to scream!

  The palace was already two weeks behind them, and Ellishome still felt like an eternity away. Seth tried to moisten Kinsey’s lips with a damp shirt, but she shook her head.

  They were too far from home. And how many miles did they still have to go? With Kinsey, they could not move another step. They had to either abandon her, leaving her to die, or perish alongside her. He could stay, he thought. The others could go on without them. They could reach Ellishome, take his sword, defeat the Dragon, and everything would go back to normal. Did he think they’d make it through the mountains and back again without anymore casualties? Better some of them return, a few companions lighter, than none at all. Of course, the others would hear none of it.

  They stayed atop a rocky glacier, the tents staked hard into the ice. Outside, the wind was torrential. Seth was afraid the ropes would snap, or the tents would rip. He sat still, hoping for the storm to pass.

  Eddie helped as best he could, searching for firewood, and getting the tents up. He was sweating and weak, but the boy was determined.

  Outside, the snow continued to fall. Seth thought they should get to lower elevations, off the rock and out of the wind. Time would tell, he thought.

  The tent flap opened, and Malcolm stuck his head in, his hair longer, whipping wildly about his face. The boy looked rugged and hardened. He supposed they all did.

  “I can’t find any shelter,” he said. “We couldn’t get a fire going if we wanted. She still won’t eat or drink?”

  Seth shook his head.

  Malcolm crawled inside and zipped up the tent, keeping the wind out. He turned to Seth, out of breath. “Seems funny, doesn’t it? All this way. We get what we need. We lose Gavin, and now…” Malcolm’s face was lined with age, as if his early thirties were showing on his eleven-year-old face.

  “We won’t lose Kinsey,” Seth said.

  “I didn’t mean that, Seth…I just…”

  “We have a lot to do,” Seth said. “This is far from over. I don’t know what to do, either, but there has to be something. She’s delirious.”

  They were silent for a moment.

  “Malcolm?”

  The boy raised his eyebrows.

  “Do you think a lot of people are dead now?”

  Malcolm shook his head, knowing Seth referred to Ellishome. “I don’t know,” he said. “I’m trying not to think about it. But we’ve been gone a long time. I get this feeling we’ve lost a lot more time than we realize, you know? Like winter just came and dropped itself on us.” He paused. “It’s snowing outside still.”

  Seth nodded.

  “It looks pretty bad,” Malcolm said. “I wish Eddie wouldn’t go out. He might make himself worse, but he’s so persistent. He wants to help. I think we might have several feet by morning. I don’t know how we’re going to make it back, not with Kinsey the way she is…and the snow. It’s coming down like silver dollars. You can hardly see a thing.” He paused. “God, I just want to get home, see Grandpa again. Did I tell you about the time I came home from school, and he ran into the meadow?”

  Seth shook his head, giving his friend the opportunity to talk. He hadn’t listened to Malcolm open up since he’d met him.

  “Tell me,” Seth said.

  Malcolm laughed; it sounded strange considering their situation. “He was like a little kid,” he said. “It was so funny. He ran down the stairs and out the front door. I think that’s the first time I remember him being outside since…at least in the last few years.” Malcolm stopped, a grin on his face, as though reliving the memory. He shook his head. “He was funny. He kept shouting and carrying on, running through the meadow. He has this big black cloak he used to wear. He threw it off, and there’s his rickety old body, stark raving naked, pale as the moon’s glow. Palest thing I ever saw. Off he goes through the trees, and toward this big canal we have out back like Samuel’s Creek. He runs, screaming and hollering, and just jumps in. Splash!—like a cannonball. I mean that smile on his face must’ve been a mile wide! He’s shouting for me to jump in. ‘The water’s fine,’ he says. So, I’m just standing th
ere laughing and thinking how crazy he is. But how good it is to see him that way, too, you know? Then…I just jumped right in after him.” Malcolm shook his head again, staring at a spot in the tent as if seeing the entire memory in it. He looked at Seth.

  “Your grandpa sounds great,” Seth told him. “I can’t wait to see him again. I thought he was pretty funny that day we came to pick you up.”

  “Yeah,” Malcolm said. “Well, anyway…” He sighed. “I got to thinking,” Malcolm virtually apologized. “Just hope there’s more days like that.”

  “There will be.”

  Malcolm nodded. He looked at Kinsey, frowning, then shook his head. “What do you think, Seth? Do you think we have a prayer?”

  Seth thought about it and nodded. Malcolm hadn’t shown any sign of doubt on their journey thus far, but in the short time in the tent, he’d done just that.

  “I have to believe that,” Seth told him. “I can’t afford not to. With all that’s happened, all this crazy stuff—things we’ve seen—I can’t believe we’re going to be left out here in the middle of nowhere to freeze to death.”

  The tent flap unzipped and Albert poked his head inside. Snow covered his knit hat and face, his long, matted hair. Seth thought they resembled an eighties rock-and-roll band. Behind Albert, snowflakes swirled in the storm. Even though it was the middle of the day, the pressing clouds made it seem like dusk.

  “I don’t know what to do,” Albert said, repeating Malcolm. “We might be buried in snow by morning. What do you guys think?”

  Seth looked at Malcolm and both of them shared a long, dispirited silence.

  “Let’s make sure Eddie’s out of the cold,” Malcolm said. “We’ll wait it out. That’s the best we can hope for.”

  “I already got Eddie in the tent,” Albert said. “I told him I had the gun.”

  Malcolm forced a laugh.

  “How is she?” Albert asked, nodding at Kinsey. “No different?”

  Seth shook his head. He looked down at her, hair plastered to her face like spider webs.

  “All will be well, boys,” Albert said. “You’ll see.” He paused again. “I gotta go make sure Higglesby isn’t out wandering. Be of good cheer.” He smiled, and disappeared, zipping the tent back up.

  “I guess we just wait,” Malcolm said.

  Seth nodded, and they listened to the howling wind.

  iv

  As they day progressed, Kinsey managed to fall asleep. Seth took it as a good sign and thought he would see the terrors of the storm for himself. Malcolm followed him outside.

  The blizzard proved blinding and fierce. Snow blew everywhere, not in one direction, but left and right, even up and down. Seth shielded his face from the blinding snow.

  Albert came out of the tent, leaving Eddie inside, and joined them. “Doesn’t look good, does it?” he said, speaking loud over the wind.

  “Hey!” Eddie called from the tent, looking out the mesh window. “What are you guys doing?”

  “Just stay there, Higgs,” Albert called. “Don’t make me get the gun.”

  Eddie retreated, but still watched the blizzard through the mesh window.

  “We’re gonna be buried by morning,” Seth said.

  “Maybe we’ll get lucky, and it’ll blow over,” Albert said. “Maybe it won’t be bad at all.”

  Seth appreciated his positive attitude despite the conditions.

  How did a storm, however, blow over if you were right in the middle of it? Seth did not bring this to Albert’s attention.

  They returned to their tents, but Seth noticed movement to his right. He turned and peered through the blinding flakes.

  Were his eyes playing tricks on him? For a second, his heart skipped a beat. Orange and black stripes were prominent against the snow. The tiger walked toward them through the blizzard like a ghost.

  “Ben?” Seth whispered.

  Albert swore in surprise. Malcolm was riveted, eyes wide.

  Gentlemen.

  “Ben?” Seth said. “Thank God. Please help us.”

  Ben nodded. I’m sorry about everything, Seth. All you’ve had to go through. I’m sorry for your loss. I hope you know that. None of this was my idea.

  A surge of emotion welled in Seth’s throat. Tears gathered in his eyes, freezing in the blizzard.

  I’ve come for Kinsey.

  Suddenly, the tiger represented death, not to make her well, but to dispose of her body. Ben was going to take her away where she could die without being a burden.

  “I’m not gonna let you do that,” Seth said.

  She won’t die, Seth. Not if she comes with me. But she will if she stays behind. I’m taking her home. Her home.

  The relief was like a blow to his chest, and Seth burst into tears.

  “Do you mean it?” he asked.

  Ben nodded a single time.

  Seth looked at Malcolm who was still trying to believe Ben (those beautifully thick, orange stripes against the snow) was actually here. Albert was doing the same, his mouth hanging open in awe and surprise.

  “Come on,” Seth said. “Help me get her.”

  He went to the tent with Malcolm and Albert following. Kinsey was disoriented, vaguely coherent.

  “Come on, Kinsey,” Seth said. “You’re going home. We have to get you dressed.” He couldn’t stop the flood of emotion, though, and his tears wouldn’t stop. He didn’t understand why, suddenly, but knowing Kinsey would be okay—and seeing Ben—rejuvenated him.

  Seth and Malcolm helped get her into warmer, thicker clothes while Albert waited patiently outside. They slipped her hat and boots on, Gavin’s coat and gloves. Once she was ready, Albert and Malcolm helped Seth carry Kinsey into the blizzard.

  Eddie knelt in the snow outside the tent, scratching Ben behind his ears. The tiger licked his face and Eddie giggled. Now did not seem the time to reprimand the boy for being outside.

  Seth and Malcolm emerged with Kinsey, and Ben looked over at them. Kinsey mumbled, head lolling, unaware of what was happening.

  Sorry I don’t have enough room for all of you, Ben said. Just put her on my back. She’ll be okay.

  The boys positioned her on Ben’s back, and instinctively, Kinsey reached out, wrapping her arms around the tiger’s neck, her head against Ben’s fur. To Seth, she seemed to fall instantly into an untroubled sleep.

  “Won’t she freeze?” Seth asked.

  Don’t worry about her. Pack up and move on. There’s better shelter ahead. Keep going east. You’ll run right into it. There’s plenty of wood, a place for the tents, and it’s out of the wind. I have to get this girl home.

  Ben turned and started away with Kinsey snuggled on his back.

  “Ben?” Seth asked.

  The animal stopped and turned, knowing his thoughts.

  I know, Seth. I know. For the first time since Seth had met the tiger, there was remorse in his voice. You still have a long way to go, but you’re doing fine. And, gentlemen, I am sorry. Sorry it’s been so hard. But I am very proud of all of you.

  Ben, for the first time, looked indecisive. He started walking, then stopped a second time, turning back to Seth and the others.

  You have friends now, and not of your own world. Remember, I may not be visible all the time, but I’m always with you. I know where you are. It’s been a hard fight, but I can now see the end for the first time in a very long time. Thanks to you…thanks to all of you. Goodbye for now, gentleman.

  The four boys stood in the snow as Ben nodded. The tiger turned again, making his way through the blizzard with Kinsey on his back.

  For a while, they simply stood together.

  “You up for a journey, Higgs?” Albert asked.

  Eddie nodded, his glasses wet from the snow. Malcolm looked the same, and Seth wondered how they could maneuver through the storm if they couldn’t see anything.

  After a pause, Seth asked them:

  “Did you guys hear him? Could you hear him talking?”

  Malcolm nodded, s
o did Eddie.

  “Every word,” Albert said.

  Seth nodded. “Let’s get this stuff together,” he said. “A fire sounds good to me.”

  “Amen,” Albert said.

  They cleared up camp, fighting the wind and the snow. When everything was packed, they trudged through the blizzard for another long, slow mile, until they came to the shelter Ben had mentioned. Eddie, with Ben’s appearance, seemed to gain added strength.

  The shelter was a large rock wall with a deep recessed cave, a hollow out of the wind. They were numb with the cold when they arrived, but Ben was right. Dry wood littered the ground.

  Albert and Eddie helped get a fire going while Malcolm and Seth set up the tents. It was a relief to be out of the cold and the blizzard.

  When the flames crackled, they sat close to the fire, sticking their hands out to thaw.

  “How do you feel, Eddie?” Albert asked.

  “Not as bad,” Eddie said. “Is there any food left?”

  “Not much,” Albert said.

  Albert helped Eddie to some scant dry goods, and the boy wolfed them down hungrily.

  “Our group is noticeably smaller,” Albert said.

  The others nodded.

  “Thank God Kinsey will be all right,” Malcolm said, after a time.

  “I think God and Ben are the same thing,” Eddie told them.

  Seth looked at Eddie and smiled. Malcolm and Albert looked at the boy and smiled as well.

  “What?” Eddie asked.

  “Nothing, oh Wise-one,” Albert said.

  v

  The weather was harsh and brutal the next morning. More than a foot of snow lay across the ground. They were able to trudge on, despite the conditions. Because of the snow, their packs were burdensome, making them lose their balance, and several times, Eddie fell over, planting his face in fresh, white powder. When they came upon a forest of pine trees, Albert used his ingenuity to make snowshoes for everyone out of pine branches and twine. The chore took some amount of time, but once they got going again, travel was noticeably easier.

  Eddie didn’t say much, and hugged himself against the chill, taking each step carefully. With Kinsey gone, they left Gavin’s things behind. Something about it seemed to finalize the boy’s passing. They grew teary-eyed and silent, looking at Gavin’s pack, before moving on again.