‘Who else is He calling, Salli?’ asked Kerri.
‘He’s been controlling Holly since Duma first showed her the Crystal. He’s been trying to influence her to bring it to Him, or at least to any of the apes He controls. He kept her alive beneath the snow, but used His power to stop her moving, like she was frozen and couldn’t move her limbs. He also stopped her breathing when you checked her, Kerri, so you cannot blame yourself for leaving her there. Young ones are always easier to control, but now Holly’s getting stronger each day. She understands what He’s doing and she’s fighting against it. But she’s still under the influence of the Crystal. It’s not possible to know yet which is the stronger, Holly’s need to be close to the Crystal or his influence over her. Remember, Holly is only a little girl and she was traumatised by what Duma did to her. While she lay beneath the snow, he would call her. He’d give her comfort with one hand and terrorise her with the other. She became totally dependent upon him. But there was one thing that kept her sane. And that was believing that Carter would come and get her, like he’d promised her, the night of the storm when the Snow Bears came through the pass.
‘He was also controlling Duma, Sonny’s father. But Duma does not respond anymore. I think he may be dead because He became so angry with one of His apes that He destroyed him with the Power of Thunder... and now He’s calling Sonny.’
There was a look of shock on all those around the table.
‘Is Sonny obeying Him?’ Casey was the first to ask.
‘It’s not so much obeying, Casey. It’s more being influenced. He’s corrupting Sonny, and Sonny’s falling into the trap. He’s listening and thinks it’s his own thoughts that he’s following. I feel Sonny is reacting the way He wants Sonny to.’
‘Is there any hope for Sonny, any chance that he can be saved?’ asked Sam with concern.
‘There’s always a chance, Sam. It depends how strong he is. At the moment he’s very weak. He thinks it’s his father calling him, so Sonny’s feeling guilty for leaving his father behind, but he’s also afraid of trying to save him. But now He’s changing his plan. He’s trying to corrupt Sonny through jealousy.’
‘But what could Sonny be jealous of?’ asked Casey.
Salli and Lulu looked at Kerri, but she didn’t understand.
‘Sonny’s being told that all his problems are because of Carter, and if it weren’t for Carter, then Kerri would be his.’
‘What?’ shouted Kerri. ‘He’s using me as a... a “prize” for hurting Carter?’
‘Yes,’ said Lulu.
‘But I must go to him. I must help him. I must warn him,’ said Kerri.
‘That’s the worst thing you can do at the moment. He mustn’t know we are aware of what He’s doing to Sonny,’ said Salli.
‘If anything happens to Carter, I’ll... I’ll... Sonny will...’
‘It’s not his fault, Kerri,’ Salli interrupted her. ‘Sonny is weak at the moment, and anyway, we can use this to our own advantage.’
‘What’s your plan, Salli?’ asked Casey.
‘We make no effort to stop Him talking to Sonny,’ Salli said. ‘Now that we know Sonny is listening, it cannot harm us provided Sonny doesn’t know what our plans are.’
‘At the moment, I hope Sonny is flat on his back after the mixture I asked Ben to drop in Sonny’s drink,’ said Lulu. ‘When we next meet Sonny, there’ll be no mention of our plans. I’ll tell Sonny some false story, so that the next time he’s called, anything Sonny tells will be meaningless, but believable enough that He will believe it.’
‘You mean to use him?’ said Kerri.
‘Sonny made his choice,’ Lulu said. ‘I asked for his honesty and he tried to deceive me. Now Sonny must earn his way back.’
‘Don’t write him off yet,’ said Sam. ‘There may be a reason why Sonny was here, at the start of all this, at the Gateway, with a broken leg. If it wasn’t for him, we may never have known where the children were taken, or how to cross the border, and I may never have found you, Lu. I don’t believe Sonny’s part is finished yet.’
‘Are you saying He can also listen to us?’ Kerri asked.
‘Once you’ve learnt the Power of Hearing, you can “hear” the moment someone is talking about you. So, if I called His name, He would read my thoughts. That’s why we must never mention His name.’
11
Chapter Eleven
New Lands
TAKING IN THE evening air, Kerri and Casey stood at the stern rail. Both were comfortable in their silence, happy to be together again.
‘I’m going to miss you being around, Kerri.’
‘Miss me making you pancakes, you mean.’
‘Well, that too. There’s no one I know who can make a pancake like you can,’ he said.
‘I’m going to miss you too, Case. It’s a whole new thing for me, being a Guardian,’ Kerri said.
‘Companion,’ Casey corrected. ‘We are Companions now.’
‘You’ve always been a Companion to Sam, but this is all new to me,’ she said.
‘Just live your normal life. And keep practising. Every day, practice what I taught you. You’re good enough now. There’s not a man can match you for staff combat, except me!’
‘You know I’m so grateful for everything you did for me, Case. You know that, don’t you?’
‘I did what anyone would do to help you, Kerri, after your parents disappeared.’
‘No, Case, you did much more than anyone should ever be asked to do and I want you to know, I’ll never forget it.’
‘Come on, let’s stop talking like this. We’ll make a deal. We’ll always be there for each other.’
‘That’s a deal,’ Kerri said laughing.
They stood watching the stars, feeling the gentle sway of the boat beneath their feet. ‘Are you feeling confident, Case?’ she asked.
‘As much as I can be. I think the lost people are pulling themselves together. They’re learning how to use the staff pretty quick. They’re coming together. They’ll be good enough to protect our flanks, and some of those cats are getting their confidence back. They’ve even started calling themselves Mountain Lions again. It’s half the battle, having the courage to stand up in the first place. And that comes from confidence.’
‘And training,’ said Kerri.
They stood, listening to the groaning of the timbers beneath them and the strain of the ropes in the slight breeze overhead.
‘Do you think we’ll ever go back, Case?’ Kerri asked.
‘You’re really asking me if we’re going to win, to beat Him. I believe in Lulu. Her and Salli have some powers up their sleeve that we could never have imagined, even going back to last summer.’
‘That’s true. Do you remember last summer? It seems like a different life to me. Before we knew about any of these cats, or bears or apes or callings. The only thing that seemed important was when the rains were going to come.’
‘Yes, that and what to put in your pancake.’
‘Do you ever stop thinking about your belly, Case? I’m trying to talk serious here.’
Casey stepped closer to her. He put his arm around her shoulders, giving her a squeeze. She put her arms around his stomach and hugged him back.
‘I know you are, Kerri. I just want to keep it light. I suppose I want to hold onto what we had for a little longer. Hold onto you being my little girl. What really scares me is turning around one day and seeing you’ve grown up and gone forever.’
‘Don’t worry about that, Case. We’ll always have that and we’ll always have each other. Even when I’m old and making pancakes for little ones running around under my feet, and you finally ask that Brenda with the hazelnut hair to be your bride, we’ll still have that.’
‘How d’you know about Brenda? And where d’you get that idea?’
‘Why, everyone in the Clan’s talking about the puppy dog eyes you’re giving her. There’s even bets going on as to when you’re going to ask her.’
‘P
uppy dog eyes! Tell me who’s saying that and I’ll have a word with them.’
‘Settle down, Case. You tell me when you’re going to ask her and you and me can make a killing on the odds. We could win enough berries to see us through to next winter. Go on, tell me, when are you going to ask her?’
Casey laughed, ‘Well, I did think about asking her if we could eat together.’
‘Ha! I knew it. You’re going to have to raise your game a lot higher than pancakes though, Case. You know, coming from the baker’s family, she’s going to be used to fine dining.’
‘Fine dining? What d’you mean?’ Casey started to worry.
‘You can’t go serving a lady pancakes and berry juice, at least not on your first date.’
‘What d’you suggest?’ asked Casey.
‘I’ll give it some thought.’
‘Okay, but not a word from you about any of this,’ Casey warned.
‘My lips are sealed,’ she said.
They heard steps on the ladder and turned to see Lulu and Salli coming up from below deck.
‘Beautiful evening, look at all those stars,’ said Lulu.
‘It sure is,’ said Kerri.
‘What are you two planning here in secret?’ Lulu laughed.
‘We were talking about when Casey’s going to ask Brenda to dine with him.’
‘Kerri!’ said Casey. ‘You promised!’
‘That’s great news, Case, about time you stopped running around and settled down,’ said Salli. ‘When are you going to ask her?’
‘I dunno, I was thinking of when we land.’
‘Darn!’ said Lulu. ‘I got three to one it wouldn’t be until winter comes and your bed starts getting cold.’
‘Lucinda!’ said Salli.
‘Sorry, Mom, I couldn’t resist the odds.’
‘You should know better,’ said Salli, ‘I got four to one it’d be this week.’
* * *
They sat on deck, talking of their hopes and dreams for what they would find in the coming days, and their plans and fears for the future. Looking up, hoping to find her favourite star cluster, Kerri noticed it first. ‘The stars are disappearing, it’s clouding over,’ she said.
‘There’s a mist rolling in,’ called Avi, who was acting as helmsman. ‘We’d better lay up. Drop anchor. I’m losing the running lights of the boats ahead.’
He called down to the men below deck for help. In the distance, they heard a loud splash from another boat as they too dropped anchor. The fog rolled in like a moving wall, engulfing them in its cold, damp air. They couldn’t help but shiver as it locked out all points of reference. They were standing at the rail, trying to find the red lanterns that would show where the other boats had anchored, when a shudder ran through the boat. Kerri lost her footing, falling to the deck.
‘It’s dragging!’ Avi called. ‘Drop the second.’
There was another loud splash as the second anchor hit the water.
* * *
They watched throughout the night, hoping the anchors would hold. Bumps and bangs of river debris rushing past in the current or crashing into the side of the boat kept their nerves on edge, but the anchors held. With the approaching dawn, the cold chilled them to the bone. Still they watched and waited. The red lanterns of another boat were glimpsed at times through breaks in the waves of fog that washed over them, only to be lost again when the next bank rolled in.
Mid-morning, a watery sun was finally glimpsed. Warming the air around, the fog finally lifted along with the temperature. It came as a shock to find only one boat at anchor. They were expecting to see the four others that had set out with them.
‘Any idea where they are?’ asked Sam.
Avi shook his head. ‘They may have been clear before the fog came down. It can be very local at times. We’ll get under way. I’m sure we’ll catch up with them soon enough.’
They hauled up the anchors and dropped the sails. Steering with the current, once again following the river west. By the end of the day, the river had widened to where the left bank could only be seen far away in the distance. Sailing on throughout the night, a cold blue moon gave them enough light to keep close to the bank. Always alert for signal fires from their companions, they scanned the shore in vain.
The following morning, the coastline revealed low hills leading to a vast snow-covered mountain range in the far distance. Kerri shuddered at the sight, her memories of their trek still painfully raw, remembering the dangers lurking in the High Alps.
With each passing day, it seemed that the mountains marched ever closer to the coast, forming towering cliffs that dropped vertically into the river, with soaring snow-clad peaks behind. It made those in the boat feel insignificant against the mass of rock above them. They sailed on, along the impenetrable wall, without any break nor landing point. The peaks behind showed signs of ravaging storms going on in the upper reaches of the mountains. Heavy cloud and snow streamed off the northern face, leaving thick white trails behind, showing the direction of the winds.
‘That’s no place to come wintertime,’ said Casey, standing by the rail with Kerri.
‘That’s no place to be at any time,’ she said. ‘Believe me, Case, I’ve been there. They may look beautiful some days, but they can change in moments.’
The days dragged on without any break in the terrain. The overpowering weight of the rock wall became a monotony.
* * *
Waking to another day, Lulu became aware of a strange sensation that she couldn’t place. Climbing on deck, she joined Kerri at the bow, who seemed to spend all her time staring off at the peaks. Kerri sensed her arrival and turned to her before Lulu spoke.
‘Can you feel it?’ she asked.
‘What is it? Something’s changed, but I can’t make out what it is.’
‘It’s the air, Lu. There’s something in the air. I can taste salt on my lips.’
‘It even smells different,’ said Lulu.
‘Every day, I’ve been standing here, looking at the land and thinking, “I wonder what’s around the next mountain,” and every time we sail past, there’s just one more mountain. But this time it’s different. I think we must be getting close. Look over there.’ Kerri pointed to the south. ‘You can hardly see the other bank, and did you notice how the colour of the water is changing?’
‘This could be it, maybe this is the ocean that Naz told us about.’ Lulu turned to Kerri and threw her arms around her. ‘We’ll get there, now it’s just the border to be found.’ They hugged each other in hope.
* * *
Later in the day, the waves increased, crashing into the bow, making the boat roll more towards the land. They steered into the incoming waves, but found themselves pushed closer to the cliffs, which appeared alarmingly close and surprisingly fast. Rearing up on their right side, it now became a prison bearing down on them, with nowhere to go and nowhere to escape the ever-rising swells. Looking back, they saw the waves crashing against the cliffs in a thunderous, booming roar that sent columns of spray shooting high into the air. The first tingles of concern struck Kerri and Lulu when they realised they were being driven into the cliffs. They watched the other boat ahead, lifted to a tremendous height on an incoming wave, seeming to totter on the crest for a moment, way above their own mast height, before crashing into the following trough amid mountainous spray. The same wave now appeared as a wall ahead of them. Laying in the trough, they craned their necks, trying to see the top of the ever-rising crest.
Avi called, ‘Hold on tight to something, anything...’ His words were lost on the rushing wind.
He turned the boat head-on to the approaching wave, which continued rearing up, a wall of water seeming to defy gravity. The bow rose on the incoming face and kept on rising until the boat appeared to stand on its stern. Everyone held their breath amid the crash of cargo, pots, plates, and cups being thrown around below deck.
The crest arrived, showering them in spray and foam, and for a moment they appeared
to stand in mid-air. With a sickening lurch, the wave quickly fell away below. The boat raced down the back of the wave, coming to a shuddering stop as the bow hit the bottom of the trough as if hitting solid ground. They looked up to see another wall rising ahead. Before the boat had time to climb the face of the wave, it broke over them, showering them in cold blue water that stung the eyes and lips. The deck of the boat was swamped knee-deep in water, which quickly drained over the sides and down the steps to soak those below deck.
Avi called to Casey, ‘I need help with the wheel. It’s too heavy. We need to keep it head-on or we’ll turn over.’
Casey staggered across the deck, stepping to the left and then right, desperately trying to make forward progress. He reached Avi as the next wave appeared before them. The two men held on with all their might to keep the rudder straight on. They climbed again up the face of the wave, and for a moment, Avi caught sight of the other boat in a trough to their right. He steered the boat to race diagonally down the back of the wave, before turning to face the next head-on.
‘It’s easing,’ Avi yelled, above the surging and crashing waves.
Cresting the following wave, he turned the boat diagonally again, racing into the trough. This time, when the boat rose, it settled to a gentle rise and fall.
‘What was that?’ Casey asked, incredulous at what they’d been through.
‘It was a wall below the surface. The deep water hit it and the wall sent it straight up to form those waves. We’re back in deep water now.’
Avi laughed, like a man who just escaped death. ‘Casey!’ he called, pointing to the left. ‘That must be the ocean that Naz told us of.’
‘Look! There!’ Kerri shouted from the rail, pointing to the land.
They turned to look past where the mountains dropped away to the sea. A wide expanse of gently rising land opened up, stretching away to the distance. A ribbon of yellow sand edged along the water’s edge, forming a gently sloping beach.
Lost Lands (CHANGING TIMES Book 2) Page 21
