Aislin of Arianrhod (Land of Alainnshire)

by S. L. Jesberger

  “Obviously none of them is safe as long as Jariath is at their doorstep. For awhile though, his army will be stretched thin, and they’ll have nothing to worry about.” Aislin turned to Gwen. “Your father is a fine man. I know he would never turn us over to Jariath. But Aesun is only one of five other lands we’d have to travel through to get to Wyndham. We simply don’t know how the other kings and chieftains would react to our presence, if we were found. They have a duty to protect their people. Turning us over to Jariath might be the best way to do that in the short term.”

  Emara’s voice was shaking, pleading. “Aislin, please. Blackthorne Forest...”

  Aislin interrupted her. “We would only have to travel a very short distance past the border of Brethmore, and then we would be safely in Wyndham. Time is not on our side here, and any way we go will be dangerous. We must get there as quickly as possible, and the fastest way is through Blackthorne Forest.”

  Emara didn’t look convinced, and to Aislin’s astonishment, she began to cry. Please don’t pretend you care about me! Aislin thought, and felt the immediate sting of guilt. She took her mother’s hand in an attempt to reassure her. “This is not going to be easy, but we have to do something. You’ll just have to be brave until we get back.”

  “And we don’t know what we’ll find when we get out onto the cliff at Stoney End, Emara. It may be the longer route will be the better one after all.” Roderic gave Aislin a quick wink.

  “We need to get some sleep now,” said Aislin, glancing at Maeve, who was already asleep against her mother. “Tomorrow Roderic and I will pack and get on our way.”

  And with that, the little group settled down on the rough burlap cots for the night, though no one, except Maeve, slept very much.

  Chapter Seven

  AISLIN GRADUALLY CAME AWAKE AND wondered whether it was morning yet. Though she couldn’t see him in the darkness of the cave, she knew Roderic was up and rummaging around by the nasty curses he was whispering in the dark.

  “Light a lamp so you can see what you’re doing,” Aislin whispered.

  “I don’t want to wake everyone else,” Roderic whispered back.

  “It’s far too late for that. I’ve been listening to you stumble around and swear for the last half hour,” Devin said loudly. Gwen giggled in the darkness.

  “Oh...” Striking a fire flint, Roderic lit the lamps and filled the cave with a warm glow.

  Blinking against the light, Devin asked, “What exactly are you looking for?”

  “Well, we’re going to need several changes of clothing, weapons, or at least something to hunt with, and a small bit of food to take along. I was wishing we had some oiled buckskin sacks to protect our clothing and fire flints from rain.”

  “There are buckskin sacks here.” Devin got up from the cot and limped over to the rickety wooden shelving along the back by the spring. Shuffling through the piles of things on the shelf, he withdrew several tan colored satchels and tossed them to Roderic. “These have been oiled to be water-resistant.”

  “Weapons.” Reaching onto another shelf, Devin found a bow and a quiver full of arrows, several knives of varying sizes, an axe, and three swords. He laid them on the floor in front of Aislin.

  ”Wonderful!” Aislin exclaimed, as she gave the big man a gentle squeeze. “Devin, you were a genius at stocking this place!”

  “I tried to bring things here as I thought of them,” said Devin.

  Roderic strapped on one of the swords, and then picked up the bow and quiver. “We’ll need this to hunt game if we’re going to eat.”

  Aislin picked one of the large knives. “That will have to be your job, I’m afraid. I couldn’t look an animal in the eyes and then send an arrow through its heart, although...” She strapped the knife to her side and gave it a pat. “I’m happy to skin and gut them for you once the deed is done.”

  She strapped the axe to her other side. “Don’t you want a sword?” Devin asked her.

  “It wouldn’t do me a bit of good. I never learned to fight with a sword.” Aislin looked down at the axe. “We’ll need to cut firewood, so the axe will be useful. Roderic will have to be in charge of our defense if we find ourselves cornered.”

  They quickly finished packing the buckskin packs with dry clothing, blankets, several fire flints, and two days worth of food, and tied them shut with leather straps. Bidding everyone a tearful goodbye, Aislin and Roderic boarded the boat and started down the hidden river.

  They hadn’t been on the river for very long, when Aislin felt a sudden lurch and it became much more difficult to steer. She noticed the river was starting to form whitecaps, and the roar of the water was now very loud. She glanced over at Roderic.

  He had to shout over the river. “The mark is just up here. Help me steer to the left side.” She did, and catching the iron ring driven into the rock with the pole hook in the boat, she pulled them over to the ledge and secured the chain.

  Roderic threw both backpacks up onto the ledge and hoisted himself up out of the boat. He turned and extended a hand to Aislin, pulling her up onto the ledge with him.

  “We have to follow this footpath to the end,” he shouted. “It’s another mile or two and you’ll have to take care not to fall. It’s quite narrow in places, and if you fell into the river...well... please don’t fall into the river.”

  “I’ll be careful,” Aislin shouted back.

  Roderic hadn’t been wrong when he said the footpath was narrow in places. There were times they had to turn sideways with their backs against the rock to get by. Other times it was wide enough for several people to pass side by side. It twisted and wound here and there through the rock, but never strayed very far from the river itself.

  As they traveled, Aislin noticed the river narrowing and flowing faster. It was now a torrent of deafening white rapids, and she found herself soaked from the spray. The rock ledge was also quite wet, and they both had to take care not to slip. The force of the water was terrifying, and she kept as much distance as she could between her and the river.

  “We’re almost there,” Roderic shouted, though she could barely hear him over the roar of the water. The footpath took a gentle curve to the right along the river, and as they came around the corner, Aislin couldn’t tear her eyes away from the remarkable sight in front of her.

  The river, narrowed down now to about fifteen feet in width, clearly was flowing up hill. It was channeled with such force that it hit the solid rock wall blocking its exit from the hidden cavern, climbed the wall for approximately ten feet, and literally flew sideways out of the cleft in the cliff. It was nothing but frothy, churning white water as it emerged into daylight and dropped down the rocky cliff face.

  The footpath continued off to the left through a crevice and up a steep incline before it exited onto a landing behind a pile of sharp rocks. Gasping for breath after climbing the steep hill, Aislin dropped to the ground. She was soaked from the river spray, and the warm sun felt good.

  Roderic slumped down beside her, wheezing. “That was a little more intense than I remember it.”

  Aislin couldn’t help but laugh. “The end of that river is a sight to see! I’m glad we have these backpacks. We’re both soaked, and the fire flints would’ve been ruined.”

  They sat catching their breath for a few more minutes, when Aislin heard voices.

  “Oh no,” she said under her breath.

  She got to her feet and ran, Roderic right behind her. Descending a path off to the left of the landing, they found a spot where they could squeeze between two large rocks and look over the area below. The land flattened beyond the jumbled hill of boulders, and it was sandy, brown and desolate. There were no trees. Only a few scrubby bushes grew here and there on the plain.

  The river, after falling dramatically from the cave and splashing down the face of t
he cliff, gathered in a large, deep blue pool at the base and continued on its way in a tranquil flow. Its life force was in stark contrast to the barren land around it.

  Along the river, on the opposite side from them, Aislin saw an encampment of soldiers. Some of the men wandered along the river, weapons slung across their backs, some were gathered around a fire, cooking something on a spit. The colors on the banner that flew over the camp were unmistakable. Her worst fear had come true. Jariath had had enough time to get his men to the far reaches of Arianrhod.

  She turned and sat down. “Jariath’s men. Now what?”

  Roderic turned and sat down as well. “This definitely complicates things.”

  Running her hand through her wet hair, she said, “There’s no way we’ll be able to make our way across that plain in the day without being seen. You can see for several miles in any direction.”

  “I know. There’s nothing to hide behind out there.”

  “If I could just get down close enough to get an idea of their numbers...how heavily armed they might be...and how they’re placed around the encampment,” Aislin said.

  “Your father taught you military tactics, did he?” Roderic asked dryly.

  She shot him a look. “No. Of course not. Do you have any ideas?”

  “Yes. I don’t want Jariath to catch us.”

  “Well, that’s helpful. You should’ve just stayed back in the cave.”

  Roderic grinned at her. “And miss all the fun? Not a chance!”

  Aislin elbowed him sharply.

  Roderic thought a minute, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a miniature spyglass. “Will this help?”

  Aislin gave a soft squeal of delight and took the spyglass from him. “Where did you find this?”

  “It was with all the other stuff Devin had stocked in the cave. It was small enough to fit into my pocket, and I thought it might be useful.”

  She already had it extended and was peering down into the encampment of men. Several minutes passed before Roderic asked, “Well?”

  “Shhh. I’m thinking.”

  More time passed as Aislin surveyed the men. Finally, she said, “It looks like there are about 250 men down there, give or take. Lots of weapons. Big ones. Very sharp ones too, by the look of it.”

  “Does that scare you?”

  “A little,” she admitted. Jariath was taking no chances that she would get away from him.

  After a few more minutes, Aislin turned and sat down. “I think I have a plan.”

  “What is it?”

  Aislin drew in a breath. Yes, she had a plan. A perilous, ridiculous, foolhardy plan. Her brother Fionn used to call it ‘hiding in plain sight.’ And it didn’t always work for them when they were children.

  “It’s risky,” she said under her breath. “It’s really risky.”

  Roderic gaped at her. “What do you mean by that?”

  They couldn’t go back. They had to find a way to go forward. Jariath had no doubt sent his best troops to the far reaches of Arianrhod looking for her. Preventing her from getting beyond the borders would be his sole focus right now.

  Can I outsmart battle-hardened soldiers from Morrigan? Do I even want to try?

  With another heavy sigh, she looked over at the man sitting beside her. Jariath would have no use for Roderic if they were caught. He would most likely be put to death immediately. Could she live with herself if that happened?

  No. Roderic had been like a father to her growing up. She would have to send him back to the cave and go on without him. If the soldiers caught her, they probably wouldn’t hurt her. Much. It wasn’t a pleasant prospect, but she had to be honest with him.

  Aislin reluctantly handed Roderic the spyglass. “Here. Look at the riverbank beside where the men are camped. What do you see?”

  Roderic took the spyglass from her and spun around on his haunches. Slowly he said, “I see... the river...running in the riverbed. And the men camped along the edge of the river.” He turned and looked at her. “What am I supposed to see?”

  “No...really look at the riverbank. What do you see?”

  “Dirt...and rocks.”

  “Oh for the love of Zeus...don’t you see it? The river has eroded the riverbank back under the land! See the ledge sticking out over the river, and the shadow it casts? The bank itself must be rock, and the riverbed is dirt... and the river washed the dirt right out from under the rock! In fact it looks like the river flows under the ledge for two or three feet. And the river is low right now, so that’s good.”

  “I don’t follow you.”

  Aislin looked out into the distance and could see the dark and mysterious edge of Blackthorne Forest beckoning from about two miles away. Could she do it?

  She turned to him abruptly. “I want you to go back to the cave. I’m going on alone.”

  Roderic went white before her eyes. “You aren’t serious.”

  “I am serious. The plan I have is dangerous. They’ll kill you if they catch us both. If they just catch me...well...you’ll still have a chance to get to Wyndham.”

  “Why don’t you tell me what your plan is first, and let me decide if I want to risk my neck?” Roderic asked.

  “If I got into the water down where the falls forms the blue pool, and I stayed on that side of the river bank, I could float right past them—right under that ledge by their camp. If I’m careful and quiet, they’ll never see me.”

  “Aislin...” His tone suggested that he was questioning her sanity.

  Aislin crossed her arms in front of her. “One of us has to get to Wyndham.”

  “I am not going to let you do this alone. So... we float past them and then what?” Roderic said.

  “We’d have to stay in the water until we reached the forest.”

  “And our backpacks...?”

  “...are oiled and water resistant. We can float with them on our heads just to be safe.”

  “I don’t know about this, Aislin. If we’re caught...”

  “...You will most likely be killed. I have already explained that to you, and that’s why I want you to go back to the cave. You’re not listening to me.”

  Roderic glared at Aislin.

  “You are, without a doubt, the most obstinate, aggravating woman I have ever known. And your plan is so damned insane, it just might work,” Roderic finally said. “But I’m going with you, and that’s non-negotiable.”

  “I couldn’t stand it if Jariath killed you,” Aislin said.

  “And I couldn’t stand it if Jariath caught you and took you back to Morrigan. We obviously can’t stay here. I’m soaking wet anyway, and I suppose this doesn’t sound any more hazardous than walking across open desert in the daylight. I’m willing to give it a try.”

  “Are you sure about this? You could go back...”

  “Aislin,” he said, with more than a little irritation. “How many times did I pluck you out of harm’s way when you were a little girl? Do you seriously think I’m going to abandon you now?”

  She nodded. If that were his choice, she wouldn’t press him further. She spun quickly back up on her haunches, looking through the telescope again. “We’ll wait for the sun to go down a little more, so the shadow under the ledge is deeper.”

  They had a bite to eat and tried to refine the plan, but everything revolved around them floating unseen and unheard past the soldiers. They sat in silence for a time, and then Aislin quickly began to pack everything back up.

  “We’re going?” Roderic asked.

  “We can’t wait any longer.” Aislin slung the backpack up around her shoulder and started down the path that led to the blue pool. “I want to get into Blackthorne before the sun sets.”

  The area that led down to the pool was a maze of paths,
all thankfully hidden among the large piles of rock. When they got to the southern end of the pool, they discovered there was no way they could get into the pool and swim to the opposite shore without being seen by the men at the encampment.

  Not wanting to take any chances, they withdrew back away from the pool. Eyes narrowed, Aislin scanned the landscape. Almost immediately, she saw another possible way to cross. There was a path that wound its way down along the pool and then up and off to the right. The path continued directly behind the waterfall to the other side.

  “Follow me,” she whispered to Roderic and took off down the path.

  The roar of the falls was deafening, and the spray made it very hard to see. They slowly and carefully made their way on the path behind the waterfall to the other side of the bank.

  Crouching down, clutching their precious backpacks, they ran across the pebbled sandbar at the edge of the pool and slipped into the water.

  “Let the river take you. Don’t try to swim, or they may hear you,” Aislin whispered. She positioned the backpack on her head and ducked under the rock ledge along the bank. Roderic did the same.

  The water was cool but not unpleasantly so. The river flowed so gently here that Aislin had to push off with her feet to get forward momentum. The ledge was wide enough to hide them completely from anyone standing above them. There was enough room under it for the backpacks on their heads, as long as they stayed in the water up to their necks.

  The flow picked up a bit of speed. Aislin carefully kept a foot on the bottom and a hand on the wall so she wouldn’t be swept out into the open.

  She began to hear raucous voices. The voices grew louder and nearer as the river carried them silent and hidden in the shade of the ledge.

  Soon the voices were right over her head. Aislin’s eyes caught Roderic’s and held them as they floated past the enemy encampment. Her heart was pounding so hard, she was sure it would give them away.