by Garry Ocean
“Only the Forest knows, Nick,” Whisperer sighed. “Perhaps, the mandra bushes, perhaps, a swamp, or, perhaps, a Mirror Lake…”
Chapter 3
They reached the ferry when it was already getting dark. The All-Seeing Eye of Dominia was literally hanging over their heads.
“Looks like it’s in perigee right now,” Nick thought. From the data he received through the Valkyrie onboard computer Nick knew that the Dominia was comparable to Terrius in its size. “They have interesting orbits, no doubt. They are revolving around their star practically synchronously. The impression is that the Dominia is a satellite of Terrius, just like the Earth’s Moon. But it’s not. It’s a full-fledged independent planet. However, right now it has approached very closely. Such a powerful gravitational wave may very well cause various natural disasters. Take, for example, that same Heavenly Harbinger. What did Whisperer tell about it? An exodus happens once in about ten years. Yes, this suggests dependency and even cyclical character of such events. There is too little data. Well, we will sort it out with time.”
The pier was as busy as ever. The hunters simply entered the wide-open gate of the checkpoint. No one even asked them anything, although Whisperer had all their travel documents ready. The old man immediately went to find Archie to arrange for them to cross the river. The huge rope ferry that they had taken just a couple of decades ago was busy with a swarm of people moving on the loading dock.
Using the wide bridges connecting the pier and the ferry, the loaders were rolling large barrels onto the ferry. Exchanging loud insults and curses, two or three loaders were carefully taking the barrels off the horse-powered carts standing along the pier. When the cart was fully unloaded, its heavy-haulers moved immediately to clear the place for the following carts.
The hunters heard heavy steps behind them. Then a squad of guards over took them, making little effort to keep in pace. Each of them had a heavy crossbow loosely hanging on his back.
“Looks like they are going to cross the river as well,” Sith said what everyone thought.
Nick’s gaze followed them, and then he nodded, agreeing with the boy.
“Let’s go,” Sith pulled his sleeve. “See, Whisperer, they are waving for us to come!”
Near the pier, where the unloading was taking place, Whisperer was talking about something with a tall man in an ankle-long trench coat. Looking at the man, patting Whisperer on the shoulder like a good friend, Nick guessed that they knew each other very well.
“This must be the infamous Archie,” Nick concluded and started to catch up with Sith walking to the dock.
*****
The friends made themselves comfortable as much as they could on the very edge of the ferry, sitting on makeshift wooden pallets. These were handy as the downpour from the day before had soaked the deck. Despite the numerous drains that were placed along the boards, the pools on the deck were about two inches deep.
However, they were not able to sleep: All night long the loading works were at full swing. The loaders were rolling the barrels onto the deck with such a ruckus that the ferry was violently shaking. The wooden overlays and walls were moaning in all possible tones. A couple of times Nick thought that the deck would split in the middle and the ferry would sink.
Closer to dawn everything finally quieted down and Nick started to doze off, when suddenly he heard strong rich voices coming from the pier. A minute later the bridge started to sway heavily under the weight of heavy boots. Teasing each other and clanking their arms, the squad of guards marched onto the deck. Suddenly it became too crowded.
“Who else did the Forest bring to us?” Whisperer said in an annoyed tone, raising himself on his elbow.
Their well-worn boots squished in the rain pools, several guards were moving toward their makeshift lounger.
“Come on, old man, make room! Move!” a broad-faced guard breathed at Whisperer with his sour breath, and started to pull the pallet from under the old man. Nick, taken aback by such impudence, was looking at them in bewilderment. Sith, however, was quick to jump on his feet and, without saying a word, swayed his shoulder bag right in the purple face of the offender.
“You, swamp muck!” the guard exclaimed. He didn’t expect such a strong resistance and stepped back, madly turning his head and trying to get his sword out the scabbard that slid to his back. “I’ll show you, just wait!”
He turned several time like a spindle, trying to capture his own sword by its handle. Because of the effort, he face turned even purpler, and large drops of sweat appeared on his forehead. His comrades, watching the scene from several steps away, started to laugh uncontrollably. They yelled from all sides, “Hey, Bard! You’ve got too fat, for sure!”
“When you need to pee, do you also look for your little friend as long as you are looking for your sword?”
“How did you manage to make so many children? Or perhaps some neighbor helped you?”
The one named Bard, breathing heavily, was looking at Sith, and grilling the boy with his small, blood-shot piggy eyes. And then he suddenly shrunk, when he saw Nick, rising up to his full height.
“Give way!” an elder, completely gray-haired warrior came through the crowd. “What’s all this commotion about?”
“Here, it’s these…” the fat one, never succeeding to pull out his sword, stepped back, “foresters settled in, took all the dry places.”
“Dear!” Whisperer got up from the pallet, croaking. “Everything’s all right, dear! We indeed made ourselves comfortable here, thinking there would be no one else. We thought, who else would want to go to the other side at this time? But of course, we will be only happy to share the space with such distinguished warriors.”
Whisperer squeezed Nick’s elbow, trying to calm him down, turned to Sith, and commanded, “Move, Sith, put our bags away. There’s enough space for everyone!”
And then he added, looking at the elderly warrior, “We’ll sail together, as people say, the more the merrier, even if it may feel a little crowded.”
“Crowded, you say?” the elder warrior looked at the half-empty deck of the ferry. Then he looked at the rows of wide wooden benches, fastened along the boards. “There’s enough space here for the entire Tower garrison.”
Then he turned to the guards standing behind his back, and commanded loudly, “At ease! Prepare a spot to sleep for yourself!”
He didn’t have to say it twice. The guards, those of them who had not yet decided how they were going to spend the time on the ferry, followed their comrades who already made themselves comfortable on the ferry benches.
*****
The deck was very noisy: The guards had lively discussions amongst themselves. From time to time, an argument would break out, but already in a minute it would be followed by laughter and banter.
Nick was looking around, unnoticed. He estimated that there were about fifty guards, or perhaps a few more. They did not look like they were the regular army on duty. They were more like a Motley crowd, both in age and equipment. Besides, their careless attitude toward the weapons they had was too obvious as well. Half of the platoon took off their scabbards with swords and dropped them right on the wet deck, next to their bags and heavy crossbows.
The ferry horn blew three times briefly. After a short delay, the lighthouse on the other bank responded with three flashes of light. When Nick heard rocking sounds, he guessed that it was the loading bridges pulling back. The pulleys started to screech in tension, and the ferry swayed violently. Right at that moment, a loud voice shouted something alarming, followed by several elaborated curses. Something flapped onto the water. Then the curses were heard on the ferry as well. The guards, attracted by the commotion, jumped to their feet and gathered near the right board.
“Who have the Departed sent to us?” several voices asked.
“Some fool has thrown himself into the water there.”
“Was he late for the departure?”
“Yes, must have eaten too much of the
craze-grass.”
“Why are you just yelling like this? Better throw him a rope, or he’d drown on your watch!”
Very soon, several people put their effort together and pulled a soaking wet young man onto the deck. Everyone started to ask him pretty much the same question, “What was so urgent that you had to jump into the water when the ferry had already departed?” With a guilty smile on his face, the young man, shivering with cold, told them that he had been drafted into their platoon, but he had to wait for the Heavenly Harbinger to pass in one of the nearest villages. That’s why he nearly missed the ferry. As proof, he pulled out of his breast pocket a paper, as wet as he himself was.
“Common, why are you giving him hard time?” the elder warrior boomed. “Let him sit near the fire. In this wind, he’ll freeze to death.”
“Yeah, that’s right,” a stocky man sitting across from them laughed, “Otherwise, if he dies, the Departed forbid, who is going to slaughter the Forest beasts?”
“You’d better stop your jibes, Root,” the elder cut him off, “You haven’t seen a beast scarier than your neighbor’s dog. Just you wait and you’ll see how many beasts come out. There will be enough for everyone.”
“Exactly,” an older warrior supported him. “The City oracles are all saying the same thing, that the Big Exodus is coming.”
“Yeah, you need to listen to these charlatans,” Root wouldn’t come down, “they just want to scare people, to get the gullible to pay them. Everyone talks about this Big Exodus, as long as I can remember as if they are all in one big conspiracy. And it’s just not coming, period. I’m telling you, it won’t come this time either.”
“Yeah? And the villagers were telling us the other day that they’d seen some green clouds. They were going toward the City.”
“Aha, another hoax, these green clouds. They must have had a good harvest from the drunken tree this year, for the people to have come up with all sorts of this nonsense. Last time, I also listened to all sorts of old tales, stupid me, and did not volunteer for reinforcements. But my neighbor did. He came back then quite pleased, said it was all tall tales about the hordes of beasts. He said that only several big ones made it to the city walls, and that’s it. They were all killed right there. But he made so much money then that he didn’t have to work for a whole year!”
“Your friend was lucky then,” the gray-haired elder said, “Or he just waited it out in some basement. Half of the garrison from the farthest towers was killed then.” He frowned and wrinkled his nose, as if a toothache was bothering him, and then added, “I know this first-hand.”
“Common, stop telling your boogieman stories!” agitated Root pointed at the hunters, “Look at these foresters. They’ve been living all their lives there, quite happily. Nothing has happened to them. Of course, when the Exodus comes they always run to us for help: ‘Save us, help us!’ I don’t understand at all, why are we helping them? Tell me why, Pak, since you are so smart.”
“It’s not our business to decide what is right and what is wrong. The Guardians know better!” the elder responded forcefully, and then added with a smirk, “Or do you disagree with their will?”
“Of course not, why would you say this?” Root started to back paddle. “I’m just a little man. I was told to guard the towers, I am happy to oblige.” He gave out a little laugh, looked at the others around him cunningly, and added, “Especially when they promised us the double allowance.”
“So shut up then,” Pak mumbled. “No need to badmouth other people, including the foresters.”
The guards clamored for a little more, until someone suggested a toast to the double allowance that was in store for everyone. Suddenly, all of them had hefty wineskins in their hands. One needn’t take a wild guess about what was inside. Pak’s lonely voice reminding them that they were not going for an entertainment trip was drowned in their joyful hubbub.
Chapter 4
As soon as they landed and disembarked, the hunters rushed to the Tower looming over a rocky hill. They were walking briskly, taking over a string of loaded carts stretching from the dock to the Tower on the dusty road. The noise was unbearable. The creaking and chugging of wheels, shouting of chausses whipping the sloths, people's hubbub often sprinkled with cursing – everything was being mixed into a non-stop thousand-voices hum. The hunters left their things on the pier, under the watchful eye of the guards, who took time to be convinced that Whisperer's travel document provided by the pier chief was valid. The old man told them that he'd come back for his things at dusk.
Sith ran to the weapons room to take back the spears that they had left there twenty days before. As Whisperer foretold, the spears were not there. To the boy's question about the spears, the guard mumbled that the foresters became too bold and acted with impunity, asking for spears he had never seen. Then, measuring Sith with a mean look, the guard said that just three days before a couple of other savages just like Sith came and also demanded their spears. And after the guard's shift partner told them that no one except for the foresters needed such trash, they broke his arm. Then he added, “If you don’t leave right now on your own, I’ll call the guards and you will have to deal with them.” Sith decided not to test the guard’s patience anymore, as he realized that it was probably Ron and Valu who had visited here.
When the hunters finally reached the Tower on the dusty road, they immediately saw a big gathering of people along the back fortress wall. Looking at their clothes, Nick guessed that they were all from the Near Forest. Small fires were burning everywhere. Dozens of white smoke pillars that were rising up from them were covering what was going on at the tower walls. Despite the large gathering of people, it was relatively quiet at the hill of the Tower.
The makeshift tents and sheds made it clear that this was a temporary camp. There were a lot of people, old and young. As Nick already knew, the Near Forest residents were strictly divided into hunters and gatherers. Both were living separately from each other, and gathered together only during large celebrations such as the Offering of Gifts. Now everything was mixed. However, upon more careful observation it was possible to tell the areas of different villages apart from each other.
After a little hesitation, Whisperer led them not to the nearest tents, but on the contrary, around the camp to the fires that were right next to the fortress wall. There were at least three hundred people there. When the hunters came up to them, Nick recognized several people sitting around the central fire. These were the gatherers from the nearby valley. Nick and Sith had visited their village several times to swap Whisperer’s concoctions for the seedlings of the bread tree and some other trifles. The gatherers recognized them as well. Children screamed in excitement. The men got up from their places and greeted the three hunters, putting their open palms to the left side of their chest. Nick knew it meant a whole-hearted greeting. While the tight fists at the chest, on the contrary, expressed displeasure and even hostility.
“My greetings to you, Igo!” Whisperer put his hands to his heart, addressing a tall elderly man. “Let your seedlings be always sturdy and never stop bearing fruits.”
“And my greetings to you, too, Whisperer, let the Forest always listen to your words!” the man smiled kindly and invited the visitors to join their fire. “Glory to the Departed, you will be here with us at this difficult hour.”
“Of course, Igo, this is our duty!” Whisperer caught a concern in the elder’s voice, and after a short pause, he asked, “But why, didn’t our hunters leave with you?”
“Whisperer,” Igo raised his head, “You’ve known me for many years. We waited for as long as we could. I myself went to your Elder, wanted to alert them about the danger. I told him the Forest was becoming very restless. People noticed gobblers in our valley. At first, there were not many of them and they didn’t eat our harvests. But then they started to not only eat our fruit, but also get into our houses. We killed them by the dozens every night. The seedlings stopped bearing fruit and started to uproot
themselves from the ground. And you know this is the first signal of what’s coming. This is what I told your Elder.”
“And what did he do?” Whisperer asked just to keep up the conversation.
“I wish you were there, Whisperer,” Igo sighed, “He would have listened to me then but he responded that it was all right. That he had sent several scouts to the Forest just before then and they did not notice anything unusual there. And the fact that the Forest was restless was natural as the Exodus was coming. He said, ‘Give me five days, we will prepare our houses properly and will leave together by the time of the Exodus. Besides, the Guardians haven’t sent their message yet.’ Well, we thought and thought about it, and then the next day we woke up and saw that all our seedlings during the night had moved by about five hundred feet away from the Forest. That’s when we got up and left, leaving everything behind. Our lives are more valuable.”
“True,” Whisperer stroked his beard. “That’s our Elder. He won’t move his finger until he sees a hungry herd of falselegs at his door. How did you get here, took a shortcut or went around through the village of Niya, the hermit?”
“At first, we went straight, not to waste time. And we also have a lot of small children, you see?” Igo sighed. “We’ve had it good the last several years, the harvest was rich. So, where was I? Ah, we went straight, taking a shortcut, trying not to stop anywhere for too long. Just for one day we had to sit in the mandra bushes, waiting for the Heavenly Harbinger to pass. And then, suddenly, you, Whisperer, won’t believe it… even we ourselves couldn’t believe our own eyes: Flouds! Can you imagine, Whisperer, flouds!” he took a pause, waiting for Whisperer to express his doubt.
“We’ve seen them too,” the old man nodded, “behind the Rapid Waters.”
“Is that so?” Igo was awed even more. Nick noticed that more and more people were coming up to their fire. Everyone wanted to hear the most recent news. “So, there they were. At first we didn’t believe it. As you know, flouds never went so far away from the Forest. And there they were, floating so low and very fast. I thought we were definitely done. We, of course, scattered in different directions, hid ourselves. And they just stayed their course, passing by us. Only one floud hung over us for a little bit, feeling the ground with its trunk, and then followed the others. And so we were several hours late. To be safe, we decided to go around, passing through Niya’s village on the way here.” Suddenly, Igo slapped himself on the forehead, “Oh, my brain is not thinking at all, because of what we went through! We saw your hunters on the way, Ron and Valu, just as we were entering the village. The Orphius was already setting down, and there they were.”
