Claws of Doom

by Peebles, Chrissy

  “Keep your eyes open,” Daniel warned.

  Aidan snapped out of whatever daydream he’d been lost in and shrugged off Daniel’s warning. “There’s nothing around here that’s dangerous to us. There are a few animals, but I haven’t felt anything from them that makes me think there are any other humans around, or werewolves. I can’t think of anything else we need to be concerned about.” Aidan admired the woods that surrounded them. “We’re safe in here. Nothing can get to us without us being warned first. Besides, Custos is protecting us.” He reached his hand out and gently brushed a shrub as he passed it. A small lizard darted out from its hiding place and startled Olivia. A small cry escaped her lips before she could stop it, and a deep blush colored her cheeks. Both boys smiled to themselves.

  Composing herself Olivia asked, “Who’s Custos?”

  Daniel glanced up at her. “He’s Aidan’s pet bear.”

  Aidan scowled. “He’s not my pet.”

  Olivia’s mouth hung open. “You’ve got a pet BEAR?”

  “He’s not my pet!” Aidan repeated. “He’s just…a friend. He’s been my friend, well, forever. He’s out there,” Aidan motioned off to their left. “He’s keeping an eye on us, keeping us safe.”

  “Was he there last night?” Olivia asked, searching the forest where Aidan had indicated.

  Aidan nodded though neither of the other two saw. “He stood right in front of the door, guarding Daniel.”

  “Well, make sure to tell him thank you next time you chat with him, but I can take care of myself,” Daniel grumbled.

  “He was just doing what I asked him to do,” Aidan replied. He caught Olivia’s eye questioningly. She shrugged and shook her head.

  “I don’t need a babysitter.”

  “Okay.” Aidan decided to give up and just walk. Obviously Daniel was in a bad mood and didn’t want to talk.

  An occasional comment broke the silence as they walked, but for the most part only the sounds of the forest could be heard: birds twittering, small animals in the trees, and the rustling of leaves in the morning breeze. The path widened and narrowed as it wound its way through the trees, Olivia constantly on the lookout for Custos.

  “Can we stop for a rest?” Olivia finally asked, turning to look at the brothers following behind her, now in single file due to the thick brush that bordered the path. “My shoulders are starting to hurt and I’m getting hungry.”

  “I could use some lunch too,” Aidan agreed. “It’s been a while since breakfast, and I need a break. Let’s stop at the next clearing, and we’ll eat. That okay with you two?” Daniel nodded his agreement, since his back was aching as well. They came to a small break in the trees a short while later, and the three dropped their packs and stretched, trying to work the kinks out of their shoulders and lower backs. Aidan lay down and looked up through the trees at the clear blue sky peeking through. The grass tickled the back of his neck, and he tossed his head back and forth to scratch it before lying still. Closing his eyes and breathing deeply, he savored the smell of nature, the husky aroma of the earth, the sweet bouquet of the grass that swirled around him, the vibrant perfume of the flowers blooming in the nearby trees. Olivia sat down next to Aidan while Daniel pulled some meat, biscuits, and nuts out of their packs and handed them out. Sitting on a small rock, Daniel bit into a small piece of dried venison.

  “How much farther is it?” Daniel asked.

  Olivia looked up from her lunch. “It took us just over two weeks to march from my house to yours after they took me. I think we’re traveling faster than the soldiers were, so I’d guess we’ll arrive sometime in, I don’t know, twelve days?”

  Aidan sat up. “Twelve more days? I don’t think Argyle knows what’s happened yet, but I’d sure like to get to your place faster than that. We don’t want them getting there first, and I’d hate to still be there when his next patrol comes through. They aren’t gonna go easy.” Daniel nodded in agreement while slowly chewing his food.

  Olivia took a bite of her biscuit and added, “Well, one good thing is that we’re going to turn east in about a week, toward the Great Lake. Then we won’t be walking right toward his kingdom. I really don’t see how his men can beat us there. I’m sure Argyle doesn’t even know about it yet, and it’s at least a two-week journey from the castle to our home.” Aidan noticed her picking at her biscuit nervously as though she wasn’t entirely convinced of her own words. She rubbed small crumbs between her fingers and tossed them mindlessly aside before picking off another piece.

  “I’m sure you’re right,” he offered, glancing at Daniel behind her back. “How close do you live to the Great Lake?” he inquired, trying to sound nonchalant. Though unsure of what Aidan was getting at, Daniel eyed him suspiciously, catching the forced indifference in his tone.

  “Oh, only about a half-day hike,” she replied turning to face him. “We used to go there during the summer before my parents were…you know.” Olivia paused and looked down at the food in her hands. “We used to have so much fun building campfires on the beach and sleeping on blankets in the sand.” Daniel’s concern over Aidan’s question disappeared as he focused on how her face lit up with her recollection of her family trips, her brown eyes sparkling and her tan face flush with excitement. As she told Aidan all about the fun times they’d had, the games, the adventures, and more, Daniel found himself admiring the way her dark wavy hair shone in the sunlight. A small gust of wind caught a wisp of hair and blew it across her face as she laughed at some memory she’d been telling Aidan. Olivia caught it with her pinkie and pulled it away from her face as she turned to say something to Daniel. Embarrassed, he quickly dropped his eyes and dug mindlessly through his pack as though looking for something. He looked back up when she didn’t continue.

  “I’m sorry, what?” he replied, realizing he had no idea what she’d said that had prompted her to turn and look at him. The fact that she now sat with an expectant look on her face gave him the impression she’d asked him a question.

  “I asked if you’d ever camped at the beach with your parents.”

  “Uh, no,” Daniel answered, taking another bite from his jerky and inspecting his feet.

  Olivia turned back to Aidan and continued talking. Daniel only caught bits and pieces of their conversation as his mind wandered back to Olivia’s smile. Eventually the three finished their meals and stood to continue their journey. “Would you excuse us for just a moment?” Aidan asked, grabbing Daniel by the arm and pulling him toward the trees. “I have to, um, well, you know, before we go.”

  Olivia turned a brilliant crimson. “Oh, yes, go ahead. Good idea. You two go over there. We’ll meet back here in a couple minutes.” She turned and disappeared into the forest on the other side of the meadow.

  “What’s going on?” Daniel asked as they made their way farther into the woods. Remembering Aidan’s look when he’d asked about where Olivia lived, he continued. “Why so many questions about where she lives?”

  “I don’t want to scare her,” Aidan replied, “but I was thinking about Argyle. I don’t know how he could have found out, but if he heard about what happened at the cabin…”

  “What?” Daniel interrupted.

  “Well, it wouldn’t take them two weeks to get to her house. They could sail down Styx River to the Great Lake. You heard what she said. She only lives about a half-day’s walk from the lake. That’s travel with two children. How long do you think it would take Argyle’s men once he finds out? It may take two weeks walking, but what if they sail? A day on the river, half a day on the lake, and then maybe a few hours to get to the house?”

  Daniel tugged on his right earlobe, a nervous habit he’d developed as a child and had never been able to kick. He became concerned for Olivia’s sister’s safety as he processed Aidan’s words. “You might be right, we need to hurry,” Daniel agreed. “Let’s push a bit harder and see if she keeps up. If she doesn’t say anything, maybe we can cut our travel time down a bit. We should get started.” He
stepped behind a tree to relieve himself and Aidan followed suit. Back at the clearing the two boys strapped on their packs, helped Olivia on with hers, and handed her the rifle.

  “Let’s go,” Daniel remarked, taking the lead on the path to try and set the pace. Aidan let Olivia fall in behind his older brother and followed closely in a silent attempt to get her to walk faster. The hours dragged on as the three trudged through the forest, stopping occasionally to take a drink of water. The breaks were quick and as infrequent as the boys could make them without arousing Olivia’s suspicions. As night fell, the trail became difficult to navigate as the thick forest canopy cast deep shadows across the path, hiding roots and rocks that threatened to roll an ankle, or worse.

  “I think we should stop here,” Daniel announced, coming to a stop in the middle of the path.

  “What?” Aidan asked. “We can’t stop here. There’s nowhere to lie down. What are we going to do, sleep in the middle of the trail?”

  “No,” Daniel answered, trying to stay patient though he was tired and hungry. “We can step off into the bushes and sleep there for the night. We’ll keep going at first light.”

  “Why don’t we just keep going until the next clearing?” Aidan argued. “That way we don’t have to sleep under a bush. I don’t know about you, but I’d be more comfortable stretched out in the grass.”

  “We don’t know where the next clearing is Aidan. And with how dark it is, we can’t see where we’re stepping. We’re not going to get there as fast as we need to if someone gets hurt. Besides, if we sleep out in the open, someone might see us. We need to stay out of sight until we can get to Olivia’s sister.”

  “Lilly,” Olivia interrupted.

  “What?” both boys said simultaneously, caught off guard by her seemingly odd statement.

  “My sister’s name. It’s Lilly. And I agree with Daniel. We don’t know who’s out there or if anyone is looking for us yet. I don’t think anyone is, but I’d like to stay safe. We have to get back there.”

  Aidan looked at Daniel and then back to Olivia. “Fine,” he finally agreed. “You get first watch,” he joked, poking Daniel in the chest. “Call it a perk of being in charge.” Aidan pushed his way through the bushes that lined the path, and disappeared. Daniel and Olivia followed. After a supper the same as lunch, Olivia and Aidan lay down and quickly dropped off to sleep, the physical exertions of the day having taken their toll. Daniel sat listening to the soft whisper of the breeze caressing the small leaves that surrounded him. He leaned back against the trunk of a nearby tree and struggled to keep his eyes open. Blinking furiously trying to relieve the dry, burning sensation, Daniel pulled his knife out of the sheath on his belt, grabbed a small piece of wood sitting near his leg, and began whittling, another pastime he’d shared with his father.

  Chapter 7

  Wake Up Call

  “Hey! Nice way to take first watch,” Aidan whispered.

  Daniel rubbed at his eyes. “Wha…?” he mumbled, forcing his eyes open. Aidan’s face was mere inches from Daniel’s. Startled, Daniel jerked back and smacked his head against the trunk he was leaning on. “OUCH!!!” he cried, pushing Aidan away from him and rubbing the rising knot on the back of his skull. “What’s your problem?”

  Aidan answered quietly, “You were supposed to take the first shift. You fell asleep.” With that, Aidan stood up and stepped gently around Olivia who was still dozing. “I’m going to go pick some berries. I’d like something to eat other than jerky and biscuits. I’ll be back in a bit. Why don’t you wake up Olivia and see if you can find some water while I’m gone? My pouch is almost empty. I’ll leave it with you in case you find some. We can eat when I get back and then get going. I’ve got a bad feeling, and I want to get going as early as we can.” With the rustling of leaves as he pushed his way through the shrubs, Aidan disappeared quickly into the thick forest and soon his footsteps could not be heard. After picking up the knife he’d dropped next to his leg while whittling the night before, Daniel leaned forward and gave Olivia a gentle shake.

  “Time to wake up,” Daniel said softly. Olivia’s eyes fluttered open. Not recognizing her surroundings, she bolted upright with a gasp, her eyes open wide as she jerked her head around.

  “Where?” she started, before realizing where she was. “Oh, sorry,” she mumbled and sat back down next to Daniel. She rubbed her eyes to try and clear the last of sleep away. “Where is Aidan?” she asked.

  “Went out to find some breakfast,” Daniel replied. “Guess he’s already tired of jerky and biscuits,” he joked. Olivia smiled. They talked about what lay ahead of them while packing up the few items they’d taken out the night before, and Aidan returned a short while later. He’d untucked the front of his shirt, forming a small basket in which he was carrying a sizable collection of fruits and vegetables.

  “Breakfast is now served,” Aidan announced while kneeling down next to Olivia. He dumped out a large quantity of raspberries and about a dozen baobab roots onto a small matted down section of grass. Daniel crawled closer and sat on her other side before grabbing some food. He quickly finished his portion of what Aidan had gathered and began putting on his pack. Aidan stood and followed suit while Olivia shoved her share of the roots into her pockets.

  “What’s the rush?” she asked, bending to pick up her pack.

  “I’d like to get started before the day gets too warm,” Daniel replied, stammering over his words in an attempt to sound normal. “I don’t think we’ll have as much shade today, and since we didn’t go find any water to refill the pouches, we’ll need to conserve it until we find a spring to refill them.”

  “Oh, okay,” Olivia remarked and pulled on her pack. Aidan, standing behind her, gave Daniel a quick thumbs-up. Olivia fished the rest of her breakfast out of her pocket, pushed her way back through the bushes to the path, and followed Daniel northwest along the route back home. It was difficult to keep pace with the boys and eat at the same time, but she figured she needed the energy for another long trek.

  The walk was monotonous and Aidan’s mind wandered in the silence. He began probing the nearby woods for animal friends until he found what he was looking for. Aidan reached out to a young deer grazing a short ways off with its mother. He brought them both to the side of the path just north of where they were walking. Olivia gasped at the sight of the fawn and doe waiting at the edge of the trail. She turned to Aidan.

  “Can I pet them?” she asked eagerly. Her voice quivered with excitement and a smile played across her full lips.

  “Of course,” Aidan answered. “Just move slowly. I don’t want to make the mother any more scared than she is already.”

  Olivia knelt down and extended her right hand, her palm forming a small cup under the fawn’s nose. The deer dipped its head slightly and pressed its wet nose to her skin. Olivia giggled and placed her left hand on the animal’s neck, petting it softly. It flinched at first, but then leaned into her touch as it became more comfortable. Olivia stared into its black eyes, sensing the intelligence behind them. She stood, careful to avoid alarming the doe who was watching her every move. Olivia ran her hand over the fawn’s large ears and down its back, tracing her fingers between the white spots on its coat. When she finished, she gave the fawn a hug and slowly approached the doe.

  “Thank you,” Olivia whispered. “Your baby is beautiful.” She again placed her right hand under the animal’s chin so it could smell her. It nuzzled her right palm while she petted its muscular back with her left. She turned to Aidan, positively beaming with joy. “Thank you too. I really enjoyed this. They’re incredible.” She gave the doe one last caress before stepping back onto the path. The two deer bounced off through the bushes and vanished into the trees. Olivia grabbed Aidan and threw her arms around him, crushing him in her hug.

  “Okay, okay.” Aidan laughed when he finally escaped her clutches. “I’m glad you liked it. We better get going before Daniel scolds us for wasting time.” Olivia glanced up the path to se
e Daniel standing with his arms folded across his chest watching them.

  “You two done?” he grumbled.

  “Yes,” Olivia giggled.

  “Good. Let’s get back to it. There’s still a long way to go.”

  Hustling after Daniel, Olivia turned her attention back to Aidan. “So where’s Custos?”

  Aidan waved his hand off to their right. “He’s over there searching for food. I sent him farther away so the deer wouldn’t get scared.”

  “How come I haven’t seen him yet?” Olivia asked. “Not much of a pet.”

  “He’s NOT a pet,” Aidan groaned. “He’s just a friend of mine. He’s one of the first animals I really connected with.”

  “So why isn’t he walking with us?”

  “Well, he is, kind of. He’s just not walking on the trail.”

  “Why not?” Olivia asked, again searching the forest for Aidan’s playmate.

  “I thought he might, uh, scare you,” Aidan answered. “So I asked him to stay away from us.”

  “I’m not scared,” Olivia replied, puffing up her chest and raising her chin. “You can have him walk with us.”

  A grin crept across Aidan’s lips. “Maybe later.”

  They hiked late into the evening, which fell quickly once the sun dropped below the peaks of the White Mountains. They stopped and ate a quick dinner before bed. As they laid out their bedrolls, Olivia and Daniel started at the sound of a snapping branch in the nearby woods.

  “It’s just Custos,” Aidan commented, glancing into the darkness of the surrounding trees before lying down.

  A large bear rambled out of the woods. Olivia gasped at the sight of the enormous creature strolling toward them. She froze in place, standing between her blankets and the small campfire they’d built. Custos shuffled slowly over to where she stood until his front paws stood on Olivia’s bedding and he stood nose to nose with the girl. Olivia let out a high-pitched squeak when the enormous animal snuffled at her face, taking in her scent. Both boys laughed at the sound.