Andrew's Mission - A Portallas short story

by Christopher D. Morgan

  The Wood-boar was still pacing and growling, but right now Andrew had a more pressing need. He had to find a Wood-widow spider and hoped desperately there might be one living on the Bangle tree. There was little time to lose so he’d have to worry about the Wood-boar later.

  For now, at least, the island provided him with enough immediate safety. At least, it would do if the Wood-boar didn’t swim across. Andrew didn’t even know if Wood-boars could swim. If it could, there didn’t seem to be very many options.

  Andrew was a good climber so he could at least try to climb out of the way to the Wood-boar should it become necessary.

  Andrew walked up to the huge Bangle tree. He ran his hand over the bark, looking for cracks or an opening: anything that might conceal a palm-sized spider. He felt all over the tree and right around its enormous circumference. Nothing. There was no sign of any spider.

  Andrew took a step back and looked up with his hands on his hips. Don’t tell me I’m going to have to search the entire tree, he thought to himself with a deep sigh. That’ll take ages.

  The Wood-boar growled again, a reminder to Andrew it was still there and still hungry. It continued to pace back and forth but hadn’t stepped into the water. Although that was a comforting thought, Andrew knew he’d have to leave the island eventually. He’d have to figure out how to evade the Wood-boar sooner or later but right now he really needed to press on and look for the Wood-widow spider.

  With another deep sigh, Andrew walked around the tree again looking for a vine thick enough to take his weight. If he was to stand a chance of getting up to the where the branches were, he’d have to find a vine thick enough to take his weight.

  After pulling on a few vines, Andrew found one he thought he could trust and began his ascent. Slowly at first, he took great care not to misstep and kept a keen eye out for any telltale signs of spiders.

  After a few minutes of searching and climbing, Andrew neared the first horizontal branch. He had climbed about five times his own height before reaching the safety of that first branch. Heaving himself onto the outstretched limb, he sat with his legs dangled over the edge.

  Andrew looked down to the ground. A fall from this height could easily kill him. Certainly, he’d break some bones in the process.

  Across the other side of the lake, the Wood-boar maintained eye-contact with Andrew. It sniffed at the water’s edge. Andrew’s heart skipped a beat when the beast put one foot into the water. It crept forward, all the while growling with saliva dripping from its huge fangs. Before long, it was right into the water, its snout sticking up so it could breathe.

  Andrew could scarcely believe his eyes as the fearsome beast paddled right across the lake and leapt onto the island. It shook the water from its fur and ran up to the base of the tree. Now growling even more, the beast stood up on its huge hind legs and clawed at the base of the tree. Andrew was now completely trapped with no way of escaping from the tree, much less the island.

  With his anxiety beginning to grip him, Andrew looked around, hoping to find some way out of the situation. As he did, something caught his attention. Out towards the edge of the tree limb he saw something strange. He squinted at it. Something was glistening but he couldn’t quite make it out. He flung one leg across the branch to straddle it. Then, very slowly, he leant forward and began crawling out onto the limb.

  The Wood-boar began pacing back and forth immediately below Andrew. Its growls intensified. A fall now would mean almost certain death. If the hard landing didn’t kill him, the Wood-boar certainly would.

  Hugging the tree branch with both arms, he continued to pull himself along its length. As he progressed along the length of the branch, it narrowed and slowly bent under his weight. He looked ahead, and there it was.

  The glistening was a spider web. It was strung between the fork of two small branches. Something was crawling slowly around the edge of the web. Andrew pulled himself still further along the branch. It thinned as he went and sagged still further.

  Andrew was very close to the spider web but wasn’t sure the branch would continue to support him for much longer. It began creaking as it sagged still further.

  He reached the fork and pulled himself just a little farther. The branch was sagging so much now that he had to hold on to prevent himself from slipping forward and flying off the end altogether.

  Very slowly, he put one hand down to his side and reached for his keeper bag. The tree limb was by now so thin, he needed both hands to keep himself from falling off the branch to the hungry Wood-boar below. Just reaching for his keeper bag was itself a delicate balancing act.

  He managed to just grab the bag and pulled it forward. Opening the flap to the bag, he rested it onto the fork in the branches so that it was just touching the spider web. As it disturbed the web, a huge, red spider with black, hairy legs scurried to its centre. Its bright red abdomen sent shivers down Andrew’s spine. It matched the description the Healer gave Andrew of the Wood-widow spider.

  This was it. This is what he came for and this is what would save his best friend’s life. If only he could capture it and somehow bring it back to Morelle so the Healer could complete her potion and make Joshua better again.

  The Wood-boar below was becoming more agitated. Andrew tried to put that out of his mind. Right now, he had to focus on the task at hand and capturing the Wood-window but without himself getting bitten in the process.

  He reached for a small twig extending from one of the forked branches. Bending it repeatedly back and forth, Andrew broke the twig off and used it to gently nudge the spider towards the open keeper bag.

  Suddenly, there was a loud crack. It came from just behind him on the branch he was lying on. Andrew kept his concentration and continued to nudge the spider, which crept slowly towards the opening.

  After a few seconds, it scurried into the keeper bag and Andrew folded the flap closed. He’d done it. He’d capture the spider that would save is best friend’s life.

  There was another loud crack. The branch suddenly dropped a bit further. It was beginning to break under the strain of Andrew’s weight. The Wood-boar leapt onto its hind legs and began roaring. Andrew could see it foaming at the mouth.

  Slowly, he began pushing himself backwards. The tree limb continued to creak but Andrew remained focused. Bit by bit, he pushed himself backwards. The tree limb thickened steadily as he continued his progress. After what seemed like ages, Andrew made it all the way back to where the main branch met the trunk. With sweat now dripping down his face, he pushed himself into a seated position and finally took a deep breath. He was safe. At least, he was safe from falling from the tree.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Mission's End

  Andrew sat there and composed himself. He had collected a live specimen of the Wood-widow spider but it would do neither him, nor Joshua, any good unless he could get it back to Morelle and into the hands of the Healer. With the ferocious Wood-boar itching to kill him, however, there was no way he was getting out of the tree, much less back to Morelle.

  As the Wood-boar continued to leap frantically at the base of the tree, Andrew contemplated his options. He could risk leaping to the ground in the hopes of making it into the water before the bloodthirsty beast got to him. That’s assuming he survived the fall to begin with. Even then, there’s no telling whether he would make it into the forest before the Wood-boar. And even if he could, there’s no guarantee he would be able to outrun such a large beast.

  The only other option was to remain in the tree until the Wood-boar gave up and swam back to the forest. But that could take hours. For all Andrew knew, Joshua could be dead by then. His options weren’t looking good. Either stay and risk his best friend dying or leap now and risk dying himself.

  Just at that moment, Andrew heard a swishing sound. It was swiftly followed by a squealing sound coming from the Wood-Boar. Andrew looked down to see an arrow impaled directly into the Wood-boar’s side. It squealed in agony before falling to one side w
ith a thud. Another two arrows sank into the beast’s abdomen in quick succession and it lay there motionless. The animal was dead.

  Andrew looked up. On the far side of the water’s edge stood a Woodsman wearing a dark green tunic and a hood over his head. Andrew squinted hard but it was too far to see who it was. It didn’t look like anyone he knew. The Woodsman put his bow over his shoulder, turned and began walking back into the forest.

  “HEY! YOU! OVER HERE!”

  Andrew shouted as loud as he could, waving one arm frantically, but whoever the mystery man was either couldn’t hear him…or was ignoring him. Within seconds, the man had disappeared into the forest.

  Andrew secured his keeper bag and began climbing down the tree. He jumped to the ground and walked up to the now lifeless body of the Wood-boar.

  Andrew scratched his head. It didn’t make any sense. A Wood-boar kill would normally be celebrated. Woodsmen from the village of Morelle might capture one maybe twice a year if lucky. It would always be brought back to the village. A full-grown Wood-boar would typically be the centre feature of a feast and involve the entire village. Why kill one and then just walk off and leave it?

  The sun was starting to set. With his best friend near death’s door, these questions would have to wait. Holding his weapon belt and keeper bag safely above his head, he waded into the water and crossed back to the other side. Picking up into a trot, he left through the opening in the trees and began running back to Morelle as fast as he could.

  ***

  Joshua’s mother sat in the chair beside her son’s bed. She had been awake for almost an entire day and a half and was exhausted to the point of near collapse. Trying desperately to keep her eyes open, her head tilted forward and she fell asleep.

  Joshua continued to writhe in pain. Still delirious and barely conscious, the life was ebbing away from him. He was very close to death.

  With the sun casting long shadows, a figure appeared at the window. Joshua’s mother was asleep and Joshua himself was completely unaware of his surroundings. The figure climbed through the window and stood at the foot of the bed. It was a Woodsman. He was wearing a dark green tunic and a hood over his head.

  He walked around to the side of the bed, looked at Joshua’s mother and then at Joshua. He leant over Joshua’s body and looked into Joshua’s eyes.

  “It’s too soon for you to leave us, Joshua. You are too important to us.” He whispered.

  The man held his hand, palm down, just above Joshua’s chest and began moving it back and forth along Joshua’s body. As he did, a green glow began emanating from Joshua’s body. Joshua took a deep intake of breath and then fell still. His breathing was normal and he stopped writhing. The man stopped moving his hand and the green glow subsided. The man straightened up and smiled.

  “We will meet again, Joshua. Until then, be well.”

  The man walked back to the window through which he came and climbed up into the frame. He then began changing shape. Within seconds he morphed into the form or a Raetheon, which stretched its wings, flew out of the window frame and into the night.

  ***

  Andrew reached the village of Morelle. Hungry and exhausted, he trotted back to Joshua’s hut. Panting heavily, he pushed open the front door and walked in.

  There, around the table, he saw the Healer, Joshua’s mother and Joshua all chatting.

  “Joshua! You’re…you’re OK?”

  The Healer stood up and said, “His fever has broken. Your friend will be fine.”

  “Hey, what’s the matter with you?” Joshua said, looking up at Andrew. “You look like you’ve crawled backwards through a Wood-boar hole or something. Are you OK?”

  Andrew stood there with his jaw dropped and unable to find the words.

  “Hey Mum,” Joshua said, turning to his mother, “do we have any Shrooms? I’m starving. I could eat the hind leg off a Wood-boar.”

  The end…or just the beginning.

  If you want to find out what happens next with Andrew and Joshua, check out Forestium: The Mirror Never Lies, which is book one in the Portallas series of novels:

  https://portallas.com/forestium/

  Christopher D. Morgan is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author, blogger, IT Manager, graphics artist, businessman, volunteer and family man living in Melbourne, Australia. He spends much of his spare time volunteering for his local community. He creates visual learning resources for primary school children, which he markets through his company Bounce Learning Kids. He is also involved in local civics and sits on various community & council committees.

  Christopher was born in the UK and grew up in England’s South East. At age twenty, he moved to The Netherlands, where in 1988 he married Sandy. Christopher quickly learned Dutch and the couple spent eight years living in the far South of that country before they moved to Florida in 1996. After spending six years in Florida, Christopher and Sandy sold their home and spent the next two years backpacking around the world. Christopher has visited about 40 countries to date and 13 US states.

  Whilst circumnavigating the globe, Christopher wrote extensively, churning out travel journals. He and Sandy settled back in the UK at the end of their world tour, where their two children were both born. In 2009, the family uproot again and moved to Melbourne, Australia, where they now live.

  You can read all about Christopher & Sandy’s epic travels on his travel showcase website: https://ChrisAndSandyMorgan.com/

  Following the successful launch of his writing career, Christopher joined forces with fellow author, JA Culican, to start Dragon Realm Press, a one-stop-shop that provides a full range of services to other authors.

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