Widderkin - 15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15.

The next step after catching the fish was to get a cooking fire going and everyone gathered closely to watch Kieran make yet another call on the Opal and ignite the handful of carefully chosen dry grass and leaves. Rhys cheered and Tan gave a whoop of delight when the first wisp of smoke changed to a healthy little flame. Woorawa took over and methodically added small twigs, then sticks, and then larger pieces of wood he'd previously gathered, till the fire was burning strongly.

"Are you going to cook for us, Tan? You've got the best touch."

"Not with an open fire, Kieran. Woorawa knows about this so I'll watch and learn from him."

Woorawa shook his head.

"I know things from all the adventures with Uncle Burrimul and my friends, Tan, but I've never actually done it myself and I'd rather just explain how and let you be the cook."

"Okay ... How do I start?"

"How much time have we got before those Spook riders get here, Kieran?"

"A while. It took us nearly two hours from the stumps, so even if they run all the way we still should have at least an hour."

"Well, the best way to cook is slowly in hot ashes but we need the fire to be out by the time they reach the top so we should skewer the fish with sharp sticks and hold them directly over the hot coals, with Tan telling us when they need turning."

He reached to a separate pile of sticks, quickly sharpened one, then forced it longways through the raw flesh of the largest fish and handed it to Tan.

"Start with this one, Tan, while I get the rest ready."

It took quite a while to finish because of all the experimenting with ways to best hold each fish secure. When it was almost cooked there was a tendency to break apart and Rhys made everyone laugh with his carrying on when his whole fish fell into the fire and had to be rescued in pieces.

"That was delicious but I'm still hungry."

"We all are, Rhys, but more food will have to wait for later because the Spook riders have nearly reached the top and the horses are already waiting for us at the clearing near the spring."

"Neat! ... Have they been there long?"

"About ten minutes, and they’re as happy as George was with the grass there."

"I wonder if we'll ever be able to go home, Kieran?"

The silence that followed told Kieran that this was a shared worry.

"I know and it's scary, but something will turn up, Tan, and if we really get lost or in too much trouble we can always go back to the Emperor trees and that castle. Someone there must know what's going on."

"No way, Kieran! Don’t even think of it. That's where the Spook riders come from and I vote we keep heading for the White Wall and look for someone friendly. We only have to see one ordinary person and Kieran can work out where we are from their mind."

Mr B spoke up.

"I agree. I don't think we should even consider the castle, Kieran. That rider last night was extremely disturbing. In the few seconds before it paralysed you it demonstrated complete arrogance and a single-minded determination to capture you."

Woorawa joined in.

"Me too. I reckon the Castle’s bad news, and the riders frighten me too so we do need to get moving, but we also have to stay near this creek for food and water. My vote is to stick to our plan of checking out the Wall. What do you think, Tan?"

"The Castle sounds awful to me and I don't want to change our plans. I was just thinking that home is so different to here. Where are the riders now, Kieran? If they’ve reached the top then it's downhill and they might follow us a lot faster."

"Whoo! Good thinking, Tan ... Quick everyone. I just checked and they’re closer than I expected."

Once again George was the hold up, but not so much this time because retracing their steps meant they remembered many of the best ways. Three horses’ heads lifted from the grass when they re-entered the clearing and then gave some neighs and funny snorts at the sight of George.

"This is good. They know each other. Climb on everybody and we’ll walk till we get to the main trail so we get to know each other. I'll double up with Rhys because George is already used to both of us."

"Kieran, all these horses have two of those cords on their saddles."

"That's good, Woorawa. It means the riders can't use them."

Woorawa was mounted in a flash. Mr B and Tan were more cautious but by the time the horses had walked to the main track they were all more relaxed. Gradually, as everyone adapted to this new way of travelling, the journey sped up and the concern about their steeds diminished. After about half an hour of downhill slope the trail reached the extensive plain at the foot of the hills and widened, with thicker vegetation of the watercourse on the right and sparse vegetation ahead and to the left. Woorawa, who'd been leading the way, stopped and everyone bunched close to find out why.

"This is looking good, Kieran. The trail’s gone off course twice so far to link up with the creek and it looks like it stays with it ahead ... Are those things still following us? Because if they are we could get the horses moving faster and build up a bigger lead on them."

Kieran had been checking regularly.

"I'm worried about them because I’ve had the Eagles watching and so far they’ve never seen them stop. If they keep going like that we won't be able to camp for the night."

"Can we get the horses to walk in the bed of the creek? That's how people hide their tracks in all my books."

All eyes turned to Woorawa.

"We don't know enough about them, Rhys. If they track by smell, like dogs, it could work, but if they track by looking then they’ll easily see the disturbance made by four big horses like these. It's worth a try though."

"Not yet. We’ll try for a bigger lead first."

With the trail more open, the horses could pick up speed and that was quite uncomfortable till once again everyone got used to it. A bit over an hour later Kieran called to Woorawa to stop.

"Next time the trail meets with the creek we’ll have to try Rhys's idea for hiding our tracks. The Spooks have been jogging ever since they reached the flat and we haven't left them behind as much as I thought we would."

"How much lead have we built up, Kieran?"

"They’re about halfway between here and where we stopped at the foot of the hills."

"They’re travelling at about half our speed then ... That means they’ll reach here in an hour.

Kieran, we can't keep going like this. The horses are okay but we’re not. If I don't get off for a walk or a break I’ll have blisters on my backside and cramps in my legs."

"Rhys can heal that for all of us, Woorawa, but we need more food and water too."

"Well, I vote we stop running. There are five of us, plus four horses and two Eagles, and I reckon that’s enough to face up to them."

Four mouths gaped open.

"Are you serious, Tan? Just one of them was totally scary last night, and now there are three."

"I know, and the one last night makes my stomach feel weird every time I think about it, but Rhys and Woorawa did get rid of it. I reckon they give off scare vibes and stop us thinking properly."

"Scare vibes?"

"Yes, Mr B. All day the only thing I've been able to think about is how to escape, and a while ago I started to wonder why, when we actually know how to beat them."

Kieran blinked at Tan in amazement.

"How are we meant to do that?"

"Rhys and Woorawa go for one just like they did last night, and Mr B and I go for another, while you stay protected by all the horses and the Eagles. The cord things are the biggest worry but we don't think they've got them anymore."

Woorawa clasped his head with both hands then let it go and shook it.

"Unbelievable! ... I mean I believe you, Tan. All this time and I’ve never thought of anything else except how scary they are ... Kieran, you could tell the horses to protect us, couldn't you? One kick from those hooves would mangle anyone."

Rhys spoke up next.

"And if they do that disappearing act when we grab them it would be four of us, and the third one wouldn't have a hope ... We should have thought of this ages ago ... Can the Eagles tell if they’re carrying anything like a weapon?"

Kieran concentrated.

"I don't think so. It's hard to tell because the idea of weapons isn't part of their thinking. Rhys, I don't like the idea of attacking the Spooks directly. I'd rather send the horses charging at them."

"Hey, yeah! Like a cavalry charge ... No. It's you they’re after, Kieran, so the horses are more important for keeping you protected. Woorawa, we need to find a good place to ambush them ... Who's got any other ideas?"

"What about some strong sticks for weapons, Rhys? Like quarterstaffs."

Woorawa rubbed the side of his horses neck.

"We can talk while we’re moving. Let's find a good place to make this happen."

Progress slowed for the next twenty minutes because talking as a group and riding didn't match. Ideas came thick and fast, particularly from Rhys who kept quoting strategies from adventure novels he'd read, but then they came to one of the routine sidetracks which turned off towards the creek.

"Let's check along here. The main trail’s too open, and with thicker vegetation and bigger trees near the water we’ll have a better chance of finding a good ambush place ... What does everyone think?"

Everyone thought that was a good idea and a few minutes later they were stopped again, next to a long pool of water.

"There must be fish in there. It looks deep and it goes for a long way."

"Forget about the fish, Rhys. Look over there where that little bank goes up to the trees. It would be a good place to get the spooks."

"In the water?"

"Why not? If we lead the horses through from this side and up that bank they’ll follow all the tracks."

"And we hide and jump on them when we hear them splashing in the water?"

"I’ll explore first, to make sure the horses can get through, and then we’ll get organised."

As quick as a flash, Woorawa was off his horse and wading for seven or eight meters, through knee deep water, to the bank on the other side, where he paused to look back with a grin before scrambling up and disappearing. When he reappeared a short while later he made a thumbs up sign with both hands.

"This is good, Kieran. There’s thick vegetation for a while but then it opens up to a clearing with big trees along the other side ... Come and have a look while the horses have a drink and eat that grass."

Kieran led the way, stopping halfway to stoop for a drink of the cool, clear water, then grabbing at some of the shrubs to help climb to where Woorawa was waiting at the top of the embankment. Tan arrived next, after slipping a little and getting a backside boost of assistance from Rhys.

"See, Kieran. That's why I think it's a good place. They’ll have to slow right down and we’ll know exactly where they are. If we jump on them from up here we’ll easily have enough momentum to knock them over."

Rhys and Mr B arrived and Woorawa and Kieran had to move to make room for them.

"It's crowded, Woorawa. You won't be able to have all of us jumping at the same time."

"That won't matter, Mr B. If I’d jumped on Tan just then, Rhys and Mr B would have ended up in the water with him and the next person could jump while everything was confused."

"I’m jumping first, Woorawa. I'm biggest and I'm the strongest so it has to be me."

No one made a joke about Rhys being a poser. No one said anything for a moment and then Kieran grabbed him for a big hug.

"And we’ll be one second behind you, Rhys. We’ll all be on top of them before they even know what's happening.”

“How long do you think it’ll take them to get here, Kieran? We need to get organised and practice this a few times."

Kieran linked with the Eagles.

"They’re still moving quickly, Woorawa, and we slowed down when we started looking for an ambush site but it’ll still take them more than an hour."

"An hour’s good. We'll let the horses eat the sweet grass they like for half an hour before we bring them across. The first thing is for everyone to find a good strong stick to make quarterstaff ... That would really help to bowl them over with your first leap, Rhys. You make one too, Kieran. If they get past us somehow and you can't reach their minds again it’ll be a good defence for you."

"What about collecting rocks to throw at them?"

"Not from up here, Tan. We might hit them but we’re just as likely to miss, and I think we have to knock them down to make them disappear anyway ... If we've got enough time we’ll organise some rocks for where Kieran and the horses are. Mr B, could you make sure there's an open way from here to the clearing so we can reach Kieran quickly if we need to, and it’ll be better for when we bring the horses through too."

"How about using my pocketknife to make sharp points on the ends of our quarter staffs? They'd be double weapons then."

Woorawa made a grimace before answering.

"You bloodthirsty thing, Tan ... It's a good idea but it might be dangerous for us too when we’re so close to each other. I know. You could sharpen one end of Kieran's quarter staff if you get the chance."

"What about a fire? That could be a good defence."

"No fires, Tan. We’re attacking, not defending, and smoke might act like a warning ... The fire comes later ... When we have our giant fish-feast. Let's move so we can get enough practices to feel like we know what we are doing."

"I hope my stomach gets better."

Kieran was puzzled. Woorawa wasn't.

"Mine too, Tan. If we stay busy that’ll help keep our minds from worrying too much. I thought of getting Kieran to make us all feel confident but it doesn't feel right."

Mr B rested a hand on Tan's shoulder.

"My stomach’s doing somersaults too, Tan, but that's okay because there’d be something wrong with us if we didn't feel stressed. Let's look for some good quarterstaffs to dress with your pocketknife."

The time went way too quickly. At first the horses balked at the steepness of the embankment but when George led the way they struggled valiantly up the rise and moved to the new clearing.

Kieran watched Tan and Mr B climb to their feet, unexpectedly drenched and surprised, when Rhys’s first practice run went off kilter with a misjudgment of momentum and positioning and knocked them flying. Mr B threatened that Rhys and Woorawa were going to get the same treatment when it was their turn to be the dummy spooks, then apologised profusely when a similar misjudgement made it really happen.

Eventually the Eagles’ eyes showed the Spooks approaching the turn off from the main trail and Kieran moved to be with the horses. He didn't like this separation but he'd been given no choice in the matter and he stood quietly at his designated place of safety and reached to bring the Eagles circling low, over the expanse of water. Yes, there were the Spooks, right at the edge of the clearing. Rhys would be seeing them now from his specially chosen position of concealment and making the first sighting signal to Woorawa, Tan, and Mr B, who couldn't see anything. There was a ready signal for when the spooks reached the edge of the water, and then, when the time was right, a go signal.

There was a hesitation. That was expected here, with the confusion of horse tracks all through the clearing to decipher. The forms separated then quickly regrouped at the edge of the pool where the horses had entered the water. Kieran wasn't able to actually see through the Eagle’s eyes, but continuous access since he'd taken control meant he’d built an ability to interpret what their vision was meaning in the two predators minds. And this gathering of the prey objects felt significant and somewhat threatening. To Kieran, it meant Woorawa's strategy was on track and the planned confrontation was about to happen.

The male Eagle, coursing low for a better view, sent a warning shriek to his mate that the prey objects had erupted into escape mode. Kieran heard the shriek from above and instantly understood that what the Eagles interpreted as escape mode was really the spooks bursting into rapid movement.

What? Had they detected Rhys and the others and were rushing to engage them? ... No.

New knowledge from the Eagles showed them racing upstream along the edge of the water. Where were they going? The Eagles were having trouble following them now because they’d left the clearing and were under the enclosing vegetation. A few moments later Kieran understood that the Spooks had reappeared briefly and were now positioned differently. He left the Eagles’ minds, whirled to look at the upstream end of his clearing, sent a distress call to the others, then took control of the four horses and readied them for a charge. The spooks appeared, racing into the clearing only forty meters away and rushing straight toward him.

Go! Go! Go!

The four horses, bunched as a unit, charged to intercept the three on-comers and Kieran felt a momentary satisfaction that the Spooks would have no hope against so much mass and momentum. Shockingly, his control slipped and he fought against the waves of fear overcoming the horses and making them veer to the side. Two Spooks were caught momentarily behind the milling horses but the third headed unerringly through an opportune gap and came to an abrupt stop only metres from Kieran.

"Submit!"

No way. Kieran wrestled with instant anger and a strange sense of indignation. What right did this creature have to command him. With fleeting puzzlement that his shields were ineffective he gathered himself for whatever onslaught against his will was coming. The spook raised a hand and a chill of fear crept into Kieran's awareness.

The spook gestured again.

"Submit!"

The fear intensified enough to hold Kieran frozen with the quarterstaff useless in his hands, a fear that he recognised, the same fear which had unnerved the horses, a physical state of fear which his mind could not deny.

"Submit!"

Kieran's mind raged against the helplessness overcoming him then reeled with the shock of release when a hurtling form knocked his adversary to the ground. Proper awareness returned to Kieran as a second form landed for several seconds on the violently struggling Spook. With vast satisfaction, Kieran saw the impossible dissolution of his strange nemesis as Rhys and Woorawa leapt to their feet and raced towards the piercing and unsettling cry they all recognised as Tan's voice.

Gathering his scattered senses, Kieran rushed towards the frightening tableau of Tan, apparently unconscious on the ground, and Mr B standing motionless with both spooks directing a raised arm at him. The tableau changed when one of the Spooks turned, too late, to direct the threatening arm at the two rapidly closing forms of Rhys and Woorawa. Rhys and Woorawa both wavered but their speed and proximity knocked their target sideways, and then to the ground, where dissipation once again followed a violent struggle. The last Spook lowered its arm and for a brief time faced the three approaching companions, before venting a strange and despairing cry and dissolving to nothingness.

A soft curtain of threat lifted and Kieran, rushing to help, felt even more relief when Tan's stillness changed to movement. One glance at Mr B's ashen features meant he was the first priority and Kieran rushed to give all the support and assurance he could.

"Help me hold him, Rhys, while we give him a burst of energy and hope it helps him recover."

In seconds Mr B, still speechless, was supported with his arms across Kieran and Rhys's shoulders and held close. Woorawa was helping Tan disentangle one of the rope things and looking worriedly to Kieran.

"Is someone else attacking us?"

Kieran finished transferring energy to Mr B and hastily checked the group shields.

"No, everything’s okay, Woorawa. Help Tan stand up so we can get him better too."

Tan scrambled to his feet unaided and touched a hand on Rhys's shoulder.

"I'm all right, Kieran. As soon as the Spook disappeared all my body started working properly. Why isn't Mr B saying anything?"

"They hit him with a kind of fear wave, Tan. He’ll be alright when he pushes it out of his mind."

Woorawa was staring at Mr B's drawn features.

"You might have to help him, Kieran. Can you go into his mind to support him?"

"I had a quick look and he's going to fix himself. It's better that way."

Woorawa nodded and looked past Kieran's shoulder.

"Help the horses. They’re totally spooked."

Kieran twisted to look at the four horses bunched close to each other and cowering in fear.

Gods! Poor creatures! He quickly restored contact and sent messages of calm and forgetting. Yes! This grass was sweet and delicious, and definitely needed to assuage the hunger they suddenly felt. Now for the Eagles. Kieran started to reach but Mr B started shuddering and his arm tightened round Kieran's neck and held him close. With a huge sigh of exhaled breath his body relaxed. He caught his breath.

"That was worse than the worst nightmare I could ever imagine. Let me find somewhere to sit down and do nothing for a month. I know they’ve gone but all I can see in my mind is two arms pointing at me."

Kieran looked round and gestured to a suitable tree trunk about twenty meters away where the clearing ended.

"Over there. We’ll sit with you."

Mr B made a soft little laughing sound and disengaged himself from all the support.

"I'm all right, Kieran but I do need some recovery time ... Rhys and Woorawa, you saved us all ... I thought we'd had it when Tan was paralysed and I was helpless. Why did the Spooks take that detour, Rhys? Do you think they worked out we were going to ambush them? What did the first Spook do to you, Kieran? We saw it point at you and then we had to go after the others. You look really good now, Tan. It was awful when I couldn't help you ... Whoo! I am waffling. Excuse me while I sit down and clear my head."

Mr B collapsed on the grass right there, so everyone sat with him in a little circle. Kieran quickly re-established contact with the Eagles and sent them off to hunt for food then refocused to listen when Rhys started speaking.

"I don't know what happened, Mr B. They pointed to where the horse’s tracks went into the water and then over this side where they came out, then they took off like rockets upstream. I'm practically certain they didn't see me because they only seemed to react to the horse tracks."

"Did they go to the edge of the water?"

"No, Woorawa. It felt like once they saw where the tracks went, going upstream was their natural course of action."

"Weird! I wonder if they don't like going into water?"

"Could be, Tan. I was caught off guard and I waited a few seconds in case they came back but that's when we heard the horses and panicked because Kieran was by himself."

"You got my signal that they were in the clearing though. I know you did."

"We were already on the way, Kieran. Poor old Tan’s had a rough time because I knocked him over when I pushed past him on the narrow track, and then he and Mr B had to go after two spooks when we only had one."

Tan looked at Mr B.

"Mr B had more trouble than me. The spook we were after dodged away and then the other one used it's rope thing on me and I crashed straight to the ground. I couldn't move a muscle but I landed facing towards them and then when they both pointed and he stopped moving I thought it must be something like the Medusa look."

"It must be worse, Tan. I only had one doing it to me and I was so frightened I couldn't move. If Rhys and Woorawa hadn't clobbered it when they did it would have got me."

Mr B shuddered and shook his head.

"It's definitely worse. At least with the Medusa look you can run when it gets too strong. It's like fear oozing through every bone in your body ... We didn't count on them having a cord though. I'm glad they didn't all have them."

Tan held up the cord in question then experimentally wrapped it round both his arms.

"It's harmless now. It must get its strength from the Spook because as soon as the Spook disappears it stops doing anything ... Hey! I'm bleeding. Look what you did to my arm, Rhys. You’re a bully."

"Me? Why are you blaming me instead of the Spooks? I never even touched you."

"Yes you did. You said so yourself ... It must have happened when you knocked me into the shrubs. Get over here with Kieran and fix it please."

Kieran was impressed. Quiet Tan had just changed the charged atmosphere and made everyone smile, even Mr B had a hint of a grin pushing through his still strained features. Woorawa took over and examined Tan's arm.

"It's a baby scratch, Tan. The blood just looks dramatic. Take Rhys and Kieran to the creek with you so you can wash it clean before they heal it ... And go downstream so we don't drink traces of your blood when we get thirsty."

"Yuck! I'm not drinking Tan’s blood. I'd properly turn into a vampire with all the weird things that go on in this place."

"I don't know, Rhys. It might even suit you, being immortal and able to entice any human into your greedy clutches and have your way with them. Just think, Kieran would be number one in your harem of good-looking guys."

"Very funny, Woorawa. If you turned into a vampire you’d have a harem of kangaroos and wombats."

"That is so gross ... Kieran, can you go in and clear out all the weird things in Rhys's mind?"

"It is not gross. What else would you expect to find when you go off in the middle of nowhere in Central Australia?"

Mr B covered his ears as if disgusted, then uncovered them again.

"Go away, all of you, and don't come back without a dozen huge fish. Coping with Spooks is bad enough without the idea of Rhys drinking blood and Woorawa cohabiting with kangaroos. I’ll collect all the materials we need for a campfire."

Woorawa started moving then paused and pointed to a spot a bit further along at the edge of the clearing.

"That's a good place over there, Mr B, but don't rush to get the firewood because we’re not leaving here till tomorrow."

Mr B leaned back with his hands clasped behind his head and smiled at Rhys's parting comments.

"Cohabiting kangaroos, Woorawa. That's called alliteration and we use it in literature to make a phrase stand out. Cohabiting with kangaroos, sounds good doesn't it, hey Woorawa?"

"So does wanking with wombats, hey, Rhys?"

***