Widderkin - 22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22.

"We’ll start a fire here and cook some fish, Kieran. We’ve been travelling ever since we woke up and it's time for a longer break. We can dry our clothes out too."

The five companions, clothes completely drenched, were standing by the horses and watching the rear contingent of panthers make their way through the shallower edge-water and up the gently sloping bank of the biggest and deepest river they'd had to cross so far.

It’s crystal-clear water was hardly moving and, because the centre section had been deep enough to make the horses swim, everyone had slipped out of their saddle to swim beside them.

"Look out!"

Kieran started to duck behind George but the spray from five panthers vigourously shaking themselves caught all of them. Woorawa loved it and laughed at the final curious whole-body quiver.

"Look at them watching us, Kieran. They came close on purpose because they thought it would be funny ... Did you check for fish while you were crossing? Mr B and Tan can collect some firewood while Rhys and I help you catch some."

"Hang on. I’ll tell Gryl that this is a big stop first so they can do their own hunting if they want to. I did check for fish because you've got me trained so well and there are plenty. They’re a new kind though so I don't know what they’ll taste like. We'd better take the saddles off the horses too, to dry them out."

The food routine was now quite practised, and after only half an hour Rhys was rubbing his stomach with satisfaction and eyeing off the river.

"I'm going for a big swim. Who's coming with me?"

"How far?"

"Down to the lake, Tan. It's only about half a K and you swim further than that when you do your laps, so you'll do it easily. And if we find a track we’ll walk back. There’s a bit of current to help too."

A few minutes later, with their clothes left draped strategically to dry, the jock-clad friends swam off eagerly downriver with Tan setting an easy pace. Rhys sent an occasional exuberant splash of water at whoever was close, then settled into the relaxed progress of Tan’s speed. Every now and again Kieran followed him in a duck dive towards the changing features of the river bottom. When they reached the lake Rhys scouted ahead and found the way to a break in the reeds where they could wade to a sandy little mini beach.

"I wonder how far it is across? You can't even see the other side."

No one answered because something had caught Woorawa's attention and he was in his concentration mode.

"Something’s moving, Kieran. I thought it was an old piece of wood at first but it's too regular and round. Can you see it? ... No, it's gone under now but keep watching because it was coming this way."

Woorawa kept everyone watching and twenty or thirty seconds later a flattened dome shape bobbed into view.

"See! It is moving closer so it must be alive."

A reptilian head popped momentarily out of the water then the whole thing submerged again. Tan spoke first.

"It must be a turtle and I've never seen one for real, Kieran. Can you bring it over for a look? ... As long as it doesn't get upset."

Contact was easy now that he'd seen it and the group watched its approach.

"It's freshwater, Tan, so it's probably a tortoise."

The slowly gliding shape reached the shallows and ponderously heaved itself towards Kieran.

"Tell it to stop where it is, Kieran. It's too awkward to be moving out of the water ... And it's got flippers so it must be a turtle."

"It could be a tortoise with flippers for all we know, Rhys … Is there any other difference between turtles and tortoises besides feet and flippers, Mr B?"

"I’ve no idea, Woorawa. Turtles are usually bigger but I know there are giant tortoises too."

"Can we wade close or will that make it nervous, Kieran?"

"No. It's happy as anything, just like every other creature we've met."

The group waded closer and when a beaked head on the end of a long neck quested towards Kieran, stretching from over half a metre of flatly domed shell, Kieran extended his hand and smiled at the nibble which he knew was a form of greeting.

"Careful. That beak looks strong enough to bite your whole finger off."

"He's not biting, Mr B. It's the way they say hello to each other."

Woorawa reached toward the placid creature with a querying look to Kieran who sent a message of assurance.

"It's okay to touch. He'll hardly notice."

Woorawa gingerly traced his finger across the shell without getting any obvious reaction then down the side and onto a flipper.

"His shell’s so hard. Are there many more of them, Kieran? You've got his pattern."

Kieran did the reach thing and, drawing a surprised breath, lifted his head to look at the surrounding water.

"They're everywhere, Woorawa, hundreds of them. Hang on while I boost."

The hand which Kieran now rested automatically on the Opal, glowed softly blue for a moment and his features lit up with even more surprise.

"Thousands! Way out into the lake and back all the way where we've come from. They’re ahead for a while too, but then all of a sudden they stop."

"Where the lake ends?"

"No. I can't tell properly. It could be a km or it could be four or five km but we know the lake goes on a lot further than that."

Woorawa got very interested.

"Where’s the next closest one, Kieran?"

"Um ... That way. Why?"

"How far does it feel like?"

"It's close. It could be twenty metres I suppose."

"Make it pop up so we can see exactly."

Everyone was now wondering where Woorawa was going with this and looking to where Kieran had pointed. The shape, clearly bigger than their visitor, broached the surface at Kieran’s suggestion then disappeared again.

"Neat. I reckon that's twenty-fivemetres, so you’re out by about five. Do it again with another close turtle and see if you can get more accurate."

Kieran liked this sort of challenge and felt quietly pleased when the next turtle popped up very close to where he thought it would. He grinned at Woorawa.

"This is something else you'll have me practising. I can see the wheels turning in your mind."

Kieran laughed at Woorawa's startled look.

"I can see it on your face, Woorawa. I'm not peeking without permission."

"Well, it could be handy for pinpointing distances, and I think you wouldn't need much practice."

"Make them all surface, Kieran. I want to see where they are."

"All of them? No way, Rhys. That's major. I needed the Opal just to see the distant ones. It would be a total brain strain."

"So? Your brain’s good at straining. Have a go at it. It doesn't upset the turtles does it?"

Everyone was looking expectantly at him so Kieran gave a nod.

"I’ll see how many I can affect, but without the Opal. That's the real brain strain."

Kieran closed his eyes to help concentrate, added the suggestion to surface to the pattern, and connected to about a dozen nearby turtles. Easy. With more effort another dozen or so connected and rose to the surface. More? Yes, but now this was hard to hold together and the impulse to ease the strain with the Opal had to be held back. One more push added even more turtles and built a pressure in his mind which he could only just manage.

"Holy Moses! Look at them all."

With one last effort Kieran released the suggestion, broke the link, and opened his eyes to glimpse the shapes dotting the lake surface for hundreds and hundreds of metres before they all submerged to proceed with their turtle concerns.

"There must have been at least a hundred, Kieran, and you controlled them all without the Opal?"

"It wasn't really control, Rhys, more of a suggestion."

"That’s still amazing. Are they easier than Eagles or joker birds? Or are Woorawa's practices making you better?"

“It was more than a hundred. I can sort of tell, and it amazes me too, Rhys. I think it's both."

Kieran jumped in surprise at the tingle of touch to his leg. Oops! The turtle was still linked ... No, it wasn't.

"It surprised me. I expected it to go when I stopped controlling it."

"You've got a new friend, Kieran. It'll probably keep following you."

Kieran said it wouldn't but, to everyone's amusement, it did and he had to put a suggestion in its mind that it was hungry for some delicious food that was close by.

"Have we got time to swim back up the river? Coming down was too easy."

Kieran was tempted because he felt the same as Rhys. Mr B would too, while Woorawa and Tan could walk together. He reached to check.

"Gryl’s wishing we could get moving, Rhys. We'd better hurry."

Hurrying was awkward with bare feet till Woorawa found a narrow animal track which skirted past the lagoon and then followed where the grassy plain met the river vegetation.

Gryl and several other panthers greeted them with a chest bump and a friendly lick then watched, slightly impatiently, while everyone got dressed and then saddled the horses.

For the next hour the track gradually moved further and further away from the lake as the interlocking lagoons and shallow waterways steadily widened. The group stared with wonder as the flocks and groups of waterbirds grew in size and variety to match the larger expanses of reedy areas and open surfaces. On the right-hand the grassy open plains stretched lush and green to the distance, broken only by two more major rivers and the occasional small watercourse, and always dotted with mobs of grazing animals.

"Look ahead, Kieran. For a while I thought it was a hill on the horizon but now I think it's the giant trees from Gryl's mind."

The track here was at the top of an anomalous rise and the group was stopped for one of Woorawa's hourly breaks. Their first interest after not being able to see it for so long had been the view of the main lake, about two kilometres away according to Woorawa, but then they’d focused in the direction of travel.

"It is a hill, Woorawa. Trees don't grow that big. Your eyes must be playing tricks."

"Emperor trees might."

Kieran called up the memory of the two giant trees they'd seen and shook his head.

"Not the ones we saw. At that distance they’d be dwarfs."

"I suppose so, except you said Gryl felt like we’d get where we’re going in two or three hours and that's about where that hill is."

Kieran looked as hard as he could.

"The trees must be on the other side then."

Half an hour later Woorawa was grinning like a cheshire cat.

"It's definitely trees. Can't you tell? I can see at least three and maybe four crowns."

No one else could quite pick out such detail but, despite the impossibility, now agreed that the hill was indeed a group of trees.

"It's still a long way. Do you think two hours will get us there?"

Woorawa looked back to the pimple of the small rise where they'd stopped to help judge.

"Close, maybe even a bit less, Tan. Gryl's put the pace up slightly since we stopped. Trees as big as a hill? I wanted to have a closer look at those Emperor trees when we were escaping but this will be even better. There are unbelievable things everywhere we go in this place. I'm starting to feel like it's Rhys's dreamworld turned into reality again."

He considered a mob of mini horse-like creatures watching from the grassy plain on one side, and a wading flock of tall, dark blue waterbirds with long sharp bills in the swampy area on the other.

"And it's unbelievable that we’ve travelled all the way from the waterfall without seeing a single person. There are so many birds and animals it makes me wonder if we’re in some kind of sanctuary where people aren't allowed to go."

Mr B nodded his agreement.

"I've been thinking something like that too, Woorawa. Everything here is optimal for animals."

"Optimal?"

"Yes, Rhys. There are huge swamps and lagoons for wading birds, the lake is vast and it must be full of underwater plants and food to sustain all those turtles and who knows how many fish, and look how much grass there is for land animals."

"So you think we’re passing through a giant open zoo, Mr B?"

"It's just a theory, Kieran. I suspect everything will change when we meet this mysterious old man, and then we’ll have a whole new range of theories ... What's happening with the panthers? They don't usually stop unless we do."

Gryl and all the other panthers were not only stopped but sitting on their haunches and facing the companions. The three horses, already bunched close because of their riders conversations, now came to a stop because the way was blocked. Gryl was looking directly at him with one paw raised, so Kieran reached.

"Someone's coming ... The panthers are going to leave us ... And they’ll see us later."

"They can't be leaving us now? After all this time? Kieran, can we ask them to stay? It's only for another hour or so."

"... They’re all excited and they’re going to run."

A deep rumble sounded from Gryl and every single panther took off at high speed. The contingent from the rear passed the stunned group with a blur of extra effort to help catch the rapidly moving main group.

"Who's coming then? Do we wait here in case they’re behind us, or do we keep going till we meet them?"

"I don't know, but they must be somewhere close because Gryl didn't think he was abandoning us."

Woorawa focused on the track where the panthers were now almost out of sight.

"There’s nothing ahead of us."

He turned to survey in other directions then jumped when Tan gripped his shoulder and yelled.

"Look! Up there!"

Ahead, and high in the sky, five shapes were gliding toward them. Four heads instantly turned to Kieran with a shared tingle of apprehension till he finished reaching and his face lit up with pleasure.

"It's Krol, not the bad monsters. He's seen us and they’re on their way down."

Five sets of widespread wings folded and the griffins plummeted in an amazing display of speed and purpose. Tan’s comment about reaching terminal velocity went unnoticed when, with a great flare of scooping wings, speed was lost and all five griffins landed with an impressive show of grace and precision. Kieran wondered briefly if such a show involved much practice, then forgot everything as he joined the rush to dismount and run to greet Krol. When the fierce beak touched gently against his chest he reached to acknowledge the welcome with his mind and his pleasure was instantly overlaid with wonder. Rhys was going to be out of his brain with excitement. Well, they all were.

"Rhys, look at their backs! They’re going to carry us the rest of the way."

Every human eye switched from Krol's regal head to take in the beautifully crafted harness strapped to his back, and then to the same thing on the backs of the other four.

"Carry? ... Flying? ... Unreal! ..."

A frown appeared as Rhys thought ahead.

"But what do we do about George? We can't abandon the horses."

Communication flowed between Kieran and Krol.

"I just have to tell them to keep following the track to the trees and they’ll be looked after when they get there. Climb onto Krol and I’ll show you how the belt thing works."

"Belt?"

"It's in Krol's mind. We have to use them so we don't fall off."

The reality of what was about to happen really hit home then, and the wave of apprehension didn't recede till Rhys was securely in place atop Krol with a belt buckled round his waist and the straps connecting it to the harness tightened to the degree Kieran had taken from all the other instructive mind images.

"Those two handle things on the saddle are kind of security to hang onto if you’re nervous or they do any wild manoeuvres, and the goggles are for eye protection when they build up speed. Are you ready, Tan? You’re next."

Kan and the other three griffins crouched, and Kieran supervised, with help from Krol, till everyone was securely in place. He went to the horses next and, with lots of assurances, started them on the way, then climbed onto Kron with a distinctly increased heart rate.

Hanging on grimly while the powerful beating of Kron's wings worked to gain lift, Kieran marvelled at the strength and thanked the straps holding him in place. Without them he'd have been thrown upward in reaction to every single wingbeat and he suddenly knew that his extra weight was making the difficult take off from flat ground even harder. In a matter of seconds the buffeting and frantic effort changed to a steady beat, then, just when Kieran had centred himself enough to start checking surroundings rather than adapting to all the movement, stopped altogether as Kronn went into glide mode. Krol was in the lead and on his back Rhys was twisting to look for everyone else. When his arms lifted and waved Kieran caught the joy being expressed and lifted his own arms in reply. Rhys twisted the other way and repeated the gesture and Kieran laughed his happiness into the rushing air at the sight of Tan also waving.

Whoo! Keeping in sync with Krol, Kron had just banked the slightest amount and a strange stomach sensation, like feeling a lift ascend, told Kieran that without beating their wings the griffins were gaining height. He'd seen the wedgetails do this way back at the Grampians and understood they must be riding a thermal.

Kieran's mind thrilled for the next few minutes while the griffins banked and circled as a unit, keeping with the thermal while they spiralled higher and higher. The excitement of the climb changed when they bunched closer in formation and started a directed and purposeful glide and Kieran's attention turned downwards. The green and silver of water and plain spread below in splendid contrast, and for the first time the full extent of the lake and the parallel view of the lagoons and swamps was briefly in full view. A change in Kron's motion snapped Kieran's attention back to the griffins. Krol was suddenly below rather than level, with his wings slightly retracted, and a glance showed the same variation with Kan.

The press of air built, and built, and Kieran's grip tightened on the handle gadgets. The speed increased till the air, trying to brush him from Kron's back, felt like a living, palpable force. How fast was this? The flesh of his lips and cheeks was moving in a strange involuntary way and without the slitted leather goggles he wouldn't dare have his eyes open. The flight levelled, slowed and veered, then changed to another upward spiral as the formation rode a new thermal. Kieran had the strange sensation that the ground below was reeling in great circles rather than themselves. A new high-speed glide started and, lightening his grip, Kieran focused ahead. His stomach churned when Kron followed Krol in a sudden, mind-blowing dive, and just as collision with the spread of foliage seemed inevitable, wings flared and beat powerfully to make a landing.

Kron folded his wings and, gathering his wits, Kieran slipped the goggles off to get a proper look at the surroundings. The first thing he saw was Rhys, his own goggles in hand, looking across and waving. He returned the wave, smiled when he saw Woorawa, Tan and Mr B doing the same thing, then tried to make sense of the wider view. The griffins had landed in a grassy clearing, enclosed on three sides by the foliage he’d glimpsed in the final seconds at the end of the dive. Behind them though, the clearing ended with what looked like a sudden drop-off.

That was a puzzle for later because three curiously dressed people were approaching.

People? Excitement mixed with trepidation built in Kieran's mind and he carefully reached, as he knew he must, to check their intentions. His mind shield flared, all the mind shields flared, when something pried, quite gently, looking for a way through. No way.

His own reach met no surface resistance, though, in a completely new experience, Kieran discovered that the white-haired old man in the centre of the three did have a barrier at a deeper level. Pleasure and friendliness radiated clearly from all three and a huge sense of relief spread through Kieran's mind.

The gentle pry came again. This time with a questioning air, as if it was asking permission for entry. His instincts said everything was good. His caution was saying take care.

Kieran hesitated, then decided to lower his own barrier while keeping everyone else's in place. No, even better would be to copy the old man's pattern of an open surface with the deeper levels still closed. How was he doing it? Kieran probed the barrier till he understood its structure and was surprised at how straightforward it was compared with his own. Conscious that everyone from both groups was waiting for him he quickly restructured his shield and opened to the questing probe.

"Welcome, young traveller! All is well and the Realm greets you with gratitude and wonder."

Kieran staggered with shock as the words sounded, clear as a bell, in his mind. Another new experience. He examined the texture of the thoughts and tried, unsuccessfully, to reply. He projected a feeling of thanks as well as a sense of apology that he didn't know how to reply in kind.

"It matters not at all. Let us make greeting and speak aloud for everyone to hear."

Kieran nodded, and taking the lead, unbuckled and clambered from Kron's back. Everyone rushed and then joined him to approach the quietly waiting trio. The old man took a step forward and extended both arms.

***