The Legends of Famora: Dangerous Waters

Chapter 4

    Once Dennis was satisfied they would not be seeing the water creature, he helped Taroh to her feet and they walked back through the weathered pines and oaks. He knew his life had just been changed forever but the thoughts of what might be happening overwhelmed him. The crunch of sticks across the forest ground behind them caused Dennis and Taroh to snap their heads behind them. Dennis walked toward where the sound had come from to find a healthy doe running from the scene. Dennis cursed for not having his bow and arrows with him.

    Thoughts of his lost opportunity departed, when the smell of burning timber floated through the trees. Dennis looked up to see spools of onyx topped with pewter colored smoke in the sky. In the same area as his home. He and Taroh looked at each other with wide eyes, and without a word to each other, ran toward the farm. Dennis held his breath as the beads of perspiration fells down his face, and his legs throbbed from pushing through the aching muscles from the day before. He had never in his life pushed himself as he did right now. Fear and dread pushing him through the trees. Surprisingly, Taroh kept close behind him, despite her short legs.

    He inhaled deeply at the forest edge to catch his breath, leaving his throat dry from the tainted air. He bolt across the field, oblivious to the livestock running freely with no direction. As he neared the house, he found his aunt’s longtime friend face down, as ashes fell from where a roof once was, coloring her small frame.  Dennis instinctively flopped her over and forced his own breath into Junee. Junee coughed out, “Hounds got her, hide Dennis. You are not ready. Hide.” That was all Junee said before her own powder blue aura dissipated into the chaos.

    Taroh stood by awkwardly watching as Dennis’s eyes moistened from the anguish. Only one drop had escaped before he turned to the young woman with forest and ash covering her.

    “I have to find my aunt, Taroh. Grab one of the horses if you can and get away while you can. I can keep them off your trail, I am going after my aunt.” Dennis stated pained and determined.  

    “By yourself?” Taroh asked narrowing her eyes in a curious motion. Dennis nodded to her.

    “I have to.” He said wiping the cocktail of smoke, sweat, and tears from his face. He straightened his posture, as men do when they feel like they have to prove something. He was tired of Barron holding him back from having a decent life. There was no way he was going to let the vile beast have his aunt.

    “You’re mad! C’mon, we will figure something out together that doesn’t get you imprisoned alongside her. She was so kind to me. Plus I owe her my life.” Taroh declared, her hands were pressed against her hips, a movement he had seen many times from his aunt when she chastised him.    

    “and I thought you were bashful.” He said smirking with a raised brow. Taroh smiled back at him. She might be small, but something told Dennis she wasn’t as weak as he had once thought. Taroh’s eyes became fixed on Junee,

    “What that?” She said almost to herself, as she knelt in a way that kept the dirt from digging into her knees. Then Dennis saw it too. A name had been etched into the above where Junee laid.

         Jack.

    Dennis wracked his memories to but to his recollection, he never heard of Junee speak of anyone named Jack.

    “Not sure, is there anyone in the village name Jack?” Dennis asked while he searched carefully for any more signs.

    “I never heard the name myself, but I was never invited to any gathering either.” She answered honestly.

    “Let’s see if there’s any more messages.” He had hoped he would find something that let him know his aunt was okay.

    They did not spend as much time as Dennis would like to search the smoldering homestead, because the soldiers could return at any moment. The horses were gone as well, so they left the area on foot.

    “We need to get supplies and a plan together.” Taroh instructed. “And find out who this Jack is.”

    “But how would we get into town without being hunted?” Dennis asked. Taroh knew more about the village than she did, and he had no idea what they would be walking into.

    “Well, no one has seen you before, so you could go in to see if there is a Jack.” Taroh said as if that was common sense. Dennis was still not comfortable to tell Taroh the truth. If they had hounds at the village, they would sniff him out in moments. He had already kicked himself for being careless, and because of him and his wild fantasies, his aunt was on her way to Barron’s dungeons or worse. He tried not to imagine the fate awaiting his aunt. She was a wise and resourceful woman, and might be able to escape the soldiers. She has done it before, when she rescued Dennis as a babe, and again when Taroh was attacked. He reminded himself that Aunt Sarrah was strong and more than likely Barron would end up being the one tortured.  Dennis chuckled at the thought of seeing the Ruler of the kingdom, the big bad Barron, whimpering as a little child before his aunt.

    Time was not their friend right now though. Dennis had to get away from the farm before the Barron’s beast tracked him down.

    “I can’t.” He said to Taroh. “I know nothing of the village, and if the hounds are in the village they will smell your scent all over me.” He lied. Dennis chided himself. Lying was becoming a habit, but he justified his actions for the safety of his aunt and himself.

    “Oh.” Taroh took in his words. “I did not think of that.” She admitted hiding her face, a motion that was second nature to her. The timid woman he knew was back.

    “We need to leave here before they return.” He affirmed, and Taroh nodded her head saying she understood.

    Taroh had told him about another village 400 paces north that was close to the river. They trekked on foot, through the woods. Taroh kept looking around, as if she heard something.

    “What is it?” Dennis asked.

    “I’m not sure. It’s strange. Like an energy I never felt before, one not of the ground. Like young but wise.” Taroh shook her head. This had Dennis snapping his head in all directions as they moved forward.

    “What do you mean? Like an energy you never felt before?” Dennis would expect something like that from his aunt, but coming from Taroh sounded oddly Dryadaliz. He shook the thought away.

    “Eh. Ms. Broom says others don’t feel the ground the way I do, and she said not to tell anyone or else I might be hung, but I feel safe with you Dennis.” She admitted looking away again to hide her face. This time Dennis grabbed her by the hand.

    “You don’t have to hide your face around me Taroh.” He pulled her chin up, and with calloused fingers, gently swept the shadowy strands so she could look him in the eyes. “You are beautiful.” Dennis was not sure what happened, but her cheeks turned a rosy red. He jumped back hoping he had not hurt Taroh. He wanted her to keep feeling safe around him. He wanted to protect her from anything and everything.

    Taroh pulled away, and struggled not to hide her face again. “We need to keep going.”

    As they walked Dennis asked her more about what she feels from the ground. Her emerald eyes shadowed as she looked toward the ground. Dennis saw the conflict within her to share such an intimate part of herself.

    “Well, I can feel them all around me. The trees, shrubs, soil, creatures. Sometimes better than others. They are sad now, every day sad. Even the trees, who assured me as a kid that things would get better, are beginning to lose hope. I feel their sadness of not being able to grow as they once did. They tell me of days when the land was filled with life and joy, but now they starve as we do. They cry out for their mother.” Taroh stole a glance at Dennis to see his reaction to what she said, but Dennis was soaking in what she had to say. He wondered how Taroh was able to feel the world around her. Aunt Sarrah had spoken of many Dryadaliz who had such gifts, but Taroh was not Dryadaliz. Was it possible there are people who could see and feel things as they did? Dennis wondered, but then he remembered his aunt agreed there was something different about Taroh.

    “Are you afraid of me now?” Taroh whimpered, worried for the silence that followed her out pour.

    “What? No. I was just wondering how you do it.” Dennis answered, calming her fears and insecurities. “Theos must love you a lot to give you such a gift.”

    He must have said the right thing, because Taroh’s body relaxed as she let out the breath she was holding. A warming smile and a sparkle in her eye, like the moon light reflecting a steady stream replaced her unease.

            They saw nothing in the trees as they continued, and relaxed enough to make camp.

            “Do you still feel it?” Dennis asked Taroh, as they gathered twigs and small branches from the ground.

            “yes.” Taroh answered. “It’s like they are following us. Sometimes it fades away but right now, its strong.”

            “That’s weird.” Dennis said surveying the area again.

            “Yeah, I am going to try to reach out to it once we get camp set up.” She shared with Dennis. Dennis assumed that meant she was going to communicate like she does with the trees.