If they had been expecting a wild ride, they were sorely disappointed. Having been in the canyon well over an hour, they encountered nothing but gently flowing water. Chad and Riyan were rowing hard, having taken over from the twins to give them a break. With the threat of pursuit likely to soon develop, they had to keep a fast pace.
“This isn’t so bad,” commented Bart. In fact, for those not rowing, it was a quiet and peaceful ride. The canyon walls rose high on either side of them. In places they were almost vertical while in others there was more of a gentler incline.
“No it isn’t,” agreed Riyan. “How far should we go?”
From his position at the prow, Bart replied, “At least until dark. We’ll find a spot to make camp before the light completely fades.”
“Won’t that afford those behind us a chance to catch up?” asked Seth.
Bart glanced to the walls of the canyon rising above them. “Any pursuit likely to overtake us will come down the river,” he said. “And from what you’ve said of the conversation you had about this place, it sounded like they would be hesitant to follow.”
“The average citizen, yes,” agreed Seth. “But these will be soldiers in pursuit.”
“Look,” interjected Chad, “riding along an unknown river in the dark is dangerous. Especially one with a reputation of being deadly.”
“I see your point,” agreed Seth.
Another couple of hours found them even deeper into the canyon with no sign of it ending. None of them had ever heard of one so long before. Oh sure, in the mountains around Quillim there were many canyons, but none like this.
The sides of the canyon were dotted with scrub brush and the occasional tree. In one area they came to it looked as if the canyon wall on the right had given way some time in the distant past. A great pile of rocks had been deposited in and around the river. Some of the rocks ranged from being the size of a small boulder to that of a large house. Passing through that area gave them a few anxious moments of white water turbulence, but it wasn’t anything they couldn’t handle.
For the rest of the morning and afternoon, they continued rowing. Every half hour they would rotate the rowers so as not to overtire anyone. When the sun reached the rim of the canyon and the light started to fade, they sought a place to camp. It only took them a short time before a suitable location was found.
The canyon widened a bit as its walls grew less vertical. A beach of sorts opened up on their right side, large enough to afford them sufficient dry, level ground upon which to camp. Kevik, who had tiller duty, steered them over to it where they disembarked.
“Gather what wood you can,” Bart said as he left the boat. “We’ll need a fire. It’s going to get cold tonight.” It was already nippy. With the wind whipping through the canyon as it was, it brought the wind chill down to well below freezing. When night came, it would be even worse.
As it turned out, there was plenty of wood to be had. Dead limbs fallen from the trees high on the canyon walls, not to mention a large pile of driftwood that had washed ashore some time in the past, provided all they needed. While the others gathered wood, Chyfe created a ring of stones for their fire pit. Within he placed some of the drier sticks and brush then stood back while Kevik shot sparks onto the wood. Twice he cast his sparks spell before they had the kindling smoldering. Then with a gentle breath, Chyfe encouraged the wood to catch. After that it was a simple matter of slowly adding wood as the fire grew.
Soth, ever the creative one, arranged the boat on its side upwind from the fire. With help from his brother and Riyan, they used several good sized boulders to prop it into position as a wind break. Once it was in place, the affects of the wind diminished rapidly and the fire was better able to warm them.
As the evening settled into twilight, they sat around the fire. Everyone that was but Seth, who had the current watch. Wrapped in two cloaks against the cold, he was some distance away keeping watch on the river. He couldn’t be any closer as the light from the fire would ruin his night vision. Without it, it would be unlikely for him to see anyone coming down the river before it was too late.
Suddenly, a grumbling sound disturbed the quiet of the night. “Sorry,” apologized Chad. “I’m hungry.” It had been his stomach that made the noise.
“Aren’t we all,” agreed Riyan with a grin. In fact, it had been a day or longer since anyone had anything to eat. Their provisions had been kept in the saddlebags that were on the horses they lost. They still had their water bottles, but that was a poor substitute.
Remembering the map he had bought at the cartographer’s, Riyan pulled it out. “Now, where are we?” he asked. The others gathered around as he sought their location.
Hylith was easy enough to locate, and by following the river southward, they came to where it entered the canyon. The town of Tryn they just escaped from was not depicted.
According to the map, the river continued on a southeasterly heading until it was joined by another. At that point it turned southward where it was joined by yet another tributary. Riyan pointed to a spot a little before where the first river joined theirs. “I think we’re here,” he said.
“Probably,” agreed Bart. He then pointed to where the river canyon passed through a mountain range south of the second tributary. “If we left the river here,” he said, “we could cut through the mountains.”
“I don’t think that would be a good idea,” countered Chyfe.
Bart looked up at him and asked, “Why not?”
“I realize you’re a city boy and all,” Chyfe said, “so you might not realize the folly of what you’re suggesting.”
“And what folly is that?” Bart asked. He was bristling over being called a ‘city boy’, even though that was exactly what he was.
“First of all, we have no food,” he stated. “No blankets, no warm coats. Cutting through the mountains without sufficient gear would be a death sentence.” Beside him, Soth nodded agreement.
“We’re barely making it here in the lowlands as it is,” offered Chad from where he was huddled as close to the fire as he could without the risk of his clothing catching fire.
Bart gazed at Chad a moment then turned back to Chyfe. “And your other point?” he asked.
“Actually that was it,” said Chyfe. “That we’d succumb to the elements should we attempt to cross the mountains ill prepared.”
“So what do you propose we do then?” he asked.
Chyfe drew closer to the map and indicated a spot in the hills this side of the mountains. “Either we try to make our way out of the canyon before here,” he explained, “or we continue down the river past the mountains. With any luck, there’ll be a town close where we can acquire provisions.”
“That’s if we make it that far,” interjected Riyan. With all eyes turned to him, he added, “There’s still the matter of navigating the river. I can’t imagine it’s called the Wrath of Hennon for its scenic beauty.”
“True,” agreed Bart. He could see the wisdom in what Chyfe said and had already discarded his idea of crossing the mountains. “Then we should do it after the second tributary. If we make our way through the hills along the northern slope of the mountains, we might be able to slip through.” He trailed his finger along the northern flank of the mountains to the west of the river.
“Why go that way?” asked Soth.
“We still have to get the last segment of the key,” replied Bart. “I don’t like it, but we have to return to Hylith and continue our search.” He glanced to Riyan. “It’s all we have to go on.”
Riyan sighed and nodded. “You’re right,” he agreed.
“It’ll be dangerous,” stated Soth. “We won’t be able to simply walk in through the gates like last time.”
“True,” admitted Bart. “But what choice have we?”
Riyan looked again to the map. “There’s a town not far from the canyon if we leave before the mountains,” he said, pointing to it. “Once we resupply, we could head north along this road and be back near Hylith in no time.”
“Alright then, it’s settled” Bart said. “We make our way from the canyon after the second tributary.”
Another hour was spent discussing their plan, arguing over the merits of making for Hylith or not. When it came time for Soth to relieve his brother at watch, he took his position while Seth rejoined the others. Shortly after that, they turned in. Despite the fear gnawing at each of them that pursuit might appear on the river, none developed.
When dawn began brightening the morning sky, they made ready to return to the river. Tempers were a bit frayed as everyone was starving and tired. Between the bite of cold and the grumbling of their bellies, none had been able to sleep well.
As they were about to return to the water, an argument developed over who was to row. Both Bart and Seth felt it was the other’s turn. It almost came to blows before Riyan and Chad stepped in and volunteered. By the time sunlight hit the western rim of the canyon, they were underway. Kevik sat in the back with Bart who was using the oar as a rudder. Chad and the twins were crammed into the front.
“Still no sign of pursuit,” observed Kevik.
Chyfe glanced back at him and nodded. “Thank goodness,” he replied.
Soth had Riyan’s map open and was studying it. “We should reach where the first river comes in before too much longer,” he announced.
As they continued along, the walls of the canyon began growing closer together. Areas of beaches at the base of the canyon slowly disappeared until all that was left were sheer walls rising high above them. Then came the roar. Softly at first, the sound quickly grew louder with every stroke of the oar. Then, they saw where the canyon walls narrowed still further.
White foam shot into the air at the narrowest point as water crashed against the sides and over boulders in the water. The air past the bottleneck was filled with spray.
“Oh my god,” breathed Soth when he saw what was coming.
The water began to grow rough as the surface rippled with waves. Their boat rocked side to side as the waves grew more intense. They were being propelled by the river toward the bottleneck at an ever increasing speed. Chad and Riyan no longer needed to concern themselves with increasing their forward momentum. Rather, they began using their oars to steady their progress and keep from turning sideways.
Just before they were sucked into the opening, Seth saw the drop on the other side. “Hang on!” he shouted and then they were in the bottleneck.
Waves crashed into the sides of the boat, sending ice cold water and spray to drench its occupants. The boat started turning sideways and Bart yelled to Riyan and Chad, “Keep us straight!” Using his oar as well, he strove to keep them straight.
Riyan and Chad worked furiously to prevent their boat from turning out of line. Before they were able to get it straight with the river again, it felt as if the river dropped out from under them. The prow tipped down as they went over the drop. Ten feet they fell before hitting the bottom.
The jarring impact caused Kevik to lose his grip on the side of the boat and fell against the backs of Riyan and Chad. Bart grabbed him and pulled him back to his seat, just as a massive wave washed over them. Thoroughly soaking them all, it left several inches of water in the bottom of the boat.
Their boat was pushed one way then another as Riyan and Chad rowed with all their might to keep them in proper alignment with the river. A patchwork of hidden boulders beneath the waters created eddies and micro whirlpools of vicious power, all of which sought to drag their boat under.
As they were pulled pell-mell through the turbulent water, wave after wave crashed over them. At times it seemed they would be swamped only to level out once more and continue on.
Then, the canyon walls began to recede and the water calmed. “We made it!” exclaimed Chad with a whoop and cry.
“Don’t get too excited yet,” Chyfe turned around and said.
“Why?” Chad asked. Chyfe pointed to the river ahead of them where the first tributary joined with theirs. Chad’s face fell as he saw the churning water where the two rivers converged.
“Once we get through this,” Seth said, “it’s a ways before the next river converges.”
“Seth!” Bart hollered over the much reduced roar, “Relieve Riyan.” He then took the oar from Chad as he changed places with him. “You guys did well,” he told them as he took his seat and commenced paddling.
“Thanks,” said Chad.
“Keep an eye on Kevik,” Bart told him.
“Don’t worry about me,” Kevik told Chad. Then all of a sudden, his lower half was covered in goo. “I’m not about to fall out this time. Anyone else want the same treatment?” The others shook their heads no.
Seth swapped places with Riyan and soon, he and Bart were rowing gently toward the convergent zone of the two rivers. Where they met, the waters roiled and frothed making what they had just passed through seem a stroll in the woods. Before their river met the other, there was a double drop, each part equal to what they had just gone through. Then just after the turbulent convergence of the two rivers, there was one final drop. Beyond that, a lake of sorts was formed and the water once again calmed down dramatically.
“I can see why everyone avoids this area,” commented Chyfe.
“I know,” acknowledged Soth. “And this is winter. Wonder what it’s like after the spring thaw.”
“Couldn’t even imagine,” said Chad.
As they neared the first drop, the roar from the turbulent area grew ever louder. Spray began filling the air and the river again picked up speed.
Bart sought for the least chaotic area through which to pass through. Looking past the initial double drop, he saw that the side to the right of where the waters converged was slightly calmer, but not by much. He pointed it out to Seth. “Once we’re past the drops,” he hollered to be heard over the growing roar, “make for there.”
Seth nodded and then they braced for the first drop. “Here we go!” he hollered.
Riding in the front as he was, Riyan had a good view of what was to come. As they drew close to the first drop, his eyes widened and his hands had a death grip on the prow. Bracing himself, he felt the front of the boat dip as they reached the drop. Behind him he heard Bart yell, “Yeeeee-haaaaaw!”
Over the drop they went and Riyan was wide-eyed as the boat raced for the frothing, churning mass at the bottom. Not a sheer drop to be sure, but rather one that dropped fifteen feet over a twenty foot span. Their boat plummeted along, rocked by waves crashing over submerged rock. They were thrown first one way and then another by competing eddies only to be brought up again by a swell and slammed back down.
Bart and Seth rowed furiously to keep them pointed in the right direction. And when they had passed the first drop, they had but a moment’s reprieve before reaching the second.
A much more precipitous drop than the first, the second was more like a small waterfall. As the prow edged over and began to tip, an inarticulate scream escaped Riyan as he saw the distance they were to plummet.
“Hang on!” yelled Soth beside him.
Dropping fast, their boat felt as if it was airborne for a second before impacting with the water once again. The prow actually went under the surface of the water for a brief moment before righting itself, completely soaking Riyan, Soth, and Chyfe who sat in the front. Now, the water in their boat was up to their calves and Riyan feared their boat may sink if it grew any deeper.
With the second drop behind them, Bart hollered, “Row Seth! To the right!”
Using all their might, he and Seth worked to get their boat away from the worst of the turbulent water where the two rivers converged. In the stern, Chad used the steerage oar to aid in altering their course toward the less chaotic area.
Though calmer, it was a relative term. It was still an area fraught with whitewater crashing over submerged boulders, and strong currents working to pull them out into the more violent water.
“Row!” yelled Bart.
Waves crashed over them. As Bart and Seth worked to keep them from the submerged boulders, there was just so much they could accomplish against the force pitted against them.
Smash! Crack!
Unable to avoid one of the boulders, the bottom of the boat slammed on top of it. A six inch crack appeared in the bottom beneath Bart’s feet. Then a wave came crashing into them from the side and pushed them back into the roaring rapids.
Violent eddies began turning their boat to the side. Seth and Bart fought hard to keep them straight but their efforts fell short. The boat was now running sideways on the river.
“Row damn you!” cursed Bart. Stroke after fast stroke, their oars dipped into the water and strove to straighten themselves.
Out of nowhere a fish leaped into the front of the boat and began thrashing about. Seth was quick to notice it and alerted his brother. Soth held on with one hand while he drew his knife with the other.
The fish was flapping about wildly and was near to going over the side. “Quick!” Seth urged as he frantically rowed to get the boat pointed in the right direction.
Soth struck with his knife just as the fish flipped and was about to go over the side. The blade pierced the fish’s flesh with such force, it embedded itself an inch into the wood of the boat.
“Rock!” yelled Chyfe.
Soth left the fish pinned to the side of the boat as he turned his attention back to the river.
They were heading broadside directly toward a large boulder sticking out from the water. Bart and Seth doubled their efforts. Just before they hit, a massive wave struck the side of their boat, deluging them with water. The force of the wave had been just strong enough to alter their course sufficiently to avoid the boulder.
“Almost through!” hollered Soth as they passed the boulder by scant inches.
Chad worked his rudder, and between his efforts and those of Seth and Bart, they were able to turn the prow to face once again downriver. They maneuvered through two more small drops, was soaked as another wave crashed over them, and then they were past. Almost immediately, the water calmed as they floated out onto the lake.
“Oh man!” exclaimed Bart with a gleeful shout. In front of him Riyan was still holding on tight to the prow. Leaning forward, he clapped him on the back. “Are you okay?”
A subtle nod of his head was all the answer Riyan gave. It took a few moments, but he eventually let go of the boat.
“We better get to the shore,” Chad said. The boat was all but filled with water and they were soaked to the skin. The ice cold water was quickly sapping the warmth from their bodies. He tapped Bart on the shoulder and pointed to where the banks of the river again flattened out into a beach area.
Bart nodded. He and Seth began rowing once more while Chad used his oar as a rudder and steered them that way. The goo which had kept Kevik stuck to his seat was gone and Kevik gave him a smile.
“Glad that’s over,” he said.
“You know it,” agreed Chad. “Though we still have at least one more area to pass through.”
“Can’t imagine it could be any worse than what we just went through,” Seth added as he continued to row.
As they made their way toward the shore, Soth returned his attention back to the fish impaled by his knife. A sizable specimen, it’s struggles were growing weaker by the second. Soth took hold of the fish in one hand and removed his knife with the other. He caught Seth looking at him and grinned.
“Nice strike,” admired Seth.
“May not fill our bellies completely,” Soth said to his brother, “but it should take the edge off.”
“We could use some of its meat as bait to catch others,” suggested Riyan.
“Can you fish?” asked Soth.
Riyan nodded. “Just need some string and a long stick,” he said. He glanced to Kevik seated beside him.
Kevik saw the way he was eyeing his staff. “Don’t you even think about it,” he said defiantly.
Riyan laughed. “Don’t worry, I wasn’t,” he assured him.
By the time they reached the beach, everyone but the two rowers were froze to the bone. While Riyan fashioned a crude fishing pole and a makeshift hook from a piece of driftwood, the others gathered wood for a fire. Then just as they did previously, Chyfe and Kevik soon had a fire going.
The six foot piece of driftwood he was using for his pole proved a bit bulky but serviceable. He unraveled some of his shirt for the fishing line, and with a small section of the fish as bait, he went and stood at the water’s edge.
“Chad,” he hollered after casting his line out.
“What?” replied his friend.
“Take out the map and dry it for me would you?” he asked.
“Sure thing,” said Chad. He then went to Riyan’s pack and removed the map. Carefully unfolding the soaked material, in no time he had it drying near the fire.
While he was doing this, the twins had erected a spit upon which the fish Soth’s quick reflexes had skewered was starting to roast. When the droplets from the fish hit the fire with a hiss, the resulting aroma cramped everyone’s stomach in hunger.
Bart had the boat upturned on the beach and was inspecting the bottom. Kevik noticed what he was doing and walked over. “What are you doing?” he asked.
Glancing up, Bart said, “We hit a rock and I was checking the damage.” He pointed to a six inch crack that appeared along the midsection of the boat. Several other cracks radiated out from it like spidery tendrils.
“Will it float?” asked Kevik.
“Should,” he replied. “The crack isn’t very large, I’m sure there’ll be some leakage. Hopefully not too bad.” Then his stomach rumbled as the odor from the roasting fish wafted his way. He grinned at Kevik whose stomach had just done the same thing.
“I got one!” yelled Riyan.
They both turned to see Riyan standing in the water, a foot from the edge. The piece of driftwood he was using for a pole was bending as he tried to pull the fish from the water. Chad bolted up and raced to his aid.
“Don’t pull too hard,” Chad advised as he entered the water.
“I’m not,” replied Riyan. “It’s a big one.”
Chad reached the string and began working his way further into the water toward where it passed beneath the surface. Even before he reached where the string entered the water, he could see a large shape at its end. He pulled out his knife and waded out even further.
“Be careful,” Bart warned Chad as he came to stand beside Riyan.
Too intent on the struggling fish, Chad failed to hear what Bart said. Moving closer, he came within a foot of where the fish fought to free itself from the hook. Just as he was about to strike, his foot slipped on a loose stone lying on the riverbed and fell face first into the water.
“Chad!” exclaimed Riyan.
Bart quickly entered the water and rushed to where Chad was thrashing about. Reaching out, he grabbed hold of Chad’s cloak and pulled him up. When Chad broke the surface, he had the fish impaled upon his knife.
“Got him!” he exclaimed proudly.
Bart laughed and clapped him on the back. “Good job,” he said.
Chad held up the fish as he walked back to the beach. In a matter of minutes, it was on a second spit roasting beside the first. “There might be enough left over to take with us,” he commented. Shivering from his dunking in the water, he huddled close to the fire. But such was not the case. By the time everyone had been completely satiated, both fish had been reduced to skeletal remains.
They remained on the beach for another hour until their clothes and packs had dried somewhat. Then they flipped the boat back over and set it on the water to get underway once more.
Bart was the first to enter the boat and he kept his eye on the crack along the bottom. A small trickle of water began seeping into the bottom as the others climbed in. The last to enter was Riyan who pushed the boat from the shore as he hopped in.
Once in, he pulled out his map while Chyfe and Soth rowed. Sitting next to him, Bart noticed Riyan perusing the map and asked, “How far is it until the next river joins this one?”
“Not sure,” came the reply. “Maybe an hour or so.”
Bart gazed to the sky and judged there still to be two or three hours of light left. Here at the bottom of the canyon, it tended to get dark fast once the sun started going down. “Be nice if we could get past it before nightfall,” he said. “Then we could see about making our way out in the morning.”
Riyan nodded. “Then things get interesting,” he said.
From the front of the boat they heard Chad say, “Not too interesting.”
They grinned. “But interesting makes life fun,” replied Bart, egging him on.
“I wouldn’t mind a touch of boredom here and there on occasion,” stated Chad.
Bart laughed. “I’ll see what I can do,” he replied.
They steadily made their way southward and had soon passed from the lake. The river was now wider and seemed to flow deeper. It was peaceful on the river, almost as if there were no cares in world. Birds flew overhead adding to the restful mood, their cries at times disturbing the quiet of the canyon.
And so things remained calm for the next hour or so until once again, they began to hear the now unmistakable sound of rough water ahead. “Can we be there already?” asked Seth.
“Maybe,” replied Riyan.
Though what was making the sound continued to be out of sight, the sound coming from up ahead promised a less than relaxing experience. Chyfe and Soth rowed on as the roar gradually grew louder.
When they finally saw the rough water ahead, it didn’t look all that bad. Some time in the past the right side of the canyon had slid into the river. Now, boulders of varying sizes caused the water to ripple and crash as it made its way through the debris.
Bart, who was on rudder duty, began angling them toward the left side of the river, as far away from the worst of it as he could. “Just take it easy and we’ll be fine,” he said encouragingly. Then to the two rowers, he said, “Main thing for you two to worry about is keeping us pointed downriver.”
Chyfe nodded his head in reply.
The water began to grow rough as they neared the age old landslide. Waves and eddies caused their little boat to pitch and yaw. The two rowers worked hard to keep them in proper alignment with the flow of the river while Bart steered them around the more prominent obstacles.
They dipped into watery valleys only to be thrust back upward with jarring force. Smashing back down onto the water with jaw rattling force, they maneuvered their way through the obstacle course.
Then they were past and the river grew calm once again. They were just congratulating themselves on making it through when Chad, who was now at the prow, saw the beginnings of another stretch of whitewater approaching. Unlike what they had just passed through, this time there was mist clouding the air beyond it.
“Bart!” Chad hollered. When he had Bart’s attention, he directed it to what was coming ahead.
“That might be where the last river converges,” Bart said, when he saw the cloud of mist.
As they left behind the roar of the whitewater where the canyon wall had collapsed, they began to hear the roar of turbulent water ahead. Drawing closer to the mist enshrouding the river, Chad was straining his eyes to pierce its concealing mass. When they reached the point where the roar of the water ahead of them drowned out that which was behind, Chad saw the water drop out of sight.
“Another drop coming!” he hollered.
“How bad is it?” shouted Bart from the rear of the boat.
Chad strove to determine the severity of the drop but couldn’t see past where the water dropped from sight. As they drew nearer, fear came over him as he realized why he couldn’t. “Waterfall!” he cried out.
“What?” hollered Bart.
“Waterfall!” he replied, pointing ahead. “We’re heading for a waterfall!”
Seth, who sat next to Chad in the prow, indicated a stretch of land not far off on their right. “There!” shouted Seth. “Take us there.”
Soth and Chyfe began rowing for all they were worth for the safety of the shore.
“Come on brother!” Seth exclaimed, encouraging his brother to greater efforts.
As Chad watched the fast approaching lip of the drop-off, he could hear the oars of the two rowers striking the water over and over in rapid strokes. “Faster!” he yelled. Turning back to Soth and Chyfe he said, “You must row faster.”
“Going…as fast…as I…can,” replied Chyfe.
Returning his gaze to the fore, he saw the drop-off approaching at a fast pace. Faster in fact than the stretch of shore they were tying to get to. “We’re not going to make it!” he hollered.
Bart glanced up and gauged their speed. Immediately, he knew Chad was right. “Straighten us out!” he shouted over the roar of the water. “We’re going over!” Using his oar vigorously, he worked with Soth and Chyfe as they struggled to straighten the boat out before reaching the drop-off.
“Hang on!” shouted Seth as the prow of the boat neared the drop-off.
Chad’s knuckles were gripping the edge of the boat so tightly they were practically digging into the wood. When at last he could see the water on the other side of the drop-off, his last hope of their making it through unscathed, died. For as far as he could see was churning water, massive swells, and tops of boulders jutting from the water. With a cry escaping his lips, the boat went over.
The other side of the drop-off was a steeply inclined slope. The first several yards, the water remained smooth as the boat picked up speed. Then it hit the first of the swells. Knocked to the side abruptly, the occupants hung on for dear life as water crashed over them.
“Row damn you!” cried out Bart to Soth and Chyfe. They had ceased their rowing to hang on as they went over the drop-off and the boat was beginning to turn sideways to the flow of the river. Dipping their oars once again back in the water, they struggled to straighten out.
“Kevik,” hollered Bart. Then the current suddenly grabbed hold and they were shot forward toward a boulder jutting six feet out of the water. “To the right!” he yelled to the rowers and they managed to avoid a deadly collision.
“Kevik!” Bart hollered again. “Goo us!”
His voice was drowned out by the roar of the water as he cast his spell. Shortly, each of them was securely attached to the boat.
The sudden appearance of the goo shocked Chyfe, but he was quick to realize the added stability gave him much needed leverage for rowing. Without the worry of being knocked from the boat, he could put his complete concentration on what he was doing.
From the prow Seth would shout, “Rock!” and those with oars fought to keep the boat from striking it.
Water began filling the boat from the continuous crashing of waves against them.
Wham! Crack!
The bottom of the boat struck an underwater rock and one of the boards gave way. “Kevik!” hollered Bart as he stared at the water rushing in. But then goo suddenly appeared to fill in the hole. It hadn’t covered the entire affected area completely and more water was seeping through.
“Rock!” came Seth’s warning and the rowers again worked to bypass an obstacle threatening to take out their boat. Rowing hard, they swung around the left side of the boulder only to find themselves at the top of another drop-off.
The boat fell almost vertically for ten feet before striking the water again. The impact was fierce and Chyfe lost his grip on his oar. Flying out of his hands, the oar was soon lost to the river.
“Bart!” Chyfe yelled as he twisted around. He didn’t need any words, his empty hands said everything.
Bart gave him the oar he’d been using for a rudder. They had to have two working in tandem in the middle or they would never remain pointed downstream.
Still riding massive swells that threatened to capsize them, their boat followed the river as it made its way around a bend. That’s when they saw the waterfall appear on their left.
Easily a hundred feet wide and fifty feet high, there was an incredible amount of water pouring down. This had to be the other river they had been expecting. The river they were upon flowed directly beneath the cascading mass as the two rivers merged. Easily half the surface of their river was being engulfed by the falling water. The other half was a churning nightmare.
“Oh my god!” exclaimed Riyan when he saw it. There was nowhere for them to go but straight toward it.
“This must be the Wrath of Hennon!” shouted Kevik.
Now impotent without his oar, Bart could only watch as the river pulled them ever closer. In the middle of the boat, Chyfe and Soth worked to keep them pointed in the right direction. “To the right,” he shouted to the rowers. “Keep us out of the falling water!”
Chyfe nodded. He and Soth struggled to keep them straight and away from the worst of the swells, while at the same time edging their boat further to the right.
“Faster!” shouted Bart as their progress to the right wasn’t moving along quick enough. “If that water hits us we’re dead!”
Soth and Chyfe rowed as if their lives depended on it, which it most likely did. As they rushed headlong toward the cascading water, so too did the boat work its way slowly to the right.
Bart shouted encouragement to them but it was lost in the now deafening roar of the falls. So intense was the sound that it felt as if it was reverberating through to their core.
The water level within the boat was now becoming dangerously high. Everyone but the rowers began using their hands to bail. It seemed that for every bit they removed, even more would pour in as the next swell rolled over them.
Rowers rowed and bailers bailed as they approached the base of the falls. The churning mass of water threatened to suck them beneath the cascading water. It was all Soth and Chyfe could do to keep them out of it.
In and out, out and in, went the oars until their arms screamed with pain. But they refused to give into it, for to give in was death. The river rushed along at the base of the falls, the current aiding them in escaping a watery death. Then before they knew it, they were past, but not out of the woods yet. Ahead lay a last series of cascades and drops before it was over.
“A little further and we’re home free!” shouted Riyan.
Sucked along by the current, their boat raced into a whitewater hell.
Wham!
Their boat was struck by a swell causing it to lurch to the side. Then it felt like they were airborne as they went over a drop-off.
Wham! Crack!
Hitting the water with a jarring impact, another of the boards cracked. “Come on,” Bart said to the boat. “Hold together a little longer.”
“Rock ahead!” yelled Seth.
“To the right!” shouted Riyan. But the current was too strong and they were taken to the left.
Wham!
They slammed into the rock and the front of their boat splintered away. Then the current took them over another drop-off.
Wham!
The boat struck another rock and this time it completely disintegrated. Kevik tried to dispel the goo holding them to the boat but the impact knocked the wind from him. Before he could get himself under control again, the section of boat to which he was attached began dragging him under.
Panic threatened to take his reason from him but he somehow managed to get it under control. Speaking the words beneath the water, he dispelled the goo. As soon as the goo disappeared, he ceased being dragged under and began kicking for the surface. In the churning water it was hard for him to know which way was up. Before he could reach the surface, the current slammed him into a rock.
The sudden impact startled him and he lost his grip on his staff. He hadn’t even realized he still held it until it left his fingers. Now with both hands free, he gripped the rock and worked his way to the surface. Despite the pulling current threatening to drag him back into its icy grip, he managed to cling to the rock and broke free to fresh air.
Coughing and gagging, he looked around but couldn’t see or hear anyone else. “Riyan!” he cried out. “Bart!” But the only sound he could hear was the roar of the water. Keeping a firm grip on its irregular surface, he hung on for dear life as he tried to regain some of his strength.
After a short time, his pulse quieted down and he was able to think rationally once again. The chattering of his teeth and the numbness of his limbs told him he couldn’t afford to remain in the freezing water any longer. He tried to maneuver so he could see around the rock to the rest of the river, but his frozen fingers lost their grip and the current sucked him away.
He fought the current, somehow managing to keep his head above water. Time and again swells smashed into him and drove him under only to again regain the surface a moment later.
Then an approaching shadow caught his eye, it was a fallen tree lying jammed between two rocks just above the waterline. As he neared, he reached out and snagged one of its limbs. Coming to a stop, he fought the current as it tried to dislodge his grip and drag him further downriver.
The cold water was leeching the strength from him quickly. Gasping against the bite of the cold, he looked around at his predicament. Still a third of the way from shore, it was going to be a tough swim to reach it.
“Riyan!” he hollered. Then after a short pause to hear a reply, he called, “Bart!” When no answer was forthcoming, he realized he was on his own. Glancing upriver from whence they came, he saw the waterfall and the turbulent waters where it plunged into the river. It was a miracle he still lived.
The thought that perhaps he was the only one to have made it attempted to push its way into his mind but he quickly squelched it. He wasn’t going to allow himself to ruminate about such things until he found proof to back it up.
He took only a few moments to steel himself against the struggle that was to come, then with a deep breath, he let go of the branch. Immediately, the water dragged him away.
Kicking and splashing, he worked frantically to get to the shore. Never having had much experience with water, his efforts were only slowly bringing him closer. Foot by foot, he worked his way ever closer to the shore as the water continued to take him further down the canyon.
“Kevik!”
Hearing his name being called, he looked up and saw Riyan and Bart running along the water’s edge on the west bank. Riyan was staring at him and waving his arms as he again cried out, “Kevik!”
He was not alone! With strength renewed, he put more effort into his struggle for the shore. Though he was kicking and using his arms with great determination, it didn’t seem like he was getting any closer.
Then all of a sudden, his legs struck a submerged rock. Panic seized him at the unexpected contact, but it was short lived. He was quick to realize that the submerged rock rested on the bed of the river and that the depth of the water was no longer over his head. Splashing was heard as Bart and Riyan raced through the water to him.
“Thank the gods you’re alive,” Riyan said as he reached him. Taking hold of his arm, he helped the magic user to his feet.
“Glad you thought to get rid of the goo,” commented Bart. “We would surely have drowned, attached to the shattered remains of the boat as we were.”
Kevik only nodded as he leaned heavily on Riyan’s shoulder. Walking with him toward the shoreline, he glanced around. “Where are the others?” he asked.
“We don’t know,” replied Riyan. Then he noticed the anguished look on Kevik’s face. “But don’t worry, I’m sure they’ll turn up.”
“Hmm?” asked Kevik as he turned to look at Riyan. “Oh, it’s not that. I lost my staff.”
Upon hearing that, Bart began scanning the river and the debris washed up on its shore. There was no sign of Kevik’s staff.
“First my master’s,” moaned Kevik. “Now this. Not much of a magic user am I?”
“Hey!” exclaimed Riyan. “Stop that right now! I will not hear such things from one who has saved our lives time and time again. If not for your magic, we never would have walked out of Algoth alive.” When Kevik failed to meet his eyes, he placed his hand under his chin turned his face toward him. With a stare saying he’ll brook no argument, Riyan said, “You are a great magic user.”
Bart clapped him on the back. “That you are,” he agreed.
Tears almost began welling up in his eyes at the words his friends were saying. Unable to speak, he nodded in acknowledgement.
“Now,” Bart said, “let’s find the others.” With that, the three friends began heading downriver.