The Nightscape

Obstacles

The party had come to a halt, a ripple of despair and frustration passing through the small crowd as they looked out at their newest obstacle. Already, they were going half as slow as Vivian had hoped, and not just because of the injuries that had been sustained. No, the landscape had changed so drastically that even when using maps of the Day and Nightscape in tandem, it was near impossible to keep your bearings and find your way. Now, they had arrived at the deep basin that Lyra could remember crossing just the other day. 

And it was full of water. 

An ocean had once been there, and had vanished from both Scapes when the rift formed. Now, it was back, stretching to the horizon and lapping at the shores, the sound almost mocking. Not a word had been spoken since they broke through the treeline to see their route to safety under miles of water. 

"What do we do now?" Lyra finally asked. Though she was speaking in low tones to Vivian, the silence that had fallen over the crowd allowed everyone to hear her. Vivian swallowed, thinking for a moment before answering. 

"Well, standing here and staring at it won't do us any good. The way I see it, we have two options here. We can either cross over it, or walk around it." She decided, speaking slowly as she gazed out at the waves. Lyra nodded. 

"Well, unless someone has a blow up boat big enough for all of us in their bag, we'll have to go around. How long will that take?" Lyra asked. Vivian shrugged, wincing as the movement tugged at her injuries. 

"In the separate Scapes, weeks. But given how much the landscape has changed, it could take us a month to just reach the other side." Lyra sucked air through her teeth. 

"And how much food and water do we have?" The man Lyra had approached last night asked. A different woman answered. 

"If we ration, about a week. Though we might be able to bulk up our supplies if we can figure out what's good to eat." The atmosphere was tense. At this rate, they would all starve before they reached any search party Hayden sent. 

"Then we have to get over the water, don't we?" Vivian decided, sitting down slowly and cupping her wound, looking drawn and out of breath. 

"Out of interest, how well can everyone swim?" Lyra asked sardonically, sitting down heavily next to Vivian. Her mother was wrong, she thought bitterly. She wasn't safe now she was with them. 

"Lyra, don't." Vivian scolded, rubbing a hand across her face. They hadn't been travelling for that long, but she already looked exhausted. Lyra scoffed. 

"Well how do you suggest we get across? If anyone has a rubber dingy, now's the time to speak up." She snapped back. That sentiment was rippling through the party, everyone shrugging their packs off and sitting down, either resting or giving up to despair. 

"Look, we're in a bad situation, I won't deny that, but saying die and giving up won't help anything. Does anyone know how to identify edible flora? Does anyone know how to build a raft?" Vivian asked, looking around the crowd. Two people put their hands up, a young man in his twenties and a middle aged woman with her arm around a teenage girl who looked a lot like her.

"Maisie?" She asked first. The woman gave a half hearted smile. 

"I was no shipwright, but I did run an adventure camp for teenagers. Raft building races were common, and I know how to put one together, if we can find the materials." Maisie offered. Vivian smiled, seeming a little more hopeful. 

"That's really good news. Marco, do you also have knowledge in that area?" The young man shook his head. 

"No, but I was a survivalist in the other world. While the wildlife is fairly different, I'm sure a few of the rules carry over. At the very least, I can conduct tests and figure out what can be eaten." He explained. Vivian sighed softly with relief.