The Deadlands

Chapter 2 - It all Falls Down

The going was slow as they weaved between trees and untamed undergrowth. Following the tattered pink ribbons Lili tied to the trees four years earlier, they reached the watering hole. Lili dismounted and secured Daisy to a nearby tree. She retrieved her bow and quiver and crept to her usual hiding spot. She got comfortable and waited with an arrow notched.

It wasn't long before the rustle of bushes caught her attention. When a deer appeared and lapped the water, she smiled. The bow string tightened as she lined up the shot. Her attention was jarred by movement behind the deer. A knobbly-kneed fawn sidled up to its mother. All legs, large eyes, and ears.

Lili relaxed and the string slackened while she watched the pair. Another noise in the distance alarmed them and they slipped silently into the forest. The noise grew louder and sounded like a herd of wild horses. Fear tingled the back of Lili's mind, but she readied her bow and took long deep breaths. She glanced in Daisy's direction.

She whipped her head around when the grunts and snorts grew alarmingly close. It burst through the bushes and barreled into the water. She waited for more, but none arrived. She frowned. It wasn't as big as she expected, considering the amount of noise it made.

A few minutes later, she had her shot. The arrow flew above the water and the boar looked up, but it was too late. A direct hit to the heart and the boar collapsed in a cacophony of squeals, grunts, and splashes. She let out a long breath and collected Daisy to introduce her to the week's dinner. Daisy was unimpressed and opted for a drink of water while Lilith gutted her catch.

By the time the boar was secured to the saddle with rope, Lili was exhausted. She sent thanks to Islanna for not providing a larger beast, as there was still enough space on the saddle for her. But the hog stank, and the ride home would be uncomfortable.

They continued towards the mountain. Lili was aware of the passing of time and wanted to retrieve the Orange Frissie without too much delay. When they reached the edge of the forest, she tied Daisy to a tree.

The mountain seemed to loom over her, even though it was at least a hundred feet from the forest. The dark stone glistened under the sun's rays, which contrasted with the dark shadowy crags hidden from the light. She lifted her arms to chest level as she waded through waist high white grass. Grass so dry, it slashed and cut like glass. Her high boots and hard-wearing canvas trousers were perfect barriers. She stomped the grass away to create a rough path back.

She imagined Jinie trying to get through wearing one of her frilly dresses. She snorted. Jinie wouldn't make it three feet before wailing like a baby and begging to be carried out.

She chuckled. In no time the amusement ended as she tried to avoid twisting her ankle on the scattered rocks hidden beneath the grass. Large outcrops of varying sized boulders sat along the base of the mountain like guardian trolls. She climbed around and over boulders and rocks to set a path for the highest density of orange farther up the slope. The gradual incline eventually rose at a sharper angle until it became impossible to climb without equipment. Luckily the flowers grew within reach. They emerged from the tiniest cracks in the rock, like orange miracles. It mystified and delighted her to know that nature always found a way to thrive, no matter how grim the situation. She supposed, being south facing helped too.

As Lili gathered the flowers, she sung an old folk song. She collected half of what she needed when the mountain started to grumble like thunder. She looked up. It was much more terrifying up close. From Lakeside it was a distant rumble, but now it was more like a monster growling from the abyss. The boar, if it were a thousand feet high would not sound as horrific as the mountain. She staggered as loose stones and rock vibrated free and tumbled downwards. The loose rocks under her feet jumped and skittered down the slope.