Wrought Iron, Book 1 of Merlin's Message

Chapter 12 - After Shocks

Gavin glanced at his friends. They looked stunned and nervous.

"You guys want to talk about this?" Gavin started.

Eyes came back into focus, and they all looked at him.

"Okay," Mike began. "What the freak were those things? They looked like Jurassic rejects or something."

"Some kind of down-sized pterodactyl," Taeko added.

"Can we expect more of this kind of junk?" Mike blurted. "Uh, okay, none of us knows. I got it. But Avalon is Dino-Land?"

"Maybe," Gavin rubbed his chin. "I think we need to keep open minds and try to be ready for anything."

"That's not very specific," Taeko groused.

"All I got right now."

Hannah elbowed Taeko and whispered something to her.

"Okay, okay, I'll tell them."

Gavin noticed Dafydd was watching and not talking, scanning the skies and surface around the boat.

Man! I should have thought to set a watch-some leader. Gavin gave himself a mental kick.

"Tell us what?" Mike wanted to know.

Hannah surprised them all by standing up and putting her hands on her hips.

"They were evil! Didn't any of you feel it? Those things--they weren't just animals, predators, or whatever. They would have attacked us no matter what, hungry or not, whatever. The white fish in the cavern had the same aura--if you want to call it that. I didn't say anything then because I wasn't sure. Now I'm sure."

Hannah crossed her arms and sat back down with a thump.

Taeko spoke up, "They were creatures of darkness. I saw, well, felt it too. Natural animals, even jackals, and sharks belong to the environment. They aren't evil. They simply do as they're designed as part of the ecosystem. So, you don't get a good feeling, or a bad feeling, because they're neither good nor evil. They just are."

"Oh, come on. Really?" Mike gripped. "Maybe those things are just brain-damaged or crazy, like lemmings or something. I don't believe in this weirdo mystic-movie-magic mind over matter. You clobber them, and they go down like any other kind of critter."

Taeko had her eyes on Gavin. He held her gaze, and she nodded slightly.

I'm gonna have to start taking notes. Gavin ran a hand over his short-cropped brown hair and shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. The mustangs were running in every direction. Did I miss the feeling of evil because I was too busy, too many things going on?

Gavin tried to stall. "Did anyone notice anything else?"

"They stank like roadkill in August," Mike snapped. "And they had teeth like sharks."

"Okay." Gavin tried to think. "Hannah? Taeko? Tell us anytime you get a bad feeling about something. Okay?"

Hannah nodded, and Taeko just said, "Of course."

"Uh, there's something else." Dafydd crypted.

"Figures. What have you got?" Gavin encouraged.

"Just this. Hold on a sec, let me get this." Dafydd pinched the bridge of his nose and grimaced.

"It's okay, Davy," Hannah smiled. "Just say it."