Excavations and Enlightenment (A sequel to "Caveats and Cliches")

Chapter 10: Welcome To The Jungle

It takes another day for us to remove all the equipment and tenting from the amphitheater and to get the extra goblins sent home. It might have taken longer, had Toby and Easton not been so motivated. Now that the necessary diversion was over, they were champing at the bit to get on our way. We head out early the next morning, slowly plowing through a low hanging fog. The white coils of mist give everything an eerie feel, and our group hesitates at the edge of the forest. I turn to Easton.

"Will you be able to find our way through this haze?"

Easton consults Pema's journal, then studies the wood before us.

"I think so, once we find the entrance, the path should be pretty clear."

It doesn't take long to find the entrance. It isn't marked, but it is the only opening in the otherwise dense forest growth. Not without some trepidation, Easton leads us into the obscure wood. The path seems ancient; hard packed earth riddled with gnarled tree roots. We have to pick our way along, careful not trip on the uneven ground. Fortunately, the trail is wide enough for the wagons to pass through, but our progress is slow. These woods are more ominous than those outside of the goblin city, and I'm acutely aware of how strange and unfamiliar our surroundings are. Our caravan is vulnerable to anyone or anything that knows this area better than us. Sarah looks as uneasy as I feel, so I try to lighten the mood.

"Afraid of the big bad wolf, my dear?"

Sarah snorts, "In a place like this? I'm more worried about running into Predator."

We slog through the damp, encroaching foliage for half a day before the path begins to slant upward and the growth starts to thin. The path turns into a meandering trail taking us up a mountain. Beyond one turn, we find a wider, somewhat level area where we can rest. Lunch is fruit and nuts and some nutritional bars that Sarah brought. It's the best we can do until we make camp and have a fire. I stare out at the landscape, trying to judge how much daylight we have left.

"Easton, how far do we have to go?"

My brother joins me, looking from the map in the journal to the surrounding countryside. He points to a ridge nearer the bottom of the peak we occupy.

"The path will lead us along that ridge and then we weave our way into the valley. After that, our destination is straight ahead."

"Do you think we can reach it before nightfall?"

Easton shrugs uneasily. "There's no way to tell distance on this, but if we can make it to the valley, we should have plenty of room to set up for the night."

With no time to waste, we set off again. The path is starting to slope down again, and the goblins are reluctant to get back into the cramped wagons, so we let them walk. Since the carts are now much lighter, we make better time and everyone seems a bit more cheerful. We reach the wooded ridge in late afternoon and no one is eager to go back into the oppressive -and now more shadowy- forest, but I keep them moving at a march. We pass through the grove and down into the valley uneventfully, with the sun sinking low into the sky. As soon as we reach the valley floor, everyone works quickly to set up. We have to finish by firelight, but our camp gets completed.

Over breakfast the next morning, the four of us discuss what to do next. Easton wants to pack up camp and head toward the excavation site. Sarah is understandably reluctant. Most of the goblins are still asleep, worn from all day travel, and this spot is ideal for our camp. The narrow valley seems to have been carved by what was once a raging river, but is now a placid brook passing amiably through its center. The banks are wide and flat on either side, so we have even ground for the tents, a ready source of water, and access to the "roadway" we came in on. After some debate, it's decided that Easton and I should go on ahead and try to locate the site. If it's far, then we will find another suitable area for camp and report back to the group. Sarah prepares a backpack for us, and we set off at a steady pace.