Brazen

Chapter 8 See you at the other end

Chapter 8 See you at the other end

            Karros sat, patting Cyben, looking where the river went and found out that the falls were behind them. Behind them he could see a white (the rapids were also white because of its gushing force) vertical strand far away. Now that he looked he around he noticed he was in a large canyon. Grey stone were on both sides looking superior. The trees atop the stone cliffs looked tiny, like grey twigs. He could not believe they had fallen this far and lived. But now they were stuck on a boulder which looked sturdy enough, or so it seemed.

            Cyben was asleep in Karros’s lap and the man could see that he had a muscular build even though he was only three years old. He had been through much, even Karros. But they both had a feeling a lot more adventurous thing were to happen. First they had to get off the rock. For that they needed Gammerforth and Respen. Karros called out to them. Cyben woke up all of the sudden and growled.

            “No, no, it’s just me. I’m calling my friends. You will meet them soon.”

            The cub let out a friendly growl and went back to sleep. Karros called out again. No answer. Then he saw a tree which looked like it was on the verge of falling. It was so slanted that it looked impossible. The grey tree then lost some stone beneath it and dropped and splashed into the rapids. Karros saw this chance as total luck

            “Cyben! Wake up!” he yelled. Grabbing a confused Cyben around the cub’s waist he leaped at the right time and landed on the tree. Using his perfect balance he stood atop the tree. But the rapids made it lurch upwards and downwards but years of practice made Karros’s concern drop. He sat down like he would sit on a horse and felt the white water rush past his legs. It was like riding a bull. Although dangerous, it was very fun. Cyben seemed to be frightened at first then his mood changed to joyful for he was enjoying the ride.

             Karros ripped off a branch easily for it was a quite small tree with medium branches, and he tried to paddle towards shore. He plunged the branch in the water and it did nothing. The forward motion was too great. He looked behind him and realized he could barely see the boulder that they had been sitting on. 

            Panic struck him. What would happen now? He would just sail off to distant lands. That sounded a bit cliché. Karros the sailor, who sailed on nothing but a tree on Manda Krishia River. How brave he was. How talented. And what a fool for little did he know that Zresta Falls was not behind but a mile in front of him. Yes it was true. He did not know it but what he saw there was just a trick of sight. It looked like the falls but it was just the clouds in the horizon. Soon Karros saw the end of this part of the river. “I have made a mistake!” regretted Karros. “And now it’ll cost me my life. Oh Cyben, at least you got your revenge. Mine? No, I must trust Respen and Gammerforth to complete the quest. It is sorrowful that I will not be seeing them again. Oh well Cyben. At least I die with you my friend.”

            Cyben whimpered. The falls came closer: ten yards, five yards, one yard, and they had fallen into their deaths.

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                        Respen investigated the tracks and followed them down the hill. About four bodies had fallen down this hill. Then he saw a disgusting sight of a mangled piece of bloody meat lying there with holes in it. A bear. He walked further with the dwarf restless behind him.

            “I want to shred those orcs!” he yelled. “Karros, oh I wonder where he is!”

            “Patience, we will find him,” said the elf calmly although he too feared the worst. The tracks portrayed a battle. He saw dead orcs with claw marks in them looking gruesome as ever. “The bear clawed these orcs before she died, so that means there were other orcs.”

            “I see the orcs but where’s the bear?” asked Gammerforth curiously.

            “That heap of torn meat is… was the bear.” Gammerforth’s anger rose.

            “Those orcs are heartless! Killing something like that. They disgraced the bear. I wonder if the bear had a child.”

            “The bear did. Look at these paw prints. They are smaller. And think about it. The orcs, Karros, and the cub disappear. And… Eclipse!” Respen rushed towards the black sword. It lay near a tree, its blade tainted with orc blood, almost invisible on the blade for they were both dark.

            “Karros loved that sword. He looked at it always, making sure it was there. He adored it.”

            The elf wore an expression of weariness and pain. Pain for his friend. Pain for the cub that lost its parent. “They must have went somewhere. Maybe they have been captured. Yes, maybe Karros and the cub have been captured. Who know what the orcs will do to him!”  

            “Or, they fell of the cliff,” said the dwarf.

            “What cliff?”

            “This one,” the dwarf pointed downwards while pushing back the branches that densely covered sight of any cliff. “The tracks lead at the edge of the cliff. My tracking skills are not bad elfling. They are exceedingly well.”

            “Hot head, you have impressed me quite much.” Respen looked down and realized that the two, and the orcs had definitely not survived this fall. The rapids of Manda Krishia were too wild. Plus the falls would have finished them. They were dead. “Alas, they are dead.”

            “Aye.” The dwarf began to sing a soft tune.

 

“Oh my friend you were wise

Oh my friend you were nice

Oh my friend you were courageous

But the grip of the falls were too tenacious

Oh my friend you were brave

And I very much crave

To have you back with me

That is what I wish to see!

Goodbye my friend

I will see you at the end the other end

We will sing once again together

We are different but you were like a brother

We knew each other very little

But our friendship was not brittle

Now that you are gone

I had to sing this song

Goodbye my friend

I will see at the end

The other end”

            “That was beautiful… Gammerforth,” said Respen. The elf put his hand on the dwarf’s shoulder. “We should complete his wish of killing Grok.”

            “Aye…”

Hey you guys thanks for reading! I hope you liked the story so far. I also hope you liked my characters. Please, I would love to know, who is your favorite charcter. Is it the muscular bulldozer of a dwarf Gammerforth or is it silent majestic Respen. Or is it headstrong Karros. Or do you guys like the cub Cyben who lost so much. Please do tell me, I would love to know. Happy reading and writing folks!