Chapter 5

 

 

A sky full of sparkling stars hung over the shaggy haired Splutter as he trudged across the Dead Sands. Berrin and Dom rode on his back, the beast happy to have passengers. It was about an hour before dawn and they had been travelling all night.

 

The pair hadn’t spoken much during the journey, snatching bits of sleep here and there and conserving their energy. They had found the Dead Sands a bleak place, the air salty to breath and leaving the taste in the mouths. It had made them a lot more thirstier and the night had seen them drink half a water bottle.

 

But Dom knew that their greatest test would be with the coming day. They would have to survive the scorching heat of the sun.

 

‘How hot will it get today, Berrin?’ he asked a little worriedly. He was seated before her and had slept during the night leaning against her stomach.

 

‘Hot enough, Dom,’ she replied. ‘But with Splutter to carry us, we’ll make it.’

 

‘We would have foolish to go after the boglins without him, wouldn’t we?’

 

‘Yes, we would have died out here,’ she admitted.

 

‘How many days will it take to cross the Dead Sands do you think?’

 

‘Well, I’ve been thinking about that,’ she replied. ‘From what I saw of the boglins, they weren’t carrying that much water. That might mean that it’s not that far. Too far for anyone to walk it, but short enough for the boglins to cross with only a little water.’

 

‘And this jungle place is on its far side?’ Dom asked, curious about what the jungle would look like.

 

‘I guess so,’ she replied. ‘It will be interesting to see it.’

 

They fell silent again as the dawn began to lighten the eastern sky. Slowly the sun rose, a searing orb of molten gold blazing in the sky. Onwards Splutter trudged, never missing a step as he took them over the Dead Sands. It wasn’t long before the sun was boiling the air and they were drenched in sweat.

 

To protect them a little, Berrin made a little tent with her cloak. She had picked up a stick from the oasis and using it, propped her cloak over the back of her neck and her head. Dom sat fully under its shade and he knew that without it he would have been badly sunburned.

 

So the day passed slowly under the merciless sun and by the time it began to set, they had begun to drink their third water bottle. They travelled on through the night, the lumbering Splutter seemingly having lots of energy. They both managed to doze again in fits and woke near dawn of their second day on the Dead Sands.

 

Another day passed, this one just as hot and awful as the first. But toward dusk they spied sand dunes ahead and in the far distance they could actually see clouds on the horizon.

 

‘Good elves, Dom!’ Berrin exclaimed. ‘We’ve done it! We’ve crossed the Dead Sands.’

 

‘Those clouds look nice,’ Dom asked. ‘It would be nice to see some rain.’

 

‘It would indeed,’ Berrin agreed. ‘Perhaps this jungle has lots of trees that need it.’

 

‘What a story this will be to tell my mum and dad,’ Dom commented.

 

Berrin laughed.

 

‘Yes, it will be a tale worth telling I think, Dom.’

 

As night settled about them they left the Dead Sands behind and began to cross a series of high dunes. The night slipped by and the moon rose a few hours before dawn. In its silvery light they could see tall mountains ahead with rain clouds gathered about their higher peaks.

 

Then as the sun came up in the east they stumbled across an amazing sight. The sand dunes suddenly ended at a huge rift in the ground. Steep cliffs dropped hundreds feet into deep and shadowed valleys full of the bright greenery of tall trees and lush plants.

 

‘This must be the jungle,’ Dom said. ‘It looks very thick… quite different from the forests at home.’

 

‘Yes and it’s such a bright green… like an emerald jewel,’ Berrin added.

 

The mountains rose beyond, all clothed in dense forest with heavy grey clouds hanging over them. Rain could be seen falling in places and it looked to be very heavy. Splutter meanwhile was heading toward a wide trail that wound down a cliff.

 

‘We’re leaving Splutter, Dom,’ Berrin said and slipped from the beast’s back.

 

‘But he’ll probably take us to where Jena and the others are,’ he said as she lifted him off.

 

‘That’s right. But we don’t want to just blunder into a horde of boglins and get captured,’ she replied. ‘We’ll let him wander ahead of us and track after him.’

 

Dom could see the sense of that as he settled himself on her shoulder. He watched her give Splutter a thump on his rump and the beast trundled off quickly down the trail. Berrin followed at a distance, her desert elven wariness now sharpened for any danger ahead.

 

They soon descended the cliff and entered the jungle below. Dom was amazed at what he saw. Trees and plants grew everywhere, all clustered together and competing for space to grow. Creepers and vines hung from limbs and boughs and the air was hot and steamy. Numerous birds flitted from tree to tree, some with raucous calls and strikingly colourful plumage.

 

It was quite dim in places too, the sunlight struggling to shine through the thick jungle canopy overhead. The trail narrowed, sometimes barely seen amidst the ferns and brush of the undergrowth. Splutter had vanished along it and Berrin followed stealthily, eager to find their friends, but wanting to avoid being captured as well.