Chapter 8

 

 

Darkness lit the jungle, the light so dim that Dom wondered how Berrin could see her way forward. He could barely see the trail in the dim moonlight and not more than a yard in any direction. What made things even worse was the steady, drumming rain that had begun to fall soon after the sun had gone down. It splattered all about them, the drops so big that Berrin held a broad leaf above her to protect Dom from being hit.

 

They had been following the trail for several hours, Berrin moving slowly but steadily along it to see where it led. Every so often she would stop in the darkness, not moving a muscle as something disturbed her keen elven senses. Sometimes it would be for no reason Dom could see or because of a noise in the surrounding darkness, a cry of a bird or something moving on the ground.

 

Splutter, the friendly beast that had saved them out in the Dead Plains had vanished long ago. Dom thought it would return to the boglins and whilst he didn’t like the idea of it being their slave again, at least it would be safe.

 

The trail began to climb, steepening as it rose up a tall hill. As they reached the top, a sheet of lightning suddenly rippled across the sky with a crackling roar. Its dazzling light lit up a shallow valley and here they could see numerous faint yellow lights.

 

‘Berrin!’ Dom whispered on Berrin’s shoulder.

 

‘I see them, Dom,’ she nodded, thunder rumbling as the night settled around them again. ‘That’s either where Jothan’s folk live… or the boglins.’

 

‘So what do we do… we can’t just blunder down there,’ Dom said.

 

‘No, we shall have to be careful and clever,’ Berrin said. ‘Wait for the next lightning flash and we shall see.’

 

They didn’t have to wait long before another rippling sheet of lightning lit up the storm clouds hanging low over the surrounding hills.

 

‘There! Did you see that small hill just above the lights to the left?’ Berrin asked, pointing down the valley.

 

Dom nodded.

 

‘Yes, I saw it.’

 

‘That would allow us to see right down into the village I think,’ she said. ‘We’ll be able to see who lives down there… and if it’s Jothan’s folk we’ll put our plan into motion.’

 

They had already discussed during their jungle trek what they were to do once they found Jothan’s village. Dom had already figured that Jena must no longer have her bracelet, probably taken from her when they were captured. If she still had it, she would have gotten herself and the others free long ago.

 

That meant they must try and find who had the bracelet now, steal it and get it back to Jena. Once she had it, the boglins would have no defence against its magic power. But stealing it was not going to be easy and they would need luck… and maybe some help. Berrin had said that Jothan’s folk might be able to if they could be contacted.

 

‘We’ll get some sleep in the jungle off the trail and wait till dawn,’ Berrin said. ‘Then we’ll head for the hill.

 

They found a good spot nearby beneath a large tree… where it was damp rather than soaking wet on the ground. Dom sat against the tree, wondering how he could sleep with danger all about them. But he was so tired that he was asleep even as he thought about it and not even the storm woke him during the night.

 

* * *

 

When he woke, the storm had passed and light was seeping back into the air as the new day arrived. Berrin got moving straight away, heading though the tangled jungle, barely making a sound. They moved down into the valley and as they did a mist began to gather around them. It grew thicker as they went, the rain from the night beginning to steam off in the rising heat.

 

They reached the valley floor and here found a further surprise. Ancient ruins could be seen here and there, the mist hanging around crumbling walls. Berrin thought they looked very old and Dom agreed as the stone was badly weathered. He thought they appeared far older than what he had seen in the ruins of Kreth.

 

Berrin took them up the hill and found a good vantage point to look down into the village. The mist had cleared a little by now and they could see small huts dotted about a small clearing.

 

There were boglins roaming about, but there were more of Jothan’s folk. Several times they saw a boglin give a man or woman a shove if one of them got in their way. Then they would cackle in laughter as they picked themselves off the ground.

 

‘Jothan’s folk are bigger than the boglins,’ Dom whispered. ‘It’s a wonder they haven’t just overpowered them.’

 

‘The boglins have weapons, Dom,’ Berrin pointed out.

 

Dom nodded.

 

‘It’s just sad to see them enslaved so,’ he said.

 

‘Yes, it’s very cruel,’ Berrin agreed. ‘But if we can get Jena’s bracelet to her, things might change.’

 

‘I can’t see any sign of the others,’ Dom said. ‘They could be in one of the huts I suppose.’

 

Berrin chewed at her lower lip in thought for some moments.

 

‘The humans might help us if we they knew we were here,’ she said. ‘I’m going down a little closer to see if I can attract the attention of one.’

 

‘Won’t that be dangerous?’ Dom asked a little nervously.

 

’Yes,’ she admitted. ‘But it’s the only way we’ll find out where our friends are. I may have to move quickly if I’m spotted, so you stay here till I come back.’

 

Dom nodded.

 

‘Just be careful, Berrin,’ he said. ‘If you get captured, I don’t know what I’ll do.’

 

Berrin smiled at him as she put him down on the jungle floor.

 

‘Oh, I think you could surprise yourself, Dom,’ she said with a wink.

 

Then she was gone, vanishing into the jungle and leaving a still anxious Dom behind.

 

* * *

 

Berrin made her way down toward the village, her elven senses keen for any sound of boglins nearby. She would have to be careful as the jungle was their world. Even being an elf and used to quiet stalking might not be enough to avoid them.

 

But making contact with Jothan’s people was the only way to find out what had happened to Nye and the others. If something happened to Queens Kerin’s youngest son, she did not like to think what she might do to the boglins. She wanted to avoid any fighting if she could.

 

She made her way through the jungle undergrowth, slipping under huge ferns and brushing through thick clusters of vines hanging from tree branches. She had spotted a place where she thought she could make contact. There was a path near the bottom of the hill and she had seen some walking on it. She though it might lead to a stream or spring where they got water from. If it was, it would be the perfect place to be seen.

 

* * *

 

There was indeed a small spring feeding into a rock pool and she waited in the undergrowth beside it. Twice on the way here she had almost blundered into boglins roaming the jungle. Luckily they were not on alert for anything and she had avoided them.

 

A little time went by and then a young woman came to the pool carrying empty water skins. She bent to fill the first one and as she did, Berrin slowly stepped into view. The woman froze, eyeing her in amazement. Berrin nodded at her and the woman nodded back before Berrin slipped back into the jungle. She watched the woman fill the water skins and then leave the pool.

 

Berrin waited, hoping that the woman would tell someone in authority of her presence. Of course, she could also tell the boglins, but she didn’t think that would happen.

 

Almost an hour slipped by and mid afternoon approached. Then an elderly man appeared along the trail, carrying water skins as well. He looked about, then approached the pool where Berrin was hiding. He stopped and spoke as he bent to fill a water skin.

 

‘Don’t show yourself,’ he said in low voice. ‘The boglins may come by unannounced. I am Mebin. Are you friends of Nyssa and her group?’

 

‘Yes,’ Berrin whispered in relief. ‘Are they well?’

 

‘They… they are,’ Mebin replied hesitantly. ‘Are there any more of you… did you cross the Dead Sands?’

 

‘There is myself and one other,’ Berrin said. ‘We evaded capture and crossed the Dead Sands after them.’

 

‘Just the two of you?’ Mebin said amazement.

 

Berrin smiled.

 

‘No, we came across one of the shaggy haired beasts and used him to cross,’ she replied.

 

‘A Thad,’ Mebin nodded. ‘You were very fortunate to find one.’

 

‘What has happened to my friends?’ Berrin asked in concern. ‘You hesitated when you said they were all well.’

 

‘They were cast into the Tomb of Racos yesterday, where none have ever returned,’ Mebin said grimly. ‘I would suggest you leave here… save yourselves before you too are caught.’

 

‘I cannot leave my friends,’ Berrin replied firmly. ‘One of them, a gnome named Jena, had a bracelet with her. Where is it now?’

 

‘The boglin leader Trall took it and will have it in his hut near the tomb,’ Mebin replied. ‘Your gnome friend did say it was magical… though I wondered whether it was true.’

 

‘It is,’ Berrin replied. ‘If I can get it to Jena, she could free herself… and most likely your people as well.’

 

‘The only way to reach them would be to be captured…’ Mebin said, then suddenly paused as a thought came to him. ‘Unless there is another gnome with you.’

 

‘There is,’ Berrin said quickly.

 

‘Then there is another way,’ Mebin said. ‘There are shafts throughout the tomb and one leads to the tomb. It is big enough for a gnome to use. That is where your friends will come to… if they survive the upper levels.’

 

Berrin was silent, chewing on a lip. Did she have the right to send Dom into what sounded dangerous? But as she thought about it, she knew he would go without hesitation. He was just that kind of gnome.

 

‘If that’s the only way, my friend will go,’ she said.

 

‘Then Trall’s hut is the nearest to the tomb, the largest building in the ruins,’ Mebin said. ‘I will arrange a distraction tonight so you can get the bracelet. I will then meet you at the rear of the tomb where the airshaft is.’

 

‘Thank you,’ Berrin said and quickly melted back into the jungle.