Chapter 5 - Danger in the Wylds
Chapter 5 - Danger in the Wylds
When Eliza awoke, the night was dark and the fire had burnt down to little more than embers. She could sense the reindeers’ absence and as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she noticed Mara’s bedroll was empty. She felt alone in the dark and dangerous Wylds. That’s when she first heard it: heavy breathing coming from just beyond the treeline. Something much larger than a reindeer was skulking just beyond where her eyes could see.
Eliza was terrified, but instead of freezing in fright, she reached out and found her slingshot and marble bag. Suddenly Mara appeared in the tree branches above her and, quiet as a falling leaf, landed on the soft grass below. She gripped her slender spear in one hand, ready for a fight.
Without saying a word, the elf pointed behind them towards a large billowy oak with several low hanging branches. Eliza got up and crept as quietly as she could towards its trunk and Mara followed after, her weapon ready. In a few moments, both she and the elf were safely up high in its branches. Only then did Mara speak.
“I sent Poro out to scout. If it’s danger, the reindeer will let us know and we can get the drop on it. Whatever happens, stay in this tree. Poro knows what to do and Red will get you to safety if things come to it. The reindeer always run home if they get into serious trouble. Don’t worry, we’ll protect you no matter-”
A thundering roar echoed through the clearing, interrupting Mara. It was a thing of might, shaking Eliza from the inside. In an instant the elf warrior was on her feet atop the branches, arms spread, eyes searching the dark spaces between the trees for any sign of the danger that lurked just outside the firelight. As terrified as Eliza probably should have been, the look of grim determination in Mara’s face calmed the girl. She noticed the two reindeer lurking on the far side of the glen. Red reared up at the roar and bolted from the clearing. Poro on the other hand, being an experienced war-deer, circled around behind their tree, covering his rider’s rear. The larger deer had the same serious searching look in its round eyes as its rider.
“Get as high up into that tree as you can,” Mara said without looking at Eliza as she dropped back down to the grass. “Whatever you do, don’t climb down until I tell you to.”
Eliza did as she was told and began to climb up higher into the branches. As she reached roughly twenty feet up the tree trunk, Eliza turned to see the largest bear she had ever seen charged from the tree line and into their little glen. It was larger than Poro on all fours and nearly as wide as the tree she had climbed into. In the moonlight she could see strange, mottled patterns in its fur. Froth and drool dripped from its large toothy maw.
Poro snorted, stamping his feet, unafraid of this ferocious intruder. Mara began to hum, low at first, but gathering volume. Her song was in time with the reindeer’s stamping hooves, the deer keeping tempo as the warrior song rose. As the song began to build, the elf whipped her spear back and forth beside her like a metronome. The weapon began to sing along as air rushed across the holes in its tip creating a sort of sing-song whistle.
The bear stopped its charge for a moment, lifting up its head to listen to the curious sound. To Eliza it seemed that Mara’s humming had begun to form words. The song continued, even as the elf reached behind her, grabbing Poro’s reins. With a high pitched war cry, Mara launched herself into the air, landing firmly in the saddle. The reindeer reared up on its hind legs as the elf took the bow from Poro’s antlers and drew a handful of arrows from the small quiver beside the saddle. The first arrow was notched and the bow drawn by the time Poro’s hooves touched the soft grass. Mara let the bolt fly as she simultaneously spurred on the reindeer with her heels.
Acting on instinct and training, Poro and Mara began to harass the bear from a distance, using their superior speed to keep just out of reach of the giant predator. Mara’s arrows struck the bear swiftly but did little more than annoy the beast. Its rough hide soon bristled with five arrows sticking out like needles in a pin cushion.
The bear roared a heart-pounding cry again and reared back on its hind legs, attempting to swipe the reindeer away. Poro was too quick and lept out of reach at the last moment. Mara reached back for another handful of arrows, still singing as she let shaft after shaft fly, pricking the bear and tiring the beast. For a moment, the bear looked as if it might retreat...
...and then he charged forward with more speed and fervor than should have been natural for a beast that size.
Luckily Poro was quicker. Instead of taking a kitchen knife-sized claw to the head, the deer took the bear’s shoulder to his flanks. The force of the blow sent the reindeer rolling, knocking Mara from her saddle, her bow and spear sailing high into the air. She caught the spear in mid-air, sliding to a halt across the wet grass as she landed. Picking up the war song again she spun the spear overhead, charging the bear. The elf’s weapon sang a high sweet melody that caused the bear to groan and shrink back for half a second, surprised by the sight of a woman half its height charging at such speed.
Mara was less than four steps away from the bear when she dropped her shoulder and swung the screaming spear down in a downward arc. The sharp head of the weapon swept low and cut deep into the beast’s side, drawing a streak of crimson from its flesh. She swung through and whipped the spear in a semi-circle over her head, preparing for another strike. Pearls of crimson sprung off the blade as Mara brought the spear down in a cross slash before striking again in quick succession with a jab. The bear howled out in blind pain and swiped at the source, but was too slow. The elf flipped backwards out of the bear’s reach.
The moment Mara’s feet touched the grass she was rushing back towards the bear. With arms back, spear pointed towards the ground, she sidestepped another sweep of the bear’s claws. As the beast whipped its head around to snap at her with powerful jaws, Mara ducked, grabbing the spear near its point with her free hand and sending its butt forcibly up into the bear’s chest. The blow was powerful and dazed the creature for a moment.
The elf ducked and spun out to the bear’s flank keeping her back towards the tree where Eliza hid. Again she spun the spear overhead, this time landing two more piercing jabs just behind the bear’s forearm. They landed in the thinner part of the creature’s hide and the bear roared, rearing back away from the fierce woman. Mara charged forward, spear held high expecting the bear to attempt an all-out attack. It tried to swipe at Mara but its wounds meant the bear was dazed and off-balance. Just as Mara closed the gap and prepared to strike a mortal blow, the bear slipped and fell to the side. As it did, a hind leg the size of a wine barrel caught the elf in the side and sent her crashing into the tree trunk Eliza sat in. The battle-song ended abruptly and for a moment, the forest was completely silent.
From where she sat, the girl could tell her friend was in serious trouble. Looking down, Mara didn’t stir, she just sat slumped up against the tree where she had landed. Meanwhile, the bear had already gotten to its feet, shaking its head and regaining its footing.
“This is bad,” Eliza said to herself. “Real bad.” She reached into her little leather pouch for something to shoot at the bear. Her fingers fumbled for the round glass marbles. The bear groggily wandered towards the tree, catching sight of the still unconscious Mara. The massive beast looked as if it would attack the elf at any moment and reared up onto its hind legs. Eliza had to act fast; her fingers wrapped around one of the big shooters and she positioned it into the slingshot. Closing one eye, she let the marble fly. It struck the bear right on the forehead.
The creature howled, rubbing its head with a paw, confused as to where the blow had come from. It didn’t have to wait long as Eliza launched another salvo, this time hitting the beast on the neck just to the left of its shoulder. The bear dropped down to all fours, taking a few unsure steps back away from the elf and the tree. Eliza reached into her pouch for another shot. This time her fingers wrapped around one of the wrinkly round nuts she had found earlier while hunting for firewood. She seized it quickly and drew aim on the bear once more.
“Let’s see how you like one of these you big hairy jerk!” the girl shouted as she drew back her slingshot and let the nut fly. It smacked the bear right between the eyes exploding with a bright flash and a large CRACK! The bear nearly somersaulted backwards as the clearing lit up, terrified of this new assault. The large beast turned tail and bolted back to the safety of the treeline, howling in terror as Eliza shot a few more blixt nuts after it.
As Eliza climbed down the last few branches of the tree Mara finally began to stir, her head still aching and dazed from the fight with the bear. Poro had made his way over to the tree by the time Eliza reached the ground. The reindeer sniffed at the wounded elf, he seemed concerned for his friend.
“Stay here, Eliza,” Mara said as she rose to her feet slowly. Mara’s left arm hung loosely at her side as she knelt down and picked up her spear. It was clear to Eliza the woman was trying to hide her injury, but even she could not fully hide the pain in her face. ”We can’t let a creature that dangerous get away. Even if we are out in the Wylds, a rampaging bear that size could cause too much destruction to ignore.” Mara took a few ginger steps in the direction the bear had fled, she gripped her spear less like a weapon and more like a walking staff.
“Mara wait!” Eliza cried out, running up to the woman and wrapping an arm around her waist to steady her. “You’re injured and the bear is terrified. Killing it or getting yourself killed in the process does no one any good.”
The elf only stared across the clearing to where the bear had fled into the forest. Her trained tracker eyes were naturally drawn to the ruby droplets that hung on the leaves of the underbrush. Mara grimaced, normally she would not have so brazenly attacked a wild creature like that but something inside her had ignited when she thought Eliza might be in danger. Had that feeling clouded her judgment?
“It’s dangerous, Eliza,” Mara said, her voice cold and calculated. “We can’t let it escape.”
“Well I’m glad the big ol’ bear got away,” the young girl said defiantly, stomping her foot in the grass. “It didn’t really hurt us, well, seriously anyways. It was probably just as scared of us as we were of it. Besides, how would you feel if someone started shooting you full of arrows in the middle of the night?” She shot Mara a scrunched up frown and put her hands on her hips. It was a look Eliza had learned well at home. Her mother often gave her the exact same look when Eliza would come home late covered in dirt and mud.
Mara could only laugh as she was scolded by the young girl. “Haha, fine Eliza, you win!” The elf winced a little as she laughed but seemed to be regaining her wits. “But we sleep the rest of the night up in the trees just in case your friend there comes back to finish me off.” She nodded for Eliza to climb up before picking their packs up off the ground and following the girl up into the boughs of the tree.
From inside her saddlebag Mara produced two silk-like bundles. She took one of the bundles and began to unwind it like she was peeling an orange the size of a melon. Finally unwound, the bundle formed a long slender cocoon with thin lines on either end. The elf showed Eliza how to secure the lines to the trees in order to keep the light weight pouches in place throughout the night. Tying knots was difficult and painful for Mara with her injured arm. She then showed Eliza the best way to wrap inside the silk cocoon to block out the cool night air. Mara helped Eliza snuggle in for the night before working her way over to her own cocoon a few branches below. Eliza looked out over the forest wrapped in the thick blanket of night. The trees were quiet for all but a few night bird calls. Down below, at the base of the tree, Poro stood keeping watch over the smouldering ruins of their fire. Eliza rolled over on her side, and went to sleep.
The next day came on bright and early. Eliza awoke with the dawning sun shining directly in her eyes. She tried to roll over and sleep just a bit longer but gave up after only a few minutes. The silent trees from last night were now a din of activity. From every branch and every bough came the chirps of birds and critters as woodland creatures went about their day. The Wylds were certainly more noisy and chaotic than the parts of the forest she had seen so far. Eliza couldn’t help but notice a large black raven sitting a few branches over, staring at her as she attempted to untangle herself from the cocoon.
Down below she could her Mara going about her morning exercise. Carefully, Eliza unwound herself from the silk cocoon and made her way down to the ground at the base of the tree. “Good morning! Are you feeling much better?” The girl couldn’t help but notice how Mara was favoring her left side while she shifted from one position to the next.
“Well, I’m sore,” Mara answered without breaking her pose. She stood on one leg, her other raised, bent at the knee, foot pointed towards the ground. Against her shoulder lay her spear, left arm wrapped around the shaft like a vine while the right was held by her side. “And my right shoulder will need some attention when we reach Kholm.” The elf brought her raised leg up and around so that it stuck up into the air behind her. As she did, she rolled her shoulders and chest around so that the spear windmilled around her neck. As she finished the maneuver she brought her raised leg down hard behind her and caught the spear in her left hand, bringing the butt of the shaft down with a spinning flourish. She winced slightly as the weapon struck the ground.
“What was that you were doing?” Eliza asked.
“Entwined Serpent to Rising Warrior Stance.” Mara replied with a groan, rolling her arm and massaging her shoulder as she stood up straight. “They are part of training exercises meant to teach a warrior to think of their spear as an extension of their own body. They also keep me focused and reveal if I’ve injured anything. Painfully so, sometimes.”
She walked over to Poro and strapped the spear into place alongside the reindeer’s saddle. “Here,” she said tossing Eliza a small package from the deer’s saddle bag. “It’s what’s for breakfast.”
Eliza opened the paper wrapping and found a small loaf of bread about the size of her palm. It was coated in nuts and oats and filled with a preserve of dried fruit. She gave it a tentative sniff but decided she really didn’t have any other choice and gave it a bite. The bread was a bit bland but the fruit center gave it a sweet finish. She ate the rest of the loaf quickly.
“Your mount still hasn’t returned, Eliza” Mara said as she wrapped a piece of cloth over her head and around her shoulder before slipping her right arm inside the makeshift sling. “Poor thing, probably got so frightened he ran all the way back to the capitol,” she said as she went about packing up what was left of the camp after last night’s bear attack. “I guess one of us will have to walk the rest of the way. Poro can carry both of us in a pinch, but I’m worried he’d tire before we crossed the fjord if we both were riding.” Even injured, Mara easily climbed up into the tree and quickly undid their sleeping cocoons. She tossed the two bundles of silk down to Eliza who stowed them away in the reindeer’s saddle bags without needing to be told to. “You hop on first. I’ll have to pick our way through the Wylds towards the forest’s edge. I’m sure we’ll encounter scouts between here and there. If we do, best to let me do the talking. Agreed?” the warrior woman asked.
“Agreed. I’d probably just trip over my own words anyways...” Eliza said, swinging her leg over Poro.
“You’re not a bad speaker,” Mara said, trying to choose her words carefully. “You just, talk so fast sometimes that your head can’t keep up with what your tongue is saying. It’s not all that uncommon in the young.”
Eliza sighed loudly behind Mara. She hated it when adults pointed out how young she was, even if it was true most of the time. Still, she’d be ten by the summer. That was two digits, kind of a big deal. And she expected grown-ups to start treating her like one. “Did you act that way as a- I mean, when you were my age?”
Mara walked quietly and with a purpose through the narrow pathways of the Wyld. “Me? No, I had much worse habits.” The elf was still a bit standoffish, but Eliza was getting her to open up. She had that effect on people. She was about to start talking again when Mara continued.
“No, when I was your age I was very angry. I have four older brothers and while they were out learning to hunt and fight, I was meant to be studying the forest and tending to the gardens. I’ve never really been one to take no for an answer though. Guess you could say I was stubborn too. It wasn’t really that long before not only was I fighting alongside the boys, I was beating most of them to boot. Why, I even bested the Prince more often than not!”
Eliza’s eyes widened. “You knew the Prince when you were little? And you beat him at fighting?” Something about a young Mara fighting a deer made Eliza giggle.
“Er, well, yes. I was the best. That’s how I became First Ranger as I grew older,” Mara said, a little flustered.
“Will you teach me to fight?” Eliza asked, leaning down from Poro’s saddle so that she was eye level with Mara. “I want to be a tough warrior too.”
That brought a smile to the elf’s face. “Sure Eliza, I can teach you. But it won’t be easy. You’ll have to wake up early and practice with me every morning. You’ve got to be strong if you want to be able to draw a bow.”