Chapter 35

Escape!

- He vanished as his enemies arrived, the earth swallowing him into its depths -

Thonavar led the way.

Behind him, Lyla and Chaeron moved quickly and silently through the undergrowth. Leaves rustled and the ground crunched beneath. Thonavar’s heart was pounding so loudly he thought it would burst. The thrill of escape filled him with excitement.

The trio moved along the bank of the stream with all the speed they could muster. Lyla slipped and fell into the bushes which rustled loudly. Thonavar stopped and turned around to see Chaeron swiftly helping her to her feet. The trio resumed their flight.

"Quickly now! We must not get caught this time. The barkboat is only a short distance away," said Thonavar, his voice urgent. He broke into a run and his speed increased drastically.

The years of running from Alexis and his gang had allowed him to develop a natural speed and agility that few possessed. He hurtled over a fallen log and skidded comfortably down a leafy slope. Behind him, Chaeron and Lyla struggled not to lose sight of him.

Suddenly, the night was pierced with a shout of anger and a growl of frustration. It had come from behind them.

Gargan and the two boys with him are close. They will soon catch up to us.

"They are coming," said Chaeron nervously. He increased his speed and caught up with Lyla. "I do not wish to see that boy, Gargan."

"Then make haste," said Thonavar, between breaths. "For they will come with a vengeance. Look! We are almost there," said Thonavar, pointing to a line of familiar looking trees with thick spiraling roots that went down into the ground, spreading across the stream’s bank into the water.

Suddenly, another shout pierced the night. This time it sounded very close to where they were. As he ran, Thonavar risked a quick glance down the path behind them. His sharp eyes made out the swaying of trees and parting of bushes as his pursuers came from behind.

Gargan was gaining on them!

Lyla and Chaeron both increased their pace and found themselves almost directly behind Thonavar who was running like the wind in front of them.

"There they are! I can see them," shouted an all too familiar voice from behind. Thonavar increased his speed once again and to Lyla and Chaeron’s astonishment, he accelerated easily ahead of them, putting more and more distance between them. Daring another glance behind, Thonavar saw Gargan and the two boys just run out from behind a bend allowing them full visibility of the entire stretch of the bank. Thonavar, Lyla and Chaeron were now fully exposed.

Gargan and his gang were just behind them!

Thonavar was first to the tree under which they had left the bark-boat wedged between its overhanging spiraling roots. Leaping from the edge of the river bank into the shallow water, he waded quickly to where the barkboat was parked. Fear gripped his heart when for a moment he could not locate it. Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself, allowing a few seconds for his eyes to adjust to the darkness.

There!

His eyes picked out a long and wide dark flat shape admist the thick roots. He seized the bark and pulled it but it remained stuck between the roots.

Lyla and Chaeron arrived next, splashing into the water beside Thonavar. They were each panting heavily and Thonavar could see the desperation in their eyes.

"Help me," whispered Thonavar. "The barkboat will not budge. I think it is stuck!"

Working furiously, they sought to dislodge the bark from the overhanging roots.

"Where are they? Find them!" Thonavar heard someone shout from behind. Gargan was close now.

Thonavar put a finger to his lips and signaled for them to remain silent as they worked so as not to alert Gargan to their position.

With final tug, the trio pulled the barkboat free and pushed it out into open water. But the barkboat came free with a small splash and for a moment no one moved, fearing that the noise would be heard by Gargan and his friends.

Then Thonavar broke the stillness and gestured for Lyla to first to climb aboard. Then together with Chaeron, they pushed the barkboat from the bank. The barkboat slowly gained in speed as it moved out into the open water. Chaeron grabbed Lyla’s outstretched hand and he was pulled on board quickly. The barkboat sank slightly under their combined weight. But Thonavar was lagging slightly behind, having thrown Chaeron forward. Another small splash followed.

"Thonavar! Quickly." Lyla whispered frantically. Lyla and Chaeron grabbed Thonavar and pulled him aboard the barkboat just in time to see an angry figure burst out from the forest and onto the edge of the riverbank.

"Did you hear that? It sounded like it came from the water!" Thonavar heard one of the boys say aloud.

"They must have hidden their little boat somewhere here! Those little bastards."

There was a shout and a rustling of leaves and bushes as Gargan emerged onto the bank. Thonavar saw him peering out into the dark waters of the stream, searching desperately for any sign of the trio. But the darkness was thick and Thonavar knew that he could not see past the waters of the bank.

"I will find you little demon!" Gargan shouted over the dark waters, his voice travelling far and wide. "And when I do, I will end you!"

Then the river turned around a bend and Thonavar, Chaeron and Lyla were whisked away by the fast-moving waters.