ISOF (25 page)

The track meandered downwards, passing between tall rocky outcrops interspersed with trees whose branches bowed earthwards, seemingly intent on punishing anyone who passed by.

The group travelled in silence, each wondering what lay ahead and why. Mak was, again, the first one to call for a rest.

‘Strewth!' he groaned sitting on the nearest rock and massaging his feet. ‘I need a breather and I need it now.'

As one the rest of the group found a fragment of sheltering shade and sat in its comfort. An age passed and the sun began to tire of expending so much energy before anyone spoke. Eventually, Ben took a deep breath and decided to introduce the girl.

‘Thought I'd better introduce our female friend,' he said with a gesture of his hand. ‘Gentlemen, this is Alisha. There's nothing more to tell except that she's very pleased to be in our company rather than that of those three loveless creatures back there.'

Alisha smiled at everyone.

‘Thanks for letting me tag along,' she smiled. ‘I'd grown rather tired of my surroundings.'

For the first time in a long time the group laughed freely. Recent memories were pushed into lost rooms, never to be brought into open thought. With a huge grin, Alisha withdrew the bell that had once hung by the lakeside from within her jerkin.

‘A gift,' she quipped.

‘Why have you brought that with you?' asked Noj seriously.

Alisha shrugged.

‘It seemed like a good idea,' she said lightly. Replacing the bell inside her jerkin, Alisha smiled at the rest of the group. ‘Ready?' she enquired of the group.

The descent to the valley floor was more arduous than hazardous. Several times the group stopped to ease their aches and allow their breathing to return to a more normal rate. At each stop they looked across the valley to what was quickly becoming identifiable as a sprawling mass of buildings.

As the group emerged from the mountainside and stood once more on level ground, it was immediately evident that the motley collection of buildings had no distinguishing features or collective style that would have allowed it to be referred to as a city. It would have been difficult to call it a town except that the buildings appeared to spread themselves across every possible scrap of land that was of sufficient size to accommodate four walls and a roof, irrespective of size.

Approaching the outskirts, the group could see that a crude wall had been erected around the perimeter of the assorted buildings. Over the whole area sat a grey pallor that was reflected from every surface. Occasionally, a shred of some indistinct, coloured material could be seen fluttering from a window as the breeze toyed with anything in its path. A short distance from the wall hung the evidence of the playful breeze as various pieces of fabric and paper hung like Christmas tree decorations from branches in the nearby forest.

Emerging from several areas of the forest were paths that coalesced into one large, single pathway leading directly to a gateway within the wall. Noj gestured to the group to stay hidden within the relative anonymity provided at the edge of the forest. He nodded at the wall.

‘I've heard of this place,' he said coldly. ‘We know it as Janring. It used to be a splendid place, a meeting point of all that was beautiful and bountiful of this once proud land.'

Noj looked icily at the buildings and everything contained within the wall. His eyes flickered as he absorbed what Janring had now become. He turned to the rest of the group.

‘It is now the seat of power for the Jaresh whose name for this place is unpronounceable by most human tongues.' He lifted his mouth to the sky and emitted a hideous, gargled sound. ‘
Jarrrrkaargheshka
!'

‘I thought you said…'

‘No Ben,' replied Noj. ‘I said that
most
humans couldn't pronounce it.'

‘Whatever,' Ben grinned. ‘It sounded horrendous anyway.'

A sadness passed over Noj's face. His whole body seemed to sag, as if a huge weight had suddenly come to rest on his shoulders. He gave a wan smile.

‘The fact that the Jaresh are here is horrendous,' said Noj quietly. ‘Their invasion of our land is a horror that is almost beyond comprehension.' He stood silently for a moment. His eyes not seeing what was before him but some distant event that drifted just beneath the surface of his existence. Noj shook his head. ‘I cannot begin to explain how things have come to be. All I can offer is my strength and determination to rid this land of the evil that has congealed over the people.'

‘Heavy,' said Ben. ‘I think the same about school.'

The rest of the group looked at Ben as if, once again, he'd spoken in some strange, obscure language. Their staring faces unnerved Ben.

‘What?' he asked, raising his shoulders in mock surprise.

Noj shook is head.

‘No matter,' he said with finality. ‘We must turn our thoughts to Janring and how we can enter without drawing attention to ourselves.'

From the edge of the forest, the group watched a steady stream of people emerging from the various paths that meandered through the trees and converged on the main road.

The people on the road comprised a motley collection of hawkers, beggars, craftsmen, merchants interspersed with folk intent on finding a bargain amongst the assorted traders already gathered with the walls.

Either side of the main gate stood imposing Jaresh guards. The sheer mass of muscle, combined with their less than attractive features, made for a fearful encounter.

Noj nudged Trep.

Think we'd blend in with that lot?' he said indicating the assorted travellers.

‘Why not?' answered Trep. ‘We're certainly odd enough.'

The group's laughter betrayed just how nervous everyone felt about trying to pass through the gate.

‘What's our cover story?' enquired Ben. ‘You know, just in case we get stopped and asked what we're doing.'

‘The same as those other folk,' replied Mak coldly. ‘We're shopping.'

Ben pulled a face and, before he could make any sort of reply that would antagonise Mak, Noj placed a restraining hand on his arm.

‘We don't look like shoppers,' said Noj thoughtfully. ‘But we do look like travellers so why don't we be just that, a group of friends from a small village come to see what life is like in the great Janring.'

‘Suits me,' said Alisha firmly. ‘Can we just get on with it, whatever that is?'

‘That's a good question,' said Mak looking sharply at Noj. ‘But what is it precisely that we are meant to do here?'

‘You of all people need to ask?' replied Noj.

Sensing the awkwardness that was threatening to consume Mak, Alisha clapped her hands together.

‘Well,' she said over-loudly. ‘Firstly, I want to find out who abducted me, and why. Secondly,' she said as a tear began to form. ‘I just want to go home.'

‘Sounds like a plan to me,' grinned Ben. ‘That's what I want too. Well,' he grinned. ‘Not the abduction bit, just the home part.'

‘Good grief,' groaned Trep. ‘Preserve us from the banal utterances of the dim-witted.'

‘I think,' coughed Noj. ‘If we are stopped, we'll stick to the rural visitor story.'

‘Country bumpkin,' quipped Ben.

Alisha tapped him on the nose.

‘Idiot,' she laughed. ‘I suggest you keep your mouth shut and your eyes open.'

‘Best bit of advice he's been given for ages,' said Trep.

Noj began to usher them towards the path.

‘Whatever you do, try not to look nervous and, no matter what,' he looked firmly at Ben. ‘Don't stare at the Jaresh guards.'

The group filtered into the ragged queue as it slowly made its way toward the gate. Occasionally, one of the Jaresh guards would select somebody at random from the line and pull them to one side, where the unfortunate person would stand shaking and staring around with fearful eyes. As they drew level with the guards, the group could almost feel the intensity of the Jaresh gaze penetrating their thoughts.

As the queue shuffled forward, Noj traced the outline of his walking stick with nervous fingers. Just behind him, Trep adjusted the buttons on his cloak while Mak twirled strands of his hair nervously. The muscles at the back of Ben's neck felt rigid. Ramming his hands deep into the pockets of his cloak, he drew level with one of the guards.

‘You!' gargled a shrill voice.

Ben felt his cloak dragged almost off his back as the guard tugged him off his feet. Fear gripped Ben's mouth as the guard pushed him to his knees. As if in mocking, a bracelet of teeth swung into his vision. Ben shuddered. Noj's voice sounded above Ben's head.

‘He's with us'.

‘Where are you from?' questioned the guard.

‘All over the place,' replied Noj. ‘We're a group of friends from a small village distant.' He indicated in the vague direction of the forest. ‘We've never been to Janring before and we decided see for ourselves what a great place it is.'

The guard lowered Ben to the ground.

‘Are you certain he's with you? He doesn't seem able to speak?' the guard laughed at his own joke.

Trep quickly stood by Noj's side and, pointing at Ben, tapped the side of his own head.

‘A few tiles short of a roof,' he said, continuing to tap his head. ‘He doesn't get out much so we brought him along.' Trep moved closer to the guard. ‘Gives his aged mum a rest,' he whispered.

The sound of the two guards laughing caused a slither of cold fear to creep along Ben's spine. Noj grinned in agreement. He nodded to the guard who still had hold of Ben's collar.

‘Know anywhere that might put us up for the night?'

The two guards exchanged looks.

‘Might,' smirked the guard who had his hands free.

The other guard jerked Ben upright.

‘We don't take kindly to layabouts or simpletons.'

Trep licked his lips nervously.

‘Might you let us know where we could find these lodgings?'

The two guards winked at each other. The first guard smoothed Ben's collar while the other guard tapped the side of his nose.

‘It might be worth our while telling you, there again, it might not.'

‘There's a huge diamond in the pocket of my cloak,' said Ben desperately.

Instantly, the guard thrust his hand inside the pocket of Ben's cloak. With a snarl of annoyance, the guard withdrew his hand and began to explore the other pocket. When this produced nothing, the guard snatched at every fold of the cloak in his search for another pocket containing the diamond. After a few frustrating moments, the guard pushed Ben to the ground and stood towering over him.

‘Are you trying to make fun of us?' he shrilled angrily.

Noj stepped in front of the guard and held his hands out in front of him.

‘I'm really sorry,' he jerked his head at Ben. ‘When he does trouble himself to speak it is often better not to take what he says as anything resembling the truth.' He winked at Ben. ‘As we said, not quite complete,' he grinned tapping the side of his head again.'

Noj thrust a hand into his pocket and then held his open palm for both guards to see. With a grunt the guards each picked at some small objects from Noj's hand and nodded.

‘That's more like it,' snarled the guard who stood over Ben. He jerked his head towards a narrow alleyway. ‘Try the Newt and Garter inn, over by the library. They usually have something available for cheapskates.'

The guard laughed and pushed Ben forward. The group quickly walked through the gate and towards the alleyway. Once they were out of sight of the guards, Ben rounded on the rest of the group.

‘Thanks a bunch!' he said with more annoyance than anger. ‘So, I'm a dimwit who tells exaggerated stories am I?'

‘If you say so,' winked Alisha.

The group chuckled with relief as they walked into the embrace of the passageway. For a few minutes they walked in silence, each feeling comforted by the presence of the tall buildings either side of them but also having a sense of apprehension. None of them knew what lay before them and nobody could say with any certainty what their own particular role was to be while they were in Janring. Eventually, not being able to contain his curiosity any longer, Mak tapped Noj on the shoulder.

‘What did you give them that made such a difference to their manner?'

Noj winked and held out his hand where a few pale seeds lay.

‘They look remarkably like teeth until they get wet and then little green shoots appear.' He grinned broadly. ‘Those two guards will get quite a shock when the 'teeth' on their bracelets suddenly begin sprouting.'

Smiling now, the group walked along the narrow streets, where houses appeared to have been built wherever the builders had stopped before they had either tired of carrying the building materials or stopped for a tea break.

It was soon apparent that there existed a haphazard layout to the streets, which resembled the spokes of a bicycle wheel with each spoke leading to a central hub. This was very quickly evident by an increase in the number of people who busily jostled each other as they converged on the central hub of buildings.

After exploring several streets, the group took refuge in an archway. Ben rubbed his arms.

‘I haven't been bumped and bashed around so much since the school jumble sale.'

Their eyebrows raised in question, the others rubbed their arms and legs as the whole population of Janring seemed to rush past the travellers resting place.

‘This is ludicrous,' snarled Mak. ‘We need to find somewhere safe to stay as quickly as possible.'

Noj agreed.

‘And the sooner the better I say. Any more collisions and the only resting place we'll need is a bed in the local hospital. If they have such a thing,' he added tersely.

Trep' s shoulders sagged and he sighed.