Chapter Six  

How could I let Grishma take her? Why didn’t I take her home last night when I had the chance? I wanted to keep her here longer, that’s why! Damn it! I’m so selfish!

After the attack, it took awhile to peel himself off the ground. To say he was feeling dejected was the understatement of the year.

Okay, get it together damn it! You have got to find her! Ryder turned and sprinted back to the caves. He needed to pick up some supplies and most importantly, his father’s sword. Find the tracks, get the girl, and kill Grishma. It became his mantra and he repeated it as he emerged from the caves and back into the forest.

Breaking into a sprint, vibrant shades of green whizzed by his face. Even at this breakneck speed, the beauty of Necoh never ceased to amaze him. Vivid red and indigo lera berries dotted bushes. Brilliant chartreuseflowers shot out of the mossy earth.

Sweat poured down his face and dripped down his back. His shirt clung to his body, revealing long, lean muscles. Exhaustion swept him like a strong breeze on a still day. Giving up wasn’t an option. No matter how tired he got, he had to press on.

What the hell does Grishma want with her? Is it taking her to Bastu? The thought of the notorious stronghold made Ryder’s stomach sink and his breath quicken.

Pushing through the thick brush felt like walking through wet cement. Each step was heavy and strenuous.

Ahhh! Frustration began to mount to dangerous levels the third time he had to retrace his path back through the brush to find Grishma’s footsteps.

By dusk, Ryder approached the banks of the Swive River.

What happened?

Switching from purposeful, Grishma’s tracks suddenly appeared frantic. Looking around the muddy riverbank, Ryder saw strange marks and a second pair of tracks.

Panic washed over Ryder. She must have jumped into the water to get away from Grishma.

For the second time in only a few hours, Ryder’s heart sank. Rumors swirled that the notorious Swive River had taken hundreds of lives every year. An outsider like Brooklyn would have never survived, especially when even the supersized, terrifying Grishma even trembled at the river’s gruesome flow.

If Brooklyn threw herself in to escape Grishma, what were the chances she survived? If she did, how far down the river did she get?

Ryder rarely traveled down the riverbanks of the Swive. He knew the risks and they almost always outweighed the opportunities provided further downstream. 

Ryder tripped over a root coming out of the soft ground, which caused him to lose his balance and his mental composure.

This is impossible! I’m never going to find her tonight. I can’t even see my own feet, let alone Grishma’s tracks!

He leaned against a nearby tree and ran his hands through his damp hair. Exhaustion was overtaking his will to stay awake. He needed to find a shelter and quickly. Grishma wasn’t the only creature in these woods to fear.

The beautiful twirling twitter of the giggy bird and the faint light from the rising sun woke Ryder from a restless sleep. Shaking the fog from his head and looking around the unfamiliar scenery caused a momentary panic to wash across his body.

Looking at his surroundings and seeing his father’s sword caused a flood of memories and urged him to sit straight up in his makeshift shelter.

Come on, Ryder! Get going! He gathered his supplies, pushed off the large sur leaves he had draped over this shelter the previous night, and began crawling through the low-lying branches and out into the open.

The tracks were easy to find once he made his way back to the riverbank. Brooklyn’s sliding body was clearly marked, as were Grishma’s frantic attempts to snatch her up before she plunged into the dark, swirling water.

Grishma must have followed her downstream from here. Did she get out on the other side of the river? That would be her only chance to escape. Even Grishma wouldn’t attempt to swim across the Swive River. Dread filled his thoughts. What if Grishma made it to the bridge on the outskirts of the city walls and doubled back to come find her?

Reaching the bridge would take at least three more days at the current pace. Grishma would make it there in less than two and she already had a head start.

He forced the terrifying thoughts out of his mind and started to follow Grishma’s tracks down the bank.

Breathing heavily as he sprinted along the never-ending river, he never lost site of Grishma’s grotesque tracks. The beast’s horrendous smell still hung in the air, which caused bile to creep up the back of his throat.

Suddenly, a small stumpy figure covered in thick brown mud jutted out in front of his path. Ryder collided with the creature at full speed, which caused them both to fall to the ground.

“HEY! Watch what you’re doing!” screamed the orvba in a shrill voice. 

“Excuse me? Have you lost your mind? If so, let me refresh your memory. YOU ran out in front of ME!”

The orvba pulled himself to his feet. “Doubtful young man. What are you doing running so fast down this river line, anyway? Are you trying to draw attention to yourself?”

“Look, I’m not the one covered in mud crouching alongside the river!”

“These are times when it’s best not to be seen, lad. Speaking of which, I repeat, are you trying to draw attention to yourself by sprinting down the Swive River?”

Not wanting to divulge too much information, Ryder stood up slowly and answered, “No, no, I’m not. I’m just trying to find something.” 

“Well, you best be careful. There was a Nalun attack yesterday and a Grishma sighting.”

“What? Yesterday?” A new wave of fear washed over Ryder. “Where? Here?”

The orvba’s eyes widened and he nodded as he spoke. “Yes, my brother Cridifer saw it with his own two eyes. The beast attacked a girl just upstream from here. Amazingly, she got away and climbed out onto the pier! Can you believe it? I’ve never heard of a Necohian surviving a Nalun attack!”

Relief swept across him like the forceful waters of the Swive washing over the riverbed. “What about Grishma? Was it in the river as well?”

“Oh no, no, Grishma is just as scared of the Swive River as the rest of us! It took off that way,” he said, pointing downriver toward the bridge and the city walls.

“The girl who survived the attack — what did she look like?”

“Ah, well that’s the thing. Cridifer said she looked just like the missing princess. In fact, he swore up and down that it was she, but I’m just not sure. Why in all of Necoh would the missing princess suddenly show up in the jaws of a Nalun? Perhaps he had been drinking fermented lera berry juice again.”

“Wait, the missing who?”

“Princess Sophie, the missing princess of Sumner! King Debnor’s daughter? She’s been missing for ages!”

Ryder just looked at him. “Do you have sur leaves between your ears, boy? Haven’t you noticed any of the signs around town or in the woods? Her picture is on every single one of them!”

“It is?”

The orvba straightened. “Yes, of course it is! The King is willing to do anything to get his beloved daughter back! He even offered a reward!”

“Oh yeah? What is it?”

“Well, whoever brings the missing princess home will get to live in peace and comfort in one of the King’s estates for the rest of their life. Can you imagine? Never having to worry about where you’re going to find dinner or if you have somewhere safe to sleep at night! Now that’s the life!”

Ryder pondered this new information and decided to play along. “Wow, yeah, that would be really nice.”

The stout orvba took a step closer to Ryder and extended his hand. “By the way, my name is Pidifer. I believe we skipped the formal introductions earlier.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Pidifer. My name is Ryder and I’m sorry for running into you.”

“Listen, Ryder, you seem like an honorable young man. Any chance you would put searching for your lost item on hold to help me and my brother track down Princess Sophie? We could really use someone of a larger stature and it appears you have come prepared,” Pidifer said, looking directly at the gleaming sword hanging from Ryder’s waist.

“Track her down? I thought you said you didn’t think it was her in the water?”

“Well, my brother may be wrong and Grishma might kill us for our mistake, but we can’t pass up the opportunity to live the rest of our lives being treated like royalty. What do you say? Will you join us?”

What if they find Brooklyn before I do and turn her over to the King by mistake? Then I’ll never get her back! If my memory serves me right, the orvba were once renowned seafaring creatures. Maybe they have a craft to travel the water in? If we could get to the other side of the river before Grishma, I could actually save Brooklyn and bring her home!

“Wow,” Ryder replied acting genuinely surprised. “I would be honored to join you!”

Before he could reply, the bushes behind Pidifer began to shake. Adrenaline shot through Ryder’s veins and his instincts took over. He unsheathed his sword and stood waiting to confront the intruder.

“It’s just me, Cridifer! Please don’t hurt me!” said a slightly rounder version of Pidifer, who was also covered from head to toe in mud as he stepped through the bushes.

“What are you doing sneaking around, brother? You nearly were split in two by our new friend, Ryder!”

“I’m sorry. I thought you were in danger, so I snuck up to save you,” the little creature replied as he puffed out his chubby chest.

“No, brother, he’ll be joining us on our quest to find the Princess,” Pidifer explained.

“Oh, well, I guess we could use someone who knows how to use a sword. Probably much safer, yes? Much safer that way,” replied Cridifer.

“I’ll do my best to protect our group as we search for Princess Sophie. Now tell me, besides the bridge, do either of you know a way we could cross the river? If we are going to beat Grishma to the Princess, we must find a quicker way to get to the other side of the Swive.”

The mud-covered brothers looked at one another, then at Ryder. “Well, we were actually planning to cross on that,” Cridifer said pointing to a raft half hidden in the nearby brush.

Pidifer pulled the craft into the opening and allowed Ryder to examine their craftsmanship.

As Ryder looked over the small vessel, Cridifer interjected, “Our father taught us how to build vessels that floated on any water, even the treacherous Swive River.”

“You have done a fine job,” praised Ryder.

The two orvbas smiled proudly and puffed out their furry chests.

Cridifer continued, “We plan to cross at dusk, that’s when the Nalun is least active, but first, you must cover yourself as we have.”

Ryder was perplexed. “With mud? Why?”

“If we’re going to cross, it’s best to look like a floating tree covered in mud, not two orvbas and a you,” teased Pidifer.

Ryder smiled. “Ah, good point, I’m glad you two planned this and not me!”

“We have a few hours before we depart. Ryder, go find some mud and roll around in it, and don’t forget to cover your face! We’ll work on dinner. Come on, Cridifer!”

As the two orvba scurried off, Ryder walked to the edge of the water to find some mud.

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