Authors: Alaina Stanford
Hopper hit the grass with a grunt of frustration, "I'm telling you Nicole, he doesn't like me!"
"Nonsense, Hopper, he's just testing you. Give it one more
try
.
This time, hold
on with those long legs of yours; take control, don't let him push you around." Nicole offered smiling brightly at him from atop of the speckled gray stallion.
"Maybe I should test my club on its stubborn skull." Hopper muttered,
approaching
the large black stallion with a deep growl.
"That's the spirit." Jack called to him as he mounted a young tan mare and stuffed his broadsword into the narrow sheath attached to the saddle. "Give him one of your
famous upper cuts, Hopper. Let's see how he likes it."
"He'll do no such thing? Sarah called out as she struggled to mount on top a small white mare. "You can do it Todd, squeeze him with your legs. That's how you can hold on."
"Maybe Sarah could zap him just a little." Jack teased.
"Now that's an idea." Hopper turned to smile at the tall beauty as he grabbed hold of Wind
’s
black mane.
"With my luck I’d turn him into a buffalo." Sarah laughed.
"Now that’s the best idea yet.
"
Jack added, bracing himself as Hopper climbed on top of the stallion again
.
"If he can't stay on this time, I say we have buffalo steaks for supper."
"You could make an instant enemy with a comment like that, Barbarian." Nicole
Answered her smile vanishing.
"Pardon me, Wind, you old blow hard!" Jack rolled his eyes. "I believe my partner’s forgotten about that black fun coat she has hidden at the rear of her closet back in St. Louis. Suddenly she's become quite the animal activist and now apparently a vegetarian to boot."
“That's it Hopper, now use the reins to guide him.” Nicole said concentrating on Todd and ignoring Jack.
Hopper's massive legs hung just far enough below the stallion's belly to allow him
to latch his feet together
.
With this accomplished there was no dislodging him.
The
stallion
quickly ceased its resistance and allowed the huge troll to steer him back toward the others.
"Does he have the same effect on you in that position, S
arah?"
Nicole grinned wickedly as Sarah blushed more.
deeply
than her crimson locks.
"Which way wizard?
"
Jack quickly interceded before Hopper had a chance to
respond
.
"The map shows the mountains running along the southern border of the village." Sarah answered, quietly. "There's a creek that dumps into the river near the base of the mountain. That's where our first goal is." Sarah urged her horse closer to Hopper, "Nicole, fix the front of your vest before anything pops out and shocks us all."
The elf's laughter filled the small patch of woods as Nicole turned her horse
toward
the south and led the way.
"Who’s riding shotgun?" Hopper called after the others as they fell in line behind
Nicole.
"Looks like you have that honor." Nicole called back to him, her sultry voice
echoing
through the trees.
"Good idea, Hopper." Jack added. "That Inn Keeper turned to jelly at the sight of you. It's probably best that you stay hidden."
"Okay I'll hang back a bit. But if things get hairy, I'm coming in." Hopper glanced at Sarah's disappearing form. "Keep an eye on her Jack. I
don't
want her to miss
out
on this adventure."
"Don't worry, Todd nothing's going to happen." Sarah called back to them.
A pair of dark blue eyes stared silently from the brush beside Sarah. The silent lithe figure moved swiftly back into the shadows of the forest to disappear unnoticed by the adventurers.
The small group of cheerful explorers traveled several miles through the forest before coming to a narrow road. The beaten dirt path led them swiftly toward the mountains. Nicole began to sing a soft, haunting melody in a strangely compelling language no one understood. Shortly afterward, the animals began to appear. The others noticed the small creatures of the forest pausing a short distance from the narrow trail, watching them as they passed. As they pushed deeper into the wilderness, the animals grew bolder, approaching the trail yet staying just out of reach. Nicole began to halt their procession as a deer or small ground creature appeared to greet them. Cooing softly, she would bring them near. Dismounting, Nicole would kneel and reach out to them. Nearly all responded, coming to her side to be
caressed
and fussed over.
'Nicole, I'm thrilled you're making new friends." Jack groaned, as she stopped for
yet another animal embrace
.
"But I think I can speak for the others when I say 'cut it out!'
You’re
driving me crazy!''
"
l'm
sorry if my conversations with these simple beasts has annoyed you,
Barbarian, but they've guided us toward our destination." Nicole answered softly then casually leapt back onto her horse allowing the small red fox to run back into the brush.
"They've been talking to you?" Hoppers deep voice carried through the trees.
smiled
softly at him.
"Is there any possible way to get directions without dismounting?" Jack countered,
frowning
at Hopper.
"That would be rude." Nicole replied and sent her horse into a gallop down the
path
.
Sarah suppressed a grin as they followed the impish elf deeper into the forest.
The trees grew to immense proportions and the thicket
more dense
, filling the forest with
deep shadows
.
Hopper moved forward, wanting to be closer to Sarah under the darkness
of
the giant trees.
"It smells like rain
We
should keep our eyes open for a safe place to wait out a
the downpour.
”
Hopper announced, searching the dense canopy of overhead for any sign of the sky.
"Let's keep going." Jack countered. "The sky was clear the last time I caught a
glimpse of it
.
Besides you can't smell rain until after it falls, Hopper."
"I'm telling you, I smell rain." Hopper glared at Jack's broad shouldered back.
"It's not rain." Nicole called back to them. "We've reached the river."
Glancing ahead Jack could see a break in the trees showing only a clear blue sky. He asked
, "
Are you sure?"
"We're on a bluff.” Nicole moved her horse aside, allowing Jack a view of the
large cliff that overlooked a wide river winding through the forest
.
"I'm afraid the trail’s
washed away.
"
She added motioning to the side of the incline. A hint of what was
once
a sloping trail dropped off into a mess of dirt and rock near the center of the de
s
cent.
"It's steep, but I think we can make it." Jack declared as he urged his horse closer to the edge. "I'll go first, when I'm down, follow me one at a time." He called over his
shoulder
and headed down the slope toward the sandy base near the edge of the river.
The trail pitched severely at the far edge of the bluff. Jack urged his horse over the edge and the mare began a controlled slide down to the base.
The
loose dirt was soft and unstable. Reaching the base he called up to Nicole
.
"Stay away from the inside edge
. The cliffs giving way."
Without hesitation, Nicole urged her stallion forward and down the slope. Sarah
and Hopper followed without incident
.
Moving upstream along the rocky edge of the river the small group rode in silence
.
Four pairs of eyes searched the distance in
anticipation
.
Nicole was the first to
hear the roar of the massive waterfall where several creeks fed into the river. The adventurers moved into the trees and approached from the cover of the forest. They cleared the trees and stood in awe at the beauty of the scene.
Three separate streams dumped into a pool at the top of the falls. The water cascaded over a wide glittering white rock bank framed by layers of dense fern-like ivy filled with large blossoms of purple and burgundy flowers. The waterfall was not part of the main channel of the river. Instead was part of the joining of yet another smaller channel that dumped into the river at a sharp angle. The massive boulders surrounding the edge and the base of the falls caused a large deep pool of foaming water that bubbled over into the mainstream. The falls were not of massive height but the wide rocky cliff
was varied
such that it caused a deafening roar as the swiftly moving water pounded into the surface of the many tiers of staggered boulders.
"This is incredible!" Hopper bellowed, barely audible over the roar of the falls. "It looks too good to be real." He smiled gleefully and jumped off his horse to examine the
structure
more closely.
Nicole slid off her stallion and headed toward the far edge of the boulders near
the base of the falls
.
"It's solid, I can't see any opening behind the falls.
"
She yelled to no
one
in particular.
Jack appeared next to her stuffing his sword in his belt. "It must be on the other
side.
"
He turned and waved Hopper and Sarah near.
"How do we get across?" Hopper frowned, taking in the depth of the bubbling
pool
.
It looks to be at least 30 feet deep here and the current is something we don’t want to deal with."
"We could go upstream along this smaller river and see if there’s a shallow area
to cross.
"
Sarah offered.
"All right, you stay here and keep looking I'll head upstream." Jack ordered,
heading
for his horse.
"Who decided you were in charge?" Nicole challenged showing a part of her
old personality since they arrived
.
"I don't think we should separate. What if we're attacked?"
"I thought you loved to fight." Jack answered, without looking back.
“I do and I'm good at it.” Nicole grinned, "But Strong said to stay together
. "
"Well then . . . are you coming?" Jack mounted and urged his horse toward the
river
bend.
“Hopper?
"
Nicole looked at him expectantly.
"We'll be fine."
With that, Nicole whistled for the speckled stallion, leaped onto its back and raced after Jack.
Jack searched the trees for signs of the Elf Warriors as they reached a wide the turn in the river. Just ahead was a wide area where the river slowed. It looked fairly manageable
.
Nicole caught up to Jack as he entered the river. She tapped him on the shoulder and motioned toward a small patch of writhing water. "Water Moccasins, best to stay clear of them
. "
Jack's eyes narrowed as he realized her suggestion was a bit too late. The current moved more rapidly than he expected and it was carrying the snakes directly at them. "Move!
"
He shouted as Nicole drove her horse into the water ahead of him
.
Jack urged his mare into the deep water near the center of the stream. The horses slowed, as they struggled to swim against the strong current. Glancing over his shoulder, Jack drew his sword. They
weren't
going to make it.
Suddenly, Nicole reined her horse and pushed behind him.
"Keep moving," She ordered, placing herself between Jack and the snakes. She 'began to sing a slightly different version of the same haunting melody she sang to the forest creatures.
"I don't think elves are snake charmers." Jack said as he reached back to grab the
reins of her horse
.
Ignoring him, she continued to sing. The snakes went limp in the