Chapter 5
Chapter Five
As soon as the groundcar was safely parked, they exited the vehicle, Hagan belting the blaster at his hip again immediately.
He pulled on his socks and boots while Amellia pulled a few necessary items from the go bag.
By the time he’d fastened his footwear, she was ready to go.
“I’ll take the lead,” she said. “I’ve got the co-ordinates on my handheld. ”
Following the holo markers her device projected for her, Amellia headed into the dense forest, reassured by Hagan’s bulk at her back. They wove through the trees for a good ten minutes before arriving at the edge of a clearing. Hagan prevented her from stepping into the open.
“We’re going to be exposed out there while we dig. One of us needs to stand guard while the other brings up the root knot we need.”
“I don’t disagree but let’s find the damn things first.” Amellia walked away from the sheltering canopy of branches and headed for the closest mandrajoo tree, which was a towering giant.
“This one should have root knots galore, judging by its size and health. It won’t miss one.
” She went to the base of the trunk while Hagan stood guard.
Tracing a big root from the spot where it led away from the base of the tree, she stopped after a yard or two.
“Try here maybe?” Unslinging her backpack, she said, “I brought the excavation tool from your go bag.”
He handed her the blaster and knelt on the mossy ground at the spot she indicated.
Running one hand over the surface, he said, “I’ll dig myself but the tool will be useful for cutting the knot from the rest of the root.
” Deploying his talons, Hagan dug into the turf, carving giant gashes with each stroke. “A foot or two deep you said, right?”
Scanning the perimeter of the glade and feeling exposed, as Hagan had pointed out they were, Amellia nodded.
“And hurry it up. This place is spooky at night.” The trees loomed over her, branches shifting and rustling as if about to snatch her up and there were concerning noises in the underbrush all around. “I think we may have company.”
Coming to his feet in one smooth motion, he checked out the situation. “I don’t sense any other humanoids.”
“Animals probably. These woods are protected so there’s quite a healthy population of predators.”
When he knelt to continue the digging, there was an unearthly howl from the depths of the forest. Fortunately the sound seemed far away to Amellia but she clutched the blaster more tightly.
There had been a legend the root knots would scream when anyone tried to remove them and this was close enough to the old folklore to be unsettling.
As Hagan carried out his task with high energy, she heard more howling.
The animal voices ululated as if mourning a loss and she took note of the fact there was now more than one. “A pack,” she said out loud.
“Tell me again what kind of creatures roam this forest?” He didn’t look up from the hole he’d dug but his voice was tense.
“I mean, there are gunnaks, which I think the closest term in Basic would be bears and then there are packs of ninighants, or wolves. The vocalizations do sound canine, don’t they?”
He grunted and changed position. “I’ve found a knot, I think. I’ll have to proceed with more delicacy to avoid ruining it in any way.” She leaned over to get a better look and saw a portion of a strangely shaped, gleaming white root.
“Like a faceless doll,” she said, repulsed. All her life she’d had a phobia about anything lacking distinct facial features.
Hagan worked with the excavating tool, attempting to cut the knot free from the larger root. Finally he swore a long and lurid oath in his own language and tossed the tool aside. As Amellia stared, he tore at the root with his claws. “The damn thing reseals itself almost immediately.”
“I can’t believe it,” she said. “What kind of a plant does that?”
He made a grand gesture of invitation, eyes gleaming in the beam of her handlamp. “See for yourself.”
“Let me try it.” She handed him the blaster and knelt beside the small hole, reaching for the tool.
Using the sharp edge like a knife, she sawed at the knot, picking a spot about three inches away from the extremities.
With a gasp she sat back as a stream of pure white light was revealed in the small cut she’d managed to make.
The illumination moved like water would, pulsing into the knot on one side and flowing out the other, into the bigger root system.
She had to take in these details fast because the root did indeed seal itself up again.
“There was nothing about this in the research I did.”
“Maybe it has to do with the curse but unless we can figure out a solution, we’re sunk.”
“Could we burn its connections to the tree with the blaster?” she asked.
Hagan gave his weapon a cursory once over. “It’s not a needler. I couldn’t make the beam narrow enough. I guess I can give it a try though but it’ll mean destroying a large section of root around the knot.”
Above them the tree shivered despite the lack of wind, needles falling on them in a shower of prickly impacts.
Placing her hand on the root knot as if to comfort the tree, Amellia said, “We won’t do that, I promise. We need this one knot, to break an evil curse.”
“Who are you talking to?” Hagan asked.
“The tree.” Catching his expression of utter disbelief, she added, “Hey, it’s no weirder than anything else about this night. We’re caught up in magic more powerful than I understood before.”
“And screwed.” His voice was flat. “We have to have the knot to give your aunt.”
“I know.” Amellia sank onto her heels and tried to come up with an idea.
As she fretted, she played with the bracelet Cheline had tied around her wrist, the one Hagan had picked for her and inspiration struck.
“I think we have to do this together.” As he regarded her, eyes narrowed, she went on.
“I had a task assigned to me alone and so did you but the whole point is we’re in this situation together, right? So the third task requires both of us.”
“You may be on to something.” His grudging agreement was overridden by another chorus of howls. “We may as well make the effort.”
They clasped hands and then awkwardly leaned over the root knot again, one on either side.
“Slide your free hand underneath,” she said, tunneling her fingers through the loose soil as she spoke.
Without hesitation Hagan transferred the blaster to his prehensile tail, which was clearly a move he’d made before and an instant later his fingers met hers below the root.
“Now lift,” she said. “I think the darn thing is coming loose.”
Using their joined hands they raised the knot away from the root to which it was attached.
At first there was resistance but then with an audible pop the growth released itself from the other vegetation and rose into the air on their palms as dirt dribbled away.
The root flared white like a small star for a blinding moment and then when Amellia could see again, she and Hagan were holding an ordinary piece of wood.
“Lords of Space, talk about uncanny.” She let Hagan balance the knot while she took a filmy scarf from her pocket and wrapped the precious talisman in the silken folds. Rising, she bowed to the tree. “Thank you for your generosity.”
“Now to get out of here.” Hagan had his blaster in his hand again and he took her elbow with his other.
With his tail he picked up the excavating tool and dropped it into the backpack, then looped his handy extra appendage through the handle of the bag and hefted it easily, bringing it through the air to Amellia.
“If you don’t mind. I think I’d better keep myself unencumbered in case we run into more trouble. ”
“Since you have the blaster, I agree.” Amellia pivoted to where they’d entered the grove and stropped abruptly with a gasp.
The way forward was blocked by three large canine-like animals, which she recognized as the ninighants she’d warned Hagan about.
The largest stood in the center, eyes gleaming red in the dark night and teeth bared.
Growling a challenge, the beast glared at them.
Amellia realized the entire glade was surrounded by the pack of these animals and her heart sank.
Hagan could never kill them all if the alpha decided to launch an attack.
He echoed her thoughts. “I’ll do my best but if they all come at us at once we’ll be overwhelmed. I’ll keep them busy but you have to promise me to run and don’t look back.”
“I’ll do no such thing—I’m not leaving you alone in a gallant last stand out of an action trideo.
Besides I need you to complete the ceremony with me at Cheline’s and save me from the curse.
” She made the last comment as lighthearted as she could.
Moving with excruciating care, she got the root knot out of the backpack and let the scarf drift to the ground.
She held it out toward the alpha, who was watching her with interest and no diminution of implied threat.
“The tree agreed to let us have this,” she said quietly.
“We need to be on our way or this gift will be for nothing.”
“Amellia—” Hagan sounded more tired than angry but he cut off whatever he was going to say as the lead wolf threw back its head and howled.
The cry sounded more like a command than anything else to Amellia and she hoped he was going to let them pass.
Next minute the alpha shook his head and stepped aside, crowding the other two animals out of the way. There was a narrow path between them and the trees. Amellia gulped and reached for Hagan’s hand. “I think we can go now.”
“I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen if myself,” he said, clasping her fingers tightly. “We’re not out of the literal woods yet.”