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Dal spat out the water, making Ria curl up with laughter. “What?” he asked.
“There is a plaque down here, mostly hidden by leaves.” Dal wandered over to take a look while Ria went to inform Tor of her discovery.
The two jugs they had been using were of different sizes. One would hold exactly 9 quarts of water and the other four. Their task was to pour 6 quarts of water down a hole in the plaque.
Tor called everyone together to discuss their latest task. The first thing they had to decide was whether it was genuine or not. There was no sign of a barrier or doorway and it had been hidden instead of in full view. The debate went on for a while, without a decision being reached. The main argument for tackling the problem was could they risk by-passing it? Would they end up stuck in the maze forever? The counter argument being was it really worth risking their lives on something that may not give them any gain?
It was River who made the decision for them. “We plan to wait here for Liselle and Torrick anyway, so why not spend the time trying to solve the problem. If we do not have a solution by the time they arrive, we then can decide whether to stick with it or not.”
An hour later, Torrick and Liselle walked into the clearing to find it full of frustrated people who were taking it in turns to stand next to, or in some cases in, the fountain and pour water from one jug into another, then back again; everyone getting very wet in the process. They stood staring at their companions in amazement. Nobody realised they had arrived until they heard Torrick speak. “What are you doing?”
Modo explained. “And you have been at this how long?” Torrick asked.
Modo ignored the question. “It gave us something to do while we waited for you.” He noticed that Torrick had hold of Liselle’s hand. “You made up I see,” he observed.
“We are going to try to make things work,” Torrick acknowledged. He looked towards Patrick as he added, “Provided nobody causes any problems.” Modo saw whom he was referring to and assured them both that Patrick would behave.
Torrick nodded before releasing his hold on Liselle. “I suppose I had better solve your puzzle for you.” He strode over to the fountain and took the two jugs from Tor’s hands. “Watch and learn.”
He held the smaller jug in his left hand and the larger in his right. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked over at him, listening intently, like a congregation during a priest’s sermon. He filled the small jug then raised his right hand followed, by the left. “Empty, four,” he said, indicating how much water was in each. He emptied the contents of the small jug into the large then refilled it. “Four, four.” He repeated the actions so the larger contained eight quarts and the smaller four. Next he used the smaller to fill the larger. “Nine, three. Agreed?”
So far, everyone had followed what he had done, so they all agreed. He emptied the large jug back into the fountain and poured the contents of the smaller one into it, before refilling the small one. “Three, four.” He repeated this to give him seven in one and four in the other. Half the contents of the small jug were used to completely fill the large. “Nine, two.” Once again he emptied the large jug and poured the two quarts from the smaller one into it. Refilling the smaller one for one last time he said “I now have two in one jug and four in the other. What do two and four make?”
They groaned rather than spoke the answer. Torrick had solved that way too quickly for their liking, and he had made it seem so easy. They all felt like complete idiots. Torrick had the good grace not to say anything more. He merely smiled broadly.
Tor was the first to congratulate him on solving the problem that had had the rest of them stumped. “Well done. As a prize for being so clever, you get to pour the water into the plaque.”
“Thanks,” Torrick replied dryly.
“And then you get to write it all down for any of Tor’s brothers that are yet to come along,” Sam added, smiling sweetly at him as she ignored his grimace.
He carried the larger jug over to the plaque and carefully poured its contents down the hole in the centre. The group collectively held their breath, but nothing happened.
“Well that was a complete waste of time,” Seth said, then jumped as the hedge behind him began to slowly move backwards, revealing a way through. Seth whistled. “I wonder if that is a short cut or the only route out of here.”
“Does it matter?” Sam asked.
“Not really I guess.” Seth shrugged.
“I wonder how long it will stay open for.” River enquired.
For a moment nobody moved, as though giving the question serious consideration. Suddenly the clearing was filled with a flurry of movement as they scrambled to get all of their belongings together before the gap in the hedge closed. As Liselle had not had time to unpack anything, she worked with Torrick to make notes on how to solve the puzzle, then left them by the fountain, held in place by one of the jugs. Tor noticed what she did and nodded his approval. He may be in competition with his brothers on this quest, but he would still do all he could to assist them, especially if it meant saving their lives.
In a remarkably short time, everything was repacked and loaded onto the horses and they made their way through the gap. As soon as the last of them had passed through, the portion of the hedge that had slid open began to slide closed. Once it was fully closed, no evidence could be seen that it could open.
They continued on, following their self-imposed left then right rule. They all secretly had their doubts about it still working seeing as they had managed to get through what may have been an unofficial short cut, but nobody voiced their fears.
As they walked, those who had not had the opportunity to speak to Liselle approached her to offer apologies for their behaviour towards her. Patrick avoided both her and Cirren, refusing to even acknowledge their presence. He knew he was behaving childishly, but his vast years of experiencing human nature made him a lot more cynical and unforgiving than most people. He liked Cirren a lot, looking upon him almost like a younger brother, and had become fond of Liselle during their travels together, so he knew he would come round in the end; it would just take some time. Until then, he would avoid them both as much as possible.
The day soon became dull and boring and the scenery monotonous. Even Brin and Oak were beginning to wish there was something to see other than the green and brown of the hedgerow.
Their food supplies were not in good shape, but nobody was worried. So far the maze had provided them with all they needed, when they required it, and there was no reason to think that this would not continue. Only Bellak showed any outward sign of distress, though he refused to discuss what was troubling him. At odd intervals he would look up into the sky then start muttering to himself. When Tor could take his strange behaviour no longer he demanded to know what the problem was. Bellak simply replied that he was in a hurry to get out of the maze and walked off, lengthening his stride and increasing his pace so that he temporarily took the lead; Samson by his heels. Tor shook his head and continued walking at his previous speed, happy to allow the wizard to put a gap between himself and the others. Tor had vast experience of walking long distance and knew that the pace he had set provided the optimum compromise between speed and endurance. While Bellak may get ahead for a while, he would soon need to rest, allowing everyone else to catch up.
Unexpectedly, a cry of surprise sounded from the direction Bellak had taken. Tor ran towards the sound, quickly followed by Ria, Patrick, Ban and Torrick, all armed with swords and clubs. Grimmel was soon keeping pace with them, brandishing an axe, as was Brin with his bow. They rounded a bend to find both wolf and human sitting on the ground, staring up at the tallest tree any of them had ever laid eyes on. Ban whistled in admiration as Brin lowered his bow, too stunned to speak. Ria asked the question that everyone was thinking.
“This tree is huge,” she said, stating the obvious. “It towers above the bushes. So why have we only just seen it?”
“Good question,” Tor replied, looking up as he walked backwards, his eyes never leaving the uppermost branches. As soon as he turned the bend, it disappeared. There was nothing blocking his view of it, the tree was simply no longer there. He walked forwards again slowly. The instant he rounded the corner, it once more came into sight.
“Is it real?” he asked Bellak. “Or just an illusion?”
“It is real,” the old man replied. “But there is some sort of camouflage spell on it, making it only visible from certain angles.”
“Why?”
Bellak shrugged his shoulders. He did not know the answer and, as far as he was concerned, the question was irrelevant so did not warrant a verbal response.
“What kind of tree is it?” Tor asked Brin.
“I have no idea,” the elf reluctantly admitted. Nothing about it was even vaguely familiar. The trunk of the tree, though evidently covered in black bark, looked smooth and sleek, glinting slightly where the sun’s rays fell on it. The large branches were covered in heart shaped leaves of the deepest green Brin had ever seen. The colour reminded him of the eyes of the shaten, with whom he had lived for a time at their home in Yallend. The memory made him think of Kriven, then the rest of the friends he had made while travelling with Cirren, and he quickly buried his emotions, feeling tears forming in his eyes. He looked up to the top, shading his eyes from the sun and hoping anyone looking his way would think it was the brightness that was making his eyes water.
“It’s beautiful,” Sam exclaimed, slipping her hand into his. She too saw the resemblance in colour, having visited the shaten herself, though only for a short while. She instinctively knew where his mind had travelled, but said nothing; talking about it would not make him feel any better.
Oval shaped fruit, bright red in colour, could be seen growing between the leaves; those on the lower branches were almost within reach. Patrick wondered aloud if they were edible, but Tor forbade him from trying any, worried that they might be poisonous.
The others soon arrived and most were awed by the magnificent sight before them.
“It is just a tree,” Seth said and continued walking, Dal by his side. They had almost passed the huge tree when the nearest branch came down fast, blocking their way and narrowly missing their heads.
“Jesus Christ,” Sam yelled. “What the hell did you do to cause that?”
“I did not do anything,” Dal replied defensively.
“Maybe there is a trip wire,” Seth suggested, looking around behind him.
“Or pressure points just under the surface. Slowly step backwards,” Tor instructed. The two young men did as advised. As soon as they had taken a couple of steps back, the branch moved upwards, unblocking the path.
“Interesting,” Tor said and motioned them to move forward once more. They got to almost the same spot as they had reached previously when the branch came down again. This time they were prepared for it and jumped backwards.
They returned to the rest of the group. “Any suggestions?” Seth asked.
Both times they had been prevented from continuing forwards they had been walking down the middle of the path, so Modo tried sticking to the edge, placing his feet as close to the hedge as he was able. It made no difference. He then tried the other side, edging as close to the tree as he could without walking on its roots. The branch descended once more.
“The branch moves quickly,” Brin observed. “But maybe I can outrun it.” Without waiting for the agreement he knew would never come, he took off as fast as he could. He was a fair distance from the point that Seth and Dal had managed to reach before the branch descended once more, giving him enough time to stop before he ran into it.
“That makes absolutely no sense,” Ban complained. “If it worked off pressure points, it should not have been triggered early.”
“It was almost as if it wished to stop me, but not hurt me.”
Bellak made a rude noise at this suggestion. “It is a tree. It is not capable of rational thought.”
Sam whispered in the ear of one of the horses and it obediently moved forward, past the tree. Once it had successfully proven the tree would not block its path, it turned round and returned. “Your turn,” Sam said to Samson, who was happy to show that he was as able as the horse to continue his journey unimpeded. He, however, did not return. He just sat down on his haunches in the exact place the branch would land if it descended. Sam approached him slowly, stopping when she was close enough to speak with the wolf, but not so close she would trigger the branch. “What the hell are you doing?” she asked and he whined his reply.
She returned to the others, shaking her head. “That idiot of a wolf wants to see if one of us can sneak past while he stays sitting where he is. He thinks the tree will not drop its branch if it will mean killing him.”
“That is a good idea,” Patrick said. “Are we going to let him do it?”
“No we are not,” Bellak said before Tor had time to reply.
“I cannot believe you even suggested we try,” Ellen said, sickened by the thought of watching Samson crushed to death. “If he is wrong, he will be killed.”
“Ellen is right,” Tor agreed. He turned to face Sam. “Go and tell our brave furry friend that we appreciate his idea, but are not prepared to take the risk. He is an important member of our team and we do not want to lose him.”
Sam passed on the message. Samson was not impressed. He asked her what would happen if he refused to move and was informed that nobody would even attempt to pass while he was in harm’s way. Reluctantly he stood up and walked back to join them, tail between his legs. “Stop sulking,” Sam whispered down to him. “It doesn’t become you.” Ellen and Ria made a great deal of fuss of him as soon as he was within their reach, so his sullen expression soon disappeared.
“I wish I was a wolf,” Patrick muttered quietly to himself as he watched the two ladies stroking Samson. He was surprised to hear Tor murmur his agreement.
It was Cirren who spotted the plaque. It was hung on the hedge, opposite the tree. The tree had caught their attention so completely nobody had even looked in that direction. He walked over, read it, and called out. “The tree is the next puzzle.”
“What do we have to do?” Tor asked.
“Just get past it.”
“That is easier said than done. Get your thinking caps on everyone.”
They knew that animals were being allowed to pass by, so they unburdened the donkey, placed Grimmel on top and sent it on its way. The branch descended, blocking the path before the animal and rider got close enough to be injured. Brin tried to climb the tree, hoping to jump from one of the branches, but the tree shook before he had climbed high enough, neatly depositing him on the ground unhurt. Liselle noticed that the branch did not quite reach the hedge opposite when it descended, so River tried to edge past. This time, when the branch fell, it was longer, completely preventing her from moving forward.
“That is not possible,” Bellak grumbled. He and Ellen then put their heads together and tried various spells ranging from those that were designed to shrink living things to those that were supposed to freeze moving objects. All failed. Bellak even suggested setting fire to the tree, but was stopped before he could even begin the incantation.
While this had all been going on, Oak had been studying the tree intently from afar. Now he slowly moved forwards until he was close enough to touch it. He stretched out his arm and gently ran his hand over the bark, as though stroking a much loved pet. He then placed both palms flat onto the trunk and moved his head forward, placing an ear on the bark between them. He stayed like this for a few minutes, not moving, listening intently. When he eventually withdrew his head, his face was filled with wonder. “It is alive,” he said in an awe-filled voice.
“Really,” Grimmel said sarcastically. “I had not noticed. What gave it away? Was it the green leaves or the fruit that is growing on its branches? Or the fact that it keeps damn well moving?”
“No, I mean it is alive alive.”
“As opposed to dead alive?” Sam whispered to Brin, who shrugged, trying to hide his grin.
“It spoke to me,” Oak said in a serious tone. That grabbed everyone’s attention. The ribbing stopped immediately.
“Are you sure?” Tor asked, realising how pointless the question was as soon as he said it. Oak was a tree sprite and would not make a mistake about this sort of thing. Oak humoured him anyway.
“Yes, I am sure.”
“What did it say?”
“It said it was lonely.”
Tor looked at him. “Lonely,” he said sceptically. “Do I need to point out that it is a tree?”
“All the more reason for it to be lonely then,” Ria informed him. “How often do you speak to trees?”
Tor conceded the point. “Alright, what does it want?”
“And can we eat the fruit?” Patrick interrupted. The tree replied by dropping one of the oval shaped pieces of fruit into his outstretched hand. He took a bite and exclaimed. “This is fantastic. You have got to try some.” The tree shook, dropping enough fruit for each of them, including the horses, to try one. It was sweet and juicy, satisfying both thirst and hunger. Oak humbly thanked the tree, then asked the group for suggestions on how to cure the tree’s loneliness. Patrick said they should leave Liselle behind as a companion for it, but instantly went quiet when Torrick’s sword swung through the air and came to a rest against his throat. Oak pointed out that a human companion would be no good as they would not be able to hear the tree speaking.
“And before anyone says anything,” Tor continued, looking at Patrick, “we will not leave Oak behind.”
When Ellen had finished eating, she held the stone from the centre of the fruit in her hand, throwing it up and catching it again while she thought. “If I plant this, will it grow?” she asked Oak, who, in turn, spoke to the tree. He nodded its confirmation and Ellen started digging in the dirt with her hands.
Patrick knelt down beside her. “Should I point out that it will take years before that will grow big enough to be called a tree and how do you know it will even be able to communicate with its mummy.”
Ellen gave him an exasperated look. “Have you forgotten I am a witch?” She began to sing an enchantment over the planted stone, starting soft and slow, increasing in both volume and tempo as a small green shoot began to appear. Oak handed her a water container, which she gratefully took without missing a beat, and poured a little over the rapidly growing tree. Silence surrounded her as everyone watched her work. Even Bellak was impressed. Torrick was standing closest and after a short while the little tree had grown tall enough to reach his waist. Ellen went quiet and poured the rest of the water over the roots. She stood up and swayed slightly. The spell had taken a lot out of her. Patrick caught her and eased her back to the ground. He placed a cup of water in her hands and she drank deeply.
“Well?” she asked Oak. He did not need to query what she was asking. He spoke quietly to the tree, which then shook all of its branches. Everyone covered their heads, but no fruit dropped down. The little tree shook in response and a huge grin spread across Oak’s face. “Mother is communicating with daughter,” he informed everyone.
“Stop grinning and ask if we are now permitted to continue on our journey,” Tor instructed. Oak complied and was happy to announce that the tree was forever in their debt for the service they had performed and, though sorry to see them go, the tree agreed to do nothing to stop them. Backpacks were shouldered and horses made ready. They quickly made their way past the tree, waving in farewell, before it had chance to change its mind.
“I do not believe that I just waved goodbye to a tree,” Seth muttered as he walked past. Dal and Ria grinned, but said nothing.
Oak was just saying his goodbyes to the tree when Cirren ran up. “Sorry,” he said. “One last thing. Please can you ask the tree if it would mind letting my brothers past if any ever make it this far?”
“Sure.”
“Four down, one to go,” Brin whispered in Sam’s ear, slipping his arm around her waist.
“And so far none of us are dead,” she added