HavenGuarde

Chapter 36 - Escape

Chapter 36

Escape

- And he disappeared just as his enemies arrived, the earth swallowing him into its depths -

Thonavar led the way.

Behind him, Lyla and Chaeron moved quickly and silently through the undergrowth. Leaves rustled and the ground crunched beneath. Thonavar's heart was pounding so loudly he feared it would burst. The trio moved along the bank of the stream with all the speed they could muster. Lyla slipped and fell into the bushes which rustled loudly. Thonavar stopped and turned around to see Chaeron swiftly helping her to her feet. The trio resumed their flight.

"Quickly now! We must not get caught this time. The bark-boat is only a short distance away now", said Thonavar, his voice urgent. He broke into a run and his speed increased drastically. The years of running from Alexis and his gang had allowed him to develop a natural speed and agility that few possessed. He hurtled over a fallen log and skidded comfortably down a leafy slope. Behind him, Chaeron and Lyla struggled not to lose sight of him.

Suddenly, the night was pierced with a shout of anger and a growl of frustration. It had come from behind them.

"They are coming", said Chaeron nervously. He increased his speed and caught up with Lyla. "I do not wish to see that Gargan boy."

"Then make haste", said Thonavar, between breaths. "For they will come with a vengeance. Look! We are almost there", said Thonavar, pointing to a line of familiar looking trees with thick spiraling roots that went down into the ground, spreading across the stream's bank into the water.

Suddenly, another shout pierced the night. This time it sounded very close to where they were. Gargan was gaining on them! Thonavar peered down the path behind them. It did not take long for his sharp eyes to make out the swaying of trees and parting of bushes as Gargan and his gang thundered toward them.

Lyla and Chaeron both increased their pace and found themselves almost directly behind Thonavar who was running like the wind in front of them.

"There they are! I can see them", shouted an all too familiar voice from behind. Thonavar's speed increased yet again and to Lyla and Chaeron's astonishment, he accelerated easily ahead of them, putting more and more distance between them. Daring another glance behind, Thonavar saw Gargan and the two boys just run out from behind a bend allowing them full visibility of the entire stretch of the bank. Thonavar, Lyla and Chaeron were now fully exposed. Gargan and his gang were just behind them!

Thonavar was first to the tree under which they had left the bark-boat wedged between its overhanging spiraling roots. Leaping from the edge of the river bank into the shallow water, he waded quickly to where the barkboat was parked. Fear gripped his heart when for a moment he could not locate it in the darkness. Taking a deep breath, he allowed his eyes to adjust to the darkness.

There!

His eyes picked out a long and wide dark flat shape admist the thick roots. He seized the bark and pulled it but it remained stuck between the roots.

Lyla and Chaeron arrived next, splashing into the water beside Thonavar. They were each panting heavily and Thonavar could see the desperation in their eyes.

"Help me", whispered Thonavar. "It will not budge. I think it is stuck!"

Working furiously, they sought to dislodge the bark from the overhanging roots.

"Where are they? Find them!" someone shouted from behind. Gargan was close now.

Thonavar put a finger to his lips and signaled for them to remain silent as they worked so as not to alert Gargan to their position.

With final tug, the trio pulled the barkboat free and pushed it out into open water. Lyla was the first to climb aboard. The barkboat slowly gained in speed as it moved out into the open water. Chaeron grabbed Lyla's outstretched hand and he was pulled on board quickly. The barkboat sank slightly under their combined weight. But where was Thonavar?

"Thonavar!" whispered Lyla frantically, afraid to yell out lest Gargan hear them. But there was no sign of Thonavar in the dark waters of the flowing stream. A hand grabbed Chaeron from behind, almost pulling him back into the water and Thonavar surfaced.

"There he is!" shouted Chaeron in hushed tones. Lyla and Chaeron grabbed Thonavar and pulled him aboard the barkboat just in time to see an angry figure burst out from the forest and onto the edge of the riverbank. The stream turned around a bend and the figure was hidden from their sight.

"Did you hear that? It sounded like it came from the water!" said the voice of one of the boys. There was a shout and a rustling of leaves and bushes as Gargan emerged onto the bank, his eyes peering out into the dark waters of the stream, searching desperately for any sign of the trio. But the darkness was thick and he could not see past the waters of the bank. He screamed in anger. "I will find you Thonavar! And when I do, I will end you!"

But Thonavar and his friends were nowhere to be seen.