AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Are you going to play nursemaid to her?” Daemona asked, realizing after the fact how insensitive she sounded. “I just mean it isn’t going to be safe for any of us.”
“I can help out,” said a new voice. It was Miniver the ferryman from the night before. “I know what ye’re all trying to do, and I’ll help ye where I can. I know the fastest route down to the vampires, and if that’s where ye mean to go, I can get ye there. And look after the girl too,” he said, rubbing a hand over her messy hair.
Esmerelda bristled at that display of affection, but still grinned up at the old man when he offered her a cookie.
“Then we better get moving soon, we have a lot to do,” Ghul Lykos said.
“One more thing. Is there anything that can be done?” Daemona asked, holding Harlin the toad out to Ghul Lykos and Ivy.
Ghul Lykos said, “I have heard that there is a wizard, a crazed old mage of wonderous powers, further into the swamp that might be able to help. He supposedly lives in a sinkhole on the way to Ghul Tark Manor from here. He might help us. Then again, he might not, but I know of no other way for us to reverse such a curse from a witch, save the Goddess herself intervening for us.”
Daemona said, “Let’s be on our way then.” She looked at the toad that was Harlin.
He looked up at her and said, “Ribbit.”
The six of them boarded the skiff with all of their gear and supplies, along with everything they could retrieve of Harlin’s. Ghul Lykos’s somber nature was cheered by the presence of Ivy. Daemona could hardly blame him; the golden-haired woman was a strong, doughty companion who encouraged all of them. It wasn’t the same as having Harlin there as himself, but it was good to have the company.
Miniver had to use a pole and paddle to get them away from Tall Town in waters that didn’t appear to be moving at all, but Daemona was surprised to see that once they had gotten got beyond just a few hundred yards, there was a current helping pull the raft along.
They stayed toward the middle of the river, well away from the shore. When night fell, they could see gleaming eyes watching them, and though they could not tell what was there, all agreed that they didn’t look friendly.
The river grew wide now but retained a dark loathsome appearance and the clouds of biting insects were especially bad. Islands clustered with mangrove and cypress trees no bigger than the skiff were dotted throughout the river, but these never had creatures larger than a lizard or bird.
So they looked to be of no real danger. Sometimes Miniver had to work hard to avoid dead trees and other debris in the river but otherwise the journey was rather uneventful.
“How much farther do you think?” asked Daemona.
“Not more than a day or two,” answered Miniver.
“That’s what you said two days ago.”
“Trust me this is a shortcut.”
“We’re close,” said Ghul Lykos. “I recognize this part of the river.”
It was a very wide spot where they could hardly see the banks on either shore, not just because of the mist but also the distance. Later in the early evening as the mist closed in around them something bumped the skiff, causing everyone to jolt in surprise.
“What was that?”
“I don’t know,” answered Miniver. “Felt like we hit a big rock, but there are no rocks in this river, besides its way too deep.”
“How do you know that?” asked Daemona.
Miniver held a weighted rope, marked with knots at every five feet and he threw it overboard. It went down and down. “We’re at least fifty feet deep here, but that’s only as long as my rope is, it could be a lot more.”
“So what hit us?”
Miniver shrugged. “Maybe a half-sunk tree? Maybe a really big fish? Maybe a chimera?”
Ivy shuddered. “I don’t want to think about what kind of chimera could be here,” she said.
Something bumped the boat again, this time harder, forcing everything up into the air almost a whole foot. Esmerelda who had been asleep cried out in alarm. Ivy took the girl in her arms to comfort her. Ghul Lykos looked off the side of the skiff, sword in hand, ready for whatever might be lurking below in the jade green waters.
Daemona clutched the hilts of her daggers. “It will get a taste of these if it comes back.”
“Snake! A big one!” cried Esmerelda, I saw its tail around the edge.
Daemona wheeled just in time to see a long green tail slip back into the water. “Do they get that big down here?” But before Ghul Lykos could answer, she corrected herself. “Of course, they do, this is Acheronian Swamp.”
