A Hero's Journey: It Takes Two - Part 5

      After dawn, Jeran, Rohane and Will trudged through the woods back toward Meridell Castle – or rather, in the general direction they believed the castle to be. After finding the river, they decided to follow it downstream, away from where they had come. The little Purple Bori marched ahead of them excitedly, occasionally stopping to inspect flowers, patches of mushrooms, and the odd inquisitive Petpet. The grass was a healthy shade of green, flecked with dew from last night’s rain.

     “I have to admit, you were right when you followed the trees instead of the river when we were looking for Will,” said Rohane somewhat begrudgingly as he watched Will hop onto a sizeable boulder, shade his eyes with his claws, and look around. The White Blumaroo cracked a small grin.

     “I told you,” Jeran answered, puffing out his chest. He stepped forward as Will clambered back down the boulder, but the boy was light on his feet and didn’t fall. “Would be nice if we had a map, though.”

     “Which you forgot.”

     “Hey, you forgot it too.”

     “And you’re not denying that you forgot the map.”

     “Are you two fighting?”

     The two knights fell silent when Will waddled back to them, unmindful of the mud and dirt flecking his breeches, shoes, and tail.

     “No, no, we were just…discussing,” Jeran said automatically.

     “Discussing the route we’ll be taking,” Rohane clarified.

     Will stared at them, claws behind his back, forehead creased in mild worry. He rocked back and forth on his heels for a moment.

     “We should keep moving.” Jeran broke the silence.

     “Your father must be worried about you,” Rohane added.

     “We wouldn’t waste time fighting with each other.”

     At first, Will continued to look at them in askance, but he finally turned around and continued walking onward, humming a little tune. Both knights were on alert as the Bori glanced at the river, only to pick up a smooth stone and skip it across the water’s surface. The stone glanced off what looked like either a large flat boulder or a small island that Jeran could lie on.

     Then the “island” moved.

     “Did that…” The Lupe’s voice trailed off.

     Rohane nodded resolutely. “I saw it too. Will, get back.”

     Will did as he was told and backed away. The “island” shook and rose from the water, rivulets running off its body as it raised its tentacles clear. Then it began moving toward the shore with a terrible, rumbling roar.

     “It’s a Krawken!” The White Blumaroo immediately drew his sword. Jeran followed suit.

     “It can’t be! We’re miles away from Krawk Island!”

     “Maybe it’s got relatives!” The reddish-brown creature, which resembled a disgruntled and ferocious squid, swung its tentacles toward the two of them and caused Jeran and Rohane to scramble aside in two different directions.

     “I’m so sorry!” Will cried from where he was hiding behind a tree. “I didn’t know it was a Krawken!”

     Though it couldn’t leave the water, the monster attacked with its tentacles, attempting to grab, strike, or pull. It broke off a branch from a tree that was rooted half-in and half-out of the river – several Crokabeks took flight from the canopy and made a hasty getaway – and wielded it like a club, aiming for Jeran. He blocked the branch with his sword and leapt back.

     “Go for its right! We’ll use a pincer formation!”

     “Right!” After throwing a rock at their opponent to distract it, Rohane did as he was told and waded into the shallows, sword upraised. He slashed at the incoming tentacle that would have knocked him off his feet and dodged a second tentacle that whipped through the air.

     Jeran dove aside as the squid monster reared up to try and bite him, splashing into the river. He sat up, dripping, and stabbed with his blade to discourage it. It howled in agony – a terrible, shrill note that made both knights and Will wince – before one of its arms snaked out and wrapped around Jeran. The Blue Lupe let out a yelp of surprise as he was pulled farther from the shore.

     “Jeran!”

     The Blue Lupe struggled and grunted, with his sword arm trapped against his body. He found himself flung about as he tried kicking his way out. Rohane decided to retaliate by slashing deftly at the monster’s tentacle, and Jeran was dropped unceremoniously into the river. He stood up in waist-deep water, sputtering.

     “Watch it!”

     “You’re welcome!” the Blumaroo shot back as he stumbled while avoiding the monster’s arms. One managed to wrap itself around his wrist and he yelled, pricking the appendage with his sword so it would let him go – which the arm did, with a very unpleasant sucking noise. “What’s next?”

     Jeran scowled as he splashed through the water toward the other knight. “Nothing’s working. You’d think we would’ve driven it away by now.” The two of them were forced to go on the defensive as the squid continued to batter them with its tentacles, trying to knock them down.

     “I’m really, really sorry!” Will cried out from the shore.

     “It’s not your fault, Will!” Jeran called before the wind was knocked out of him by a tentacle punch to his stomach. “Ouch…”

     “Are you okay?” Rohane staggered as he took a hit to the face before fighting back with a swipe of his sword. “We need more firepower!”

     “I agree. Will!” Jeran yelled.

     The Purple Bori peeked out from behind a tree. “Y-Yes, Sir Jeran?”

     “Open my pack! Grab one of the round red bottles inside!”

     As Will dashed toward Jeran’s pack and rummaged inside, Rohane said in between dodges and parries, “Now you need to get away from Krawken, Junior. Go, I’ll cover you!”

     Jeran stared at him and opened his mouth but gritted his teeth instead and broke into a run – well, as much as he could while in the river – toward Will, who now held up one of the red bottles.

     “Throw it to me!”

     “Huh?”

     “You said you liked playing catch, right?”

     “Hurry!” the White Blumaroo cried as he fell, using his sword to right himself. But as he did so, he saw something scarlet glint in the morning light, soaring in the air toward Jeran. Unfortunately, the monster withdrew its arms and tentacles from Rohane and saw it too. One tentacle plucked another large tree branch and drew back, ready to swing wide and high.

     “Jeran! Look out!”

     As Jeran clutched the bright red bottle in his hands and got ready to uncork and throw, he saw the branch whipping toward him. But instead, the branch wound up swatting Rohane as he threw himself between the monster and the Lupe. Rohane was sent flying, landing on the damp shore where he lay and did not get up.

     “Sir Rohane!” Will wailed as he ran full tilt toward him.

     “Take this!” Jeran bellowed as he hurled the bottle with all his might. It exploded into a thick scarlet mist before the monster, stinging, blinding, confusing. The huge squid thrashed in the water, and Jeran just narrowly avoided the flailing tentacles as he scrambled out of the water, damp and sore and exhausted, but very much alive. As their enemy finally retreated and sank back into sight, he grabbed his pack and headed for where Will was kneeling beside Rohane.

     The Blumaroo had begun to stir. He groaned as he tried to move and clutched his side where his shirt was ripped clean through.

     “Don’t move,” Jeran warned as he pulled out healing potions, rough cloth packets, and a length of gauze. “You’re hurt. Will, take these herbs and crush them together in your hands to make a poultice.”

     Will silently nodded, his face pale and his mouth a thin line.

     “Here. Drink this.” The Blue Lupe uncorked one bottle. The combined smell of lemon and mint filled the air. “It’s one of Kayla’s. Can you sit up?”

     “Uh…I-I think so.” Rohane slowly pulled himself into a sitting position, blanching and trying to lean against a conveniently located rock. He summoned enough strength to take the bottle from Jeran and take a long drought.

     Jeran let out a breath. “Good. Will, give me the poultice, start unwinding some gauze.” His worried frown deepened into more of a scowl. “You idiot, what were you thinking?”

     After draining the entire bottle, the other knight tried to grin.

     “I couldn’t let anything happen to the commander of the Order.” Rohane bit back a gasp of pain as Jeran began tending to him and binding up his side.

     The Lupe shook his head. “We can’t have anything happening to you either. You’re just as important to the Order.”

     “Heh, I didn’t know you cared, Jeran.”

     “Lie back down, you moron. But…thanks. For saving me.”

     “That was a great throw – ow.” But Rohane did as he was told and lay down. Will immediately grabbed one pack for a pillow and placed it behind Rohane’s head.

     “Shhh. We can’t go anywhere until the potion and poultice take effect. Rest up, I’ll keep watch, maybe find some food we can bring with us when we leave.” Jeran sighed, rubbing the back of his head. “At least we’re near a river…and that Krawken or squid or whatever shouldn’t bother us again.”

     Will bit his lip, still kneeling with his fists clenched on his thighs. “I really am sorry, Sir Rohane. You wouldn’t have gotten hurt if I hadn’t been skipping rocks.”

     “It’s not your fault, Will. You didn’t know…”

     “Get some sleep, or else we’ll leave you here later, Rohane.”

     * * *

     Even though he was told that it wasn’t his fault, the Purple Bori scarcely left Rohane’s side and sat there, forlornly stacking small pebbles or helping wrap berries and tubers in large leaves for their journey. He looked up when Jeran offered him a slab of bread, cheese, beef jerky, and a handful of blueberries.

     “Here. Have some lunch. We’ll be walking again when Rohane wakes up.”

     “Thank you, Sir Jeran.” At first, Will took the food and stared at it, but eventually started popping the berries into his mouth. He frowned, letting out a breath.

     “Still worried about him?”

     Will nodded slowly as he nibbled on his bread and cheese.

     “He’ll be fine. He’s been through worse than that, helping save Meridell and other places in Neopia.” Jeran smiled wanly. “Rohane did so much for Neopia that when he was knighted, he started immediately as a Knight Second Class.”

     “He did?”

     “Yeah.” The Blue Lupe chuckled at the sight of Will goggling at him. “That knighting ceremony was huge.”

     “Mmm, I heard about it,” mumbled Will around a mouthful of bread. “Dad didn’t want me to go because I had music lessons.” After swallowing, he added, “Um, can I ask you a question?”

     “Sure, what is it?”

     The bread, cheese and berries disappeared, leaving Will with only a hunk of jerky in his claw. “I heard that sometime after Sir Rohane was knighted…you two had a big fight. It was raining, and you two fought so hard you ended up in the infirmary.”

     “Oh.” Jeran glanced away briefly at Rohane, still asleep and oblivious to their conversation. “Er…what about it?”

     “Why did you fight?” The Bori bit into the jerky, made a face, and resumed chewing. He stared intently at Jeran, wide eyes filled with concern and uncertainty. “You two are heroes, and you’re both knights, and you went to find me. You also got rid of that big squid monster together. It’s not like you’re enemies or anything.”

     Jeran gritted his teeth, preferring to let Will eat more of the jerky before answering his question…as best he could, anyway.

     “Well…” The Lupe’s voice trailed off, and he let out a sigh. “Rohane and I work together, it’s true. But sometimes, it’s hard for us to get along.”

     “Why?”

     “We’re both knights, but we have a lot of differences, too. We see the world differently; Rohane has seen more of it than I have. He spent more of his time travelling instead of staying with the Order.” Jeran scratched his head. “I guess we’re both still learning about each other. He can be stubborn, he threw himself literally into danger to save me, but he’s one of the best swordsmen I have ever met.”

     Will’s eyes lit up.

     “Just don’t tell him I said that.”

     “Why not?”

     Jeran laughed nervously. “It’s complicated.” As Will opened his mouth to ask another question, the Blue Lupe immediately added, “Don’t ask me how. Like I said, we’re still figuring out how to work well together.”

     “So, you’re working on being better friends?” the Purple Bori asked earnestly, his jerky gone.

     “You could say that. We’re working on it.”

     “Working on what?”

     The two of them whipped around to see Rohane sitting up. There was nothing that could be done to fix his ripped shirt, and he still looked somewhat tired, but he looked much less pale – which was saying something as he was already a White Blumaroo to begin with.

     “Your friend – “

     Jeran immediately clapped a hand over Will’s mouth. “Nothing.” Then he said, “Don’t tell him that either.”

     “Tell me what?”

     “…Thanks again, for saving me. I wouldn’t have been able to throw that Fire Screen Potion without your help.”

     There was a pause. Will glanced from one knight to the other, unsure whether to wait for them to speak or to break the silence.

     “Heh, you’re welcome, you jerk.” The corners of Rohane’s mouth moved up in a wan smile. “I saved your life, and what do I get? You called me an idiot.”

     “You’re still an idiot. But you’re the bravest idiot I’ve ever met.”

     “Thanks? I guess? I hope you left Will and me some food, Jeran.”

     “Very funny. Of course, I did.” Jeran shook his head but managed to smile back. “Can’t have you fainting from hunger on the way, I can’t carry both you and my pack.”

     Will’s smile grew until it was the biggest in their peaceful little forest clearing.

      To be continued…