Chapter 34

Betrayal

- She revealed their secrets and exposed the truth -

Gargan slammed into Thonavar, seized him by his collar, lifted him into the air as if he weighed nothing and hurled him into the distance. Thonavar crashed into the trunk of a nearby tree with a sickening thud but got to his feet in a flash. He did so only to dodge a heavy blow from Gargan. Gargan’s fist smashed into the trunk in the place of where his head would have been, leaving the imprint of his knuckles on the bark.

"Run. Run little demon," said Gargan, advancing on Thonavar. "That is all you can do."  

"I hope they train you at Sanctum Gargan for you are slow and fat. That is if you make it to the cold mountains," taunted Thonavar. 

Gargan snarled and prepared for another charge.

"Enough! I will tell how we arrived before you Gargan. But you must then promise to leave us alone," said Lyla suddenly. "You are right. Without it, we would never have been able to travel faster than you three."

Gargan stopped and spun around to face Lyla.

"Ah! Finally, someone who has some measure of sense," said Gargan, the violence fading from his eyes. "Fine. Tell us!"

"Lyla no," said Thonavar softly.

"I will tell you if you only let my friends and I go free and unharmed," offered Lyla, ignoring Thonavar’s look of anguish.

Thonavar saw Chaeron stir before pushing himself into a sitting position.

"What is happening?" Chaeron asked, looking around.

"That little girl is finally talking," said the blond boy with a smirk. "She has offered to tell us your little secret – the reason why you have made such headway."

"No, Lyla would not do that," muttered Chaeron, and winced in pain as he felt the bump on his head where he was struck by Gargan.

She probably has a plan to tell them something different, thought Thonavar. She would not betray us. Would she?

"Well? Speak then," said Gargan, impatiently. "Tell us how you came here."

He paced up and down, looking expectantly at Lyla.

Lyla took a deep breath and ignoring Thonavar and Chaeron’s silent protest she spoke loudly and clearly.

"We came by boat," she said simply and there was a brief moment of silence. The silence was punctuated by Chaeron’s sharp intake of breath.

Lyla!

Thonavar was in disbelief. Lyla had betrayed them. He had hoped she would give the wrong answer but she had revealed the truth. He looked over at Chaeron. He too appeared shocked.

Gargan studied the expressions of Thonavar and Chaeron shrewdly before turning back to Lyla.

"Well little girl, it seems you speak the truth. Indeed, your friends seem quite upset at you. But what do I care. A boat! Of course!" Gargan said, and his gaze strayed to the dark rippling waters of the river behind them. "I knew that out-pacing us was impossible. But by boat? How clever. Now, show us where you have hidden this boat of yours," said Gargan, his face barely concealing a look of sickening delight.

Thonavar glared at Lyla who stared at the ground, refusing to meet Thonavar’s accusing stare.

I should not have trusted her. We should not have trusted her.

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"You said you would leave us alone if I told you."

"And I will," said Gargan. "But after I take your little boat."

He turned to his friends. Both snickered.

Lyla looked resigned. Thonavar saw Chaeron shake his head in disbelief.

"I will take you to where we left our boat," said Lyla. Her tone was low and her head was bowed submissively as though in defeat.

"Come," she gestured. "Follow me."

But Thonavar noted how Gargan still remained cautious.

"Careful now little girl," said Gargan with a menacing smile. "Should you attempt to play any tricks on us, I will make sure you and your friends never make it to the mountains. Come now, your two friends will walk behind you whilst you lead the way."

This was clever of Gargan. Thonavar, Chaeron and Lyla would not be able to talk quietly to each other without being observed by Gargan or the blonde or spiked-hair boys. Thonavar had seen the pace at which the boys could run at. There was little hope in trying to escape.

Lyla took off, leading the way, followed by Chaeron and Thonavar. The blond and spiky-haired boys followed next and Gargan towered over them from behind.

Lyla headed in the direction of where the barkboat was stationed, wedged between the overhanging roots of the large tree. But before reaching the very place, she took a sudden turn. Thonavar bit his tongue and held his breath as Lyla steered them past the boat’s hiding place in the dark.

He saw Chaeron risk a quick side-glance at where the boat was hidden but thankfully this was not picked up by Gargan or his cronies.

In the darkness, Thonavar struggled to see the barkboat but he could just make it out. Lyla set off in the opposite direction and Thonavar and Chaeron followed behind her. Behind them Gargan and the two boys followed closely, keeping a watchful eye on the trio.

Thonavar was greatly puzzled. On the one hand, he was greatly relieved that Lyla had not revealed the true location of the barkboat, but on the other, he had no clue as to where was she taking them. He could not guess her plan. He could only follow. Well done, Lyla. But where do you now go?

Thonavar ducked under a large leaf and threw a quick glance at Chaeron. He saw that Chaeron was slightly confused. But as Thonavar caught his eye, Chaeron shot him a knowing look. Lyla was up to something.

The party of boys moved through the trees under the cover of nightfall silently, led by a small blonde-haired girl. Only the rustling of leaves and the soft crunch of footwear on earth could be heard.

After some time had passed, Thonavar could just about make out the line of yellow blades of grass they had left behind. They glowed with a soft faint golden aura in the moonlight.

"What is this? Where are you taking us little girl," called Gargan to Lyla. "It better not be a trick."

"The boat we travelled upon is lodged just beyond this field of yellow grass. Look, the current flows through the yellow grass from beyond. Once you retrieve the boat, you and your friends can use the strength of the current to carry you forward," said Lyla, her head bowed low, a look of defeat on her face.

Thonavar was impressed. For Lyla’s performance was convincing and had he not known the truth of the matter, he would have been likely to believe her.

"Very well then. Once again, should you or your friends attempt to pull a trick on us, vengeance will be swift," said Gargan, flexing and unflexing his muscles. But his cruel eyes danced with excitement. The group walked along the bank, passing the tall yellow grass.

Meanwhile, Thonavar was struggling to make out Lyla’s plan when it hit him.

That long strip that had torn off from the bark-boat. Was it still there?

Thonavar looked meaningfully at Chaeron who shot back a look of utter confusion.

Arriving at the line of the field of yellow grass where the three of them had earlier escaped the clutches of death, Thonavar felt a sense of the surreal. It was here earlier on where they had battled for their lives.

"Your boat is over yonder," said Lyla, pointing to a dark shape wedged between the blades of the yellow razor jungle. "Are you able to see it? It is a thick piece of wooden bark."

"Yes! I see it," said Gargan, his voice betraying his excitement.

"Lyla! What have you done," said Thonavar suddenly, his face angry. “You have betrayed us! Now they have the boat."

Thonavar looked at Chaeron and he saw understanding dawn upon Chaeron’s face.

Lyla’s face exploded into a rage. "You fool! I did it to save your lives!"

"Silence!" Gargan thundered, looking to Thonavar and then to Lyla, satisfaction evident on his face. "Come friends. Let us see to that boat. Do not allow them to get near it lest they play a trick on us and get away upon it."

Gargan, the blonde boy and the spiked-haired boy wade into the water quickly toward the boat. Thonavar saw that they were torso deep in the water and were beginning to fight the force of the current beneath them tugging away.

The moon hung in the sky casting its light down upon the blades of yellow grass. Upon reaching the long piece of thick bark, Thonavar heard the blonde boy speak first.

"It is…it is too small for all three of us."

“It is small for even one person," said the spiked-hair boy bluntly. "They tricked us!"

A howl and a cry of rage followed, echoing around the forest. Gargan made for the shore as fast as he possibly could with the two boys following fast behind him.

But Thonavar, Chaeron and Lyla were no where to be seen.