The Gauntlet ( A Fantasy Novella) (3 page)

Those were the last words Ash managed before he crashed into a deep sleep and began snoring loudly.

Ugg burped and stood up, staring at Ash as he slept soundly.

“Well, it looks like he is the one to help us in our quest. He is a good man. He is younger than me and his conviction is strong, he is compelled to return to his son. I know when a man is intent on their actions and believe me, he is jumping tomorrow. He has the will to overcome all challenges, just like us.”

“With the three of us we stand a better chance of progressing through The Gauntlet, assuming we survive the fall. Our patience has paid off,” said Janna.

“And a little luck. It could have been a very long time before another knight came up through the water and especially one with such a strong determination to succeed. It is quite tempting just to stay here and be safe.”

“I told you we would wait a whole year and then leave regardless. Tomorrow morning we must act like he changed our minds and convinced us to leave, it is easier than having to explain our deception.”

“Why not reveal the truth? It is not good to start the next leg of our quest on the backbone of a lie. Ash will understand,” suggested Ugg.

“Understand that we tested him? That’s the last thing he needs to hear. I will tell him everything in time, but for now it is good for his morale that he thinks he persuaded us. Make sure you are up before him tomorrow.”

Ugg dampened the last of the fire with water and then scattered the sizzling embers with his feet.

“Waking up early isn’t a problem, you know I’m an early riser. It feels exciting to know we will finally be moving on, even if it is to our doom. Still, I enjoyed my time here. I’ll see you in the morning. Goodnight, Janna.”

“Goodnight.”

Ugg went to sleep, leaving Janna alone with her thoughts. She had waited patiently for this moment to come. She suspected she would survive the fall, but it was safer to jump with others should she get into difficulty in the water at the bottom. Ugg was mentally strong but his body was aged. Ash was the final link in the tripod that she wanted before she would even risk continuing through The Gauntlet.

Ash awoke at dawn to see Janna still peacefully sleeping. Ash admired how beautiful she looked, a rare beauty that bewitched him in greater ways than the fake temptress ever had. Ash couldn’t see Ugg anywhere, but regardless, the knight felt completely refreshed and energised. He was ready to take the test that he was sure he would – at least, fairly sure – survive. Ash saluted Janna and began to walk towards the waterfall. It wasn’t long until he bumped into Ugg, who was foraging for mushrooms and berries, and the two knights greeted each other.

“Good morning,” said Ugg.

“Good morning. Those mushrooms look delicious, do you mind if I have one?”

“Of course not, I just hope it won’t be your last meal. Was Janna still asleep?”

“Like a log.”

“Good. She doesn’t always sleep well, unfortunately, so often she wakes up screaming with terror. I have tried to get her to open up about what was causing her nightmares but she won’t tell me. None of my business I guess. I want to join you, but I don’t want to leave her alone now we’ve been here so long. I feel very protective of her.”

“She entered The Gauntlet alone and survived. I wouldn’t feel too sorry for her, she will cope, but I understand your connection to her is obviously stronger than mine. It’s been good to meet you, Ugg. I hope to see you again, both of you. For what it’s worth, in our short time I’ve enjoyed your and Janna’s company more than anyone else I knew in Harwell. I’ll make a fire and wait a sun cycle, after that I’m gone.”

Suddenly Janna appeared behind the two men.

“You make less noise than a whisper! I honestly don’t know how you do it, Janna. Have you come to wish Ash off?” asked Ugg, before he noticed Janna was equipped with her bow and arrow, her slender sword and food supplies. “Wait, what are you doing?”

“It should be me to go over first, I’m the one who made it this far on my own before you two. It is my right,” she replied.

“What happened to a nice, comfortable life here?” asked Ash.

“What you said last night struck a chord with me. Our fates, good or bad, were sealed once we entered The Gauntlet. We only have one way to go, and that is forward. It has been good for me here, I think, but there is no point prolonging our fates any longer than we have to. Now seems like as good a time as any, if more knights arrive here we’d soon run out of food anyway.”

“Excellent. We are doing the right thing,” said Ash.

“So we all jump? Wait here, I have to go get some things,” Ugg acted surprised as he quickly ran to grab his prepared belongings.

“We’ll meet you there. Don’t be long,” shouted Janna.

Ash and Janna walked together towards the archway.

“I’m glad you changed your mind, although I didn’t mean to interfere with the dynamics of your situation. You and Ugg can still call the shots if we survive the fall, you were here before me after all.”

Janna was impressed by Ash’s words and the respect he was bestowing upon her and Ugg. She was confident he was the right partner, along with Ugg, to assist her in succeeding through The Gauntlet.

“How old are you? If you don’t mind me asking,” said Ash.

“Thirty.”

“You must be one of the youngest to enter The Gauntlet, but by far one of the most courageous. Why were you so eager to enter?”

“Let’s just say there were worse monsters in Harwell to run away from.”

“I’m sorry.”

“For what? You didn’t do anything to me.”

They continued in silence and Ash felt uncomfortable with the atmosphere his question had created. Luckily it didn’t take long for Ugg to catch them up, out of breath and sweating.

“How about we get out of this valley?! Time for the adventure to continue,” said Ugg.

The time to jump was upon them.

The roar of the cascading water drowned out every other noise in the valley as the three knights stood at the water’s edge.

“I know it is polite to say ladies first, but in this instance, I think I can be excused for saying you don’t have to go first if you don’t want to,” said Ash to Janna.

“I appreciate the gesture, but I want to go first. Though I think we’re still wearing too much, we don’t want to survive the fall only to drown at the bottom. I’m taking everything off except my undergarments and my food belts, it’s the smart thing to do.” Janna said, removing the armour which protected her shins, hands and arms. She held her slender sword, while her bow and arrow were draped over her shoulders.

Ash was reluctant but followed suit. Ugg had nothing left to take off, already wearing the minimum: a torn, dirty beige shirt and ripped leggings.

“Look at us three now. Stripped to the bare essentials and looking like peasants. How different to when we first entered,” said Ash.

“I never did like armour, it just slows you down,” commented Ugg.

“What about your sword, Ash? That thing must weigh a lot?” asked Janna.

“It is heavy but I will not part with it again. We can’t fight the monsters ahead with our bare hands and no armour.”

“Maybe we don’t have to, if we can run away fast enough or sneak around them. Remember that it is our brains and not our brawn that have got us this far.”

“I disagree. My sword came in pretty handy with the birds. I don’t go looking for trouble but if it comes to me, it’s nice to know I can fight. Like I said last night, if I can, I will clear this valley of evil and not just run from it. I’m ready, shall we do this? The longer we stay here the less time we have to walk on the other side before it gets dark,” said Ash.

“If this is a test, then it is a cruel one indeed. I don’t like heights and I don’t like swimming, but… I am ready to leap,” responded Ugg.

Janna turned and gave Ugg a soft kiss on his cheek, before saying: “See you on the other side.”

Janna nodded at Ash before jumping forward into the cold water and, in the blink of an eye, she was carried through the archway and swept over the edge. There were no screams from her that Ash and Ugg could hear and they were impressed by Janna’s lack of hesitation.

“Well, now she has gone we can’t not go,” said Ugg.

“Shall we jump in together? Or do you want to go first? You were here before me,” asked Ash.

“We’ll go together. On three, ready? One, two, three!” shouted Ugg, as both knights plunged into the water.

The current whisked them away and the drop came almost instantly, sending both knights plummeting towards the bottom. After free falling for several seconds they crashed into the plunge pool, before surfacing. The flow of the water swiftly took them away from the waterfall.

“Well, that wasn’t so bad!” shouted Ugg.

“It isn’t over yet,” replied Ash. “Didn’t you see? It’s a step valley. We…”

Ash had no time to finish his sentence before the next drop, an even bigger one which stole the breath from their lungs upon as they landed in the white, foamy mass of water at the bottom. Ash surfaced first, he was a strong swimmer and his sword barely hindered him. Ugg, however, was nowhere to be seen. Neither was Janna. The roar of the water was deafening and it was cold, very cold. Ash swam against the current, which was pulling him towards the final drop – the biggest. Ash wanted a few seconds respite before the next drop and he got it. Ash managed to catch a glimpse of Ugg’s head just before the water took him over the final drop. This time the drop was huge and Ash cried out, the freefall lasted almost five seconds before he finally smashed into the water at the bottom. Ash summoned the last reserves of his strength to reach the surface but when he did, the air he inhaled couldn’t suffice the oxygen his body needed. The weight of the sword was dragging him down and Ash was about to let it go, when he felt Janna’s hands around his shoulder and under his armpit, before he passed out.

Ash came around to find he was laying on a muddy bank with Janna standing tall over him and Ugg on his knees, coughing up water and looking, understandably, worse for wear. Ash immediately put two and two together about what had happened.

“Thank you, Janna. My life is in your debt. I was done for.”

“I told you that sword would be your doom. Unfortunately I lost my sword after the second drop, but that is why I was also able to grab and help you.”

“I owe you, thanks. Are you alright, Ugg?” asked Ash.

“I’m fine now, accidentally swallowed half the river after the second drop. Just managed to keep onto my sword, if it was any heavier I would have been in trouble.”

“Well, we made it. Just look at those waterfalls: I have never seen anything in this world so beautiful and frightening in equal measures.”

“It seems you have a tendency to pass out, that’s twice now and you’re not even as old as Ugg. What is wrong with you?” commented Janna, in an oddly serious tone.

“I never said I was perfect. I don’t know why I pass out but I owe you my life and I’ll be forever grateful. I’ve never passed out before entering The Gauntlet, it must be the water. I have felt fine everywhere else.”

Ash stood up, relieved to find none of his bones were broken. He did, however, have a pounding headache and was cold from his time in the freezing water. Ash surveyed the area but nothing special caught his eye. “Everything looks the same as before, a little more barren perhaps? No caves that I can see.”

“It’s not as nice as where we were before that’s for sure,” said Ugg. “It’s the kind of place that makes you want to keep moving.”

“We’ll walk until dusk. You were right, Ash, it was a leap of faith,” smiled Janna.

“Or just blind luck. If I jumped on my own I’d probably be dead right now. I wasn’t strong enough.”

“But you didn’t go on your own. It wasn’t smart to go on your own. We are stronger together and three is better than two. For a start, it helps us better share night-watch duties.”

“More sleep for me! Just what an old boy needs,” joked Ugg.

The three of them departed the series of towering waterfalls and followed the banks of the river. Ash kept looking back at the waterfalls, mesmerized by their scale and that all three had survived. They had passed the leap of faith.

The night was cold and there was a brisk wind blowing through the valley. The three knights sat in a circle around a small fire with their backs to one another, each keeping a close watch on their surroundings so that nothing could creep up and surprise them. There was little so far they had encountered which had warranted such precaution, but they knew it was perilous to underestimate The Gauntlet. They had fed on scraps from their food pouches and drunk the river water, which was fresh, cool and reinvigorating. They had not yet seen anything to hunt, nor any fruit trees or berry bushes; so they rationed and underfed their hunger pains.

“Tell me about the citadel, Ash. Is it as glorious on the inside as it is the outside?” asked Ugg.

“No, it’s uglier in my opinion. They covered up the beautiful marble with endless drapes of tapestries, rugs made from skinned animals and countless decorations made of metals and gems. I found it all a bit garish and greedy, to take the people’s taxes and never give anything back. There was nothing glorious about it.”

“That’s a shame, although I might have guessed based on the general misbalance of power, justice and wealth I saw within Harwell. Nonetheless you have to respect the craftsmanship of our people to build such a thing. I really like the citadel, I just dislike its contents.”

“Harwell could be so much better if those in charge actually cared for the people, but I guess that’s just the way things work. The poor stay poor and the rich get richer.”

Janna was disinterested in the conversation and was busy focusing on the surroundings, every sense on alert.

“Quiet, gentlemen, I heard something,” said Janna.

In the distance there was a faint noise, which seemed to reverberate all the way up the valley.

“It sounds metallic, similar to the noise I made when I was walking in my full suit of armour,” said Ash.

“It keeps increasing and decreasing, like it’s moving away from us and then towards us,” said Janna.

“I’m not sure about that, but there is definitely a noise.”

“You two are imagining it, I can’t hear anything over the noise of the river and the crackling of the fire,” said Ugg.

There was a loud scream which thundered up the valley and this time Ugg heard it. All three knights stood up.

“A battle?” asked Ash.

There was silence again, following by the gradual fading of the metallic noise once again.

“If it was a battle I suspect it was a swift one. Someone has not survived the night. I fear something very dangerous is ahead of us,” said Janna.

“Something very dangerous was behind us too but we survived. Let us make sure that we are at least refreshed and awake for whatever battles lie ahead. I’ll take the first watch, you two sleep,” said Ugg.

The hours of darkness passed without further incident and Ash was on watch just as dawn broke and the sky above became its usual shade of grey. Ash cursed at the cloud cover and the valley, he missed seeing the sun rise up over the horizon across the wild seas. Ash watched Janna, there were small beads of sweat on her forehead and her head was shaking slightly in her sleep. Ash moved closer to her.

“Don’t wake her. I tried that once when I saw her like this, thinking I was helping,” whispered Ugg.

Ash nodded at Ugg. Janna suddenly bolted upright with her knife held out in front of her, she was panting heavily.

“See, that would have been you dead,” said Ugg.

“Are you alright?” asked Ash.

Janna remembered where she was and quickly came back to reality, fixing her knife to her belt.

“I’m fine. It was just a dream, a bad one. Did I wake you, Ugg?”

“Always so selfless, that’s what I like about her. I was awake just before you. Should we treat ourselves to a little extra breakfast this morning? We can’t creep up on monsters with our stomachs rumbling,” commented Ugg.

“I still think it’s too soon, we shouldn’t eat more than the ration until we come across more food. But if you want to eat extra from yours go ahead, I’m not the boss here,” said Janna.

“Well, you say that but for me at least, you are the leader. Age doesn’t matter here, I judge rank of seniority according to who entered The Gauntlet first - and that was you. I’ll follow your guidance and leadership.”

“You have my respect also, Janna, and I trust you. I will follow your lead,” said Ash.

Janna smiled, the words of Ugg and Ash filled her with hope and encouragement. There was nothing more important in Janna’s life than conquering The Gauntlet.

“My thanks, you are good men. Let’s keep following the river and find the source of the noise we heard last night. There will be food but that is not our chief worry at the moment. I will make decisions that I judge to be in our best interests. Though you are still free to disagree, in fact, I would welcome it.”

After an hour walking alongside the river the valley began to gradually flatten. The air became fresher and the cloud cover became thinner, gradually revealing streaks of blue sky. The knights couldn’t help but smile at the familiar sight of the clear blue sky and the rays of sunlight piercing through the clouds. There had been no repeat of the metallic noises they had heard the night before yet the source of the noise was in the backs of all their minds.

“It is wonderful to see the blue of the sky again and feel the warmth of the sun, the mountains are surely ending. Is this it? Have we escaped The Gauntlet?” wondered Ash.

“We have escaped the mountains, nothing more. The Gauntlet is just a name we gave to the chasm but it doesn’t mean the danger only lies within a valley,” said Janna.

“Forever the optimist, aren’t you? The river flows around a bend up ahead, we will know soon enough what the next leg of our journey entails. Personally, I’m hoping for a cold beer and a sign that says ‘well done’!”

As they navigated around the bend everything changed. The river disappeared, flowing into a gaping hole seemingly carved out of the flat land now in front of them, while the landscape ahead was dominated by a huge expanse of green hedgerows dozens of metres high and an apparent, limitless width.

The knights stood aghast. This was not what they were expecting. The natural valley had morphed into an unnatural landscape.

“Nope, no beer for us,” said Ugg. “Where does the river disappear to? An underground lake perhaps?”

The three knights tentatively peered over the edge of the hole, where the water flowed into darkness until it was out of sight.

“At least we don’t have to jump this one. I don’t think it is survivable,” said Ash. “Is it a forest up ahead I wonder? It’s surely too straight to be one… and trees don’t grow in uniform like they are here.”

“There is an entrance ahead carved out of the trees, almost like a door, it seems the way ahead is chosen for us,” said Janna. “The noise we heard last night had to have come from in there.”

Ash raised his sword and smiled at Janna. “Aren’t you glad I brought this now?”

Janna didn’t reply, but secretly she was. The knights walked towards the forest. The ground was completely flat. Pebbly gravel and fine yellow sand dominated the floor. Gusts of wind rolling down off the mountain slopes picked up the sand grains and created small whirlwinds that danced with each other across the plains. It was a dry and desiccate landscape away from the mountains.

“There is no life here. We will die if we go around the forest but judging from the noises we heard, there is life inside it. Though perhaps not that friendly,” said Ash.

“There is most likely death inside the forest, but hopefully some food as well. Could we not stay here for a bit, soak up the sun’s warmth before we step into the shadows once again? I feel stronger just being in this sun,” said Ugg.

“We need to make the most of the day, however, you’re right that this sun is good for morale and for our health. So I think it’s wise to stay here for a while,” said Janna.

The knights were resting on the ground absorbing the welcome sunlight and making sense of the new environment they found themselves in. The heat radiated off the ground in the distance generating a mirage of shimmering lakes, but Ugg had seen the same on the borderlands and discredited the images as nothing more than an effect. Ash and Janna trusted their companion’s advice.

“The forest is not natural, we can be sure of that much, trees do not grow in perfectly straight lines nor maintain uniform height,” said Ash. “But who made it? And for what purpose?”

“We can’t delve too deeply into the why or who, there are clearly powers in this world operating well beyond our knowledge and capabilities. We just need to conquer the challenges and stay alive, nothing else matters,” said Janna.

“Maybe the priests are right and there really are gods after all?” said Ugg. “I always thought religion was all theatre, money-making and scaremongering. Now, I’m not so sure. Maybe I should have gone to service more.”

“Do you think a priest could have simply walked through The Gauntlet unharmed and made it as far as us? No, I don’t think so. The traps, for example, they did not distinguish between holy and unholy people. You got here because you are strong and logical and you fought when you had to – no other reason,” responded Ash.

“I know, it’s just I can’t help feeling that after the death and torture we have seen here as well as the injustices back home in Harwell, perhaps God is cruel and evil,” pondered Ugg.

Janna stood up, frustrated by the conversation. “See, this is exactly what I didn’t want. Our minds spinning with theories when we should be focused on one thing: surviving. We’ve lingered long enough and we’re distracting ourselves with fantasy stories. I’m going in, are you two coming?”

Ugg and Ash stood up.

“Of course we are coming, I’m too hot anyway now. I thought it was an interesting conversation though and I agree with your views, Ugg,” said Ash. “I think it’s smart to discuss what we are seeing and to try make some sense of it. We should not keep our thoughts suppressed. It’s healthy to share.”

“Fine, if that’s what you two need to do, then do it – but away from me,” snapped Janna.

The three of them walked towards the dark, mysterious entrance of the hedgerows. All of them felt like their journey was only just beginning.