Trojian Horse

“We’re here.”

“And where is here?”

“The bog Arien, the bog,” Turo replied coupled with an involuntary rolling of the eyes.

Arien threw himself over the top of the little hill they had summited then stopped to catch his breath. They had been on the move for what seemed like a week, at least, with hardly any stops. He had never run so far and for so long without any sleep. His muscles ached terribly constantly threatening to cramp up permanently and refuse to let him go any further. Turo rarely broke into a sweat and walked with such a determination about her that he wondered if she ever slept or even needed to rest especially because he had not actually seen her sleep. She was always on hand to wake him up when she felt he had slept long enough. He envied her ability to keep going for so long. His pride, which had kept him going so far, was barely intact and threatened to alienate him as soon as a warm flat surface presented itself. Mount Mentur still towered high above them though he felt it finally seemed to have swelled considerably in size since the last time he looked at it. He encouraged himself by concluding that their journey was almost at an end. All that stood between them and the end was the bog. Turo had spoken to him about the bog with a sort of fearful reverence for it.

“Let’s go,” she said taking in the scenery of the swamp that lay before them. “I wouldn’t have wanted to use this way but we are running out of time.”

“Okay, what did you say I needed to look out for here?”

“Just stay close. Step where I step from this point on. Do not stray or that will be the end of you.” She was annoyed that he only had stupid questions at such an important juncture.

Arien nodded his head in readiness and they set off down the hill. He could not figure out why she treated him with such disdain and an obvious air of disappointment. He had hardly known her long enough for her to form any sort of opinion about him. His muscles grew stiffer with each step that he took forward, his mind willing his body to take the next step and then the next while the pain only seemed to grow stronger especially when he stopped. It felt like he was walking with a pile of rocks resting on his shoulders. Had his arms and legs been sawn off at that precise moment he felt it would have been a relief.

The trees were dancing in the wind, the muddy earth squishing beneath their feet while all manner of birds fluttered overhead. There were several animals calls Arien could hear though he could not have said to what beast they belonged. The breeze was a welcome addition to the journey, calming the otherwise stifling heat. The sweat formed rivulets which joined together to form rivers which grew larger and larger until there was a steady stream of sweat dripping from his forehead. A shallow river ran through the swamp and he could hear it swirling and swishing as it flowed toward the South Sea. The number of insects hovering around them nibbling on their warm flesh was unbearable. He just wanted this to be over. If he had come here under different circumstances he may have found this place beautiful, maybe even peaceful. Not today. That, coupled with the warnings Turo had issued about this place made him feel even more unsettled.

They carried on walking until they were knee deep in the bog, his walking becoming more laboured with each step he took as the river gently pushed them southward. He dipped his hand in the water around his feet looking to wet his face. The cool water in his hand felt incredible. Turo immediately slapped the water out of his hand.

“Do not drink!” she warned.

“I wasn’t going to,” Arien replied. He paused a moment before continuing, “But now that you mention it why shouldn’t I?”

“The water. It’s poison to drink,” Turo answered in a rather informative tone.

“Oh.” Arien answered, rubbing the little residual water on his hands against some overhanging leaves. “Why is everything in this wilderness out to get me?!”

Turo ignored him and carried on walking. At one point, he thought she was going to laugh at him but she managed to restrain herself. Barely. He previously hadn’t paid any attention to the blade holstered on the side of her hip until now but his eyes were soon drawn to it. It was a long blade with a hilt that glinted brilliantly in the light. It was the only weapon she carried which seemed ill-advised considering the multitude of creatures that lurked behind the trees at any given moment looking to make them their next meal. He could hold his own in a fight but he was by no means a strong fighter. He wondered how well Turo could fight.

“Can I ask you a question?”

“NO!”

“Why did you come find me? I mean why are you taking me wherever we’re going?”

“Why do you persist with all these questions? All will be revealed when we get to our destination.”

“Why do you make it so hard to get a simple answer from you? Don’t you think I deserve some answers? You know, we’re a lot more alike than you think. And I know you know a lot more than you’re telling me.” The questions were rhetorical. At least to her. He had given up hope of ever getting a decent response from her. She had really tested his otherwise mild temperament in the little time they had spent together.

They walked on in silence. Arien panting heavily behind Turo as she led them through deep bog and through marshland forests and the water got deeper and deeper until they were swimming across. Then it started to get shallower again. Quite suddenly Turo let out a squeal, her arms flailing in the air for an instant before she was swallowed beneath the surface. Instinctively, Arien leapt forward to grab her out of the water closing his eyes and holding his breath unsure of whether the toxic effects of the water Turo had warned him about would affect him if he kept them open. He floundered around in the water blindly hoping to catch a flailing hand. All he felt was mud and reeds growing in the shallow water. He walked his hands on the bottom of the marsh river, his heart pounding and panic beginning to set in. He stood up to get a breath of fresh and almost as soon as he did he felt something wrap itself around his leg and drag him down beneath the water, releasing him only long enough for him to catch another breath above the surface of the water and then dragging him down again then pulling him rapidly along the muddy river floor and the reeds.