[Child of the 7th Age]

The four children kept walking in the direction where they'd seen the great bird. They knew enough to tread softly, scrambling from one tree or bush to the next, taking advantage of every hidden nook. They'd learned that skill in the caves whenever they ran into guards.

The group went slower and slower as Maura's legs began to tire. Finally, they came to a pen where horses and ponies were kept. The children hid behind a large rock. They could see a great ruckus going on in front of them. Guards were racing around, grabbing at the horses' manes, and trying to swing up onto their backs. Several were fighting each other over who would get a horse. There were other Men lying on the ground bleeding. Those guards who managed to grab horses galloped off in a hundred different directions.

The children had no idea what was going on. They could see the guards were in a big hurry to get somewhere. Roka didn't like this place at all. Even the graveyard was better than this. There was too much confusion and noise. He'd never seen guards fighting like that. Sometimes they cursed or argued in the tombs, but these Men were taking swords and axes to one another. There was too much blood on the ground. It even smelled bad.

"What should we do?" whispered Asta in a frightened voice. "Where's Gamba? Where's the bird?"

Roka wasn't sure, but he didn't think the beautiful bird would be in such an awful place. And he couldn't see Gamba anywhere. He tossed his shovel onto the ground. It was getting too heavy to carry. He thought and thought. Then he remembered something. He tried to explain it to the others.

"Gamba told me we had to go to the river tonight. Maybe he got away, and he's already there. Anyways, I don't like it here."

Roka thought again and added, "Maybe Gamba's guards ran away too. We should try the river."

"Where's the river?" Ban asked with wide eyes. "Isn't it back inside the cave?"

Roka wasn't sure.

Then Asta piped up. "I think I know. I was here once before. I still had a dad then. My dad and I got to hitch ponies to some carts. The guards had us drive them down by the river. We loaded the carts with fish."

Asta looked sad. "I remember that pretty well. It was the first time I got to go outside, and I really liked those ponies."

"Can you find the way?" Roka interrupted.

"I think so." He turned around and carefully began leading the children back towards the tombs.

All along the trail Maura kept talking to himself, "Pretty birdie. Where's birdie? Where's Gamba?"

The others kept shushing him up.

After they'd walked a long time, they came to the outside perimeter wall of the tombs. "This is it," whispered Asta.

"Are you sure? That looks like the way back into prison" Roka sounded doubtful.

"Yes, I'm sure. We turn here. The river is down below."

The children kept going. The toddler was getting more and more tired. Finally, he sat down and stubbornly refused to budge. Asta and Roka pulled him up and dragged him along as best they could. They promised Maura the pretty bird would be near the water.

After what seemed like forever, they rounded a bend. Before them lay the river. Each child stopped and stared. Their eyes were wide with wonder. Except for Asta and his lucky dad, neither they or their parents had ever seen such a thing before.

"Look," said Roka, pointing to a fishing vessel that had been docked for the night. Within a single instant, caution had been forgotten. All four boys raced towards the river and the boat, expecting to find Gamba waiting for them.

[ November 01, 2002: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]