Hug In The River
Stories similar to this that you might like too.
The river was wide and deep, the current strong. It took them a long time to cross it; they were forced into an awkward crouch as they waded through its cold waters. When at last they reached dry land on the far side of the river, their clothes sodden with water from head to toe, they stood up straight again but still felt exhausted by what had been accomplished so far that day.
They looked around for somewhere safe where they could rest while waiting out the night before continuing on their journey in search of the dragon’s lair. There seemed no obvious place until one of them noticed something lying half-submerged just offshore: a large flat stone that might serve well enough as a seat or even a bed if necessary.
As soon as he saw this, his companion nodded in agreement, and together they made their way across the river towards it.
They found themselves standing beside each other looking down at the rock when suddenly there came another sound – not quite like thunder, more like distant cannon fire. A moment later both men turned round sharply to look back along the bank behind them.
At first, all they could see was darkness against the blackness of the sky above but then a faint light appeared high overhead, growing brighter and stronger as it moved slowly downwards over the trees below. Then, finally, it burst upon them in full glory, illuminating everything within sight.
This was followed immediately by a loud roar which filled the air with noise and confusion. Both men instinctively ducked low to protect their heads from falling debris. But whatever it was that fell did not hit either man directly because neither of them heard anything strike the ground nearby.
Instead, after several seconds, the roaring stopped abruptly and silence returned once more. After some moments spent recovering from the shock, both men cautiously raised their eyes to take stock of the situation. What they saw astounded them.
A great cloud of smoke hung suspended in midair about fifty yards away, rising higher than any tree would have done. And yet despite being so close to the source of such a massive amount of vapour, neither man nor beast showed signs of suffering ill effects.
Indeed, although the two travelers stared openmouthed at this extraordinary phenomenon, nothing happened except for the occasional wafting of hot steam from beneath the misty veil. Gradually though, as they watched, the haze began to thin out until eventually, only a small patch remained floating gently between them and the forest beyond.
Now that it was clear how little danger there actually was, both men started walking forward again, eager to find out exactly what had caused such a strange event.
As they drew nearer, however, the nature of the object became clearer still. For now, they could clearly make out the shape of a huge creature sitting motionless atop the smoking mound of earth. Its body was covered with thick brown fur, making it appear almost solid rather than translucent.
From the waist upwards it resembled a giant bear, complete with a bushy tail, but its legs ended in hooves instead of feet. These were tipped with sharp claws which glistened menacingly in the moonlight. Above these, the animal’s face was dominated by a pair of enormous horns curving backward from the top of its skull.
Each horn terminated at a point that jutted forwards slightly, giving the impression that the creature was constantly snarling. Yet despite the fearsome appearance of this monster, neither traveler felt fear. On the contrary, they were fascinated by what lay before them.
‘It looks like a unicorn,’ said one of the men quietly. ‘But I’ve never seen anything like it.’ He paused for a few moments, staring intently at the apparition. ‘I wonder why we can’t hear him?’ he went on thoughtfully. ‘And is it really a male? If so, does that mean… ? No! That must be impossible!’ His voice trailed off uncertainly.
His friend shook his head sadly. ‘You’re right, of course. Unicorns are female creatures. Perhaps this isn’t a real unicorn after all.’
Both men continued to stare silently at the mysterious figure for a short while longer, wondering whether they should approach it. Eventually, however, curiosity got the better of them and they stepped closer to get a good view. The unicorn didn’t move at all during this process, remaining perfectly still as if frozen in time.
Once they’d taken in every detail of his form, they walked past him without saying a word. Neither of them wanted to disturb the creature unnecessarily. Besides, they knew that it wouldn’t do them any harm. So they set off once more in search of a suitable resting place.
After a while, they spotted a clearing ahead of them and hurried towards it. Here they sat down on the grass and waited patiently for dawn to break. By then, hopefully, they would know more about the whereabouts of the dragon’s lair.
***
The sun rose steadily throughout the morning, casting long shadows across the land around the lake. As the day wore on, the temperature gradually increased until the air was uncomfortably warm even for humans. Nevertheless, the two men stayed where they were, determined to wait for nightfall before continuing their journey.
They weren’t sure just what might happen next, but they hoped that something interesting would occur soon. It seemed likely enough that the dragon would return to his cave sometime during the evening. In fact, they couldn’t help feeling excited at the prospect of seeing another magical creature up close.
Eventually, when dusk arrived, they decided to leave the safety of the woods and venture into the open countryside. Although they hadn’t been able to spot any signposts or other indications of human habitation, they assumed that somewhere nearby someone would surely live.
Therefore, armed with a torch they made their way carefully through the undergrowth until they reached an area of flat ground near the edge of the wooded hills. There they stopped briefly to rest and eat some food, hoping against hope that the dragon would show himself tonight. But no sooner did they sit down than the sky darkened ominously overhead. A heavy shower of rain began falling, soaking them thoroughly within seconds.
Both men cursed loudly, wishing they’d brought along waterproof clothing. Then suddenly the clouds parted and the full force of the setting sun blazed down upon them. Instantly the heat intensified, causing sweat to pour freely from their bodies. Within minutes they were drenched in perspiration and unable to feel either cold or wetness.
Their clothes clung tightly to their skin, leaving nothing exposed save for their eyes. And yet they remained comfortable, not suffering the slightest discomfort.
They stood there for several hours, watching the sun sink slowly behind the distant mountains. Gradually the light faded away completely, plunging everything beneath a dark blanket of shadow. At last the darkness grew too deep for them to see properly, forcing them back inside the shelter of the trees. Only then did the travelers realize how tired they had become since starting out earlier that afternoon. After eating a quick meal, they curled up together in a sheltered hollow, intending to sleep for only a couple of hours. However, exhaustion took hold much faster than expected, and both fell asleep instantly. Before long they were dreaming vividly again, reliving the events of the previous day over and over.
When they woke later that same night, the first thing they noticed was a strange smell drifting gently through the air. This wasn’t unpleasant though, nor particularly strong. Instead, it reminded them vaguely of the scent given off by flowers growing wild in the forest.
Yet neither man could identify exactly which flower it resembled. Nor did they have any idea where such fragrant blossoms might grow. Still, the aroma was pleasant enough and certainly helped to keep them awake. Soon afterward they heard a faint sound coming from somewhere above them.
Curious, they looked upwards and saw a large bird flying swiftly overhead. Its wings beat rapidly, creating a gentle breeze that ruffled their hair and stirred the leaves below. For a moment they watched it go, marveling at its beauty. Then they turned back to one another, smiling happily.
Finally, after so many days spent wandering aimlessly through the wilderness, they felt safe and secure.
‘What is that?’ asked the younger of the two men. He pointed to the small animal lying motionless beside him.
It was a rabbit, apparently dead, although he couldn’t be certain. His companion stared curiously at the lifeless body for a few moments, trying hard to remember whether he’d ever seen anything like it before. When finally he realized that the creature must belong to the species known as a hare, he shrugged his shoulders sadly. ‘I don’t suppose we’ll get very far if this keeps happening,’ he said glumly.
His friend shook his head vigorously. ‘Don’t give up now!’ he cried angrily. ‘We’ve come all this way already! We can’t turn round because our horses are still waiting for us.’
For a while, they continued arguing, but eventually, they gave up. The older man sighed heavily, wondering why fate always conspired to make things difficult for him. Ever since childhood he’d dreamed of becoming a hero, fighting alongside kings and princes in glorious battles against evil monsters.
Now here he was, stuck alone in the middle of nowhere without a single weapon to defend himself. If only he knew how to use magic, perhaps he wouldn’t need to rely on brute strength to survive. Unfortunately, however, he didn’t possess any special powers whatsoever. All he possessed was a sword, which was hardly adequate protection against whatever dangers lay ahead.
He glanced nervously towards the east, expecting to see more animals appearing out of thin air every time he blinked. So far none had appeared, but who knew how long that situation would continue? Perhaps soon even the rabbits and birds would vanish entirely. In fact, it seemed almost inevitable that something terrible would happen to them sometime during the next hour. It was just a matter of time.
The young man’s face clouded with worry once again. What should they do now? Should they try to find help elsewhere, or simply wait patiently for death to claim them? Either option sounded equally hopeless. They could never return home alive, and anyway what good would returning to civilization possibly achieve?
No doubt the king and queen would send soldiers after them immediately, determined to track them down and kill them. And yet no amount of bloodshed could bring back their lost son. That was an irrevocable truth. There was nothing left for them to live for anymore. Their lives were over.
Suddenly the older man sat bolt upright, staring wildly about him. Something was moving nearby – not among the bushes, but directly above them. A huge black shape was swooping low across the treetops, heading straight for them. Instinctively the pair leaped to their feet, drawing swords from within the folds of their cloaks.
But when they tried to run forward, they found themselves unable to move. As the monster drew closer, they began to feel sick and dizzy. Suddenly they collapsed onto the ground, feeling weak and helpless.
As the beast approached, the younger man closed his eyes tightly, praying desperately for salvation. ‘Please God, save me!’ he whispered. ‘Save my life!’
But the words died unheeded upon his lips. Death came quickly, taking him utterly unaware of its approach. Even as he slipped into unconsciousness, the young man wondered why nobody else had been able to hear him.
The End