CHAPTER XII
For the first few minutes, neither of them said a word. They kept looking back, afraid the creatures might have decided to follow them. But with so many jewels scattered about, the Bábagos would probably be occupied all night. Surely they would not stop searching until they had found the very last coin.
When Hanna finally grasped what had happened, she began to cry. Her hands were trembling, and she could scarcely believe what she had been capable of doing. The mere image of those repulsive creatures made her stomach turn. She looked at Gunuruk and began feeling him all over, for he was badly bruised.
“What have they done to you?” she asked in alarm, trying to wipe away some of his blood.
“Do not worry. Only scratches they are. Tough, a Snork’s skin is,” he replied with a smile.
But Hanna found nothing amusing about it, and his attempt to reassure her only made her cry again.
“We’ve lost all the jewels!” she exclaimed, staring at the sack she held in her hands, now empty and torn to shreds.
“Useful the jewels were meant to be, and useful they have been. Do not worry,” Gunuruk replied, trying to comfort his friend.
There was no doubt, however, that their loss was a terrible setback. The jewels were supposed to pay for the costly journey from Ákador to Belonia.
“More than all the gold in Antraka, your life is worth!” he continued with conviction.
“You’re right. And so is yours,” Hanna answered with a faint smile.
“Yes. Perhaps my life worth something now, too,” Gunuruk replied thoughtfully, as though the words had been nothing more than a private reflection he had accidentally spoken aloud.
Hanna gave him a puzzled look, not entirely understanding what he meant.
“Those damned creatures! I should have run at least one of them through with the dagger!” she shouted angrily, brandishing the weapon with restless, furious movements.
“No, no, no,” Gunuruk said, reproaching her. “Like them, you must not be. Better than them, you are, without doubt. Hatred serves no purpose. Within yourself, you must look.”
“What’s inside me says I should have fought them.”
“No, Hanna. To fight is to think. Aknus always says that with intelligence and justice, a battle must be fought. Our battle was not there. Important things we have to accomplish. Do not forget. If you or I die, nothing will have meaning. Brave you are. To run away seems to trouble you, but mistaken you are. Our purpose we must seek. From the beginning, only that have we done. The time to fight will come as well. Then your warrior spirit may emerge, but until then, you must keep it in check. If this you do not understand, lost you will be.”
Hanna understood what her friend was trying to tell her and immediately handed him the dagger.
She seemed to have felt its strength, as though carrying the weapon had given her the courage she needed. She had not been afraid. It was a difficult sensation to explain, but Hanna felt as though something inside her was beginning to grow.
Gunuruk breathed a sigh of relief. He was so proud that he seemed never to have felt better.
His friend had behaved somewhat recklessly, yet there was no denying the indomitable courage within her. He had never seen her like that before. He remembered the gleam in her eyes as she had struck fear into no fewer than seven Bábagos. It was incredible. There had not been the slightest trace of fear in those eyes. Only strength. Only justice. Something that seemed to tell her enemies that not even a mountain could stop her, that she would surely make it to the very end.
At last, Gunuruk began to see her for what she was.
The happy Snork would not have traded that moment for anything, although they still had a long road ahead and would have to remain cautious. Ever since leaving Antraka, everything seemed to have been going against them.
They made no stop that night. Pushing themselves onward, they tried to put as much distance as possible between themselves and the scene of the confrontation.
There was a good chance they might encounter an Ikai, which would be a far greater problem than anything they had faced so far. Gunuruk therefore decided to continue along the edge of the forest, where they could quickly take cover if necessary, even though the road had turned away across an enormous plain some time earlier.
“Far away, we must get, and quickly. If an Ikai sees us, nothing we can do.”
“What’s an Ikai?” Hanna asked, intrigued, though she suspected it must be some sinister creature.
“Warriors, the Ikais are. Soldiers of the Dark Army. Humans, most of them. Cruel, all of them. The most bloodthirsty, the most brutal. Those who one day sold their souls. They lead those who follow Kudark. Many there are, wicked all, and the worst is Drujas.”
“Drujas…” Hanna murmured thoughtfully.
Hearing that name again intrigued her. It seemed strangely familiar.
Perhaps exhaustion was preventing them from thinking clearly, but throughout that night they could not shake the belief that, as soon as the Ikai mentioned by the Bábagos arrived, everyone would set out in pursuit of them. And so they hurried onward.
In truth, the idea made little sense. The Bábagos would probably say nothing about what had happened. For one thing, they would not want to jeopardize the treasure they had acquired. More importantly, if the Snorks really were no longer creatures to be harassed, as the Bábagos had claimed—difficult though that was to believe—none of them would be willing to admit that they had tried to serve one for dinner.
The Ikais were not beings to be trifled with, and the Bábagos knew it well.
At the first hint of dawn, their Lewik refused to take another step. Gunuruk decided to stop and rest rather than push the exhausted animal any further.
Their progress had been peaceful and slow, or at least that was how it had felt to Gunuruk. Leaving the marked route had been a good way to avoid encountering anyone, but if they continued in this direction, reaching Ákador would take considerably longer.
Despite the doubts troubling him, Gunuruk decided that rest must come first. They stopped in the daylight, and all of them soon fell asleep, exhausted by the journey.
None slept for very long, especially once the sun rose directly overhead. Not even the great trees surrounding them could keep out the brilliant shafts of light that slipped between countless tiny leaves, dressing the landscape in vivid colors.
Gunuruk occupied himself preparing a splendid breakfast. They had plenty of food, and they needed to regain their strength.
Meanwhile, Hanna decided to explore the surrounding area. In the darkness of the previous night, she had been unable to imagine what kind of place they were traveling through.
She had barely left the forest when she came upon a large lake. Tall grass grew along its shore, together with many plants resembling reeds.
At first, the thought of going into the water would never have occurred to her. But as she gazed at its crystal-clear surface and felt the sticky heat clinging to her body, she decided that a quick swim would do her a world of good.
Gunuruk was so close that she could almost hear him. Shyly, Hanna removed the few clothes she was wearing.
The water felt wonderful. Like a little girl, she began splashing noisily about near the shore. Gradually, growing more confident that the place was safe, she ventured farther into the lake until the water reached halfway up her body.
Suddenly, Gunuruk came running through the trees, shouting at the top of his lungs.
“No, Hanna! Out! Get out, quickly! No noise!”
But it was too late.
A torrent of bubbles began rising to the surface a few yards away from her.
At first, Hanna was simply startled. Then, seeing Gunuruk, she grew terribly embarrassed and covered herself with her hands. Her face turned as red as a tomato.
But her embarrassment soon ceased to matter when something began disturbing the waters that had been so peaceful only moments before.
“What is that?” she screamed, panic spreading across her face.
“Do not move! Hanna, do not move! Nothing will happen, but do not move!”
Something began emerging from the water behind her. It rose higher and higher until it towered three or four times above her own height.
Hanna still could not see it. She could only stare at her friend on the shore, standing petrified before her, his head slowly tilting upward as the creature rose until half its body was out of the water.
An enormous, bloodcurdling shriek burst from its gigantic mouth, as though it were asserting its claim over that part of the lake.
Hanna struggled not to tremble at the terrifying sound. She remained exactly as her companion had instructed, perfectly still, as though her life depended on it.
Then she felt a steady snorting against her back. Warm air washed over her, accompanied by disgusting secretions that made her stomach churn.
At last, the creature came into view.
Curiously stretching and twisting its long neck, it brought its enormous head directly in front of Hanna’s face.
She had no idea how she had managed not to run away. She did not so much as blink.
The creature gazed at her with its great eyes, examining her from head to toe. It even submerged its head to inspect the part of her body hidden beneath the water.
Finally, the enormous animal seemed to lose interest. Bringing its snout around behind her, it pushed her several yards toward the shore, as though suggesting that the best thing she could do was leave.
At that moment, Hanna thought it was beginning to devour her.
Kicking, scrambling, and screaming, she managed to reach her friend, who looked at her with relief.
The Borus—for that was the name of the creature they had just encountered—submerged again, completely ignoring them.
“What was that, Gunuruk?” Hanna asked, terrified and sobbing.
“A Borus it was. Only fresh shoots of grass they eat, but easily they can crush you if they believe their territory you have come to take. Never make noise in lakes you do not know. Ynack always says so.”
“I certainly won’t forget that,” Hanna replied, still shivering.
Then she suddenly realized she was completely naked.
She hurried to retrieve her clothes and, although her body was covered in mud, she did not care. She dressed as quickly as she could and returned to her friend, her face bright red, not knowing what to say.
Gunuruk looked back at her and offered his hand. Together they returned to the place where they had left the wagon.
The Snork had probably never seen a naked woman before, but the matter did not concern him in the slightest. He had not even paused to think about it. To Gunuruk, Hanna was the same whether dressed or undressed.
For Hanna, however, things were very different, and the blush remained on her cheeks throughout breakfast.
“Which way are we going now?” she asked, aware that the lake stretched ahead of them, making their journey even more difficult.
“I must think, Hanna,” Gunuruk replied, studying the map carefully.
He was certainly surprised to discover that they were already beside Lake Imurum. He had not thought they had traveled so far during the night. Besides, according to Narsak’s map, the lake should not have been so close to the forest.
Something did not add up.
Still, he did not give the matter much importance. The map in his hands was little more than a rather inaccurate sketch.
He considered that their best option might be to continue along the route they had followed so far.
It was a dangerous place. Many animals would undoubtedly pass through that stretch between the forest and anywhere they could find water to cool themselves. But Gunuruk preferred risking an encounter with beasts and creatures to crossing paths with Drujas’s followers.
He calculated that if they continued through the forest, then emerged to skirt the lake before rejoining the road, the journey would not take much longer than turning back to recover the route where they had left it.
They both agreed that this was their best option.
And so they set off again.
Gunuruk could hardly have chosen a better route if his sole purpose had been to avoid meeting anyone. But because of the map’s inaccuracies, it would not be long before they suffered the consequences of such a daring choice.
Hanna could not explain why, but she liked the lake very much.
Perhaps it reminded her of the one near her city, or perhaps it was the cheerful sounds and rich fragrances rising from its waters.
Whatever the reason, she quickly forgot her encounter with the Borus. At their first stop, she went swimming again, this time without making a sound and, of course, with her clothes on. They did not take long to dry, though her behavior left Gunuruk rather puzzled.
The days passed without incident, and once the peace they so badly needed settled around them like a gift, they thoroughly enjoyed the pleasures nature offered.
The climate seemed almost tropical, and Hanna in particular was grateful to have the lake’s cool waters constantly within reach.
At night, she had regained her peace of mind. She slept deeply, undisturbed by anything. During the day, they traveled calmly but steadily.
In some stretches, they even climbed down from the wagon to ease the Lewik’s burden, walking or running alongside it at a brisk pace.
Hanna welcomed this as well, for she was beginning to develop remarkable physical endurance.
They encountered many animals along the way, fortunately harmless ones, and Gunuruk explained everything he knew about them.
Most resembled creatures Hanna was already familiar with, but others left her utterly astonished.
At last, one day, the gigantic lake ceased to run alongside the dense forest.
Following the perimeter of that immense expanse of water, they said farewell to the leafy trees and their welcome shade, which they would soon miss terribly.
Before them stretched a vast, scorching savanna.
The first few days passed peacefully, without incident, in seemingly endless solitude.
But as their provisions began to dwindle and the horizon offered no hint of their destination, Hanna and Gunuruk realized they were beginning to encounter a terrible enemy.
An invisible enemy, perhaps worse than any living creature.
One from which there was no escape, nowhere to flee.
One that patiently stripped away hope and battered the mind until those who dared challenge it descended into utter madness.
Its name was Kalam.
And it was a merciless desert where, it was said, not even the faintest breeze stirred.
Day after day, they had traveled along the lakeshore, confused by the scant and inaccurate map, without realizing that the land was slowly devouring them.
There was no turning back now.
At first, they had journeyed with the hope that each day would be their last in that place. But once retreat was no longer an option, looking ahead became a mere act of survival, something done not with anticipation but with despair.
Occasionally, that despair was eased by a brief dip in the lukewarm broth the lake had become, though even the water could scarcely drive away the intense heat cast by the sun upon the barren wasteland.
The plants had disappeared long ago, and apart from an occasional completely withered bush, nothing broke the monotony of the landscape.
The lake, too, had changed in that region. It seemed almost lifeless, with only the infrequent splash of some unfortunate, dying little fish hinting that anything still lived beneath its surface.
At first, Hanna endured the conditions better.
For Gunuruk, however, the days seemed endless from the very beginning. Some nights he could not even find relief, for the air was so stifling that it seemed as though the moon had taken over the work of the blazing sun.
As they advanced, the journey grew steadily more difficult.
The ground cracked and crunched beneath their feet. The shimmering heat clouded the air, making it hazy and almost impossible to breathe.
Although they continually soaked themselves with water, the moisture seemed to evaporate before they had even left the shore.
The distressing conditions were beginning to affect their sanity, so much so that the hunger they endured inspired irrational thoughts.
Then, at last, one morning, the eternal silence was broken by a faint sound drifting toward them, as though carried on a cool breeze announcing the end of that untamed land.
At first, Gunuruk refused to get his hopes up. Believing it to be some hallucination brought on by his miserable condition, he paid it no attention.
But farther on, the lake began to attract his notice with subtle movements, as though its waters were urging them not to surrender to Kalam.
In one final act of courage, they both began to run, followed by the Lewik, which seemed to have sensed the change as well.
As they advanced, a moist current of air gave them renewed strength.
At last, the oppressive, unrelenting heat began to fade, allowing them to admire the refreshing landscape.
Green gradually returned to the surroundings, and finally the desert seemed to acknowledge defeat.
A small waterfall noisily announced the arrival of a mighty river, whose waters disturbed the lake’s stillness, seeming to breathe new life into it.
Along the shore, countless birds enjoyed the idyllic scene. When they saw the two young travelers rushing desperately toward them, they rose together in a great flock, wheeling noisily through the air and sounding the alarm at Hanna and Gunuruk’s intrusion.
Suddenly, the commotion spread as though every animal in the vicinity wanted to take part in that extraordinary concert.
The uproar swept across the entire place.
Under other circumstances, such a tremendous racket would have made the travelers’ hair stand on end.
But this time, not even the loveliest melody could have delighted their ears more.
After so many days of agony and despair, this seemed the perfect place to recover their depleted strength.
They continued a little farther, approaching the end of the lake, where Hanna and Gunuruk could enjoy the cool waters flowing from the rushing river.
Without a doubt, it was the finest way to recover the clarity of mind they had gradually lost, as though shedding an unwanted burden, throughout their ordeal in the desert.
The Lewik soon began feasting on the fresh, abundant grass that grew everywhere.
After their restorative swim, the two companions set out in search of food, venturing into the thriving forest that began only a few yards from the place where they had decided to camp.
Breathing beneath that canopy of trees seemed to fill their lungs with fresh air in an extraordinarily satisfying way.
Only one sensation surpassed it: discovering the plentiful food of which they had dreamed for so long.
Countless fruits hung from the trees like Christmas ornaments. Although gathering them proved less simple than they had first imagined, a little ingenuity made the task manageable.
Neither disputed that the place could be considered a small paradise.
Once the animals living there grew accustomed to their presence, the commotion gave way to a soothing peace, disturbed only by the powerful waters of the river crashing down a great waterfall.
Sometimes Hanna chased birds that had just caught a large fish along the lakeshore.
On more than one occasion, the struggle could fairly have been described as fierce. Nevertheless, this unusual method of fishing provided them with nourishing food, transformed at night into delicious, savory meals over the warmth of the campfire.
At first, however, it was a kind of meal Gunuruk found difficult to stomach.