Dragon of Borcia excerpt

  CHAPTER 3

They hadn’t noticed before, but the side they were on seemed not unlike the side they had just come from. Actually, if they looked hard, there was very, very little difference.

Tim was the first to notice.

“Look at that. There is a rock practically identical on the other side. Strange!”

Tim walked along to the opposite point from where they first emerged by the stream & found another stream on his side. He went back to get the others.

“Over here you lot. You have to see this.” He hollered above the roar of the river.

They all followed Tim, upstream, until they came upon the stream opposite to where they had emerged. Sure enough, it looked a mirror image of the one they had followed. The tree line & the rocks all looked the same. Tim got his binoculars from around his neck that were tucked in his t-shirt for safe keeping. He looked through them at the opposite bank.

“Yep, it’s the same. Just the opposite way round. It’s like looking in a mirror.”

“Can I look?” chirped up Giona.

Jacob responded “Me too!”

Tim handed Giona the binoculars

“Oh yeah. Weird!”

He then handed them to Jacob who responded with a “Hmmmmm!”

Claudia had her arm stretched out, so she to could look.

Tim, went into the tree line & the others followed leaving the roar of the river behind them. It was difficult to see if the path looked the same. It followed the stream with a gentle slope going up.

“C’mon.”

The path followed the stream, but after about 20 minutes the path stopped following it & went off into the undergrowth. They had to negotiate rocks & logs.

“That’s strange!” Said Claudia. “I am sure when we came down the other path, it started in the undergrowth & then went over to the stream. This is very, very odd. I don’t like it. I feel uncomfortable about it. Can we go back?”

She had stopped. Giona & Jacob, who had been behind her, brushed past.

Tim was someway up the path. He didn’t stop. He called back.

“I just want to see if it is different when we come out of the trees. Aren’t you curious?”

Claudia, reluctantly followed on. “Well, I suppose I am, but I just feel a little scared, that’s all.”

“Aw mum!” Said Giona, as he went back to hold his mum’s hand. “Don’t be scared. I will look after you!”

Giona, had always been more sensitive to his mum. Giona was a mummy’s boy, Jacob being just like his dad.

Some of the plants looked different as did some of the fungi, Claudia noted as Giona pulled her along the path. After about 30 minutes, Tim called back.

“I can see the edge of the trees.” There was some urgency & excitement in his voice.

They came to the edge of the trees. The land was different. It levelled off with some hills in the distance & more trees to their right & a hill. Tim turned to Claudia.

“Hmmm that’s odd. I just don’t understand how the wood & the riverside can look the same. Beats me!”

He scanned the horizon, but all he could see was 3 wild horses by the well trod path that vanished over the hill.

“Rose’s husband did say this side could be a bit odd sometimes. I heard him.” Giona went on “Maybe it is an odd day for whatever reason & our minds are playing tricks on us?”

“But, we all saw how this side of the river mirrored the other, so I can’t see how all our minds are playing tricks on us at the same time. I also saw some strange flowers as we walked up.” Added Claudia “I also had the feeling of being watched.”

Tim added “That’s strange, so did I! But I didn’t want to say anything as I thought I was being silly.”

“Ok!” Said Claudia “I think we should go back now.”

“Aren’t you curious?” said Tim. “Lets just see what’s over that hill.”

“Yes, come on mum. Just to the top of that hill!” Jacob showing as much curiosity as his dad.

Claudia, was already over at the tree line, but she was unable to find the path they had emerged from.

“I am sure we came out by this big tree, but I can’t find the path now!”

She was joined by the others. They all searched for the path, but they couldn’t find it. Even when they stepped into the wood, they could not see the path. It had just vanished!

“This is so weird!” Said Giona as he kicked the undergrowth with his feet.

“Weird!” Echoed Jacob as he too pushed the undergrowth around with a stick he had found.

Claudia spoke with a sense of urgency in her voice. “Look, can we just go? We are bound to find that stream that will lead us to the river & the tree, then we can just get back to the other side. I don’t like this. We just should have stayed on the other side.”

Tim was a little sarcastic at first, but he could tell that it was a bad idea, so he spoke normally. “Aw, are we a ittle scardywary?” Claudia threw him a look. “Ok, but you must be as curious as I am? Lets just go over to that hill. Have a good look around & then come back & see if we can find that damn path & stream!”

“Just to the hill then.” Answered Claudia.

“Huhu, the hill.”

Giona took Claudia’s hand again as he lead her out of the trees & on to the path.

They walked single file along the path. As they got nearer to the horses, they could see there were 3, mostly white, but all 3 had brown patches on their necks. As they got nearer the horses, they didn’t move nor did they look up as the group approached.

“They must be very used to people.” Remarked Claudia as she approached one of the horses.

Claudia bent down to grab a tuft of grass, holding it out as a form of offering to the horse, who had looked up at her approach. The horse accepted the offering, pulling back its gums & taking the grass.

Giona followed Claudia’s example & offered the horse some grass.

“Look it’s quite tame!” She said, as she stroked & patted it.

Tim & Jacob joined her, each of them offering the horse some grass, before petting it. The other 2 horses closed in, as they too wanted some grass & petting.

“Ok!” said Tim in an uncomfortable voice. “I think we should go now.”

Tim, didn’t really like horses much, ever since he sat on one in a paddock & it bolted with him on top, so he was eager to go, although these seemed ok.

They all made there way back on to the path. They got just a few yards from the horses, when the horse called after them in a deep voice.

“Thanks for the grass!”