Tr'ond?k, Canada

  Peter moved slowly towards the elk herd, careful to not make eye contact with any of them. He was grateful at least that there weren't any calves yet; that meant the adults wouldn't be in an aggressively protective mood. Instead they’d just be suspicious.

  At least, that’s what he assumed. He’d never been this close to elk before, because he used to be sane.

  Behind him, Marie and Razan had weapons out. Sophie was between them, radiating nervousness, which Peter really wished she wouldn't. Animals could sense fear, and usually reacted to it with hostility.

  The elk watched as Peter led his group around the herd. All background noises seemed to quiet, the whole world watching to see if anything exciting would happen. Praying nothing even remotely interesting would happen, Peter kept his eyes straight ahead.

  They got about halfway around the herd when Sophie stopped with a squeak.

  “How nice, a bear has decided to join us,” Razan said.

  Peter slowly turned. To their left, a bear was ambling down the mountain, heading in their basic direction.

  “How dangerous are they?” Marie asked.

  “If it becomes hostile, we will die,” Razan answered.

  “They don't usually attack, though,” Peter added. “We’re in a group, so it should leave us alone.”

  The bear saw them and stopped. The elk saw the bear and stopped. Marie pushed Peter into a walk.

  “Ignore it,” she ordered. “Assume it won't hurt us. If it charges, we all bail.”

  They all agreed this was a reasonable plan.

  As they walked, two new hawks joined the one which had already been watching them. This didn't exactly fill Peter with confidence.

  The bear sat down, lifted a huge paw, and got to work pulling a tangle out of its fur, looking for all the world like a giant dog. The elk relaxed, going back to grazing as they walked down the valley.

  “I don't want to pet it, but it does look very soft,” Sophie said. “We’ve now seen a moose and a bear; if we come across a-”

  “Stop!” Razan snapped in alarm.

  “Don't say it, thief,” Marie ordered at the same time.

  “A- A squirrel,” Sophie finished.

  Peter smiled as they complained to her about testing fate. He stopped smiling as the elk nearest him twitched away, alarming several other elk. Everyone quieted down, again paying attention to the animals around them. The bear was still sitting a ways away, but was now watching them as if it couldn't decide if they’d make a good lunch or not.

  After a few tense minutes of walking, Razan cleared his throat. “Captain, permission to do something stupid?”

  Peter looked back as Marie raised an eyebrow.

  “Granted,” she decided warily.

  The samurai bowed, then picked up a rock and tossed it in his hand, testing the weight. With a completely neutral face, he pulled his arm back and chucked the rock at an elk’s rump.

  The bear wandered off as the elk broke into a full stampede. Razan stood still, trying to not move as the ground rumbled beneath them. It wasn't as bad as a true earthquake, but walking would have been difficult.

  He stood still, waiting for the last of the elk to run by. The herd was huge; it seemed much larger now than it had when they’d looked at it from on top of the hill.

  In Razan’s opinion, it was better to be terrified for a few moments than to be mildly alarmed for half an hour. And he was indeed terrified. These animals could trample him down and not even realize it.

  Finally the last stragglers ran by, not even glancing at the tiny group of humans as they followed the herd.

  “Samurai,” Marie said slowly, “remind me of this if ever you ask to do something stupid again.”

  He bowed. “Yes, Captain.”

  “Right,” she said, adjusting her hat and coat. “On we go.”

  Sophie, clinging to Razan’s arm, shuddered. “I've decided I prefer contests where we don't see any animals.”

  “Agreed,” Peter said immediately.

  The group started walking again. Above them, one of the hawks circled off somewhere else, but two stayed. The rumbling from the stampede died down, leaving the usual, soft nature sounds. Birds and bugs went about their business.

  Slowly, the sound of a river grew louder. It sounded distinctly bigger and faster than the others they’d crossed. By the time it came into view, the roar was drowning out most of the background noises.

  The bank of this one was low and wide. Grass and bushes didn't grow near it, the dirt having been covered in large, smooth river rocks. Boulders were scattered through the river, some big enough to be seen, but others only visible from the way water rushed over them. On the other side a forest had made its way down from the mountain; the trees here still sparse and young.

  “It’s beautiful,” Sophie said, looking around in awe.

  “It’s wider than I thought,” Marie said.

  “We don't have enough rope to cross,” Peter added.

  Razan walked to the water’s edge and knelt down to dip his fingers in it. It felt like recently melted snow, much colder than the stream they’d collected gold in. Swimming in it would be painful.

  “Nop!” Marie called.

  A blue flash, and a raven stood on a nearby boulder. “Yes?”

  “To confirm; if half the group stays here, not bailing, and the other half continues on, we won't be penalized?” the captain asked.

  “Correct,” Nop said.

  “Good. What happens if we all stay here?”

  “No penalty, but since there’s still over two hours left in the contest, you will be severely handicapping yourself.”

  “And if we bail?”

  Nop’s feathers fluffed. “That would be penalized, yes.”

  Marie looked at Razan, an eyebrow raised. “You’re the one who said swimming was an option.”

  “I was, yes,” Razan agreed. “I no longer believe it is possible.”

  “We could go upriver,” Peter suggested. “Try and find a narrow spot?”

  “On this thing I doubt it will be narrow enough,” Marie said.

  They all stared at the river. Nop left.

  “Cowboy, how’s your arm?” Marie asked.

  “All ten fingers are present and accounted for,” he said, then grinned at her flat look. “I’m fine, Captain. It’s sore but doesn't hurt.”

  “Good. Samurai, I want you to tie a rope to your waist and try swimming across. If you get to the halfway point and feel you won't be able to make it, come back. If you keep going, we’ll send Peter after you. Sophie and I will stay here,” she decided.

  “Why?” Sophie asked. “I can keep going.”

  Marie turned to Peter. “Do you also object?”

  He hesitated before nodding. “I haven't fully submerged my prosthetic yet; I’d rather that happen at home.”

  “Very well. After a break for food and water, Peter will stay with me, and Sophie will swim across,” she said. “Assuming Razan makes it. If not, we’ll see what it’s like upriver.”

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  They all agreed, and Razan settled down for a snack.

  Sophie pulled off her outer layer of clothes as Razan tied a rope around his bare waist. For some reason seeing him half-naked never made her heart beat faster. He always looked comfortable and casual with nothing on; acting as if it were a novelty would feel wrong somehow.

  His faint, mocking smile as his eyes met hers, though, did get her to blush. He clearly knew something she didn't, and it was going to be unpleasant, and he was going to enjoy her pain.

  Marie held open a waterproof bag, and they put their clothes in it. They’d decided to not take backpacks across the river.

  After stretching, Razan stepped carefully into the water. It pulled strongly at his feet, making tiny eddies next to his ankles. Unbothered, he continued on. He got to where the water was at his knees, yelped, and suddenly sank to his chest. Marie’s hands tightened around the rope, but he didn't turn back.

  From that point he swam, angled upriver as the current pulled him down. It took longer than what Sophie would have guessed for him to reach the middle. He paused, looking over his shoulder at them, and continued on.

  “Your turn, thief,” Marie said, passing the rope to Sophie.

  She quickly tied it around her waist, took the bag with their clothes, then stepped into the river.

  It was freezing.

  Sophie squeaked, almost falling backwards as she pulled her foot out. “That’s colder than ice!”

  “Go, thief, you volunteered,” Marie said, amused.

  Whimpering, Sophie stepped into the water again. A few more steps made her feet numb with cold. She had no idea how Razan was still moving. Regardless, she had to continue on. She got to the point where Razan had dropped and grit her teeth, closing her eyes tight before letting herself sink.

  It was painfully cold. She cursed, using several words her mother would not approve of, and continued moving. Somehow cursing made the temperature more bearable, so she kept doing it.

  After a minute Razan climbed up on the other shore. He pulled the rope, reeling her in like a fish. Sophie did her best to keep moving, but shivers made it hard to stretch her arms out. She gave up and let him drag her to the shore.

  “I do enjoy a nice, refreshing swim,” he said, pulling the bag away from her to get his clothes. The effect of his calm words was marred by the fact that he was visibly shivering.

  “Indeed,” Sophie agreed, managing to stand. “I’m glad the dust and dirt of the day has been washed off. Feel as good as new.”

  “We forgot our shoes.”

  She stopped in trying to untie the rope, staring at her bare feet. For some reason she started giggling. “I left them on purpose,” she lied. “I’ve always wanted to run barefoot through a forest. With my hair blowing in the wind.”

  “Evil,” he decided, pulling his shirt on.

  “Me? Never,” she said, wringing out her hair. She smiled innocently at him. “I don't want to put dry clothes over wet ones, so I’ll need to strip down completely. You don't mind, do you?”

  He stopped, narrowed his eyes, smiled, picked up the bag with her clothes still in it, and ran for the trees.

  “Razan! Come back! I’m freezing! You horrible- vile- Razan!”

  “They’ll be fine,” Marie said, watching Sophie throw rocks at Razan as he vanished into the forest.

  Peter was unconvinced. “It’ll be two hours of walking. They’re going to hurt their feet.”

  She turned and raised an eyebrow at him. “What do you propose we do?”

  “I… Ask Nop if their shoes can be sent over?” he tried.

  Nop helpfully appeared. “We can't do that,” she said. “It would fall under the same guidelines as providing supplies forgotten on the ship.”

  “Is there anything we can do to get their shoes to them?” Marie asked.

  “Not that I can think of,” Nop said.

  “Fine,” Peter grumbled. “I won't worry about it.”

  “Thank you,” Marie said, then repeated the words to Nop. She looked back at Peter. “Let’s go upstream a bit. See if there’s any good place to cross.”

  “Yes, Captain,” he said, shouldering Razan’s backpack.

  Marie picked up Sophie’s backpack, and they started moving west.

  It didn't take long for them to start climbing. They moved out of the valley and onto rocky, barren terrain. Sparse bushes grew here and there, but nothing substantial. The river to their right continued to be wide and fast as it wound through what quickly became a ravine.

  After about half an hour, Nop appeared again.

  “This is as far west as you are allowed to go,” she announced.

  Marie found a boulder to sit on. “Understood. We’ll stop here.”

  The raven thanked her and vanished as Peter sat cross-legged on the ground.

  “Want to go east?” he asked.

  “Not particularly,” she answered. “This is a lovely spot. I’ll stay here.”

  “It is a lovely spot, yes,” he agreed. He adjusted his position to lean against her boulder, then looked critically at his metal hand, flexing the fingers.

  “Something wrong?” Marie asked.

  “No, it just…” He shrugged, then rolled his sleeve up. Grimacing, he pulled a hidden lever, and with a metallic click his hand went dead. He pulled the whole thing off. “Better.”

  Marie watched him critically as he stuffed the prosthetic into his backpack, the hand limply sticking out the top. “Please never do that in front of me again.”

  Peter looked up at her in surprise. “That bothered you?”

  “It did, yes,” she said quickly. “It turns my stomach to see Ebba take her feet off; this was a dozen times worse.”

  He smiled, tying his sleeve up. “Haven't you taken limbs off people before?”

  “Aye, but I like you,” she told him. “Out of curiosity, what’s your plan for if a bear comes by?”

  “I will follow your orders, Captain,” Peter said with a mocking salute.

  Marie sighed. “Children…”

  Razan was pleasantly surprised by how soft the forest floor was. He didn't enjoy walking without shoes, but at least he wasn't in pain with each step.

  “How much longer do we have?” Sophie asked. “I might need to stop soon. My feet are about to fall off.”

  “Under an hour,” he answered, checking the position of the sun. “We should be getting to the last river soon.”

  “Should we try to cross it?” she asked. “Or will we say we've gone far enough?”

  “Depends on if it looks friendly or not,” Razan said.

  She accepted this, and they continued on in silence.

  The trees around them weren't quite thick enough to be called a forest. There were more bushes here, most with small, unripe berries on them. Short grass and old pine needles covered the ground in a slightly springy carpet. The air was fresh and crisp, carrying the sounds of birds and insects going about their day. Razan was so very ready to be out of all this nature and back in his nice, completely artificial room.

  They reached the river. It looked friendly enough, but the wolf fishing near the far shore did not look friendly.

  Razan watched it, wondering how well it could swim.

  “Are you certain it’s prohibited for me to pet wild animals?” Sophie asked.

  “Yes,” he said flatly.

  “But look at its fuzzy little ears! I just want to feel how soft they are.”

  “After feeling its ears, you’d get to feel its teeth,” Razan warned.

  Her eyes went wide. “I know I’d be the first English Lady to have been bitten by a wolf. It’d be much more believable than being the first English Lady ever bitten by a shark. If I got-”

  “Sophie, allow me to introduce you to the concept of tattoos,” he said, not taking his eyes off the wolf. “You can get any kind of mark you wish put on your body. Including bite marks of any number of animals, if that is what you want to decorate your skin with.”

  She seriously debated this for several seconds, then sighed and shook her head. “It wouldn't be real.”

  The wolf suddenly lunged into the water, jaws flashing. A moment later it danced to the shore with a fat fish in its jaws. Its tail didn't wag like a dog’s would have, but the way it pranced into the trees showed it was pleased.

  “Good-bye, Mr. Wolf,” Sophie called softly.

  Razan bowed to it. “Enjoy your meal.”

  She looked at him. “Will we be crossing now?”

  “No,” he decided, and sat down against a tree. “I don't want to risk interrupting its dinner.”

  “That would be rude, yes,” she agreed, sitting nearby. “Would you give me a tattoo?”

  “Why?”

  “I'm not positive, but it’s likely I’d be the first English Lady to get tattooed,” she said. “It would upset my mother greatly. It might even upset my father enough he’d notice I exist.”

  Razan smiled. “An excellent reason.”

  They made themselves comfortable, and started discussing art.

  “Five minutes,” Nop announced, appearing out of nowhere.

  Peter took his fingers out of his mouth, glancing at Marie.

  She smiled at him. “Five minutes, Cowboy, I believe in you.”

  With a sigh, he put his fingers back into his mouth and blew out a horrible wheezing sound.

  Marie shook her head, put two fingers in her mouth, and let out a sharp whistle that echoed back and forth through the mountains.

  Peter drew in a deep breath, then sneezed. He winced, pulling chomped fingers out of his mouth.

  “That was your worst attempt yet,” Marie laughed.

  “I give up,” he grumbled.

  “Nonsense, this is an important skill,” his captain said. “Try again. Curl your tongue further. Do something different.”

  Believing it was pointless, Peter did as ordered. He took a deep breath, and, to his shock, almost managed half a whistle before it snapped into a raspberry. Getting an encouraging nod from Marie, he tried again.

  Finally, finally, a loud, clean whistle rang out. It echoed happily, eventually fading into the ravine.

  “Well done, lad,” Marie said, patting his shoulder. “Now a few more times to prove it wasn't a fluke.”

  Peter complied, sending out three more clear, long whistles into the mountains.

  “Good,” Marie said with a serious nod. “Now we chain them together; a dozen ought to do.” She took a deep breath and whistled.

  Peter whistled as soon as she was done, and the moment he ran out of air, she whistled again. By the time he let out the twelfth whistle, the echoes were loud enough it almost hurt his ears. A rumble started on the mountain ahead of them, the snow beginning to move. At the same time, rocks broke off the ravine wall, falling into the river. A small avalanche followed the rocks, hitting the water with a long, rumbling crash. When the echoes of the whistles finally faded, the mountain was visibly different.

  “Please don't do that again,” Nop said in a small voice. “It made the- It briefly disrupted the link to my bird.”

  Marie grinned at Peter. “Didn't I tell you a good whistle could change the world? Changed it so much even the rostari were affected.”

  “Would you like me to bail your group now?” Nop asked, her voice unamused. “You will not be penalized, as so little time remains, and everyone would feel safer with you out of this area.”

  Peter smiled. “Aw, but things wer’ just gettin’ fun!”

  “Bail us now,” Marie laughed. “Or else we’ll have to entertain ourselves more.”

  “As you wish,” Nop grumbled.

  There was a blue flash, and the mountains were gone.