“Thanks,” said Chad.
“Keep an eye on Kevik,” Bart told him.
“Don’t worry about me,” Kevik told Chad. Then all of a sudden, his lower half was covered in goo. “I’m not about to fall out this time. Anyone else want the same treatment?” The others shook their heads no.
Seth swapped places with Riyan and soon, he and Bart were rowing gently toward the convergent zone of the two rivers. Where they met, the waters roiled and frothed making what they had just passed through seem a stroll in the woods. Before their river met the other, there was a double drop, each part equal to what they had just gone through. Then just after the turbulent convergence of the two rivers, there was one final drop. Beyond that, a lake of sorts was formed and the water once again calmed down dramatically.
“I can see why everyone avoids this area,” commented Chyfe.
“I know,” acknowledged Soth. “And this is winter. Wonder what it’s like after the spring thaw.”
“Couldn’t even imagine,” said Chad.
As they neared the first drop, the roar from the turbulent area grew ever louder. Spray began filling the air and the river again picked up speed.
Bart sought for the least chaotic area through which to pass through. Looking past the initial double drop, he saw that the side to the right of where the waters converged was slightly calmer, but not by much. He pointed it out to Seth. “Once we’re past the drops,” he hollered to be heard over the growing roar, “make for there.”
Seth nodded and then they braced for the first drop. “Here we go!” he hollered.
Riding in the front as he was, Riyan had a good view of what was to come. As they drew close to the first drop, his eyes widened and his hands had a death grip on the prow. Bracing himself, he felt the front of the boat dip as they reached the drop. Behind him he heard Bart yell, “Yeeeee-haaaaaw!”
Over the drop they went and Riyan was wide-eyed as the boat raced for the frothing, churning mass at the bottom. Not a sheer drop to be sure, but rather one that dropped fifteen feet over a twenty foot span. Their boat plummeted along, rocked by waves crashing over submerged rock. They were thrown first one way and then another by competing eddies only to be brought up again by a swell and slammed back down.
Bart and Seth rowed furiously to keep them pointed in the right direction. And when they had passed the first drop, they had but a moment’s reprieve before reaching the second.
A much more precipitous drop than the first, the second was more like a small waterfall. As the prow edged over and began to tip, an inarticulate scream escaped Riyan as he saw the distance they were to plummet.
“Hang on!” yelled Soth beside him.
Dropping fast, their boat felt as if it was airborne for a second before impacting with the water once again. The prow actually went under the surface of the water for a brief moment before righting itself, completely soaking Riyan, Soth, and Chyfe who sat in the front. Now, the water in their boat was up to their calves and Riyan feared their boat may sink if it grew any deeper.
With the second drop behind them, Bart hollered, “Row Seth! To the right!”
Using all their might, he and Seth worked to get their boat away from the worst of the turbulent water where the two rivers converged. In the stern, Chad used the steerage oar to aid in altering their course toward the less chaotic area.
Though calmer, it was a relative term. It was still an area fraught with whitewater crashing over submerged boulders, and strong currents working to pull them out into the more violent water.
“Row!” yelled Bart.
Waves crashed over them. As Bart and Seth worked to keep them from the submerged boulders, there was just so much they could accomplish against the force pitted against them.
Smash! Crack!
Unable to avoid one of the boulders, the bottom of the boat slammed on top of it. A six inch crack appeared in the bottom beneath Bart’s feet. Then a wave came crashing into them from the side and pushed them back into the roaring rapids.
Violent eddies began turning their boat to the side. Seth and Bart fought hard to keep them straight but their efforts fell short. The boat was now running sideways on the river.
“Row damn you!” cursed Bart. Stroke after fast stroke, their oars dipped into the water and strove to straighten themselves.
Out of nowhere a fish leaped into the front of the boat and began thrashing about. Seth was quick to notice it and alerted his brother. Soth held on with one hand while he drew his knife with the other.
The fish was flapping about wildly and was near to going over the side. “Quick!” Seth urged as he frantically rowed to get the boat pointed in the right direction.
Soth struck with his knife just as the fish flipped and was about to go over the side. The blade pierced the fish’s flesh with such force, it embedded itself an inch into the wood of the boat.
“Rock!” yelled Chyfe.
Soth left the fish pinned to the side of the boat as he turned his attention back to the river.
They were heading broadside directly toward a large boulder sticking out from the water. Bart and Seth doubled their efforts. Just before they hit, a massive wave struck the side of their boat, deluging them with water. The force of the wave had been just strong enough to alter their course sufficiently to avoid the boulder.
“Almost through!” hollered Soth as they passed the boulder by scant inches.
Chad worked his rudder, and between his efforts and those of Seth and Bart, they were able to turn the prow to face once again downriver. They maneuvered through two more small drops, was soaked as another wave crashed over them, and then they were past. Almost immediately, the water calmed as they floated out onto the lake.
“Oh man!” exclaimed Bart with a gleeful shout. In front of him Riyan was still holding on tight to the prow. Leaning forward, he clapped him on the back. “Are you okay?”
A subtle nod of his head was all the answer Riyan gave. It took a few moments, but he eventually let go of the boat.
“We better get to the shore,” Chad said. The boat was all but filled with water and they were soaked to the skin. The ice cold water was quickly sapping the warmth from their bodies. He tapped Bart on the shoulder and pointed to where the banks of the river again flattened out into a beach area.
Bart nodded. He and Seth began rowing once more while Chad used his oar as a rudder and steered them that way. The goo which had kept Kevik stuck to his seat was gone and Kevik gave him a smile.
“Glad that’s over,” he said.
“You know it,” agreed Chad. “Though we still have at least one more area to pass through.”
“Can’t imagine it could be any worse than what we just went through,” Seth added as he continued to row.
As they made their way toward the shore, Soth returned his attention back to the fish impaled by his knife. A sizable specimen, it’s struggles were growing weaker by the second. Soth took hold of the fish in one hand and removed his knife with the other. He caught Seth looking at him and grinned.
“Nice strike,” admired Seth.
“May not fill our bellies completely,” Soth said to his brother, “but it should take the edge off.”
“We could use some of its meat as bait to catch others,” suggested Riyan.
“Can you fish?” asked Soth.
Riyan nodded. “Just need some string and a long stick,” he said. He glanced to Kevik seated beside him.
Kevik saw the way he was eyeing his staff. “Don’t you even think about it,” he said defiantly.
Riyan laughed. “Don’t worry, I wasn’t,” he assured him.
By the time they reached the beach, everyone but the two rowers were froze to the bone. While Riyan fashioned a crude fishing pole and a makeshift hook from a piece of driftwood, the others gathered wood for a fire. Then just as they did previously, Chyfe and Kevik soon had a fire going.
The six foot piece of driftwood he was using for his pole proved a bit bulky but serviceable. He unraveled some of his shirt for the fishing line, and with a small section of the fish as bait, he went and stood at the water’s edge.
“Chad,” he hollered after casting his line out.
“What?” replied his friend.
“Take out the map and dry it for me would you?” he asked.
