Alma was not about to let Brutus interfere for a third time. After a swift series of motions, Brutus found himself grimacing in pain, an arrow piercing through his right leg. “Don’t even think about it,” she said.
Ing pulled out his sword.
“Dear me, Brutus is my best fighter,” said Hector. “Hamilton wouldn’t be caught dead in a fight and Rashek is a little rusty. Leave this to me, boys.”
Alma lowered her weapon as Hector pulled out his.
Ing and Hector engaged in combat. For having a mere dagger, LaBelle was doing quite well. He blocked every strike that Ing sent his way, controlling his weapon with masterly precision.
“Didn’t know I could fight like this, did you?” said Hector, smiling. “I am a LaBelle - the third in lineage.”
Ing tried his best to ignore Hector, even though his anger was mounting and he was determined to not let Hector take the Rod piece that had been entrusted to him by the Lord and Lady of Shamsake.
Hector proceeded to turn to the offensive and it was now Ing who was battling wildly to block the man’s blows. Sword and dagger met together and Hector slid his weapon down along the blade, slicing Ing’s hand; blood gushed out and he fell to his knees. Hector raised his dagger, appearing ready to slash Ing across the eyes and blind him when a gust of wind blew Hector off balance.
Alma quickly ran up to Ing and hauled him off as fast as she could. “Let’s go,” she said.
“Come on, Brutus, get up!” they heard Hector shouting.
Ing and Alma ran rapidly towards the horizon where they could just glimpse the lake getting nearer and nearer.
“We’re almost there, Ing; hold on!” Alma sounded very concerned about Ing as she spoke which was unusual in light of the somewhat detached nature of her actions. Regardless, Ing and Alma had formed a strong bond though.
“How do we cross the lake?” shouted Ing.
“Over there!” replied Alma, pointing to a small boat. She rushed Ing over to it and set him down gently inside. “Can you use your hand to help row?” she asked.
“I think so,” responded Ing. The two were on their way to cross the Lake of Promises. One obstacle lay behind them as one more rose up to take its place in the stream of seemingly endless challenges.
Chapter 15: The Lake of Promises
“Alma, I have something to tell you,” said Ing.
“What is it?” asked Alma. She was trying to concentrate on rowing and where they were headed. She knew the Lady of the Lake was in the very center of the Lake of Promises.
“I met a man named Brinlee Cadence while I was in Dharma,” said Ing. “He told me that the Lake of Promises is a very dangerous place. We’ll need to keep our eyes open and be careful.”
“Okay,” said Alma. “Be quiet for now. I must focus.”
Ing and Alma had been traversing through the waters for several hours and they didn’t seem to be making much progress. A low fog had risen over the surface of the green-blue water.
“What is that up ahead?” asked Ing. There was something strange about the water in that area.
“Whirlpools!” shouted Alma. “Quickly, Ing, we must row to the right to make our way around them.” Ing and Alma desperately rowed, trying to get around the swirling drains trying to lure them into the deep. If they encountered one, they would be sucked underwater and that would be the end of them.
The oar in Ing’s hand rubbed against his wound—the gash given by Hector’s foul dagger--and he tried to ignore the pain.
As they made their way to the right they noticed that the whirlpools stretched around in a circle, impeding all progress; at least, they appeared like they stretched in a circle, but it was hard to see all the way around.
“There is some secret to this,” said Alma. “Look at that whirlpool over there. It looks a little different from the rest. It must be some sort of illusion.”
“But what if it’s not?” asked Ing, warily.
“We must try,” said Alma. The two of them rowed over to the whirlpool and, to their relief, they passed through it as if it weren’t even there; Ing’s heart stopped pounding so heavily.
A few miles beyond the whirlpool circle, they started to see the faint beginnings of a land mass. Closer and closer they got until it was right in front of them. This was it; the place they had tried so hard to reach. The Lady of the Lake would be waiting inside and they would find out why they had had to travel so far to make it to this witch. Only time would tell what would unfold within.
“We have reached the center of the lake,” said Alma. “We get off here.”
Ing and Alma docked the boat at the edge of the small portion of land with what appeared to be the mouth of a cave in the middle. It was very dark and they could not see inside.
“That wasn’t so bad,” said Ing. He proceeded to finally ask the question that had been on his mind: What is so special about this Lady of the Lake? “Why do we need to reach the Lady of the Lake? How will this witch help us? It seems to me she is shrouded in mystery?” It seemed to Ing that they were just on some search for a woman that not much was known about.
