It didn’t take them long to work their way through the wriggling curtain of death, and were soon out the other side, none the worse for the chance they had taken.
‘Just in case you thought I had made that little trick up on the spur of the moment, it has been the normal way of dealing with the Whip Vines in my group for some time now, as we have a lot of them in our area.’ Kel felt a little better for having been told that, and showed it with a nod of his head.
Several more rising main trunks and their lateral branches later, Kel called for a rest. The packs they were carrying were not very heavy, but they were not used to even that little extra weight, and found it tiring.
‘How far do you think we shall have to go before we come across a change in the forest? Moss asked, ‘Not that I’m bored with our travels, as there is always something different to see.’
‘I don’t really know, but the first thing would probably be one of the Death Sand patches, according to our Story Teller, or maybe some unknown new life form.’
As the Greater Sun was now nearly overhead, they decided to scout around for their midday meal, and soon had a collection of fruits and berries piled up on the branch.
‘Must say, this is more interesting than what I was doing before.’ said Moss.
‘And what was that,’ asked Kel.
‘Nothing much.’ and they both laughed out loud, sending several creatures scurrying for cover who were not used to such a noise.
Having taken their meal, the pair were on their feet again and heading out in the same direction Mec had suggested, having first checked with the Direction Pointer to make sure.
By late afternoon, they had long ago left the forest they knew, and several new plants appeared on the branches, although the trees themselves seemed the same.
The Water Plants were still in abundance as were many of the fruits they were familiar with, so food and water were no problem, but would not remain so for much longer.
The Greater Sun suddenly lost its light quickly, and this usually heralded a rain storm.
‘Let’s cut some of those giant leaves down so that we can shelter under them, as I see no point in getting our things or ourselves wet.’ It was Moss’s turn to look surprised at Kel’s suggestion, but they both set to with a will to collect enough leaves to keep them dry, and a few left over.
‘Why not put the leftover leaves around the sides, so hiding us from anything which might come along.’ suggested Moss.
‘Two good new ideas in one day is a bit too much.’ replied Kel with a chuckle, arranging the spare leaves to form a box-like structure around them, and only just in time as the first large rain drops began to fall.
It was just as well they had made some kind of shelter, for the storm raging overhead was one of the worst in living memory.
Lightning ripped through the upper levels, setting fire to some of the trees which had died, but had been held up by their neighbours for so long.
Flaming fire brands whizzed past them, and twisting their way down through the canopy from trees which had exploded when the lightning struck their wet cores, sending showers of sparks in all directions.
The two travellers cowered beneath their leaf shelter, dry for the time being, but shocked by the cacophony of sounds which assailed their ears and the unusually heavy deluge of water.
The screech of creatures even more terrified than the sheltering pair, rent the air, mingled by the echoes of the trees ripped asunder by the force of the storm, and the terrible power of the electric discharges.
There was nothing they could do but wait out the storm, and wonder what had happened to their groups who would be soaked by now, and running about like scared Screech Birds and probably falling off the wet and slippery branches.
Having spent it’s fury on the forest top, the storm slowly moved away, only the soaking wet vegetation and the plumes of smoke rising up from the fire brands which had landed on wide branches and not made it down to the forest floor told of the destruction which must have occurred in the upper levels.
Finally the rain stopped, with occasional large drips descending from the foliage above as leaves bent under the weight of water they had trapped, sending their loads cascading ever downwards.
‘Well, we’re dry at least. And probably the only two things in the forest which are,’ Moss added, ‘except possibly Mec, I doubt if anything catches him by surprise.’
‘It would have to be up very early in the morning to do so.’ responded Kel.
They set about rearranging the giant leaves to hide their presence completely, and then Kel suggested that they took it in turns to keep watch and sleep, just in case something they were not used to came along.
Just before the dawn broke, something large and rustley came by, and Kel who was on watch touched Moss on the arm to wake him. They both stood, hidden in their leaf hideout with blade tipped staves at the ready, but whatever it was passed them by. Neither of them slept any more that night.
The first meal of the new day went down well, and both were in a cheerful mood. The branches had dried out during the night, and they hadn’t been eaten, or even bitten for that matter.
‘Things can only get better after that storm.’ Kel offered as a conversational opening piece, but Moss had his mouth too full to do more than just nod his head and do his best to grin without spilling too much juice from the fruit he was eating.
Soon they were on their way again, after first checking that the Direction Pointer and that they were on the correct heading. The branches between the main rising
