“The road we take passes right next to the lake,” the Rider said. “At times the drop off is right beside us. We keep the Turtle in front to set the pace and help if it runs into trouble.”
The Turtle and its noisy engine rumbled up beside them. Esgona yielded the command to another Rider; however, he did remain next to him as a passenger and the Rider and Esgona looked to be deep into their own conversation.
Stroan had known there was no love between the two young men from Tan Torna Qu-ay. The details of their history weren’t discussed, but the mutual feelings were blatantly obvious. Johan knew he could never explain the torment and terror Esgona filled him with as they grew. It was more than simple bullying. Sure, there was the name-calling and dustups as youths, but it grew steadily worse as they aged. Once, in their early teens, Esgona had tricked Johan into going to the pools that peppered the rocks beneath Tortria Den by sending him a letter signed by a girl he’d had an obvious crush on. Once he arrived, Johan found he had been tricked, and was led into a trap by a waiting Esgona and Hogope. After laughing mercilessly at his trick, Esgona shoved Johan into one of the deep pools.
Johan, at that point in his life, couldn’t swim.
As he thrashed and fought for breath, Esgona and Hogope laughed harder. Eventually, when it became clear that Johan was in serious risk, he could see Hogope falter and ask Esgona to get him out. Esgona just stood there smiling. Were it not for Aryu’s intervention, Johan still believed that Esgona likely would have let him drown.
Aryu had been in town, seen the girl, knew she was certainly not at the pools, and knew instantly what had happened. He had just begun to master his wings and flew out as quickly as he could. Esgona and Hogope ran once they saw him approach and haul out his terrified friend. Despite the anger felt by the two, no retribution was even devised. Although their hatred for Esgona and his actions was great, they feared his mother and the power over their families that she possessed.
And that was just one thing he’d done to the two. Granted, it was on the severe side of his actions, but it was not an isolated incident.
Stroan had no issue with the boy and had found him just as helpful as Johan despite his ailment. He did not have their history, however. History makes all the difference.
-----------------------
By the time the sun began to pass its apogee and began the fall towards sunset, the group was deep into the astonishing noise created by the Thunder Run. The torrent of water from far above crashed into Thunder Head, and given the geography of the valley itself, the landscape created a natural echo chamber. Stroan was right; words were useless even spoken side by side. The travelers found whatever means necessary to shut it out. Ad hoc earplugs were passed out between some while others took to muffling the sound with wraps and other clothing tied tightly to their heads.
Even the animals were granted some form of protection, usually by heavy blankets tied around their ears.
Johan, riding on the back of a cart, had fashioned earplugs from soft dough used in making miscellaneous fireside pastries. They did the job well enough, but the power of the waterfall still made it through and buzzed his ears, which were still sensitive from the Ark 1 explosion. He could swear he felt the pressure of that much falling water hit the lake below, like the Thunder Run did more than stir the water of Thunder Head. It was so massive it vibrated the air around him.
The Turtle kept a steady pace along the lakeshore. Many looked at the sudden drop off of the water in fear, knowing what entering it was likely to do. Johan was simply awe-inspired by the view.
Above them was nothing but headwall as far up as they could see. It cast an unnatural darkness on everything, the sun sitting well behind its mass by this point in the day. The lake was the largest most of them had ever seen coming from a place so dry and arid. The shore didn’t gradually fade into the depths. It was a solid drop into abyss from the moment the crystal-clear water hit the edges. With the depth, and the lack of sunlight, the lake was simply black.
The animals, even the large pure horses of the Riders, were clearly uneasy being so close to the noise and the power that created it. They stayed the course but were twitchy and nervous. The road was wide even as it passed directly beside the drop offs, and most of the animals kept as far away as they could. It would still be another few hours before they were past the shores of Thunder Head and beginning their trip up the valley.
Johan noticed a folme having issues. It wasn’t pulling a cart, just walking along the side of one being driven by a mustached gentleman and a young girl he surmised to be his daughter, a pretty, dark-skinned brunette in a soft blue dress with lace trim, currently sporting a small blanket wrapped around her short-cut hair to block out the noise. He’d noticed the daughter a few times up to this point in the trip, and he had taken small bits of enjoyment from the fact that she seemed to be noticing him as well.
The animal was rocking its large head back and forth rhythmically. It was then he saw the folme’s rag-tied headwear
