100TWC - Day 98: Game

[ this post is a continuation of the story in "Advantage" from earlier in the writing challenge ]

The darkness closed in again as Tani left the clearing, as black as before and yet somehow not. By some trick of nature the canopy was thinner above the path that had presented itself to her. Light from the twin moons, which had risen during her meeting with the old elf, filtered down through the leaves and guided her steps. Behind her, the baying of The Pack was more muted. Either they had taken a wrong turn, or her more certain feet were carrying her away from them faster.

Without any warning she emerged from the forest onto a clifftop. Below her the river Mizar wound its sluggish way through the valley, a gossamer thin thread of life from this height. At first glance she thought the path had turned into a dead end. There was no way to cross the gorge. After a few seconds her eyes adjusted to the moonlight, brighter now without the leafy barrier of the forest. Directly in front of her, a ropeweed strand hung down from the branches of an enormous ancient yalloak tree. It was a perilous leap, but Tani knew she could make it. She had The Advantage.

She retraced her steps into the edge of the forest, turned, and with a deep breath ran as fast as she could to the edge. She judged her pace and the length of her stride perfectly, taking off from very lip of the escarpment and catching the ropeweed with both hands. Securing her feet in the weed's knotted tendrils she swung out across the gorge. Her swing did not have enough momentum to make the crossing at the first attempt, but she rocked the weed strand backwards and forwards until she felt it would go no higher, and leapt free at the opposite perigee.

The landing knocked the breath from her lungs but she rolled through it and continued running. This territory was completely unfamiliar to her, but The Hunt could never cross the gorge at that point. She had gained at least two hours on her pursuers. Even so, Tani didn't rest. On this side of the river the high ground was covered in short grass, cropped by the local population of herbivores. She wanted to make good time while the going was easy. In other few hours the alpha sun would be rising and she needed to make cover before then. Even with The Advantage on her side, there was no time to lose.

An hour later, Tani reached the bank of the river, which looped back around the bluff, picking up speed as it fell towards the sea. The moons had reached their zenith and the sky was a clear black. She filled a flask and sat on a rock to catch her breath, cooling her feet in the rushing water which sparkled silver in the moonlight. As it passed over the rocks the river burbled, almost as if it spoke to her. She cocked her head and listened intently to the sound. "Caradh mich," it said. "Caradh mich." With a sudden thrill Tani recognised the language of the elders. "Follow me," the river was saying.

She had no better notion of the right direction to take, and conscious that The Advantage was almost certainly behind this water-imparted knowledge Tani got to her feet and set off along the riverbank, keeping pace with the flow as it bobbed and gurgled over the rocks. Before long the water deepened and slowed, entering a wide sweeping bend to the left. As she rounded the bend Tani gasped as a small coracle came into view, moored at the water's edge. Looking around she could see no sign of its owner and figured in any case her need was greater. She stepped gingerly into the craft and cast off. Instantly the current caught her and set the boat spinning wildly. She caught hold of the gunwale just in time to stop herself being thrown into the water.

Before seasickness had chance to kick in, the coracle settled into midstream and stopped spinning. Tani had time to look around, watching the bank zip past. Surely The Hunt would never find her now? With no scent trail and so much distance between them?

A sudden roaring noise caught her attention. The small craft rounded another bend and Tani's eyes widened. The river pitched over a waterfall only a few hundred metres ahead and from her position in the boat she had no idea how far the drop was on the other side. She lay down in the boat and wedged herself against the sides, hanging on as tightly as she could as the waves increased in strength and the boat heaved and tossed to and fro. And then it was on her. With a sickening lurch the coracle flew out over the falls into the darkness. Her stomach flipped as the craft fell down, down into an abyss.

Tani sat up into bright white light. For a few seconds she was completely disorientated. She was lying on a couch in a warm, dry room, and someone was standing by her side removing an apparatus from her head.

"How was it Tan?"

Memory flooded back. The game. The most popular game on board IPC Prima Donna. The only way, according to her friends, to while away the long hours between sleeps as they crossed hyperspace to their new home on Cygnus Alpha 4.