Down Slope

 

As they descended the slope from the mine, Bebe rocked from side to side astride the elephants neck. She restrained the impulse to use her foot claws to secure herself. By the time she got near the bottom of the slope, the din from the mine had diminished. She turned back to the tent and called to Alpen. He leaned out of the tent and answered. “East?” she asked.

Alpen turned toward inside the tent, then turned back to Bebe. “North. We need to look for Fallon and Alithea.”

“They’re…” Bebe didn’t finish the thought, afraid to confirm what she had supposed. She pinched the top of both elephant’s ears, hoping that the animal would stop. She was surprised when it did. Without using her claws to launch herself from atop the elephant, the ground seemed far away. On her knees, she crawled back to the tent, conscious of her precarious position. “Alpen, help.” He stuck his head out of the side flap of the tent and held out an arm. “Lower me to the ground,” she said. Holding onto his arm, she jumped the rest of the way, careful to back away from the tree trunk legs as she landed.

“Can you find a hill or a large rock?” Alpen looked down from the tent.

Bebe glanced ahead of the elephant and behind. “I can look. There’s no rope. Nothing to lead the elephant with. The Fae warrior did it all with her tendrils.”

“Once you find something, find some tall grass,” Alpen said. “They like that. You can lead the elephant with food.”

“How is Mellen?”

“Dazed. He wants to know if he will get his evening dose,” Alpen said. “That’s how they kept the miners prisoner.”

“What happens to him when he doesn’t get, you know…” Bebe didn’t want Mellen to hear.

“I don’t know.” At a sound from inside the tent, Alpen ducked back inside.

Bebe walked to the front of the elephant and scanned the area. She had stopped at a level clearing before the land descended further. On her right, the ground steepened. She paused at the scuffling of the large, padded feet behind her. Turning to look back, the elephant moved forward to her left. From inside the tent, she heard the surprised riders. Not knowing what to do, she called, “It’s all right.”

She moved alongside the trunk that curled up like a large snake. She put out her left hand to stroke the wrinkled skin. When the elephant grunted, she withdrew and looked up at the placid eye staring at her, it’s long graceful eyelashes hinting of an unreachable intelligence inside the large head. She looked up at the tent, but it stayed secure as the beast plodded down the slope, edging toward the tree line. It stopped, curling its trunk around some coarse foot high grass and pulling it up. The sheaf of green shoots disappeared into the mouth below the root of the trunk. Bebe called out, “It was hungry.”

Alpen stuck his head out of the tent flap. “This animal is too slow, too big. We need to leave him alone.” He threw out a long cloth and used it to lower himself down the side of the elephant. The animal protested at the shift in weight but kept on chewing. Alpen called up to the tent and Mellen shimmied down, followed by Drindl.

Alpen said, “Back away and watch him. I’m going to loosen the tent harness under his belly.” Reaching under the belly, he fiddled with the harness then backed away quickly. The tent platform sat askew on the elephant. “Watch out,” he warned and pulled the cloth tied to the platform. The frame tipped toward him and he backed away to join the others. The elephant turned its head to the sound and moved forward faster than expected for such a large animal. It stopped a little ways down the slope and continued feeding.

Bebe looked to Alpen and pointed down the slope. “That’s north, more or less.”

Alpen was distracted by his brother, Mellen, who leaned on Drindl for support. Alpen shook his head as he looked at Bebe. “I thought he could walk, but I see he can’t go far.” He waved to Bebe to lead them down the slope. “Stay alongside the tree line for cover.” He joined Drindl, the two of them holding Mellen up as they continued down the slope.

“Bye, baby,” Bebe said as they walked past the elephant. She walked over a few steps and patted the great trunk. Looking into one yellow brown eye, she said, “I hope you’ll be OK.” She walked away to join the rest, but the elephant made a high short bleat and she turned back. “You want to come? Come on.” She had marveled at the Fae’s ability to control wild animals, and never thought that an animal could be social with others not their own kind. She grabbed some grass shoots and held them out to the elephant. She tried to keep her hand still as the tip of the trunk grazed her wrist and curled around the grass.

“What are you doing?” Alpen called up the slope.

“I think he wants to follow us,” Bebe called back. Turning back to the elephant, she spoke more softly. “Come on, now.” She made tsking sounds as she backed down the slope toward the group. The elephant lumbered forward, its trunk lifting up to the sky in a graceful curve. All the way down the slope Bebe turned back occasionally to call to the elephant.

“I’ll trust your instincts,” Alpen said when they paused for some rest. His displeasure was obvious.

“Maybe he can smell water,” Bebe explained. “An animal that big has to drink a lot of water.”

“He could store it somewhere and we would never notice,” Alpen commented as he inspected Mellen’s face. “He needs to eat. Mellen, I mean. Not the elephant.”

Drindl had gone ahead while they rested. Alpen and Bebe looked up at the sound of his voice from down the slope. He waved one arm as we continued up the slope toward them. After catching his breath, he said, “There’s a village at the bottom of the slope around the curve of trees. I see smoke so maybe can get some food.”

“Guards?” Alpen asked.

“Not that I saw,” Drindl said. He looked at Mellen. “Any better?”

Alpen shook his head. “The food might help.” He looked up at the darkening sky, then motioned to Drindl. “Let’s go before its nightfall and we can’t scout the village.”