Lauren--Part Forty-Seven

Splog # 170

Forty-Seven

 Austin was nuzzling her neck and shoulder and she absentmindedly ran her hand over his head as she looked at the woman in bewilderment.

 "I - " Lauren began.

 "We were afraid you weren't going to make it. I saw you come out on the top of that tower," she indicated a pair of binoculars lying nearby, "and started to send the swing chair over but you were out of sight before it even started moving. And a little while later, the dog started barking and there you were moving over those shining circles and not doing as well as we could have hoped."

 A ray of light illuminated the woman and Lauren looked up in surprise to find the clouds breaking up above her and small patches of white sky showing through. She was beginning to relax after her arduous trek from the tower and realized with dismay that her legs and feet were covered with dirt and, of course, she'd lost one of her sandals. She sighed with discouragement and the woman came over and squatted beside her.

 "Well, at least you made it," she said kindly. "The dog here was cheering you on all the way. Good thing my rope was long enough. And you're not very heavy. Do you know he did a lot of the pulling to get you up?"

 Lauren put her arms around Austin's neck and whispered "Thanks" in his ear. The three of them stayed where they were for a moment and Lauren realized there was no wind up here. She heard a soft movement and looked around to find a horse standing not far away from the little group. She looked back to the woman at her side, who said,

 "She helped pull you up, too. That's Nik. And I'm Mae."

 "Hello," "Lauren replied. "I'm Lauren and I guess you know Austin."

 "We haven't been properly introduced but he did let me know you were on your way and might need help."

 "I beg your pardon?"

 "Well, he met me not far from here and intimated that he'd like me to follow him. When we reached the edge here, I saw the chair and the winch and he kept looking at the tower and barking. Not long after, you came out on the top and...well, we've been over the rest."

 Lauren, taking a quick survey of the area, saw that, not far away, there was a chair hanging on a rope that passed above and beneath it. The rope was fitted into a groove on a large wheel that had a handle attached to it. The rope trailed off in the distance to the tower, though she couldn't see how or where it was fixed on the other end. She got up and walked to the wheel.

 "But I never saw..." Lauren trailed off looking over to the tower. "I came up to the top and looked around. I guess I was pretty tired from the climb. Maybe I sat down before I could see..."

 Lauren looked at Austin, who ran up to her. She knelt beside him and hugged him fiercely.

 "Oh, Austin. I'm so glad you're here." She held him at arm's length. "But where did you go? And how did you get up here? King had to stay behind and it's been a little lonely..." She hugged him again.

 "Are you feeling well? Recovered from your ordeal?"

 Lauren stood up and looked at Mae. She looked down at herself.

 "I guess I'm fine. I wish I could clean up." She found that the bottom half of the cloak, which she was still wearing, was also streaked with dirt. "And I don't know what I'll do about my shoe."

 "That will take a little figuring, but the cleaning should be easy. We just need to find some water."

 Austin barked in a knowing way and took a few steps as if he wanted to lead them somewhere.