Chapter 18: The Plan

Berin and Glavino cannot believe what they hear: to return Rini to them, they must kill the foul beast's mate.

The Plan

The master paused, looking at Glavino as though challenging his outburst of achievement, one eyebrow raised in unison with his upper lip.

“It is true,” said Berin.

“How?” asked the master.

“We trapped it in our shelter and lit it with flames.”

“Remarkable.”

Berin could see the genuine desire of the farmhands to flee, away from this foul beast.

“If we kill the beast, will you let my son go?”

The master turned to Berin, his lips pursed as he contemplated the proposal.

“Most certainly,” came the reply.

Despite Rini’s protests and Glavino attempting to hold the father back, Berin stepped forward to clasp the hand of the master in the traditional Akola method. As he reached forward, the master pulled away his hand.

“You really were there in Akola?”

“Yes,” puzzled Berin,

Where is he going with this? Why did he pull away his hand?

“I can see you have travelled far for your son. You are also willing to risk your life for his.”

They shook hands. Berin thanked the master and turned with Glavino. Rini wanted to join them, but the master clasped onto his shoulder.

“This is so you will keep your promise.”

Berin paused for a moment, wishing he had Rini in his possession.

“At least I know Rini’s location,” he whispered to Glavino.

Glavino was clearly agitated, his whole hand drumming against his hip.

“I am not facing that beast again.”

“Why not?”

“The male was enough. Remember what Grasio said? He said the female was many times worse. We cannot kill her, not without assistance.”

“Do you think any of these men will assist us?”

Glavino glanced over Berin’s shoulder.

“Unlikely.”

“Then it is up to us to kill the female.”

“How did it end up here?”

“I have not a clue. Perhaps it somehow tracked us down.”

“Do you think it is coming to kill us?”

“Possibly.”

Glavino shuddered. “The hunter and the hunted. I hate the thought…”

Another scream arose from beyond the trees, causing great trepidation to rise from within all the men. But not Berin.

“I have a reason for killing the beast.”

All I need is a plan.

“Do you think we could use the same method of killing as before?” he continued, asking Glavino.

“Think we need another plan. My mind is muddled. Any idea?”

Berin paused. “Perhaps.” He remembered seeing at the farm a series of pointy wooden posts, sharpened by blade at one end. He turned to the master.

“Those sharp posts at your farm, we request them.”

“We were going to use them for our fence against this wild beast. Why?”

“I can use them as a trap. Do you have a goat and something with which to dig a hole?”

“Yes, of course.” The master sent his men scurrying back towards the farm to collect the materials and the goat Berin required. Berin and Glavino began digging with their hands a wide hole, before the wooden shovels arrived.

“Wish they were metallic shovels from Skarbor.”

“Shut your mouth, Glavino, and start digging.”

The two dug through the remainder of the night, keeping a sharp eye open on the surrounding trees, in case the female beast came towards them. They figured the goat would be the first point of attack, so it was tied to a tree about twenty paces away. The others, along with Rini, retreated to the farm, awaiting what may become of the beast that froze their hearts and their courage. They had forgotten, in their fear, to bring back the sharp posts.

“Cowards,” fretted Glavino.

Berin and Glavino hid high in the trees, far enough away from the goat so they would not be the first point of attack.

“I wish Rini were here with us,’ said Berin after a few hours’ silence. ‘I know he would be scared, but at least I can take care of him.”

“Would he not be safer at the farm?”

“I have a grave feeling in my stomach he will not be safe.”

“How so? We are the ones in danger.”

“Yes, but I need to know where he is at all times. This is the best we can do to liberate him.”

The two hushed; there became the sense of a presence amongst the trees. Berin leaned his ear away from the branch to decipher the source of the noise. It was not a heavy noise as he imagined; rather, it was light-footed. The noise rapidly became more earnest as the source grew closer to the two. Berin held his breath for fear his exhaling would draw attention to their hiding position. He could feel Glavino tighten his grip on the trunk of the tree as though the tree was a source of comfort.

The origin of the noise came into view. It was Rini! He held a few wooden spikes in his hand! Rini spotted the goat and paused suddenly, as though he were afraid the trap set for the beast was directly in front of him.

“Papa?” Rini half whispered, half cried.

“Rini!” cried Berin. But before the son could see his father, the ever-blood-curdling scream came from behind them. Rini’s legs at first froze, unable to move. Berin’s voice did the same, unable to direct his son towards their tree. It was Glavino who called out, informing Rini of the hole’s location.

“Climb the tree to your rear,” instructed Glavino. Rini obeyed, shimmying up the tree faster than a shooting star across the northern sky. Berin breathed a sigh, the first he had since crying out to his son.

“What happened?” he asked.

“The farm was invaded by the beast!” stammered Rini.

“No!”

“It attacked the main house first. I saw the master; he had scratches all down his face. He was alive, barely. I knew not what to do, so I ran in this direction.”

“Quiet, I can hear something,” barked Berin. He desired to hear more of the tale, but they were in dark peril. They needed to stay still for the plan to work.

In no time, the female beast entered into view. She was a sight; her figure was more gruesome and more colossal than her male counterpart. Her dark fur mangled across her face, rage fuming from the eyes behind the fur. She spied the goat and stopped. Sniffing the air, she glanced around, as though aware there were six eyes watching her every move. Her glance stopped at the base of Rini’s tree. It was, as though her eyes were searching for what her nose knew: a human was present. She nose-scented the ground, creeping step by step towards the tree.

Berin gasped, knowing Rini was in great strife. The noise stopped the beast, her ears poking out from her fur. They turned like a chameleon’s eyes in the direction of Berin. Her whole body then twisted, the goat now between her and the two men’s hiding position. Inching closer, she stepped around the strung-up goat.

“One step to the right,” whispered Glavino. Berin remembered the trap; his fear of the beast finding Rini had overrun his mind that he had forgotten the original plan.

“One step to the right,” repeated Glavino. This paused the beast; she glanced upwards in the direction of the two men. Both froze. The beast sniffed the air, but the goat’s dead scent must have invaded the air, for the beast recoiled to the right. The fake ground above the hole gave way and the beast cried, moaning in despair into the abyss.

“Yes!” cried Glavino. He and Berin carefully climbed down the first part of the tree. They had nearly reached the base when Rini cried out. Berin turned as his foot reached for the ground, seeing the beast leaping out of the hole with her strong leg muscles. Berin’s mouth gaped open. Without the spikes, left splattered on the ground next to the goat, the useless hole was not deep enough. Except Berin had no time to care. He had to retreat to safety. Glavino was directly above him, though, and had not seen the beast.

“Move!” he cried, but Glavino froze, unsure whether up or down was the right motion. The beast leapt towards the flailed Berin, her claws ready to slash at his leg. She reached for him, but misjudged the distance between her and Berin, instead falling on her face. Glavino, meanwhile, gained enough sense to retreat upwards. Berin followed just as the beast reached again, knocking Berin’s legs sideways. Berin’s grip was firm enough on the branch above him; only the sword slipped from the belt and landed on the ground. As the two men clambered up the tree in haste, the beast’s face smashed into the trunk, sending what felt like an earthquake through it. Loose twigs from the canopy were released, one landing in Glavino’s eye. He squealed and released hold of the branch above him, gravity sending him into Berin and the branch below both of them. Their sheer weight snapped the branch clean, sending them and a whole assortment of tinder raining down on the beast. She cried out, as did the two men, both landing on the base of their necks. Pain shot through Berin’s entire body, but he cared not. He clambered to his feet, with Glavino beside him doing the same. Blood was trickling from right under his eye. The beast was on her back, squealing as Glavino had done moments earlier. The continual cascade of tinder confused her and it took her longer to right herself. When she did, she turned awkwardly at first towards Berin and Glavino, before realising she was the upper beast. Berin and Glavino stood their ground, until they realised the beast was breathing deeply. She charged as Glavino dove to his left, clutching with all his might with one hand for a spike and with the other Berin’s sword. Berin, meanwhile, reacted a little slower; he slumped directly to the ground, hoping the beast would leap over him into the hole. A moment’s grace would give the two a chance to fight back, with weapons preferably.

The beast, however, saw Glavino as the greater danger, and leapt sideways in his direction. Dirt from her open claws sprayed over Berin as she jolted right, leaping up over Glavino and landing on the hilt of the sword. Glavino at that moment rose the sword upward, slicing through her paw, whilst stabbing her with the spike.

“Gah!” he cried.

Wincing at first backwards in pain, she collected and righted herself. Diving towards Glavino again, she wrapped her front limbs around the man. Glavino, though, had the sword grasped with both hands and tilted downwards. As the beast clasped around Glavino, the sword sliced her underbelly, causing her to twist to her right. The beast and Glavino rolled awkwardly away, down into the hole.

At this moment Berin looked upwards, seeing the last moment of the two tumble over the edge. He rose to his feet and dove in, landing on the surprised beast. Berin grasped her fur with one hand, his adunai, and punched her eyes with the other. The beast screeched and rocked her head back and forth, attempting to throw Berin off. Meanwhile, Glavino searched for the sword, but unable to find it, he began kicking the beast. She reciprocated with such intense force Glavino was sent into the wall of the hole, stunned from the sheer impact. The beast then clasped, claws at the ready, at Berin, collecting him around the stomach. She threw him off, thudding his back against a rock. Pain shot through his entire body again, but he ignored it. As the beast reached for him, he sidestepped and rolled along the ground until he reached the opposing wall. It took the beast a moment to realise what had happened.

“Papa!” cried Rini, his body appearing at the top of the hole.

“Rini!” yelled his father.

“Sword!” was all the boy replied. That was it, gleaming in his son’s hands. It had fallen out of Glavino’s as they tumbled towards the hole moments earlier. Rini, with all his might, threw the sword in the direction of his father, tumbling hilt over blade towards Berin. He readied to catch the metallic object, hoping to the gods the handle would be aiming towards him and not the blade upon impact. The beast noticed the shiny object and leapt upwards, knocking the sword off its trajectory.

Berin’s heart dropped into his belly like a rock. There was no way they would defeat the beast. Especially now as she stepped towards him, gleam in her eyes, ready for the kill.

“Argh!” cried Glavino as he thrust the sword, which had landed right next to him, into the rear of the beast. She squealed again, writhing upwards in pain. Turning towards Glavino, she took one swing towards him with her leg. Instead, Glavino readied the sword, slicing clean off the lower part of her limb. The beast tumbled off balance, backwards, landing right next to Berin. Glavino threw the sword to Berin. He caught it, tilted it downwards, and swiftly plunged it into her head, sending the beast shrieking into the afterlife.