The Hope Of The Three (Book 2 of the Hidden Trilogy)

Chapter Eleven: Travel by Natoch

★Alena★

I woke up to Tsuki mumbling in her sleep. The rising sun was casting soft orange light into our tent. I got up and slipped out of the tent. Kaito was sitting by the fire and I could hear Rayn's loud snores coming from the guy's tent. I sat down across from him and pulled the food sack towards me. Bread, chicken, some parsley, and an onion were all we had left.
"I'm going hunting," I said to Kaito and waited for his approval. He just nodded.
I ran back to the tent and grabbed Aileen. I headed in a north-east direction into the forest. I stalked along quietly making sure I didn't scare off any prey. I was quite far away when I saw a rabbit just behind a clump of ferns. Its nose twitched and I was forced to stop. I fixed my grip on my dagger and threw. I looked away as I heard a thunk as the rabbit hit the ground. Dead. I hated harming things, but this wasn't wasteful. I pulled out my dagger, cleaned it and began to walk again. About half an hour passed and I had still only killed the rabbit. I started back when I saw the most beautiful deer. Its meat will last us for days. I prepared to kill it but a twig snapped and the deer ran away. I whirled around and Rayn came out from behind a tree. I groaned.
"That deer would have lasted us days! Why are you here?"
"You have been gone for hours. So I came to look for you."
"Thank you for your concern. Now I really need to hunt something else or we will have no supper."
"Alena, are you okay?"
"Yes. Fine." He looked at me obviously not believing me. The truth is that I have been constantly worrying about Umair and Ali. I know I shouldn't be so protective but I couldn't help it. I'm related to Ali. Rayn turned and started walking towards the camp. We soon made it back and I now had two rabbits and some sort of waterfowl that Rayn had killed with his sword that Ali brough from the place for him, the poor thing couldn't fly. We plucked the fowl and roasted it as our *elevensies meal. Once we packed up we continued to walk, and walk, and walk. By one o'clock we were exhausted and couldn't take another step.
"I can't do it!" I declared and plopped down on a rock and took a sip from my water skin. The skin was almost empty and I would have to find some water soon.
"Yes, you can. Come on Alena," Rayn called as they began walking again. I jumped up and hurried after them.
"Kaito, isn't there a better way than just walking?"
He thought for a moment and then began to speak.
"Yes there is, but it is hard to control. Though it will get us there faster."
"Do we even know where we are going?"
I asked.
"We are headed to someone who can give us answers, and help us find Aswa."
"Right, now how do get there faster?"
"They are called Natoches. No not Nartoches, but they do look like one. They are big black Animals with a furry coat. They kind of look like buffalos but bigger and they have horns that stick straight up. They are completely harmless unless you attack them. What I'm saying is that they can get us to the place we need to be fast and they are not working for the dark Lord."
"So where are these Natoches?"
"They travel in heard just off of the unknown, underneath the sun. They migrate to the sun every winter."
"Snowbirds, huh."
"Let's ride some Buffalo- I mean Natoch!" Rayn said. Kaito nodded silently and took off running to the east of us.

         ★★★★★★★★★★

The Natochs passes in a continuous line in front of us. Once they got just under the sun they jumped and flew up to the sun.
"Okay, so, how in the universe are we going to catch one, let alone ride one?" Rayn asked.
"Simple," Kaito responded and ran into the line. He disappeared in the mass and reappeared on top of one of the animals. He began to pass us and he held out his hand. He wasn't going to stop. Tsuki bravely Stuck out her hand and was pulled onto the beast.
Okay. My turn. I started to head towards the line but Rayn sprinted past me and hopped on one of the beasts before I could get there. As he rode passed me he held out his hand and I grabbed it.
I felt a pull and I was tossed up onto the Natoch. Our beast followed Kaito's who for some reason slowed down. The beasts jumped at the right place and I had to hold onto Rayn so I wouldn't fall off! As we soared up into the sky Kaito pulled on his Natoch's horns and it parted from the herd and headed towards the star kingdom. I clutched tightly to Rayn not out of affection, but out of fear of being thrown off.
We rode for awhile and our Natoch was acting fine. Until it decided that we were going in the wrong direction that is. It started to jerk its head, then it's body moved in jerky movements. We were tossed to the side, then the other.
"Rayn!!!!" I was falling through the air with nothing to catch me.
"Rayn! Alena!" Tsuki yelled but we had fallen too far for her to catch us. I saw Rayn falling through the sky with no way to stop. I quickly made a magic net below Rayn. Then I felt my head hit something hard and I was consumed by darkness

*(LOTR: A Hobbit's Daily Meals Pic at Top.)