The Adventures of Brandar Odaron
Book 1: The Hidden Continent
Chapter 10 Through The Mists Of Time
With Brandar steering, and the Volunteers rowing, Wingaron entered the Mists, where the Seven could see no farther than a stone’s throw ahead. And while the day was warm and clear, the Mists were cold and damp, and eerily quiet.
Brandar, after a while, believed that his pointer turned slowly north, as though the ship were drifting off-line, at which he assumed the rowing was lob-sided. So he began steering to correct the apparent imbalance. But Wingaron described but a wide arc in the waters, coming out of the Mists somewhat north of the place she had entered. With that, Brandar berated his fellows for pulling the ship to the left, at which they protested. Then he rearranged their positions, in an attempt to even-out their strength at the oars. Yet, it was all to no avail, for again they emerged a bit north of where they had entered, and the night was coming on. So they rested until morning and tried again with the light of the next day full wrought. But here too they entered and rowed for a while then emerged to the north of where they had entered. With that Brandar cursed his magic pointer, and begged of his men their forgiveness for misjudging them. But they merely looked upon him, or away in disgust.
With their fourth attempt, Brandar set aside his pointer, and bid the Volunteers row as steadily as they could manage. And as Wingaron entered the Mists, Brandar closed his eyes so as to steer by feel alone. In this way, therefore, they remained in the Mists through all of that day and throughout as much of the night as they could go with no rest. And after eating and sleeping, they began again the following morning, after a cold and hurried breakfast, and thus rowed in what direction they knew not, for Brandar again kept his eyes closed as he steered.
That day seemed long in the passing. Then they had supper in the night and after sleeping until dawn took the time to prepare a hot breakfast in the morning, which greatly lifted their spirits. Then they took to the oars again, with Brandar’s eyes remaining closed as he steered, but this time, nigh the end of the day, they found themselves mired in a sea of floating plants. And with that, the Volunteers turned vehemently upon Brandar, where Erek even cursed his Quest.
Brandar was at a loss; having no answer to their complaints. So he bid them take food and get rest, and sleep through the night. And in the morning may they see what was what. But in the morning, again taking time to have a hot breakfast, though no joy did they have in eating it this time, the Six went dejectedly to the oars once more.
Brandar spurred them on, as encouraging as he could be, and after long, grueling, and finally desperate rowing, they moved Wingaron out of the tangled mass of plant-life, at which the Six cheered themselves, and Brandar gave them praise.
Here they found that beyond the tangles lay patches of great floating leaves, large enough each, they guessed, for a man to stand upon without sinking, though none attempted to do so, as there were many sea-snakes, slinking and slithering among the leaves and the vines. And in the middle of each patch of leaves grew tall flowers like to lilies, and which had a very pleasing aroma. So the Seven later called that place the “Sea of Water-Lilies.” Then Brandar asked his men to continue rowing while he continued to steer with closed eyes. And this they did, finding it easy to row among the floating leaves, and soon did they move on, to glide easily over calm waters within the Mists.
After yet another two days of rowing, the Seven emerged from the Mists. And when the stars came out at night, and by the placement of the Moons, the Seven found that they had arrived at the same place from whence they had first emerged only days before, yet furthermore, surprisingly, they were entirely two seasons off.
Then were the Seven even more amazed at the magic of the Mists. “Now do we know the meaning of the riddle of the maps,” said Brandar. “The Mists change the time of those who dare to venture in. Truly have they been named the Mists of Time. And truly must this be the very edge of the world.
"Sad am I to meet this doom. It seems that in vain have all of our labors been. Should we brave the Mists again, in search of what lies beyond, then return to speak of it? Mayhap we shall return to folk who know us not, so much time may pass.
“By my guess, a month in the Mists is the same as a life-span of a mortal man. Unwise it would be, therefore, to attempt the Mists again at this time.” So the Seven sailed west for some, days and returned thus to Dolgondil, to ponder their future.
By fortune, the Seven sailed safely back to that continent, and anchored in a deep, calm lagoon on the eastern coast. And here the forest was thinly wooded, with ample game, and much in the way of provender, and it was free of wicked things, but was then visited then by a bear, which they slew for its meat and its fur. Hence, the Seven remained long in that place, undisturbed by monsters, though they must at times defend their camp from bears or wolves, and once a jungle lion. But otherwise, it was a pleasant place to be. And they spent their days hunting and fishing, and gathering the fruits and berries, and nuts and roots. Here also did they produce more beer and wine, and very much mead, for the beehives they found were overflowing with honey.
So it was that the Seven tarried there, taking their ease, and even set no guards by day nor by night, since no other fell beasts had troubled their camp in a while. Yet, the Seven were overlong at that lagoon; growing lazy and careless, even Brandar himself; so much so that at length they took to arguing over things of small account, and were behaving selfishly. Then, at the last, Alak and Erek came to blows when Alak took some mutton from Erek’s spit without asking. But Brandar rushed in and pushed the two apart so roughly that they fell upon their rumps. And standing there, like a father angry with his sons, Brandar suddenly realized how vulnerable the Seven had let themselves become. So he rebuked the Seven, though admitting his own shame, and ordered them to begin restocking the ship, saying: “Enough of this lounging about. We sail again on the morrow. Go, take up your gear, and work together as ever we have. Make ready the ship, and fill it to the brink. We shall try the Mists once more. And I shall have no more bickering.” Then Erek protested having again to enter the Mists, saying: “It is folly to challenge a magic set by the Gods of Old.” And Alak said: “You tempt your fate, Brandar. And that of us all.” Then Rosth said: “Aye. You go now against the words of Tingor the Eld.” And the other Volunteers expressed agreement with him. Then Brandar made a pact with them, saying: “If once again we fail to pass through, then shall Wingaron be bound for the west, by mine own hand, and we shall return to Andaria. This do I vow, and swear by those Gods. But we must try, lest all of our foregoing efforts have been for naught.”
With that the Volunteers took heart, and did as they were told, deeming that the Mists would surely turn them about once more, and in the end would they go home. Yet, Brandar continued with ordering them about, though in a friendly manner; keeping them busy so they would no longer quarrel. And while some grumbled as they worked, none defied him, nor spoke ill of him.
Thus also did they prove themselves honorable Warriors.
The Seven now sailed eastwards, going far afield of the volcanoes in the south, though they encountered and defeated two small sea-serpents, and later fought and drove away a many-legged monster that rose suddenly from the deep and climbed its way aboard Wingaron, in search of a victim to drag 'neath the waves. But the legs it had lost to their swords the Seven cooked and ate, finding them tasty. Then twice were they caught in exceedingly violent storms, within the second of which they were threatened by a waterspout that came so close that the Seven feared they may be snatched up and thrown far away. Yet, that was not their fate. Next they chanced upon a whirlpool; several of which they had seen before, but this one appeared swiftly and sudden, and was so huge that they deemed the ship would be sucked into depths unknown, and they would never again breathe clean air. But by fortune, and the will of the Gods, as ever, they survived, and made their way at last to the amazing wall of the Enchanted Mists, and to the end, seemingly, of Brandar’s great Quest.
Upon reaching the Mists, the men dropped sail and rowed into the Mists with Brandar at the helm, as they had done before. But here, Brandar did not close his eyes, nor did he view his magic pointer, but steered by an unseen line that he drew in his mind, and ignored the wayward shifting of the waters, and the twisting of the ethereal wisps and whorls of the foggy white Mists.
By dead reckoning he steered, and guided Wingaron to the Sea of Water Lilies. And, as before, they were caught, at first, though they knew now what to do and soon freed the ship and so rowed on. Then, five days past the lilies, they entered a vast graveyard of ships, sitting among treacherous rocks whoe tops here and there rose above the surface of the water, though many lurked beneath. Thus, Brandar asked Keen-Eyed Alak and also Erek the Complainer to lean from the bow and spy out the way, to keep Wingaron from foundering. But as they entered that place, the wisps within the Mists seemed to take on minds of their own; moving about Wingaron as though they were shadowy wraiths. And while there were no living things among the wrecks, there were many ghosts; some motioning to the Seven as if to warn them away, but others entreating them to come near. Then, on one occasion, ghosts were seen aboard Wingaron itself. But the spirits merely stood thereupon, looking sadly at the Seven, and showed no signs of hatred, nor any emotions at all. Neither did they speak. And at length, they disappeared slowly from sight, and did not come aboard again.
Nevertheless, the Volunteers were quite fearful of the ghosts, and counted this part of the journey the most troublesome to that time, as Wingaron was twice grounded upon sandbars, and once upon stone, despite both Alak and Erek peering intently into the depths from the bow. And here, with each such grounding they escaped by throwing the anchor behind and hauling hard upon its chain, which freed the ship, so that Brandar could steer past the danger. But with each instance also many ghosts would float above the water towards the ship, and gather 'round it, though these likewise seemed intent only upon watching the living men, and otherwise did them no harm.
The Seven spent several days among the wrecks, anxious about what the ghosts may do, and fearing that a submerged rock may punch a hole in the ship’s hull, or that the ship would at length get so stranded that they could not pull it free. But Brandar bid often the Six to stay calm, and to go slow with their rowing, and ignore the ghosts. And at length they rowed out of the horrible Graveyard of Ships, and again moved upon a gentle sea, though remaining, as ever, within the unfathomable Mists of Time.
Endlessly thereafter did it seem to the Six that they must row into that shifting white fog; to what end they knew not. Neither were they sure of their direction, as Brandar gauged his course by will alone. And they counted the days by what appeared to be the passing of day and night, though they beheld no Suns by day, nor Moons by night, nor Stars in the heavens by which they may figure their place on their maps. But row they did, nonetheless; coming to consider it oppressive drudgery, pressing on by day and resting at night. Then did they lose at length the count of days and nights, so long did they row.
Finally, when the Volunteers felt that they could go no farther for fear of losing their wits, believing that the Gods had condemned them to row forever without respite, as punishment for braving the Mists, they suddenly broke free and beheld around them an altogether new and magnificent ocean. Then they stopped their rowing and began to cheer with great joy, and to clap each other on their backs, and to have many a brotherly embrace, and shed not a few salty tears.
Brandar found, to his astonishment, that the Elve’s magic pointer showed Wingaron was facing east, with the Mists behind her, and with a great expanse of uncharted water ahead. And he was right amazed at this turn, having had no expectation of coming to such a place. Then he realized that the sea was fascinatingly different from any he had ever encountered before. A rather new smell it had, and a strange color, and an entirely different kind of motion, unlike any sea the Emissaries sailed before. And even the air had a different feel about it, as though it were heavier than normal. But these were good sensations to the Emissaries. And they took again to rowing, as there was no wind. Yet, here they began to sing, as the sky was clear and bright, and the sea was calm and clean, and they found it absolutely wonderful. So, their spirits were high with the realization that they had come alive through the Mists. Then they felt a breeze and straight away set sail with a song on their lips and joy in their hearts. And it was good to be sailing upon the wide open sea once more, free of the oppressive Mists, and of all other concerns.
How long they sailed those waters none could later recall, except to say that they spent many happy days riding o'r the waves, with the Suns moving along new pathways in the sky. And they slept 'neath strange constellations, while the Moons likewise seemingly traveled new heavenly roads. But they set no guards in the night, feeling safe and free, and full of life. And they deemed they directed their own ways as surely as the wind says to itself: “Whither now shall I go? Why, anywhere I please.”
Yet, as naturally all merry times come at last to an end, the mirth of those days was too short lived. And years later, in his old age, Brandar would admit that perhaps they were caught, unknowing, in some kind of enchantment, saying: “We loved sailing so much, free of the Mists, that we wanted it never to end. So much more dismayed were we then, when things began to go wrong.”