Brotherband 3: The Hunters by Flanagan John

Author:Flanagan, John [Flanagan, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Children's Fiction
ISBN: 9781742750637
Publisher: Random House Australia
Published: 2012-10-23T14:00:00+00:00

‘That’s a whole lot worse than it sounded,’ Stig said. Hal had to agree. He felt his heart sinking as he studied the Wildwater Rift below them.

They had found the tributary stream just after first light and turned into it. The further they went, the narrower the stream had become, and the faster the water flowed, until it was rushing by the banks on either side, its surface made smooth and slick as oil by the speed of its passage.

The banks had also become progressively higher and they were conscious of the fact that the stream was now rushing downhill. With the water moving so quickly, it was difficult for Hal to maintain steerage. They had lowered the sail and continued under oars.

The stream had twisted continually so that Hal had been unable to see more than fifty metres ahead at any time. But he’d become aware of a deep, roaring sound somewhere up ahead. It was constant and unvarying and the further they fled down the stream, the louder it became. Finally, he had seen a small indentation in the left bank of the stream, where a jutting outcrop of the bank formed a calm eddy, with a small level stretch of bank.

‘Back water!’ he shouted, somewhat louder than he had intended to. All six oars were manned. The rowers heaved on them in reverse to slow the onrushing ship. She shuddered and lost speed, slewing slightly as the current swung her. Then they were in the slower water of the eddy and she grated her bow ashore.

Moving with a little more urgency than he was accustomed to, Stefan leapt over the bow and ran ashore with a rope, passing it round a stout tree, then bringing the end back to the Heron to make fast.

‘Let’s go and take a look at this Wildwater Rift,’ Hal said.

Hal, Stig and Thorn went ashore and began to make their way up the steep sides of the bank. It was hard work. The ground was soft and muddy, and the rocks, soaked with ever-present spray from the river, were wet and slippery. Eventually, they reached the top of the bank and looked down on the stream, a narrow cut running between the banks below them. The Heron looked like a toy, moored in the shelter of the rock outcrop.

Hal pointed downstream, where a fine mist of spray stood high above the river, catching the rays of the early sun.

‘Looks like we’re heading that way,’ he said.

Thorn shook his head doubtfully. ‘Looks ominous,’ he replied.

It took them another half hour to work their way along the precipitous edge of the bank to a spot above the rift. They gazed down at the water, smooth and dark and fast running, as it raced over the downhill slope and poured down into a narrow gulf between the banks. The banks themselves couldn’t have been more than five metres apart in some places, and as they grew closer together, the river rushed with increasing velocity between them.

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