Rhudedth had agreed with Gieaun, but she wasn’t nearly as vocal about it. She hadn’t seen the point, for it was three against two. They were going to compete against the adults in the after dark scavenger hunt whether she liked it or not, and there was nothing that either she or the huffing and glaring Gieaun could do about it. Sometimes, Jahrra thought, it was good that Rhudedth had a brother, and not a sister.
Phrym greeted his master impatiently as she eventually made it to his stable. He was already saddled and ready to go, the black raven costume secured safely in his saddlebags. As Jahrra climbed into the saddle, Gieaun tried one last time to change everyone’s minds.
“You know,” she said, “if we hurried we could still make it in time for the other scavenger hunt.”
Scede rolled his eyes. “Gieaun! Give it a rest. After everything we’ve been through with Jahrra you can’t possibly be afraid of a little scavenger hunt after dark!”
Gieaun scowled at her brother. Rhudedth gave her a sympathetic glance but refrained from backing her up. She wouldn’t dare admit it aloud, but after having some time to think about it, the idea of traipsing around the festive town after dark sounded quite thrilling. Gieaun huffed her irritation and resigned herself to pouting.
“Let’s get moving or we’ll never make it in time for either scavenger hunt,” Scede said irritably, kicking Bhun into a quick trot.
The five friends headed due south across the fields, all in a flurry of excitement and anticipation. As they moved through the autumn countryside, Jahrra took note of the fields littered with yellow cubes of hay and ripening stalks of corn. Small clusters of trees appeared along the road and disappeared as they passed, but the long shadows they cast stayed with them along the way.
A few hours after leaving the Great Sloping Hill behind, they spotted the broad, shimmering ribbon of the Oorn River in the distance. Noticing that their destination was within sight, Jahrra and her friends brought their horses into a quick canter and were soon crossing the traffic bridge that carried the road into town. The hollow thumping sound of the horses’ hooves fell into rhythm with the slow churning of the sluggish river and the distant humming of the city of Lensterans. Jahrra tried to remember everything she’d seen and heard since her last trip here with Gieaun and Scede as they drew closer to the center of the great village.
Lensterans was a larger place than Aldehren, and sat in the very middle of a dramatic landscape. To the east the Elornn Range towered above the Oorn Plain and curled around the flat land like a giant, sleeping dragon. To the north the trees of the Wreing Florenn loomed like a dark army of unkempt soldiers creeping up the Sloping Hill in the late afternoon light.
Most of the houses they passed on the outskirts of town where small and roughly square or shaped like large beehives painted white. The nearer they got to the heart of the small city, the more crowded the structures became, like hunched, curious onlookers standing around a scene of interest. Crude wind chimes made of wood, bone and bits of metal hung from the crooked porches of many a house, clattering and clinking eerily as they announced an invisible breeze. Every now and then they spotted a snoozing dog on the stoop of one of these simple cottages, and more often than not he would open one eye and lazily watch the passersby.
The next dwelling they passed was decorated with an assortment of festive oddities. There was a scarecrow in the front yard and an old, rotten wheelbarrow laboring under the weight of a massive jack-o’-lantern, grinning menacingly at Jahrra and her friends. The scene was made complete with a garland of colorful native corn strung all along the house’s eaves. Jahrra smiled at the sight, her skin tingling delightfully.
The five travelers eventually drew closer to the middle of town, and Jahrra found herself admiring the details surrounding them. Harvest decor spilled off porches and hung from street corners, strapped securely to fences and lamp posts lining the roads. Clusters of dried corn stalks, complete with ears of colorful kernels, were gathered in bunches all throughout the town. Pumpkins, squashes and turnips of every size and color could be found everywhere, either carved in the traditional custom and filled with a lit candle to ward off evil spirits, or piled high and teetering in unstable wagons to be hauled off to some unknown destination.
Cartloads of apples, cherries, apricots, lemons, oranges, and a plethora of berries were being taxied from one end of the settlement to another in order to make the many treats and beverages that would be consumed on this wondrous holiday. The smell of sweet spices and cooking meats mingled with the aroma of crackling oak wood, and for the first time that day, Jahrra realized just how hungry she was.
Children and adults alike were roaming the streets cheerfully, some already in costume, adding their own unique spark to the thriving atmosphere. Gieaun gave a delighted cry when she saw a troupe of actors performing on a street corner and they all paused to watch for awhile. The children they were performing for cheered enthusiastically as they each gave a flamboyant bow. Best be happy now before the darkness begins, Jahrra thought with a tenuous smile, thinking of the Deepening Twilight and Denaeh’s terrifying stories.
The actors moved on, and so did the five companions. Despite the crowded streets, the horses were able to push their way forward quite easily. They knew the town center couldn’t be far, for the bustle and activity was increasing as costumed people gently shoved their way forward. Luckily, Jahrra and her friends had the advantage of being much higher off the ground than most and they were able to spot the fountain marking the center of town, its stone basin now bone dry and filled with wood.
“They drain it and remove the tiers for the festival’s bonfire,” Scede explained to Rhudedth and Pahrdh, both of whom had never been to Lensterans for Sobledthe.
Once they arrived at the stables, Jahrra, Gieaun, Scede, Pahrdh and Rhudedth set their horses up for the night and quickly got into their costumes.
“What time is it?” Rhudedth asked.
“We have about fifteen minutes before the first call for the final scavenger hunt. We’d better hurry,” Pahrdh answered breathlessly, the mounting excitement of the evening ringing in his voice.
Once properly clad, the five friends hurriedly made their way to the middle of town. The commotion of the disguised crowd had begun to thicken along with the approaching twilight, and Jahrra could see many groups of older people in bizarre and ornate costumes gathering around the empty fountain.
The friends promptly pulled their masks on, both out of a respect for tradition and out of fear of being considered too young to enter the upcoming challenge.
“Scede, only you and Pahrdh take off your masks when you register us for the hunt,” Jahrra whispered through her raven mask.
“Alright,” Pahrdh answered from behind a bear’s grimacing face. “But it wouldn’t hurt if the rest of you stood up as tall as you can. Uh, Jahrra, I think you’ll be fine just standing as you are.”
The town elders were gathered at the foot of the fountain, jotting down names on a very long piece of parchment. Wow! Jahrra thought as she squinted through the eyeholes of her mask while scanning the large crowd gathered around. There are that many people signed up? The prize must be a really good one!
To Jahrra’s great relief, the boys had no trouble registering for the event, and only a few minutes later the elders were calling the attention of the crowd. Jahrra peered through her raven mask to get a better look at the three judges. They were wearing long robes in the sacred colors of Sobledthe; scarlet, white and black.