The Seventh Mountain (28 page)

The eighth flag was being played. The fourth
team mounted up for their turn to ride.

Cap’n Ben rode up to Mark. “Nervous?”

“Yeah, a little. I think that waiting is the
hard part.”

“Me, too. You never know what to expect out
there.”

John returned with the flag for Emerald
Tribe. All eyes turned to the sky to watch for the next flag. The
flag touched down and there was an explosion of hooves heading
toward it.

Tim was looking through his spotting scope.
“That is Mark. He is the one holding back. It looks like something
might be wrong.” Tim handed the scope to Steve.

As all four tribes raced to the flag, Mark
realized what Ruby Tribe was attempting. Four of the Emerald Tribe
riders were out in front. It was “Donavan’s Ploy.” It had to be.
The Ruby Team was impeding the other two tribes and letting the
inexperienced fourth team of Emerald Tribe get the flag. That meant
that one or two members of Ruby Tribe didn’t ride out. They were
waiting to ambush the unwary, inexperienced Emerald Tribe rider
just before they reached the Emerald corral. They would surprise
the Emerald rider and take the flag. The Emerald horse would be too
tired to outmaneuver the fresh mounts of the way-layers.

Mark let his horse fall behind the pack.
Jamal looked over his shoulder and saw Mark. Jamal slowed his steed
enough for Mark to catch up. Mark shouted, “Donavan’s Ploy!”

Jamal nodded his head that he understood.
Mark knew that Jamal knew exactly what to do. Krisa had seen to it
that the team studied for this very play. She didn’t let them
practice it out in the open. She hoped that spying eyes would
realize that they hadn’t practiced it and make an attempt to use
the tactic. Her idea had worked.

Jamal would hold back and wait for a pass,
making the other team believe that they had taken the bait. Mark
would go back and engage the ambushers just before Jamal returned
with the flag. Mark stopped his horse and dismounted. He examined
the front left hoof of the horse. He wanted to give the impression
that something was wrong with his mount. He got back on the horse
and rode slowly back toward the corral.

Steve said, “I think you’re right. He’s
checking his horse’s hoof.”

Tim said, “Must have picked up a stone.
Wait, Mark must have forgotten his utility tool. He is heading back
to the corral.”

Mark heard the announcer’s voice. “And it
looks like young Mark Young’s mount has some sort of injury. It
looks like he’s out of play.”

A few minutes later, Jamal’s mount was
running full tilt back toward the corral. The pack was being held
back by Ruby and Emerald tribes. Just as Jamal approached Mark,
Mark brought his mount to a full out run and ran the remaining
short distance beside Jamal.

Tim was on his feet. “Ah ha. I knew it. It
had to be. Mark would never forget his utility tool. It is
‘Donavan’s Ploy.’ He is smart. He caught on to it pretty
quick.”

“Folks… that’s ‘Donavan’s Ploy.’” The
announcer sounded positively giddy. “We haven’t seen that old trick
in years. Young was good to have spotted it so soon.”

There was only one Ruby rider laying in
wait. Mark engaged him just long enough for Jamal to get by.

The announcer sounded mournful. “Ruby tribe
miscalculated that one.”

The announcer’s voice boomed again. “There
it is; nine points for Emerald Tribe and three cheers for Mark
Young and Jamal Terfa.”

The crowd was cheering. Mark saluted the
Ruby rider and smiled.

The next flag was flying. Krisa called to
Mark. “Keep that up, and you’ll make third team in no time.” The
flag hit the ground and they were off.

Nick slapped Mark on the back. “That was
pretty good. How did you spot it so quickly?”

“I knew the Ruby players had to be tired. I
figured that they would try something. I took it easy heading out
and watched. It wasn’t hard to spot.”

Chenoa was grinning. “Good job, Mark.”

“Thanks.”

Nick put his arm around Mark’s shoulder.
“What are you planning for the bonus flag?”

“I don’t want to say right now. I’ll fill
you in when the time is right.”

Thirty flags had been played when Mark
decided that it was time to go for the bonus flag. It was about
forty-five minutes before sunset, which would be the end of the
match. He gathered up all of the number four-team members for a
huddle.

“I’ve been watching the other corrals. No
one has guarded the backside of the corrals all day. I’ve talked to
some of our horses. When I give the signal, they will just go over
to the other corrals. Six of us will go to round up the strays.
This creates a diversion. While this is going on, two of us will be
scaling the columns around the moat, going for the bonus flag. That
leaves four of us to slip into the back of the other’s corrals and
capture their flags. Hopefully, all eyes will either be on The
Island and the attempt to get the bonus flag or on the wayward
horses.”

Cap’n Ben said, “I like it. I’ll go to The
Island with you. I’ve never faced down a bear before. There’s a
story about how my great, great grandfather did once. I’d like to
give it a try.”

LeOmi said, “I’m in for getting their
flags.”

Nick and Jamal chorused, “Me, too.”

Chenoa said, “I’ll go after the horses.”

Mark whistled. About twenty or so horses
jumped over the Emerald Tribe’s corral fence. They ran to the other
three corrals and jumped the fence. Chenoa led five other Emerald
Tribe players after the horses.

The announcer said, “It looks like we have a
little commotion in the corrals. It looks like there are some loose
horses. Let’s get them rounded up, guys.”

Mark and Cap’n Ben aimed crossbows with
grappling hook bolts up at the stone structure. Swish. The rope was
carried aloft by the bolts. What they didn’t see was that Slone
Voif and Ricky Barns were on the other side of the moat doing the
same thing. Mark and Cap’n Ben started their ascent.

The announcer’s voice was a dull drone in
Mark’s ears. “Calvin, for Agate, has the flag. He’s getting hemmed
in. The flag is up. Carol, for Agate, makes the catch. Wait… what
is that… we have some action around the moat. Players are going for
the bonus flag.”

Tim was looking through his scope again. “It
looks like Mark and Cap’n Ben are going for the bonus flag… wait…
Slone Voif and Ricky Barns are going up the other side.” Tim handed
the scope to Steve.

LeOmi led the raiders to the back of
Diamond’s corral. They rolled under the fence and calmly walked up
to the cache of flags. Nobody saw them when they took the flags to
the fence and laid them on the ground.

Two of the Emerald horses reared and tried
to provoke a clash with some of Diamond’s horses. Chenoa mounted
one of the aggressive horses and rode it out of the corral. The
horse reared and she slid off the unsaddled back. The horse tried
to reenter the Diamond corral and some Diamond players blocked the
way.

Mark, Cap’n Ben, Slone and Ricky reached the
top of the Stonehenge-like structure at about the same time. Bears
were starting to run up the ramps to the top of the inner ring. It
wouldn’t take the bears long to cross the links from the inner ring
to the outer ring.

Shirley was on her feet looking down at The
Island. “Are those real bears?”

“Yes ma’am, they are. Do not worry. They
have never killed anybody. Some got scratched up before, but that
was it.”

Cap’n Ben said to Mark, “Lay down. The bears
will see Slone and Ricky first when they get up here. When they go
for them; that will be our chance to go for the flag.”

LeOmi’s raiders crouched as they walked to
the Ruby corral, under the fence and over to the flags. Nobody
noticed them. They grabbed up the flags and laid them outside of
the corral.

The Emerald horses in the Ruby corral were
raising a ruckus. The Ruby horses were becoming very agitated. It
was all that the Ruby and the Emerald players could do to keep the
horses apart and quieted.

Shirley clasped her hands and leaned toward
Tim. “You’re kidding, right? Those bears aren’t dangerous, are
they?”

“What would be the point of having tame
bears? Of course, they are dangerous.”

The announcer said, “It looks like we have
four players going for the bonus flag. They look like Cap’n Ben,
Slone Voif, Mark Young and who’s that other kid… Ricky Barns. It
looks like they are in for a bear of a time… Oh, yeah… John Grob
scores for Emerald Tribe.”

Slone and Ricky lay down, too. The bears saw
both groups and started heading to whichever one they were closer
to. Mark saw that the second link to his left was devoid of any
activity. The link closest to him had two bears on it making tracks
right for him. He decided to make a run for that link before the
bears reached the outer ring. The only hope that Cap’n Ben had was
to climb part way back down his rope and hope that the bears went
away.

Shirley said, “Well, he can always jump into
the moat.”

Tim chuckled. “Oh, no ma’am. He does not
want to do that. There are leviathans in the moat.”

LeOmi’s raiders found that Jasper Tribe was
easy pickings, too. They started making their way back to Emerald
Tribe’s corral with the flags.

Chenoa and her group were finishing rounding
up the Emerald horses. As if on cue, the Emerald horses settled
down and started heading back to their own corral.

The announcer was following the action at
The Island. He had given up on commenting on the other players on
the field. “Cap’n Ben is going over the side… I think he is going
to climb back down.”

Mark ran past the link with the bears on it.
They roared when he passed. He made it to the empty link and
started across to the inner ring.

The crowd let loose with concerted shouts of
amazement.

Cap’n Ben rappelled part way down the stone
column. Two bears stopped above him. They were looking over the
edge and swinging their heads back and forth. Cap’n Ben decided to
ease on down the column. When his feet were firmly on the ground,
an idea hit him. He ran for the crossbow that he had lain in the
sand. He cocked it and ran back to the rope.

The announcer said, “Mark has made it to The
Island. It took a lot of guts to get past those bears.”

Shirley had her fist to her mouth, watching
the action intently.

Cap’n Ben whistled to get Chenoa’s attention
as she was walking a couple of horses back to the corral. “Chenoa,
I need a horse over here.” He flicked the rope so that a wave
traveled up it and released the grappling hook.

Chenoa mounted one of the horses that were
with her and rode over to Cap’n Ben.

The announcer said, “It looks like Slone and
Ricky have given up. They are heading back down. They might be
thinking of heading Mark off when he gets across the moat. I should
say
if
he gets across the moat.”

Mark saw Slone and Ricky scrambling back
onto their ropes. He saw the flag straight ahead. He scanned for
bears on The Island that might threaten him. He didn’t see any. He
made it to the flag and pulled it from its mount.

The announcer said, “Mark has the bonus
flag. He still has to get back across the moat and back to
Emerald’s corral.”

Cap’n Ben shouted to Mark when Chenoa rode
up. “Mark! Over here!” He handed Chenoa the loose end of the rope.
He pointed the crossbow up and fired. The rope snaked its way
through the air toward The Island. Slone and Ricky were in a
full-out sprint, heading for Cap’n Ben.

Mark ran for the rope. He grabbed it and
wrapped it around his wrist before jumping into the water.

Chenoa set her mount into motion. “Yah!” The
steed set out at a full run. When the rope tightened, it jerked
Mark forward.

The force on the rope pulled Mark under. A
terrible stench filled his mind, even though he was holding his
breath. He felt an overwhelming desire to get the terrible thing
out of the water. He knew that he was feeling what the leviathan
that had targeted him was feeling. His head broke the surface. He
knew the leviathan was only moments away. He was being pulled
across the surface of the water at a fearsome speed. He didn’t know
if he would make it to the shore before the leviathan caught up
with him.

The announcer was shouting now, “Mark is in
the water… I see motion in the depths. A leviathan has got the
smell of him… Hurry, Mark!”

Cap’n Ben was standing by to grab the flag
as soon as Mark reached the shore.

Chenoa let go of the rope when Cap’n Ben
whistled. The rope slid from the saddle’s pommel before she could
come to a stop.

Cap’n Ben pulled Mark out of the moat and
just as he did, the water detonated. A fifty-foot-long sail-back
ornathoptus launched from the surface. It sailed straight up, high
into the air. It reached its apex way above the eighth level of the
school, where the spectators were, and stretched its fins out. It
glided for a moment, setting its course back to the moat. It folded
its fins back and dove straight for the moat, like a guided
missile. It hit the water with barely a splash.

Tim watched as the flying leviathan shot
skyward. “Beautiful! That is a sail-back ornathoptus.”

Cap’n Ben looked at Mark with his mouth
open. “That’d sure make a leprechaun drop his pot of gold.” He
grinned and took the flag from Mark. He started running toward
Chenoa.

The announcer continued, “Whoa… That was
close… Mark made it out of the water just in time. Cap’n Ben has
the flag for a handoff to… Chenoa Day.”

She took the flag and made like a jackrabbit
for the corral. When she tossed the flag into the corral, cheers
erupted from the crowd.

“One hundred and forty-four points for
Emerald Tribe.”

Krisa was leading the pack back. She carried
the thirty-fifth and final flag of the match. Charlie Goodfellow
signaled sunset and the end of the game, just after she threw the
flag into the corral.