"Reunited..." - Chapter Forty-Seven

Reunited...

Chapter Forty-Seven

By Douglas E. Gogerty

Prince William learned that building a simple raft was more difficult than he expected. The first problem arose from the fact that he had no tools. Cutting down trees was impossible without some sort of axe or saw. He looked around for quite a while looking for something, but was unable to locate anything suitable.

Thus, unless he could figure out how to make some workable tools, he had to find his raft materials. Fortunately, for him, there were plenty of resources. He picked a spot near the river to construct his raft. He began placing his materials at this spot.

It was a small clearing and it has ready access to the water. Thus, once his raft was finished, he had a clear path to the water for launch. Furthermore, it was hidden away from the main roads. Thus, he could work in relative secret if anyone should happen to wander by. At least, that is what he hoped he could do.

Despite everything, it was going to take longer than he anticipated. It also did not help that he was still experiencing the effects of the crash. Resting was a frequent necessity. He could not carry (or drag) his logs to his construction place without several rests.

Originally, he had hoped to use 4 or 5 big logs for his raft. This was what he remembered from the story. Unfortunately, he could not find many. Those he found were still attached to more tree. Therefore, even if he could move them, he could not clear off the remaining branches without a saw or axe. Thus, he had to use smaller pieces. This also complicated matters. He would have to make a couple of layers to keep him out of the water.

This is not to mention that he had no idea actually how to build a raft. He had only the vaguest ideas of how a raft would work. He had not thought about actually how to attach the pieces together. Again, the lack of materials was thwarting his efforts.

It took quite a lot of time to find everything. However, his searching was proving well worth the time. He would find some rope here, and a hammer there. He would find a knfie, some nails, some screws, a screwdriver, and many of the things that he could use in building his raft. The down side was that he had no experience with any of these things.

He would find a tool, and think it could be useful. He would not always be certain how to work it. For instance, he was baffled by phillips head screws for quite a while. He wondered why the screws would not work with the standard screwdriver that he had found. It was not until he found a screwdriver with the proper head, did he discover how to use them.

Slowly and methodically, Prince William's raft began to take shape. He took his time in an effort to make it as seaworthy as possible. It was not going to look like much, but he was hopeful that it would take him down the river. He was hoping to avoid the long walk into Princess Angelina's territory.

The raft was made from three levels of medium sized branches. They were lashed, nailed, and screwed together. He found a nice piece of plywood to place on top to give it a deck. He was really glad for that find. He had a rudder made from a single long branch that was flat on one side.

He built a box on the deck for him to sit in. He wanted this to prevent him from sliding off. Further, he could hide in it if it was required. It would also be a place to store things that he did not wish to lose into the river.

However, this deck box would not protect him from any weapon fire. It was not thick enough to repel any bullets. It was fashioned from some small branches, and attached to the deck.

The box had a slot in the back to receive the rudder. Thus, Prince William could sit in the box, and lean against a side and steer the raft. He was quite proud of this portion of the raft. He could navigate down the river in relative comfort. However, just in case, he put the tools in this sitting area. If he needed to make any repairs on his trip he would be ready.

He was not certain where the river led. But, he believed that a civil war was inevitable, and he did not want to be a victim. It was the way of these things. Anyone who may have even a minor claim on the throne was usually killed. Thus, anywhere out of Lakeland would be safer than in the country.

The Prince was happy that Prince Bjorn allowed him to get away. He hoped to ride out the war in hiding. He did not even need to go to Princess Angelina's castle and ask for asylum. There was enough space in her kingdom to hide. He just needed to finish the raft and be off.

He dragged his raft to the river and prepared to launch. The river was deep and wide, and he worried about his craftsmanship. However, it felt solid as he pulled it to the river. He was going to perform a small ceremony, but he heard gunfire in the distance. In a rush, he pushed off. Out into the flowing river he went. He was relieved that the raft performed pretty well.

He wondered how the war was going as he drifted south. The river moved steadily but not swiftly. He hoped that he would make it out of Lakeland. He was reminded how glad he was to make it into Lakeland just a short while ago. Now, he could not wait to get back out.

He really wished he had his suncar as shots rang out close to the river. He wished it had not taken so long to construct his raft because the war was in full swing. The fighting was close by, and he was still far from the border.