Separating my protagonists?

[Ireth]

I'm having an(other) issue with the plot of my WIP. I want the four leads to be separated from each other, but I'm not sure of how. They're travelling in a group, and they're smart enough to stick together at all times, day and night. I was thinking they could be attacked by a rogue band of Fae who serve neither the Summer nor Winter court, and do as they please to whoever they come across. The trouble with that is, the four protags wouldn't allow themselves to be separated very far for very long; they'd stick together and fight back rather than fleeing in terror.

The rogues would only outnumber them about three to two, not some ridiculous margin like a dozen to one, so they'd have a decent chance of fighting back. Having the female lead be kidnapped by the rogues would be bad because a) it's a damsel in distress cliche, which I do not want, and b) she isn't the character I'm mostly concerned about being separated from the others, anyway. (Besides which, the three male leads would kill the kidnapper(s) before he/they got more than ten feet away, and not before Ariel herself got a few blows in.) Having one lead be injured and left behind by the others for any length of time doesn't work either, since they would not allow themselves to do that, period.

Important note: I want the leads to be separated from each other for at least a day, but no more than two. Any suggestions?

 

[ThinkerX]

River crossing, complete with washed out bridge. Some make it to the far side, and some get swept away in the current. Maybe have one stuck on the original bank for a while.

Toss in the sort of really nasty terrain you find out in the wilds - marsh, underbrush so dense you can't even get through it by turning sideways, and maybe an upset natural creature or three (bear would be the obvious choice here in Alaska, but something different for Fae), and yes, they could be a day or two getting back together again.

 

[Ireth]

Ooooh, I like the river idea a lot. Funny how it's often the simplest and most obvious solutions that one overlooks. Thanks!

 

[Ireth]

Just thought of a possible problem with the river issue, much as I like it. I'm not sure how far downstream my characters might be swept by a swollen river without drowning, as fighting the current would be very difficult and energy-draining, even if the characters can swim. Depending on how far they're separated from the others, reuniting might be as simple as just following the river back upstream toward where they were swept away, while the other characters head downstream to find them. None of them are the type to leave another behind for too long.

I don't feel like throwing in anything like a huge waterfall which could potentially kill them, and varying the terrain a lot might not be too feasible. Faerie is basically just forest from coast to coast; the most I could throw in would be some hills and valleys. A lack of horse would definitely slow the swept-away party down, if the animal drowns (which it very well might), but the other party would have it much easier with a horse to carry them. Unless it throws a shoe or something, of course.

 

[Saigonnus]

There are other ways to seperate characters, one could slip and tumble down into a steep ravine, complete with bruises... fog within the trees of faerie send a second in the wrong direction, thinking they are heading in the right direction. the rest just happen to not notice the others missing for awhile, maybe they are arguing so don't hear anything.

 

[Ireth]

Excellent points, Saigonnus. Thanks!

 

[ThinkerX]

Just thought of a possible problem with the river issue, much as I like it. I'm not sure how far downstream my characters might be swept by a swollen river without drowning, as fighting the current would be very difficult and energy-draining, even if the characters can swim. Depending on how far they're separated from the others, reuniting might be as simple as just following the river back upstream toward where they were swept away, while the other characters head downstream to find them. None of them are the type to leave another behind for too long.

The river need not be deep to sweep them away, and sooner or later the current would likely sweep them into a rock or fallen log they could use to reach the shore anyhow. But yes, they would be tired and soaked.

Following a riverbank in a heavily forested area can be a serious pain - usually the trees and shrubs not only grow right down to the water, but overhang it, plus there are all sorts of mudholes and mires left from previous changes in the rivers course. On top of that, rivers are a favorate place for natures big tough predator types to hang out.

I don't feel like throwing in anything like a huge waterfall which could potentially kill them, and varying the terrain a lot might not be too feasible. Faerie is basically just forest from coast to coast; the most I could throw in would be some hills and valleys.

I grew up in a very large forest and still live in one. It is very easy to get completely turned about. You are going this way - except, well, there is this giant deadfall blocking that route. So you try to slip by to the side only to have to make another detour around some devils club (man tall, thumb thick plant topped by fern like leaves with about a zillion thorns). So you get around both of those, and you think your going the same direction as before, except your not, not really. Toss in boggy pits (I measured a couple hereabouts at about fifteen feet deep) and deciding to take another detour because something you can't see is thrashing through the underbrush off to the one side and now you got a hill to climb - well, actually there are little hills and ridges and depressions all around, none of them standing out...this sort of thing goes on and on.

 

[Ireth]

You are a goldmine of helpful info, Thinker. Where were you when I was writing the prequel to this story? XD

 

[ThinkerX]

You are welcome.

If you want, I could tell you a sort of trick or hint for a person to cross a river in a heavily wooded area - and some of the inherit perils.

 

[Ireth]

That sounds like it would be very useful. Please do enlighten me!

 

[ThinkerX]

Yes, rivers can be wide. And in nonmountainous terrain they can and do change their course.

But what differs is their depth, and the speed of the current. The river will be deeper and run faster at certain places in its course.

The situation you appear to be describing, there will be a lot of sand or gravel bars, sticking just a few inches above the surface (unless the river is in flood). There will also be a *lot* of overhanging trees, including some that have almost but not quite hit the water. What your character(s) need to find is such a fallen tree, spanning the deep/fast part of the stream, that has the one end resting on a gravel bar. Once they make it that far, odds are they'll be able to pick a knee deep or less path through the rest of the stream - though they'll have to watch out for slick rocks and the current.

Word of warning - while fallen trees are abundant, they are often not stable - they'll often want to roll one way or another. Get so far out on them, they'll drop abrubtly. Plus they invariably have branches sticking out at the worst spots.

When I was a kid I used tricks like that to cross a number of rivers without getting too overly soaked. Still, I must point out not all rivers are like those.

A lot of the rivers around here also feature low, long, narrow, heavily wooded islands - and I mean really heavily wooded, as in turning sideways to fit through the shrubbery.

But the closer you get to the rivers mouth (assuming it dumps into an ocean) the wider it gets and the fewer sandbars you'll find. The best way to cross in this situation (at least around here) is to wait until low tide, go out *past* the mouth where the rivers channel tends to be wide and very shallow, and hope there's no mud. (used to use that trick with dirt bikes way back when).