We creep through the darkness. I’ve got both Stealth and Fade aiding me on slinking through the area unseen and unnoticed. Good thing too, since the night is so quiet. Even the noises I’m used to from roaming – and occasionally dying – night-time animals are barely audible. Perhaps its because they don’t dare to enter the encircling fence of the village, so any noises I hear are from the forest beyond, and are therefore slightly muffled.
I follow River as he heads towards a hut off to one side of the village. Actually, it’s separated from the rest of them by a surprisingly large margin. As we reach it, I look beyond to see the gate. The sight sends hope through me, only to be chased by a chill as I see a small shift of movement near it. Closer examination reveals what I’d hoped not to be the case: that the gate is still guarded by two of those big lizard-kin. I guess we’ll be heading out by the side-gate then. However that means trekking back through the village again, which is not without its risks either. Still, we need to achieve our next objective first.
We pause next to the hut, near its gaping black hole of an entrance. River pauses for a moment, and I hear him take a shaky breath. Concern rising, I’m about to communicate with him when he moves, turning around and backing into the hut with practiced ease. There’s a reason he’s doing this part of the plan and my job is to stand guard.
On that note, I pull my mace from its vine tie and hold its handle with both hands, the wood creaking ever so slightly as my grip shifts. I put my back almost against the wall to reduce my profile if anyone were to be watching, and look around myself attentively. I try to minimise the movement of my head, looking more with my eyes and only occasionally shifting my head around slowly to more closely examine what is otherwise just the peripherals of my vision. Movement catches more attention than stillness; moreover, it risks noise. Neither is something we want right now.
A few quiet noises emerge from the hut, but I’m confident that they will not go far, even in the stillness of the night. After all, even though I’m standing so close, I can barely hear the faint sounds. Despite straining my hearing to the utmost, I can’t identify exactly what he’s doing. At least I can’t hear any of the sounds I’ve come to recognise as the lizard-folk’s speech. When movement from the dark hole catches the dim light, I almost startle.
A shape emerges from the shadows and I quietly lay my mace down in order to help pull it through. I see the outline of ears, a head, and rosettes of black spots, barely visible in the low light level but still there. My heart wrenches as I smell the familiar musky scent of nunda cub, my sense of smell only just catching it at this distance. Her fur is warm, and less fluffy than I remember. As I gently pull her through, I realise that she’s also heavier than I remember. Not to mention longer: her body is at least three times as big as I recall. Maybe more. By the time her back paws have made it through, my eyebrows are attempting to reach my hairline.
What…? I absently send to River. I must send my question through well enough, despite not vocalising it properly even to myself, since he responds.
The herbal concoction. Oh. My teeth grit together in anger. This must be ‘drawing on the future to enhance the present’, as he had described it when we had our discussion in the forest. If this forced growth has done any permanent damage to her, I’ll take it out of the shaman’s hide. I realise that there’s something else wrong, too. She’s completely still, silent. Her eyes are closed.
What’s wrong with her? I demand from River, my fists clenching. Why is she not awake?
It’s another concoction, master. I told you about this earlier... the lizard-man reminds me, uncertainty and slight fear coming through the Bond. I breathe deeply, forcing away the emotion which will only cause me to make mistakes.
You did, I acknowledge, remembering it as he said it. I should have known – we’d agreed that River should continue to act normally, which included giving her the sleeping draught and the most recent shamanic potion. Besides, I’d thought it would probably be easier to get her out if she was asleep. Though now I can see she’s so much larger…
I dismiss the thought, leaning down to lift her over my shoulders like a particularly furry stole. With her larger size, her front and back paws both drape down past my hips.
Should I not take her? River offers.
No, I tell him, almost a growl in my mental voice. I’ll be fine. Between the two of us, River is likely the stronger: the wiry muscles he has going on probably beat out my recently improved ones. However, even with everything he’s done so far to prove he’s on my side, we’re not out of the village yet, and I’m loathe to trust Lathani with someone who could suddenly divert at the absolutely wrong moment. It does mean that my ability to defend us is reduced, but since the main plan now is to run, that’s OK. I can still wield my mace one-handed and keep a steadying hand on her if necessary. Let’s go.
We tiptoe through the village huts, heading for the unguarded side-gate. It’s within eyesight and we’re starting to relax when the worst happens. We round a hut, only to bump into one of the lizard-kin coming the other way. It’s one of the Path-walkers, I realise in the moment of stillness as shock holds both parties like statues. Then the Path-walker roars loudly, raising the alarm.
I curse as I bump into River, turning to dodge around the Path-walker only to find my Bound still rooted in place.
“Move!” I order him harshly. No time for niceties right now. And no point trying to be quiet: they all know where we are right now. He stumbles out the way, his legs almost seeming to propel themselves. “Come on, we need to run!” Not waiting to see if he is following, I run off in the direction of the gate, only to stumble over a branch suddenly in my path. I regain my balance, only to be slammed into by a wooden bucket from the side. I fall heavily onto my side, landing badly in order to not land on Lathani’s legs. What…? I whip my head around wildly, even as I push myself back to my feet, my hip and thigh aching from the impact.
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I see another branch come flying at me. No, a spear, I realise, my eyes going wide as I throw myself to one side to avoid its sharp point. But who threw it? The only other figures around me are River and the Path-walker, and neither of them were at the right angle to throw the spear. Or the bucket, thinking about it. From the commotion around us, we won’t be alone long, but for now, I can’t see my attacker. But even if I can’t see them, clearly they’re determined not to let me get away.
Then the same spear that had been thrown at me lifts into the air again, flipping over to aim at me point first and it all becomes clear. The Path-walker’s controlling it, its clawed paw moving in unison with the spear. I dodge the shot once more, feeling its sharp tip opening a slice in my cheek, then leap forward. We haven’t got much time due to this lizard setting off the alarm, and now it’s stopping us from leaving.
My hand goes to my mace, ripping it from my belt. I swing at the lizard’s head. It dodges the first fury-filled swing, but not the second, the heavy flint ball sinking into the its skull with a crunch. Clearly not as resistant even as that crocodile’s that I fought, I use the momentum of the swing to help spin me around to face the exit.
River is frozen, his mouth open, horror blasting through the Bond at me. I know it’s unfair, even as I open my mouth to say it, but we don’t have time.
“Snap out of it,” I shout at him. “Either come with me now, or stay here and face them.” I point at the figures approaching us, the hulking mass of the guards making my bowels quiver. Not waiting for him to reply, I take off, fear lending wings to my feet.
Heading for the gate which River hopefully had ensured was open before coming to fetch me, I pump my legs as quickly as I can. There’s a time to take it slow; that time isn’t now. I’ve even dropped Fade since I don’t want the stamina drain – it’s not like they don’t know I’m here, after all.
As I get closer to the gate, relief fills me as I see the section which usually bars it has been shifted away. River did exactly what I’d told him to do. Managing to get through the hole without encountering any more lizard-kin, I briefly pause as an idea hits me. Grabbing the loose section, I heave it around so that it’s pointing its spears inwards. About to shove it into position, I pause as River runs out, his eyes wide and glinting in the growing moonlight.
There’s no time to check if he’s OK, no time to do anything. I shove the section into place and grab a big stick from my Inventory, wedging it through the bars, hoping that that may delay the lizard-folk chasing us, if only by a fraction. The sight of the five crocodilian shapes barely a few metres away, two of them massive hulking creatures, makes my stomach clench. Nope. Not like this.
I’ll come for you arseholes later, I promise darkly to myself, even as I turn tail and run. River and I are neck and neck as we dash through the trees, a thwarted roar rising from behind us. Despite the situation, a grin tugs at my cheeks. What a rush. Bastet! I call down our Bond. She responds with a sense that I can only translate as ‘here’ even as a dark shape emerges out of the forest to give me a near heart-attack.
“Don’t do that!” I growl at her through gritted teeth. I’m on edge enough as it is! Still, no time. The lizard-folk aren’t going to be delayed for long. “Where are the cubs?” She sends me a sense of ‘not far’ and darts away. I follow quickly, sensing River doing the same.
She’s right – the cubs aren’t far. I temporarily put Lathani down, mentally apologising to her as I’m rougher than I’d like to be from sheer haste. Yanking the sling out of my Inventory, I quickly tie it and pop the cubs in. They mewl and yowl in complaint at the abrupt treatment, wanting to greet me. I apologise under my breath to them as well even as I stoop to pick up Lathani again. A clawed paw on my arm stops me and I shoot my eyes up at River.
Shall I carry it...her? he asks, his tone unusually subdued, emotions flat. I hesitate for a precious moment, considering it even as my instincts shriek to say no. It would make sense – he’s probably stronger and I’m already carrying three raptorcat cubs. But at the same time… Then again, what does he have to do to make me trust him? He has done everything I’ve asked of him so far, even following me as I fled from the corpse I’d made of one of his ‘honoured Path-walkers’. And at this point, is he likely to have a much better reception from his kin than I would?
“OK. Thank you,” I say instead, nodding slowly. I can hear the crash of branches carrying through the quiet night forest. We need to get going. River hoists Lathani up onto his shoulders and we take off running again, following Bastet.
Since my plan involved both River and I being tied up in the village for the rest of the day – well, caged up in my case – I’d set Bastet the task of working out our escape route. Trusting her to have done that, I focus on putting one foot in front of the other. And not tripping over any of the half-seen branches in my path.
Fortunately, as time goes on, that becomes easier and easier to do since first the second moon’s light illuminates our path, and then the rising sun does. River must have come and got me not long before dawn. I suppose that makes sense, I acknowledge with what brain power is not being used to keep moving quickly through the forest – more available than I’m used to since my recent increases in Intelligence. If the books and films I used to watch are anything to judge by, the period shortly before dawn is when people sleep the deepest and guards are the least likely to notice something.
Though, on that note, I notice something myself. Our pursuers are catching up.
At first I wasn’t sure, the increase in the volume of the sounds possibly attributable to other causes. But when I checked with River, he agreed with me.
We are most likely being chased by Warriors. Their strength and speed are far above that of any other tribe member. And they train for this. He continues by adding a glum prediction. No hope that they will miss our trail: a blind hatchling could follow it. They will be on us before the sun rises even halfway to its zenith. My heart sinks.
Great, I say sarcastically, not caring if I projected it to River or not. Any ideas? This time I include Bastet in the communication, sending her a few images and emotions to explain the situation. If River and I can hear our pursuers and draw conclusions from that, I’m sure she can too.
For a few minutes we just run in silence. Finally, it’s the raptorcat who replies with a single image: that of the lizogs we killed together soon after our Battle of Wills. I frown even as I run, my stamina heading down towards two-thirds empty. What does she mean?
Spears? I ask her. I’ve only got one, though. I get a wave of negation from her. Not spears. She repeats the image, this time showing the lizogs running towards the wall of sharpened bits of wood, and then the following one of them crushed by the rocks. Oh, I think I get it. Are you suggesting we trap them? I ask. She replies with a wave of agreement. OK, sounds good. Only one problem. But we don’t have enough time to prepare a trap. The lizog trap took hours.
She responds with the feeling of grim resignation and a single image.
“You can’t be serious,” I respond, my incredulity making me speak aloud, despite really needing to save my breath for running.