They walked in companionable silence for most of the afternoon. It was only when the
shadows started to lengthen that Taerre finally asked, "Where should we spend the night?"
"Oh," Darius replied. "There is a stream about a half hour away, near
the edge of the forest. That will supply us wood for our fire and water to clean everything.
"
"Maybe even some fish for dinner?" Taerre asked.
"No, wrong time of the year for fishing in this stream. The runs don’t start
for another two months."
"Oh, I forgot."
"No worry though," Darius replied. "From how heavy these packs feel,
I think you brought plenty to eat for a few nights."
The site was perfect, Taerre thought, sitting next to the campfire, watching as
Darius cleaned their dinner dishes. They had decided to be fair one would cook, the other clean.
Then they would trade off. Darius was also being a perfect companion, much like her brother had
been. That thought brought tears to her eyes, she missed him so much. He had been about the only
one whom had understood her need to learn the sword, bow, and knife. After his death, Darius was
the only one who she had been able to find to continue her training. She fell asleep thinking
that maybe her brother’s spirit had sent this human to her.
The next morning they set off and continued following the path at Taerre’s brother
had followed.
The day was clear, the sun shone brightly, and Taerre was certain this forebode well
for their mission.
For three days they walked without incident, leaving the flatlands and entering the
forested hills below the mountains that was their destiny.
Then shortly before sunset, as they were deciding on a campsite for the night, a
raspy voice interrupted their discussion.
"Well, food has arrived," it said.
They spun around to see a cractin, a reptilian creature that looked like it was
trying hard to become human, and failing miserably. As they reached for their swords, more
cractin emerged from the woods. The creatures were running their tongues over their lipless
mouths in anticipation of a meal.
"You are not taking our food," Taerre said, menacingly.
"No, you are food," the first cractin said, leaping.
Darius’ sword caught the creature just below the chest and his sword sliced deep
but caught a rib bone and stuck. He went down under the screaming cractin as two more leapt at
Taerre.
Taerre took on of the creatures through the throat and ducked as the other swept a
clawed hand toward her face. She wanted to see if Darius was alive but could barely hold off the
creatures as they came at her.
One more of the creatures leapt at her as she backed into a tree. She shifted to one
side and clubbed the reptile with the flat of her sword. Its head hit the tree and she heard a
dull snap as its neck broke.
She felt a warm wetness on her arm and looked down to see her own blood. The cractin
must have caught her with its claws as it went by.
As the cractin started to close in she heard a soft growling. Then one of the
cractin fell forward with the largest mountaincat she had ever seen on its back.
The cat had sunk its teeth into the creature and bitten nearly through its neck. It
leapt off its victim and swept one gigantic paw and another. The paw contacted and the cractin’s
head was flung from its body. Landing, the cat looked for its next prey, one of the cractin’s
jumped at the cat and was met with a face full of claws. It fell to the ground screaming until
the cat tore out it throat. Taerre took the opportunity to run through another of the monster’s.
The rest seeing themselves caught between an Elven warrior and a mad mountainlion ran for their
lives.
The cat watched them go. It then turned to Taerre and approached her slowly. Taerre
raised her sword and it came, not knowing what it planned. The cat dropped to the ground, just
out of her reach and watched her, head tilted to one side. It raised one paw, extended, then
retracted its claws, then lowered the paw to the ground. It then tilted its head to the other
side and continued to watch her.
Taerre stared at the beast. "Ummm, nice kitty," she said. "Oh, now
that's brilliant. Like it is going to behave just because I ask it to." She looked over to
where Darius had gone down, under the first cractin.
All she saw was a torn up reptilian body, Darius was nowhere to be seen.
A movement back where the cat was caught her eyes. She raised her sword quickly
turned back.
The cat stood and slowly, gently started towards her.
Taerre raised her sword higher. "I thank you, cat. But if you attack me I will
not hesitate."
The mountaincat merely looked at her and stopped. It looked down at the ground and
then back at her.
Taerre gasped in astonishment. The cat seemed to be crying. She had never heard of
that.
Her astonishment turned to wonder as the cat’s body began to shrink and then change.
As she watched the mountaincat disappeared and before her knelt a man, Darius.
Not knowing what else to do, Taerre fainted.