The Guide, Wulfshard [management books to read txt] 📗

it topple the opposite way. Seconds later the two saw the cause; Ku was shaking in terror, her eyes wide. Tura was right beside her, stroking her hair to soothe the terrified white tiger. But nothing was attacking…nothing was crawling on her. The two lay their weapons down. Alarmed and confused, Visam approached her anxiously.
“What’s wrong, Tura? Why did she scream?”
Ku starred at the lizard with wide eyes. “They-they were…all over…I c-couldn’t st-stop them…”
Unease prickling underneath her scales, Visam felt her quills rising. Tura asked quietly, soothingly, “Stop who, Ku? Do you remember?”
“T-the men…that weren’t men. They were…there…and not there…everywhere and nowhere…”
Understanding made the blood in her veins freeze. “The swamp…it plays tricks on you.” Visam tried to soothe the cat.
Tura’s eyes were full of panic. “No, you don’t understand –”
She can’t panic. I can’t let her panic. The swamp will take us all if any of us do.

“We all have nightmares on these journeys.” Visam saw her words were calming the tigress demi down. The cat’s pulse slowed. Her fear scent faded. Tura relaxed a little.
“Are you sure? I mean, you have these bad dreams?” Tura asked quietly. “Ones like these?”
Visam had to lie, so they didn’t panic. “All the time when I’m heading east. Especially since it takes so long, and I’ve nearly died going this direction. Come now, don’t let a dream frighten you and your friend.”
“Nightmares. Yes; that’s all it was. The place is strange to us…” Ku’s voice was emotionless. It was strange, the haunted look in the cat’s ice blue eyes. It made it hard to seem calm before somebody still in such distress.
Tura slowly folded their blankets. Surudu tidied the camp a little and served cold leftovers from supper. The group readied the canoe again.
“Would you mind waiting a minute? We need to look at the map.”
There was no answer; the two were quietly talking amongst themselves. Surudu pulled out the map, and the two swamp natives slipped into their own language.
“Do you think they’re nightmares, Visam, or something else?”
“The swamp is warning us. Something is wrong, Surudu. We will follow the path up through the main tributaries. I do not want to take side ones now. The spirits haunt her dreams – they will not welcome the Demi in their sacred place. I don’t want to end up dead for bringing them there, either.”
“Isn’t it straight through the Gi-angi tribe’s hunting territory, though?”
“We’ll just tell her to keep her mouth shut – even if we have to gag her, she’ll have to be shut up during that half-mile.”
“How are you going to pull us through this entire trip?”
“I’ll rest at noon. Agreed?”
“Fine. Let’s get on our way, then. This day can’t get any better.”
“Not if you make it worse!”
The two of them set the canoe again, and they were off the second day. Visam swam under the water as little as possible; only enough to make sure the animals were keeping distance. Strangely enough even the alligators hurried away from the lizard and her burden. To her surprise all three of her passengers were abnormally silent themselves.
It was honestly giving Visam the chills.
Something feels…wrong.
A deep fog started to settle. It became more and more challenging to see anything above the water. Then the muck became thick, and it seemed to choke her slightly. So the guide relented, uneasy and even getting chilled.
“It’s too foggy to go on.” Visam told them when Tura opened her mouth as if to protest. “It’s best to not push things in this world.”
Tura nodded. They set the canoe against a willow tree. Surudu patrolled the area with his axes readied. There was a bobcat’s hiss as it turned and fled from him. Tura jumped out of her fur, whirling around with wide eyes. Ku gave a startled cry; the fur along the white tigress’s spine rose, and then slowly lay flat.
“Calm down. We need to keep our heads in these situations. Let’s eat, okay? We brought some edible roots and berries. We’ll be without a fire so we can’t cook meat.” Her rough voice seemed muffled from the white, hovering cloud.
“Why are we not starting a fire?” Visam noticed the Demi were shivering. Their fur was soaked, gathering every drop of water from the fog her thick coat possibly could.
“The air is too wet from the fog. It won’t start.” Surudu said quietly. “It’s likely we won’t go anywhere else for a time. If you’re tired sleep now; we’ll have to travel all night to make up for the time lost here.”
“I’m not tired yet.” Tura protested. She sat and ate her allotted food. The other three ate disdainfully. It was clear the guide and her guard preferred the fish. Visam went behind the willow to strip. Her cloths were dirt and water logged. She hung it carefully and changed into another outfit swiftly, shivering from the cold her kind rarely felt.
When she returned Surudu sat watch on a log as Tura and Ku tried to groom one another’s unruly fur. Visam felt restless; uneasy. The air itself was tense, tasting of cloud and something strange. It was as if something were watching them. About the time the tiger demi gave up their futile attempt to be dry the guide rose to her scaled feet, taking up her spear.
“I’m going to patrol a wider area.”
“Be careful, Visam. The fog hides them well.”
“I’ll be back; stay here with Tura and Ku. We can’t have them wondering off or something getting her while we’re not looking.”
“Can’t I come? Maybe I’ll be of some help scouting.” Ku offered restlessly.
“Of course not,” He tossed the cat a thick blanket. “It’s best to stay here, where you’ll be warm and safe.”
As the demi wrapped it around her shoulders and returned to her black companion, the lizard struck out into the fog-laden swamp. She avoided the deeper water, tasting the air as a map of the land seeped into her mind. The guide took small, diligent steps.
The feeling of many eyes on her made her quills rise to nearly stand up straight. Her spear at the ready, she carefully navigated the area, making a sweep. Something wet crunched under her feet. Looking down with her eyes narrowed, fear gripped her.
It was eggs; many, many fist-sized eggs in a gooey sack. She carefully removed her foot and backed up several steps. From the fog a huge black shadow dropped from the trees. There were eight legs that sat on a massive body. Fangs moved aggressively as it took a step closer. The eight-legged beasts were about the size of dogs.
Arachnids.

Without looking she knew there were three slightly smaller ones behind her; males. Cursing in her native tongue, the lizard remained completely still as they closed it. She watched them move with a careful eye. The heavy fog would hide her just as well – just long enough.
The female in front of her leapt into the air first. Visam ducked, leaned back and replaced her head with the ebony spear head. Then she swung the dead creature into the male on her left flank. Just in time, she whacked away the other male coming at her. Then the lizard lurched into the water and swam for her life toward the camp.
When she emerged, out of breath from her escape, and staggered to the camp shaking, Tura, Ku and Surudu were right there. A heavy blanket swung about her shoulder, and somebody guided her to a log.
Speaking in his native language, Surudu asked her quietly, “What happened?”
Too shaken to think about the words in Demi, she answered in the same tongue. “Three arachnids attacked me – two male and a female. There was a nest of them, and not far from here. I killed the mother and stunned the males, but we’re not completely safe. I dove into the swamp to flee.”
“Um…I can’t understand you two, and really want to know what’s gogoing on here.” Tura didn’t sound pleased. Ku was pacing, her mouth open to taste the moisture-laden air.
He was the one to answer. “She was attacked by a large spider species – three of them. Thankfully she knows enough about them to defend herself and escape. Two of them are still alive and close by.”
“Shouldn’t we leave?”
“Leave in this fog?” Visam demanded; her quills were at attention. “Are you insane? How can I guide you if I cannot see?”
“Then we should start a fire and stay warm. Won’t it keep them away?” Ku suggested. The fur along her spine had fluffed up again. Her tail was twice its usual size.
“It will keep them away, sure, but we’re in the middle of another Mozori tribe’s land. It will let them know where we are.” The male lizard man answered quietly. “It isn’t too cold; she’ll dry off well enough.”
“I’m not really cold; I’m more shaken. Arachnids don’t hunt us, and usually leave us alone.”
“You were near eggs, though.”
She shrugged. “My fault, I guess. Still didn’t expect that.”
That isn’t something I’ve done since Surudu and I were paired. Maybe I shouldn’t be so stupid to scout ahead. He’s always doing the fighting, since…that day…

Shuddering at the memory, she turned from her thoughts to her spear. She carefully looked it over; thankfully it wasn’t loose, chipped or cracked. Then she took out the map to look over. She traced the tributaries and main paths.
We’re here…

Tura came over. “Where are we?”
“Right here.”
“Where did we start?”
She pointed at the village’s location.
“We’ve not gone far.”
“Nope.”
“Where’s the end of our journey?”
Visam traced the long, winding path around the Death Corpses to the very edge of the swamp.
“I don’t know much about the marsh beyond, but they’ll be easy to navigate on your own. I’m taking you through the swamp, not the marsh.”
“Can’t you take me there?” She pointed just past the marsh, into the forests just beyond them.
“No. Find another guide for that. I don’t have that many reserves. You said you can hunt.”
The tigress frowned. “Come on, how different can a marsh be?”
“Look, you’ve never been there. It’s different – very different. It’s not our home.”
“Let’s get some sleep; it’s getting dark.” Surudu said quietly. “I’ve set up our beds on raised pine logs for warmth and protection.”
“Protection?” Tura’s eyes were wide.
“There are insects and snakes around here that would be very pleased with your warm fur – from fleas to leeches and even anacondas.”
Shivers passed through the adventure. “I can’t wait until I’m in a place where it’s safe to sleep anywhere again.”
“Those days are long gone, Tura. You’re going to a wild land where everywhere there’s trouble and something will always try to kill you.”
She snorted. “Being chased is something I’m accustomed to. I can kill just as well as my ancestors could.”
“Nobody said you couldn’t.” Ku giggled. “She just said the easy life is over. I thought you said that only a fortnight ago!”
The tiger huffed angrily. “I didn’t mean it the way she did. We’ll be able to find a safe place to sleep away from bugs out of this swamp.”
“Sure. The dragons will leave you alone in the night…” Surudu commented.
“Never mind what I said, you three. There’s no need to argue over such petty things as a bed. Let’s just sleep, alright?” Visam was exhausted. She’d pulled them through the murky water for several hours, fought three giant