Tribe of the Snow Tiger (Legends of Windemere Book 10)

by Charles E Yallowitz

  The woman places her hands on the adventurers’ chins and they can see the silhouette of her head in the large cowl. They get the sense that she is examining them, her attention spending more time on Sari than Delvin. With a sharp yell in her native tongue, the woman orders her companions to put another boat in the water. The men hurry since most of the other vessels have already left and a group of armed guards is already getting ready at the back. It takes a few minutes to get everything sorted and they settle for holding onto the tether, the boat’s bells jingling loudly as the river attempts to drag it into the darkness.

  “Jump in and go,” the cloaked woman says, gesturing to the bouncing craft. With a sudden thought, she catches Delvin by the wrist. “I suggest you remain alert and cautious even in our presence. The jungle hungers for the blood of fools. Do not become its prey.”

  “Thank you,” Delvin replies before running for the boat.

  Sari is a few steps behind him while Fizzle lands on the gunwale and does his best to steady the rocking vessel. The gypsy calms the water as her friend jumps on, which causes the locals to move away in surprise. As soon as she is onboard, Sari releases the waves from her power and the boat is carried forward until it bumps the one in front of it. The blonde calico who was accosted by the local and a chuckling orc turn to see what caused the disturbance, the nearly naked pair confused by the adventurers. Before they can speak, the tether is cut and the prisoners are carried into the jungle. With nothing to hold them back, the champions are only a few feet behind and quickly plunge into the shadows.

  “May the Judges find you worthy of their justice,” the woman whispers as the other cloaked figures gather around her. She throws back her cowl and looks to the sky, her eyes closed as she feels the sun’s warmth on her skin. “The executioner has done her job. Now it is all in the jungle’s hands.”

  *****

  The jungle is loud and active as the boats move along the winding river, the water repeatedly switching from rapids to an eerily calm flow. Birds call out with beautiful songs and monkeys leap around the canopy, the animals rarely coming into full view. The lush trees are covered in wide leaves and twisting vines, many of the towering plants bare on the lower twenty feet of their trunks. Insects of all sizes flit through the air and along the water where hungry fish jump out to catch a meal, some of them getting swooped up in the claws of nimble eagles. The treetops are very thin above the river’s first few miles, which gives the travelers more than enough light to see what lies ahead. Further into the region, the dense canopy covers much of the jungle in shadows. There is an occasional shaft of light where a fallen tree has left a gap, but the adventurers find themselves struggling to peer through the gloom.

  Fizzle is reminded of the plants and animals that surrounded him when he lived in Visindor Forest, but the jungle feels much more primal and crowded. He is tempted to explore the shoreline until he catches sight of a spotted cat that is hungrily eyeing him. The predator sticks to the shadows and follows the boats for several minutes before settling for an unsuspecting rodent that is the size of a small dog. The attack is so fast that Fizzle remains shivering on Delvin’s lap long after they lose sight of the cat, the warrior gingerly patting the drite on the head. Both of them watch Sari who is lazily sprawled in the front of the boat, her fingers barely touching the water. Several sharp-toothed fish and a few snakes have attempted to bite her, but they are repeatedly spun away by an eddy whenever they get within striking distance.

  A roar of water gives the gypsy enough time to stretch her arms and turn to face the looming rapids. While the other boats struggle to use long poles, the champions gently coast around the rocks and logs. None of the busy prisoners notice since Sari is keeping the vessel in the back where only their guides can watch the ship’s unnatural movements. It takes more of her energy to maintain a rear position than to avoid the danger by using the churning water to guide them to safety. Hoping to avoid suspicion, Delvin pretends to use the pole as he mimics the actions of the other boats. The act fails when he looks like he is pushing the boat to the right and Sari has it veer to the left. Feeling foolish, the warrior separates the pole into its original two parts and puts them back on the floor.

  “Maybe I should put my armor on!” Delvin shouts over the rapids. A spray of water hits his face as they spin and a sudden wave tosses them over what the warrior swears is a scaly, long-tailed log. “That thing had teeth, but it wasn’t an alligator! I should be ready for a fight, so you can focus on steering.”

  “Stick to your shield and sword, Cunningham,” Sari replies, her face covered in water. No longer feeling overheated by the muggy air, she revels in the cold river that sings to her naiad blood. “This trip is going to be rough. One mistake and we end up in the water. Your chainmail will sink you to the bottom and I might not be able to save you. Just relax and rest those manly muscles for when we really need them.”

  “My chainmail allows me to breathe and move underwater.”

  “In that case do whatever you want and don’t mind my opinion.”

  “Rock! Moving rock!” Fizzle excitedly shouts when a gray form rises out of the river ahead of the boats. “Go over! Go around! Fizzle not like!”

  A large, flat-toothed mouth opens at one end of the massive creature, the gaping maw violently chomping down on one of the other vessels. The prisoner sitting at the front is crushed in the beast’s jaws and swallowed before he has a chance to scream. Another man hits a rock face first with enough force that he leaves a bloody smear before vanishing beneath the roiling surface. The lone woman tries her best to swim to the shore, but the rapids are too strong for her to win the exhausting fight. She is about to sink when Sari coaxes a wave to roll the terrified prisoner onto a mushroom-covered log. The prisoner is scrambling for solid land when a dart hits her in the neck and she topples into the waiting mouth of the river beast.

  “Guess those are guards instead of guides,” Delvin mutters while watching one of the cloaked men put a blowgun away. He turns back in time to see the bulky predator swimming toward them. “Can you move that thing, Sari? If not, get out of the way and I’ll stab it in the head.”

  Fizzle darts ahead of the boat and sprays the beast with rainbow mist before rushing back to his friends. With a yawn, the large creature sinks under the water and they pass over where it has fallen into a gentle slumber. Bubbles come to the surface, which makes the cloaked figures in the last boat keep a tight grip on their weapons. Aiming his tail at the right-hand shore, Fizzle points to several smaller versions of the bulky predator. The youngsters are hiding in a thick bush, but their wide snouts and wiggling ears can be seen.

  “Guess mommy was hunting,” Sari whispers before she notices the drowned man’s body floating next to them. She has the current send the corpse to the rear boat, making sure to get it stuck to the prow. “I’m having doubts about our traveling companions. They’ve killed a few people who looked like they were trying to get away. Do you think we talked to the executioner by accident?”

  “The thought crossed my mind,” Delvin admits, glancing back at the cloaked men. He watches them callously remove the body and hurl it back into the river. “They’re definitely here to make sure nobody escapes and something tells me that we count as prisoners now. Not even in the jungle for half a day and we fall into a trap. Maybe we should take the first offshoot and get away. I’m sure they wouldn’t be able to stop us since we’re armed.”

  “Hand me some dried meat please,” the gypsy requests while putting her empty hand behind her back. The salty snack is quickly devoured and she can feel her strength return, the exhaustion of controlling the difficult water taking its toll on her body. “If you think back to what the dock master said then we have to stay on this path. He told us to talk to the forgiver, but we got the wrong person. By the way, that woman better pray I never find her. Anyway, we’d be on the same route even if we talked to the right person. The only difference now is that we’re being sent to these Judges as prisone
rs instead of lost travelers. All we can do is float along and save our energy to battle out of whatever trouble is waiting for us. Really makes me wish we had . . . well, any of the others.”

  Becoming aware of his own hunger, Delvin takes a sip of water to help him swallow some bland almonds. “I don’t know which one I’d want either. Each of them would make this so much easier to handle. Dariana could have found the forgiver without a problem. Nyx and Timoran would be great to have in any fights that we’re walking into. Luke would make this need for a guide pointless in the first place. We really have to stop talking about how our friends would make this journey easier. The truth is that they’re not here and we have to get by with our own strengths.”

  “I’m very glad to hear you say that.”

  “Thanks . . . why?”

  “Because we’re being hunted and I’m still fighting the rapids.”

  When the canopy opens up to let in more sunlight, Delvin looks ahead to see a hairy figure drop from the branches along the left hand coast. Landing in a boat, he beast grabs one of the four prisoners and leaps back into the trees so quickly that the others have no time to react. A scream erupts from the shadows along with the tearing of flesh and a wild howl that is similar to the monkeys they have been hearing for the last hour. The only difference is that this sound is a higher pitch and filled with a malevolence that sends a chill down everyone’s spine. Glancing over his shoulder, Delvin notices that the guards have pulled their vessel to the shore and are getting out. Another group of cloaked figures are waiting, which he assumes are the ones who departed before the prisoner ships. The creature returns to kidnap another prisoner, drawing his attention back to their more immediate problem.

  “How is anyone supposed to make it to the Judges with all of these dangers?” the warrior asks while drawing his bastard sword. He scans the trees and attempts to sense the enemy, but there is too much life for him to focus his blossoming abilities. “My font powers aren’t going to be any use here. I thought I could pinpoint the creature by tracking its aura, but the surrounding energy is too dense. Everyone has to stay on their guard. With any luck, this thing will try to take me away and not snatch you from the boat, Sari.”

  “Let it try because I’m not budging,” the gypsy replies with a wicked smirk. A distant boat rocks when the predator lands, but this time it leaves without any prey. “I think this animal has a strict territory. It won’t risk going beyond its borders. Hopefully we reach that bend before it attacks. How do you turn on your font powers? They seem pretty strong, but I never see you use them.”

  “To be honest, I’m still figuring them out,” Delvin answers, his ice blue eyes picking out movement in the branches. His shield slides to his forearm and he remains ready to defend the boat. “I don’t think I’ll have full control until I reach my temple. For now, the powers really only work when someone I care about is in trouble or I’m really mad. It’s like I can manipulate my aura to do whatever I want, but not like a spell. Mostly enhancing my gear and body to suit the battle situations. If I had to guess, I can infect corrupted auras to either purify them or tear them apart, but that only happened against the Dawn Fangs.”

  “Too much power to control with ease,” Fizzle says from Sari’s shoulder. The drite whirls around and snarls at the shoreline. “Over there! On land!”

  Delvin follows the dragon’s line of sight and sees a hairy creature clinging to the base of a tree. The baboon-like beast has its long tail screwed into the trunk, the coiled extension acting as an anchor when the predator leaps for the boat. Sharp claws and yellowed fangs glint in the emerging sun as the animal lands between the two champions. Its black mane bristles as it screeches and grabs Sari by the waist without breaking her skin. Hopping into the air and going limp, the creature tries to let its tail reel it back to land, but finds that the gypsy is locked in place. Not realizing the problem, the frustrated monkey yanks on the woman and yowls at the pain of its backside being stretched to its limit.

  When the beast opens its mouth to bite Sari in the throat, Delvin slices through the tail and throws the animal to back of the small boast. Injured and scared, the monkey tackles its attacker and furiously pounds on the enchanted shield. Wrenching the disc off the warrior’s arm, the animal beats him with it for a second before tossing the blunt object into the river. Delvin’s sword lances upwards and pierces the creature’s gut, which sprays a skin-numbing ichor. Fizzle slams into the howling monkey, knocking the wounded animal over the edge where it hangs and repeatedly tries to grab the quicker drite.

  “Get rid of that thing!” Sari shouts, sensing something very familiar around the looming bend. Reducing her influence over the ship, she draws her stiletto and spins to slash the beast across the face. “We have a waterfall ahead because there’s always a damn waterfall ahead. This thing is thrashing too much for me to control our fall. We have to knock it off the boat now or we’ll probably die.”

  “Focus on the ship and I’ll handle it,” Delvin assures her, reaching out for the water. His shield erupts from where it sank and hurtles toward him. “One shot is all I need. Hey!”

  The desperate creature leaps up to grab the warrior, moving his arm away at the last second and preventing him from catching the incoming shield. Even with it slowing down, the metal disc hits Delvin in the head with enough force to knock him out. Before the monkey can escape with the warrior, Fizzle wraps his tail around its throat and tries to strangle the animal as they go around the bend. A howling gurgle erupts from the predator and it releases Delvin to flail at the irritating drite. With a violent twist of his tail, Fizzle flips the monkey off the boat, but the creature catches the back end with its feet.

  The waterfall’s roar drowns out all attempts at shouting, so Sari gives up control of the ship and dives on top of the unconscious warrior. She grips one seat with her hands and hooks another with her feet before locking herself in place. Unable to break her immovability, she cannot stop the monkey from clambering back onboard. It takes all of Sari’s concentration to regain control of the boat and maintain her position, the sound of the waterfall ringing in her ears. Before the snarling creature can pounce, Fizzle rams into its chest and knocks it off-balance. The drite is unable to continue his attack when Sari catches his tail between her lips, her power preventing him from getting left behind and lost in the jungle.

  “Why you?” Fizzle starts to ask, turning around. He sees the edge of the waterfall pass beneath the boat, which seems to hover for a terrifying instant. With Sari struggling to keep them in the water, the vessel tips forward to plunge over the side and disappear into the swirling mist below.

  *****

  Delvin’s groan is cut off by a strong hand around his mouth, the sweaty skin smelling faintly of roses. He can barely move a muscle as Sari keeps him locked against the floor of the boat. The gypsy has a tense, wide-eyed expression and her skin has gone pale as if she is terrified, but is not sure where the threat is lurking. A booming bellow is heard to their right, which is followed by a downpour of water, the boat refusing to move even when struck by a large wave. Sari grinds her teeth as she focuses on keeping their little circle of the lagoon calm, which prevents the bells from ringing. Peering over his companion’s shoulder, Delvin can see Fizzle sitting on the prow and tracking something that is passing beneath them.

  “Don’t move and talk only in a whisper,” Sari says, her lips touching her friend’s ear. She casts a minor spell that covers the boat in a shimmering white coating. “I’m switching between brief silence spells and keeping the boat steady. It’s exhausting and I’ve only been at it for twenty minutes. How are you feeling? That was a really bad blow to the head. It doesn’t seem like you’re bleeding.”

  “I managed to slow my shield down and my powers did the rest without my control, but I still have a pounding headache,” Delvin replies through her fingers. Moving his hand, he can feel the enchanted shield pressed against his lower back. “What’s going on? I remember that monkey attacking
and you mentioning a waterfall. Did we reach the Judges?”

  “In a manner of speaking,” she answers with a forced smile. They hear the ringing bell of a boat, which is followed by another explosion of water and screams. “I saw what was going on as we came down the waterfall. Thankfully, the monkey fell off and made enough noise to draw the Judges’ attention away from us. They devoured it, which helped me and Fizzle figure out what we’re dealing with. Sort of. The Judges are water creatures which attack anything that makes a sound. They burst from below like sharks and sea serpents. I’m not sure if it’s a good thing, but they seem to take turns going for targets. Fizzle and I were hoping you could think up a plan to get us out of here.”

  “This is a rather elaborate form of execution.”

  “Maybe they’re only feeding their pets.”

  “Let me sit up, so I can see what we’re dealing with.”

  Holding her breath, Sari slowly moves off Delvin and stands with her entire body locked in place. The warrior puts his shield on his forearm and sheathes his blade before taking a seat on the rear bench. With the waterfall behind him, he takes in the view of the bush-fringed lagoon and the distant river that may lead them to safety. There are only three other boats on the water, the prisoners struggling to remain still. One group has managed to remove their bells, the metal orbs in the steady hands of the riders. Delvin wonders if they should do the same, but freezes when the shimmering silence spell fades away. Feeling exposed and vulnerable, a wave of fear washes over him until he sees that the water around the boat remains calm. The gentle motions caused by the waterfall and the creatures beneath the surface are deflected by a circle of magical placidity.