by Eric Vall
“I’m the only human in the group,” Annalíse replied with a raspy chuckle.
“Details, details.” Rana waved her paw dismissively, and both she and I joined in Annalíse’s laughter. I still knew that it would take time for Annalíse to break her impulsive habits, but she had made progress today. She had been able to acknowledge that her plan hadn’t been well thought out, and that was a step in the right direction.
Once the sun had almost disappeared altogether, we finally stopped to make camp. We had kept up our pace for what I guessed over forty minutes, and I was certain that we were far enough from the Bardens to regroup and make camp for the night. In addition to setting my shadow slaves to guard over us, we decided to take turns keeping watch while the others began to set up camp. Morrigan and Carmedy took the first watch while Rana, Annalíse and I set to work preparing the campsite.
Night soon came upon us, and the moon gradually took its place in the sky. Rana and I ate our evening meal and then switched places with Morrigan and Carmedy to take watch. Annalíse insisted that she join us, but I urged her to stay and speak with Morrigan and Carmedy about a new plan. As Rana and I kept watch over the surrounding area while the others ate and talked, it wasn’t long before I heard the sound of laughter and lively conversation, and I knew that all was well with my minions.
Rana and I sat quietly in the grass and scrutinized the woods that circled us. She leaned her back against a tree, and her ears twitched nonstop fully aware of any suspicious sounds. I still thought the lack of wildlife sound was odd, but I had to admit it made it a lot easier to detect any suspicious noises. I glanced up at the full moon for a moment as we sat in silence. I wondered if the moon was always full in this place or if it experienced the different lunar phases as the real moon did. Anything was possible in dungeons.
I heard Rana sniff, and I glanced over to see the red-haired woman rub at her nose. I pushed my thoughts of the moon out of my head and decided to take advantage of the fact that we were away from the others.
“Rana?” I said gently.
“Yeah?” the fox replied, her eyes still fixed on the woods before us.
“I think now would be a good time to finish our discussion,” I said slowly.
“What discussion?” Rana said with a frown, but she still didn’t turn to face me. I had a feeling she was playing coy and was hoping I would drop the subject. I would do no such thing.
“The one about why you’ve been looking through the loot we find at every dungeon so intently,” I said patiently, “and the people who you said are in trouble.”
“Ah, that discussion.” Rana released a heavy sigh, and she gave me a quick glance. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?”
“No, I’m afraid not.” I shook my head, and Rana groaned and ran a paw through her messy curls. She was silent for a few moments and bit her lip. I almost wondered if she was refusing to speak, but she finally opened her mouth.
“I was going to say it’s a long story in hopes that that would deter you, but I know that’s not going to work,” Rana said with a forced chuckle. “You’d say we’ve got plenty of time or something like that, so I’ll skip that part.” The fox sucked in her breath and released it slowly. Her tone was serious as she hugged her knees to her chest. “I come from a poor family, but you probably already guessed that.”
Rana was quiet for a moment, I wasn’t sure if that was either because she didn’t want to continue or because she expected me to respond. Perhaps it was both. Regardless, I said nothing in response. Rana was already reluctant to tell me her story, and I had more or less pushed her into doing so. I didn’t want to do anything that would make this situation harder than it already was for her.
“Anyhow,” the fox went on, “I’m the oldest out of seven kids. My dad walked out on my mom not too long after we were born, so she raised us all on her own. It was hard for her to provide for us, and the fact that we lived on the outskirts of a village filled with people prejudiced toward fox folk didn’t help. People used to come by and throw vegetables at our house.” Rana’s voice was bitter. “And sometimes things were so bad, we’d have to scrape together the food they’d thrown off our walls to have as part of our meal.”
“Rana, I’m so sorry,” I said sympathetically.
“That’s how it is.” The fox woman shrugged, but she still had a pained expression on her face. “Anyway, when I got older, I wanted to do something to help my mom out more. You know, find a way to earn some money to make things a little easier for us.”
The red-headed woman paused her story for a moment as she shifted her position, though I had a feeling she was stalling. The fox stretched one of her legs out in front of her and rested an elbow on the knee that was still bent. She cradled her chin in her hand and sighed before she gave me a quick glance.
I nodded silently as a signal for her to continue. Attempts to stall weren’t going to work on me, not when I was so determined to find out the truth. However, I couldn’t blame her for trying.
“I tried to find a job,” Rana went on, “but no one wanted to hire me. It’s hard for fox folk to find work. No one trusts us. My mom got lucky getting a serving job at one of the taverns. I wanted to work there, but they didn’t need any additional help. That was pretty much the only place that would have given me a chance.” Rana glanced up at the moon. “I tried tons of places, and no one would take me. So, I decided to live up to the stereotype.” The fox gave me a sly grin.
“So that’s why you became a thief?” I asked. “To provide for your family?”
“That’s right.” Rana nodded. “I started out small. Fruits and vegetables from some of the farms and the peddler's carts in the village. I got caught the first few times, and I really took a beating.” The red-headed woman chuckled. “I learned quickly though, and I got pretty good. I moved on to stealing chickens, and other small game that we could eat. Then I started pickpocketing, and before long, I started burglarizing some of the rich people’s homes.”
“I remember you said something about only stealing from the wealthy,” I said to the fox-tailed female.
“Yep.” Rana turned to me with a wide grin. “I’m a thief with a code. I don’t steal from friends or family, and I only steal from people who can afford it.”
“I see,” I said with an understanding smile.
“After I started the whole burglary thing, I went to bigger stuff,” Rana said proudly. “Jewels, priceless artifacts, that sort of thing. Of course, when I took that up, I couldn’t stay at home.”
She grinned as she explained it all to me. “You see, what I’d do is travel around and scout out the juiciest targets. I keep an eye out for any flashy people waving around money, and I keep my ears open for any word on any… special items of value. Once I find something worth taking, I plan it out, nab it, and skip town. I find a place that’s seedy enough to take what I’ve got without asking too many questions, and then I return home with the money for my family. I stay for a little bit to spend some time with them, and then it’s on to the next thing.”
“Isn’t it hard being on the run all the time like that?” I questioned appraisingly.
“It can be at times,” Rana stretched her legs out in front of her, “but I’m doing it for them. That’s what keeps me going. They need me,” the fox said wistfully, and she gazed up at the moon once more.
“Are they the ones who are in trouble?” I said quietly. Sadness overcame Rana’s blue eyes, and she looked down at the grass.
“Yes,” she whispered.
“What happened?” I asked with concern. Rana turned to look at me and held my gaze for a moment. Her face was wrought with sorrow.
“I have only one regret in my life,” she said solemnly. “I stole from the wrong person.” The fox woman pinched her lips together tightly, and the agony that had been in her eyes momentarily flickered to anger.
“Who?” I leaned forward in anticipation.
“There was this sorcerer who had one of th
ose extra-special priceless objects.” Rana sighed. “It was this… my family would have been set for life if I had been able to get my paws on it,” the fox added regretfully.
“You weren’t able to steal it?” I asked.
“I was actually,” Rana said, her voice barely audible. “I should have said if I had been able to keep my paws on it. I had it, and I almost got away with it, but he caught up with me.”
“What happened?” I asked. Rana’s story was far more intriguing than I had anticipated, and I hadn’t even heard the most important part of it yet.
“Basically, he found me and told me that he knew that I had stolen from him.” Rana pinched her lips together, and I could tell she was doing her best to keep her tears away. “I thought I was a goner. I was sure that he was going to kill me. I almost wish he had,” Rana said sorrowfully. “He told me that he was impressed with my skill and that he wanted me to steal something for him.”
“What was it that he wanted?” I cocked my head to one side.
“You remember those sacred objects that Carmedy was going on about that one night?” Rana sniffed as she continued.
“Yes, I remember.” I nodded my head and recalled how irritated Rana had gotten over the subject.
“Well, they’re real,” Rana said slowly. “There are seven of them actually, and the sorcerer told me that they are hidden in the dungeons and scattered across the continents. When they’re combined, they are supposed to grant the user unlimited power or something. He said he would forget all about my stealing from him if I found these objects and bring them to him.”
“I see. So that’s why you’ve been searching the loot.” I marveled at the fox’s words. All this time the sacred objects had been real, and I hadn’t known. “Did you agree to steal them for him?”
“Of course not.” Rana snorted. “I’m not a thief for hire. I only steal for one reason, to provide for my family.”
“I don’t understand.” I furrowed my brow. “If you didn’t consent to this, why are you still looking for the objects? Do you want them for yourself?”
“No,” Rana said mournfully. “When I refused to help him, he decided to find another way to persuade me. The sorcerer kidnapped my mom and my six siblings. He said that if I wanted them back, I’d have to retrieve all seven of the sacred objects to exchange for each of their lives. I have about a year to find everything, so I joined up with the others to explore dungeons.” Rana’s voice was filled with anguish.
“I see.” I had known that the fox woman had been in some sort of trouble, but I hadn’t imagined that the situation would be this dire.
“Yeah. So, there you go,” Rana said quietly. “My family is in danger, and it’s all my fault. That’s pretty much all there is to it.”
“Rana, I’m so sorry,” I said gently to the fox. Her ears still twitched on alert for any noise, but they drooped ever so slightly. “I must ask though, why you didn’t tell me or the others this before? Why was it so important to you to keep this a secret?”
“I’m the one that put my family in danger,” Rana said with a grim expression. “Not you, not Annalíse, or anyone else. I caused it so I figured I should be the one to fix it.” The fox sniffed. “I’ve always been the kind of person who prefers to right my own wrongs, I’ve never felt comfortable letting other people solve my problems for me. But even more than that, I couldn’t put your lives at risk on my account. It’s just not right.” The fox woman shook her head.
“Plus, I didn’t know that I could trust you at first,” Rana continued. “I know that you’re trustworthy now, but I had my doubts for a while, there was no way that I would tell you about something this serious and personal.”
“I understand your feelings.” I nodded slowly. “I appreciate you wanting to make this right without endangering the rest of us, it was a noble gesture. Now that I’ve been made aware of the situation, I’m going to do everything I can to help you. I’m certain the others will feel the same.”
“Thanks,” Rana said softly, and she turned to look at me, “but I--” Her words suddenly caught in her throat and her ears perked up. The fox sniffed at the air, and she suddenly narrowed her eyes.
“Wait,” she whispered. “Someone’s coming.”
Chapter 25
“It was to be expected” I whispered as I rose to my feet. I had figured Luke would try something, of course, he wouldn’t allow us to sleep undisturbed. He wanted us dead and wasn’t going to waste time.
Rana was quiet for a moment, and her ears twitched rapidly as she too stood up. “They’re coming from over there.” Rana pointed toward the trees several yards to our right. “By the sound of it, there’s only two of them. Three tops.”
“Alright then,” I said and moved to walk toward the direction of our oncoming enemies.
“Wait,” Rana hissed, and she grabbed my arm. “Shouldn’t we wake the others?”
“I think we can handle this on our own, don’t you?” I said with a wry grin. “After all, you did say there were only two or three of them.”
“Yeah,” Rana said. “You’re right.” She returned my grin. “We can take them. I hope Luke is with them. I can’t wait to make that guy suffer.”
“I feel the same way,” I said as we tiptoed forward, “but let’s simply focus on getting their tokens first.”
“Gotcha.” Rana nodded. The fox moved to walk in front of me and led the way through the forest. The woods were peppered with moonlight, we’d have to do our best to conceal our presence. Rana suddenly held a paw up to signal me to stop, and she crouched down behind a bush. I followed suit, and together, we peered out from behind our hiding place.
I could now hear the occasional rustling of leaves, and the sound of snapping twigs would interrupt the night’s silence every so often. Whichever of the Bardens had come to attack us, they weren’t very good at being stealthy. Within a few moments, the dark-haired men came into view. Rana’s guess had been right, there were indeed two of them. The tall, lanky brother and the shorter muscular one were our unwelcome guests.
“So what’s the plan?” Rana whispered to me as the Bardens snuck through the trees.
“Why don’t you tell me what you think we should do?” I replied. Rana had proven that she was a quick thinker when it came to things like this, and I had no doubt whatsoever in her ability.
“Hmm.” The red-headed woman tapped her chin for a moment. “I think I have an idea, but we’ll need to use your invisible lackeys.”
“My shadow slaves?” I asked her as we watched the Bardens draw closer.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever you call them.” Rana waved her paw. “Have your shadow thingamajigs disarm those idiots, then we should be able to take them without any problems.”
“Sounds like a good plan to me.” I nodded. “Are you going to use your daggers this time?” I raised an eyebrow. I had wanted to bring up the issue of her not using her elvish weapons before.
“I don’t need them.” Rana shook her head. “I’ve got all the weapons I need right here.” The fox held up her furry fists.
“Rana,” I whispered sternly.
“Alright, alright, I’ll use them if I have to.” The fox rolled her eyes.
Satisfied, I waited until I had an unobstructed view of the two Bardens, and as soon as I did, I summoned my shadow slaves. The two men moved forward silently, swords drawn and unaware of our presence.
They would soon regret attempting to ambush us at night.
The taller brother shrieked as, without warning, his weapon was yanked from his grasp by one of my invisible minions.
“What was that?” the thin man breathed, and his eyes grew wide with fear as the sword swiftly floated away and disappeared into the trees.
“What are you whining about over--” the brawny man with him started to say, but his words were cut off when his weapon was also wrenched away from his hand and floated away. “What the--” the man shouted in surprise, and he turned his head every which way in search of the
culprit. “What’s going on here?” He narrowed his eyes as he scanned the trees. The men began to back away from the floating swords in the direction where Rana and I currently hid.
“What took our weapons?” the tall man asked fearfully, but his brother didn’t answer as they got closer to our position.
Rana removed one of her daggers from her pocket. She gripped the handle tightly in her paw, and her lips formed a tight line as she readied her weapon.
As I watched her do so, I made a mental note to help her find a better way of carrying the weapons. Trouser pockets were not an appropriate storage space. Rana and I slowly rose to our feet in preparation of our attack. As soon as the men backed into the bush, they were within our grasp.
Without hesitation, I snatched the lanky one, twisted the brother’s arm around his back, and put him in a chokehold. At the same time, Rana reached around the other brother’s neck and held the point of her dagger to his throat. The men gasped in surprise.
As a precaution, I called my shadow slaves back to me, and they returned to hold the men’s weapons at their bellies. All the men saw were hovering swords, and they gulped at the sight.
“Hand over your tokens,” I growled in the taller man’s ear. The man’s skin grew cold, and he whimpered as his body began to quiver. He placed a shaky hand in his pocket and held it up for me to see.
“H-here, t-t-take it,” he stammered.
“You too,” Rana snarled as she gave her captive’s neck a warning poke with her dagger. The man grimaced and shoved his hand in his pocket and held the coin in the air.
“Good, now drop them on the ground in front of you,” I said sharply. The men quickly obeyed. They weren’t feeling so cocky now.
“Hey, I have an idea,” Rana said with a wicked grin. “Why don’t we get rid of these two and then wake up the others to ambush the rest of these losers wherever they’re camping?” Rana glared at the man she held at knifepoint. “They definitely won’t be expecting us. We could take them easily and be done with this whole thing in one day.” She circled the larger man’s Adam's apple with the point of her dagger threateningly.