"That's them alright."
Although the footprints and scent of the slavers had long since vanished, Shade had been correct about the river. Following it had lead them right to the camp… which now sat laughing at them from the other side of a raging river. It couldn't be any other camp since they recognized the band of toads as the ones they had previously fought. Dianbo and Sanjay also recognised a fat little porcupine and his large feral bear. That kind of description wasn't exactly commonplace- so all knew they were on the right track.
And on the wrong embankment.
"We should cross." Dianbo decided. "Sneak in and find out where they're keeping the kids."
"I think sneaking in would ultimately be a waste of time." Shade countered. At the scowl on the other jackal's face he continued. "We should not announce our arrival. But we are going to have to deal with the slavers anyway. The sooner, the better."
"I agree with Dianbo though. They kind of outnumber us and stuff. Plus you're the only one who seems to have a kill-bone here. I'd rather not get blood on my paws."
Tian Yi didn't say anything, the she-jackal had gone very, very pale for some reason, but Shade guessed (correctly) that she would agree with the other two.
"Very well. I think we should cross a bit more down-river. This nullifies the risk of them seeing us now and it's likely that there are some guards on watch duty. It would be best to strike from the least likely angle."
Dianbo and the others nodded in agreement. Except for Green-eyes, who was probably screaming something rude (not that anyone could tell seeing as he couldn't utter any words), and Splintnose, who was far too busy staring dreamily at Tian Yi.
"We should probably find somewhere narrower too."
And with that the four jackals and their captives, vanished into the undergrowth.
A toad on the other side of the river scratched at his head awkwardly... He could have sworn he'd seen a black jackal from earlier. But that was probably just all the post-traumatic stress talking. He went back to turning Putana's palanquin into a working cage- complete with wheels and little spines so that whoever was thrown inside could never rest easy. The Gods demanded it and his life depended on it.
It did not take long for the heroic quartet and their unwilling (or too willing in one case) companions found the perfect place to cross. It was narrow, almost entirely devoid of rocks (save and except for a large sharp one that jutted out the center of the river). Only fording wasn't an option. The current was too strong and just a bit further down-river lay a set of rapids.
"I suppose we'll just have to cut the slavers off before they reach Ashtar." Said Tian Yi glumly. "Ambush anyone?"
"Or we could go over the river." Dianbo jabbed a glass paw at the overhanging branch that lay conveniently over the half-way rock. "Swing in from that. I bet it can take…" He paused to contemplate Green-eyes. "…Most of our weight. Only I'm not sure I can reach it." A quick test proved that the branch lay a considerable distance away from his whip.
"We can work with that." Sanjay was unbuckling the belts around the bandits with practiced ease and almost worrying speeds.
The only downside to having to use Sanjay's collection of belts, was that it left both bandits free. Not that either of them were stupid enough to attack or anything, but they did talk a lot.
"Your fur, it's glittery like… like… like shiny stuff covered in glitter." Said Splintnose to Tian Yi.
"There is no way you're going to make me risk my life by swinging in from that tiny branch." Said Green-eyes... To noone in particular.
"For you, I will steal the biggest score in India. Your heart. And I don't mean that in the creepy doctor way. I'm gonna steal your heart b-b-but it's still going to be in your body." Oh no! He'd just said something stupid! He needed to backtrack… no! Cover it up and make it look better.
"I've got a grandmother you know. She hates my guts and won't ever forgive me for that one time I-"
"And not only would I steal your heart. B-but I'd steal for your heart. Anything you want, I can plunder. Or go to jail for trying. Y-you'd wait for me right?"
"And it wasn't really my fault. I most certainly did not put the kitchari on the toilet seat- but then all her friends got food poisoning-"
"I'm not really a great robber. But you, you most certainly are! You have stolen it all! My mind, my heart, my stomach, my paws, my tail-"
"But I still think my grandma doesn't want me dead so you can't kill me!"
"I'm entirely at your service!"
"Which means I'm not crossing that river!"
Dianbo scowled at both. He had not expected to find someone more annoying than Sanjay... let alone two and on such short notice as well! He'd been in Upma for two days… two days and he was already in the middle of a jungle surrounded by people he had spent less than forty-eight hours with. This country was crazy… or maybe that was just his life...
"You're crossing." He snapped, leaving no room for argument. "Now we need someone to stay on the rock in the middle so they can pass the belts along to whoever needs it. I'm guessing that'll be my job."
"You're too big." Tian Yi pointed out. "A rock that size doesn't have nearly enough space for two of us at a time."
"Unless we use tiny over here!" The burly wolf pointed at Splintnose, who momentarily came back down to earth.
"Not doing it! I may be thick-skulled but I am not dumb enough to sit on a random rock in the middle of the river and watch you lot swing past. You think I don't know what's going on here, do you? Well I do and you're not going to abandon me in the middle of a river. In case you haven't noticed I'm little and therefore weigh less. Which means I can't swing onto the other bank unless their is sufficient force or weight to propel me forwards. Seeing as I can muster neither this entire plan is flawed. You cannot and will not make me do it-"
"What if I asked you?" This was Tian Yi, not batting her eyelids or trying to seduce him or anything. Really her tone was icy enough to be considered threatening- but all Splintnose could see was the former. She was asking! Asking him of all people! Clearly it didn't matter that he was small and dirty! His opinion mattered to her and the thought of it made his heart swell and the sable blush.
"Of courrrrrrse I'd do it." The little purr was beyond his control too. Just like the coloration of his skin.
Green-eyes booted him. Not because he hated him (but that too) but because he'd spent at least ten years arguing with the sable about the best ways to rob people and never once had Splintnose agreed to a plan that was not his own. And to see him do it for a she-jackal at least twice his height who had destroyed Secrat's nail… why it was plain infuriating!
The love-struck sable hit the stone face-first. But the power of true love and good karma (not to mention the claws latched around the boulder for safety) prevented him from slipping into the current below.
"I'll go first." Said Shade plainly. He grabbed hold of the elephant belt and without even a miniscule change in expression- swung neatly onto the stone in the center. He landed softly, with barely a sound, and a moment later was safely on the other bank. Not saying a word the black jackal swung the belts back to Splintnose, who promptly swung it back to the other bank.
Dianbo caught the makeshift rope, which was promptly siezed by Sanjay. "Me next!"
Without waiting for reply or confirmation, Sanjay went. He landed harder than Shade but not badly, and had a spring in his step by the time he reached the other side.
"That was fun!"
The black jackal ignored him.
From where he stood, Dianbo scowled. It was not meant to be fun. "Tian Yi, you're next."
His sister was less pale now, and nodded. She reached out to take the rope, but it was grabbed by Green-eyes.
"I'm next!" He growled.
Dianbo did not move, but saw no reason to argue. The branch seemed to be holding it's weight well.
"Fine."
"I thought so. Watch and learn pups." He failed. Rather badly, and swung too close to the water. His face hit the stone, as did most of his body. Panicking, the lupine thrashed for a while, grazing himself rather badly along the knee. Ignoring the pain and a light trickle of blood, the wolf managed to drag himself to the top of the rock. He kicked off of it hard enough to make it shake, there was a loud snap and part of the branch above cracked.
"Watch and learn." Sanjay sniggered, until he caught sight of something long and black slithering under the surface.
Splintnose had been knocked off balance by the force of his fellow bandit's exit, but the sable managed to drag himself upright on the rock- oblivious to the black shape circling his tiny island.
"Alright." Said Dianbo, trying to remain calm. "Alright. Stay clear of the water and make this journey a quick one. I'll meet you on the other bank."
Tian Yi had gone so white she no longer resembled a healthy jackal. Her paws were shaking as they reached out to grab the waiting rope. And when they did manage to close around it they held Aryan's twin brother's belt with enough force to throttle a rhino.
"Are you okay?"
"Never better." She breathed, in a voice somehow so much smaller than anything Dianbo had ever heard.
"You sure?"
"Positive."
"Just stay clear of the water and you'll be fine. Even Sanjay did that much." This was probably not the best encouragement he could give, but it was nonetheless encouragement. "And ignore the fishes. They're useless outside of water."
A bit of colour (a microscopic pigment) returned to her. It vanished three seconds later when Splintnose finally noticed that he was not alone.
"Sweet rice!"
It was a profanity Dianbo had never heard before, but it was not hard to derive it's meaning from the sable's reaction. It was probably something akin to 'oh shit'. Splintnose was shaking so hard now that it was a wonder and a miracle he didn't fall right into the river. He was precariously balanced on the tip of the rock, all four paws holding him as firmly to the wet ground as was physically possible.
Tian Yi lost all her courage, and was about to faint.
Taking the initiative Dianbo grabbed the belt and swung forwards. There was perhaps not enough force to propel them both, but the makeshift rope held firm and their combined weight managed to bring them to the rock. And it was a good thing too for one of the fishes had come flying out the river, it's jaws wide open and showing off at least a hundred pointed fangs. One of Tian Yi's limp legs caught the aquatic on the side and knocked it off course, so that it missed the albino bandit by an inch.
The landing was unsteady and Dianbo had to drop the belt so he could use his real paw to prevent his sister from falling into the river. Splintnose added to the pressure by wrapping his paws around one of his sister's legs.
"You saved my life! I love you even more right now... If that's even possible!"
Dianbo would have scowled, but at that moment the branch gave way beneath their combined weight. The three slipped, but Dianbo held firmly on to both the belt and his sister. Splintnose was not as lucky and though he still held firmly to Tian Yi, he hit the water.
Another fish, smaller than the first but with no less fangs, was the first to the unfortunate sable and locked it's jaws firmly around his rump.
Splintnose screamed. Very, very loudly.
"Fudge! Fudge! Fudge! Fudge! Fudge! What do we do!?"
Sanjay had already exhausted much of his projectiles. Itching powder and ink bombs and water balloons were barely even weapons on land, let alone underwater where the rules were quite different.
"We distract them." Without missing a beat Shade stabbed his own paw, so that the blade dove through the black fur.
"What the-"
Ignoring the stunned prankster (who was in completely new territory now) Shade dipped his bleeding paw into the water. As expected the flesh-hungry fishes went for it, even the one holding Splintnose.
Dianbo hauled the whimpering sable onto the rock and as gently as possible, tucked him under an elbow. Tightening his grip on Tian Yi he began to swing the branch and belts around.
"Sanjay!"
"I hear you!"
"Catch the branch and swing it round a tree. We're coming right to you!"
"Okay! I'm ready! SHADE!"
The mass of black fishes had proved overwhelming for the jackal, who now only managed to hang onto land because his blade was stabbed into it. "I'm fine." Somehow he sounded as he always did. He didn't even appear to be in any pain. "Get the others out first."
"Catch!"
Sanjay caught the branch the first time and scrambled to tighten it round a thick trunk that could serve as pivot.
"They ate him…" Green-eyes was staring wide-eyed at the blood-soaked waters.
"Okay! I can't do any better."
Dianbo bent low and shot from the rock like a released spring. A belt gave away but it did not matter, the three managed to crash into solid, safe ground in an untidy jumble. But at least they were alive.
The same could also be said of Shade, who now pulled himself out of the water, entirely unharmed despite the large chunks missing from his trench coat. Not all the fish had the same bragging rights though, as one large one had been cut rather badly, and was now being torn to pieces by it's fellow hunters.
"Y-y-y- I saw your bone!" Green-eyes shouted. Pointing a shaking claw at Shade's paw. "You sliced that open! B-but now-"
"Shut up." The black jackal said coldly. "If you had swung in properly we wouldn't have had to deal with any of this. Your blood is what attracted them. A blade was pointed at the wolf's scraped knee. Shade sheathed it. "Fool."
"Is everyone okay? Tian Yi you fine?" Tian Yi was still deathly pale, but now no longer too scared to nod. "Dianbo?" The jackal grunted and pushed himself to his feet.
"I've been better. But I'll be fine when we get the kids back."
"Bandit?"
Splintnose groaned. Blood soaked much of his lower back and the sable was wracked with pain.
"Put pressure on the wound." Shade ripped off a loose piece of his clothing. "Stop the bleeding. I can't do anything for the pain unfortunately. But he'll live."
Dianbo tied the cloth tightly and flipped the sable onto his back. "You still with us?"
Splintnose, despite all the pain, caught sight of Tian Yi. "Am I in heaven?"
"Yeah he's fine." Dianbo scowled and handed the smaller mammal to his half-sister. "Make sure he doesn't moan too loudly. Let's grab the kids and get out of this place."
"Yeah. And fast." Sanjay added, awkwardly massaging his wrists.
Footnote: Action-packed chapter for you. It feels weird saying that when most of my action is usually a fight scene of some sort. But you know, expanding my skillset to other types of excitement.
I debated killing Green-eyes for a bit, since he died in the original and all, but then I needed someone else to drop the blood in the water. It was either him or Sanjay, but if it was Sanjay then an argument could be made that he's responsible and I didn't want to put him through that. It felt a bit much. And then I debated killing Splintnose but then I wouldn't have his and Tian Yi's little romance thing. So instead I had something bite his butt. Literally.
As for Shade and what Green-eyes pointed out about him as well as Tian Yi's crippling fear… well more on that later. Some of you may know what's up with Shade- but Tian Yi's is a new arc.
Not bad for Team Jackal but they have long-since left most of their comfort zones. Let's see how this affects them in combat now that the Weeper is basically at home.
Next time it's back to the slavers and then we have this second arcs climatic battles. And then we get to the third and final arc of this fic (that went fast...). Honest remakes are so easy to write. When the originals are short anyways :P
But all in good time.