"Padding the Matter"

When she was sure all the basilisks were gone, Pyr dragged Cayenne up onto the Indigo and belowdecks, where Vodola was still quite out of it. Laying the otter out on the other bunk (there were only two beds aboard the rather diminutive craft), Pyr went back out of the cramped stateroom to check the vessel for damage.

There was none that she could see. As Vodola had guessed, the lizards had been so intent upon reaching the castaways that they'd ignored the boat itself. The delicate sails, which would have taken another full day or two to repair if they'd been shredded by reptilian claws, were intact, as were all the lines and the patched hull itself. They were still shipshape and ready to sail come daylight - assuming there were no further attacks during the night.

Pyr settled in for a vigil by the open hatch, where she could survey the nighttime beach from atop the Indigo while still monitoring her two friends. Vodola, who'd absorbed much less of the basilisks' knockout drug than Cayenne, was up and about before the moon was showing above the jungle trees. "How're you doing?" Pyr asked her fellow vixen.

Vodola smacked her lips. "My mouth feels like I swallowed my habit. That drug leaves a nasty case of dry mouth as an aftereffect. So, what'd I miss?"

Pyr filled her in. "No sign of those brutes returning so far. But I'm glad you're awake. I don't know what I'd have done if they'd come back in force."

"Nothing you could have done, except retreat back belowdecks again. Sounds like Cayenne was the hero for a change. Pretty reckless of her, charging out at the lizards like that."

"She paid the price," said Pyr. "Probably sleep until after midnight, with all the drug she took in. And I daresay she'll wake with more than just a case of cottony mouth. But I think she'll be all right. We should be thankful those lizards use sleeping potion instead of poison on their darts."

"Yes. And that was quick thinking of you, picking up the blow reed that one of them dropped up here and using it against them. You may have saved Cayenne's life."

They sat together awhile in the growing moonlight, saying nothing.

"They could come back," Vodola said at last.

"I suppose," Pyr nodded. "We'll just have to be ready for them."

"That's what I was thinking. But those dart blowers are very effective long-range weapons, and we've got only blades to defend ourselves. I doubt a mad rush like Cayenne's will work twice in a row. I think we've got to take precautions."

"Such as?"

"I saw something in one of the other wrecks when we were scavenging for supplies. I didn't pay it much notice at the time, but now I think it bears closer examination ... "

00000000000

Cayenne came to shortly past midnight, sporting a wicked headache for her brave efforts. Pyr quickly brewed her a potion to ease her throbbing head, then explained that she and Vodola were going out for a short while to round up something they very well might need before they got off this island.

Cayenne took over Pyr's decktop sentry duty while the two vixens departed. With their excellent night vision, aided by the nearly-full moon, Pyr and Vodola quickly found what they were looking for. In the dilapidated, open hull of another shipwreck, Vodola dug into a chest and pulled out what she'd sought.

"There must have been fencing beasts aboard this ship," she said as she thrust one of the screened-front helmets at Pyr. "Here, try this on and see how it fits."

Pyr lowered the helmet over her head. "Hey, this feels really weird ... and I can hardly see a thing."

"In full daylight you'll be able to see out of it no problem."

"If you say so. Just what do we want with these again?"

"They'll keep any of those lizards' darts from getting through."

Pyr pulled off the fencing helmet. "Fine, but what about the rest of our bodies? Seems I remember they weren't shooting at our heads."

"Fencers don't just wear helmets. They wear padded tunics and leggings too ... like so!" Vodola pulled out a pair of full-body uniforms. "Ta-da!"

Pyr took one of the heavy practice outfits and held it up to the moonlight streaming in through gaps in the shattered hull. "Hey, nice. Not quite armor, but nearly as good."

"Better, if you ask me," claimed Vodola. "If those lizards attack again while we're trying to get the Indigo pushed off, we'll need flexibility for our work that steel armor wouldn't give. Wearing these, we could absorb a barrage of their darts and probably not feel a thing!"

"Okay." Bearing one practice outfit apiece, Pyr and Vodola hurried back to the Indigo to give Cayenne the good news: tomorrow they were getting off the island rain or shine ... or even if it was raining darts