Chapter Fourteen: Nightfall and Nightmares
The humid dark of the bamboo began to change slightly; the air temperature slowly crept downwards, mimicking the sun's descent beneath the horizon. The already dim light became eerie within the forest's depths, glimmers of unnatural red and green light dappled the dangerous marsh ground that the Tigerpaws stood upon. The peace and comfort that Siduri had brought the corsairs was waning as the environment shifted gradually.
The camouflaged vixen half-closed her calm, blue eyes as she thought a moment, then quickly brought her gaze to Ashmoon. She made sure she had the wolf's attention before turning to the nervous-looking corsair gang before her. Siduri's tone was near urgent in seriousness, speaking clearly.
"I advise you all not to move a mere hairs-breadth... The marsh is even more dangerous in the darkness. Ash and I shall return in but a moment, then we will depart for your ship. You are not as far as you think, we shall reach the shore before dark."
With her final words, Siduri melted back into the jungle, her careful pawsteps fading away. Tygura seemed edgy, his claws clacking against his Bagh-Nakh betraying his nervousness. The breeze whispered unsettlingly through the bamboo stalks, making the fur on the backs of the Tigerpaw's necks stand on end. Every shift of a shadow or glimmer of light caused by the wind's manipulation of the trees fed the corsair's fears. A shaft of light through the trees led Tygura to believe the Lighteyes were watching them again, until it shifted with the breeze, revealing its benign nature. A soft wail escaped scrawny Verimm's throat, the pale rat was pointing ahead with a trembling paw.
"Th-the ferrets're back! W-we're doomed!"
A hulking, heavily tattooed weasel, by the name of Dylei, clapped her thick paw over Verimm's mouth, snarling unpleasantly.
"Ah shaddup, afore I puts ye ahead of us as a steppin' stone in th' marsh!"
Ogrilkt, the sleepy-gazed ferret, shook his head, keeping his voice down.
"'E's right mates, them's a pair of eyes, glowin..."
Ogrilkt swallowed hard and looked to his leader for guidance, while Dylei snuffed irritably and let go of Verimm, who gasped melodramatically for air. The corsairs were on the brink of panic, the eyes grew closer and brighter. Accompanied by a frantic squeak from Verimm, a puzzled-looking Ashmoon materialized from the bamboo jungle with thick round segments of bamboo strapped to his back. He stopped at the edge of the marsh clearing, on all fours as usual, blinking his luminescent eyes perpelexedly, the corsairs staring blankly in horror. A restrained giggle from Siduri broke the spell as she emerged into the clearing.
The Tigerpaws blinked, then all grew very embarrassed. Dylei scuffed a footpaw, then yelped lightly as she felt the ground attempt to suck her paw into its earthy depths. She took a small step back, praising the Seasons she hadn't stepped down harder. Siduri had many thick, long segments of bamboo held over her shoulders by thick ropes, like Ashmoon's cargo, only larger. She held up one large tube, nearly half as tall as herself. It made a soft sloshing sound.
"Water. Hollow bamboo is good for transport, if you know how to seal it. We shall take these to your ship, and at dawn Ash and I will depart to refill these containers, until you have all you need. You'll all want these also."
She held up a large bundle of thin, tall bamboo shafts, like walking sticks. Shouldering these and her large water containers, she began to cautiously move between the Tigerpaws, handing them each a walking stick, and a water container to the nimbler-seeming ones. When all the sticks and water tubes had been distributed, she moved to the edge of the group, smirking.
"Now follow me, single-file. Be cautious, for your lives depend on your care..."
The humid dark of the bamboo began to change slightly; the air temperature slowly crept downwards, mimicking the sun's descent beneath the horizon. The already dim light became eerie within the forest's depths, glimmers of unnatural red and green light dappled the dangerous marsh ground that the Tigerpaws stood upon. The peace and comfort that Siduri had brought the corsairs was waning as the environment shifted gradually.
The camouflaged vixen half-closed her calm, blue eyes as she thought a moment, then quickly brought her gaze to Ashmoon. She made sure she had the wolf's attention before turning to the nervous-looking corsair gang before her. Siduri's tone was near urgent in seriousness, speaking clearly.
"I advise you all not to move a mere hairs-breadth... The marsh is even more dangerous in the darkness. Ash and I shall return in but a moment, then we will depart for your ship. You are not as far as you think, we shall reach the shore before dark."
With her final words, Siduri melted back into the jungle, her careful pawsteps fading away. Tygura seemed edgy, his claws clacking against his Bagh-Nakh betraying his nervousness. The breeze whispered unsettlingly through the bamboo stalks, making the fur on the backs of the Tigerpaw's necks stand on end. Every shift of a shadow or glimmer of light caused by the wind's manipulation of the trees fed the corsair's fears. A shaft of light through the trees led Tygura to believe the Lighteyes were watching them again, until it shifted with the breeze, revealing its benign nature. A soft wail escaped scrawny Verimm's throat, the pale rat was pointing ahead with a trembling paw.
"Th-the ferrets're back! W-we're doomed!"
A hulking, heavily tattooed weasel, by the name of Dylei, clapped her thick paw over Verimm's mouth, snarling unpleasantly.
"Ah shaddup, afore I puts ye ahead of us as a steppin' stone in th' marsh!"
Ogrilkt, the sleepy-gazed ferret, shook his head, keeping his voice down.
"'E's right mates, them's a pair of eyes, glowin..."
Ogrilkt swallowed hard and looked to his leader for guidance, while Dylei snuffed irritably and let go of Verimm, who gasped melodramatically for air. The corsairs were on the brink of panic, the eyes grew closer and brighter. Accompanied by a frantic squeak from Verimm, a puzzled-looking Ashmoon materialized from the bamboo jungle with thick round segments of bamboo strapped to his back. He stopped at the edge of the marsh clearing, on all fours as usual, blinking his luminescent eyes perpelexedly, the corsairs staring blankly in horror. A restrained giggle from Siduri broke the spell as she emerged into the clearing.
The Tigerpaws blinked, then all grew very embarrassed. Dylei scuffed a footpaw, then yelped lightly as she felt the ground attempt to suck her paw into its earthy depths. She took a small step back, praising the Seasons she hadn't stepped down harder. Siduri had many thick, long segments of bamboo held over her shoulders by thick ropes, like Ashmoon's cargo, only larger. She held up one large tube, nearly half as tall as herself. It made a soft sloshing sound.
"Water. Hollow bamboo is good for transport, if you know how to seal it. We shall take these to your ship, and at dawn Ash and I will depart to refill these containers, until you have all you need. You'll all want these also."
She held up a large bundle of thin, tall bamboo shafts, like walking sticks. Shouldering these and her large water containers, she began to cautiously move between the Tigerpaws, handing them each a walking stick, and a water container to the nimbler-seeming ones. When all the sticks and water tubes had been distributed, she moved to the edge of the group, smirking.
"Now follow me, single-file. Be cautious, for your lives depend on your care..."