She killed a monster with her teeth
After meeting the farmer, the day seemed much more pleasant. The sky seemed bluer, and the road-dust much less irritating. Chesh talked about the plants she recognized by the roadside, and Camon told her stories about the collegium. He told her about his parents, and she told him about Averon, a city in CeeJay where the streets were actually canals and everyone used boats for transport. He talked about being a herald trainee, and she told him about working for the messengers guild. She related funny stories about the 'undeliverables' she specialised in, like the witch whose house was on chicken legs, and how it ran from her. He told her about his orienteering group getting lost in a swamp, and where they had finally gotten out; the formal gardens of a high placed lord. She laughed herself sick at the thought of four trainees and companions, covered with green slime tramping through a lord's rosebushes.
They passed a pleasant morning, stopping for lunch, which she managed to quietly dispose of. They had left the area of the inn, and the farming lands that surrounded the border to enter a stretch of forest.
Suddenly the ground erupted underneath Nacheth, Chesh's horse. A giant form launched itself from the hole it had dug, one bladed hand striking deep into the underside of Nacheth's chest. Chesh was launched backwards over his rump. Iearnen charged the creature, Camon smoothly drawing his sword. The monster was focused on Nacheth who was obviously dead. Drawing the dead horse close, the monster smelled it, ignoring Camon completely. He struck at the back of its neck with the sword and all the force of Iearnen's charge behind it. The sword lodged deep, but then caught on a ridge of bone and tore loose from his grasp, twisting his wrist. He gasped at the shock. Iearnen carried him quickly out of the monster's reach.
He eyed the creature. It was clearly in pain, and just as clearly not about to die from it. The sword hilt jutted out from the back of its neck, and it didn't seem to be able to reach it.He wondered what he was going to do now. Chesh crept up on the creature, which distracted by the sword, didn't seem to notice her. She touched it's leg, and the monster arched with pain. It seemed to wither, and in a few heartbeats was nothing more than a desiccated husk that hit the ground with a crunch. Chesh picked her way carefully through the remains to pick up his sword. He stared at her in shock. She paused briefly by Nacheth's body to caress his nose and remove his saddlebags. She walked over to Camon and handed him his weapon in silence. He looked into her eyes. The cold expressionless eyes of a killer. How could he have missed them? He silently shifted bags on Iearnen's back and reached down. "Come on. Iearnen can easily carry double." The speed with which her eyes warmed rewarded him for his choice.