I hope you all had a great New Year's Eve & Day!
I really hate writing fights and I hope this one turned out ok. In this chapter we get a little backstory of Nicolai and Lucette.
As an update for the current progress in this series, I'm working on chapter 11 of Fire and Ice. It's on the back burner at the moment, though, while I quickly get another story finished. I'm almost done, though, so my undivided attention will be back on BSW very soon!
-owl
Abeke sighed. They were once again on a boat. She really hated boats. Currently she, Conor, and Rollan were in a gauzy tent in the middle of the top deck of the barge. They could see through the netting that reached the floor, but none of the biting insects could get through it. There was also the added bonus that no one who wasn't already on the barge would be able to see more than their basic figures.
The only consolation, for Abeke at least, was that they were finally out of the city. Of course, Rollan was slightly more melancholy for that exact reason. Conor seemed indifferent, but then again, he had been closed off since the whole thing with Dawson and his family.
Uraza, the only creature that hated the barge more than Abeke, was prowling the perimeter of the tent. Then she hissed, her attention fixating on a shadow that had just appeared on the boat. In the next moment, the big cat leapt at the shadow, pushing aside the netting as she launched herself towards her prey. The shadow turned out to be a tiger with a charcoal coat and midnight stripes. The cats tousled, growling as they moved.
Uraza was doing well, but Abeke wished she could help. It seemed like Briggan did too, but couldn't find an opening to do so. She and the others had emerged from the tent to watch closer. Essix had even flown down to perch on the top of the tent and watch.
"What do we do?" Conor cried.
"Net! Find a net!" Abeke responded. Maybe they would be able to catch the tiger in one of the fishing nets that were on the barge.
It was just as Uraza tried to stop the tiger from launching itself towards Abeke and the others that she didn't dodge in time. Five thin strips or red marred Uraza's spotted pelt. Then, to make matters worse, another tiger pounced onto the barge. This one was pure white.
Abeke reached for her bow, taking aim at the tigers. That was when she realized that the white tiger was helping Uraza. However, the help consisted of gentle-looking nips and sheathed claws. Then, with a hefty push, the white tiger forced the black tiger off the barge and into the tall grass on the bank of the river. They could see the tip of its tail waving for a few seconds before it too disappeared into the grass.
"What was that?" Rollan asked in shock.
"That was my brother's spirit animal, driven mad with grief." A voice came from the back of the barge. "Zhosur!"
Abeke shifted her bow to the women as the white tiger became a tattoo on her skin. Her hair was flecked with gray, though it was still clearly black. She was tall and slender, and while her face was weathered, it was unclear if that was because of age or environment. She didn't have a green cloak, though a green silk scarf was wrapped around her neck. Strapped to her back was a small but sturdy Zhongese style bow.
Tarik looked thrilled. "Lishay!" he greeted, pulling her into a hug. "It's good to see you, it's been too long. What's this about your brother?"
"A few weeks ago there was a skirmish with the Conquerors. Hanzan was killed, and Zahmin has been attacking any bonded animals he sees, thinking them to be products of the Bile."
Tarik sighed. "That is sad to hear. Did you get the news that Nicolai was taken by the Conquerors?"
"Lucette's brother?"
"Yes."
Lishay had a look of horror on her face. "That's horrible. Hanzan and I trained them. They reminded us of ourselves. They were so close to each other, how's she holding up? What do we know?"
Tarik offered her a tight smile that was more of a grimace than anything. "All we know is that he was taken while the rest of his group were let free. Lucette hasn't been taking it well. The last we heard, I don't think she's been out of her room since she heard the news."
"We need to find Dinesh, that's the only way we'll end this war!" Rollan snapped, startling Abeke.
She had forgotten that he was close to Lucette and Nicolai. As far as the Greenhaven gossip knew, the siblings had essentially taken Rollan in as one of their own. He wasn't just feeling for Lucette, he was missing Nicolai as well.
Lishay nodded. "Yes, we do. Where's the Zhongese noble girl?"
"She is scouting ahead." The blatant lie seemed to roll right off of Tarik's tongue. "We're not exactly sure where she is, but I wouldn't be surprised if she was going to try to cross the Wall."
"She'll have to fight to be able to do that," Lishay commented.
Rollan failed to hide a smile. "She can certainly fight, that girl."
"I can work with that, though it would give the people here so much hope to see her. Now, unfortunately, Dinesh is in the middle of the Tergesh's lands."
"How much of a problem is that going to be?" Conor cut in.
"The Rhino Riders, as they are also known as, can be violent, and won't take well to outsiders in their lands, but we might yet be lucky. They move around often. There's a fair chance that we won't see them at all."
"Sort of like the Ravens, from Amaya," Tarik added.
Lishay nodded. "From what I've heard of the Ravens, I'd agree with that. Now, we'll leave the river at dusk, there's a good landing place up ahead, meaning we won't have to risk wading and angering the snakeheads."
"The snakeheads?" Abeke asked.
"Yes. You have been told, I'm sure, not to dangle your hands in the water? It is because of the snakeheads. They are a type of fish as long as my arm, with lots and lots of teeth."
Great. Just great. Between the biting fish and the likely violent Rhino Riders, this was shaping up to be quite the quest. Abeke remembered the Ravens, and how they had hoped to avoid them entirely, only to get caught. Meilin had ended up fighting for their right to leave, and Abeke could only hope that the same thing would not happen with the Rhino Riders.