Descent of the Moon

Chapter 6: The Dark Inferno

Tamrii awoke early the next morning to the warming eastern glow of the twin suns. She basked in the morning light, narrowing her eyes from the blinding shine. After a few moments she lowered her head and sighed, examining her dirty, matted fur. She doubted there would be any chance for her to clean it. She resigned herself to this fact, and then passed her leafy green gaze across the humans’ camp.

Most the other soldiers were still soundly sleeping in their dull grey tents. She had been left by the tethered elk, but no one had noticed that her wrists were no longer tied together. She had thought about escaping whilst they all slept, but even humans were not as stupid as to not have sentries posted throughout the camp. They frequently cast her nervous glances throughout the entire night, and she met their stares with a bold indifference, until she finally gave in her aching body and allowed herself to sleep, to forget about escape for the time being. She could not overpower them without her weapon, after all.

The elk behind her nibbled and tug at the hem of her cloak. She pulled it away from the hungry herbivore, stroking the creature’s velvety nose.

“Silly elk, that’s not grass,” she whispered with a smile. It blinked at her slowly, and turned its head longingly toward the patch of lush green grass across the camp, where the General's larger than average and adorned in blue tent was standing.

The other soldiers were awake within the hour, all going about their business and trying to look at Tamrii as little as possible. She watched them devouring their breakfasts, equipping their chainmail coifs and hauberks under their sky blue tunics, and rolling up their sleeping packs. Soon only the large blue tent still stood, and the rest of the men stood tensely waiting for General Terro to awaken. Tamrii scoffed at the lazy human. What kind of leader sleeps while his men stand idly around?

The noise brought a nearby soldier’s attention toward her. He had copper brown hair trimmed short to to his head. His brown eyes were narrow with suspicion.

“You better not be trying to put a hex on us or something, monster,” he hissed.

She sighed with exasperation. They clearly knew nothing of her kind.

“Hey what did I just say?” he snarled and went to unsheathe his sword.

“Calm down Gregory, you know they don't need to speak to cast spells,” said a familiar voice cheerfully. Tamrii recognised Felix, the strange human with the midnight skin and the black hair plaited tightly against his skull. He was tossing and catching a shiny red apple with his left hand. She raised an eyebrow slightly. He winked at her, so quickly that she wasn't sure if she hadn't imagined it.

“What do you mean, soldier?” the human called Gregory growled questioningly with a shifty glance at Tamrii. A few other nearby soldiers looked over at what was becoming the most interesting thing to happen that slow morning. Felix rested his elbow casually on Gregory's shoulder, and took a bite from the apple, tearing a juicy chunk out of the fruit.

“Well?”

“Well, for one, her hands aren't bound anymore. How do you explain that?”he said slyly.

Tamrii's eye widened. What did he tell them that for? The humans were already beginning to panic.

“Someone, grab the beast and tie it up before it escapes!”

“Hold it!” Felix held up the fingers not clutching the apple. “You might not want to touch her, unless of course you want to be turned into mice and become Puddlesnatch's next meal. To each his own, I suppose.”

Those that had rushed at the command of Gregory stopped instantly and eyed Tamrii with apprehension.

“Can she really do that?” muttered a soldier, frightened. It was a young blond-haired boy that Tamrii had seen reporting to the General the other day. He looked tired, and kept his gaze away from Tamrii, as if worried that even a wrong look at her would send him scurrying off with whiskers and tiny paws.