Spirit Warrior - The Keeper Of The Northern Gate

The Keeper of the Mountain - II

As the sun is going down the forest grows colder. The mist sneaks its way up from the underground. It flows through the trees like the forest is breathing.

With every breath it takes the mist flows thicker through the forest. Everything grows quiet. The women and children have long since ventured into a house that might be the leader's house. The men have gathered outside. Some are carrying weapons with a dark look in their eyes. They all look like hardened warriors, their weapons are well used and they seem at one with their sword, bow or spear.

I unwrap myself from the blanket and stand up straight. My muscles are soaring, hold onto the bars of the cage tightly. My legs can't hold me up anymore so most of my weight is held by the bars. My head is spinning at the sudden rush of fresh air and I close my eyes to clear my vision.

When I open them again, my kidnapper is standing before me with a hard look in his eyes. He clamps his hands over mine and pins them to the ice cold bars. I try to pull away but then he grasps my wrists and pulls them through the open holes in the cage slamming me against it with a force that makes my head sing. I can't suppress a light whimper. Where is the man I saw just a few hours ago, was it all a trick?

I quickly realize that Kwan is carrying no weapons, and is very lightly dressed in only breaches. His eyes are now so black that when I stare into them I see my emotions reflected back at me tenfold. His hands are burning my ice cold skin, and he's breathing heavily. Is he going to battle dressed in breeches and bare hands?

"Your King has come... but foolishly he has come alone," I glare at him, but in the pit of my stomach, I feel dread. How can he be so stupid? To come alone when he knows there's a fully armed village waiting for him. Damn his manly pride, I curse angrily in my head. I frown at him, trying to think of a way to get my kidnapper to challenge him one to one. In a fair fight, but to be honest, who would fight fair when it's a fact you cannot win?

"Are you a coward then?" I try, with a cross look in my eyes.

"Will you let your men kill him instead of facing him yourself. You're s disgrace!" I yell at him, furiously spitting him in the face. With one hand he dries the spit off his face. I have no idea where my courage came from, but it was much needed. He has an even darker look in his eyes.

His hands grip my arms with a bruising force. His face is mere inches from mine; I can feel his breath fanning across the face. I suppress a tremble. I will not let him see my fright anymore. I furrow my brows and send him a death-glare. Or what I hope resembles a death glare, but the supposed glare doesn't seem to faze him at all.

He just glares right back at me, staring me down willing me to submit to him.

I can only just see over the top of his shoulder, but there is see a flash of white. The kidnapper must have seen the wonder in my eyes or the lack of fright. He turns his head slightly to see what's caught my attention.

From the misty tree line I see a giant cave lion emerging. Its white fur is shining in the spares moonlight. Its movement is sleek, head held low like its stalking a prey. Its black eyes have a sliver-ish tint to them, and they're fixed on us. Why isn't anyone panicking? A huge predator is standing in their village and they're doing nothing.

A gleeful smile creeps onto my kidnapper's lips, showing a pair of sharp fangs. The white beast growls lowly, showing of its pearly white row of sharp-edged teeth. The growl is low and threatening, like its warning my kidnapper. Its white ears are turned backward and almost buried in its short white mane. The beast's limbs are strong and powerful, made to hunt down prey and fight to defend it. It stands almost 5 feet from the shoulder; it's without a doubt the biggest animal I've ever seen.