James Wyatt - In the Claws of the Tiger

Janik’s relief at seeing Auftane freed disappeared in an instant when he realized that the paralyzed dwarf was lying still, completely submerged in the water, right between the chuul’s front limbs. Carefully, Janik advanced, on guard against the creature’s pincers, which flailed wildly in the air.

Then the claws stopped flailing and Janik dove forward to grab Auftane and pull him out of the water. The dwarf wasn’t moving, but Janik could tell he was breathing properly. Janik looked up at the chuul just as a cluster of glowing blue bolts of magical energy sped over his head and into the creature’s carapace. Mathas had chosen his spell carefully, for Dania was now wrapped in the creature’s tentacles.

She was not yet paralyzed, and she struggled fiercely, prying tentacles off with one hand as she slashed with the dagger in her other hand. The pincers that had caught her had left ugly marks-the right side of her armor was torn open and Janik could see blood in it-and the chuul was using both pincers in a frantic attempt to keep hold of her.

Janik started to circle the beast, looking for the right place to drive his sword for a killing blow. He kept one eye on Dania to make sure she was still fighting-and still occupying the chuul’s attention. Mathas cast another spell, not enough to distract the creature from Dania.

Maybe this will finish it, Janik thought as he plunged his sword deep into the joint where the chuul’s rear leg joined its body. The creature gave a bizarre howling screech and Janik wrenched the sword hard, hoping to hit some vital organ inside its monstrous body.

Dania took advantage of the creature’s pain to plunge her dagger into its tiny eye, causing it to squeal. This time, the sound was weak and short, and the chuul’s legs gave out and its body dropped into the water, splashing Janik with water, green blood, and slime.

Janik slogged to the boat while Dania extricated herself from the tentacles and rushed over to check on Auftane. Janik watched as she crouched beside the dwarf, cradling his cheek in her palm. As if in response to her touch, the dwarf’s frozen face seemed to melt. He moved one stiff hand to his chest, pounding his fist against his breastbone as he coughed out a mouthful of water. He took a deep, uneven breath and smiled up at Dania.

“You are a true paladin,” he said hoarsely. “Quite a hero.”

“Nonsense,” Dania said. “Are you badly hurt?”

Auftane started to get to his feet, but the dwarf struggled badly. “I’m all ri … ouch!” He touched one hand gingerly to his side, where the chuul’s mandibles had torn his skin.

“Here, let me have a look at that,” Dania said, reaching toward him.

“No,” the dwarf replied, reaching for a wand tucked in his belt. “I can take care of myself. You’ve got a nasty wound of your own, there.” He gestured toward Dania’s own torn side.

Mathas called down from the boat. “Why don’t you all come up here before anything else attacks? There could be more chuuls in the water, Sovereigns forbid.”

Janik watched as Dania helped Auftane climb onto the boat. Mathas reached over the side to help pull him up as Dania pushed from below. Then Dania turned to Janik, ready to help hoist him up as well.

“Are you hurt, Janik?” she asked, scanning him from head to boot.

“No, just wet.”

“Good,” Dania said, helping hoist Janik so he could reach Mathas’s outstretched hand. She climbed up easily behind him.

“So what’s this I hear about the legendary fortitude of the dwarves?” Janik said, smiling at Auftane.

The dwarf shuddered. “I guess it’s nothing compared to the protection of the Silver Flame,” he said, nodding toward Dania. “Or maybe all the slime rubbed off on me.” He brushed idly at the sleeves of his coat, and the others laughed.

“That’s it, Auftane,” Dania said, “you took all the slime with you, so I was safe.” Smiling, she laid a hand on her torn side, bathing it in warm silver light as the flesh knit itself together. Remembering the wand in his hand, Auftane did the same to his own wounds.

Janik shook his head. “I don’t know, Mathas,” he said. “Looks like we’re lacking in some key survival skills that these two possess. Ever consider taking up the path of the artificer?”

“I’m more likely to finally listen to Aureon’s voice nagging at the back of my mind and take up the cleric’s call,” Mathas replied seriously.

Dania retrieved a new oar from the hold and managed to work the boat free of the sandbar. As she rowed the rest of the way to shore, they watched over the stern as Breddan’s ship disappeared into the haze. No more chuuls reared up from the water, to their great relief. They found a small inlet and pulled the keelboat in, then tied it to a stunted tree leaning over the water.

“Let me look around a bit before we start unloading supplies,” Janik said. “I don’t want to leave the boat right outside a rampager’s lair and come back in four months to find it reduced to splinters.”

“A lot can happen in four months,” Dania said. “It’s hard to imagine we’ll find it intact regardless.”

“That might be true, but remember, we’re not leaving it in the harbor at Stormreach unguarded,” Janik answered. “The dangers around here are likely to be wild animals, or monsters that might as well be wild animals. The animals will smell us on it and leave it alone, assuming we don’t leave food lying around that they’ll smell. The monsters might smell us on it and think it’s food, and that’s the risk I want to minimize.” He jumped off the boat to the bank of the inlet, and crouched to look at the soft earth.

“What about Krael?” Auftane asked.

“If he hangs back to wreck our boat after we leave it here, we’ll have some comfort,” Dania said. “At least we’ll be ahead of him.”

“Any sign of his passage there, Janik?” Mathas called out.

“Not here, no. I don’t see any sign of big beasts around here, either. I’m going to look around more-see if I can find where Krael came ashore and which way he went.”

“Let me come with you,” Auftane said.

“All right-come on. Dania and Mathas, stay with the boat.” He thought for a moment. “You could start loading our packs for the long walk, if you want.”

“Will do,” Dania called as Auftane jumped off the boat, landing hard on the bank. Janik and the dwarf started walking toward the beach.

“Thank you for pulling me out of the water,” Auftane said as they started climbing a dune.

“Of course.”

“You put me in a position where I could see Dania fighting the thing, but I couldn’t see you. Couldn’t move my eyes, you know.”

“I know. That happened to me the last time we fought one of those things.”

“It paralyzed you? What happened?”

“Same thing that happened to you. Dania cut me out.”

“She is quite a warrior,” Auftane said, his admiration clear in his voice. “Empowered by the Silver Flame, I suppose.”

“No, she’s always been quite a warrior,” Janik said. “Since long before she started talking about the Silver Flame all the time. There’s Krael’s ship.” They crested the dune and could see the masts and furled sails of Hope’s Endeavor . The decks seemed deserted. Scanning the shore nearby, they couldn’t see any sign of Krael or his troops. “I don’t see anyone, do you?”

“No.”

“Let’s head that way.” He pointed toward an area of shore nearest to Krael’s ship. “We’ll look for tracks, see if we can figure out what they’re doing.” They made their way slowly up and down the dunes that fronted the beach.

“Dania was in the army in the Last War?” Auftane asked, picking up their conversation.