Den of Thieves

“Stop!” A woman’s voice yells out pausing the dangerous situation.

Both beast and boy glimpse a fair, haired female dressed in light white leather, standing beside Ebony. They however do not look away from each other.

The female shouts, “your horse is still alive. Don’t fire your arrow.” She speaks telepathically to the Dragon.

The menacing look in the Dragon’s eye disappears and lowers its’ arm.

Lowering the arrow Carr carefully releases the tension on the bowstring.

As he does the Dragon pulls its’ head back to watch both humanoids.

Confused by the situation Carr watches the female gesturing to the Dragon. In his head he can hear two garbled female voices.

After several long minutes the Dragon sits upon its’ hindquarters. Turning to Carr the Dragon speaks human in a deep guttural feminine voice, “sorry about your horse. She’ll be okay in a few hours.”

Astonished at being spoken to Carr replies with a cracking voice, “O-kay.”

The Dragon advices, “help this woman as best you can and forget you saw me.”

“Okay,” Carr nervously swallows.

With that said the Dragon leaps up flapping its’ massive wings. The wind created by the beating wings knocks Carr backwards. Teetering on an edge of a big hole in the floor, Carr manages to grasp the hanging rope for a controlled fall to the stone floor below.

Sore but content to be alive Carr lays with closed eyes waiting for his heart to slow down.

“Are you alright?” Inquires the female as she rushes in.

Opening his eyes sees a heavenly woman crouching down beside, “yes.”

With concern she points out, “you took a nasty fall.”

“It happens,” Carr displays rope burned palms, “I grabbed my rope.”

She offers him a hand up, “My name is Jasmine.”

“Hello,” he accepts the help, “Carr. Are you the one who sought me?”

“Yes,” she grasps his forearm easily pulling him to his feet, “Thank you for meeting me here.”

“Thanks,” amazed by the strength Carr looks her over, “I was curious to what you wanted from me. Are you sure Ebony is going to be alright?”

“Ebony?” Jasmine speaks softly, “She’s a young horse. She’ll certainly recover.” Leading him over to the horse, “She’s just unconscious.”

Carr follows noticing her quiver of white-feathered arrows, “I’m sure we never met. I would’ve remembered someone as beautiful as you.”

“O-thank you.” She smiles.

Carr finishes the thought, “How did you happen to find me?”

“Kryston.” Kneeling beside Ebony Jasmine feels for a heartbeat, “She’s still alive. I could wake her but her last instincts may cause her to bolt.”

“That wouldn’t be good.” Joining her Carr feels for Ebony’s heartbeat. “Kryston eh? I just met him last month.” Stroking the horse’s side, “I must ask. Why would someone who knows Lammasusis and can control Dragons need me?”

She stands, “Lets discuss this inside the temple away from this cold wind.”

Already shivering Carr agrees, “Good idea.”

Walking to the building Jasmine queries, “Why do you smell skunky? Is it to keep the night creatures away?”

Carr blushes, “ah, I had a run in with a giant skunk a couple nights ago. I woke to find it going through my backpack eating my rations.”

Jasmine makes a conclusion, “so you startled it when you woke and it sprayed.”

“No,” Carr gestures for her to enter the church first, “I tried to shoo it away. It did, with my pack.”

Inside she asks. “If it took off with your backpack how’d you get sprayed?”

Hesitantly Carr explains, “I foolishly chased it through the dark woods. That’s when he got me. But I did get my pack back.”

A mental image pictured causes her to lightly laugh, “So the skunk dropped the pack after that.”

“No.” Not thinking about whom he is talking with states, “chased that skunk until morning. Caught it under a thick patch of brush and dispatched it.”

“What?” Not amused Jasmine questions him. “You killed it out of spite? Not even for food?”

Trying not to further offend her Carr replies, “I’m sorry. Especially if it was a friend of yours. I was tired and angry. I don’t normally kill for fun.”

Jasmine continues noticeable agitated, “I was forced to kill a band of Orcs the other night for killing animals just for their furs. When I asked why they weren’t going to eat the meat. They laughed at me and said they were full. If I hadn’t come along tonight when I did that Dragon would’ve eaten your horse. Then you, for dessert. I would have been okay with that. How does that make you feel?”

Carr realizes she’s offended. “For that I am truly thankful. But I wouldn’t be out here if it wasn’t for your request.”

Seeing the truth, she takes a deep breath to calm down.

Feeling the need to alter the conversation Carr rambles out, “I happened across the Orcs on the way here. Do you fletch your own arrows? They’re very well crafted and light. I tried to remove them but was only able to get one out. The rest broke apart when I touched them.”

The question aids in getting past the annoyance causing her to inquire. “You got one out? With its’ tip?”

“Yup. Did you want it back?”

“Hmm,” Jasmine calmly informs him, “you can keep it. I do make them myself and they are made to break apart when someone tries to remove them. The idea is to leave the tip behind causing wounds that won’t heal. The reeds being hollow allows the blood to flow out.”

Starting to think she’s a cruel one Carr is curious of the materials used. “What are the tips made from? Looks like shells.”

Happy to talk about her craft, “that’s right. Usually, giant clam or oyster shells.”

Testing her mood Carr remarks, “so it’s okay to kill for purpose. Those that kill for fun should be left with festering wounds or dead.”

She doesn’t like what he said but smiles anyway. “It’s my duty and my life to look out for the creatures, whom can’t help themselves. Males seem to be driven to destroy anything they don’t like. Even male animals will. I know in life there’s going to be death, as everything needs to eat. But for fun is wrong to my kind. We try to help the best way we know how. Occasionally it means taking down cruel predators.”

She sounds calm but Carr has the impression this is someone not to be trifled with. “I understand the life of a ranger, Ma thinks I’ve got ranger blood in me. But we both live in the same woods just on different paths.”

“What a nice way to put it.” Jasmine is impressed by his words. “Why does your Ma think you’d be a ranger?”

“She said from the time I could walk I would speak to animals and they seemed to understand me.”

“Oh, yeah?” She smiles with interest, “you can speak to the animals?”

Carr smiles back in reply, “well, it’s more like an understanding than words. Violetta tells me I’ve got a primitive form of telepathy.”

Jasmine points out. “This Violetta is probably right.”

Happy to hear it, he goes on, “Violetta’s the best cleric on this continent and a friend. Tell me the Dragon, does it fear you? Or do you have some sort of special power over it?”

“There’s only one power that matters and it’s in all intelligent beings.”

He hopes to gain powerful knowledge, “what’s that?”

“Friendship,” she winks.

Carr queries. “How does one become friends with such an evil creature?”

His small mindedness causes her to lightly shake her head looking him over. “You Humans do more evil deeds upon this world than any other. Was that your first encounter with a Dragon?”

The reply has Carr give her a second look over, “Yes it was. You’re not human? What race are you?”

“Most that know of us, know us as Swanmays. Protectors of the waterways and the life around them.” She hopes to further open his mind, “everything that moves has a personality of its’ own. All creatures behave in ways learned from their elders. We all fight with good and evil in our souls.”

Understanding Carr nods, “I see your point. Don’t think I’ve ever heard of Swanmays before. Where do your people originate from? Are there lots of you?”

“We’ve been around as long as any other being. We originally started on the southern continent of Azure. There are only a few hundred of us and we gather together every winter in the south. Most of the year we wander our territories with a partner.”

“Oh I see.” Now thinking someone else is out there he looks about, “where is your partner? Is he keeping watch?”

“Ah,” her smile disappears, “there are no male Swanmays. My partner was murdered and that is why I’ve been in search of someone with your skills.”

Thinking about no male Swanmays Carr points out, “I’m no assassin.”

“It’s not revenge I seek,” she sighs, “even though I wish for the death of the man responsible for murdering my friend. I just want to get back an anklet that belonged to her.”

“Just an anklet?” Carr gets the feeling something more is going on, “I take it, its’ got sentimental value or is it magical?” A little side tracked he inquires. “If there are no males, how do you reproduce?”

“I’m no Diva or immortal,” she tries to carefully explain without saying too much, “we require a male for breeding only. If a Swanmay gives birth to a boy it is left with its own kind. This rarely happens as part of our essence produces girls. Which we raise and train until they’re old enough to be paired with an older Swanmay.”

Strangely interested in their mating rituals, Carr slyly inquires hoping he might fit such a joyous task, “you seek out males for breeding only eh? What kind of males do you seek out?”

She easily senses his true curiosity. “We look for those with traits that might benefit future generations. Our life span is three times longer than yours.” Not wanting to disclose much more she gets back to the reason for seeking him out. “The anklet I would like recovered is a solid band of platinum. Engraved feathers encircle it. Its’ as wide as your thumb and as round as a crab apple.”

Still hoping he meets the mating requirements looks at her ankle seeing a similar one, “how does one get it over their feet?”

“It’s placed on in the first year of life.” Visualizing what happened to her friend she turns away shedding a tear, “they … cut …”

“You don’t have to say it,” Carr figures that her partner’s foot was cut off to remove the anklet. “Was she your daughter?”

Shaking her head no Jasmine sobs quietly. Feeling sorry for her Carr reaches out to hug her. She holds him back with an outstretched hand.

“Please don’t.” Jasmine takes a couple long breaths to steady her self.

Sympathetically Carr gently holds the hand keeping him at bay, “I’m sorry for your loss. I know what it’s like to lose a loved one. Your cause seems worthy. I just don’t understand why someone with your skills that has friends like Kryston and Dragons would need my help.”