Yamara

Remembering my sword, I clung to the spine in my left hand tightly and poked about blindly with my shortsword in my right hand. Feeling a soft spot that doubled with a spasm beneath me, I plunged the sword in as deeply as I could. It sank in with few obstructions, almost all the way to the hilt before I felt the tip of my sword grate off bone. Beneath me, the snake spasmed anew, convulsing uncontrollably. It began rolling as well, and I knew that one way or another my place was no longer with it.

I let go and swam desperately away from the dying creature, hoping that I was swimming towards the surface as well. Instead, I crashed headfirst into a tree, stunning myself enough that I let the air burst out of my lungs. I managed to keep from breathing in any water, but had a hard time remembering to surface. Only through blind luck did I happen to nearly be at the surface already. I felt up the tree and grabbed some of the roots, pulling myself up out of the water and only then letting myself breathe.

"Yamara!"

I heard Evart's call only after breathing rapidly for several minutes and trying to recover from my ordeal. I could not make him out in the dark, and instead I clung to the roots of the tree.

"Over here!" I called back, trying not to yell to loudly but hoping it was loud enough for him to find me.

Find me he did, after several more minutes. He clung to the canoe and pushed it as he swam, but it remained upside down. I chuckled at the sight of it and pushed off the tree, helping him steer it towards a muddy island nearby. We managed to make our way through the muck surrounding the island and right the boat. Rather then climbing back into it though, Evart climbed up one of the trees and came back down with several dead and broken off twigs and pieces of moss.

"A fire? Out here?" I asked him, thinking it rather stupid to announce our presence.

"Aye, trust me, you'll soon see why."

I shrugged and let him build the fire. It was a long time in coming, but soon enough it brightened up our makeshift campsite. As soon as Evart was satisfied with the fire, he stood up straight and began to take his clothing off.

"Check me and I will check you," he grunted, pulling a leech off of his chest.

I raised my eyebrows. Modesty had never been a problem for me, but once again I thought it an odd place to risk being virtually defenseless, especially with the fire acting as a beacon to anyone looking for us. Seeing the leeches that were on his well toned body convinced me otherwise, however. Large and ugly, they covered his skin and sucked hungrily at him. I shuddered at the thought of all of them on me. In a matter of seconds I was standing in front of him, naked.

We went to work on each other quickly. I plucked the leeches off of Evart where he could not reach them, including a couple that had secreted themselves in places he probably did not want me sticking my fingers. That made two of us, as far as I was concerned. I was not covered as badly as he was, though that still left me as an all-you-can-eat buffet for the bloodsuckers. Evart returned the favor to me, freeing my back and legs and unmentionable areas. Finished at last Evart opened his mouth to say something the made a face of pure revulsion. His hand went up to his mouth and a few seconds later he was pulling a leach out that had managed to attach itself to the inside of his cheek.

"Gah! Damned things will go anywhere! They especially love getting into whatever opening they can, blood flows better there."

I nodded thoughtfully, it made sense. Fortunately I had never had my mouth open under water so they could not get in there. I noticed Evart glancing thoughtfully at my hips then, and I figured that in spite of recent events, he was behaving like a man again. Then I realized he had a troubled expression on his face, as though he was having a hard time trying to figure out how to say something.

With a jolt of terror, I realized what it was he was trying to say. The leeches tried to get into whatever opening they could. Whatever available orifice. The color drained from my face at the thought of a leech inside of me. My hands flew to myself and I began a very thorough inspection, completely ignoring Evart standing less then four feet away from me looking on expertly. Relieved, I found nothing.

I shook the chills off and regarded Evart again, who was now smirking. I scowled at him and picked up my clothes, going through them to make sure no leeches remained trapped in them.

"I was right, you know," He said, doing the same to his own clothing.

"What?" I asked, not paying him any attention now that I was once again donning my clothing.

"You are a pretty thing."

I scowled at him anew and continued putting my wet clothing back on. The cloak I hung on a branch to dry. Evart did the same and soon we sat by the fire, letting ourselves dry before resuming our trek.

"Well, we can start over again," he said after a shared moment of thoughtful silence. "Now you've managed to kill me and save my life, so you've broke even."

I chuckled. He had a point. "Where are we going?" I asked.

"I thought you needed to go to Emmerdwym?" He asked.

I thought about it. Did I? Was there any point to my quest anymore? Was Brina lost to me forever, or was there still hope? Did I still care enough to try to find out? Ultimately I realized I had chosen my course already, I had to see it through.

"I stay my course," I said to myself as much as Evart. "If it is too late for Brina, then it is not too late for James."

"Not to late? For what?" Evart asked, surprised at my statement.

"Not to late to make sure he stays dead this time."

He widened his eyes then nodded. I did not really care what he thought, but I was pleased anyhow that he saw my goal and agreed.

Evart tossed a fresh log in the fire and said, "At first light, we leave for Emerdwym."

Chapter 7

I awoke to a nightmare of giving birth to a giant leech. It left me with a cold shiver that would not leave me for several minutes. I had taken the first watch to be certain that I had not bumped my head overly hard on the tree; Evart now looked over as I stretched away the last of the unpleasant dream and stood up.

The swamp looked much as before, though with the faint light of an approaching Dawn it seemed less hospitable then ever. What promised to be an overcast sky finished off the grim scenery. As I glanced about our surroundings the prior night rushed through my head. Or at least, my disclosure to Evart regarding Brina and James. I expected to feel some trepidation or regret about telling him so much, but to my surprise, I found none of those emotions. Instead I found more questions.

"Tell me then, who now leads the Special Elendarian Task force?" I asked him.

Evart stared at me for a long moment, clearly debating where his loyalties lie and whether or not he should divulge such information. At the last he decided to be open. "Duke James former right hand man, Baron Paul, now runs the Elendarian Intelligence Agency."

I looked at him with raised eyebrows. "Does nobody stay dead in this world?" My tone was incredulous. I was amazed at what he said.

"What do you mean?" He asked me, clearly interested.

"Brina, my sister, slew him months before I killed James."

"You are sure of this?"

I nodded. "I stood from me to you away from him when she snapped his neck. Rifled through his belongings myself. Not a pulse, not a breath. As surely slain as a man can be without being entombed as well."

Evart cursed. "Word must be returned to Elendar of these happenings. And not through the network, you must return there!"

I chuckled. "In good time, Evart. There are things that I must do first."

"If what you say is true and that you have slain these men before yet still they live, perhaps your quest is in vain. Your goals might be better served to return and root out the source of evil there!"

I began gathering up my things, my will more determined then ever. "If you wish to put a stop to the source of evil in men, then you must first destroy their free will."

Evart fell silent, noting my determination. Finally he sighed. "Very well, let us be off then."

Camp was broken and our now dried equipment was repacked and stashed back aboard the canoe. "Do you know how to paddle?" He asked me. I just nodded.

Then we were off, paddling through the swamp and heading towards the Emmerdwym. Time and distance seemed to pass slowly, with the hidden sun slowly warming the fen around us, sweat began to run down our skin.

"What was that creature I slew yesterday?" I asked him after a couple of hours of silence had passed between us. Only the sound of the paddles dipping in the water and our breathing as we stroked through the thick waters had surrounded us.

"A bogwyrm," Evart responded without preamble. "Some say them twisted cousins of dragons, though they boast no intelligence above that of a snakes cunning."

I nodded from the front of the canoe, my curiosity sated. Silence again resumed between us, save for the occasional guidance from Evart as to which way I should paddle. We remained that way for a few more hours, until the soon had passed its zenith. No more sign of attack came to us, though I saw many predatory eyes regard us off in the distance. Mostly snakes and crocodiles, though both larger then any I had seen before.

We stopped early that day, with at least three hours of the half-light that constituted daytime in the eternal bog remaining. Evart explained it away as us having made more progress then he had anticipated, and that to progress further at night was not wise. So instead we set up a cold camp and went about checking and rechecking our equipment.

"Do you think we are being watched?" I asked him while we quietly went over our gear. I had felt no prying eyes, but I considered it highly likely that our presence had not only been noted, but actively sought out.

Evart just shrugged. "I know this swamp as well as any, I have seen no signs of pursuit."

"With James and Paul now working for Dagrazt, don't you think it likely that your position here was long ago compromised? My money says you live under intense scrutiny from one day to the next."

Evart scowled. "Say not the Dark One's name so close to his realm, you will draw his attention!" Then after glaring at me for a moment he sighed and let out a mirthless chuckle. "Perhaps. Or perhaps I have switched sides as well? Why stop with merely James? Perhaps I am leading you into a trap? Or perhaps you are one of the enemies followers after all, sent here with a story so unbelievable I would be forced to accept it, only to lead me to a trap that would deliver me unto the inquisitioners of the Dark One?"

I shared his dark chuckle. "Fair enough. Though I think the last most unlikely, considering my cut." Evart's hand went to the new scar on his throat thoughtfully. He shrugged his shoulders and grinned.

"True. That leaves it more likely that I am going to great lengths to deliver you to Baron and Mistress Palungol."

I scowled at the mention of Brina in such a way, though I must admit that all evidence clearly showed my reaction to be unfair. "Moreso considering your racial heritage," I pointed out.

Evart sighed. He stared off into the quickly approaching dusk long enough that I considered him to be avoiding my unspoken question. At long last though, he spoke, catching me almost by surprise.

"As a child my mother was part of a group of Gneissian's on a holy pilgrimage. Unbeknownst to them, a great battle had taken place to the south of them, at a gate in the great wall surrounding Gneiss north of Mardurin. Back in the days before King Mordrim had led his people to take up the mountains west of the Barony of Tyusk.

"The gate lay a smoking ruin, blasted apart by unholy magic and the combined might of ogre-kin. Their purpose was a simple one, a raiding party to show the Gneissian's they were not safe and that their zealous disbelief served only to make them unprepared for the realities of the world."

Evart stopped, recalling the stories his mother had told him long ago. "My mother was captured when this raiding party had overtaken the pilgrims. She watched her own mother raped countless times by inhuman things before at long last her will to live was broken and her tortured body would support her no longer. Still they used her, though she felt the pain never again. Her father, a priest himself, refused to fight. Instead he called upon the aid of Cymbos to protect them all. The aid Cymbos gave him was far from enough. The last my mother saw of her father was him trying to pull his own entrails from the mouths of the great wolves of Mardurin."

I admit, I was impressed. It was the beginning of a good story, true or not.

"So then your mother was raped, but managed to escape before she could be slain?"

Evart shook his head. "No, she was young and pure. She was to be taken back to Mardurin for worse things. On their triumphant return, the evil force was tracked and assaulted by a special unit of Gneissians trained to be not so blind in their beliefs as the common soldier. They were outnumbered greatly, but they attacked by surprise and had routed the evil party.

"The small company that laid claim to my mother fled south, hurrying over the mountains to reach the safe borders of their dark demesne. Instead they chanced upon a small company of Elendarian's. A S.E.T. group, in fact. Amongst their number was none other then Mordrim, ere he returned to his people, as well as the legendary elven heroine, Tarala Redmoon. Gildor, the soon to be renowned Elendarian pathfinder led their troop. Their final member is perhaps known to you now by the name of General Andres."

I was surprised. Andres had not looked to be anything overly skilled or dangerous to me when I had seen him in the Elendarian palace. Then again, he was old now, compared to back when he was in his prime.

"Outnumbered more then 5 to 1, they nevertheless gave battle. Tarala's sorcery and archery began the furor, with Gildor's keen eyes and bow the only weapon able to surpass the elven maiden. By the time Mordrim and Andres reached my mothers captors their ranks had been decimated twice over. Tarala and Gildor took up their swords and joined them, cutting a swath through their ranks. In several minutes the battle was over and my mother rescued."

"Of all of them, it was Mordrim who took care of my mother the best. They were returning from a great mission in which they had retrieved a ancient Dwarven artifact that Mordrim wielded with great pride."

"All well and good, but Gneissian's do not resemble you hardly at all. A good story though," I said to him.

"I'm not finished," he rebuked me with a glare. "My mother became an agent of Elendar, never again to have anything to do with Gneiss. One of her missions, many years later, put her as a spy near Mardurin. She was required to seduce an agent of the Dark One, and in the process of doing so, I was conceived. I was born near this land, the son of a Havrin war leader. Because of me it was many years before my mother could escape, for she refused to leave me behind."

"And that, essentially, is why I am part Havrin and able to blend in so well down here. I know their ways because I lived as one of them for the beginning of my life. I speak the languages down here, and were it not for my mother's secret teachings to me, I would be your enemy."

"Perhaps you still are," I said, smiling faintly to show that I was not accusing him so much as teasing him. "Where is your mother now?"

"Dead, of course. In our escape from the tribe of Havrin my father was the chief of, she took a wound that became infected. She languished for weeks, but we returned all the way to Elendar before at long last she succumbed to her wounds. I was 13 years old." Evart looked at me, daring me to challenge him further. I took him at face value for the moment, but let myself be swayed not at all towards giving him any of my trust. After all, it was a good story.

An uncomfortable silence descended between us, something I was very unaccustomed to. Silence is normally very comfortable to me, even if I am around somebody else who does not find it so comforting. It was a very odd feeling.

Evart ended it abruptly by standing up and looking about us. I remained seated, but glanced about suspiciously, wondering if he could have picked up on something that I missed. Sensing nothing, I looked at him questioningly.

"We have no food," he reminded me. When our canoe had been dumped during the fight with the bogwyrm all of our food had either fallen into the swamp or been thoroughly soaked and ruined by the brackish water. Our skins of water remained safely sealed and nearly full, and I had some trail rations stored safely away in my magical pouch, but those were for emergency purposes. As yet, I did not feel as though we were in an emergency. Nor did I want Evart to know any more about my belongings then necessary.

I rose as well now, my stomach grumbling silently at the sudden realization that we had not eaten all day. "What is safe to eat in this place?" I asked him, considering the nature of the foul waters surrounding us.

"Stay here and get a small fire going, I will find something for us."

I watched him suspiciously as he went to the canoe and fished around in it until he found what he was looking for. He pulled out a short bow and strung it with a string he had sealed away within a small bone tube. He climbed into the canoe and paddled slowly away from our island next, with me staring at him all the while. He gave a smile and a wave and then disappeared behind some trees.

I scowled. I was now stranded on a small muddy island with only a few trees for cover. Not only that, but there was nothing stopping him from going and fetching whatever allies he may have nearby and coming back to capture or kill me. I cursed in a most unladylike fashion and looked about my impromptu prison for something to use.

Seeing nothing of immediate use, I scaled one of the moss covered trees and began gathering twigs and branches to make a fire. While up there, I was so busy chastising myself for letting Evart slip away so easily that I did not notice my sudden companion. Did not notice it until it was almost too late, that is.

A giant snake, roughly 18 feet long if not more, coiled around my legs and knocked me off balance before I could escape from it. I fell from the tree and hung there in mid air, suspended by the snake that held my legs wrapped tightly within its coils. My shortsword was in my hand already, as I hung there upside down, but I knew that if I were to lash out I had nothing but a very unpleasant drop awaiting me.

Glancing down I saw that I was at least over the swamp. However, wonder of wonders, a pair of open jaws awaited me there as well, in the form of a small crocodile. Small compared to some of the ones I had seen in the swamp, this one still looked to be easily 12 feet long.

I looked back up and saw that my captor had wasted no time in positioning its head so that in a matter of a few moments it would be able to begin the unhealthy process of swallowing me whole. Unhealthy for me, that is. I considered the distance and decided that prolonging my life, even if only a matter of few seconds, was definitely in my best interests.

I drew a throwing dagger from inside my shirt and sent it towards the croc below me, making it snap its mouth shut when the blade cut a gash across its snout. Using the momentum the throw had given me, I bent my torso up towards the snake and lashed out with my shortsword, severing its head from its body in one swing.

The snakes body spasmed around me, crushing my legs for a brief moment, then letting me slip free to fall. Like a cat, I twisted about in mid air and got my feet below me as I plummeted toward the hurt and angry crocodile. My feet landed on the croc's back, with one sliding off instantly. More importantly though, my sword, angled to absorb as much of the impact as possible, drove through the thick bone in the crocodile's head. The reptile thrashed around me, dying in great seizures. I went under the surface of the water, stunned repeatedly by the convulsing crocodile. Not to mention the pain in my left leg, from ankle to hip, that had managed to land more securely on the back of the croc while my right foot had slid free.