Beware the Margay

I checked the road again, and could see there were actually multiple carts. And part of me thought I knew what had happened.

"They were ambushed," I said, showing the spot where a bunch of boots suddenly appeared. "A group of hidden soldiers, humans from their dead they left behind. When Dave started that attack, they jumped out of what probably looked like a supply cart and rushed them in the trees."

"Did... Did you find them?"

Frowning, "Yes, and no. How many women usually go on these missions?"

Bella frowned, "Usually only Calistia, sometimes with Maria."

Nodding, I shook my head and growled, "They took them. Calistia and Maria aren't here. How far is the nearest town?"

Bella gasped and clutched her hands to her face, before turning to face down the road. "Half a day, maybe."

"Whatever you decide," Bast said softly.

I caught the look in her eye, but she smiled sadly at me, before turning and heading silently into the trees. I let out a small growl. Somebody had my wife... Somebody took away my first real joy in so very long... Somebody will die.

We stuck to the sides of the road. Following along close to the edge of the trees. It was the best way I could think to move without getting lost and keep good time. It also meant that if we ran into anyone, we could duck off the path and hide easily. We didn't talk much as we ran, but I did take periodic breaks on Bella's shoulders. The large woman could outpace me in a marathon any day. Over open ground I was quicker, but I just didn't have the stamina to keep moving the way she did. The only time we stopped was for a water break, and when Bella found a bush on the side of the road. So now she was running along, cupping a handful of what looked like acorns, but were purple and seemed to be filled with something sweet and tasty.

Then it all went wrong.

As the sun set over the mountains, we were plunged into darkness. As we ran around a particularly sharp bend in the river, we came face to face with a group of five, armed men on the road.

"Halt!" The one in the middle cried, as he drew a sword.

Bella replied by mooing loudly as she lifted her club. I darted into her shadows, pulling one of the bone daggers and holding it ready. We charged towards the group, while they rushed to get into position. But it did no good. The only one to get their weapon up in time, was the one who called out. And Bella's club whipped around fast enough to smash his corpse into the man standing beside him. As we rushed past, I growled, seeing their familiar leather armour. Not wanting to wait and ask questions, I planted a dagger in the leg of the nearest guard, yanking it free as we continued running.

Behind us, we could hear the cursing of the one I injured, as well as yelling from the one hit by the flying, dead guard. The other thing we heard was the sharp burst of a loud horn. That was quickly echoed by one ahead. But it was too late to stop, as we broke into view of the town. The wooden gates were already closing, as several human guards stormed out, wielding spears.

"Come on!" I growled.

Racing ahead of Bella, I tried to lead her around the town wall. Either we'd find a way to slip in and hopefully hide, or we'd escape. But the sight of torches approaching from that direction.

"Samuel," Bella called, coming to a stop as I did.

Looking around, I could see the lights approaching. Behind us the guards were catching up on their own. And through the trees came the group we originally ran through.

"Bella, do you trust me?"

The large woman stared down at me. She was clearly scared, but nodded.

"Throw me over the wall."

"What?!"

"Bella, they killed all the men and kept all the women. They'll take you as a slave. I. WILL. GET. YOU. OUT. But I need you to get me over that wall!"

The big woman looked around, before dropping her head and letting out a terrified sob. She bent, grabbing me under the arm and lifted me into a hug. Though, I wasn't expecting the firm kiss she gave me. Her thick tongue probed my mouth and I could taste the sweetness of the berries she'd eaten. Pulling me away, the tears rolled down her cheeks, but she managed a smile.

"Surrender, and do what they say," I said softly.

Bella nodded, "Please come back for me."

"I promise," I told her.

She smiled, "You'd make a wonderful husband."

Before I could respond, she wound herself back, and with a sudden burst of acceleration, I found myself tumbling through the air. Spreading my limbs, I caught the wind and by swaying my tail, I was able to stop spinning and work out where I was going to land. Which just so happened to be on the fabric roof of a nearby shop. Hitting the fabric itself wasn't so bad. But the sudden 'thwump' as the ties that held it up, gave out, was a little uncomfortable. Especially as I ended up wrapped in the fabric while I layed on the ground, reeling from the sudden stop.

"And just what the bloody hell was that?" A harsh voice roared.

I heard the sound of a door flying open, before the fabric was ripped away and I tumbled out onto the ground.

"Eh?"

I glanced up, seeing the uncomprehending face of a middle aged man, staring back at me. And in a flash, those eyes turned to fury and his foot lifted as if to stomp on me. With a yowl, I sprung backward, rolling onto all fours and darted under a table.

"I'll kill you, fleabag!" He snarled, racing towards me.

Grabbing a pole from the collapsed roof, he jabbed it at me. But I rolled quickly to the side and raced out between his legs. The man made a rather girlish squeal, before swinging the broom handle around, narrowly missing my side. I managed to put some space between us as I dived through a narrow gap in the wall... Straight into what looked like his living room. The front door burst open and the large man, spitting in fury, raced in. The moment his eyes laid on me, I dived for the hole, only to be clipped on the side by the pole. Staggering, I bounced off the wall instead. Which gave the man ample opportunity to grab a metal pan from the kitchen as he raced in, hurling it in my direction as well. With a yowl, I ducked under the lethal projectile, just as a young woman came down a flight of stairs.

"Father?" She asked, in surprise.

As the large man paused, I raced towards her. She spotted me at the last moment and jumped on the spot, like an old cartoon woman jumping from a mouse. It worked perfectly as I raced between her legs and up the stairs.

"Stephanie, get out of the way!" The man roared.

I heard a frightened squeak from the young woman, but I put all thought aside as I tried to find a way out. Being on the second story, if I could climb out a window or something, it'd take him a while to get after me, and I could make my escape. But I only had a few moments. Rounding a corner into a short hallway, I raced past the first open door, and into the second. It was a small bedroom, with a single bed pushed up into the corner under a closed window. Leaping atop the bed, I grabbed at the window and tried to push it open. But it wouldn't budge.

"Gotcha," the man growled.

Turning on the spot, he was holding a large knife as he stood in the doorway.

"Look, this is all a mistake," I said quickly.

The man frowned, "Talking won't save you now. You break my store, invade my home. I'm going to turn your skin into a cushion for my wife."

"That's it?" I asked as he stepped into the room and closed the door. "You're gonna kill me?"

The man lunged towards me. His hand reached for me in a wild swing. But I leaped at the last moment. Rotating in the air, I kicked off the wall and landed on the man's shoulder. Springing off him, I flew through the air and landed on the handle for the door. I heard the firm click as it released, but a sixth sense told me to drop. Releasing the handle, I fell away, as the man's knife appeared in the wood where I was a moment before. But that didn't stop the heavy impact of his boot from knocking me across the room. Sliding on the wooden floor, I rolled onto my paws, before springing upward to avoid his next kick, I felt a firm slap. Collapsing to the floor, I groaned softly as the large man pulled the knife free from the door. And like that, with the latch released, I saw my freedom.

As he turned towards me, flipping the knife upside down in his grip, I sunk my claws into the floor and made a mad dash. But the large man was quick. Throwing himself backward, he gave himself just enough time and space to swing his knife. It whizzed overhead, catching the back of my robe. I ignored the tearing sound as the blade passed through the coarse fabric as I narrowly avoided the bulk of the blade. Ignoring the fact, due to a lack of severe pain, I raced out of the room, only to stumble as I rolled down the stairs. My whole outfit was cut open and I was lucky to kick it free before I got tangled. The heavy thumps of the man's footsteps following down the stairs, combined with the screaming from the young woman, reminded me I had to move. But, the front door was wide open. So I flashed a cheeky grin at the woman and ran for the door.

In nothing but my fur, I wondered for a moment if I was going to be arrested for indecency. But I just laughed as I ran out into the open. From here, I could see where I'd landed in the little storefront attached to the house. But I could also see the street and a multitude of multi-level buildings set close to one another. With a grin, I wondered how hard it was to climb stonework. As another large metal pan flew overhead, I jinked to one side. There was a low stone wall to my right, and I could see it was made from loosely assembled and mortared stones. Leaping, I caught it with my claws and swung around, racing, quite easily I might add, up the wall. When I got to the top, I caught a glimpse of the man winging back to throw what looked like a hammer. So I simply dropped to the other side, ignoring the whoosh of the lethal projectile. I hit the ground running. It was an alleyway between the buildings and I raced towards the packed street at the far end.

The ground was dirt in this part of the town, but there was plenty of foot traffic, even as the sky lost the last of its light. This seemed to be part of the merchant quarter. As the shouts of the man faded into the bustle of the town, I raced into the street and changed direction. Darting under a horse, the animal spooked and reared, making other's yell. The confusion let me race under a vendor's bench for cover, and immediately thanked my luck. Under the bench, was trays of meat. It wasn't cooked, but from up close, I couldn't shake how good it smelled. So I grabbed the largest chunk I could carry in my mouth, and darted out behind the merchant. Slipping down the back, where I hopefully just looked like an oversized cat, I made my way to the next alleyway and moved into cover.

I could see figures at the end, talking in harsh whispers. But that wasn't any of my business. Turning to the building, I gave a quick look. There was a fair amount of stonework, similar to the wall. But it was framed with wood regardless. I took my time climbing to the roof. Which actually took me a while. This was a three story building. Most were only one or two, or, one with something on the roof. But from three stories up, I could see across the whole town. I could see the wall that surrounded the town. I could see what looked like guard posts. I could even see the poor and the wealthier parts of the town. I just hoped I could find where they took Bellarose before it was too late.

"Hello."

"Mroar!" I yelled, jumping a clear six feet into the air.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," the voice said as I landed.

Turning around, I froze. She, and I was sure it was a she, was... Rather beautiful... Why the fuck is everyone who isn't human and male, always so damned pretty? She reminded me of the crow woman in the obstacle course that had found me. But, this woman seemed to be part owl instead. Her feathers were light in colour, but speckled with brown. How she got here without me noticing, I had no idea. She wore a wrap around her chest, despite the soft, downy feathers that coated her midsection. And another around her waist. The only part of her, not covered in feathers, were the tips of her fingers at the first joining of her wings and her raptor-like talons. But... I gulped, at her slender figure, slightly taller than my own.

"Oh my, do you not know what I am?"

I shook my head, "No, should I?"

She smiled. It was a little odd with the beak, but the feathers around her face shifted with the motion. "I always wondered," she said softly. "You'll find them in a large warehouse in the wealthy district. Follow your nose."

And like that, she leaped into the air on silent wings. If not for my night vision, she'd have vanished immediately, but I was able to watch her fly off over the town and into the distance. Sighing softly to myself, I sat down and started eating. I had no idea what I was going to do here, but I figured getting some protein was a good start. I'm almost ashamed to say, as much as I enjoyed cooked meals, this raw piece of meat, whatever it is, was going down a treat. I was picking up subtle flavours from the meat, that seemed somehow familiar, and yet entirely alien to my human palate. The meat itself was firm, but my sharp teeth cut through easily. In all, by the time I was finished, I was well satisfied... And also completely naked...

"Great," I grumbled, ignoring Bast's giggle.

Not bothering to turn around, I moved to the side of the building in the direction of the wealthy district. There were several large buildings that could be warehouses, the closest was on the edge of what was the merchant district. The furthest was set against the wall itself. Glancing around to the closer buildings, I didn't think leaping over the gaps was going to be a problem. Leaping the street would be out of the question though. I just let my feline instincts take over as I started moving. My mottled fur probably gave good camouflage against the various browns and greys of the wood and stone. The darker splotches would help me blend into the shadows. There was only one issue as I came to a stop to watch a group of leather clad guards moving through a side street.

I lost my daggers in that man's house...

Chapter Six - 21125

I was still grumbling to myself as I walked a tightrope over a street. Like I'd seen on some pictures from Italy back on Earth, there were ropes from windows across the streets that were being used to hang washing. My balance, being what I am, allowed me to cross these rather quickly, and I was getting close to the first large building I'd recognised. Climbing up and over the roof, I finally got my first decent look at it. And... If I was supposed to follow my nose, this place certainly wasn't it. There were, however, a large number of guards coming towards it. They seemed to mill around, for a while, before heading inside. Only, as they came out, they weren't wearing their armour.

"Typical, the barracks is located in the wealthy part of town," I grunted to myself.

But that raised a good point. Barracks means soldiers, soldiers means weapons. It also means there's probably an evidence locker in there and a collection of all sorts of things. I judged the gap between the roof I was on, and grinned as I took a few steps back. Taking a few deep breaths, I launched into a full sprint, before coiling my muscles for the final leap. Unleashing myself over the edge, I grinned maliciously as I soared through the air. Watching the edge of the barracks getting closer, I stretched out my arms, moving them into position. And like it was made for me I landed. The moment my hands hit the edge of the roof, I flexed, absorbing the impact, while pushing down. My forward momentum carried up and over the edge, where I caught my rear paws on the edge and slid to a stop.

"Well done," Bast whispered in my ear.

I just grinned. Moving around the edges of the roof, I tried to find a way in. An unguarded door, an open window, anything really. And as I walked, I felt a small change in the air. Pausing, I looked around, and saw a small vent. It was blowing warm air. Not hard, but enough for me to notice. I thought about it, and I knew it would be tight, but... I really needed a weapon.

"Bast, please tell Maria I love her," I said softly.

With no reply from my goddess, I moved feet-first into the vent. It was made of the same stonework that was everywhere, which gave me hope I might be able to climb out if I got stuck. It was straight with a slight upward angle for a short while, before suddenly angling downward. I figured it stopped water going back down if it rained as I contorted to make the angle. Pressing my paws into the stone sides, I shuffled slowly back, mindful not to get myself stuck. It was easy enough, turning through the angle and shimmied down the vertical.

As I moved lower into the building, I felt my foot fall into a gap, causing me to slide and let out a small squeak of fear. Catching myself, I froze in place, while listening desperately for any sign that I'd been heard. In the silence, I could hear voices of the guards moving around, echoing from somewhere below and they didn't sound concerned by anything. Feeling around the gap with my foot, I lowered myself and found the bottom of the hole. It felt like another vent. With a grin, I slid down quickly and brought it to eye view. Sure enough, it was a short straight before opening into a room.

With a grin on my face, I crawled head first into the vent and made my way to the end. It was a room full of beds. There were a couple sleeping forms inside and I shrunk back as a door opened and a large man came in. It must have been a regular occurrence, as the ones sleeping didn't even budge. The newcomer picked his way between the beds and made it to the far side of the room, before starting to undress and leave his armour in a heap on the floor. The dull thuds of each piece coming off let me slip silently to the floor.

"Can you fucking not?" a tired voice snarled from above me.

I froze, thinking I'd been spotted.

"Shut up Ulep," the newcomer growled. "I'll be out of your knickers in a mo."

"You could be a bit quieter about it," a third voice called.

"All of you shut it! I'm on the midnight shift!" A fourth growled.

"Right, I'm going," the newcomer grumbled.

Slipping under the beds, I ignored all the dirt and rubbish left underneath. I even tried not to think about a rather firm footwrap I brushed against. But in a moment, I was on the tail of the new guard as he pulled the door open. He spun on the spot and stepped backward out the door, giving the room the middle finger as he did so. Thankfully, the moment it was open, I slipped out beside him, so he didn't see me. Out in the hallway was rather dark, with small oil lanterns hung up on the corners of any corridors. So I sat still and waited for the large man to walk off, leaving me alone in the dark.

Looking around, I felt like a kid. Everything was just at an awkward height for me. Door handles were all at around eye level. It didn't feel like this in the Dwarven halls and I wondered if they were as short as I, or if the goblins had made modifications when they moved in. Either way, the Dwarves kept with the earth stories of building big, which is why people like Bellarose could move around so freely underground. Here though, everything was designed for adult humans. Which meant I was constantly looking up at everything. I mean, I wasn't THAT short, but if I wanted to remain as stealthy as possible, I was on all fours...

Slipping down the hall in the same direction as the guard, I checked around the corner, to see a flash of movement vanish down a flight of stairs. I moved to follow, but spotted someone coming up past him. So I darted back around the corner and raced in the opposite direction, only to watch a door open. As this guard stepped out into the hall, I leaped up grabbing the wall by the ceiling. Then, I did that stupid trick from all those movies, where I reached across and pinned myself against the far wall, pressing myself into the ceiling. Holding still, I dug in my claws to make sure I had enough grip.