Four Women Pt. 01

But his thoughts continued of her. Not a classic beauty, perhaps her nose a little too wide, her eyes set a fraction too far apart. But she was sensuous. And her body... Any man would covet it. The dark patch of her womanliness glistening with drops of rain, her thin waist and her shapely legs. He still saw in his mind her dance, her shapely upturned breasts with the pyramids of her hard nipples pointing skyward. It was an image he would never forget.

Relaxed, Neshendra continued onward, and perhaps an hour later, the rain ceased. She once again felt hot and sticky under her clothing. She was beginning to regret her little interlude. Another hour passed. Neshendra broke out of the trees and onto the open mountainside. She glanced about her. Neshendra could see for miles above the jungle. She stood in wonder..., and terror. The terror because for mile upon mile, all that she could see was more jungle. The jungle lead away in steppes that became lower and lower as one looked southward. The jungle appeared, if anything, to be even more dense and forbidding. Neshendra's heart sank. They must have climbed so slowly that the group was not even aware of it. Dravis Ending was at or close to sea level, and as she understood it, the southern side of the Ingel was not much higher. The mountains began to turn eastward here and she knew she and her comrades would be lucky to survive another few days in the horrid maze that was the Ingel.

Climbing down the mountain proved to be much easier than was the ascent. After just a couple of hours she found herself back at the camp. Skel seemed strange but said nothing, and she too was quiet about what she had seen. Neshendra did not want to lower the morale of the men anymore than it already was.

The next week was a pure hell for the band. The group managed no more than six or seven miles a day. Fatigue was beginning to take its toll. Neshendra's biggest fear was that Timian might not be able to continue much longer. Then something happened just as the adventurers might have given up. In the distance, first Neshendra with her acute hearing, and then the others heard a wondrous sound. Over a small hillock, through the thick jungle, could be heard a large, fast running body of water. The entire group broke towards where it appeared to originate from. Smashing through the last of the jungle, the adventurers found themselves looking at a river perhaps a hundred yards across flowing from their left to their right southward.

For a moment, Neshendra merely stood aghast. They should be nowhere near a large river. Then it struck her. They must be much further east. She had always assumed that the mountains were much further west than it appeared they actually were. Neshendra knew of a river that flowed from the Ingel as Kodahka had described it to her. That meant that this must be that river, the Omani. Neshendra also seemed to remember being told that it flowed out of the jungle southwestward where it eventually flowed into the sea. The river must turn more westerly as it left the mountains and thus, as they were further east then they should be, they had chanced upon it.

Suddenly she shouted, "We can build a raft, my comrades! We can save perhaps weeks on our journey!" The group of them danced like children at the Festival of Lights. Neshendra herself splashed in the cool waters of the Omani. Her relief at a possible shortcut was like a stone lifted from her heart.

"Weapons at the ready..., everyone!" It was Skel calling out. He was looking back through the jungle from which they had just come. Skel silenced them with a motion as Neshendra drew her mace and tightened the strap of her shield about her left wrist. She swore under her breath at where they stood. They had come down a steep bank at the rivers edge and now found themselves in an almost indefensible position.

"What is it!," she said in a harsh whisper.

"Don' you smell it?," replied Durnin.

And suddenly she did. It was a rancid smell. The odor was like that of a foul body. It was a familiar smell and suddenly it came to her.

"Orcs..., Damn! Be ready lads. They only attack if they have superior numbers. It's our weapons and armor they want!," she said trying to marshal her men.

"Oos roo ah. Goh ite oleto. Kise bey ah," Skel said with a guttural growl to his voice.

"You know there tongue?" Durnin queried in wonder.

"Yeah..., grew up on a farm... Met a few..."

"Shh..., quiet," Neshendra interrupted. "Tell them to go. Tell them the girl warrior will kill them all if they stay."

Skel smiled as did all of the little band of adventurers. "Oisoco..., dook costata. Eh kis bahroona. Tata oss!!" He spoke in the Orc's tongue.

The jungle was suddenly quiet. The birds had moved on. Even the insects had silenced their noise. All that could be heard was the blowing of a slight breeze through the growth above where they stood on the narrow bank of the river. Minutes passed. Nothing. Then, finally, a smashing sound. The group then heard the sound of bodies crashing down the hillside. The the Orcs were upon them.

"Be ready, lads!" Neshendra screamed. "Take as many as you can. Don't let these pig faces scare ya!"

As ever seemed Neshendra's destiny, she and her companions found themselves in battle. It was sheer luck that saved Neshendra during the first seconds of battle, for the warrioress slipped in the mud of the bank. One of the foul creature's short blade stabbed harmlessly at where she had been only moments before. Falling to her knees she pushed her shield up, blocking a second swing from the first Orc while she flung her mace out crushing the leg of another. The Orc screamed like the pig he appeared to be and she felt the satisfying thud of her mace as it crushed sinew and bone of yet a third.

Now no fear. Only the intense white hot anger she always brought to battle. The fight about her appeared as if in slow motion. To her right the Orc who's leg she had crushed crawled away. Two more Orcs were now before her and she could see countless more behind who could not get at her because of the tight defense that she and her comrades had formed. The others were flanked to her left. First Skel fighting like a madman, bodies piling up around him. Next Timian, two daggers flashing in the sunlight as he dodged the longer blades of the enemy. He was as quick as lightning. At the opposite end of the line Durnin, his bow slung over his back, his long sword slashing back and forth. The Orcs were pressing him hard but he seamed to be able to keep them back with his quick blade and shield. Neshendra saw all of this in just a few short seconds as she fended off the blows of those attacking her.

Suddenly a huge boulder flew from somewhere above them. Neshendra called out but it was to late. The huge rock struck Skel full in the head. They all watched in horror, still battling, as he went down. It was a certainty that the boulder had killed him. Then more rocks were falling, but the band was prepared and managed to avoid the huge missiles.

Quickly the Orcs took advantage of the hole created by their fallen companion, filling the gap and attempting to separate the brave little band. Timian fought even harder, his blades flashing as if magic. Suddenly some of the Orcs about her began to stand transfixed. Neshendra quickly understood that this must be Kodahka's work. She spoke a thank you as she climbed the embankment dropping her shield and drawing her sword with her left hand. Slashing about her forcing her way through the few Orcs who tried to stand in her way, killing those affected by Kodahka's hold spell. The last few yards she ran up the hill and as the ground leveled off at the beginning of the jungle she found what she suspected she would. A huge Ogre, perhaps ten feet in height, stood half turned to her looking for the next boulder to throw down upon her mates. It's arms were as big around as her body, rippling with power as it readied to throw another rock that it had finally retrieved.

"Ah..., yes...," an evil sounding laugh escaping her lips as she growled. "Hmmmm..., I've always had a taste for Ogre meat." As she now her blade, she dropped her mace, Neshendra turned it back and forth with both hands, causing it to flash in the sunlight.

The creature understood just enough of her words to be cautious. It drew back to fling its boulder at her and she charged the beast spoiling its aim causing the rock to miss her all together. She was quickly upon the monster. "Now die, creature!!" She growled in anger at the foul smelling giant. The Ogre never had a chance as Neshendra danced about it, slashing and stabbing, quicker then it could counter. The other Orcs just stood back, as afraid of the Ogres blows as they were of her flashing blade. The monster attempted to retaliate, again and again, with blows from it's huge fists. Neshendra dodged its attacks, and then her own blade would slice another chunk from the creature's hide. Turning Neshendra dodged right, dropping her shield arm as she moved. Seeing the per posed opening, the Ogre swung a round house blow at her lowered guard. The trap set, Neshendra suddenly stepped towards the now surprised creature, and placing both hands on her sword, swung a vicious swipe at the creatures arm. Her incredible strength showed in the attack, as the swing of her blade cut through hide, sinew, and bone, completely severing the monsters hand half way up the forearm. It stumbled back and then began to scream in anger and pain. Neshendra seized her advantage and stepped close to the Ogre once more. She stabbed up into its groin, burying her sword to the hilt in the abdomen of the monster.

Neshendra then turned, her back upon the monster and pulled her blade free of the beast. As the sound of the Ogre's already dead corpse could be heard striking the ground throughout the small clearing, she marched boldly forward. The Orcs had had enough. The attack broke. Neshendra heard some yelling in their strange Orcan tongue, and then they were gone. The day was now as quiet as the meditation chamber where she had intoned her prayers while in training to be a priestess. So many years in her past.

For a moment she just stood in one place. The attack had lasted only short minutes, but Neshendra felt exhausted. She then thought of her companions and ran forward, down the hill, towards her comrades.

Her companions had not fared as well as she had hoped. Among a dozen or so bodies of Orcs lying about the shallow embankment she saw Timian. He was obviously dead, his bowels laid open, his blood contributing to the darkening of the ground about the battle site. And Skel..., Skel was also dead.

A few yards away Durnin lay upon a cleared patch of ground where it was obvious Kodahka had moved him. An ugly gash ran down his shield arm. Neshendra recognized his broken shield among the bodies. Suddenly a glow began to suffuse Kodahka. The yellow light passed down his arms and into his hands. The light then coalesced upon the wound, and as she watched, the edges began to come together. After a half a minute or so the wound completely closed, leaving a thin white scar that Neshendra knew would disappear in the coming days.

Neshendra helped them both to their feet. Kodahka had a small wound upon his fore head and Neshendra felt one upon her exposed left thigh. The wounds were small..., reminders of their lost comrades. The little band was now three.

The River

Again Neshendra found herself burying comrades that she had been laughing and sharing a meal with, only short hours before. The three found a soft patch of ground at the top of the hill and after digging most of the rest of the day, laid their friends to rest. Kodahka spoke a prayer. It was in his tongue and had a soft and lilting sound to it. Neshendra felt that it was somehow appropriate.

They spent an uneventful night, and the next day the river still beckoned. Neshendra felt it was their best hope. The others reluctantly agreed, though Durnin was afraid as he did not know how to swim.

"A couple of days on the river, or many more weeks crossing what is left of the jungle. Your choice, Durnin," Neshendra replied to him when he expressed his fears. "Aside from that..., well..., I can not swim either. It matters not..., in that metal armor you are wearing you will sink right to the bottom, anyway. No need of worrying about how to swim." She grinned at him, and in spite of himself, Durnin grinned back as they went about building a raft.

In this Kodahka proved to be quite adept. It seemed that he had lived his formidable years upon a river somewhere to the south of their destination. Following his capable instructions, and using the remainder of their rope, they managed with much trial and error, to build a serviceable water craft. It was nightfall before they finished, so after moving down the river a mile or so, they tied their raft to the shore and made camp for the night. Kodahka explained that during the night the ropes would loosen some. This because they would absorb water. In the morning they would have to retie much of the craft.

For Neshendra and the others that was the longest night of their journey. They all felt the anticipation of finally exiting the jungle, and with it the possibility that they might actually survive the journey.

The morning sun found them already upon the water. Kodahka piloted the raft, as much as he could, using nothing but a pole that he had fashioned from a dead and dried sapling. He pushed the makeshift water craft towards the center of the river, explaining to Neshendra and Durnin that they would be safer in the deeper water from a piece of driftwood or any other obstruction. Although slower and safer in the center, the disadvantage was that oft times the water was far to deep for poling. They were of necessity, at the mercy of the river.

For the most part, the day passed uneventfully. Kodahka warned them to keep their feet out of the water as he knew not what might be swimming about in it. Lessons learned, the two readily obeyed.

As day turned to night, they each grabbed a piece of driftwood brought for the purpose. The trio paddled towards the nearest shore which happened to be the one opposite that from which they had entered the river. Once closer to the shore Kodahka was better able to control the raft with his pole. Eventually the three found themselves gently floating into a lee in the bank next to a stand of willows.

Neshendra was tired, but excited. The long day spent upon the river in the heat of the sun had drained them, but her most of all. She had covered herself as much as she could, but she knew that her face and arms had been badly burned. During the evening they spent around a small fire, she continually poured cool water on her sunburn. She suggested to Durnin that he do the same, but he seemed to be bothered less by the pain of the burns. Kodahka with his long dress and his dark complexion was little bothered by the suns heat and volunteered to take the first watch. As the stars revealed to him that it was a couple hours before dawn, he awoke Durnin and took a short nap.

They again pushed off into the current of the Omani. From information she had learned before beginning their adventure, and from advice supplied by Kodahka, Neshendra felt it was possible that this day or the next they should reach the point where the River Omani exited the Ingel. Kodahka was unsure but felt she could be correct.

Another day passed with out incident. The river was if anything a little more narrow and the current seemed a bit more swift. The three had to be continually vigilant to keep the raft out of the roughest of the water.

It was an hour before dusk. They were just getting prepared to head for shore when they began to hear a distant sound.

"Shh..., what is that?" Questioned Neshendra.

"I..., I do not know. It is somehow familiar," Kodahka replied with a strange look upon his face. It was as if he were trying to remember something important.

The sound was growing louder until suddenly it was a roar. The air was suddenly cooler and filled with a mist and there was a slight breeze pulling at their faces.

First Kodahka began to yell in his own tongue and then, "The falls!! I am a fool..., I forget! Jump..., Jump in and swim for shore!!" With that he leapt into the swift waters.

Neither were great swimmers. The two warriors attempted to remove their armor, but it was too late. Neshendra dove into the water and watched as the raft went over a suddenly appearing precipice. Durnin grasping at thin air was the last sight she saw and then she felt herself falling. Neshendra fell into space, tumbling and turning in the torrent. Aside from the fall, Neshendra feared being dragged down by her armor, so that as she splashed into the river below the falls she struggled to remove that armor.

Suddenly the current assisted her and tore the armor from her body, but, she still found herself being pulled under by the current. She fought, struggling to gain the surface, when suddenly she felt a yank at her scalp and she found herself floundering upon the rocky shore of the river. Kodahka had pulled her from the deadly torrent.

Coughing up water, Neshendra looked about her. Kodahka was lying upon the beach and laboring to catch his own breath. "Dur-Durnin..., Wha-what of Durnin?!"

"I..., I am not sure..., I..., I did not see...., Oh Gods why did I not remember the falls!" He said with a half strangled cry.

"'Tis not your fault, my friend. I too should have thought of the possibility, but did not. Come..., we will look down river for him."

The two climbed down the hillside. They now found themselves on the southern shore of the river. Here it followed a steep mountain face, and then suddenly they came to a ledge that over looked where the river abruptly fell, perhaps three hundred feet to the jungle below. About the base of the falls were huge boulders with the splashing of water as if raining. The pair could barely see in the mist of the falls and the fast approaching darkness. The two knew that their friend could not have survived.

Journey's End

That night they spent on a hillside over looking the jungle below. Although in the darkness they could not see much, Neshendra could see a patch of the savanna beyond the edge of the jungle. They had finally reached the end of the Gods forsaken Ingel.

As Neshendra sat in the darkness, Kodahka came to her and began to speak. "You are a leader, Neshendra. You..., you inspire. You inspire people to be better then they know they can be. You inspire them to care for you..., for each other. You are a true leader..."

Neshendra said nothing.... She thought of her lost comrades as she stared into the darkness. H ow does one answer that?, she thought to herself.

"So..., who was it that did not love you enough?"

"Uh..., excuse me?"

"Either he did not love you enough..., or perhaps it was you that did not have enough love in your heart for him?"

For a couple of minutes she said nothing, staring into the coming night. Finally she began. "At a guess?... It was both. Neither of us could love enough to commit one to the other."

"And this man... Will this change? Is there hope that one day he will, how did you say? That he will commit to you?"

"I suppose not."

"Then there is but one thing you can do. You must forget him. It is simple."

"Simple..., eh?"

"

Neshendra..., your destiny is here. I feel it. You will do great things. But you must learn to let go of the past. "

After traveling throughout the day, Neshendra and Kodahka spent their last night in the jungle. Neshendra reflected upon those who had traveled the road with her. She laughed to herself, for she had lost all the money for her comrades she had stuffed into the padding of her leather armor. Sometime during that night her thoughts coalesced and she found some solace in Kodahka's words. She began to believe that maybe now she could let go. Perhaps, she could truly let go of her adolescent dreams of a perfect love. She also thought that maybe she could let go of her own fear of just living in the world of now, of looking to the future; and try not to live in the past.