Sage, Wormwood, And Whale Oil

Even as she spun on her heel, Hitty knew the throw would have no chance to hurt the witch. An awkward, side armed throw in the confined space of the old stone house, it was clear as her unaaq left her hand it was going to be too slow to even pierce flesh, assuming the macâhcâhk did not simply move aside or knock the weapon away.

The river witch knew it too, with her hands in front of her in a defensive posture she gave a triumphant cry. The harpoon however was off line, sailing wide to Kasagea’s left to presumably clatter harmlessly against the stone wall in the corner of the room.

Hitty knew she should keep her eyes on the dangerous shifter but she couldn’t help but watch the arc of the harpoon as it wobbled through the air.

Her throw was weak, hurried, but her aim was true.

The unaaq tip smashed through one of the cylindrical glass jars on the stone shelf, splashing the thick brown liquid all around. Even better, the harpoon fortuitously knocked the other glass jar over, and as the shaft banged into the other items lined up on the shelf Hitty could tell the second container was going to roll off into the open fire of the cooking hearth in the corner of the room.

Exactly as she hoped when she threw her harpoon at the containers of whale oil.

As the river witch coiled to leap around the table at the young sailor, she realized something was amiss. The sailor girl’s eyes flicked to the side, watching her poorly thrown weapon, and then the sound of glass breaking and trinkets being knocked over. A part of Kasagea was furious that her beloved treasures were being damaged, but a sudden flash of light and the girl’s intention became clear.

The fire instantly leaped from the coals of the fire pit as the viscous whale oil splashed down. The second jar tilted on the shelf for a split second, and Kasagea’s eyes widened, then it fell into the growing fire.

The sudden burst of flames bathed the room in bright light, but Hitty did not pause. From the doorway she grabbed at two bundles of dried roots and herbs and pulled them away. With the whale oil fire spreading quickly among the baubles on display, she simply tossed it all into the corner of the room. One handful of dried wormwood rolled across the stone through the growing oil fire, but the clump of white smudge sticks - dry sage - landed directly in the fire pit and instantly burst into thick, cloying smoke.

“I will skin you alive!” the macâhcâhk screamed, frozen between the urge to tear the human woman apart and the need to put out the fire and save her possessions. With an inarticulate cry she realized the clay vessel of the man’s seed was close to the growing fire, so she skipped over awkwardly to her prize even as the smoke grew and the fire spread.

The whole house was instantly thick with smoke, and Noah was half conscious against the wooden table, already coughing. Hitty darted to him and grabbed his arm, pulling him almost off his feet in her hurry to get him out of the witch’s lair. He was at least aware enough to stumble after her, his bare feet stepping on the reeds that made up the flooring.

A few steps and the pair were out in the cool night, and Hitty took a deep breath of the clean air. Behind her, the river witch was screaming and coughing as aromatic smoke billowed out of the door. She looked at Noah, but his glazed eyes told her to not waste time discussing their options - their only chance was to get as far away as they could manage before Kasagea pursued them.

Still holding Noah’s hand, Hitty took a step down the mossy pathway that led to the water. She knew the riverbank was mostly mud and would make slow going, but it was the easiest way to run from the witch.

Stopping dead, Hitty gasped as the realization struck her. Noah mumbled a question, like a drunk in a bar, and she pulled him off the path toward the stones that lead into the hills.

“Ow, oww,” Noah said, the pain getting through his foggy thoughts as his bare feet complained about the stones further up the riverbank.

“Sorry tatik, but she will catch us along the river!” Hitty said, tugging on his hand urgently. Noah followed, his steps unsteady as the ground became littered with the sharp shale exposed by the river over the years. Two dozen steps and they were reaching the lip of the small ridge that separated the grass of the prairie from the ancient banks of the river.

With a sudden gasp, Noah almost stumbled as his foot found an especially sharp stone. Hitty grabbed at him and was barely able to steady him and save the naked steward from a fall onto the rocks. With a moan Noah lifted his foot and Hitty saw a jagged sliver of shale fall, blood dripping from the wound.

Twenty paces away, a sudden hissing sound was followed by a further billowing of smoke from the chimney and small cracks in the roof of the stone lair. Hitty felt her heart sink as a shrieking form appeared in the doorway - apparently the witch had somehow contained the fire.

Kasagea, wreathed in smoke, walked out in her odd hopping gait. She walked along the moss of the path a few steps, then gave an angry bark.

But she didn’t immediately step off the pathway, and for the first time Hitty thought they just might make it.

“You faithless whorechild! You steal my man!”

Hitty helped Noah take another step up the rise to the grassy hills. Mumbling to himself, Noah slumped against the dirt ridge and slowly moved as if to crawl up it. In the dim light of the moon, the naked man crawling up onto the grass would be almost funny, but Hitty put her hands on his bum and shoved him as hard as she could to get him going.

As he moved shambolically onto the grass, Hitty turned back to the witch, her hands trembling with adrenaline and anger. “I kept to my word and did no **** to you - only when you **** Noah to keep him against your vow did I act! You have his seed, and you stole his blood - a home full of smoke is the least of the punishments you deserve! And besides, I did not attack you, though your broke our agreement, so may your ancestors judge your so-called honour!”

Her voice brittle with rage, Kasagea shouted, “You fool of a girl! I was keeping the man safe, you will bring him to his **** on this dangerous river, and for nothing!” Finally she stepped off of the path of moss, one halting step and then another, and Hitty felt panic bloom in her chest.

But after the two steps the macâhcâhk’s bare foot fell on a stone and she yipped in pain, actually recoiling backwards. Shouting an oath, she tried again but could only take 3 small steps before stopping, and Hitty knew that she was right. However the shifter lived, she spent so long in the water she did not seem to enjoy walking on her bare human feet, which explained the mossy path to the water and the thick carpet of reeds in the stone lair.

“Thank the spirits she never found good boots floating down the river,” Hitty laughed to herself, almost dizzy with relief. By now Noah was on his knees, swaying on the grassy ground and looking around as if befuddled. Quickly climbing up after the man, Hitty helped him up to his feet.

“Stay with me Noah, ok?” she asked. He seemed even less aware of his situation now, and he mumbled some words in a language she didn’t understand, but he nodded and she took his arm as he took a few wobbly steps.

On the riverbank, a sudden loud barking had Hitty look back over her shoulder. A great seal sat on the sharp rocks next to the path now, and Hitty saw the hate in the river witch’s black eyes as the macâhcâhk’s animal form lumbered up on the stony beach. But while Kasagea could now move over the craggy soil without evident pain, the seal was just as slow and plodding, and Hitty doubted she would be able to scuffle up the stony slope without great effort.

Still, no need to wait around to find out if the witch could get up the riverbank to the grass!

Once Noah started stumbling along Hitty was able to direct him into the hills at a reasonable walking pace. A couple of minutes and they were over a small hill, out of sight of the witch, and Hitty kept him moving, wincing as he limped on his bloody foot. She wanted to take off her jerkin to cover him, his naked skin must have been chilled, but there was no time. They were at least a mile from the Nawyet, and Hitty was sure if the witch found a way to get off the stony beach she would chase them and the Kuniq woman knew she had no chance in a fight. Her small knife against one of the shifting folk was simply unwinnable.

It felt like ages to the lass, but it was probably just 15 long minutes later and Noah was fading, quickly. His steps were slower, and for all her encouraging words and insistent tugs he was slowing as the **** worked its way through him.

“Just a while longer, Noah,” Hitty said urgently, looking over her shoulder in fear of seeing the river witch appear over a hill. “Just keep walking and you’ll be able to rest soon, I promise!”

Noah stumbled again, and Hitty had to brace herself against his side to keep him from falling. His head lolling back and forth, he licked his lips and said, in a slurred voice, “Was she an Ubyr too?”

“Keep walking, come on, that’s it, just keep going,” Hitty said, not really paying much attention to his words.

A half dozen careening steps, and then Noah said, “It’s just… she had sharp teeth. And kind of grey skin? She looked maybe like an Ubyr, but different than he did in the City.”

“What?” Hitty was breathing hard, the effort of half holding him up and keeping him moving getting to her. She was still trembling from the stress of all that had happened, but she just needed to keep him awake and walking.

He didn’t reply at first, but his steps strengthened for a time, and Hitty focused on ensuring they kept moving downriver but out of sight of the water.

“Hitty I’m sorry.”

“What?” she replied, and his feet stopped moving for a moment. “No, keep walking Noah!”

He began to move with her again, but his voice was somber and flat, like a drunk man confessing to a small transgression to a drinking mate. “I think I gave him too much, in the City. I’m not sure what his intentions are, for the people that went before. I dunno what he plans to do when he follows them into wherever they are, but I had to make the deal?”

“I have no idea what you are talking about, but if you just keep walking you can tell me, OK?”

“Yeah,” he gave a sour laugh, “I’m cold. I don’t have any clothes on? Is that normal here? People wear clothes on this world?”

By now Hitty had to half push, half pull him to keep walking. She was about to reply, to keep him engaged, so she turned her head to face him just in time to see his eyes roll up as his body went limp.

“No! No no no!” It took all her strength, but Hitty kept him from falling. He was completely **** now, and immune to her panicked pleas to wake up.

She had him on his knees, slumped against her. Should she leave him and get help? Would she be able to find him again in the dark, in these rolling, featureless hills?

In the dark, to the north, a howling bark sounded in the hills. The sound of an angry great seal.

No, she would not leave him, no matter what.

Her legs trembling, Hitty gritted her teeth and slowly stood up, holding his right arm tightly around her shoulders. It took all her will, but she had him upright, and his feet were at least pressing down enough to take some of his weight off of her.

The first steps were the hardest thing she ever did in her life. A man, her man, all but limp beside her, his weight significantly more than hers. She was a fit, strong woman, but he was several inches taller than she and a quarterweight heavier at least.

Her breath was fire in her chest as she dragged him up the hill. It took forever, so she focused on one step. Then another. Then one more.

Over the hill was a smooth descent, and Noah’s feet occasionally started working on their own accord, but rarely more than two steps in a row. On the incline of the next hill, her legs almost numb, Hitty knew she was running out of energy. She simply could not do it anymore, so she told herself she could quit on the next hill. Just get over this small hill, something you’d walk over without even realizing it, it would take 30 seconds, how hard could it be?

Then, one more hill. Noah was dragging his feet again, so Hitty had to lean all the way over to keep upright, her whole body shaking now. One more hill. Just one.

At the top of the hill, Hitty was staring at the ground in front of her. Everything hurt, and it was Noah’s sudden noise that caught her attention. With effort, she tilted her head to see, and realized he was half awake again and that he had reacted to a light.

Two hundred paces up the river, a boat stood at anchor, every lantern blazing. Hitty could almost not believe it, until a searchlight from the Nawyet moved and suddenly she and Noah were illuminated. Hitty could see some figures running towards them, could hear them yelling, but she couldn’t make out their words over the sounds of her own ragged breathing.

Suddenly, Lisa jogged up, her sword in hand and her shield on her left arm. Beside her Captain Amaruq, dressed in her boiled leather armor, her naval cutlass at the ready. Behind them Yutu and Alexandra ran up, shouting questions, and Shirisha in her black hill tribe armor and wicked daggers in hand.

“Yutu, Shirisha, fan out,” Captain Amaruq ordered as she reached the pair. Hitty was sobbing in pain and relief as the Captain reached out and helped lift Noah up. “Hitty, is there danger? Was it really a macâhcâhk?”

Fighting her sudden emotions, Hitty nodded as the Captain and Lisa took hold of Noah, “Yes ma’am, a shifter, a witch, she stole Noah. She **** him but I got him out and she was chasing us but she couldn’t walk on the sharp stones and I don’t know if she’s still coming but she wanted to keep him forever and I couldn’t leave him there I know I should have waited-”

Her voice calm, the Captain said, “It’s alright Hitty, you did well, More than well. We have you now - Lisa, you can carry Noah, let’s get back to the Nawyet. Shirisha, take a look around. Yutu, Alex, watch the sides. If this macâhcâhk shows herself again we will see how brave she is face to face, neh?”

Lisa gave her shield to the Captain, then picked up Noah with a grunt and held him in her arms. The group started to the shore where the Nawyet’s small pinnace waited to ferry them back, Captain Amaruq helping the shaking Hitty until the young woman regained her wind and was able to walk normally again.

“Hitty,” the Captain said, her hand on the young sailor’s shoulder, “thank you.”

The lass nodded, the tears running down her face now. The Captain knew that the nerves and stress of combat had that effect, so she gave a reassuring squeeze and a proud smile.

As Lisa carried him down to the waiting tender, Noah’s head rolled and he suddenly said, “Hitty, just leave me, save yourself, I’ll get away later!”

Barely breathing hard carrying the man, Lisa gave a laugh and said, “Don’t worry Noah, you are safe now, Hitty saved you both!”

His eyes weren’t able to focus, and his voice was thick, but Noah laughed strangely and said, “Oh I was cut again, but on my hip I think! The grey woman did it after she fucked me, but really he didn’t mean to cut my face, his sword was so sharp and I flinched.”

Captain Amaruq didn’t say anything as she was scanning the hills for signs of pursuit, and none of the others responded to the steward’s seemingly unhinged non sequitur, but she was sorely tempted to ask him a few questions.

At the shore, Lisa placed Noah onto the small bench of the tender. Hitty, unsurprisingly, got in with him and Amaruq felt she certainly earned the right to be extra protective of the man, so the three of them rowed back to the Nawyet while the Captain waited with the rest of the crew who had been on land.

From the shadows, Shirisha appeared. The mountain woman shook her head and said, “I backtracked their trail north, but nothing. I heard a large creature howl, but in the distance.”

Nodding, Captain Amaruq hid a frown. “Very well, let’s hope that’s the end of this macâhcâhk. But in case we are not so lucky, there will be double watches from now on. Arms and armor, full war footing. And we are sailing tonight, for at least a few hours, to put some distance from here. Let’s get off this spirits-damned beach.”

She was furious that a member of her crew had been stolen from the deck of her boat. Furious, and ashamed. She couldn’t undo that mistake, but spirits help anyone or anything that tried to hurt her crew again.