Circles of Ciridia: The Windtalker's Amulet

Chapter Fifteen ~ The Beastmen Battle

Kiäna woke to a growling stomach. She sat up in her hammock and looked around for her friends. Then she let out a sigh of relief to see that they were all still sleeping, safe and sound, in their hammocks. That made two safe nights in Ngaherahe. Maybe they would be alright, since sleeping up high in the hammocks seemed to keep them safe.

Vespera, you awake?

Yes. I've been awake and hunting for a spot or two already.

Good. Did you catch anything?

A deer for myself and Faira.

Well done, then! Kiäna yawned and climbed out of her hammock onto a tree branch. She unhooked her hammock and climbed down the tree carefully, looking all around before she touched the forest floor, to be sure no beastmen would see her.

She took out her bow and arrows and made her way through the forest slowly.

Suddenly, someone came whooshing up beside her. Kiäna jumped and then noticed it was just Tajana. "Ugh, you scared me!" she said with a laugh.

Tajana smiled bashfully and said something that might be sorry. She dismissed her cloud in a puff of white and followed Kiäna on foot. They ventured out into the forest on the lookout for another deer.

They came across a stream and refilled their canteens. They followed the stream for a while, on the lookout for animals that may come for a drink.

Kiäna was about to give up on the stream and turn inward deeper into the forest when she spotted a deer. She stopped, hoping she hadn't alerted the deer of her presence.

She got down on her knee and drew her bow, but Tajana put her hand on her shoulder and shook her head. Kiäna stood up and shrugged. They needed food, so why was Tajana telling her not to shoot the deer?

Something caught Kiäna's attention, and she looked back to see a beastman come out of the forest and right up to the deer, like it wasn't a wild animal and instead was one of the beastman's animal companions.

Kiäna had seen the beastmen's animal companions enough times to know that most of them had an animal they fought with. But usually it was wolf beastmen with wolves. Not a beastman with a deer.

The beastman was actually a woman, with the pointed ears of a deer. She was graceful and rather beautiful, and Kiäna felt bad for even thinking about shooting her deer.

Something caught the deer beastwoman's attention, and she looked across the stream in alarm. Then she climbed on her deer's back and they took off running as fast as they could. Kiäna was impressed with how quickly the deer could run while carrying the petite woman.

Then Kiäna saw what had made the deer beastwoman run. A tiger man appeared across the stream, with a tiger by his side. They stalked the deer and the woman like they were prey.

Tajana pulled a vial off her vest and closed her eyes, and the world wavered around them as she made them invisible. Then she motioned for them to return to their camp. Kiäna nodded and they walked back together slowly, trying hard to keep hidden.

They came across a whole contingent of beastmen with deer ears, aiming bows at the tiger beastman. Kiäna turned to look and saw that many tiger beastmen had appeared and were charging across the forest.

Kiäna and Tajana stood still and watched an all-out battle ensue between the two sides. Arrows shot at tiger beastmen, while the tigers ran in and slashed with swords at the deer and deer beastmen before the deer beastmen could do anything about it.

Finally, Tajana tugged on Kiäna's hand to keep them moving. They headed back to their camp with rather morose looks on their faces. Kiäna never imagined the beastmen would fight amongst each other. Maybe there were beastmen her people would actually get along with. She wondered, though it didn't seem possible.