As dark fell we hadn't nearly made it to the cave I'd used before, or to anything else that might have been a shelter.As dark fell we hadn't nearly made it to the cave I'd used before, or to anything else that might have been a shelter. Neither of us carried tents; I had a waterproof sleeping bag with a miniature head-net, mostly for bugs but it would help with the rain. We settled down under a large clump of heavier trees and hoped it would provide some sort of cover. "This has got to be the worst night of my life," she grumbled. "Look," I said, trying to be my usual, philosophical self and having a hard time of it, "This isn't going to get any easier. Why don't you let up?" "And why don't you fuck off?" she said. I growled an unusually harsh slur in Uncia at her, my frustration between her complaining and the rain overcoming my usual good nature. Apparently she caught it, because she replied with something equally vile. That struck a nerve; I turned to face her. "Tarrete," I said, "Ah tari." Prepare to be attacked. She took the threat literally and in one coiled spring she leapt onto me. We went skidding together in the mud. Her claws were out, and I barely avoided a nasty rake across my chest, rolling to my left and backwards, coming to my feet. She leapt to hers just as fast. "Come on, Ken, let's see what you've got," she hissed, waving one finger at me, an enormous, blood-thirsty smile on her face. |