[Mkguild] In a Tough Spot

[Stealth]

I think this will be the last of the Weekly-Stealth-Stories for now, I want
to get back to drawing.

In a Tough Spot
Copyright (c) 2009 Michael Nastov


    The numbness began to fade with each moment after stirring. The sharp
stench of blood hit her nose as she tried to move. Each limb stung and
throbbed, the woman quickly went prostrate from the pain but tried to look
up. Hristo remembered a slope, a rockslide... a rockslide down a slope. Ugh.
The scout grumbled as she gazed up at the rock face. She wasn=92t stupid
enough to walk into an unstable area, was she?

    Hristo knew what to look for in the land, she was up there for that very
reason =96 George wanted The Giant=92s Bane to navigate the north east near
Mycransburg and each of them knew how to do that without THIS happening! Of
course it made no difference now, but still!

    The human sighed and looked further down the face from the small, jagged
ledge she rested on. Her pack and rations tore on the branches and splayed
out all over the scrub and crevices along the Barrier Range=92s foot hills
leaving her with the straps, mockingly still attached firmly to her
shoulders. Okay, she could not move, had no food or warmth and the location
looked nothing short of impossible for another person to navigate.

    Two hours past when the scout heard movement near by. Out of the corner
of her eye she could see something approach from lower down and to the
right. Navigating carefully, a tiptoeing feline approached up the steep
incline to the injured human. Hristo smiled and breathed a sigh of relief.

    =93Stealth!=94

    The cheetah looked at her with a naturally detached gaze. The human knew
she=92d be found eventually and given the terrain, surely by someone in full
form. Stealth had been training under the members of The Giant=92s Bane sin=
ce
September and he was defiantly in attendance for this exercise, albeit
watched over carefully one of the other Banes but where were the others?

    =93Stealth, where=92s Teague? Go find her and fetch Adelina.=94

    The feline looked at her for a moment then licked the woman=92s forehea=
d.
He carefully walked away in another direction out of the rock face. Hristo
leaned back and relaxed, everything would be fine.

    Several minutes later the cheetah returned with an amulet in his muzzle.
The woman looked at him and smiled, though she hid her discomfort well, she
felt very cold and gladly allowed the warming amulet to be slung over her
head to rest around the neck.

    =93Is that old dagger going to be here soon?=94 She asked, feeling the
warmth flow from the magical device.

    The cheetah just looked at her for a moment and then found his way back
out of the rocky terrain.

    Hristo rolled her eyes, felines were so aloof. But he had deep gazing
eyes and couldn=92t help it. She enjoyed the warmth and waited.

    Over an hour later the cheetah returned with the strap of a small pack
in his muzzle. He deposited it gently near the woman=92s waist.

    =93A medical kit? Thank you!=94 Hristo opened the bag to look for the s=
alves
and ointments she=92d need to clean the wounds. =93Adelina sent you ahead to
give me this?=94

    The cheetah rubbed its head against hers and walked away, stepping over
the form, long tail brushing over her chest.

    Stealth was probably the fastest out here and the best suited among the
Bane=92 to access her. Hristo ignored the sting as she applied the salves.

    Several hours later, Hristo began to grow worried when night fell and no
one arrived but then she felt a wave of joy and relief when Stealth returned
bearing dinner. He placed a small, boiled hare on the human=92s chest and
nosed her to eat it. The woman scoffed at the thought that this bunny just
came out of a long winter, probably set to enjoy the warmer March weather
and have some leverets with a lady hare but alas it was not to be.

    Hristo took the hare and began to eat. Even eating food helps one to
regain warmth and strength unless it=92s frozen but this was lukewarm,
recently cooked and taken up. Not that it mattered as the amulet did its job
well, must have been one of the better made ones. The rest of the team were
probably sending him up to deliver things till they figured out how to get
to her. He left and returned again a little later on with a canteen of cold,
refreshing water in his muzzle. After placing it on her chest, Stealth
licked her nose and left into the darkness again.

    The human finished the small meal and settled in to rest for the night.

    The next morning the cheetah returned with another hare, after setting
it on the woman=92s chest he left and returned several minutes later with a
canteen before he left again. Hristo finished her breakfast and with a tinge
of discomfiture felt =91the call=92. She awkwardly lowered her pants, the
terrain was very jagged and uncomfortable but at least it meant that there
would be deep gouges sufficient to take away the waste, the same couldn=92t=
 be
said for the streets of Euper.

    Stealth returned several times that day, mostly delivering hares and a
fresh canteen of water to the human. Hristo asked questions each time which
of course the cheetah could not answer. As hours became days, two full days
to be exact, the scout became very concerned. Stealth was acting very
strange, he wasn=92t even responding to yes or no questions, just delivering
things like a faithful pet and no one else had shown up yet.

    =93Stealth, what is going on? Where are the others? Are they coming or
not?=94 She demanded.

    The cheetah just looked at her and sniffed at her nose.

    =93Are you all alone? Has something happened to the others? Do you
understand me?!=94

    The cheetah continued to look at her, a look somewhere between
indifference and concern. After a moment the feline turned to walk off
again. Hristo blinked and her eyes widened, for the first time she could see
this cheetah had no cheetah =91bits=92 =96 this was a female!

    =93You=92re not Stealth!=94 She gasped at the departing female cheetah,=
 =93Wait!
Who are you?!=94

    The feline departed again, =91damn that mute-full-form=92 Hristo cursed=
 as
she tried to look up to her departing direction.

    Another several hours past and the cheetah returned. Hristo grabbed her
by the neck and pulled the female cat in close, =93Identify yourself!=94

    =93It=92s me! Stealth!=94 The cheetah gasped.

    The human blinked a few times at the animal with an amulet around its
neck. =93Stealth? Really?=94

    =93Yes! ...please let go, you=92re pulling my fur.=94 He whimpered.

    She let go and the feline regained his balance, =93What happened to that
girl cheetah?=94

    =93Girl cheetah?=94 The animal asked and tilted his head.

    =93The cheetah that was up here feeding me.=94

    Stealth blinked and nuzzled her head, =93How long have you been up here=
?=94

    =93Ho, down there!=94 A call came from above.

    Stealth looked up the slope, =93Teague!=94 He called out, =93She=92s do=
wn here
alright, safe but too injured to move, we need a churrrr...=94

    =93A =91chur=92, eh?=94 Another voice snickered.

    =93A stretcher...=94 The cheetah rolled his eyes, =93This bloody amulet=
...=94

    =93We=92ll be down in a moment. Hristo, can you hear me?=94 The first v=
oice
called out.

    =93Yes, Ma=92am!=94 She called back.

    =93Hang on and we=92ll have you safe in no time.=94 With that, metal cl=
anking
noises resonated through the hills and after a few moments two ropes fell
from above.

    Stealth sniffed about and could see the remains of many small animals,
=93What happened here, did you have a feast or something?=94

    The human rolled her eyes, =93I told you, the female cheetah gave me
these. I thought she was you!=94

    =93Hmmm, perhaps a hermit in this area?=94

    =93I don=92t know but she helped me a lot... whoever she is.=94

    Stealth nodded, after concentrating on ground he could smell another
cheetah but he put the thought to the back of his mind. =93How did you end =
up
down here?=94

    The female human sighed, =93I don=92t know, I just misjudged the path.=
=94

    =93I wouldn=92t say that.=94 The descending bear cat grunted, coming ev=
en with
the two.

    =93What do you mean?=94 Hristo asked as another morph descended from the
other side.

    =93The path is rigged.=94 Stealth said before anyone else could chip in.

    =93And how do you know that?=94 A feline-like creature asked. She had a
medical pouch and a bundle of several sticks wrapped in a cloth.

    =93Because there are signs of implements being used on the rocks.=94 The
animal said, trying to maintain his balance on the jagged edges, =93...righ=
t?=94

    =93Correct!=94 Teague said, beginning to tie ropes around Hristo.

    =93You=92re kidding.=94 The injured scout gagged, =93I fell for a booby=
 trap?!=94

    =93Who put it here? I was told the lutins haven=92t been active here for
years, it=92s too out of the way.=94 Stealth said, he didn=92t know all tha=
t much
about Metamor=92s regional history but he was learning gradually, tutored by
Edmund to look for patterns in an enemy=92s activities as they both researc=
hed
their new home.

    =93Why would Lutins set a trap here, now?=94 Adelina mumbled as she exa=
mined
the wounds, surprised to find them already cleaned and dressed =96 as far a=
s a
field dressing goes.

    =93No Lutin set this...=94 The binturong said slowly, =93This was well
concealed and painstakingly laid with care and patience.=94 She explained,
moving a rock slowly about in her paw.

    Silence fell upon the rocky slope save the grunts of pain from the
splints being applied.

    =93The cheetah...=94 The human mumbled in between grunts.

    =93Stealth? What about him?=94 Teague asked confused.

    =93No! The female cheetah that=92s been keeping me alive the past two d=
ays.=94

    =93Oh? What=92s this?=94

    After an awkward moment Stealth chipped in, =93I can follow her trail,
track down the scent.=94

    =93No, far too dangerous. We don=92t know how many more traps there are,
even without that to worry about this is still a dangerous region.=94

    Another awkward silence fell over the quartet of scouts. The idea of
someone setting traps was unsettling enough but then there were the
questions it raised.

    =93Okay, you=92re ready.=94 The sabre toothed healer said and looked up=
 to her
squad leader, =93We=92ll move her onto the stretcher on three, ready?=94

    They grabbed the shoulders and legs respectably, =93one, two, three!=94=
 The
feline said and they quickly hefted the human onto the stretcher.

    =93Are you ready up there?!=94 Teague called out.

    =93...ready, it=92s looking good up here.=94 A young voice answered.

    =93Good! Start heaving!=94

    Slowly, bit by bit, Hristo moved slowly off the ledge and began to hover
in the air. Over ten minutes past until she was back on the original path,
the binturong, forest dagger and cheetah followed carefully.

    =93We=92re heading back now, same way out, same path and no deviations,=
 is
that understood?=94 Teague had a lot of questions =96 the thought of the tr=
ap
just unnerved her. It unnerved and angered each of them that one of their
own had been ensnared by it...

    Though it alarmed her it did comfort the binturong to know that the
accident didn=92t occur to sloppiness on Hristo=92s part. They=92d certainly
report it to George, other then that she could currently do little but find
a safe path home.


In a Tough Spot
Copyright (c) 2009 Michael Nastov
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