It was midmorning by the time we caught up with Millie and Agatha. The carved path from their gurneys through the tall grass led all the way to a river at the end of a valley. The dingos were lapping up water by the edge. Agatha and Millie were chewing on some wild weed. I was covered in sweat from the hot sun and itching from the dried blood. I dropped down and began drinking from the cool running water. Goar dropped in on his knees beside me sucking up mouthfuls of water.

Thirst 11

On the other side of the river, a thick forest spread from one horizon to the next. The river was broad and dark. The water was flowing past slowly. The sound of leaves rustling drew all of our eyes down the river. A broad antler rack pushed through. Black antlers spread wide on the white head of a moose sized deer with thick dark brown shoulders. White spots salted the dark fur of his back. The deer raised his head high and looked across at us flicking his large ears. His chest was equal to my own. He stepped forward and took a drink from the river. A doe, golden brown, stepped out beside him with a fawn. The doe gave us a glance then nervously drank with her eyes on us. The fawn was partially hidden behind the buck until the buck lifted his head.

Mia and Thurnar stumbled out of the tall grass and fell down to drink. The falconites were next, they made a strange eechup sound from the back of their throats and rushed the river's edge dropping to their hands and sinking their beaks in the water. The elves knelt on one knee and scooped water with a hand sipping from their palm as they watched the three deer. The deer were now all standing at attention looking straight at us.

Once Shia burst out of the tall grass the deer bolted. They jumped over the tall undergrowth at the forest edge and within a couple strides disappeared into the foliage. Shia walked into the river a couple steps, water rising up above her knees and began washing the blood off of her white bark and tan woodgrain skin. “You two old goats drug us halfway across the plains in one night,” She gripped. “I’m three hours past my bedtime and completely exhausted. If I ever have to chase you…”

Agatha sprang up from the rock she was sitting on and dashed over, her face inches off the grass just as Shia bent over to wash her face. Two horns met bark covered butt cheeks and Shia screaming flew headfirst halfway across the river. She came up splashing and spewing out censored curse words and mouthfuls of water.

“I tell ya again, run ya mouth young un and I’ll catch ya on the backside.” Agatha stepped up out of the water back on the bank and sat back on the rock beside Millie.

Millie nodded and chewed her thorny weed, “Uh huh,” Millie nodded agreement.

“I like them,” Tootsie said.

I rubbed my backside imagining if Agatha hadn't warned me earlier.

Thrunar’s sons Mido and Dredge sprinted out of the tall grass on their short legs and sprang from the bank tucking their knees to their chest and sending water spraying up on all who drank from the bank.

The centaur strode out until his horse body was submerged and threw water up over his head wetting his long straight hair and beard. Agatha and Millie spun around on the rock to watch the man comb through his long black hair with wet hands. They began elbowing each other and whispering back and forth feverishly.

“Good job, Agatha, and Millie.” I said when my thirst was finally quenched. I began to wash the blood from my face and arms. “Although I wish you wouldn’t run so far ahead. What if something would have happened to you or another ambush would have been out there?”

“We may be old but we ain’t dead yet.” Millie said.

“Yeah there is still some hot blood running through this body.” Agatha added winking at Millie then mumbling something I couldn’t hear. Millie laughed and shoved her friend.

“Well the Shade certainly didn’t break their spirits.” Mia said sitting beside me to wash the blood from her fur and blue braids.

“They are spirited old goats,” I murmured just loud enough for Mia to hear.

“Chicken,” Tootsie buzzed past as she whipped over the dwarf sons playing in the water, trying to dunk one another. “Say it loud enough for Agatha to hear you.”

“You stay out of this.” I snapped as she flew off to make another pass over the dwarves. Thurnar waded out into the water and swam over to dunk one of his sons as his back was turned. Mido and Dredge switched from wrestling each other to trying to dunk their father.

Shia swam for shore and had to stop to watch a log float past before continuing back to shore. Her temper mostly abated, she still shot a hateful glare at Agatha.

Thurnar out of breath after successfully dunking both sons tromped back to shore with his two sons on his heels trying one last desperate attempt to pull the strong old man under. He walked up on the bank with both sons hanging off his arms.

The log passed through where the dwarves had been then leapt up from the water and snapped shut on the face of the centaur still washing the blood from his long locks. The crocodile's, long snout full of jagged teeth, snapped shut with a loud crunch and it twisted as it fell back into the water holding the man’s head. His four hooves came up and went under as the two twisted down deeper into the water.

Thurnar and his sons began to run from the water. Shia began to move so fast the water split around her. She came up on shore with roots stabbing out of her feet grabbing ground and releasing as she lifted her foot.

“Come on up here you river rat and I’ll tear yer birth stones off and make a necklace out a em.” Agatha hollered from the bank.

“Bad lizard!” Millie scolded smacking the water with one of the tent poles. “You stop it!”

I walked over to the pile of tent equipment and found my respawn blade wrapped in the skins. I plunged it in the ground. We all watched as the crocodile swam off with the now limp, half man, half horse. It would be a big meal.

Tootsie zipped around above the croc, exuberant. She let out whoops, whistles, and laughter.

I turned to see the blond elf standing beside me looking alarmed. “What is your name?” I asked.

“Veagon of the three rivers.” He answered still looking down river. He tipped his head to the dark haired elf. “He is Elrindel slayer of Jassin.”

“Allright Veagon of the three rivers, can you and Elrindel the slayer, grab a couple swords and cut back some of this tall grass from the bank. I want to camp close enough to the river to cross tonight but not close enough to get dragged in by those things while we sleep. Get the falconites to help. As soon as you get enough cleared to set up some tents, we will start setting up camp. Clear enough around us that nothing surprises us from the grasses either though.”

“Aye Chief. Quick as a thief, we’ll get it done.”

“Shia can you get us a fire started so we can sleep safe and warm and Goar will you help me drag the tents and dingos away from the water?”

Tootsie flew back over talking like a chattering chipmunk, “did you see that? Wow, that thing latched onto his face and drug him under like that snake got you in the swamp. He was all like argh, argh.” She put one of her hands on her face and spun in the air. “You should have seen that thing down river snacking on that beautiful man. Oh man, really it was gruesome. Wow. I’m going back down there. You want me to show you where he is?”

“What about me?” Mia huffed.

“You can help us set up, of course.” I curled my lip up showing more tusk at Tootsie and growled.

“Your loss.” She said as she zipped away.

Within an hour we had cut back thirty square meters and set up the five tents. Shia had the fire started and Goar was scorching some of the frog rhino to eat.

“What the heck was that?” The centaur cried out as he respawned by the respawn blade. “Something bit me right on the face and sucked me under the water. I think the thing broke my neck. Scared the horse apples out of me.” He scampered away from the water before getting to his feet and running to camp looking back.

“Are you allright?” Agatha and Millie swarmed him.

“Croc got you.” I answered his question.

“You kin stay in our tent, let us make sure nuttin’s broken.” Millie patted his arm as they walked him into the camp.

“No, ladies I don’t want to put you out." He Wiped sweat from his brow with is elbow and pushed sweaty hair from his face, "man those flames, I hate that place.” The centaur said as the two old goats coaxed him toward a tent at the back of camp.

“Nonsense,” Agatha said, “I’ll hear no more of that, look we have the furthest tent from the water.”

“Yer no bother, really.” Millie added shaking her head. "None 'tall."

I walked over and pulled the blade from the ground and tucked it in my pouch. Then looked across the water again. What awaits in the forest?