Orrock smelled the Offward River long before they came upon it. It entered his nose like a faint tickle, beckoning. They had made good time, by Orrock’s estimate, having broken camp near dawn. Now the sun shone high overhead, yet still obscured by the forest. The Offward lay a good distance away. With Anyi’s blessing, he figured, the group should have enough time to water themselves and set up a camp some distance from the river’s edge.

They reached the river not long before dusk. Orrock set Iona down carefully just past the tree line as they exited the thick woods. Forest trees continued to grow, tall and stout, up to a distance of ten lengths or so from the river’s edge. Between lay only silty sand and smooth gravel. Making sure the wood witch lay in sunlight, Orrock then took a moment to savor the river’s rushing lullaby.

The Offward River itself here spanned perhaps ten body lengths; sizeable, but not quite majestic. The water ran quickly but had no rapids. Orrock guessed if he entered the river, it would not quite sweep him off his feet. A powerful swimmer could make it across without losing much lateral distance.

He was not a powerful swimmer.

“Looks safe.” Tanin’s voice was tentative.

Mohani snorted. “It is perfectly safe. Just do not get eaten.”

She bumped a shoulder into the smaller creature, who jumped and gasped slightly. Mohani laughed and strode to the river’s edge, pulling her leather vest off her torso.

Orrock tensed. What was this fool up to now? “Agnise! What are you doing? We will gather water and fish, but you ought not—”

She turned to face him, unashamed of baring her naked breasts covered in short, downy fur. Tanin stared openly, Orrock saw, but his expression was far from lecherous.

“What bothers you, Guar? Is not your god pleased with all creation?”

Orrock ground his teeth as the Agnise laughed and stripped herself of her tattered pants as well. She stood nude before them, except for where her limbs were still tied with scraps of Orrock’s robe.

Mohani let them gape at her a moment longer, then flung herself backward into the water. She surfaced immediately with a screech.

Orrock stepped forward, grip tightening on the hammer; but then the Agnise laughed, and he realized her scream had been in response to the doubtless frigid water.

“It is wonderful!” Mohani cried, standing. She turned and dove into the river, swimming across to the other edge in a handful of powerful strokes. As Orrock guessed, she ended up downstream of them, but not far.

She climbed out and shook her body. Water sprayed from her short fur.

“She’s going to get herself killed,” Tanin said.

“If Anyi wills it.” Orrock forced himself to say it casually, but did not take his eyes from the Agnise, wanting to ensure her safety. “Stay with the witch. I will get water and fish.”

Tanin pulled his shoulders back. “I’ll help.”

“Are you certain? Despite our companion’s swim, the river can turn unsafe at any moment.”

Tanin glanced downstream as the Agnise waded back into the river and scooped water into her mouth.

“I’ll risk it,” he said.

The two males walked cautiously to the river’s edge. Orrock paused again, searching upstream for any indication of water dragons. He saw nothing; here, the river seemed shallow enough that he would see the scaled beast as it cruised downstream—or so he hoped.

Tanin hunkered at the edge of the riverbank so that his feet were covered by running water. His expression showed obvious pleasure.

“It’s good!” he declared. “Taste it.”

“You taste water with your feet?”

“It’s not a taste, it’s . . . not a taste. Just try it, see if I’m wrong.”

Keeping an eye on Mohani, who was now squatting in the river and staring intently into it, Orrock dropped to one knee and scooped one handful of the river water into his mouth. The Fell was right; it was very cold and very good, with a refreshing mineral quality. The monk felt his eyebrows raise in response. He nodded at Tanin. The scent he had detected while they walked had been invigorating, but the taste was restorative.

A splash downstream made them both look up. Mohani had plunged her arm into the icy water. She rose and lifted her hand high. A thick, tubular fish wriggled in her hands.

“Ha, ha!” the Agnise cried triumphantly. She waded back across the river, fighting the current. Dripping and smiling, she marched to the two males and showed them her prize.

Before either could comment on her fishing prowess, the Agnise bit the fish’s head off and chomped happily on it.

Orrock sighed, and noted Tanin grimacing.

“Shouldn’t you at least skin it?” the Fell asked, turning away and placing his hands in the running water as if to clean them.

“We eat the bones!” Mohani declared, then spat a piece of skull against the riverbank. Smiling, she added, “Or spit them out!”

“Please put on your clothing,” Orrock said. “The sun will set soon, and we must make camp.”

“Does my form excite you, monk?” Mohani moved to stand naked and shameless in front of him.

Orrock stood quickly; he didn’t like where his eyes were leveled. “Your form distresses me, Agnise. Get dressed or get out of the way.”

“Why not just finish this now?” Mohani said, taking a step closer to Orrock. “The little Fell can make camp, I can finish my mission and you will be rid of me. You would be done quickly.”

Tanin stood, practically between them, so that they formed a small triangle on the river bank. “What is this? Will one of you please explain this—this feud between you?”

Orrock frowned as the Agnise laughed aloud.

“A feud!” Mohani cried. “What a wonderful name for it.” She looked coyly at Orrock as she spoke, although her coyness was seasoned with something else, something Orrock chose not to dwell on. “Do you not see our similarities, little Fell?”

She rubbed the ends of the short horns protruding from her head. Tanin examined them, then Orrock’s giant horns. “Not exactly a match.”

Mohani shrugged. “We do not develop them quite the same way as the Guar. But we are their descendants.”

The Fell winced. “How?”

Orrock sighed and turned to walk back to the tree line. It wasn’t far enough; he could still hear the Agnise quite clearly.

“We take them!” Mohani shouted over the river as if to ensure the monk would hear. “Generally by force. There is a very tender place on the neck of all Guar that when properly stimulated causes them to—”

“Enough!” Orrock roared, spinning. The Agnise grinned, while the Fell appeared perplexed, amused, and disgusted all at once. “The Agnise are parasites, and no Guar ever submitted willingly to them. Bastard children, one and all.”

The Fell’s expression grew smug. “Isn’t this how your god created them, though?”

Orrock lowered his chin to give the Fell a severe look and prepared a scathing reprimand.

That is when a water dragon rose from the river and snapped its jaws around Mohani.

# # #

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