Bab 19: First Battle in the Shadowed Woods
The Sight that the man in the feathered cloak granted him allowed Wuying to see better in the woods, and his first glance at the Shadow Creatures that ran before him told him that they were different from what he had faced before, at the Gate. Well, slightly different:
Their most obvious feature were the branching horns that grew out of their heads. Antlers, he recalled them being named in some of the books that he had seen at the Yue Family Manor. But those Northern deer depicted in the same were much smaller than these! And the books had claimed that they were herbivores! What had the Curse done to them, to turn them into a threat?
Not that it mattered now, he reminded himself fiercely, even as he followed Wumu Qian into battle. They were the enemy here! And he didn't have the luxury of dwelling on such puzzles! Not now!
A cry from the forest behind him told him that Duman Junhe was already there, in position. And most likely stringing his bow too! That meant that he would take care of any of the creatures that escaped the two of them in melee. Yet, Wuying could not help but wonder just how different these were. They were certainly not going be using the same sort of tactics that they had encountered, with the dog-like Beasts of the forsaken Trade Town!
He sighed then, as he drew his own blade. He should have questioned the old man earlier, he supposed. But there just had not been any opportunity, had there? Well, he would just have to be cautious and see.
Then he almost dropped the sword that he held in surprise!
The weapon's blade was covered with swirling patterns of different colors, with a purple shade dominating for most of its length! What was this? Had it always looked like this? Could it be that he was unaware of this unusual property, because he did not have the Sight that he had now?
A shout from Wumu Qian brought his attention back to the fight ahead, making him tear his eyes away from the sword blade. True enough, the six stag-like creatures that he had seen earlier were now charging at the shorter man. And they looked like they wanted nothing more than to drive the tines of their antlers into his body!
Qian roared again as he charged at the closest of the Shadow Deer at his right, and it turned its head to face the newcomer at once, lowering the points of its antlers to aim at the center of the rushing shape. In that moment, Wuying suddenly understood what it was trying to do, and he shouted out to the younger man to retreat at once!
"No! Don't meet it's charge!"
The shorter, burlier man threw himself out of the way at the last moment, and ducked, leaving the antlers to sweep past him. Wuying, on the other hand, charged in from the side and his blade caught the creature in its hindquarters, almost cutting its leg off. And as it stumbled and fell, Wumu Qian's spear pushed past its now-misaligned horns to catch it in the heart, ending it.
"There are no cross pieces on your spear! It would just push all the way through to catch you with its horns!" he shouted at the younger man, as he hastily readied his weapon again and pointed at the next of approaching creatures.
If the spearman seemed a little pale then, he still reacted to the warning the same stoic way, spinning his weapon to knock the heavy butt end of the spear into the next attacking deer's skull and stunning it. Then, as he sidestepped it's staggered rush, and spun his weapon around, there was a loud twanging sound, and the creature collapsed onto the forest floor at once, with one of Junhe's arrows fixed in its heart.
"Just distract them and I'll take care of them!"
Junhe's shout made a lot of sense. At least, more sense than what they had been doing for the last two opponents that they faced. So long as they kept the creatures from noticing him in the rear, he could pick them off easily! And they had already dealt with two of them, so there were only four more of the things!
"We'll take them together, and let them go around us. That will take their eyes off Second Brother!" Qian cried out then, as he started to wave the blunt end of his spear about in front of him. Clearly, he intended to draw them in, and hold their attention.
"Back to back then!"
It was a good plan, Wuying had to admit, as he moved to cover the shorter man's back. This way, they would allow their archer to have a choice of targets. And knowing Junhe's skill, he shouldn't have too much trouble with these things! The deer were different from the other creatures that they had slain, back at the Gate. But they were not that much brighter in comparison to the same!
"Going left!"
Wuying gave out a simple grunt, to acknowledge that he had received Wumu Qian's intent, as he shifted to guard his Third Brother's back. Qian's spear, in the meanwhile, caught one of the deer-like Shadows just as it was recovering from its charge, and pierced it in the chest. And from what Wuying could see, he had managed to hit its core!
"This is a lot easier than back at the Gate," shouted Duman Junhe then, after he had loosed another arrow, "We can see exactly where their vulnerabilities are! So long as we can keep them from hitting us, I should be able to pick them off easily!"
That was an advantage that Wuying knew that they could not afford to waste. So he simply nodded, as he shouted out to the archer:
"Then do that! And quickly! We still do not know how many of the creatures there are, and they might be hitting the Hoshendanggir as we waste time talking here!"
Duman Junhe merely laughed as soon as he heard that, but his rate of fire became more rapid at once. And both Wuying and Wumu Qian had no more time to waste on talking, as the remaining Beasts all charged at them together!
It looked like they were in for a hard fight!
*
"Well, fighting them is very different from the other Shadow creatures that we had fought so far, back at the White Tiger Gate. But they suffer from the same weakness, so it shouldn't be too difficult to take care of them, hey?"
The battle between the three Royal Guards and the group of Shadow Beasts was finally done, and the bodies of the slain were already giving off streams of dark smoke as they slowly disintegrated in the faint light under the forest eaves. Duman Junhe had was speaking as he strode through the trees, picking his way back to the other two. Who looked a lot worse for wear than he did. Not surprising, since the two of them had fended off close to twenty of the antelope-like creatures.
Wuying ran the sleeve of his uniform across his brow, wiping the thick beads of perspiration off before he looked up at Duman Junhe. The handsome young man didn't look the least bit flustered, and it was clear that his clothes were not mussed up at all.
Wuying had always envied that about the fellow. Besides that, Junhe was the one who didn't have to spend any coin at all on repairs to his uniforms like he and Wumu Qian did. Although he did make up for that, with all his entertaining at the restaurants and the brothel.
"They are deer - antelopes. And they are all male, all stags. And they are similar to the sort that is found in the North, in the woods there. I have seen similar animals, in the North. Although they had reddish-brown fur and white spots. Not like the uniform black coats here. And they are a lot smaller, where I'm from," Qian said, as he watched the last of the carcasses fade away, "We don't usually hunt them though. They are supposed to bring good fortune."
"I think we should use the term Shadow Stags, rather than Shadow Antelopes. It makes them sound a little more aggressive, which fits their temperament, as we have seen. That should make us sound a little more heroic, when we go about telling others about this fight. Don't you think?"
The other two men rolled their eyes at Junhe's suggestion. But neither of them disagreed. Duman Junhe had been right about such things, ever since they first started to deal with the Shadow Creatures within the White Tiger Trade Town. And his tales had always been popular, among the regular people who hankered after accounts of the White Tiger Guards' Hunts. None of them have had to pay for their drinks at the taverns since Junhe had started sharing the stories of their exploits.
But Wumu Qian did have something to say about the appearance of these monstrous beasts. "Well, I don't think these creatures are considered lucky here. At least, they are not lucky for Tanggellir and his people. Considering the way they have been bothering the locals."
"Oh, they aren't lucky at all. Except for us! Nineteen of them dead by my bow? And another eight by your spear and Eldest Brother's sword? That makes twenty-seven! And on our first fight against them! This should be enough to convince the Tribe that we mean business.
"And did you see? One of them left a pair of antlers, and it has already turned greyish-white. That should be proof enough of our prowess! Do you think the old man will let me keep them? I don't think anyone has a trophy like that," Junhe laughed.
"That will depend on him catching up, don't you think? I believe that we are lost in the woods here. I have no idea where the old man is, or I would have gone towards him at once. Can you retrace your steps to the meeting hut? Or anywhere else that would suit, Eldest Brother Wuying?"
The Sight that the one in the feathered cloak had laid on them made it possible for them to see in the relative darkness under the forest canopy. But it was also clear that he was the only one who could see the lines that joined together in a web over the same. Though he could not be certain that what he saw actually indicated people themselves ...
"There are some people further down that way," he pointed out to the other two, even as he squinted in that direction. It didn't look any clearer, and there were too many trees in the way.
"I cannot tell if it is Tanggellir, or whatever he calls himself. But the good news is that I don't sense any more of those Shadow Stags. Whatever they may be. They gave off a feeling that made me believe that they are like the Shadow Dogs that we have fought, back at the Old Trade Town. It is almost as if they are ... related somehow?"
"Related? Are you alright, big brother? You sound as if you have gone mad! One's a dog and the other's a deer. How can they be related?"
Wumu Qian sighed, and started in the direction that Wuying had pointed out. He seemed to wear a tired smile as he walked, gesturing at Junhe as he did so. "Just ignore him. Second Brother Junhe is just excited because for once, he has had a higher kill rate than either of us. Let's just head towards the place where people are gathering. If we don't find the old man or the feathered one there, at least we can ask someone who might be able to guide us to where they are."
As they walked, however, Wuying found himself somewhat bothered by the attack again. There was something that he was missing about the whole thing. And it had naught to do with the way that the spell that granted him this strange advantage too.
Yet, despite looking at it from every angle, he could not quite understand what it was.
Nor was he the only one so disturbed by their latest fight.
"Why do I feel so ... disturbed by our fight against the antelopes just now?" Wumu Qian confided suddenly, as they were walking along. They had not gone more than twenty paces, Wuying was certain. It seemed this uneasiness was not entirely a product of his own imagination.
Duman Junhe snorted. "You are not the only one, Third Brother. I am feeling as though I have missed something. And it is making me feel as if I have an itch that I cannot scratch. What about you, Big Brother?"
Wuying agreed without hesitation. "So ... we all feel it then? As if we have missed something? It might be something so blatant, and right before our eyes ... That is my interpretation of it, at least. But I cannot figure it out at all!"
But the three of them could not find an answer, no matter how hard they tried. So they pushed it aside, and quickly made their way through the somewhat dense forest. They were more than a little anxious to meet up with their hosts once more.
*
The sound of voices, and other sounds of human activity, became more obvious as the trio drew closer to where the crowd ahead of them. At least, that was what Wuying's vision proclaimed. Despite their unfamiliarity with the place, the magic of Hoshendanggir seemed to make sure that their travel through the forest was a lot easier than what Wuying had expected.
Then, all at once, the sounds ceased. And Wuying took that to mean that they had been spotted by whatever sentries that had been placed about the spot. No doubt, to protect the so-called Birthing Place, whatever that was.
But Wumu Qian signaled for them to stop, the moment that the sounds ceased, and he paused to look around him, even as the pair stepped up beside him. Wuying smiled as he considered how much more confident the youngest among them was, in the wilderness. But how was the tribe going to react to the three of them now, after they had dealt with the deers?
"I think we have been spotted. And I think I caught a glimpse of the ones who are watching us now. Perhaps we should wait here? I think they will send someone to us soon. Now that they realize that we have not been killed by the Shadow Antelopes," Qian snorted, as he turned back to the other two behind him.
"Oh, I think I have enough evidence of that!"
Both of them in the lead turned to look at Junhe then. He had been taking the rear guard position, after all. And Wuying's eyes went wide when he saw what the merchant-brat was holding in his hands. "You ... you picked up the antlers?" he croaked, as he saw what Duman Junhe was holding up over his head.
"Why not? They are a rather unusual trophy, and I'm that no one at the Garrison has one of these! It will make a nice decoration for our room, don't you think?"
Qian shook his head, but Wuying only sighed. It seemed like their second brother was still the same when it came to his too-casual attitude towards such matters. "We might want to check with the locals first, before we start picking up the remains of ... those things. They might find them offensive, for instance. We don't want to start anything, now do we?"
"Oh, yes. I forgot about that," sighed Junhe a little sheepishly, as he lowered his voice, "But I think we'll keep quiet about the soul stones though. I packed those away inside my dispatch pouch. We can always sell them away once we get back to the Garrison."
Wuying merely shook his head at his Second Brother's practical stance, and concentrated on the figures that he had noticed, approaching from a distance away. They looked man-shaped, but were filled with an assortment of colors and glowing lines. There were even one or two that sort of looked familiar.
Perhaps ... Tanggellir and Hoshendanggir?
It turned out to be Tanggellir. But the one at his side was not the magic caster. Instead the older man was accompanied by a young woman, similarly clad in leathers. Although she seemed to prefer a more tight-fitting, and more scandalous, outfit that would be considered positively indecent by any of the ladies back at White Tiger Garrison Town.
Especially how her tight trousers hugged every inch of her from the waist down!
Even Wuying could not help but compare her attire to what the prostitutes at the Garrison Town were wearing. Even they were showing off less skin, compared to what she had on!
This newcomer was exposing her entire neck, down to her collarbones, and both of her arms, from her shoulders down! And her tight, black and brown tunic clung to her as though it was a second skin, leaving nothing to the imagination! Not to mention the way that her leather trousers were similarly hugging her hips and thighs so tightly that there was absolutely no hiding her ample curves there.
Which was enough to leave all three men, particularly Wumu Qian, with bright red faces! Nor was that the only part of their anatomy showing a reaction, judging from the awkward looks on his brother's faces.
Not that Wuying managed to escape that particular response himself.
Tanggellir, on the other hand, did not appear awkward at all, when he introduced his scowling companion as the First Daughter of the Tribe. "Annika was asked to be introduced to the three of you, after her people witnessed the way that you handled the Shadows, close by. The Loremaster was rather impressed by your fighting skills," he said with a grin.
"We were tempted to seek an exception for you, and allow you into the Grove, to guard the Birthing Place as well! But the Loremaster stopped us before ... Well, she was worried that our ways would embarrass you, especially in front of the rest of our women here. The discussion was a little ... heated, earlier."
The trio exchanged a glance. And all of them agreed to simply smile and make no comment. None of them knew enough of these people's customs to say much anyway. Especially if all of them were dressed like this First Daughter Annika woman before their eyes.
In the end, it was Duman Junhe who could no longer control his curiosity, and asked:
"This Birthing Place of yours ... Is it a spot in the Forest where your womenfolk are confined, shortly after they give birth? We have a tradition among our own people, you see, called Confinement, where new mothers are ... largely left in the hands of other women. And their husbands are not allowed to ... spend the night with them. For at least fifteen days. Or nights ... I think you know what I mean."
Tanggellir merely smiled at the question, and made no attempt to answer. The skimpily-dressed First Daughter, on the other hand, simply grunted and waved a hand at her back.
"That is largely the same custom, although the time period is somewhat different. We keep our mothers ... isolated from the men, in the most secure part of the Forest, from the time that ... they are about to give birth to twenty days after that is done. And when the child is ready to be presented to its father.
"But this name ... Confinement? It sounds so ... It does not respect the sacred duty of our women, who are the ones capable of bearing the next generation. Why did your people come up with such a name?"
She seemed a little upset now, although Wuying was not sure how much of it was real, and how much of it was an act. They were still being tested, it seemed.
He looked at the other two then, but saw them exchanging puzzled looks. It seemed Wuying was the one who recovered quickly enough to manage an answer. Or what could barely pass for one.
"This was something that was ... taught to all of us when we were children. And it comes from generations ago, so I cannot say why or how the custom originated. We are ... We are told to respect our elders, you see, so we can only follow the rules that they have set down."
"Even if the rules make no sense at all? Or if the terms they use are demeaning?"
And the fire in her eyes, as she asked that, made it clear that she was not entirely trusting of them just yet. At least, not when it comes to the way that their society was structured.
"They may seem demeaning to you, but they are ... rules that give comfort to our people, to our women. My sister-in-law had recently be rendered an orphan when her father was killed. And since she was his only daughter, she was the only one who could perform the rites. But since she was married, she could only use those ... that are reserved for people in her situation. Which is a lot more practical, compared to what she would have to go through, if she was unwed.
"So there are certain advantages, to having the rules around, to guide us."
Wumu Qian's words were delivered in an almost cold, matter-of-fact tone of voice. And Wuying was suddenly glad that he could find an example to support the Kingdom's rituals. He certainly could not, even though he had been racking his brain all this while.
But the girl sniffed, and turned to look at Tanggellir. "It is clear that their laws and ways are completely unlike our own. And the Loremaster was not lying, when she warned that they might not fit in for all that these ... heroes had managed to save those who were ... due to give birth. Regardless of ... their battle prowess.
"In any case, they are not be suitable to enter the Birthing Place. Not with their minds so rigid already," she declared, with a hint of disgust in her voice.
As though she was putting down the intelligence of the trio before her!
Duman Junhe's eyes sparkled at once, as he gave out a laugh. A laugh that the other two had heard many, many times before. One that promised retribution for the insult that he had just heard.
Wuying was tempted to stop him, since they were guests there, in the Shadowed Woods. But he decided not to, in the end. After all, he was rather certain that this was some sort of an act. And this First Daughter Annika was merely playing a role.
He was more interested to learn who was the one behind such a play, and it did appear to be too harsh on them anyway. Those from the White Tiger Guards were used to handling insults.
Well, at least that was what the History Books said.
But much to everyone's surprise, it was Wumu Qian, whose quiet Northern mentality had always given them the impression that he had his emotions tightly under control, who gave voice to their shared discontent!
"So says someone who has different zones set aside for the different age-groups among her people. Who needs permission from her elders to even speak to strangers from afar. I have my doubts when it comes to comparing the rigidity of mindsets against someone like that," came his voice, bearing a quiet tone that the other two men knew only too well.
But ... Wumu Qian was angry? Why? What was it that triggered him to make such a comment? Wuying certainly could not understand it.
Still, he managed to keep his confusion from appearing on his face, as he calmly looked at the two of them. Wumu Qian looked seriously offended, given his manner of speech. Which seemed to annoy this First Daughter further!
"Oh? Rigid or not, our ways have managed to keep us, and our womenfolk, safe for longer than you have been alive," sniffed Annika, before she abruptly nodded to the still silent Tanggellir, and turned to leave.
"Live through another of these attacks first, before you dare to say the same about your skills. Honestly, I doubt that you will say the same, when you have met with more of those Abyssal Beasts!"
More of them? Was facing twenty-seven of the creatures not enough? Wuying found himself frowning as soon as he heard Annika's words. Then he caught sight of the antlers in Duman Junhe's hands. Did she think that the three of them had only managed to bring down just one of the antelope-like Shadows?
"That is not something that you should be concerned about. We have faith in our own skills. If you have your doubts, you can watch us, if you wish, the next time that they appear. So long as you do not interfere."
Annika sniffed at Wumu Qian's words, and rose to her feet at once.
"Then perhaps, we shall see just what you three are capable of!"
* * *
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
Mournblade
Mournblade Took me some time to remember what I had originally intended, and lost, thanks to my crashed files. Apologies for that.
I have reworked the storyline again, and shall be updating more or less regularly. Of course, since I've got another story going now (shameless plugging!) this one will be moving along more slowly.
In short, weekdays for Simply Trading and Saturday Nights for this one. If all goes well ...
Knowing my luck, I am making no hard promises.
Cheers!
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone