21
As they got closer they could hear the sounds of fighting, branches and trees breaking and cries of pain and exertion coming from deep within the pine forest. Running through the falling snow in the dark gave Mawei the impression that she was moving much faster than she was, and she seemed to be observing this strange sensation at a remove from herself. She wondered if it was a product of fear, exhaustion, or both. It was as if she were hovering somewhere just above her own head.
She would’ve run right into the midst of the fight if Ruffer hadn’t stopped her. Her eyesight wasn’t as good as his in the darkness. “They’re right down there,” Ruffer said.
Mawei could see nothing, but she could hear the fight going on in the black forest below her. “Is the child there?” She asked.
“I don’t see it.” Ruffer said. “They’re moving now. They don’t want to fight anymore, but your uncle keeps attacking.”
“I’m going down there.”
“Wait, we need a plan.” Ruffer said, but Mawei was already partway down the hill, screaming a call she had never made before, the battle call. As she got closer she could see Sanai the snow-yeti on the ground with her uncle, struggling in a mass of white and auburn fur. The highland-yeti, Hatcher, was in a fighting stance and looking into the darkness for the source of her call.
Mawei hit him high in the shoulder, grabbing onto his arm, and brought him down in a twisting motion as her father had taught her. He landed half on top of her and Mawei used her legs to shove him upwards, cartwheeling him into the darkness behind her. She caught a glimpse of his legs flailing out of view, and heard his cry of pain and surprise before she got herself upright. She hadn’t meant to scratch him, but she could feel chunks of his flesh under her claws.
Mawei stood at the ready, expecting a counter attack from the direction she’d flung Hatcher, but it came from behind. Something slammed into the back of her knees, and as she tried to recover she saw a flash of white fur and felt an eruption of pain in her face that dissolved into little blinking lights. After a fractured moment she was inhaling snow and she started to cough. She felt hands pulling her up and recognized vaguely that it was her uncle.
“What are you doing here?” Rei asked her. His left shoulder was punctured, sending a stream of blood dripping off of his elbow onto the fresh snow. Mawei thought it was probably a bite wound.
“I’m here to help you fight.” Mawei said. Sanai and Hatcher laughed. They had regrouped and were standing at a safe distance. Ruffer was nowhere to be seen.
“Listen child,” Sanai said, “you and your uncle are not invincible. We just came to ask him some questions and he reacted violently. If he would stop attacking he would be in no danger, and neither would you.”
“You are intruders and you will be repelled!” Rei said.
Mawei glanced into the darkness behind them and made her words big. “You two should leave immediately before you anger the demon.”
“What are you talking about?” Hatcher asked.
“I’m talking about the disemboweling demon who protects these woods.” Mawei said.
“You’re a good niece,” Sanai said, “but your lies wont help your uncle. Rei, we know you harbor a human and we must know where it is. Tell us.”
“I’ll tell you nothing except to leave my wild or die.”
“You’ve been warned,” Mawei said, “you leave me no choice.” She took a wide stance, clapped her hands loudly above her head and let out an ear-piercing high-pitched shriek. A black streak flashed behind the two intruders and they both fell to their knees calling out in pain.
“Something got the back of my leg.” Hatcher said, trying to stand.
“Mine too.” The snow-yeti said, helping his companion to his feet. A rock hit the tree beside them, and then another rock hit Hatcher in the head and the black streak flew by again, sending both yetis back to the ground. Mawei let her eyes roll back so they showed only white, and held her hands up, moaning as if she were in contact with the spirit realm. She was having fun.
More rocks came in, two hitting Sanai’s back and another hitting Hatcher in the head again. Ruffer streaked by, slashing a claw across both of their backs in one fluid motion before disappearing into the darkness. Hatcher looked panicked. He scrambled to a tree and pressed himself against it, looking around to see where the next attack was coming from.
Sanai was determined to maintain his composure and stood up straight. “The talk of demons is unconvincing,” he said, “but we’re clearly at a disadvantage now…” a rock hit him just above the temple and Hatcher screeched in pain as Ruffer rushed in and took a chunk out of his side. Sanai continued, “like all things, your success is temporary. We will find and destroy the human -you can be certain of that.” There was blood coming down the side of his face. Hatcher was already running away and Sanai followed. Rei and Mawei laughed at their disorganized retreat.
“Where is the child?” Mawei asked, pressing the palm of her hand onto Rei’s puncture wound to staunch the flow of blood.
“She’s safe, not far from here.” He said. “Who is our disemboweling demon?”
“A friend of mine named Ruffer.” Mawei said. “Uncle the human is probably very cold, didn’t you notice how sensitive she is to it?”
“Ruffer? I don’t know him.” He cocked his head toward the darkness. “Listen, he’s still harassing them.”
“The child has no fur.” Mawei said. “Take me to her.”
“She’ll have to get used to the cold if she’s going to live as a yeti,” Rei said, “anyway, shouldn’t we wait for your helpful friend?”
“He’ll find us. He’s a night-yeti, he can see in the dark.”
Mawei released the pressure on her uncle’s wound and he led her down a hill and around a snowy bramble to a large fallen tree. “She’s in there,” he said, “it’s hallow.”
“You left her in a hallow log?” Mawei didn’t wait for his response, she started brushing the snow off of the tree, looking for the opening. She found it and reached up inside, but felt nothing. She turned to her uncle. “She’s not there. Are you sure this is the right tree?”
“Yes, of course.” Rei said. He pushed Mawei out of the way and stuffed his hand into the opening. “You’re right. Where could she have gone?”
Mawei sniffed at the air but smelled only snow. The snowfall had also covered any tracks that the child might’ve left. Mawei showed her teeth to her uncle. “Sanai shouldn’t worry about the human, you’re doing a fine job destroying her yourself!” Rei tilted his head back and made the night call, and somewhere not far off Ruffer joined in. “What’s the point of that?” Mawei asked. “The child doesn’t know a night call. Come on she couldn’t have gotten far on those little legs. Let’s look for her.”
Before they started their search Ruffer came out of the snowy dark carrying the child. “Look what I found.” He said. “She feels like a lump of ice.” Rei had again smeared the little human from head to foot in river mud that had dried into a kind of cracked second skin. She was curled into a ball and was shaking violently.
Mawei took Helena from Ruffer and sat down, cradling the child between her body and her thighs and darkened her fur to warm the shivering human. While she was busy with Helena, Rei introduced himself to Ruffer. “Thanks for the help,” Rei said, “I could’ve handled either of those two on their own, but together they were too much for me.”
“They’ll be back.” Ruffer said. “We should get the child out of here.”
“I’m glad you came to our aid,” Rei said, “but I have to ask why you did. You risk a lot.”
“I have some experience with humans, so I don’t fear them.” Ruffer said. “And I want to help Mawei and the child.”
“She’s suffering from the cold.” Mawei said. “When she recovers we can get moving. I guess the best thing to do would be to take her to your wild Ruffer.”
“To my wild?”
“That’s a good idea.” Rei said. “They’ll l
ook here and if they don’t find her they’ll go to Mawei’s, but they don’t know you’re involved. You can hide her away until they decide the human is gone or that there was no human in the first place. When they’ve given up looking you can bring her back to me. I’ll make sure she’s fully yetified before anyone knows she’s here.”
“Uncle Rei, when they come back, don’t fight them.” Mawei said. “Just let them do what they want. You’ve already injured yourself. Is your shoulder hurt badly?”
“No,” he said, “and I would gladly suffer much worse to protect the little bird.” He turned his attention to Ruffer. “Wait two cycles of the moon and then bring her back to me. You must keep her warm and feed her once a day. Keep her covered in mud and bear in mind that she has poor vision and little sense of smell. Her teeth are not strong and she’s picky about food. She’ll eat fish if you mush it properly.” He looked down at little Helena, who was warming up but was still in a sort of shock from having been abandoned naked in what was turning into one of the worst snowstorms of the season.
“I’ve only just met you.” Rei said to Ruffer. “But I’m am entrusting you with the most important thing I’ve ever done. The fact that my niece trusts you is enough for me. If you bring the child back to me safely you’ll have a friend for life.”
Ruffer gave Rei his word that no harm would come to the child, and then he helped Mawei to her feet. Mawei did her best to protect Helena from the cold and snow as they started out. Rei followed them to the edge of his woods and then stopped and watched them go. He stood in a defeated posture that nevertheless spoke of a small sliver of hope in an overwhelming tide of hopelessness.