Mofos|Beastlands

"Daddy, be careful," Kura warned for not the first or even fifth time since they'd struck out together alone. She was still terrified to her core that something would happen to him and she'd be left to die alone in the forests. She hurried to catch up to his side and slipped her hand loosely in his own. She knew better than to hold on tight in case he needed to fight suddenly.

The tracks they followed went deep into the woods of the Beastlands, to parts where it seemed light rarely reached for the thick canopy above. As day was waning into evening, the sun not quite touching the horizon but growing close, they finally drew near to the source of the tracks.

It was not possible to see them easily for it was as though the two had run into a wall of thorn bushes and trees. It was too thick, too neat to be naturally grown though it passed for camouflage from a distance. It was obvious that an Earth-Plant had done this work.

But beyond the barrier were voices. Harsh male voices that bantered and jeered at each other with ease and camaraderie. They weren't being too loud but neither were they bothering to stay terribly quiet.

Closer listening revealed that there were more than two men in there. It sounded like a full camp.

But the men nearest to Drake and Kura were easiest to hear. "I hope Pip comes back," one was bitching. "He owes us some relief and a cut of our pay. There's whores waiting on me in Ilyamen."

"There's whores waiting for you here," the second laugh. "Lord Pip will come when he damn well pleases and if he hears you bellyaching, he'll cut that belly open."

The first man spit noisily. "I don't want to rut with no Beasts."

"There's more than Beasts and you know it," the other coaxed. "C'mon now, Cuz. Quit your bitching or someone WILL hear."

"I'm just sick of this fucking forest," the first, 'Cuz' whined. "I miss the city. If Zolu has a problem with that, he can console himself with those bitches you're trying to distract me with."

Kura gave Drake a confused look.

Kura's eyes widened a fraction at that. "Do you think they have Mommy?" she asked and crept back to the wall to see if there was any openings in the thorns. She pricked herself, winced, and hastily returned back to Drake's side.

Kura smiled at that, but it was a mean, grim smile. A Wrathful's grin.

She nodded and tried to keep from straying from him again. "But how?" she asked softly. "There was more than a couple of people in there. And I can't fight adults. I can't even fight older kids well. Especially not groups." She shuddered, remembering her 'lesson' from Maelstrom.

"If you want to sleep or rest, I can keep an eye on things," Kura offered quickly. "It would keep me busy and I'm good at spotting stuff like I've shown you." She even took pains to keep her voice down. After all, she reasoned, if they could hear the men, the men might hear them too.

"I can," Kura agreed hastily. But by nightfall she had begun to nod off. She moved close to Drake, clung lightly to his clothing as she pressed into his side for warmth and comfort. "I can stay up, Daddy," she insisted through a sleep-thick voice. "Don't go anywhere... without.. me..." Even as she spoke her head nodded down again and she fell asleep against him.