Someone you may someday meet:
The path was cold and snowy. "Winter has never hit here so hard before!," she thought to herself. She wore a white parka with the furry hood pulled around her rosey cheeked face. Thick leather leggings protected her legs from the cold. A frost of ice covered the wide green scarf across her mouth. With her hefty snow-shoes on, she looked more like a round snow-ball than a woman; still, her gait was odd: it was cat-like. She carried a kar at her side, a staff in her gloved right hand, and a fine lutar with a quiver of shrill on her back. A light backpack with a bed roll sat on her shoulders. All of this gear indicated that she was an experienced woodsman.
The rushing, moaning wind blew bitterly. "If they're out there," she thought to herself, "you couldn't miss them among the trees..." She made some good headway and began to calm down; Until a low growl beside her shocked her out of her mind set. Quickly she turned to her side to face whatever had made that sound, but all she could see were a pair of coal-black eyes against the white background of the snow as it jumped her. The beast completely knocked her over. She grappled with its shoulders, but it held her down. She knew then that it must be a white panther; still, it didn't bite her or even tear her clothing. They both remained there for a few seconds, as frozen in motion as the frozen snow. She tried to get up again, but again the panther held her fast. Surprisingly, she heard footsteps crunching in the snow; and then a shout:
"Nakia! Timba ho!"
The big cat leapt off of her as if it had been launched from a spring-board. After rolling slowly to her side, she took her first look at the man who had ordered the panther away. He was very tall and smooth shaven. He had tan skin and black hair cut in a crew cut. He looked distinguished and unafraid. He was dressed in leather with fur boots and carried a metal staff. His face had high cheek-bones and he wore a smile, at least for a moment. She rolled up to her feet to face him and she held her hand on her sword hilt. The man walked over to her, but stayed just out of sword range. He said:
"Tell me, what brings a yayele to these frozen wastes in the dead of winter?"
She answered angrily "I am no yayele! I am Norda! And if your cat had not been white it would be quite dead by now." (Steamed over being jumped.)
The big man laughed a hearty laugh and said "My mistake Norda, but many a man has hunted after Nakia and did not return to try again; but, that is a long story." He paused and introduced himself. "I am called Ice Walker, and I am at your service." He then bowed slightly.
Norda relaxed a bit after that and blushed. She awkwardly said "Thank you."
Ice Walker straightened up. "If you tell me what it is you seek here, perhaps I may be of some assistance."
Then she lowered her head and lamented. "I have come to find my family."
Ice Walker's eyebrows raised. "Some of your kind are ahead on this trail, though I don't know if they are your relations." He paused to think for a few seconds. "They may soon be in some trouble. Come, we must hurry..." With that, he placed two of his fingers to his mouth and then gave two short whistles. Two great snowy birds dove out of the sky and landed beside them. Ice Walker leapt on the first one; saying "Climb aboard the other!" Norda grabbed the strapping on the bird and mounted it in one smooth motion. As the birds lifted off the ground, Ice Walker continued to talk to her. "I know you do not trust me yet, but you are free to take the bird with you instead of walking. They are very good fighters..."
The mind's the limit!
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© Copyright 1999 by Abram Paradies.
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