"Dammit all!" Ellie shouted, staring at the map. The little gnome and her orcish companion had been trekking in the Zanzaldi jungle for three days, now. What was supposed to have been a half day's journey from their last stop just outside the jungle at Huntsman's Crossing before arriving in the port town of Fletcher Bay, had now become a quest just to find a path leading to any form of civilization. Before leaving Huntsman's Crossing the two adventurers had received word that a recent storm had washed away the road leading to Fletcher Bay, but a kindly gentleman had sold them a map with what he had promised was a more direct route to their destination. Thinking back on it, he was less a "kindly gentleman" and more of a "deceiving con artist".
"Damn this jungle! Damn these mosquitoes! Damn this hot weather! Damn this stupid map! And damn the lying bastard who sold it to us!" With a huff, Ellie stuffed the map back into her pack, and sat down on a nearby rock, sulking.
Mazra sat down next to her smaller companion. "It will be dark soon," the orc noted. "Perhaps it would be best to set up camp, and rest here for the night." A crack of thunder boomed through the air, shattering the near silence of the jungle. The first few heavy drops of rain began to fall, providing an unwelcomed respite from the hot, tropical weather. "We should get started on that camp."
...
The rain was unrelenting, quickly turning the ground into a soft, slippery, and muddy mess. The heavy patter on the tent made it difficult to sleep soundly, but the two managed to eventually drift off. Mazra and Ellie's clothes were soaked right through, meaning they had to strip them off and sleep without. The two of them were forced to cuddle together while they slept for warmth, not that either minded, nor was it any different from how they normally slept. All of the nearby wood had been drenched, making it unusable to start a fire, which meant they were colder than usual. And, unprotected from any of the innumerable predators that lurked in the shadows.
The moon was nearing its highest point when Mazra heard it: the sharp snapping of a branch. Something was out there, and the orc wasn't going to bet on it being friendly. "Ellie!" Mazra hissed. The gnome stirred, ever so slightly. "Ellie! Wake up! There's something out there!"
"What!?" Ellie said, scrambling to her feet. Mazra was already reaching for her axe. Ellie, grabbed her revolver rifle, double checking to make sure it was loaded. The only bit of clothing the two bothered to put on were their cold, wet cloaks, to provide at least some protection from whatever foe lurked out there, or to give the pair at least some decency in case it was another person.
The two slowly crept out of their small tent, careful not to make too much noise that would alert whatever was out there to their presence. "You sure you heard something out here?" Ellie whispered.
"Yeah, I'm positive," Mazra replied. "Perhaps it's gone." The low rumble of a panther's growl broke the near silence. "Or not. Keep on your guard, and shoot it as soon as you see it."
With a roar the panther leapt from its hiding place. Ellie released a shot, but barely grazed the beast. The black feline swiped at Mazra, slicing her right in the stomach. "ARRGH!" she screamed, keeling over. She quickly straightened herself, slashing back against her opponent. The panther deftly dodged the attack, growling at its prey.
"Get away from her!" Ellie yelled, firing another round at the cat. This shot hit its mark, planting itself in the panther's shoulder. The panther yelped in agony, before turning its gaze on Ellie. The predator licked its lips in anticipation for the fight with this more worthy opponent.
The beast lunged at the small woman, knocking her to the ground. Her gun flew from her hands, landing ten feet away from where the two struggled. Just as the panther was about the sink its teeth into the juicy gnome beneath it a bolt of green magic struck its side. With a yelp the animal was pushed aside, giving Ellie a chance to scramble to her weapon. Another blast of magic was fired at the cat, barely missing its target. The first hit had been enough, however, and the beast fled from the fight in defeat.
Ellie rushed to Mazra's side. "You alright, babe?" the little woman asked, concerned. She examined her companion's wound. "This is not good. We need to get you to help. Now!"
"I'm fine," the orc growled. "It's going to take a lot more than that to take down a member of the Wolf Heart Clan. Go fetch our packs. Should be some bandages in one of them." Ellie scurried back into the tent, emerging with both of their packs, digging around to find something to bind Mazra's cuts.
"Perhaps I should take a look at your injuries," a deep voice said. Mazra and Ellie both looked up. Standing before them was a tall, dark skinned woman. She wore nothing but a loin cloth and an animal skin bound around her modest chest, her outfit displaying her well toned body, as well as the many rune tattoos that decorated her skin. In her left hand she wielded a twisted mahogony staff, which had many of the same runes that decorated her body carved into it. She pushed a few of her dreadlocks out of her face, revealing a pair of silver eyes that appeared to almost glow in the moonlight. She knelt besides Mazra, placing her staff on the ground, moving the orc woman's hand from her wound, and inspecting it closely. "Your gnomish friend is right, this is a grave affliction. I have just the thing in my home to treat this," she said, before turning to Ellie. "Take your packs. The two of you can rest at my home, tonight."
The woman rose to her feet, bringing Mazra to her own. "I'm guessing it was you who helped us out back there," Mazra said, letting out a pained grunt as talking caused her injury some discomfort.
"You would be correct," the mysterious woman replied. "I heard your struggle from my hut. I wasn't going to just let a couple of travellers get killed in the night. Arrived just in time, it would appear."
"We would have been fine," Ellie interjected.
"Strange," the woman said, a hint of laughter behind her words. "It seemed that without me you would have been quite the meal for that predator back there, had I not acted in time."
Ellie angrily huffed in response. "What's your name?" she inquired.
"Tanska," their savior replied. "And what about you?"
"Elora," the gnome responded. "And that beautiful green thing is Mazra."
"It's a pleasure to meet you both," Tanska said. "It's a shame we couldn't have had this introduction on a more pleasant note. It has been a long while since I last entertained guests, and the company would be greatly appreciated."
The trio of women arrived at a large hut, smoke billowing from the chimney. Tanska pushed aside the curtain, inviting her guests inside. "Lay your cloaks and other belongings by the fire to dry. No need to be shy about your lack of decency, I have plenty of warm, dry blankets to wrap yourselves in," she said, following Ellie and Mazra inside, and leaning her staff against the wall. She turned towards a large cabinet, and opening it. Inside were dozens of bottles and jars, ranging from every size, color, and viscosity. The dark woman reached for a jar of pale, green paste, before beckoning Mazra over. She opened the jar, releasing a pungeant, sour aroma, and scooped up a generous amount, which she proceeded to rub deep into the claw marks. Mazra hissed in a pained response. "The medicine should be taking effect, now," Tanska said, sealing the jar once more, before putting it back into its place in the cabinet.
The effects were instantaneous. The muscles on Mazra's abdomen began to sew themselves back together, the skin sealing back over the exposed muscles, leaving only a scar a few shades paler than the rest of her skin. "Thank you," the orc said, graciously.
"It was no problem," Tanksa said. "The wound would only have gotten worse over time. Illness and possibly death would have been imminent." She walked over to a large basket, and procured two, thick blanets. "Here," she said, handing a blanket to each of her guests, before sitting on the floor with them. "These should help warm you up."
Both women thanked her for the blankets, before wrapping themselves in their warmth, once again covering their naked bodies. "So, what exactly is it that you do out here, Tanska?" Ellie asked, in an attempt to dissipate the silence in the room.
"I have always lived in this jungle," the dark woman replied. "I was born to a tribe that lived and learned with the spirits of this place. We found a balance between helping and using the plants and animals, and were rewarded with power not seen outside of these trees," Her tone grew somber. "Then outsiders came. They showed us technologies we had never even imagined before. New spirits to worship. New ways of life we had never thought possible. Slowly, my tribe abandoned the old ways, rather than living alongside the new. They left the village, and adopted the cultures of the outsiders. They abandoned the spirits, and the spirits abandoned them."
Ellie placed a comforting hand on Tanska's thigh. "I'm so sorry," she said, meeting the much taller woman's eyes.
