Patreon or PayPal Me keeps this site and its author alive. Thank you. |
Stories from the Verse
Con Version
Chapter 13: Takano 88
Table of Contents
Previous chapter: Cooper 4
Sylwi rushed over to Tommy who was gathering brush wood.
“The hunters on guard have spotted the cat. They need help.” Dropping her armload, Tommy followed Sylwi at a run. A quarter of a mile later, she met several others coming, and in another two hundred yards she met a dozen more hunters. A hundred yards away an angry mountain lion was snarling in a way reminiscent of a chainsaw.
The hunters occasionally took shots at it, but the agile cat easily dodged their poor aim. Not sure what to do, Tommy went to the flank, and got out her kawanaga, the ninja weapon with which she had been training that was something like a claw-shaped grappling hook at the end of a strong cord. She began to whirr it over her head. This caught the mountain lion’s attention, shown by its head jerking her way. So Tommy spun it harder, and the cat’s ears went back. A well aimed arrow right that moment landed between the mountain lion’s front paws as it was distracted. That was enough. The cat leapt five feet into the air, spun about, and came down running away.
The week passed, and despite extensive scouting ventures no mountain lion was found. They had driven it off. Relieved, the Ruling Council declared the crisis passed, and things went back to normal.
In the next week, leaves began to turn crimson and yellow. Someone--she rather suspected a young man--left a wreath of colored leaves outside her nest home for her to discover in the morning. Finding it lovely, she wore it for a few hours until it fell apart. Varlax came by and asked her of the leaf colors, and she told her that yes, this was a sign of the coming winter.
“I hope you’re wrong, adviser,” she sighed.
“I too, group leader.” She spoke formally since Varlax was doing so.
“I will tell the Council that I will change my vote to support more wood gathering. If what we both hope happens, it will not hurt too much. But if you’re right, we will really need the wood.” She nodded, and left looking unhappy.
“And if I’m wrong,” Tommy called out to the woman walking away, “we can all enjoy more hot showers.” Seeing that that brought a smile to Varlax’ face, she figured that was the best she could do.
There is a behind-the-writings look at the thoughts, influences, and ideas of this chapter, along with eleven other sequential chapters of this novel, in mark Joseph "young" web log entry #501: Characters Orienting. Given a moment, this link should take you directly to the section relevant to this chapter. It may contain spoilers of upcoming chapters.
As to the old stories that have long been here:
