Chapter Three

I knew that Sissy would be leaving the dockside for good once she had acquired all of Khalim's artifacts. I longed for her to stay with me, but I could not bring myself to tell her. Who am I to fall in love with a great heroine from a distant land? I am nobody, and twice her age -- just a one-armed former soldier scraping by in hard times. She would only laugh at me and think me a foolish old man.

The day after she avenged my lost arm by slaying the great spider Sszark, Sissy prepared to forge her way deeper into the jungle. Hratli had asked her to find an artifact, an ancient Skatsimi blade that could be used to strengthen the wards here at the docks, to preserve this last bastion of civilization left in Kurast. Sissy had agreed. She would put herself in harm's way to save what was left of our once-great city, now overrun with with demons and corrupted beasts, with villains and corrupted men, with undead even.

"Don't stay out there overnight, Sissy. It's too dangerous," I warned her as she set out.

"I won't. I'll be back before nightfall. I promise."

She headed out into the Spider Forest and disappeared, but her wildflower scent lingered long after she had vanished from sight. I must have stood there an hour, just staring after her.

I went about my day as best I could, venturing out to check my traps. No luck today. No catch. A few traps had been set off, so I reset them, checked the others, then went back to the docks. Near sundown, I went back to the gate to wait for Sissy, to greet her when she returned.

The sun set slowly in the west, it's rays slicing through the thick forest foliage in a few places, then fading to shadow. No sign of Sissy, and I began to worry. I paced the plank bridge, exchanged stares with the Iron Wolves who were on watch duty, tossed stones in the water and watched the ripples. Hours crawled while my prayers for her to appear went unheeded.

I told myself that Sissy was the toughest warrior I had ever known, that she had defeated a Demon Lord in martial combat. I tried to comfort myself with the memory of her axe cleaving through two trees in one swing, as she tried to impress me the day we met.

The sun rose like a curse. I moped through the day, napped in spite of myself. Just kept staring out into the forest, waiting for her to appear. By nightfall, I knew something had gone wrong. Sissy must be in trouble.

The night was just too dangerous to venture out much beyond the protection of the dockside. There was nothing I could do until daybreak, so I tried to sleep. I may have dozed a little. I was up with the first birdchirp, gathered my shortsword and dagger, donned my leathers, and out I went into the forest, before the sun even crested the horizon.

Sissy's trail was incredibly easy to follow. Aside from the now-decaying bodies of her fallen foes, the marks of her passage were evident at every turn. She wisely stayed near the river most of the time, and within an hour I found the spot where she entered the great marsh. Corrupted Bramble Hulks and Bog Creatures lay dead along the river. I found the remains of a fetish shaman and several discarded weapons.

A stinging blow struck my arm and I looked around frantically for the source. Then I heard the telltale "pish" of a blowdart gun and ducked. A fetish stood across the river, shooting at me! Normally I would have run, but if there was something left alive here, perhaps that signified that Sissy was nearby. I drew my sword and haphazardly charged across a log that covered the water. The fetish ran and I chased it all the way to a pair of totems marking fetish territory. I slew the little bastard, but not before he shot me twice more. Now I was bleeding, so I used one of the minor healing potions I brought with me.

There were more dead hulks and fetishes lining the pathway into the fetish village. I heard fetish voices and the cackle of a shaman. Wild, horrific images ran through my mind: Sissy in a soup pot, Sissy turning on a spit, Sissy's head being using atop a totem, and worse things I won't even mention. I ducked into the brush and noticed a slain bog creature next to the bridge leading into the village. Actually, there wasn't much of a village here. Looked more like one of their religious retreats, complete with a golden chest where they keep their artifacts and baubles. Was this where Sissy had come? Is there where she...?

I smelled wildflowers.

I looked around but saw no flowers. I wasn't that deep into the marsh yet, but deep enough to figure that I wasn't smelling an odor from the spider forest. Sissy had to be nearby! Or... her remains, perhaps.

I crawled through the brush as quietly as I could manage. I almost tripped over her!

Sissy lay bleeding, pale, burns on her face and hands, barely breathing but she WAS breathing! Ah, that's my tough little barbarian!

She was soaking wet, muddy, and I wondered how the scent of flowers could have survived what looked like a dunk in the river. Ah the mysteries of women. I shall never comprehend!

I quickly unstoppered a healing draught and put it to her lips. I had to pry her jaw open enough to pour in the elixir and then had to coax her to swallow at least some of it. Some color quickly returned to her cheeks and I felt relieved. I got her to drink three whole potions, but she was clearly exhausted, not even energetic enough to grow delirious. I had to get her back to town, but with only one arm, I would have to leave all her equipment behind: her great axe, her armor, belt, backpack, everything.

For such a fearless warrior, and so strong, she barely weighed enough to tire me. Fortune smiled on us and I got her out of the marsh without running into any more live fetishes. It took a long time to work my way back to town. I got a lot more tired than I expected: I guess she wasn't quite as light as she first seemed, or maybe I am just getting too old. I took her straight away to Ormus, got her healed, then Ormus's wife and servants bathed her and his men littered her to the inn.

I stayed by her bedside, and my heart was gladdened when she awoke once in the night, recognized me and murmured my name. "Kantu."

"Sleep, Sissy," I told her. She nodded, and fell back to sleep wearing a gentle smile.

I did not sleep at all. In the morning she awoke looking almost good as new. There was some very slight scarring on her brow from the burns. Ormus had worked a miracle, frankly, but it was impossible to heal some things. I needed only glance at my missing arm to be reminded of that.

Sissy had a hearty appetite. No milk and cookies this morning. She ate like a... well, like a barbarian. :)

"What happened?" I finally asked her.

"I got ambushed on the bridge." She shook her head. "I had the situation under control, I thought. There was that pack of Bramble Hulks, and their leader was pretty tough! Even so my shiver armor protected me and was hurting them with every swing, every attack against me. I had already slain most of the fetishes. There was a hydra in the river spitting poison at me, and that was distracting. Then the frogs came. There must have been five of them, at least! I didn't think them much of a threat, and that was my mistake. They all spat fire at me, and their shots burned me, but worse, they stunned me, blinded me. I got hit over and over, tried to drink a potion, the next thing I knew I got knocked into the river and almost drowned. I think that is what saved me. They must have thought I did drown! And they left me alone. I crawled up under the bridge, my head barely out of the water, then waited for nightfall, when I crawled away. I don't think I made it very far though."

I smiled. "You made it far enough, Sissy."

She lit up. "You came and found me! You saved me, Kantu."

"Yes. Now we are even."

She seemed startled by that. I got the impression that she didn't put saving me on a par with saving her. My pride was stung a little, but maybe she was right.

But then she nodded in acceptance. "Even."

I turned away. "I had to leave your gear behind."

"I know. Don't worry, I'll find it."

"You have to be careful out there, Sissy. You have to... to..." I couldn't say it.

She put her hand on my shoulder. "I have to go. Diablo is still out there."

I nodded. My heart sank as I thought of that. What dangers lie ahead for Sissy? Dangers far too worse for me to help her, if something like this happened again. All I could do is pray, and sum up the courage to smile for her as she left the inn, pressing on with her heroic quest.

- Sirian

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