It was the second watch, Lev and Simon having taken over from Jonah and Ian. They'd camped in a sheltered area, under an outcropping of rock that protected them on one side and from above. It was now the dregs of the night, the time when human energies tended to be at their lowest. The wind had died down, and the stillness seeped coldly into muscles. At this altitude even summer nights got chilly.
Lev was partway through his trip round when he heard it. The slightest of sounds, a twig perhaps. He froze. They were a tempting target to anyone. The people here were poor, and they were outsiders, from a hated world, one that threatened them and limited their hopes rather than helping them. Especially so if they'd know he and Dia were Israeli. Of course they wouldn't know that. Even so....
He reached carefully into his back pocket and brought out a knife. If he could he'd be silent about this, not knowing how many of them there were. He sent a mental warning to Simon and woke Ian and Jonah. Then he crept toward where he'd heard the slight sound.
Dia woke instantly, in time to see Salem disappear into the forest, Cele at his heels. She tied her senses into his, a thing she'd done a hundred times before at least. She heard what he heard, saw as he saw and smelled what he smelled...his senses a thousand times more aware of what was stirring in the forest than hers were. Whoever it was, as silent as they were, as familiar with the area, as careful and experienced, Salem heard them, smelled them in the night air and didn't like them.
Dia shifted softly, sitting up in the sleeping bag and began drawing power to herself.
Lev crept forward aware of a shadow beside him. The bloody cat! If Cele wrecked this, he'd strangle the damn thing! He sensed the intruder then and turned in time to see a shadow move. He launched himself and took the man down to the ground with barely a sound.
Dia waited, holding the power she'd called forth, waiting until Salem and Cele were ready, muscles tensed, tail tips twitching almost invisibly, teeth bared and claws unsheathed. She held the power until she knew from the bunched muscles, the coiled energy of Salem that it was time. When he sprang she let the power loose, into them both.
Lev had just turned seeing the shadows. Two more men were closing in on him when shadows in the darkness passed over him and hit the men with a thud. The men screamed. So much for stealth, Lev thought as he pushed the dead man off of him and whirled waiting for the next assailant.
As Salem sprang he exploded in size, transformed from a domestic cat to one of his larger, wilder cousins. He hissed, silently and then Dia felt his claws score the man from shoulder to hip, digging down to the bone. The man screamed and went down. Salem leapt for the next man, clawing his back as he landed, his teeth biting deep into the man's neck.
Simon arrived then, panting, having rushed to assist Lev as the others were awake and ready to defend themselves. But if there were any more bandits out there, they'd heard the screams and disappeared into the night.
Lev stood, looking down at the writhing bandits. And the cats.
Cele looked at him and yawned. His tail twitched once and then he headed back to camp, Salem following.
"What was that?" Simon asked.
"That was me losing a bet," Lev replied. "Here help me see to this mess," he said, not bothering to attempt to catch the two bandits who were dragging themselves off. He just needed to zap off the dead one.
Afterwards Lev and Simon returned to camp, secure in the knowledge that at least no other bandits in the area would be stupid enough to come after them. Dia, sitting up, stoking a loudly purring Salem, watched him a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth.
He stopped and eyed her. "All right," he finally said. "You win."
"Now should I chalk the tone with which you say that up to you not liking cats or the fact that it means you owe me a kiss?" she asked quietly.
He frowned. "Owe you a kiss, but..."
"The stake was a kiss, was it not?"
"Yes, but that was if I won," Lev replied. He glanced around and wasn't at all surprised to see everyone watching, including the two bloody cats.
"It works both ways. You bet a kiss. I bet a kiss." She tilted her head, considering him. "Is that a problem for you?"
He frowned. "No, of course not."
"Then what's the problem? Or would you perhaps like to play for double or nothing?"
"Tempting," he replied, lightening his tone to match hers. "So, do I kiss you or do you kiss me. Your choice I guess since you won."
"I'll let you know when I'm ready to collect. Though ideally," she added, "I'm told it works better if we kiss each other." She dimpled. "I'm open to all possibilities."
"I'll be delighted to kiss you, whenever you say. Although preferably not in front of everyone," he added, looking around and scowling at everyone.
"My point exactly," she said, laughing.
"So, are we good for the rest of the night?" Ian asked, fighting back a grin. "Busy day ahead of us tomorrow."
"I'll kiss you," Smitty offered gallantly.
"Thank you, honey. That's really sweet of you," Dia said. "But right now I think we've been told it's time to go to bed."
"Better luck next time, Smitty," Simon laughed, slapping Smitty on the back. "Come on, I'll check under your sleeping bag for monsters."
Lev was partway through his trip round when he heard it. The slightest of sounds, a twig perhaps. He froze. They were a tempting target to anyone. The people here were poor, and they were outsiders, from a hated world, one that threatened them and limited their hopes rather than helping them. Especially so if they'd know he and Dia were Israeli. Of course they wouldn't know that. Even so....
He reached carefully into his back pocket and brought out a knife. If he could he'd be silent about this, not knowing how many of them there were. He sent a mental warning to Simon and woke Ian and Jonah. Then he crept toward where he'd heard the slight sound.
Dia woke instantly, in time to see Salem disappear into the forest, Cele at his heels. She tied her senses into his, a thing she'd done a hundred times before at least. She heard what he heard, saw as he saw and smelled what he smelled...his senses a thousand times more aware of what was stirring in the forest than hers were. Whoever it was, as silent as they were, as familiar with the area, as careful and experienced, Salem heard them, smelled them in the night air and didn't like them.
Dia shifted softly, sitting up in the sleeping bag and began drawing power to herself.
Lev crept forward aware of a shadow beside him. The bloody cat! If Cele wrecked this, he'd strangle the damn thing! He sensed the intruder then and turned in time to see a shadow move. He launched himself and took the man down to the ground with barely a sound.
Dia waited, holding the power she'd called forth, waiting until Salem and Cele were ready, muscles tensed, tail tips twitching almost invisibly, teeth bared and claws unsheathed. She held the power until she knew from the bunched muscles, the coiled energy of Salem that it was time. When he sprang she let the power loose, into them both.
Lev had just turned seeing the shadows. Two more men were closing in on him when shadows in the darkness passed over him and hit the men with a thud. The men screamed. So much for stealth, Lev thought as he pushed the dead man off of him and whirled waiting for the next assailant.
As Salem sprang he exploded in size, transformed from a domestic cat to one of his larger, wilder cousins. He hissed, silently and then Dia felt his claws score the man from shoulder to hip, digging down to the bone. The man screamed and went down. Salem leapt for the next man, clawing his back as he landed, his teeth biting deep into the man's neck.
Simon arrived then, panting, having rushed to assist Lev as the others were awake and ready to defend themselves. But if there were any more bandits out there, they'd heard the screams and disappeared into the night.
Lev stood, looking down at the writhing bandits. And the cats.
Cele looked at him and yawned. His tail twitched once and then he headed back to camp, Salem following.
"What was that?" Simon asked.
"That was me losing a bet," Lev replied. "Here help me see to this mess," he said, not bothering to attempt to catch the two bandits who were dragging themselves off. He just needed to zap off the dead one.
Afterwards Lev and Simon returned to camp, secure in the knowledge that at least no other bandits in the area would be stupid enough to come after them. Dia, sitting up, stoking a loudly purring Salem, watched him a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth.
He stopped and eyed her. "All right," he finally said. "You win."
"Now should I chalk the tone with which you say that up to you not liking cats or the fact that it means you owe me a kiss?" she asked quietly.
He frowned. "Owe you a kiss, but..."
"The stake was a kiss, was it not?"
"Yes, but that was if I won," Lev replied. He glanced around and wasn't at all surprised to see everyone watching, including the two bloody cats.
"It works both ways. You bet a kiss. I bet a kiss." She tilted her head, considering him. "Is that a problem for you?"
He frowned. "No, of course not."
"Then what's the problem? Or would you perhaps like to play for double or nothing?"
"Tempting," he replied, lightening his tone to match hers. "So, do I kiss you or do you kiss me. Your choice I guess since you won."
"I'll let you know when I'm ready to collect. Though ideally," she added, "I'm told it works better if we kiss each other." She dimpled. "I'm open to all possibilities."
"I'll be delighted to kiss you, whenever you say. Although preferably not in front of everyone," he added, looking around and scowling at everyone.
"My point exactly," she said, laughing.
"So, are we good for the rest of the night?" Ian asked, fighting back a grin. "Busy day ahead of us tomorrow."
"I'll kiss you," Smitty offered gallantly.
"Thank you, honey. That's really sweet of you," Dia said. "But right now I think we've been told it's time to go to bed."
"Better luck next time, Smitty," Simon laughed, slapping Smitty on the back. "Come on, I'll check under your sleeping bag for monsters."
The Seal of Solomon
Chapter Twenty Six