Chapter Two - A Walk in the Woods
 
 
Bastet was not named after the ancient cat goddess for nothing.

Her father had been a stranger, one of the few accepted among the free people.
Coming from somewhere in the northeast his eyes had been weird and his skin very dark. Anora ´s father had seen the ability of this weird hunter while visiting one of the nearby cities (yes, he was trying the diplomacy path) and invited him to live with their people. He even paid his “liege lord” for the release of this servant.

Bastet had the dark skin of her father, but was small like the women of the wolf tribe tended to be. She was very nimble though and amazingly strong for her size.

Her father told her that he was the last of the cat people, forced to flee his land and take refuge in the cities. When she complained about the treatment received from other children of the Free People he told her that at least she had Anora and that in the cities it would have been worse.
Actually, despite some bullying and constant fights with other kids (Urk still had a crooked nose to remember her by) her life had been good before her father died together with half the tribe in that one single damn battle.

Her mother had gone right after.

Some said that the spirit of her father had called her mother from the dead, but it probably was just grief.
And Bastet would have followed, with a little help from Urk and his thugs if not for Anora.
She owned all that she had, all that she was to Anora.
Except for her night vision.
This was her father`s.

Despite what people in the Tribe thought, she couldn ´t see in the dark. But the little light given by Anora`s magic globe or by the little moonlight that penetrated the darkness in a few spots was more than enough for her to navigate the jungle as if it was daylight. She couldn ´t see colors in the dark and was a bit daltonic even in broad daylight, but she had the best night vision known. Even better than her father`s.

So, she went ahead, twisting her body to pass trough places where the others would be transfixed by thorns, than coming back and finding the best paths.
She had stolen Urks machete (he thought that he lost it in a battle) and was using it to great effect chopping a path for the others. Sometimes Erynia would tell her to stop, not chop that branch, avoid that night flower. She knew that she had to try to cut only the dead plants and Erynia helped to avoid any excess that would anger Curupira too much.

An angry spirit meant death, they did not doubt for a second.

So, their marching order was: Bastet in the front, looking for paths and opening the way, followed by Erynia using her ability to see the aura of the place and distinguish how to appease the woods, Anora a bit behind so that her light would not destroy Bastet`s night vision and last, Eric, the pack mule as he was thinking about himself.

They had discussed at length this arrangement in the last two months, while the Tribe diminished in number and it was becoming clearer that Anora was, in all but name, Urk`s captive, perhaps to be used as bargain chip with the cities when things got desperate.

They could try to imitate Bastet and go faster, avoiding thorns instead of cutting branches. But their fist moments in the woods proved that this was not possible. As they had discussed, trying to do this only left scratches on their skins and even Eric`s leather vest was starting to show marks.
Besides, the tribe still had good hunters. Even Bastet couldn`t walk through woods so dense and not leave some trail behind.
So, they opened a path, they went slowly, avoided injury and prayed that eventual pursuers (if there were any) would anger the spirit of the woods. If the spirit was angry, no pursuit would last long.

As if to prove a point, Bastet soon saw something white stuck in a group of bushes ahead. Since white was not a common sight in the woods she stopped and asked Erynia if they should investigate.

Looking at the spot pointed by Bastet, Erynia saw a yellowish thing, a kind whitish yellow reminiscent of … weathered bones. Her other senses showed no life in whatever it was, but it had a rounded surface ..

- Wait Bastet.
- Anora, can you please move the light closer?
[please oh mighty spirit, be a bit more patient, we are just crossing to the mountains. Please do not show your anger to us]
- Bastet, there are skulls on those thorns. You see that plant full of thorns ahead?
- Yes, I can see it.
- Do you see any leaves on it?
- Nope.
- I think that something was testing us leading us here. Stop for a while and wait for another path to open. Let`s avoid that thing ahead.
And the “plant” ahead started to move spasmodically, as if it was laughing. She could feel the mirth all around. Someone was very pleased with his dark joke.
- Girls, this is no Curupira. The spirit of these woods is different somehow, darker. Anora, we need to find water soon.
- But the river will be full of predators.
- Yes, but this spirit is what I imagine, He is weaker closer to the water that comes from the mountains.
- Alright.
[spirit, we are following all the rules, you does not have reason to harm us. Let us pass or I swear, I will free my soul from your embrace and complain about you with the real Curupira. You know that he/she will listen to my last request]
And Bastet saw a small path to her side, it was narrower and weird, unnatural, bushes grew at its sides. Unnatural darkness came from that path and she could see that even her would be pierced by thorns walking through it.
The mirth all around had turned to anger.

But SHE could find their presence.
Her followers were sent to the woods.

In the last camp of the Free People, in the nearby camp of the Knights, even in the closest city, people woke from a nightmare were evil battled with evil and formless things were born into the night.