Pagewalker (15 page)

Standing on a ledge just above the awning He
or she balanced themselves on both feet tight together. From the
Satchel it pulled a thin silver rope. Throwing it overhead, it was
slung over a beam sticking out from the joint of the building’s
roof. The figure caught the other end of the rope and began to tie
a knot in it. This was all happening so fast. The pig faced
bodyguard was still walking through the crowd, pushing shoppers out
of the way with clean sweeps of his arms. He moved slowly,
assessing his surroundings and the situation but he moved like a
strong heavy ship through frozen seas. Slow but precise. I tried
still to loosen my staff but it still would not budge.

I looked up at the figure once more, It was
lowering the hoop he had made down towards the shop. Moving slowly
like a fisherman dropping bait he lowered the rope down lower and
lower. Suddenly he had seen his prize and dropped the rope like
playing horseshoes. The loop landed over the head of the second
guard. Suddenly the figure dropped to the ground holding the other
end of the rope. The loop tightened around the neck of the guard
and lifted his feet from the ground as the caped figure landed.
With a quick wrap of the rope around the shop front pillar, the
guard was being hung. The commotion was deafening as screams came
up from the crowd as they saw this giant man being hung. All
attention was on him and a group started to gather. The first
bodyguard had just reached me and had his hand out to grab me when
the mosh arose. He turned his head away from me, to witness the
sight of his comrade and colleague struggling with a rope, hanging
several feet above the ground. The cloaked figure had already moved
so quickly. He had dropped to the ground, rolled towards the
well-dressed man in the red satin gown, cut a small money bag from
his belt and begun to run away while the confusion and fuss was so
high.

During all of this hustle and bustle the
bodyguard that still had his feet on the ground reached out his
tree branch like arm and managed to curl his fingers around the
straggly fringes of the thief’s cloak, stopping him in his tracks.
He curled the material in his fingers until he could get a full
handful. I chocking cream went out from the thief. The sudden stop
and pulling motion of the cloak connected around his neck, rightly
took his breath away.

I knew I that this was my time to get away
while the body guard was pre-occupied. I could see that the iron
fitting at the end of the pole is what was stuck if I could loosen
it then it would surly come free. I twisted the pole in a clockwise
fashion. Both ends of the pole opened up and thin metal points came
out either end. I gave the staff one last pull, I yanked hard and
fast with all my energy to finally un-lodge it from its prison. As
I did, the metal fixing snapped and I flew backwards, Like pulling
on a rope that just unravelled or broke. The pole was so suddenly
light in my hands and forced itself up and backwards. I yelled as I
fell back with a jerk, the pig-snouted bodyguard turned to see what
I was yelling about, just in time to see a spear that was once a
simple staff shooting into his face. Once it punctured his eye it
continued to drive in farther. It was not the most dignified death,
an accidental death. What I would consider a convenient accident
now but then was more shocking that I could ever imagine. My
adrenalin was running so high, the fear of being captured by the
biggest man I had ever seen, the shock of seeing a man hanged in
front were nothing to the sheer terror and disgust I was feeling
after impaling the face of a man I had never known.

His grip tightened as his body fell hard to
the ground. Everything was happening so quickly now. The spear was
loose again and rested in my hand as the body slammed into the
dirt. The bewildered and shocked, moustached man in the red velvet
screamed “thieves and murderers!” pointing at both myself and the
hooded rogue. The rope had since snapped and the second body guard
was on his feet, coughing and rubbing his throat before his eyes
surveyed the scenario in front of him. He began towards both of us.
I pulled my staff back ready to defend myself but the hooded figure
had kicked the hand of this captor, freeing his cloak and began to
run in the opposite direction.

Without thinking Tessa barked and charged
off, following the green material down the winding path, under the
legs of the onlookers and passers-by. My instinct kick in then. I
didn’t think, didn’t assess just simply ran. I trailed my dripping
spear as I ran after my dog. Waving my arms and screaming for
people to move as I charged down the narrow street. To describe the
voice I heard behind me is best explained as a combination of a
blood curdling, fear inducing battle cry, mixed with a thunderous
rumble you felt in your chest. The bodyguard behind had picked up
speed and was in pursuit.

Look, I’m a big enough fella, bit of a belly
on me and not as fit as I used to be, but by God, I had never run
like that! Fear pushed me on. Fear of getting caught mostly, that’s
obvious but also the fear of losing my dog. Apart from Sarah my
wife, that dog is my best friend. I couldn’t risk losing her as
well. The guard was gaining on me like a train blasting through hay
bales. He left a wake of destruction as he chose his line and ran
on target.

I had lost sight of both Tessa and the
cloaked figure as we doubled back, heading uphill now. The
surroundings resembled more of squalor now, rather than trade. We
must have passed into a new district. Things looked, older,
forgotten and uncared for. The walls dripped with what can best be
described as grime. Black burn marks rose up most buildings,
signifying the many pit fires held at night by the homeless I
guessed. The crowd had thinned and I caught sight once again of the
green cloak. Tessa turned every now and then to make sure I was
following. I did the same to check on pig face. He was beginning to
fade behind. The incline run up the cobbled street new was not
working in his favour. He had more weight to carry of course and
had been hanging by his neck only moments before so not really race
ready. We turned tight corner after tight corner until we came to a
strait, narrow, tunnel. The end was only slightly visible and it
was a dead one. A curved roof was above us, the underside of a
bridge. A single drain was at the end of the tunnel. Bars to wide
to fit through and stained green with mildew and grime.

The figure had gone but Tessa stood with her
face pointed towards a stack of crates. Square boxes stacked three
high and three across. She was sniffing and nudging the crates with
her nose, when she saw me she barked.

I could hear heavy footsteps behind me,
getting closer and closer, every step was farther apart though. Pig
face had lost all his energy and was walking now. I still didn’t
want to be there when I came round the corner however. I pushed the
crates slightly away from the wall and tried to slip in behind
them. I pushed with my feet against the wall and my back to the
crates I tried to make enough room for me to get behind. I had no
other options. I had to hide with my dog on my lap and a spear
pointed upwards ready to skewer the pig faced man when he tried to
grab me. I settled back into the space, shuffling backwards. One
hand feeling the wall behind me and the other holding the spear. I
continued to back up as fast as I could, making sure to keep
reaching for Tessa’s fur. Until suddenly there was no fur behind
me. I heard a snuffed yelp that could only have come from Tessa. I
feared the worst, until two small hands with fingerless leather
gloves were wrapped around my neck and face. I had no time to fight
because I was falling backwards into darkness and landed hard on
wet slime and stone. I hit my head pretty hard. I can still feel
the bump on my head even now. It more like a phantom bump really.
Like someone who can still feel their toes after the foot has been
amputated. It’s not really still on the back of my head but it
feels as though it is. When I sat up my first thought was that I
had gone blind. I could still hear shuffling around me and the
sound of pig face kicking boxes and throwing crates above me. He
sounded frustrated to say the least but mostly knackered. After
chasing us through the back alleys and streets of Renir and to
loose us in a dead end must be really annoying. What did I care
though, we were safe, I think. There was no light and as I blinked
my eyes the fear I had lost my sight was overwhelming. I tried to
speak out but the fall had winded me and stolen any spare breath
away. I put my hands in front of me to try and feel my surroundings
but was startled by a wet, sloppy and smooth object slid across my
face and nose. I put my hand up to my face to protect myself and
check that my glasses were still intact. Luckily they were and the
object was mearly Tessa’s tongue.

I was so relieved that it was her, not
because I feared what else it could have been but grateful she was
still alive. Before I was pulled back I heard a yelp from her. The
kind you hear in computer games when a dog is killed. You know that
sudden awful sound that makes your toes curl with disgust? Thank
all the gods there are that she was still ok. I pulled her close
and onto my crossed legs. She put her paws on my shoulders and
continued to lick my face and hands. I rubbed her neck and back and
patted her head the way I did after a long walk or before she was
fed. The moment of affection passed quickly and suddenly however as
she pushed of my chest and began growling in my direction. My
eyesight had returned also. It just took a while for my eyes to
adjust to the dark but it was slowly doing so and I could see where
I was more clearly. The growl was a fearsome one, not one I had
heard from her before. Usually she only growls at other dogs as the
run towards me or when the postman’s florescent red jacket passed
by the living room window. Those were just small growls, warning me
and sometimes a yelp would be called. Even scaring herself if the
front door was knocked suddenly, but never this deep, warning,
fearsome growl. I knew it wasn’t directed towards me as I could
feel a presence behind me. The memory of hands grabbing me just
moments before flashed in my head and I had turned and scrambled
backwards and towards Tessa quickly.

Crouching just feet in front of me was the
Green cloaked figure that I had been following. The first thing
that I noticed was the size of the person. We were both crouched
down in the rain overflow storm tunnel but I could tell by the way
the figure was sitting that he or she could be no more than 4 feet
tall. The cloak was made from an itchy fabric. The kind that
collected every particle of dust, stray, hair and fur that I came
across. Now that I were up close I could see the detail on it. The
trim of the cloak had woven black leather all the way round. It was
sewn on with sloppy workmanship. There for practicality rather than
show. It was more controllable with leather as it added weight to
the cloak. It would also get caught on less if it had no loose
threads. There were a number of holes repaired by patches of other
dark material and more leather. Under the cloak was a black jerkin
and black trousers tight under black boots and ankle protectors.
You could say archery bracelets for the shins? Not quite football
shin guards but not far removed from that design. The hood was
still over the persons head as he or she edged slowly closer to
Tessa and I with arms and hands outstretched in a non-threatening
manner. I could still not tell if this was a male or a female it
was too dark to make out and obvious features under the cloak.

Tessa still growled with threat and anger,
she had moved directly in front of me. I was proud of that dog.
Normally I would shout at her and discipline her if she were to
behave like than in our world, but here it was instinct and I
finally knew the answer to ‘ what would happen if it came down to
it’ I used to think she would be frightened and cower behind me but
I now knew that in real danger she would protect me!

The figure moved slowly forward still. Hands
out stretched and open palmed. Before any more steps were taken the
hood was removed. Long dark red hair fell from under it. Knotted
and braided with beads of iron and bronze the hair touched the
ground. The figure brushed the hair back over in a sweeping flick
motion and grabbed it from behind tying it with a ribbon using only
one hand. Obviously something this person was very accustomed to
doing. Looking up I could finally make out the face. Two bright
blue eyes shone out from a dark background of black fur. A
protruding long nose sat forward with a white stripe running from
between the eyes to a wet black nose at the end. The nose had a
delicate silver piercing with a thin silver chain drooping down and
back to the left pointed ear. Grey short fur covered the rest of
the face and what other parts were not covered by the dark
clothing. It was most certainly not at all what I imagined hidden
under that hood. It seems like a cliché, A racoon dressed as a
thief. A female, no more than 14 years old.

“Wow, wow, calm down girl” She said still
edging slowly forward. She held her right hand out closer to
Tessa’s face. It seems that it is a universal courtesy that
everyone seems to do. Her fingers were human like but the parts
exposed from the glove were of a grey fur. Her hands were not like
human hands but paws that she held to Tessa’s face.

“Its ok beautiful, I wont harm you, you are
of the Elder race. The first canines in Northland. I have never
seen one as beautiful as you. Only paintings on cave walls, none
compare to your beauty.” She bowed her head still with her hand
outstretched. Either Tessa was un-threatened or flattery worked
wonders on her. Either way Tessa edged closer to the outstretched
paw from this female, raccoon like rogue and sniffed it, after a
hesitant glance back towards me she licked the paw and moved over
to sniff around her feet. The girl laughed a childish, excitedly
giddy laugh and looked at me. Her face beaming with joy and a smile
with no threat. Like the first time a child sees Santa clause at
the shopping mall or opening presents on their birthdays. Pure
happiness.