Mara spat on the floor in front of her, a good deal of blood mixed in with her saliva -- and was that a tooth? By the gods, she would kill her employer if she weren't pretty sure she was already dead by now.
She had known this was a fool's errand from the start. Sure, Mara had heard the stories about a magical oasis out in the desert: an enchanted spring that could heal any wound or illness, or even reverse the aging process depending on who was telling the story. But she had gone along with the foolish attempt to find it, anyway; after all, she would still get paid even if the little rabbit that had employed her failed to find what she was seeking.
So she had allowed herself to be convinced into accepting the job, certain that the excitable little rabbit's "surefire lead" would lead them to nothing but sand, and that a strong, experienced wolf like Mara would be able to handle any dangers that they might encounter.
She had been wrong on both counts.
Now she found her arms bound behind her back in a small, sparsely furnished room. Judging from the conversation she had overheard, Mara suspected she already knew what her fate was to be. She needed to get out of here before that happened.
The lizard woman that had brought her here had left her alone, but the ropes were too thick for Mara to cut with her claws. And the real problem was that she was in enemy territory: even if she got out of this room, she didn't know the layout of the village well enough to ensure a stealthy escape, and her muscles still ached from the beating she had received earlier when she tried to fight back. Mara was an experienced fighter, but she was outnumbered, and if she hadn't been able to take these lizardfolk while in peak condition, she certainly wouldn't be able to do so while wounded.
"Who are you?"
Mara's eyes snapped open, the high-pitched voice bringing her out of her reverie. A young girl, no more than ten or eleven years old, stood before her. She was wearing a loincloth and a band of cloth around her chest, just like the other villagers, except this girl was a feline, not a lizard. And she had the most striking pink fur that Mara had ever seen.
"What are you doing here?" Mara asked, surprised. This was the first non-scalekin she had seen in the village.
"This is my house; I live here with my mother. What are you doing here?"
"You live here... what's your name, little one?"
"Fia." The girl smiled.
"Nice to meet you, Fia," Mara said, her voice sounding more tired than she had expected. "Tell me -- there is an oasis near here, right?"
"At the center of the village. Why? Were you looking for it?"
"Well, I wasn't looking for it, but my employer was. She believed it was magic."
"Oh," Fia said, her tone understanding. "That's what we tell the merchants when they pass through."
"You tell merchants?" Mara's eyes went wide as everything clicked. "The oasis... it's not magic... it's bait! A lure to bring people like my employer here... and me too, I guess."
Fia nodded. "The merchants spread the story for us, and that brings more prey into the area."
Mara hung her head, defeated. "Damn it... adventurers like me are supposed to be smarter than this."
"You're an adventurer!?" The girl's face lit up. "Do you really get to fight dragons and rescue princesses?"
Mara chuckled. "Sometimes. Usually its more mundane than that. Mostly, I just help out folks who aren't strong enough to go outside of the cities on their own."
Fia tilted her head to one side, looking confused. "Are there are a lot of people like that?"
"Most people, actually. That's why being an hero for hire is such a lucrative job, if you're strong enough and smart enough to handle it."
"Wow. What other adventures have you had?"
Mara smiled. "Well, once a group of bandits were harassing a village..."
Mara began spinning tales for the excited young feline. The girl was a good listener, only occasionally interjecting with a question or two. The wolf couldn't help but spice up a few of the stories, of course, to make them all the more interesting for her audience. It may not have done her any good, but it was a welcome distraction, and far better than stewing in silence while contemplating her situation.
An hour or two had passed when a female lizardkin -- the one who had dragged Mara in here and tied her up -- entered the room. "What's all this?"
Fia, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of Mara, turned to look at the woman. "She's an adventurer! She's telling me stories! Mom, do you think I could be an adventurer when I'm older?"
The lizardkin laughed. "Perhaps, my daughter, perhaps. You're already a better hunter than most of the tribe; I can only imagine you'd be good at it. Adventurers tend to travel around, though, and I would miss you if you left the village."
"Oh. I hadn't thought of that."
The lizard woman walked over, knelt down, and kissed Fia on the forehead. "But I'll support whatever decisions you make with your life, my little one. Now, I'm afraid I'm going to have to cut your stories off short. Now run along and play with your friends for a while."
Fia looked disappointed, but she stood up and dusted herself off. She turned to Mara, bowed politely, and said, "Thank you for telling me stories!"
"You're welcome, Fia."
Mara watched as Fia bowed again, then turned and bounced out of the room. Probably off to play "adventurer" with her friends. "She's a sweet girl," Mara said.
"Thank you."
Mara straightened herself up as much as she could, meeting the lizard woman's gaze as she approached. "Do I dare ask what my fate is to be?"
"I suspect you've already guessed."
Mara nodded. "Yes, I suspect I have."
"You seem rather calm about all this."
"A few hours ago, I would have been kicking, biting and screaming, calling you monsters and cursing you to the end. But that's not how it is, is it? That girl... she was no monster. Your tribe, out here in the Fringe -- you just play by different rules than we do in the cities, don't you?"
The lizardkin didn't answer, and merely stared at Mara with a curious expression. So Mara asked, "May I ask a question first... and make a last request?"
"Go ahead."
"That girl... Fia. She really is your daughter, right? I mean, that is how you consider her? She's not just some snack you're feeding lies to to keep her compliant?"
The lizard woman's expression was serious, and she looked Mara straight in the eyes. "Fia is my daughter. I would give my life for her."
"I'm glad to hear that."
"And the request?"
"When your people captured me, I had... I had a sword, Quicksilver. It's a good sword, and it means a lot to me. Will you give it to Fia? When she's ready for it, I mean. I like the idea of someone of my choice having it, rather than it going to some random merchant or being thrown away."
Fia's mother considered for a moment, then said, "I will talk to the tribe. When Fia is ready to wield a weapon, I will give her your sword if she wants it."
"Thank you."
"Anything else?"
"Go ahead. I'm ready."
The lizard woman put her hands on Mara's shoulders. "You put up a good fight, wolf, and have been gracious and honorable in your defeat. Even though your story ends here, that does not mean it does not have meaning -- you do understand that?"
Mara nodded. "I think so."
The woman then opened her mouth wide, giving Mara a perfect view past her lips and teeth and into the darkness of her gullet. A long, serpentine tongue snaked out, caressing Mara's cheek for a moment before wrapping around her head, pulling it forward. Mara closed her eyes as the dark warmth enveloped her.
Her story's ending could have been a lot worse. At least she may have started a new one.
