A long moment passed. Pug said, “Still, we might as well make ourselves as comfortable as we can. This is as likely a spot to wait for dawn as any other. I suspect the Necropolis is overgrown, else we would have seen it from the air. We’ll be better able to locate it tomorrow,” He added, with a faint smile, “Besides, Ryath isn’t the only one who’s tired.”
“Sleep if you feel the need.” Tomas’s eyes studied something in the brush. “I’ve learned to ignore the need at will.” His expression caused Pug to turn his head, following Tomas’s gaze. Something moved in the dark.
Then a roar erupted from the forests behind them. One moment the clearing had been silent, then something or someone was leaping out of the woods upon Tomas’s back.
The half-cry, half-roar was answered by a dozen more. Pug sprang to his feet as Tomas was rocked forward by the impact of the thing upon his back. But while this creature or man seemed near Tomas’s equal in size, no mortal upon Midkemia was his equal in strength. Tomas simply stood erect, gripping the thing on his back by a handful of fur. With a yank, he tossed it overhead as he would a child, sending it crashing into another creature running toward him.
Pug clapped his hands together overhead and the glade rang with the sound of a thunderclap centring upon him. It was deafening, and those nearby faltered. Blinding light erupted from Pug’s upraised hands, and those surrounding Tomas and Pug froze.
They looked to be tigers, but their bodies had been altered into man shapes. Their heads were orange with black stripes, as were their arms and legs. Each wore a cuirass of blue metal and breeches ending at mid-thigh, of some blue-black material. Each carried a short sword, and a belt knife.
In the glare they crouched, blinded by the light of Pug’s magic. He quickly incanted another spell and the tiger-men toppled. Pug staggered a little, inhaling with a loud sound as he sat upon the deadfall. “That was almost too much. The spell of sleep cast on so many . . .”
Tomas seemed to listen with only half his attention. He had his sword out and his shield at the ready. “There are more in the woods.”
Pug shook off his fogginess and rose. In the surrounding forest the sound of soft movement murmured like the gentle stirring of branches in a light breeze, but no wind blew this night. Then, as one, another dozen figures materialized from the gloom, all similar to the fallen. In a thick, slurred speech, one said, “Put away your weapons, man. You are surrounded.” The others seemed crouched, ready to spring like the giant cats they resembled.
Tomas looked at Pug, who nodded. Tomas permitted one of the tiger-men to disarm him. The leader of the tiger-men waved at them, saying, “Bind them!”
Tomas allowed himself to be tied, as did Pug. The leader said, “You have slain many of my warriors.”
Pug said, “They only sleep.”
One of the tiger-warriors knelt and examined a sleeper. Tuan, it is true!”
The one called Tuan examined Pug’s face closely. “You are a spellcaster, it seems, yet you allow yourself to be taken easily. Why?”
Pug said, “Curiosity. And we have no wish to harm you.”
The surrounding tiger-men began to laugh, or something like it. Then Tomas simply parted his wrists. The bonds snapped instantly. He extended his hand toward the warrior holding his golden sword and the weapon flew from the startled creature’s grasp into his own. The laughter died.
In a startled rage, the one called Tuan snarled and swung a clawed hand at Pug’s face, fingers hooked and long talons extending from between them. Pug instantly raised his hand and a small golden light erupted on his palm. The creature’s claws rebounded from that light as if from steel.
The surrounding creatures began to close upon them once more, two grabbing Tomas from behind. He simply tossed them aside and grabbed the one called Tuan by the scruff of the neck. Tuan stood six feet tall and more, but Tomas lifted him easily. Like any cat grabbed by the scruff, he dangled helplessly. “Halt, or this one dies!” Tomas ordered.
The creatures hesitated. Then one of the tiger-warriors bent his knee. He was followed by the rest. Tomas released Tuan and let him fall. The leader of the tiger-men landed lightly and spun. “What manner of being are you?”
“I am Tomas, once called Ashen-Shugar, Ruler of the Eagles’ Reaches. I am of the Valheru.”
At that the tiger-men began to make small mewing noises, half growls, half whimpers. “Ancient One!” was repeated several times. They huddled together in abject terror.
Pug said, “What is this and who are these creatures?”
Tomas said, “They are fearful of me, for I am a legend come to life before them. These are Draken-Korin’s creatures.” Seeing Pug’s look of incomprehension, he added, “One of the Valheru. He was Lord of Tigers and bred these to stand as guards in his palace.” He looked about. “I guess it would be in one of the caves in this forest.” To Tuan he said, “Do you war on men?”
Tuan, still crouching, snarled. “We war on all who invade our forest, Ancient One. It is our land, as you should know. It was you who made us a free people.”