I stood looking at the darkened river. The Topaz sun had just crept down past the forest on the other side leaving a royal purple sky salted with the first stars overhead. I cool evening breeze swept in from the plains. I could see several crocs down on the river meandering up and down the river looking for prey. I looked to the next hill to see Shia letting down her branches. The leaves in her hair curled tight and her hair dropped back down on her back. She lowered her arms and took a long deep breath before turning and seeing me.

Thurnar walked up the hill and set his hammer down at his feet. “How are we gonna cross the river Chief?” He looked down at the crocs. “I’m not particular on being lunch meat.”

“Can you send me Veagon?” I responded watching Shia make her way over to me.

“The blond?” Thurnar asked.

I nodded, “tell him to get his things together and come up here to get me. Then help Goar pack up the tents and gear. Make a raft of the poles.”

Shia walked up and looked down at the river. “You think just because I’m half wood that I could cross in front of those things with all my limbs, you’re wrong.”

“How did you know what I had in mind?” I grinned, “If you put up a good fight it will give the rest of us time to cross.” She punched me in the shoulder. “Gonna have to put more oomph into it than that.” I teased.

“Tell me you have a better plan than just rushing the water like a bucket of mice dumped in a snake pit.”

“Can you make me a torch and get it lit?”

“Am I the I not the most ravishing woman you have ever seen?” As she said the words her curls of white bark fell away leaving her looking like eve in the garden, only her essentials covered. Her wood grain skin looked smooth and firm over her muscles. Her curves like a monument of a Roman goddess. “The answer is yes,” she smiled and blushed as her ploy had worked to make me drink her in. “I can make you a torch.” Her bark grew back thick and hard covering her like a jumpsuit still curving to her feminine shapes. “Of course, if I’m going near that water, I will have to dress to break teeth. Those things are more viscous than even me.” She winked and walked down the hill toward camp swaying her derriere in a hypnotizing circular taunt.

“Makes me wish I was a wood-elf.” Veagon winked at me. I turned to see the blue-eyed elf standing beside me watching her walk away. “What that was good.”

“How fast can you swim Veagon of the two rivers?”

“Three rivers,” he corrected. “Depends on what I’m swimming away from. With them,” he pointed down at the crocodiles ambling in the river, “I will be like a skipping stone. I just have to outswim the rest of you.” He looked over at the centaur being harassed by the old goats in camp.

“The rest of us won’t be in the water when you cross,” I said scratching my chin where a dark patch of hair had begun to grow in bristles. “Just you and her.”

“This will be good.” Tootsie rubbed her hands together. “I bet the tree witch pulls one of their heads off and takes a hot dookie in their neck while the others split him apart like a thanksgiving turkey.”

Veagon looked back at Shia. “Am I riding her across,” he laughed, “cause if I am I’ll disembark with her right now,” he winked.

“She would eat you alive.” I laughed back. “You can let her know you are interested though when you get across though. Just wait until you have stabbed this in the ground in case she disembowels you.” I handed him the respawn blade.

“You are serious? We really are swimming across alone?”

I pulled a rope out of my pouch. “Tie this around your waist and swim across with it. When you get to the other side tie it high up in one of those trees and stab the blade in the ground. Goar will be holding the other end of the rope he will pull it tight so the others can climb across in the air above the river.”

Thurnar stumbled up the hill covered in sweat. “Creepy long-legged freak. I bet your mom was a giraffe.”

“Thurnar have your boys fill up the water skins while the crocs are distracted. Put the rafts near the water. Me and Goar will bring them across.”

The hill glowed orange as Shia walked back up with a torch in hand. I took the torch and held it high. “I will signal you both from up here. Shia when I signal you get in the water and make some noise, draw the crocs to you. When I signal you again get out.” I watched her bark get thicker. “If they get ahold of you, make them wish they hadn’t.”

“I hope they do.” Tootsie said.

I watched as camp was broken down and the tribe stood nervously watching the dark water. Shia was in position and the crocs were gathered watching the tribe at our crossing point. I signaled Shia down the river, and she leapt into the water. Vines sprang out of her hand making broad branches and slapping the top of the river with each stroke. She darted out into the deep end like a dolphin. I chuckled to myself, perhaps I had tied the rope around the wrong waist.

I watched the eager crocs turn and swim down the river, swimming even faster than she was swimming across. I waited until they were more than halfway to Shia and signaled Veagon. He froze a moment and looked at the tails swishing away around the corner. Goar stepped forward and grabbed the elf by the back of the neck and slung him out into the river. Elrindel began punching the minotaur in the back. Goar ignored the other elf, like he was a pestering child, and held the end of the rope.

Mia looked up at me and judging the look on my face grabbed the dark-haired elf by the back of his hair and dragged him back. He fought back at her but she simply spun his head by the jaw to look up at me holding the torch on the hill. I held the torch down at my chest casting the shadows of my tusks up over my glowing yellow eyes. The elf went limp and allowed her to pull him away.

I turned back to the crocs. Shia had already crawled up on the opposite bank and the river lizards had turned back to Veagon. For having a name like three rivers he was half as fast as Shia crossing the river. The tails swimming his way were gaining on him fast. They were angry at the tease of a meal taken away.

Veagon swam desperately as he saw the nostrils in the water come around the bend in his direction. He slapped at the water and kicked up a torrent behind him. A despairing whine came out each time he tilted his head to breathe and caught sight of the predators anew. He reached the bank as they were closing around him and barely touched the ground as he ran on his toes from the water.

Shia was slapping the water with her branches down river and the irritated crocs turned back to the sound. Goar tugged his end like a fishing pole yanking the tied-on blond elf back into the water. The crocs were a frenzied swarm hurdling themselves over one another snapping at the elf as he bounded back out of the river. “Stop it!” He squealed from the other side.

Goar looked up at me and laughed. Tootsie laughed with him. I bit my cheeks to keep from laughing.