Disclaimers: BeastMaster characters and concept are property of their creators. No copyright infringement intended. Original story is property of the author.
Spoilers: "Amazons." Rating: G.
Author's Note: Oh, come on, it had to be done. It just had to! And my apologies to Shakespeare, who I am sure is spinning in his grave at the title, but the line just popped into my head and it was too perfect to ignore.
Animal Voices "provided" by:
Michael Hurst (Iolaus, Hercules: the Legendary Journeys) -- Kodo
Matt Frewer (e.g.: Max Headroom, Disney's Hercules) -- Podo.
Once More Onto the Beach
© 2000, Grace Macy
Okay. So I can understand needing the fire-lily. I can understand Dar being the one to get it. But does he have to bring us along?!
Kodo looked at his companion in the carry-pouch and gave him as much of a glare as a bouncing ferret is capable of. It was a rather impressive effort, Podo had to admit. Shut. Up., said Kodo.
Podo sank a little further into "his" corner. His mental voice gave the impression of sulkily crossed arms. I'm just saying . . . ow! There was an indistinct grumble as they bounced again, presumably from a leap Dar had just made. We're ferrets. We run, we sneak, we eat. We don't swim. So why are we -- OW! -- coming along for this little ride?
Because Dar said so, he might need help, and --- Kodo gave his brother a significant look, --- Ruh might have wanted a snack.
Ruh wouldn't eat us. We're too scrawny.
Fine. Then he might decide to play with us. And you remember what happened the last time he went on a "chase the ferrets" kick. Our feet were sore for a week.
Podo squeaked his remembrance of that. Still --
Oh, would you please just hush!, Kodo snapped, exasperated.
Podo complied. For all of two minutes. Then he said plaintively, I'm hungry.
Kodo refrained from pointing out the obvious. So did Dar, though the BeastMaster did apologize for the bumpy ride his run was causing. They felt Dar slow down and sent a curious query to their friend.
Hunter's trap, Dar replied. Someone really doesn't like visitors here.
There was a pause, then they felt gravity suspended. A hard bump as Dar landed again, and a solid-sounding thunk came from nearby.
What was that? the ferrets asked in unison.
Battle-axe, Dar answered absently. And a guest.
Same guest's you said has been following us?
Yes --- Damn. No. Two guests.
Kodo and Podo stilled. Through the hide of the pouch, they caught a scent. Human. Female. And then another scent, one Dar had already noted, more easily identified by instinct. Tiger. Male. Not Ruh.
Dar straightened and spoke aloud. "Don't! Don't move!" Kodo and Podo waited tensely for some kind of information. The link was only partial, and they could only sense Dar's worry as he spoke. There was a pause, then he repeated, "If you value your life . . . just don't . . . move."
"You showing me your belly?" a woman's voice came, taunting, arrogant.
Oy, Podo muttered.
"Listen to me," Dar said. His voice was soft, persuasive, as he used with a beast that was too angry to use the link. "Listen . . ." Kodo and Podo stilled in the sack, anxious now. "No!" Dar said urgently. "Listen to me. Turn slow."
With a growl that was clearly audible through the pouch, the unfamiliar tiger made its presence known. The ferrets really hoped the human woman was wise enough to listen to good advice.
Leave here, Dar said, his thoughts aimed towards the new beast's mind. Kodo and Podo heard the response across the link.
You leave. I'm hungry. She's mine.
There's easier hunting just west of the river-bend. An old gazelle --her time is near.
And why should I trust you? Leave her?
Because you don't have a choice. You'll have to go through me to get to her, and you're not strong enough for that. I can sense it in you.
A long pause, then the new tiger gave a soft growl. So be it.
Kodo and Podo let out a near-sigh as the tiger-scent faded. Then suddenly they were bouncing again. Go through you to get to her, huh? Kodo asked, amused. Was she pretty?
They both felt Dar's blush as clearly as if they could see his face, but the BeastMaster didn't answer.
Podo squeaked in his version of laughter. Yup, he agreed merrily with his brother. She was pretty.
Dar refused to dignify that with an answer, not that it stopped them from ribbing him as they continued.
There was relative silence after that. It was another few hours before they stopped again, not counting the attempted seduction -- which neither ferret gave more than a snort of amusement to -- and once more the scent that met them was that of the woman whose life Dar had saved. This time, after the conversation, both ferrets made it a point to pop their heads out of the carry-pouch, trying to catch a glimpse of her.
Why?, Dar asked, and immediately wished he hadn't.
Because we wanna see how good-looking this gal is, Kodo snickered.
Besides, Podo muttered, sounding wounded. She mighta had food . . .
Another couple of hours found them at the shore of a lake, the waterfall at one end of the body of water making a distinctive noise. Kodo and Podo scurried out of the carry-pouch as Dar set it on the ground. Finally, Kodo muttered. He stretched out as best he could, working kinks out of his lithe body. Do you have any idea how knotted up I am? My cramps have cramps!
Podo stretched similarly beside him, then turned his head to scan the hillside by the lake. There were some berry-bushes not too far away, and there would be just enough time for a snack while Dar fetched the fire-lily. If Podo had been able to, he would have rubbed his hands together in anticipation. As it was, he squeaked in glee and sneaked off as Kodo went to find a spot away from the pouch to answer a different call of nature.
A wave of surprise and distress over their link with Dar summoned both ferrets very quickly back to the water. The entire lake, to their immense surprise, had been covered with ice. Kodo and Podo exchanged a look, then Kodo sighed, We can't leave him alone for five minutes!
What is it with that boy and water?!, Podo asked.
I don't know, Kodo answered. And why weren't you keeping an eye on him?
I was . . . trying to find another fire-lily, Podo answered. You know, to, um, help.
Kodo shot him a patently disbelieving look. Right. Fire-lilies grow so often under berry bushes.
So I grabbed a snack while I was looking!
Kodo muttered something indecipherable, but the images were full of dire consequences he wished he could inflict on his brother. He sounded distracted, however, and with reason: he was trying to figure out a way to get their friend out of this newest mess into which he had gotten himself. Honestly, sometimes Dar with trouble was worse than Podo and spare scraps of food. The ferret would have sighed if he could; instead, he focused on figuring this out. Sharp eyes caught sight of a tumble of stones and an idea sprang into his mind.
Podo watched as his brother scurried towards the pebbles and nudged a few onto the ice. They hit with a solid thunk-ing sound. Podo yipped in approval as he caught on, and said, Let's break the ice, shall we, bro?
Kodo nodded shortly and scrambled towards a bigger pile of rocks. One of them was just the right size and weight to break the ice covering the lake -- assuming it had the right momentum. Sure, break the ice, he thought silently. And then I'm gonna break his neck.
He wasn't entirely certain whether he meant Podo or Dar, who kept getting himself into the most amazing trouble. Podo would, naturally, be a far easier target. Kodo didn't particularly mind. They could feel Dar's growing panic as his air-supply dwindled to almost nothing. If they didn't do something soon, he would pass out and drown, even if the ice was broken.
The first try moved the rock a significant amount, but a collection of pebbles and sticks stopped its further advance. Kodo and Podo scrambled down the slope towards that annoying barrier, calling out reassurances to Dar over the link even as they scurried to remove the obstacle. The sight of the rock coming loose to tumble down the slope, and then crashing through the ice, was almost as welcome as the sight of Dar breaking the surface of the water and taking a deep gasp of air.
The two ferrets watched him stumble out of the water and collapse onto the shore, and scurried over to him, urgently asking if he was all right. Dar nodded, then gasped out, "Thank you . . . Thank you!"
Hey, Kodo asked lightly, what are ferrets for? He glanced at Podo, who was sniffing at the fire-lily, and added, Don't. Even. Think. About. It.
Podo looked up at him, his mind-tone all injured pride and innocence. What? Who? Me?
Kodo glared, then looked at Dar resignedly. Forget I asked, he said with a mental sigh.
Dar laughed. He had his hands full again just a few moments later, as a number of men swarmed out of the forest, but Kodo grabbed the fire-lily -- with a glare and mumbled squeak of warning to his brother. A few minutes after that, with the help of the mysterious (and, now Kodo and Podo saw, quite lovely indeed) Amazon whom Dar had encountered earlier, the enemies were vanquished and the fire-lily was on its way to Tao and the girl via Sharak.
Kodo and Podo mind-smiled in satisfaction, but backed away as Dar offered the pouch to them. Ahhh, no thanks, the two ferrets said in unison. They exchanged a glance, then added fervently, We'll walk.