Snow Rising - Introduction - Scene 1

Sitting at a table outside a busy tavern on the docks of Dragon Harbour, Snow watched the passing crowds, looking not at faces but waiting for one whose shifting form would reveal the Shammer she was looking for. Being able to see the creatures was a gift she was born with and one which had proved useful in her new life as a bounty hunter here in Raventor. It was Maia’s Day and in honour of the All Mother the buildings were bedecked with fluttering strands of black and white cloth, making it seem as if the taverns, shops and storage houses moved with each breeze from the waters of the River Nymm. People too wore the colours of the Goddess to gain her favour in the coming year, making it harder for Snow to spot the man she was looking for. Brushing long strands of her white hair out of her eyes she wished she’d braided it but that would’ve wasted time and her quarry would be looking for a way off the island with his stolen goods and only two ships were due to depart today. She took a mouthful of ale and resumed her watch, forcing herself to concentrate as the early morning rush flowed before her. “You realise we’ll be here all day at this rate”? Snow looked down at the large wolfhound at her side and whispered, “Get out of my head Fenn. I hate it when you do that”. She kept her voice low, looking at those around her to make sure no one was listening, “Just be a dog”. “I am a bloody dog for now. Perhaps you’d rather I spoke out loud. Be a bit of a shock for those smelly sailors on the next table”. The wolfhound looked up at her with his blue eyes and growled softly, “I’m bored”. Snow knew only she could hear his voice yet still checked around her. Lifting her tankard to her mouth she hissed around it, “Behave or Morag’ll bind you to the form of a rat”. The last words came out louder than she’d intended and she smiled weakly at one of the nearby sailor’s as he gave her a strange look, “Thought I saw a rat”, she said raising her tankard towards him, “Can’t stand them”. The sailor shook his head and turned back to his mates. The wolfhound’s sudden bout of coughing was the nearest he could get to laughter, “A witch with a rat as a familiar? She’d never live it down”. He yelped aloud as the tip of Snow’s boot found his ribs, then whined piteously, “You win, I’ll behave”. He sat up and shook himself then moved to lay sulkily out of harms way, closing his eyes as if sleeping. Snow turned her eyes back to the hustle and bustle on the docks, knowing she’d hear nothing from the shapeshifting imp for a while. As a witch’s familiar he could see Shammers for what they were too and, in his present form, could smell them quicker. It had been the reason Snow had let Morag talk her into bringing him. The old witch still treated her as if she were a child, insisting she took Fenn along for protection. The thought made her smile as her attention turned to the large group of people jostling and fidgeting at the foot of a heavy wooden gangway opposite the tavern. She heard Fenn growl and glanced in his direction, seeing him standing hackles raised. He smelled something and she knew a Shammer was nearby. Closing her eyes for a moment she snapped them open and looked again at the crowd opposite, searching for the flickering shift among the bobbing heads. There, a momentary ripple of shadow next to a big man with a pig under his arm, moving as she jumped up and headed towards the ship, Fenn at her heels. Ignoring the angry shouts and curses she shouldered her way through passing strangers, trying to keep the Shammer in her line of sight. Leaping up onto a pile of wooden crates and boxes Snow could see over the heads of those waiting for boarding, see the man with the pig kicking out at a barking wolfhound as the figure next to him started backing off, grabbing a woman’s arm to shove her in front of him then turning to barge his way through towards the open street. She jumped down, careening into a gaggle of women as she hit the ground running, sending one of them tumbling. “What’s yer hurry”. This from a woman the size of a wooden outhouse who reached out with a meaty hand to grab Snow’s leather tunic, dragging her back, “Ya long legged bitch”, she screamed, “Yer’ve hurt me muvver”! Snow could hear Fenn barking a way off and knew she needed to be quick. As the fat woman squeezed her arm fit to bust she pulled a handful of coin from her pocket with the other, throwing them into the woman’s face. It had the desired effect and all damage was quickly forgotten as fatty turned her attention to the jingling coins as they hit the floor, releasing Snow to run on. Following the sound of Fenn’s frenzied barking and narrowly dodging on oncoming cart Snow burst through the last of the crowd and was out onto the dockside proper seeing Fenn up ahead as the Shammer’s juddering form weaved his way along the winding thoroughfare. Now she had him in sight Snow drew her sword, knowing this would clear her way through the crowd. Soon she’d reached Fenn and he fell in beside her as the Shammer darted into the first alleyway he came to. “Bloody Shades, all cowards”. This from Fenn as they closed the distance, arriving at the mouth of the poorly lit alley, a narrow rubbish strewn lane running under overhanging balconies and crumbling walls, “Hiding somewhere, not running”. Snow tried to listen but the rumbling of cart wheels and noise of the crowd in the street behind her made it impossible, “You’re the dog, sniff him out”. The big wolfhound lifted his head and sniffed tentatively, shaking his head with a snuffle,“Stinks of shit and piss”. He sat down and pawed his nose, “You go first, I’ll protect you”. Snow scowled down at the wolfhound and stepped into the alleyway, sword in hand, nose wrinkling as she walked through the all too recognisable stream of sewage that flowed through the alley. She stopped and looked behind her to see Fenn still sitting at the mouth of the foul alley, “Some guardian you are”, she said, “Get your furry arse here and help me”. Waiting until he was less than a pace behind her she turned and walked slowly, picking her way round piles so rotted she couldn’t tell what they were. She froze as something moved to her left, stomach flipping as a large rat slithered out from something wet, stopping to look at her and the dog before scuttling away into the shadows. Snow straightened up and moved on, hearing Fenn’s fur-ball cough behind her, “I don’t like rats”, she said, “Shut up or..”. The threat went unfinished as a pile of rubbish burst open and the Shammer leapt, hitting her low, taking her legs from under her, sword rendered useless as he took her to the ground, driving the breath from her lungs as he followed her down. Gasping for air, she rolled side to side, ignoring the stench that rose to meet her, twisting her body and letting her sword fall as she saw the dagger in her attacker’s hand flashing down toward her. She grabbed at his wrist, halting the descent, looking up into the shimmering face as she wrenched his arm off to the side and brought her knees up, pushing with everything she had to send him tumbling over her head. Anger rather than agility spurred her up to her feet and she was on top of the Shammer before he could rise, pinning his arms with her knees and landing a crunching punch to his shifting face, then another and another. “He’s done Snow”, Fenn’s shaggy head poked in over the Shammer’s face, “Jarak said bring him back, not kill him”. Looking down at the unconscious man shape Snow lifted his head and let it drop back to the floor to make sure before glaring at the wolfhound, “I know”. She picked up the Shammer’s dagger and tucked it into her belt, “Best tie him up”. Walking over to retrieve her sword she unwound a rope hanging at her waist, wiping a muck covered hand on her torn leggings, “Oh, many thanks for the protection”. “I knew you’d take him”. Fenn lifted a leg and let loose a stream of piss onto the unconscious Shammer, “That should bring him round”. He stepped back as his victim started to splutter and cough, “See”?