They were outnumbered ten to one, and at any moment she knew one of the Plurn might rush in and attempt to cut them down. Even so, Minx couldn't wipe the grin from her lips. We fight pretty well together, Kaleb and I. His raw power, coupled with her speed and instincts, made for a great pairing. Except for Mau, she'd never felt this good fighting alongside anyone before. We haven't known each other for very long, but we're actually pretty good at this. It's like we have a connection... like we complement each other.
Kaleb caught her lingering gaze and spared her a little smile—and though she couldn't be sure, she thought she sensed agreement in it.
Before the next round of battle could commence, there came a low voice from behind her. It issued from the direction of the cages—deeper into the auction hall—and Minx turned to look. There, huddled behind the rearmost cage, was a very large figure. “Please,” urged the voice, “come this way.”
The presence of this figure surprised the Plurn, too, who peered over suspiciously. “Who's there?” barked one of the guards.
The mysterious interloper stepped out from behind the cage, and at sight of her both Minx and Kaleb were at a loss for words. It was a woman, but with green skin and large, curved tusks. To what race this woman belonged neither could guess; there might have been something of the Krah in her, but the woman's great height and tusks were alien even to that reptilian species. Despite her odd appearance, the woman did not appear threatening—in fact, she motioned to Minx gently and called out in a low, pleading voice. “Please, miss... this way...” Her large, green hand beckoned to some dim space further on.
“Who're you?” asked Minx, keeping one eye on the Plurn in case they decided to launch an attack.
Kaleb studied the figure closely, muttering, “Is she with the guards?”
“There isn't much time,” urged the green woman, straightening the tan robe around her lengthy trunk. “Please, this way!” Then, taking a step back into the darkness, she added, “I can help you find the one you're looking for.”
“Huh?” blurted Minx, looking to the dragon shifter and nudging his arm. “She knows where Mau is?”
Kaleb said nothing, watching the woman in the shadows under hooded lids and seeming to weigh their options. “Possibly,” he finally replied.
“Can we trust her?” whispered Minx.
Grinning at the Plurn in their midst, Kaleb shook his head. “Maybe. More than we can trust these guys, anyway.” He pointed at the Plurn chief and then motioned to the door. “We're going to do you a favor and leave this place. Forget we were here.”
The guards were not in a position to merely let the duo walk out after all the chaos they'd caused, but couldn't hope to stop them, either. They growled and muttered amongst themselves, and Minx knew that if they didn't get away from the auction building quickly, the guards would surely return—and in greater numbers.
Who is this woman? Has she been here all along? She couldn't be sure whether this woman in the shadows could be trusted, but was confident that she and Kaleb could take care of themselves in the event of treachery. She followed the dragon shifter into the rear of the main auction room, joining the woman who had already begun toward a small back door.
“Come,” said the woman, eyeing the Plurn cautiously. “Quickly. They're going to tail us.”
Kaleb arched a brow and followed the woman out the door as she eased it open. He seemed to be thinking the same thing she was.
Minx went along, too. I don't know if we can trust her, but if she has a solid lead on Mau's whereabouts, we don't have a choice but to follow.
Chapter 11
With the help of daylight, Minx was able to get a better look at this mysterious woman leading them out of the auction house, and was more perplexed at her alien appearance than previously.
Not only was she taller than either Kaleb or herself, but this green-skinned woman with a pair of imposing tusks bore a good deal of muscle. Her arms were well-defined and her shoulders looked like cannonballs. And yet, she walked with a certain gentleness—the gentleness of one who would step carefully through the woods to avoid crushing insects or flowers underfoot. As they wove back toward the alley at the auction house's side, the woman's delicate voice broke in over the din of loiterers stationed outside. “We must hurry. If they get eyes on us, they're sure to follow,” she warned.
Heads low, they hung the nearest corner and quickened their pace, pushing past clusters of recently-spooked auction-goers and other shady types milling about the network of closely-packed buildings. They had not gone far from the back door of the building when the tusked woman donned the hood of her garb—and in doing so she largely managed to avoid the looks of curious passersby.
“Where are you taking us?” asked Kaleb quietly, giving voice to the question on Minx's own mind.
“Someplace quiet, where we can talk,” replied the woman, letting down the sleeves of her robe so as to keep her large, green hands mostly out of sight. “There is much to discuss.”
I'll say, thought Minx, following at Kaleb's heels. Who are you and how do you know where Mau is being held? Why are you even helping us? Eager to throw the auction house guards off their trail, she held her tongue and decided to save these questions awhile longer. She studied the woman's hulking form, wondering if she, too, was some strange creation of the Zuscha. She had certain marks of the Krah—a similar coloration and scaliness—but her every other characteristic was unplaceable. More than the tusks and muscle, Minx was stunned at the woman's delicacy. This was certainly not a quality found among the war-like Krah.
Their trek brought them, after fifteen minutes of darting and weaving through crowds,
