Limestone 2nd, 200The very next morning, before the sun even rose, they set off. Tlukankis had gathered some provisions, but aside from them she took only her dagger and the clothes on her back.
She had no idea where Wraingi's lair might be, but she was an excellent tracker. Like most kobolds, she had little experience in an actual fight, but from years of sneaking, fleeing, and hiding, she knew how to tread silently and avoid harm. She knew how to kill an animal with a spear, and knew nearly as well how to kill them with a knife, which was a rarer and riskier method among kobolds.
Deebus asked if she knew how to swim, but it had been years since she had needed to. So, as the sun was rising, he found a tiny pond for her to practice in. The old thief should not drown, else they would never get anywhere. After several minutes, she felt ready to cross the nearby river. It seemed empty, likely having just thawed, so Deebus agreed it made a good crossing point. He crossed quickly, her trailing behind but not struggling. He grasped the overhang on the other side, ready to pull himself up. Then he heard a great splash.
It should have been too cold yet for alligators. But there one was, risen from the riverbed where Tlukankis had been only a moment ago and the water turning red around it. Deebus was back there in an instant, leaping to slice open the beast's jaws. She was not in them, though, as instead he saw her with legs wrapped around the gator's snout, dagger embedded in it's scaly forehead. She had failed to pierce the brain, but had gouged the scaly hide thick enough to draw plenty of blood.
Tlukankis pulled out her dagger and stabbed again. And again. It passed out, but she could not seem to break its thick skull. Deebus was about to help her finish it off, but he was forced to spin around in the water.
The eel made a beeline for the blood, but tried to latch onto Deebus first. He was faster than the fish, though, and far more than a match for it. He deftly grabbed it behind the tooth-lined sucker and crushed its head with his fist. Tlukankis, realizing her attacker had passed out, detached herself and reached around the head, slitting the gator's throat. Soon the river was entirely red downstream, and the beast went limp.
Reassured, Deebus paddled across again, and together the kobolds climbed out into the rain.