CHAPTER TWELVE: INTO THE THRUNDANK
"Put in your oars, boyyo. It's all narrow in here. Polin's easier."
Fawkes tucked the oars inside the boat then changed places with JuJu and picked up a pole. They poled up the stream and deeper into the Thrundank. The swamp was a web of streams running between mounds. Bushes, trees, and the occasional bare patch of rocky ground them. Most rose out of the water to stand no bigger than a town cottage and its yard.
"It's a maze," Fawkes blurted out. His map was not going to help much in here. It only marked the wider channels.
Bristol chuckled.
"Until you get to know it, anyways." He nodded to a shack hard to see under all the vines and mosses growing on it.
"Timukua shack. They're often out here findin' chakka. They're tolerable."
"And when they're not?" Timukua were a cat-folk of amber fur and deep brown spots. Fawkes looked hard but he did not see one. Of course not. Timukua could sneak about like ghosts when they wanted to.
"Back in their villages on Trail Ridge. Always keepin' to themselves 'cept to sell their chakka."
They poled past the shack. For a good long while, they made their way around the Thrundank. Fawkes watched the water close. Remembered rumors told over ales about snakes and river lions taking the unwary from their fishing boats jittered his nerves.
JuJu turned his nose towards a nearby mound and barked low.
"Nissling?" Fawkes turned to stare at the mound.
JuJu nodded.
"Damn smart dog you got there, boyyo."
Fawkes smiled sadly. The dogs had been a puzzle, and a gift, from Grandfather.
"They both are. A very rare pair."
Bristol nodded.
"Guess now's the time." The old fisherman sank his pole into the muck, stopping Boatessa.
"Time for what?" Fawkes asked, suddenly wary. Had PeyPey being so different from most dogs upset the old fisherman?
"Time to ask if that wizard was out to kill your grandfather cause he was a wizard, too."
"Oh." Fawkes relaxed. "No, he was no wizard, but he worked for them in the Vaults until things went bad. He was an arcane scribe." At least, that's what Grandfather pretended to be when we were there. "Nothing almighty like a wizard, though. Just little magics. Taught me a bit, too."
"An' they stole magic from your grandfather?"
"A magic book. I need to save it before whoever wants it drains its power for some great, and probably very bad, magic." That was the easiest way to explain it even if it was not exactly accurate. He wanted to be mostly honest with Bristol without wasting all day doing it.
"That's worth killin' fer?"
"I don't think so. But then I am not some murdering wizard bent on doing some heinous magic." Fawkes met Bristol's eyes. In his steadiest voice, he continued on with the truth. "I do think it's worth risking my life stopping heinous magic."
Bristol was quiet a long moment as he kept looking back into Fawkes' eyes.
"Never noticed yer eyes don't match. Think it's cause they're dark. Dark blue ... dark green. They're just dark unless you look at 'em."
Fawkes blinked at the sudden change then shrugged.
"One of the reasons Grandfather taught me his little magics." He explained with a sad smile, remembering his very young days when Grandfather had explained it to him. Some folks believed that an odd-eyed child was fated by the gods and those about them should beware. Then he grew up and Grandfather had explained things properly. He liked this much simpler way best.
"Some folks don't take to strange eyes and he wanted to be sure I could get by on my own when he was gone. He didn't plan on it being this soon, though."
"Don't mind your eyes, boyyo. Also don't mind your magics. What I do mind is a bunch of piss poor thieves so damn piss poor at thievin' they need a wizard to murder folks to get the loot!" A tendon flexed in his neck.
Bristol took a deep steadying breath.
"Let's get on with findin' these nisslin's." He looked at the mound JuJu still sniffed. "Far too small fer a nisslin' home but sure would be a good spot fer huntin' up a turtle or somethin'."
"JuJu and me will go give it a look. Maybe find out if they hunted here."
Bristol nodded and they poled over to the mound.
