A Time of Tigers - From Peasant to Emperor

"I think I'd rather swim it if anything," Nila said. "But it seems too cold for that."

The reply surprised Beam, and he raised an eyebrow. "You're a good swimmer?"

Nila shrugged. "I'm better at swimming than running, anyway. My dad was a shepherd, you see, and the sheep would always get stuck across rivers and little lakes and we'd have to swim over and drag them back."

"Oh? That sounds pretty fun, actually," Beam said, tilting his head.

Nila giggled. "It was," she said, and then her eyes saddened for a moment, as though recalling a memory.

"Anyway, since you're comfortable swimming, I guess we don't really have to worry. I'm not really a good swimmer, but I should be able to get to the side at least," Beam said. "I think our best bet is to just let our feet get wet and aim for the little island in the middle."

"I hate the feeling of wet feet…" Nila complained, but Beam was already wading into the river up to his ankles. It was shallower nearer the shore. From there, there was a group of rocks that he climbed up on, stepping from rock to rock with ease, before landing in the middle.

Nila followed. The water didn't make it past the top of her boots and she grinned. The stones were slippier than she expected, but she landed triumphantly next to Beam on the central island.

"My feet are perfectly dry," she said with a teasing smile. "Jealous?"

"Definitely," Beam said, eyeing her leather boots. "I didn't know leather was waterproof, though."

"If you wax it, it is," Nila told him. "It's really expensive, though. My mother saved for months to get me these."

"Heh… I wonder if I'll get a pair one day?" Beam said, moving his toes inside his completely soaked shoes. "Well, let's get over. There's still a little ground to cover till we get into giant spider territory, but we should go cautiously from here."

Nila's expression became serious, and she nodded.

Clearing the rest of the river was easier after that middle island and they made it to the other side without issue. Here, unlike further upstream, there was not another tall cliff face to great them. Instead, there was an almost gently sloping hill with a twisting route that went up it.

They made their way to the top of it in silence, both of them eyeing the dense pine trees in front of them. There was something in the air about here that reeked of danger. It was a different sense than the Goblins gave, but one similarly uncomfortable.

"From here, we should move on guard," Beam said. "Master said they live high up in the trees, so if we're lucky, we'll catch one or two unawares. That'll be your job."

"Is this the strategy you were talking about earlier?" Nila asked.

Beam grimaced. "To be honest, even though I've been learning a little bit, I don't really know how to apply strategy to real life… I can only really go by what seems sensible. I think I'll just try and create opportunities for you to land your shots, whilst making sure the spiders don't group up."

Nila shrugged. "That still sounds like a good strategy to me."

"You need to make sure you don't let any get close to you, though. If they come behind us, make sure you stay close to me so I can defend you," Beam said.

"Got it. Are you going to be okay fighting with your leg, though?" Nila asked again, for what must have been the hundredth time in the last few days.

Beam thought back to his martial arts training that he'd just started up again with his master in the last two days. Things were going dreadfully on that front. He couldn't land any kicks with either leg, for when he attempted to throw one with his good leg, his injured leg wasn't able to support his body weight well enough to generate force.

As a result, Dominus had made him focus more on using his arms and on minimal movement, being more steady and only moving as little or as much as he needed to. So far, none of those lessons had taken a proper root, and deep down, Beam knew he was being reckless to attempt to fight so soon. But still, he didn't have a choice with so little time.

"I'll make it work," he told her. "But I am counting on your bow."

Nila nodded again, struggling to hide a smile despite the circumstances. It made her feel unreasonably good to have someone rely on her hunting skills. The skills that until recently, no one had properly recognized. "Be careful, though. The spider's poison might be weak, but if you get enough of it in you, you'll definitely die. Even a little scratch will make you sick for a couple of days."

"So we're looking for a perfect run, huh?" Beam said with a grin. "Then I'm counting on you."

With those last few words exchanged, they moved cautiously through the trees.

It was not long before they saw the first signs of spider life. Thick ropey webs hung from the trees like nets. The webs were rather torn up and frail looking here, not appearing to be in use, but it was the warning they needed to keep their guards up.

A short walk later and they saw the cocooned remains of what appeared to be a wild pig, covered in webs and squirted with gastric juices, digested whilst it was still alive.

"…Just how big are these things?" Beam murmured. When he heard of giant spiders, he was thinking more about the size of a small cat. Something jumpy and annoying. But from the size of their webs and the size of their prey, they seemed to be something larger.

"They're about the size of that pig – just with horrible legs added on," Nila said. She was continually scanning the tops of the trees, an arrow notched on her bowstring, ready to be drawn at a single moment's notice. Beam led the way, but stayed close to her in case of a surprise attack.

By the corpse of the pig was where Beam paid the most attention. He slowed his footsteps so much it was almost as though he was standing still, and then he cast his senses outwards, searching for signs of life.