Uraza followed them out the door. As they passed sailors and soldiers, all eyes furtively strayed to the leopard. Uraza walked with the sinuous grace of a natural predator, and nobody wanted to get too close. Even the bravest gave her plenty of space, while others changed their routes to avoid her entirely. After only four days at sea, Abeke had learned to ignore the attention.
Shane had prepared the hold for use as a training area. Crates, bales, and barrels had been shoved aside to form a long open space. Nobody disturbed them there.
“Have you spent time talking to Uraza?” Shane asked. “Showing fondness for her?”
“Yes,” Abeke said.
“Any spirit animal has unusual intelligence,” he reminded her. “Yours will have much more than most. She can’t talk, but that doesn’t mean she won’t understand.”
“The Great Beasts could speak,” Abeke said, passing through a door into the cargo hold. “At least they do in the stories.”
“When she was a Great Beast, Uraza was larger than a horse,” Shane reminded her.
“Does that mean my Uraza is a cub?” Abeke asked. The powerful leopard sure didn’t look like a baby.
“Spirit animals always arrive as adults,” Shane said. “Whether Uraza will grow into everything she once was is hard to guess. We’ll have to wait and see.”
Abeke turned to face Uraza. The leopard gazed at her, violet eyes bright.
“Can you sense her mood?” Shane asked.
“I don’t know,” Abeke said, staring hard. “Interested, maybe?”
“That seems likely,” Shane said. “The more you practice, the better you’ll perceive her emotions. That’s the first step to borrowing her energy in times of need.”
“What about the passive state?” Abeke had always been impressed by Chinwe’s ability to change her wildebeest into a tattoo on her leg.
“That is more up to Uraza than to you,” Shane said. “You must gain her trust. She enters her passive state voluntarily, but she can’t emerge until you release her.”
“You keep your wolverine dormant?” Abeke asked. Once, at her pleading, he had bashfully shown her the hint of a mark high on his chest.
“Most of the time. Renneg is great in a fight, but doesn’t play well with others. When Uraza consents, you’ll get to pick where the mark will go. Many choose their arms or the back of the hand. It’s convenient.”
Abeke had only seen the wolverine once, when they were boarding the ship. It was compact, but looked vicious.
Shane held up a short wooden stick. “We did enough archery yesterday. You’re good, but I didn’t sense Uraza making you any better. I thought today we should try something more strenuous. We’ll pretend this is a knife. All you have to do is stab me.”
He handed Abeke the stick. Abeke went and knelt before Uraza. The leopard lounged on the floor, body curled, head up, long tail swishing languidly. Abeke took in the spotted perfection of her pelt, the black around her vibrant eyes, and the muscular power of her sleek body. How could such a strong, wild creature be her companion? Uraza gazed at her, unblinking.
Abeke gently touched one of her paws. “We’re a team now. Like it or not, we’re both far from home, but at least we have each other. I can tell you don’t love this ship. Neither do I. But it’s just taking us someplace where we can be outside again. I really do like you — you’re quiet, you’re not pushy, and we come from the same place. I want to learn to work together.”
Uraza purred and Abeke fluttered inside. Was it her imagination, or had they begun to connect? It was difficult to be sure.
Abeke turned to face Shane.
“Whenever you’re ready,” he invited.
Abeke shuffled forward, the stick held in front of her. Back home, she had used a spear at times, and had practiced a lot with a bow. She knew little about fighting with a knife.
This didn’t seem like an effective way to confront a larger, more experienced opponent. She would never approach somebody like Shane openly. Her only chance would be to strike from behind, attack out of hiding. With surprise on her side, she’d have much better odds of succeeding.
But this was just practice. She needed to fight according to Shane’s guidelines. Maybe there was something predatory in Uraza that would amplify her efforts.
As Abeke closed in, she tried a quick stab. Shane pivoted away, slapping her wrist. Three more stabs led to three more slaps. She felt no assistance from Uraza. “This is pointless,” Abeke groaned, relaxing her stance.
“You just need —”
She lunged and stabbed hard, hoping to catch him off guard. Shane dodged her attack and seized her wrist. For a moment they struggled. Abeke silently asked Uraza for help. Shane pried the stick from her fingers and touched it to her belly.
“Good try,” he said. “You almost caught me napping.”
“I would never attack you like this in real life,” Abeke said. “I’d sneak up on you.”
Shane nodded. “That would be smarter. And more suited to how a leopard would hunt. Tell you what — I’ll go to the far side of the hold and stand with my back to you. I won’t turn unless I hear something suspicious. Deal?”
Abeke nodded. This new game would play to her more proven abilities.
Shane returned the stick to her and trotted to the far side of the room. Staying low, her pretend knife ready, Abeke crept forward. Step by step she drew nearer.
“Are you moving yet?” Shane asked, facing away from her. “If so, you’re good at it. If not, hurry up — we don’t have all day.”
Abeke fought against a smile. She knew that she was a skilled stalker, and it was nice to hear Shane recognize it. Glancing over her shoulder, she found the leopard watching attentively, her posture more alert than earlier.
The door near Shane burst open and a figure raced toward him. Robed in black, face covered, the attacker held a curved sword ready. Shane ducked a swipe of the sword and grappled with the intruder.
“Run, Abeke!” Shane shouted. “It’s an assassin. Fetch the captain!”
The assassin was bigger than Shane. They wrestled for control of the sword.
Abeke found herself in a low crouch, both unfamiliar and instinctive. A foreign energy blazed into her muscles — every fiber seemed taut and ready to release. Her senses had never felt so keen. She heard the subtle creak of the timbers as the ship rocked gently to the right. She could smell the attacker, a full-grown man, and could distinguish easily between him and Shane. Her vision was enhanced as well, sharpened. No part of her intended to heed Shane’s instruction to run.