Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Chanirra ❯ Chapter 9

Chanirra closed his eyes and transformed into an otter. He was not fond of swimming long distances but he had no other choice. He dove into the water then glanced at Undine, who had dove in beside him. In the water, she looked almost like a mermaid or at least, the stories he had heard of mermaids. Her aquamarine hair flowed almost like the water itself and her tail was long and slender. She seemed more graceful in the water than on land and he wondered if the merfolk looked like her. In reality, he had never seen one for the merfolk lived in the seas and he had never had the opportunity to travel to the outer shores. The land in-between the great seas were vast and he had not yet fully witnessed all this terrain had to offer.

 

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Undine inquired and Chanirra blinked his eyes.

 

“I was wondering if merfolk look like you,” he replied.

 

“You've never seen one?”

 

“No.”

 

“Well I certainly hope you're strong enough to swim all the way to Set's land. I don't want to have to tow you along. This is my preferred form. As I'm sure Boruta has told you, we can change shape to suit our needs. I only use the form you first saw me in when I get tired of water or when I have to be in the Sacred Grove. My powers are more functional than yours Now try to keep up,” Undine said and Chanirra glared at her. He was not in the least fond of her but he would put up with her the best he could. He had, after all, no other choice.

 

“If I can survive three harsh winters up in the mountains, I'm sure I can survive a long swim. You cannot base your opinion of someone on appearance alone,” Chanirra replied.

 

“Hmph. Let's hope you're more than just talk and a muscular body. I really can't afford you drowning on me.”

 

“I have never failed a contract and I'm not going to start now. Besides, I'm not going to let you have the satisfaction of seeing me fail.”

 

“Well you're certainly conceited, aren't you? I didn't know you had a reason to be conceited.”

 

“I'm not conceited. I just don't like the haughty attitude you have towards me. I have done nothing to you.”

 

“You appeared before me unclothed.”

 

“That was only an accident. I didn't even know you were coming.”

 

“That does not erase the embarrassment I felt at that moment. Imagine me being mortified in a sacred area.”

 

“I'm sorry. I don't understand what I did that was so wrong.”

 

“Just don't do it again.”

 

She pulled out ahead of him and Chanirra forced himself to move faster. He was not going to let this water spirit get the best of him. He was not going to let shame befall his tribe. When he returned, he would be hailed as one of the greatest warriors of all time. No warrior had ever traveled as far as he had and he was not about to allow himself to die at sea. A fish swam out in front of him and smacked his nose and Chanirra opened his eyes. Otters were a strange lot. They naturally ate fish but they also came on land to eat bird and mice. He had seen a few land otters near the sacred lakes of his home and they were always entertaining to watch. The ones near the Orrefors Peninsula lived in a large colony or whatever a group of otters were referred to and they slid down natural slides whenever they were in a playful mood.

 

“What's wrong with you now?” Undine inquired and Chanirra looked at her.

 

“Nothing. I was just thinking about the otters that live near my home. Have you ever watched otters?” Chanirra inquired and Undine shrugged their shoulders.

 

“They are all right if you like comedy. Whales and their smaller cousins are more enlightening to watch. That and the seals. Could you change into a seal?”

 

“Not in the water. I have to concentrate to change my shape. Do you think a seal would be faster?”

 

“It might be more sensible. Right now you're in the shape of a river otter are you not? That shape won't do you much good once we get out into the open sea.”

 

“If I try to transform here, I might drown and you don't want that, do you?”

 

“All right. We'll stop when we reach the mouth of the river. That'll give you a chance to change and a chance for me to get out of the water. Simply because I'm a water spirit doesn't mean I have to be in the water all the time. Like I said, I do come out of the water from time to time.”

 

“Why does Auril rub you the wrong way?”

 

She smacked him with her fish-like tail and Chanirra winced in pain. Obviously he had said the wrong thing. He didn't understand why women got so upset over little things. The females back home sometimes argued about each other's pelt and he never could figure it out. Why did it matter whose coat was fluffier? Why were they jealous of the white wolves in the extreme north? White was useless in the forest. Anyone could pick a white wolf out in a forest. Especially if it was before the snowfall.

 

“I shouldn't have reacted like that. I'm sorry. Auril is a snob, short and simple. She doesn't care about anyone else. She just cares about herself. She has an icy cold heart,” Undine explained.

 

“Well it would have to be. She's a winter spirit, isn't she? You can't expect her to have a warm heart. It might thaw her entire body out. Then what good would she be?” Chanirra asked and Undine sighed.

 

“You just don't understand and I don't really want to discuss it. What is that?”

 

“What is what?”

 

“That's a can, isn't it? How dare they throw trash into my beautiful water? Get it and throw it out,” Undine said and Chanirra stared at her.

 

“Why should I do it?” he inquired.

 

“Because I am a spirit and you are only a mortal. You owe it to me.”

 

“Just because you're a spirit doesn't give you the right to mistreat others.”

 

“Do you want me to drain your sacred lake?”

 

“All right. I'll take care of it.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

“Shall I refer to you as your majesty as well?”

 

“No need for sarcasm. A simple mistress will do just fine.”

 

“You know I'm starting to wonder just whose heart is frozen. I'm getting the can. I'm getting the can. See?”

 

“Throw it out before it contaminates more of my water.”

 

“That's a little hard to do in this form but I'll do my best.”

 

He swam up to the surface with the can in his paw then gave it a short toss. He then smacked the can with his tail and sent it flying back onto dry land. He then paused and inspected his tail. The can had given him a small cut in his tail. At least it was near the end so it wouldn't be too painful when he changed back to his natural form. He then glanced at Undine, who had swam down to the bottom of the riverbed and picked some underwater grass. She placed it on his injury then tied it with a scarf.

 

“It wasn't that deep a cut,” Chanirra commented as she drew away from him.

 

“I'd rather not take any chances. If something should happen to you while your in beast form, we'll never get the spell taken off the amulet,” she replied.

 

“You've got a point there. I guess you have a reason for being a little more humane to me now, don't you?”

 

“Perhaps but just wait until you meet Set and I tell him all the trouble you've caused me.”

 

“You should be thankful that I stopped Turath before your precious water became steam.”

 

“I could have stopped him with no trouble.”

 

“Not if you weren't expecting an attack. Once Valac was released, all Turath would need to do is give one simple order and the entire world, even the seas would lie in waste. You know perfectly well that's true. I did you a service by stepping in.”

 

“You had to. You had a contract,” Undine said.

 

“What if I had gone against my contract?” Chanirra inquired and Undine glanced back at him.

 

“How could you? Your people are loyal. You would never back down from a job.”

 

“True. I hope Auril has stopped the humans from destroying Boruta's forest. I'm also looking forward to getting my robe back. I don't like traveling without it.”

 

“Auril will put the human on ice with no problems. She sometimes goes overboard with her cold weather spells. My water has some large icebergs up near her boarders. Sometimes I think she puts them there on purpose.”

 

“Honestly, don't you think there's enough fighting in this world without you two? Don't some of the wildlife native to your waters need the coldness of the icebergs?” Chanirra inquired and Undine frowned.

 

“There's truth in that statement. I guess the animals need the cold just as much as they need Bennu's warmth. I just wish she wasn't so stuck up,” Undine said.

 

“Perhaps you need to change your attitude as well. I have not known many spirits but I would think working together would be more beneficial than arguing with one another. It may also help save the lives of a few species.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Well surely you've noticed the increase in hunting and fishing by the humans. Humans have a tendency to become greedy and it is quite possible for them to completely kill off an animal species simply because of greed. Can you imagine your waters without the crab or the snapper? Humans for some reason seem to believe there is an endless supply of everything in this world and you've got to make sure they don't go too far and destroy the world.”

 

“Which is what the sorcerer wanted to do.”

 

“But all at once. The majority of the humans aren't even aware that they are doing it and the other species are doing what they can to keep things in check. My people, the elves, and the faeries all realize how this land works. It's like a big clock where each cog and wheel intersect to make it function properly. When even the smallest spring is removed from the clock, it does not keep accurate time. The same is with the world. If we remove too many pieces, the entire thing falls apart.”

 

“You have a lot more sense than I gave you credit for. You really do understand your place in this world,” Undine said and Chanirra grinned.

 

“That's part of the reason why my people have managed to survive for so long. There's a lot more to us than just dumb luck,” Chanirra replied. “I know we are looked down upon because of our animal heritage but the wolf is truly a noble beast. It is cunning and it is sensible. My people may not be as enticing as the elves but we have a right to this land just as much as they do. We prefer our quiet life and refuse to let anything or anyone jeopardize it.”

 

“Is that why you took the job to recover the amulet?”

 

“Well the noble's story intrigued me in the beginning. Then I realized just how dangerous the amulet was in the wrong hands. When I met up with Turath, I chose to finish the fight in my natural form and not in my true wolf form. I cannot easily control my ultimate form and the reasons for battle were too close to my heart. I could have easily finished him off as a wolf but I do not know where my rage would have taken me.”

 

“I've heard your tribe can get quite...wild at times. I thought it was only a rumor.”

 

“Feral blood is anything but tame but not all of us has what it takes to be a warrior. There are some docile males in our tribe. They normally become artisans and they provide the rest of the community with clothing and tools. Everyone contributes for the good of all. The warriors take on jobs for money to use for supplies, the women care for the pups and those not cut out to be a warrior or a hunter contribute in their own way.”

 

“What about ones that don't want to be a part of the group? I'm sure you have some lone wolfs in your tribe, don't you?”

 

“The ones who choose to live on their own serve as lookouts or take on the more dangerous of duties like I do. I understand the need for togetherness in my tribe but I'd rather not be a constant part of it. I never stay home for more than a month. Sometimes I think I'd like to stay longer when I'm out on a job like this but every time I go back, I almost want to leave again. I have a strong respect for my people and all that they do but I do not like being confined. I like going wherever I want to go and seeing new things.”

 

“Move over here,” Undine said as Chanirra swam to the surface for a breath of air.

 

“Why?” he inquired and she pulled on his tail. He dove back underneath the water and glanced at her. “Why did you do that?”

 

“There's a strong current here. If we stay in it, we should reach the mouth of the river in a few hours.”

 

“I'll be glad to get on dry land again. My fur is getting waterlogged.”

 

“You'll be fine. Just get in the current and ride along. It's fun.”

 

“I didn't know you did things for fun.”

 

“There's all sorts of things to do in the ocean. Sometimes the mermaids give me shells to put in my hair and sometimes I take a nice hot bath in the waters over by Bennu's land. He's got some really amazing plants over there but of course ocean plants are much more beautiful. There's a gorgeous world underneath the waves that most people are unable to see and I want to keep it that way.”

 

“Keep it beautiful?”

 

“Just like you want to keep the land although I don't really understand why. From what I've seen of the land, there isn't all that much to it. But I suppose that you are quite fond of it since you are a land dweller. I guess when you look at it in that perspective, our purposes aren't that much different, are they? Oh!”

 

“What happened?” Chanirra asked in shock.

 

“I'm caught in a net! It was camouflaged by this grass. Swim around and see if you can bite it loose or something,” Undine replied as she struggled to be set free.

 

Chanirra used his muscles to force himself out of the current then swam up to the top of the net. There was a stout knot tied at the top and he pawed at it with his claws. No, he decided. He would not be able to loosen it in this form. He bit the top of the net and frowned at the taste. He couldn't bite through either. He turned over on his back and tried to think of another solution as the net began to slowly rise up out of the water. Undine screamed in fear and Chanirra's head popped out of the water. A pair of large ogres stood behind each other pulling the net up with their hands. They were large, muscular creatures with green skin, large ears, tufts of hair growing on their hands and feet, and an almost sickening smell about them. Baths were one of the few things ogres disliked and they avoided taking one religiously.

 

“Ugh! Heavy fishy this one is,” the first commented and the other tried to get a glance at the net.

 

“Maybe its a lot of fishies,” the second one commented as the net broke through the surface.

 

“Hey, this is not fishy. This is a lady. What you doing in there?”

 

“Unhand me this instance you odious beasts! I am the spirit of water,” Undine said as Chanirra climbed up onto dry land.

 

“Hey Grimore, what odious mean?” the first ogre asked and his companion shrugged his shoulders.

 

“I don't know but look! Trip was not a total loss. We found a river dog for supper,” Grimore said and walked over to Chanirra, who was shaking the water out of his fur. He grabbed Chanirra by the tail and Chanirra yelped in pain.

 

“Mmm. River dog stew. My favorite. I did not know river dogs existed here. I thought they only lived by my cousin Toadwart's place.”

 

“Maybe this is a traveling river dog. Either way we got lucky today. Others went out hunting for mushrooms in the forest. We got tasty river dog for the stew. Where I put bag?”

 

“Let go of me!” Chanirra cried and the two ogres stared at him in awe.

 

“We have caught two magic presents for our king,” the first said. “I caught fish lady and you caught a talking river dog.”

 

“I wonder if talking river dogs taste better than the other ones,” Grimore said and the other ogre shrugged his shoulders.

 

“Who knows? Put him in the bag and let's head for home. I bet others have only gathered mushrooms and nuts but no magic beasts. Heh. We both are lucky, aren't we?”

 

“I am not a beast! I am Undine, spirit of water and you'd better let us go before I change this otter into something really ugly,” Undine said and the ogres shrugged their shoulders.

 

“We don't mind ugly. Ugly is nice,” they said as Chanirra tried to swipe at Grimore.

 

“If you don't release us, Undine will use her mastery of water and force you two to take a bath,” Chanirra said and the ogres look worried.

 

“Bath? She can make us take bath?” Grimore asked and Chanirra folded his paws.

 

“Can she make you take a bath? She can make that water jump out of the river and drench you like you've never been drenched before.”

 

“I don't like sound of that.”

 

“Then let us go.”

 

“Wait a second,” the first ogre said and Chanirra looked at him. “You say fishy lady has magic but what magic do you have aside from talking? Maybe we let lady go and keep you.”

 

“I can change shape,” Chanirra replied and the ogres looked impressed.

 

“Can you really? Change into a rock,” Grimore said and Chanirra shook his head.

 

“It has to be an animal. Put me down and I'll show you.”

 

“Uh-uh. Grimore's too smart for that. If I put you down, you'll run away.”

 

“Then could you at least turn me 'round? I'm getting a headache.”

 

“Grimore can do that. No problem.”

 

He turned Chanirra around and wrapped his hand around Chanirra's shoulders. Chanirra winced in pain then glanced at the net. He had to think of some way to free Undine.

 

“That looks like a strong net. Did you two make it?” he asked and the ogres shook their heads.

 

“We found it. So what are you going to turn into? How about a chipmunk?” the first ogre asked and Grimore stomped on his foot.

 

“Those are too cute. Oh, how about a deer?” Grimore asked and the other one shook his head.

 

“Deers are fast. If he change into deer, he might run away.”

 

“I didn't think of that. What about...no, he could fly away. Besides, that would be disgustingly cute. We don't want cute,” Grimore said and Chanirra frowned.

 

“How about a bear?” Chanirra suggested and the ogres nodded their heads. A bear sounded like a challenge to them. Chanirra sighed as he closed his eyes and begun concentrating. He had thought certain animal species were brainless but ogres...The two gasped in awe when Chanirra opened his eyes and stood up. Grimore dropped his hand from Chanirra's shoulder in fear and took a nervous step backward.

 

“He don't look too happy like this, does he?” Grimore asked as Undine closed her eyes in terror when Chanirra swiped at the net. The net fell apart, freeing Undine and the ogre holding the net turned around and ran for the safety of the woods. “Wait! Where you going? Don't you want to take him back to the king?”

 

“You want him, you capture him! You're the one who let him change into bear!” the other ogre cried and Grimore glanced at Chanirra. Chanirra growled, showing off his enormous teeth and the ogre's face paled in fear.

 

“On second thought, methinks I join you!”

 

Undine laughed as she watched them run off then turned her attention to Chanirra.

 

“Your ability is quite handy,” she said as Chanirra changed into a black seal. “I want to thank you for saving me.”

 

“I can't get to the desert meeting place without you,” Chanirra replied then looked at the expression on her face. “But you're quite welcome just the same. We need to leave this area right away. I'm sure the ogres will return with more forces.”

 

“Then let's get going. We've still got the current with us.”

 

She swam underwater and Chanirra followed her. Boruta had been right, he observed as flicked his tail. She wasn't all that bad. She was just extremely stubborn.