Leshoki
The boat shot so fast over the ocean that it was all Ratwin could do to keep her steady.
Anya and Christopher followed her orders, barked out over the rush of wind in their ears, doubling the ropes and trimming the sails.
It had been exhausting – no time to stop, to rest, to eat – but they were so close now, and Christopher could see his own sense of exhilaration in Anya’s face as she moved about the boat, swinging on the ropes.
They anchored in a stony bay off Polytemus and waded on to a rocky shore, Christopher carrying a rope looped around one shoulder.
‘Is the island inhabited by humans?’
‘Yes,’ said Ratwin, ‘but nots this parts, excepts for rare-brave adventurers. The woods is full of strange happenings.’
From there they moved into dense wood, which sloped slightly uphill away from them. Birdsong came from a cluster of trees nearby, the sound mixing with their panting breath.
Ratwin went ahead. ‘I have a roughly sense of wheres the gardens is,’ she said, ‘but I shall go and prospects.’
Christopher and Anya followed more slowly, picking their way over dead logs, and avoiding a herd of rasselbocks which came clustering around Christopher, their tiny antlers gleaming on their rabbit bodies.
Anya wore the two rapiers across her back and occasionally reached to touch them as if caressing a beloved pet.
Ratwin came back through the trees, sniffing the earth and stopping at intervals to laugh.
‘What’s funny, Ratwin?’ said Christopher.
Ratwin didn’t answer. She looked up at them, her whole body quivered – and she transformed into a red-spotted blackbird. The bird flew into a tree, and began to peck at an insect.
Anya screamed. Both hands went to her swords.
‘Ratwin!’ cried Christopher. ‘What’s going on?’ Was this what happened when a ratatoska lost their horn?
The blackbird turned to look at him. It flew closer, and landed at his feet.
‘Ratwin? Say something! Are there fairies? What—?’
The bird seemed to vibrate. It became … Christopher. It was his height, and wearing his clothing down to the scuffs on his boots. It looked at him, eyes wide and staring, its face an exact replica of his own.
Christopher gave a yell of horror and drew his sword. Anya clashed her blades together, and they sparked into flame.
‘I don’t know what the hell you are,’ he said, ‘but—’
The fake-Christopher laughed. It was Christopher’s own exact laugh, a burst of amusement.
Anya raised both her swords. ‘Whatever this is,’ she said, ‘I’m going to count to three, and then I’m going to—’
The creature gave another shake and transformed again: it became Anya, who became a rasselbock, which became Jacques …
‘What are you?’ said Christopher. Real horror had gripped him. He prepared to strike, lifting his own sword.
Then a voice below Christopher’s knee said, ‘Impudence!’ Jacques landed on the grass and was looking in distaste at the tiny dragon opposite him. The fake-Jacques laughed.
‘It’s a leshoki,’ said Jacques. ‘A shape-shifter. It can become any creature that it’s seen. But it can’t talk – it can only laugh. Insolent little varmints, if you ask me.’
The creature became Ratwin again, and blew a raspberry.
‘They cause havoc,’ said Jacques.
Anya looked wary. ‘Are they dark creatures?’
‘No, not precisely,’ said Jacques, ‘but they crave mischief. Exhaustingly unrestful to be around.’
Christopher drew a long breath. Relief coursed over him. The creature transformed into a kanko, and grinned a tiny fox-grin.
‘What do they actually look like? When they’re not mimicking something else?’
Jacques shrugged dragon-wise, magnificently. ‘Very few people know. They tend to take their true shape only around other leshokis.’
He turned to the leshoki. ‘Get away with you!’ The leshoki gave a haughty snicker, turned into a bonnacon, urinated with stately purpose, turned back into the red-spotted blackbird and flew up into the trees.
Ratwin came hurrying up.
‘Are you the real Ratwin?’ said Anya. ‘Say something.’
‘Whats do you means? Of course I is reals! And I’ve locationed the gardens,’ she said. ‘We is making bold progressions!’
The leshoki followed them, flitting between a dozen different birds, laughing all the way.