After several days at sea they finally spotted land, or more importantly the shores of Ceylane with its fabled jungles and said to be the home of the Sorceress known as Renske.



Deciding to go ashore with only a couple of his crew Wytche sat off in the longboat with Mistress White and Loaf, an ornate jewelled chest sat in the bow of the longboat sheltered from the waves. Soon they were on dry land, the pale almost white beaches of Ceylane.

Unloading the chest they stared at the jungle that lay ahead. This was the safest and unbelievably also the quickest route to Renske.



Entering the jungles they were hit immediately by the hot, humid air that made their hair cling damply to their foreheads and their clothing feel heavy. They had to take it in turns to cary the chest, despite is relatively small size it was heavy but they couldn't not take it with them for it contained their payment to Renske if she agreed to aid them.



Still as they trudged over the sometimes soft and yielding and other times hard and stoney earth of the jungles they couldn't help but wonder what they were doing. The annoying buzzing of insects that bit was constant as were the noise of animals that kept all three of them on their guard. Tales of the beasts in these jungles were many and there was reason they were still for the most part virginal and unexplored.



So when a large lizard crossed before them they all halted. Silent until the reptile had passed on its way then with a small laugh and then a gulp of water they continued on their way.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

A few hours later, foot sore, sweaty, dirty and irritable they arrived at the small clearing were word was there would be a guide to lead them on to the witches domain. But upon entering the clearing they saw nothing, there was only a small ramshackle shelter with an old basket, the hot sun beating down on them and that was all.



Mistress White wiped the sweat out of her eyes and looked around.

Wytche dropped the chest that he and Loaf had been carrying between them and cursed.

"Where in the name of the Goddess is this accursed guide? If we stay here too long we'll not have enough water to make it back to the ship."

At the sound of his voice there was movement in the old basket, the three pirates stared wondering what kind of beast from the jungle would appear.

When a beautiful, well groomed grey housecat appeared the tension snapped and they all laughed out loud. The cat looked at the three humans then issued a low mewl before heading towards some rocks. When no one moved, the cat padded back to them and issued a second mewl, this one more commanding than the first.



Loaf smiled "Wytche I think she is our guide. I'm reasonably sure she's telling us to follow her."

The cat sneezed and seemed to nod, then wandered back to the rocks, bewildered and unsure the three pirates followed the small beast. The rocks hid a well overgrown pathway and after pausing only to see the humans were following the cat moved deeper into the jungle.



Several times the plantlife grew so thick that they had trouble cutting their way through especially with the chest but the cat didn't hesitate, she after all was small enough to pass underneath the large leaves and more than nimble enough to pass over the thick roots that threatened to trip them.

Other moments the jungle seemed to open clearings for them. The scepticism was gone, the cat knew where she was going, they could only hope it would be towards Renske.



* * * * * * * * * * * * *

They needn't have worried for at last a large clearing opened up, sheltered on one side by thick jungle and on the other by sheer unscalable cliffs was a small house nestled beside a large pool, the sound of a tumbling waterfall playing music in the air. The plantlife was more sedate here.



All three were speechless, they had not expected this little piece of heaven in the middle of the jungle. Was this the home of Renske?

"We're not alone." whispered Loaf.

They looked around themselves slowly, she was right.



Almost hidden and seemingly unconcerned by the three humans were several chimpanzees playing in the shallows of the waterfall.

Then a larger splash made them look more carefully. Not only chimps lived here but also a very large crocodile that watched them with a toothy grin.

"Lets get over to the house, hopefully we'll be a little more protected from the natives there."