Snake by Jeff Stone

toe.
    “Is that you shaking or Malao?” Seh asked.
    “A little of both,” Fu said. “My arms are killing me. Let's stop here for the night.”
    “Here?” Seh said. “We might get caught.”
    “We're pretty far from the stronghold,” Fu said. “I think we'll be okay.”
    “I don't know—”
    “Those soldiers are not going to come this far looking for us tonight,” Fu interrupted with a feistysnarl. “And I really don't think anyone is following us. They would have attacked by now.”
    “Not necessarily,” Seh said.
    “How many people do you sense?”
    “One,” Seh replied.
    Fu rolled his eyes. “I could beat
one
person with both hands tied behind my back. That's how angry I am.” Fu raised his voice. “Does somebody out there want to cross hands with me? Show your face!”
    “Shhh!” Seh said.
    But it was too late. High in a nearby tree, leaves rustled.
    Fu growled and they both looked up. A large, white one-eyed monkey leaped from its perch into an adjoining tree, then scurried down the trunk. It looked like the same monkey Seh had seen leading the troop that raided the bandits’ gold carts.
    “Uh-oh,” Fu said as the monkey began to approach them.
    “What are you worried about?” Seh asked. He breathed a sigh of relief. It was the monkey he'd been sensing all along. “That's Malao's friend. Malao mentioned it back at the stronghold.”
    “Did Malao tell you what that monkey did to Hung's hand?” Fu said. “I saw the scars during our food fight. I'm not taking any chances.” Fu took several steps back.
    Seh had forgotten about Hung's hand.
    The white monkey looked at Malao in Fu's arms, then at the carved monkey stick Seh carried. It lockedeyes with Seh and bared an impressive set of four razor-sharp fangs, each as long as Seh's little finger.
    “I'm not going to hurt you,” Seh said in a soft voice.
    The monkey's upper lip curled back and he looked at the stick again.
    “Maybe I should put this down,” Seh said. He laid the carved stick on the ground and stepped back.
    The white monkey rushed over and picked up the stick, then spun around to face Fu. It bared its teeth again.
    “Great,” Fu said. “Now it's going to beat me with it. Help me out—I've got my hands full with Malao.”
    Seh took a step toward Fu, and the white monkey shrieked. It jumped up and down, slamming the stick on the ground each time it landed.
    Seh stopped. “I don't think it likes me very much.”
    “You think?” Fu said, rolling his eyes.
    Seh took two steps back, and the white monkey took a step toward Fu. Seh took several more steps back, and the monkey took several more steps toward Fu.
    “What are you doing?” Fu said. “Get over here!”
    “No, wait,” Seh said. “I think it wants to see Malao, but it's wary of me. I'm going to take a few more steps back. If it attacks you, I'll be there before you can scream my name.”
    “Great,” Fu said.
    Seh took several more steps back, and the white monkey walked all the way up to Fu, its eyes fixed onMalao's shaking body. Fu held Malao out in front of him and the white monkey slipped the carved stick into the folds of Malao's robe. Then the monkey lowered its nose to Malao's nose and inhaled deeply. It ran a finger across Malao's shaky forehead and scurried away.
    Fu looked at Malao, and Seh thought he saw tears welling up in Fu's eyes again. “Ying is going to pay for this,” Fu snarled.
    “Let's stop here for the night,” Seh said. “I think we could both use some rest. I don't sense anyone now that the monkey is gone. Does Malao still have the pouch with the fire stone and metal strike bar?”
    Fu glanced at Malao's sash and nodded.
    “Maybe Malao will stop shaking if we can warm him up,” Seh said. “Step off the trail and stay with him. I'll go find some firewood and a place to spend the night, then I'll come back for you two.”
    Fu grunted and carried Malao into the underbrush.
    “Don't go too far,” Seh said. “You'll want to keep