Snake by Jeff Stone

droopy ear. He began to scratch his head with his foot. “Ahhhhh …”
    Malao laughed and clapped.
    Fu rolled his eyes.
    Seh watched as Gao rolled over and bounded toward them on all fours. Fu growled, and Seh saw the newly sprouted hairs on the back of Fu's neck stand straight up.
    Gao stopped. “What's wrong, my feline friend?”
Sniff, sniff.
    Fu growled again, and Seh placed a hand on Fu's shoulder. “He's just cautious around strangers,” Seh said to Gao. “I am, too.”
    Sniff, sniff.
“I can't blame you, especially after what you've been through,” Gao said. “I'm really sorry about what happened to Cangzhen.”
    Seh nodded.
    “You're safe now,” Gao said. “Mong has been waiting for you. You'll be among friends. Brothers, even. Me, Mong, Hung, and NgGung all grew up at Cangzhen, just like you.”
Sniff, sniff.
    Malao's eyes widened, and he punched Seh on the arm. “What do you know about all of this?”
    Seh shrugged. “You and Fu chose not to talk to me. What was I supposed to do?”
    Sniff, sniff.
“Excuse me,” Gao said. “I suggest you save the arguing for inside the stronghold. Technically, you're not safe yet. From what I understand, Cangzhen and Shaolin have both been destroyed. Shaolin is about a week's travel from here, but Cangzhen is much closer. We have reports of renewed troop activity at Cangzhen.”
    “How do you know so much?” Malao asked.
    “The bandits have spies,” Seh replied. He looked at Gao. “So, you already know about Shaolin?”
    Sniff.
“Yes. NgGung returned yesterday and brought the news. He also brought news concerning your … er … brother Hok.”
    “What do you know about Hok?” Seh asked.
    Sniff, sniff, sniff.
“I suggest you talk to Mong about that,” Gao replied. “It's really none of my business.”
    Seh's jaw tightened, and Fu growled again.
    Sniff.
“I'm sorry, but we need to get moving,” Gao said. He turned to the archer. “Gather your things and meet us at the shore. Have a torch ready. Hurry!”
    The archer nodded and began to scramble.
    Gao turned to the spearman. “What are
you
waiting for? Get back to work! Go guard something!”
Woof! Woof! Woof!
    “Y-yes, sir!” the spearman said. He grabbed his spear and ran up the trail.
    Gao looked at Seh and smiled. “By the way, nicejob disarming that good-for-nothing excuse for a sentry. I appreciate the fact that you didn't skewer him. Good help—or even mediocre help—is so hard to find these days.”
Sniff, sniff.
    Seh shrugged.
    Gao walked over to the unconscious swordsman and squatted on his haunches. He cradled the back of the man's head in his hands. Seh could tell that Gao was massaging pressure points in the swordsman's neck. It was something all Cangzhen monks learned. A moment later, the swordsman regained consciousness.
    The swordsman rubbed his forehead. “Oh … I have the worst headache.”
    Sniff.
“You should be ashamed of yourself,” Gao said. “You were beaten down by a boy. Take your broadsword and your headache and get back to guarding our stronghold from bloodthirsty soldiers, ruthless thieves, and the occasional child. Go!”
Woof! Woof!
    The swordsman ran off.
    Gao's tongue rolled out of his mouth in a sloppy grin and he turned to Malao. He dropped onto all fours.
Pant. Pant. Pant.
“Follow me!” Gao yelped, and sprang down the trail.
    “That guy is crazy!” Malao shrieked. “Come on! This is going to be fun!” He also dropped onto all fours and bounded after Gao, dog-style.
    Fu looked at Seh. “This can't be happening.”
    Seh shrugged and motioned down the trail. “After you, Pussycat.”

    Seh stepped onto a narrow stretch of beach and folded his arms against the crisp morning breeze. The snake around his arm crawled all the way over his shoulder to take shelter among the scrolls in the small of his back.
    Seh adjusted his robe and looked west across the wide, circular lake before him. In the center rose a small mountain of jagged rock, sprinkled with