Bing Gananda 19

Samuel Tindor lay in despair among the roots of one of the unknown trees that towered above him. The jungle was beginning to fade into twilight. He was waiting to die. It was only a matter of how. Would it be some jungle beast, or the men now hunting him? He no longer cared.
He seemed to have shaken his pursuers, for now. But they would be back, he was certain. He tried to remember exactly what had happened. The only thing he was sure of, was that Jack was dead. He had seen Grinder shoot him.
After that, he had fled. Someone had shot at him. And then there was confusion. He thought he had seen a beast attack the mutineers. Then, he had run until he collapsed, and crawled here, to hide, and die.

He may have slept, he wasn't even sure about that. Now his heart began to pound as he became aware of something moving near him.
He could see it now. A great, grey, cat-like creature was moving though the twilight. He sat up to see better. Now he saw another one, circling him. It was another mottled grey cat, this one with a huge black mane. Then it slowly approached. Tindor didn't run, he was ready to die.

Bing Gananda and Pandurina had followed Tomono to where the creature was hiding. From what Tomono had told them, it was an outcast, like Bing herself. Kurura had called them "Men", and said there was evil with them. But the Eld had told her they were not all evil. She wondered, was this one an Evil One?
As Pandurina slowly circled the man, he sat up and watched them. Bing Gananda made up her mind. He was an outcast, and so was she. She would go to him.

As the cat drew nearer, Tindor could see it better. It was very much like the one he had see earlier, except for the dark mane. Then, to his surprise, the "mane" sat up.
Now he could see it was not a mane, but a rider. He saw what looked like a pale child, with hair black as night. As she drew closer, Tindor saw that it was no child, but a woman, no more than a yard tall at the most. She wore only a loose tunic, her arms and legs were bare. Her skin was as white as snow, in contrast to her hair. It seemed almost to glow in the night, like the moon itself.
Bing Gananda spoke. Her voice was like a song, but her language, unknown to him. Yet, Tindor found it soothing. He thought this must be a dream, or maybe he was already dead. She couldn't be real. But then, she touched him, and his whole body relaxed.
Pandurina stayed back in the shadows. She never took her eyes off of Bing Gananda and the man. Tomono patrolled, just beyond her, watching for any intruders.
Tindor looked up into the coal black eyes of this amazing creature. She seemed so delicate, yet he sensed the presence of great power. The cats, as fierce as they were, did her bidding willingly.
Now, from a belt at her waist, she drew a strange blade. Tindor felt a momentary stab of fear, but it quickly faded. The knife was not of any metal he knew. It looked like crystal of some kind, yet sharper than any razor.
Then, strangely, she pricked herself and drew a large drop of her blood. She stepped closer. Tindor couldn't have run if he'd wanted to. Bing Gananda touched his lips with one hand, and he knew what she wanted. He opened his mouth slightly. Then she placed the drop of blood onto his tongue, and spoke again.
This time, although the words were still foreign to him, he heard her, in his mind.
"You must do the same."
Tindor moved as if in a trance. He could barely believe what was happening. He held out his hand as Bing Gananda pricked his finger. Then she touched the drop of blood to her own tongue.
"I an Bing Gananda. Who are you?"
"Sam," he answered. And now she understood him.
"Sam?... Just Sam?"
"Samuel."
"Sam Eu-el," she replied with a smile. She made three long syllables of his name. "Sam" was just not enough for a name, she thought. Although, it might do among friends.
Bing Gananda could see that Tindor was starving and exhausted.
"Come with us now, Sam Eu-el." She had decided he was not the Evil One. "Now we are Blood."
Tindor slowly got to his feet. His mind was reeling. He followed this sprite and her cats into the jungle.