With the setting sun at her back turning the evening skies to shifting shades of crimson, apricot and violet, Queen La, her hair still damp from bathing, descended the awkward path from the springs above Opar with all the natural grace of a jungle cat, her bare feet stepping easily from precarious ledge to uneven plane, her blonde head held high. Before her the lamps of Opar twinkled in the gathering dusk and her servants awaited her pleasure. Soon, she would be wrapped comfortably in skins and seated on her throne, watching the fires leap and crackle as she ate her supper while afterwards she would review and judge any news, findings or specimens that her Leopardmen had chanced to come upon in the lands surrounding Opar that day. Her pink lips curled, who knows, perhaps they had finally found her a mate.




Disappointed, La stared at the 'gifts' the Leopardmen had brought her - a punctured waterskin, the shredded remains of a Waziri garment, and a scant handful of stained teeth, most likely from an aged gorilla. Of a mate, suitable or otherwise, there was as usual, no sign. "Idiots!" Intent on their punishment, she reached for the Leopard Staff, slim fingers closing about its length just as her keen ears picked up the sound of hesitant footsteps, and her head servant snarled a guttural warning.

Leaping to her feet La brandished the Staff, her cat-like eyes narrowing as she recognised the approaching shape. 'How does she dare?" Her gaze skipped across the woman after no more than the most cursory of glances, eagerly searching the shadows for her companion. 'Where is he? Where is Tarzan? Has he come to me at last?" Realising with irritation that the woman was quite alone, La raised the Staff, pointing it in her rival's face, 'Oh how quickly I could snuff you out and be done with you. How sweet your death would be'. Her eyes locked with the Englishwoman's, no, she did not deserve a quick clean death, but something perhaps more elaborate, more pleasurable.

Moving back to her throne, La seated herself comfortably and crossed her long shapely legs, looking down on her guest with brilliant eyes and a bright, brittle smile, "Why Jane my dear, what an unexpected pleasure. In fact I'm surprised you managed to find your way here at all, you never struck me as being particularly intelligent or athletic."

Her breathing was ragged. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Tarzan had been missing for THREE DAYS, and she had not rested, scouring the jungle in an attempt to find him. He NEVER left the camp alone for very long, and if he did, he always gave her a rough estimate of when he'd return...and he always left with some sort of weapon should any danger arise...

But not this time.

She was sure something was wrong. There just had to be! "Tarzan?.....Tarzan?", she called out constantly, not caring if anyone or anything heard her. Perhaps this would be to her benefit. Then all the jungle would know that something was amiss. Little did she know that a certain blonde-haired queen was listening...

She at last came upon it. The city of Opar, where the last person in the world whom she'd ever seek help from was sitting on a throne, an arrogant smirk on her face. She was greeted with insults, but now was not the time to retaliate at her rival, and she shook them off. With an air of the utmost politeness, she curtseyed and said calmly, "Your majesty, I have scoured these jungles and have had no success. Tarzan is missing, and I have come to seek your help."

"Your majesty, I have scoured these jungles and have had no success. Tarzan is missing, and I have come to seek your help."

Oh, but this was priceless.

Trying to keep the smirk off her face, La settled back and made herself more comfortable, neglecting - or rather, not bothering - to offer her unexpected guest either seat or refreshment. The fact that she had made that strange little bobbing motion as though humbling herself had pleased the proud queen immensely, although truth be told of course she would much preferred to have had Jane crawling on her knees to plead her case.

When enough silence had passed, she tilted her head, ""Oh you poor thing, so your precious Tarzan is missing, whatever shall we do?" A note of dark humour crept into her voice, "Are you sure that he's missing and not that you've simply lost him? Or even that he's simply grown bored of you? I can't say I blame him, constantly looking after someone as patently unsuited for him as you, was bound to wear him down in the end."

Not giving her guest time to respond, La moved on, eyeing the Englishwoman haughtily, "I have to say Jane, I'm surprised to hear you ask for my help considering we've never exactly been the best of friends. What ever could possess you to think that I would wish to help you? I mean, what possible concern is it of mine that you have lost your mate?" "The mate that could have, should have been mine..." Behind her smooth words the Oparian's mind raced, Tarzan had spurned her and she had hated him for it but even so he would still be her mate. Mine! Mine! Mine! She and Tarzan were fated to be, she felt it in her heart. Was this then perhaps a last chance to win him away from Jane's pasty clutches forever? If so, she would be foolish to turn it away.

Realising that the girl was still watching, La stood and stepped slowly down from her throne, circling Jane slowly. This time her voice was soft and mellifluous, "The laws of the jungle are harsh my dear, but since you have asked me so nicely, yes I will help you - although as I'm sure you're aware, my aid does not come without a price. Khage! Prepare a room for our guest." She motioned to one of her Leopard-Man standing close by in the shadows before turning back to the English girl with a cool smile, "We start at dawn. Sweet dreams, dear Jane."

Jane could tell there was something concocting in the Queen's mind, as she certainly had a reputation with being a devious schemer throughout the entire jungle. She wasn't quite sure she could be trusted, however, this was the only chance she had, as neither the gorillas nor the elephants had been able to find him, even though they were still searching constantly. Her father, too, was on a hunt for him, crossing off a different square on the grid on the map of the jungle every day. They had already tried all of the areas close to their camp. and now they had no choice but to venture out farther, hence Jane's trip to Opar.

She was relieved when La had offered to help her, although she said that it would come with a price. What price that was, she did not know, and the Queen was clearly not going to divulge it any time soon, but she would cross that bridge when she came to it. "Thank you, your majesty." she said with a polite bow, adding a "goodnight", before following the leopard man to the place where she would sleep that night.

After thanking her escort, she settled down on the floor of a stone room, with onl sconces on the wall for illumination, although there were comfortable furnishings in the room. Considering that La was not a particularly generous person, this was certainly quite hospitable of her. She closed her eyes and fell asleep, mentally preparing herself for what would come the next day.

La woke well before dawn and was as her custom, greeted the rising sun alone on the highest walls of her beloved city, watching in the pre-dawn chill as they turned from ghostly grey to blushing rose. She had slept lightly but felt fully refreshed, and raising her eyes to the faraway mountain tops, knew at once that she was ready for the day ahead. A day which promised to be long, hot, and strenuous - especially for her unwelcome companion.

Leaping lightly down from wall to pillar to floor, the sorceress made her way silently through the growing light until she reached the faint ribbon-like path that climbed steeply upwards and away from Opar towards the distant mountain springs high above. A path that swiftly became a track, and then just as swiftly, faded altogether as the jungle pressed in and their route took them up and into the trees.

Hearing footfalls, she turned towards the approaching pair of Leopard Men charged with collecting the guest from her quarters and smiled. Khage and his fellow thrall flanked the Englishwoman so tightly that they appeared to be escorting a condemned prisoner rather than a humble guest and La, pleased, did nothing to correct them. Neither did she offer Jane anything in the way of breakfast, or enquire into how well she had slept - after all, food and drink they would find along their way, and Jane's comfort did not interest her.

"Jane my dear, I trust you are ready? Seeing as you have already poured your admirable skills into searching the lower jungle for you erstwhile mate, I believe our best chance of finding him - should he wish to be found - would be to travel to the springs above Opar and begin our hunt from there." Her eyes glittered maliciously, Oh! And this will be your first visit to the springs won't it? I almost forgot - you fell behind on your previous attempt didn't you? But no matter, Tarzan and I enjoyed the view..."

Moving to the head of the track, she gestured for the Leopard Men to bring up the rear of the party, and then turned back to Jane with silky smile, "After you, my dear. I think it's only fair that you go first, it is your husband we are searching for after all." Perhaps sensing rebellion, La's smile became wider, "Do go on Jane, my mind is quite made up. After you, I insist. We're all so anxious for you to show us just what you can do."

From the moment she got up, it was clear that Queen La didn't care for her safety or comfort, even though she had given her an actual room to sleep in rather than a cold, stone floor (and she was surprised she had gotten even that much out of her). No matter what differences her and La had, Jane vowed that her soul priority was to find her husband, and she wouldn't let anything, not even a jealous jungle queen, get in the way. She wouldn't let La win.

La led her to the springs above Opar, and as La mentioned, she DID remember falling behind on her first trip there. However, Jane was a woman who learned from her mistakes, and she wouldn't let La get a laugh out of her lack of flexibility. Not today, anyways.

Rolling up her sleeves and brushing a stray strand of hair out of her face, she carefully entered the springs. Years of hunting in the jungles for specimens to study had taught her how to tread carefully and safely in unknown areas. She knew how to identify plants and insects that were poisonous, as well as warding off a hungry reptile. Yes, she was MUCH smarter than La gave her credit for, as she would soon find out.

She beckoned the jungle queen to follow her, pointing out broken branches and disturbed sediment as they went on. "I don't know yet if it was Tarzan...but someone has clearly been here. Plants don't just break like this naturally, and something moved the soil here. Perhaps it's best we continue this way..."