Disclaimer :- I own none of the characters, scenery or even the train!! I only own some of the ideas and one Gnommish word which you will see. It is just another swear word – you can choose what it means.
Hope you like it!!
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Under the Ledge
The Commander un- clipped Butler's moon-belt, stretching it around them both as his officer suggested. The giant Mudman groaned almost crushing Root as he stirred. Root decided not to heal Butler; he was tough enough to deal with unconsciousness himself. After talking to Holly, Root decided that if in a minuet Butler hadn't woken then he would give him a spark or two to help him. He was just about to try rubbing snow in Butler's face when the Mudman opened his eyes.
Butler woke up. His first instinct was to open his eyes and sit up but training took over. Good job too Butler thought after he had: 1. tried to remember where he was, for any dangers and then 3. opened his eyes. If he had tried to sit up he would have whacked his head on the underside of the ledge he and Commander Root were trapped under and probably brought it crashing down on them. As he opened his eyes the slightly worried look vanished off the Commander's face and he nodded at him.
"Good to see you awake, Butler."
"Where are the others?" Butler asked immediately. "Did they get out alright?"
"Thanks to you they did."
Butler surveyed the situation. He and Root were bellies down on the cold hard ice pack. Above them, teetering on the debris that caged them in was the remainder of the ledge.
"Any ideas how we're getting out of this one, Commander?"
"I've shot Holly a piton and they're going to pull us out."
"Riiiiiiight." Said Butler, disbelievingly. "I hope you do not have any plans for the immediate future as I don't really think that that's going to happen very soon. My charge is not what you would call athletic."
"Agreed. But I trust Holly."
"Me too."
There was a silence, punctuated only by their quiet breathing.
"If we're stuck under here for a while we may as well keep ourselves alert" Root said. Butler knew the drill. Especially when trapped in the cold, falling asleep could be fatal, they needed to stay awake.
"So. Do you have any siblings?" Butler asked the first thing that came into his head, he had been thinking of Juliet and how much she would laugh at him if he got to tell her that he spent part of his adventure pinned under an ice ledge with a fairy Commander for company and a lump the size of a small turkey egg on his head.
"One. A brother named Turnball."
"You two don't get on, do you?." Butler asked, reading the Commander's tone.
"No." Root said making it clear he wanted to change the subject. "What were you before you started guarding Artemis?"
"Ah..." Butler said. "Another tricky subject. We're good at this aren't we."
"Talking?"
"Yes. I guess us soldiers are more listeners."
"Were you a soldier for long then?" Root said.
"A while." Butler said smiling "You?"
"It's always been LEP for me, but I suppose you could call me a soldier."
Both sighed, reminiscing the good days i.e., ones where they didn't have difficult decisions/ charges (or both) to cope with and just got to obeyed orders.
"Look!! Holly's using the train." Butler exclaimed "How she expects Art..." Butler winced as his charge slammed into the side of the locomotive. "Ouch"
Root chuckled. "I bet she loved that."
"Me too"
The pair laughed together.
"Commander?"
"Yes Butler."
"You're not so bad for a fairy."
"Thanks. You're not too bad for an enormous Mudman who decimated my entire Retrieval One squad.
"Sorry about that." Butler said, genuinely. "Orders are orders"
"You enjoyed it didn't you?"
"A bit. But not as much as decimating a group of layabouts at the docks."
"That was you? I saw them as I flew over."
"Yes, Artemis needed a distraction."
"I nearly got incinerated in that ship."
"Oooppss...Sorry again!! Jeez I can't half pick subjects can't I?"
"Never mind!! Old times, eh? Good job we aren't enemies any longer as this would have been a lot more uncomfortable."
"Err... Commander."
"Yes Butler."
Butler nodded towards the cord which was stretched to breaking point.
"I think this is going to hurt." He said grimacing.
"Me too." Root said and a second later they were twanged from their icy tomb like an arrow from a crossbow. The pair hit the side of the train harder than Artemis and without the mild amusement.
"Ouch." Commented Butler, glad of his bullet proof vest and his size which saved him from too much damage.
"Agreed." Root said, glad for the magic healing his ribs and a gash on his soldier. "Try to grab hold of something, if this train slows down for the corner in two clicks then we're going under."
Butler understood immediately but he and the Commander were floating against the sheer face of a carriage door.
"D'Arvit!!" swore Root, as he realised this.
"Double D'Arvit" swore Butler as he saw Artemis attempting to climb into the carriage to open the door from the inside. Root raised an eyebrow at Butler swearing in Gnommish but secretly agreed with the statement. They were good as dead if it was up to the MudBoy to save them. He tried shouting to Captain Short but she couldn't hear him. Suddenly, meters from the bend the door barrelled open. Butler saw Artemis's scared but determined face. Damn this is it, thought Butler as he saw Artemis mouth a countdown. All three people who were trusting their lives to the skinny young boy closed their eyes.
Butler and Root were yanked forward just enough to grab onto the rungs Holly had anchored herself to moments before. The door slammed shut with a resounding boom.
"This is going to make getting in more diffi... Oww!!"
"What is it Commander?" Butler asked apprehensively.
"This." Root said bluntly, rubbing his eye.
"What is... ah. That's not good." Butler said wincing at the finger, which, by the glove, he could tell was Holly's.
Eventually after some heavy and clinging onto the side of it, the door gave in, letting them enter.
"M'Atvert!! This is serious. She's no magic left the selfish little Mud..." as Root's rant went on, Butler, not wanting to disagree with the Commander, who was actually probably correct, but not wanting to here more insults about his principle, decided to "go up top" and try to spot the Goblin hit squad who had obviously been hired to kill them. He watched them one take aim, ducking at the expected shot but none hit. Instead two other goblins fell from the sky. Butler shook his head at the remaining goblin who then turned and flew away. Below he could here Artemis and Root's raised voices. Better go sort this out before someone really does get murdered, he thought.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
I just thought as I was reading the Arctic Incident for the umpteenth time (because it is my favourite one) what really happened while Holly and Artemis were getting onto the train. I mean, come on, Root and Butler can't have just sat there!!
:D Hope you liked it. :D