Chapter 1: Scarred
It was a cold winter in the plains north of Mossflower Woods. The wind howled like the damned souls of The Dark Forest, the landscape was blanketed by snow. Fendrel was a young squirrel, he grew up living in the forest nearby. He lay shivering in a small nook inside a young elm tree; covered in dead leaves to keep warm. His sensitive ears picked up laughter and he could see the inviting glow of fire not far away.
He shoved the leaves off himself and was already slowly moving towards the fire with caution, the thick blanket of snow masked the slight noise his paws made as he stealthily made his way forward like any beast would when approaching unfamiliar creatures. What did not know was that the creatures that surrounded the fire were a band of vermin numbering over a score.
The juvenile squirrel approached with caution and had drawn his bow by the time he surveyed the scene. Sitting around the bonfire was an assorted collection of vermin; rats, ferrets, stoats and the occasional fox, but sitting closest to the fire was a tall, sinewy ferret who was obviously the leader, he was armed with a sword and donned a red headband.
Fendrel's keen eyes drifted to three large hulking masses in the snow covered ground. Upon closer inspection he identified them as badgers and could see that the snow surrounding two of them was darkened by blood. The deep crimson was a stark contrast to the white of the snow and the squirrel was taken back severely. The vermin must be incredibly skilled to bring such creatures down, it is well known that a badger had the strength of ten beasts and they possessed the legendary Bloodwrath; that when stirred turned them nearly unstoppable and capable of unspeakable carnage. Sudden movement from the third badger;smaller than the rest shook Fendrel from his reverie. It appeared as though the smaller badger was bound by the throat to a sycamore and he was being teased and taunted it with food and drink. A particularly abusive rat decided to wave a oatcake in front of the enraged badger who snapped at the rat's paws. The ferret leader grabbed the oatcake and promptly swallowed it, then washed it down with wine.
The leader turned and spoke to the pitiful badger and said
" You should be glad we havn't murdered you badger, me and my crew shall profit greatly from sellin' you into slavery. Tis' a good thin' we found all these vittles in your little hut stripedog."
He then turned to the rest of the vermin and told them that they are leaving camp tomorrow.
Fendrel then hatched a plan to free the badger and hopefully not get noticed by the vermin.
The large badger was weeping quietly at the loss of his family when he was roused by movement nearby, his tear stricken eyes snapped open and he almost tore Fendrel's head off if he had'nt been restricted by the thick rope around his throat.
" I am a friend, do not worry, I shall free you from your bonds." whispered the squirrel
He then proceeded to gnaw the rope with impressive speed and in moments the cord was torn and the great badger was once again free.
The badger dwarfed the tiny squirrel as he turned and bowed his massive head in gratitude and growled,
"Thank you friend, my name is Borin and I am in debt to you; whenever you may need my help I shall be by your side."
Borin then turned and prepared to rush his captors while they were totally unaware, they had foolishly forgotten to place a sentry near Borin to ensure that he would not be capable of escape.
But before he could do so Fendrel rushed before him and spoke, urging him not to go on.
"My name is Fendrel and I have risked my fur to save your life, in return I beg you not to attack the vermin. They outnumber us three to one and I have only ten arrows in my quiver. And you are unarmed."
The giant badger stared at Fendrel with such intensity the squirrel shook.
" You do not understand squirrel, these disgusting, horrid beasts slaughtered my family, burned my childhood home to the ground and treated me lower than pond scum. They desecrated my family name. I shall wipe every single last one of them from the face of the Earth. I shall not rest until I see the blood of that evil ferret Talon, I shall follow him to Hellgates if I must!"
he snarled.
His veins bulged and his barrel chest rose and fell as he raged on. Then Fendrel decided to let the badger finish what the vermin started and stepped aside. He then nocked an arrow and whispered,
"Fine, I shall accompany you in battle. Let us avenge your kith and kin."
The huge badger nodded and threw his head back and roared a terrifying battle cry that appeared to shake the very ground itself.
"Eulaliaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
And he charged into battle.
The slumbering vermin were blissfully unaware of the hushed conversation passing between badger and squirrel, then they were woken with a start and saw a horrifying site. A gigantic hulking shape was barrelling straight towards them. The unfortunate vermin sleeping on the far edges were trampled by the badger, the few who were awake enough to pull weapons were struck down by arrows appearing to come out of nowhere.
Talon, the ferret, arose to a scene of chaos. Borin's charge scattered several of the glowing embers from the fire and they struck a cluster of tents. The fabric caught alight instantly and spread throughout the whole camp. The bewildered ferret frantically ordered his band of vermin about, shouting,
"Somebeast kill the damned badger, he escaped! Spears! Pikes! Hold him off!"
He called on a rat named Scarsnout to put out the fire but as he turned the rodent was struck by an arrow that flew through his eye, instantly slaying him.
Talon then realized how dire the situation was, he drew his sword and charged the badger.
He roared and swung at the hulking form, slicing his back and drawing blood that spewed like dark red wine.
The enraged badger howled in pain and struck the ferret with such a powerful blow that he was thrown into the very sycamore that was used to bind Borin.
The infuriated badger then gripped the length of rope that was tied to his throat and strangled Talon with it until the terrified ferret breathed his last breath.
He turned and roared once again. And decimated the remaining vermin.
The following day, Borin awoke to find himself surrounded by corpses, his head felt like it was made of lead as he attempted to get up. He looked around to see the dead ferret not far from him. The cord was still around the deceased Talon's neck and a thin film of ice had already coated his still open eyeballs. Borin's back ached from the cut he received the night before but somebeast covered it in a herbal poultice.
"You got a rather nasty cut there bucko, luckily ol' Fendrel here was able to patch right up with one of his famous wound dressing. Fortunately the cut wasn't deep so you'll live. Here eat this."
he said as he held out a onion and leek flan and a gourd of cordial.
When Borin finished wolfing the food down he realized his paws and fur were stained red. Fendrel noticed as well and handed the badger pawfuls of snow to wash away the remnants of battle from his fur.
Soon his white and black fur was clean and Borin stretched his mighty back while Fendrel packed two sacks full of provisions and fashioned new arrows from a young sapling. When the preparations where done the two companions decided to leave the area and head south to warmer conditions, but not before paying respects to Borin's slain parents and burying them.
The immense badger used a heavy axe to dig a grave in the icy rock hard ground where the two badgers could finally rest in peace and tranquility.
Both of them had tears in their eyes as they stood silently in respect. The only thing that could ever show that any badger was buried here was a large pile of mud and snow.
The badger wiped his eyes clean and turned around, shouldered the axe and started marching due south. Fendrel stumbled after the mourning badger without a word as they trekked through the snowy terrain. After sometime the squirrel ventured to ask the badger about his parents.
Borin glanced at him and appeared angry but his face softened as he spoke of his slain parents.
"My father was a kind gentle beast, always giving never asking for anything in return. His name was Earthpaw and he was a farmer. The land was good to my family, the crops were always good." the badger began.
"Carrots,oats,onions, leeks, and barley grew abundantly in the field behind our home. My mother, Gloriana planted several small apple trees and was the gentlest, kindest beast there ever was. I remember once when an injured sparrow fledgling was found in the berry bushes not far from here, my mother took care of it like it was her own. She fed the sparrow 'till it's wing healed and it could fly once a again. Then two nights ago the vermin band led by Talon came and ravaged the land. They burned our home to the ground until only ashes remained. My father was once a great fighter like my grandsire and his warrior spirit took over. He and my mother slayed well over a dozen of them before being massacred by Talon's vermin. They bound me to a tree so I could be sold to searats along the coast to be a slave for the rest of my days. That would have been my fate if you had'nt come along. I owe you my life friend."
The great hulking badger paused to wipe a tear from the corner of his eye and his face returned to its cold, hard disposition once again. He quickened his pace and the squirrel had to scurry after to keep up with Borin's large strides.
Seasons passed and the two companions grew in size and wisdom, living by foraging. They travelled long and far and they reached a wide brook. Fendrel's keen ears picked up nearby noise and he leaped up an elm tree in a flash. Ears twitching he whispered to Borin from his high position.
"You hear that mate? Sounds to me like voices up ahead."
The badger strained his ears but could not hear a thing. The gurgling of the water as it chuckled across the stones in the brook were too loud to hear anything.
He leaped across the stream with a single bound and crouched low behind the same tree Fendrel hid in. Stealthily the pair moved up closer to the voices and what they saw was an incredible sight. A trio of adders were hissing at a group of young otters. The adders had surrounded the group of otters and a otter babe was clinging to a lower bough directly above the gaping jaws of the snake who was patiently waiting for the tiny creature to fall from his perch and into his reach.
"You shalll be mine ottersssssss. There issss no esscape from Ysssellinan Poissonteeth and hisss brood. We shall feassst for a season on you ottersssss." hissed the malicious adder as his progeny echoed his decree.
The otter babe's grip on the old pine tree was faltering as he screamed in pure horror,
"Somebeast 'alp mee! I don't wanna die! Help, serpents!"
"Help!" shrieked the otter once more.
The ominous hissing of the adders escalated to a crescendo as they realized their meal would be coming to them soon.
The frantic wailing of the otter was all the encouragement Borin and Fendrel needed. With a mighty roar squirrel and badger charged into battle.
Fendrel rushed to the aid of the otter babe just as his grip faltered and he would have fallen if the brave squirrel hadn't seized him by the tail before he met his doom.
Borin swung his axe at the first adder he saw and cleaved it in half with a single swing.
He turned and shouted at the otters and Fendrel before his Bloodwrath overtook him.
"Run ! My Bloodwrath blinds me from the difference between friend or foe, I might slay you all, leave now and leave me to this ! Go now !" He turned and swung once, again narrowly missing being bitten by Ysellinan and he struck his attacker with a hefty blow from his free paw while Fendrel and the otter family scurried away into the woods.
The badger roared once again his battle cry once more and charged into the fray.
"Eulaliaaaaaa!"