A slingstone flew out of the surrounding woodlands, whistling as it zipped overhead and hit the solid stone wall.
"Zenith! Rouse the other slaves! Hurry!" Typhoon whispered urgently, shaking her friend awake. The squirrel sat up and groped about in the darkness which hung over the land like a heavy cloak of black velvet. His paw closed around a smooth rock, which he hurled powerfully at the stone wall. It gave a loud 'Clack!'
Goldstryk heard teh clack clearly with his keen hearing. He smiled grimly, and slipped off into the dark night, only to re-appear below a guard.
'Thwok!'
The limp form of a rat slumped over onto the wall. Goldstryk moved again, only to pick off more guards. Kri had gathered all his feathered friends. They flapped their small wings and hoisted a large fishing net (taken from a deserted otter holt) into the air. Draping it over the section of the wall which was part of the compound, the birds lifted another net and hung it on the other side of the wall.
Zenith was hard-eyed as he ushered other slaves up the net. "Jump if ye have to, there're mattresses down there!" He said to each doubtful slave.
Forest had disappeared. The hare was after Sydscri. She paused momentarily at a weapon store hut. Spying Typhoon's longknife and Zenith's bow and arrows, she grabbed both quickly, shoved the knife and bow in the quiver before slinging the lot over a shoulder. Forest glanced about and spotted the stoat. She sprinted straight at Sydscri, holding both paw out in front of her, clenched together like a vice. Forest dealt a savage blow to the stoat's skull, pried the sabre from the unconcious Sydscri's paws and ran back to the compound. She thrust her sabre through her woven belt and tossed the quiver containing arrows and bow to Zenith.
"There ya go, ol' chap. Knew ya wanted 'em!" the irrepressible hare turned and pressed the longknife into Typhoons's paws. Just then, a scream emmitted from the opposite wall.
"Escape! Escape!" a water rat called Flatskull shouted out. Unfortunately for him, Zenith fitted arrow to bow. Flatskull was silenced forever.
"Hurry, up the net!" he shouted. Only he, Typhoon and Forest remained on the ground. The scaled the net, ignoring the shouts of vermin soldiers. Zenith was last down. Balancing expertly on a battlement, he fired arrow after arrow down at the vermin scrambling up the net, laughing madly the whole time.
"Zenith! Rouse the other slaves! Hurry!" Typhoon whispered urgently, shaking her friend awake. The squirrel sat up and groped about in the darkness which hung over the land like a heavy cloak of black velvet. His paw closed around a smooth rock, which he hurled powerfully at the stone wall. It gave a loud 'Clack!'
Goldstryk heard teh clack clearly with his keen hearing. He smiled grimly, and slipped off into the dark night, only to re-appear below a guard.
'Thwok!'
The limp form of a rat slumped over onto the wall. Goldstryk moved again, only to pick off more guards. Kri had gathered all his feathered friends. They flapped their small wings and hoisted a large fishing net (taken from a deserted otter holt) into the air. Draping it over the section of the wall which was part of the compound, the birds lifted another net and hung it on the other side of the wall.
Zenith was hard-eyed as he ushered other slaves up the net. "Jump if ye have to, there're mattresses down there!" He said to each doubtful slave.
Forest had disappeared. The hare was after Sydscri. She paused momentarily at a weapon store hut. Spying Typhoon's longknife and Zenith's bow and arrows, she grabbed both quickly, shoved the knife and bow in the quiver before slinging the lot over a shoulder. Forest glanced about and spotted the stoat. She sprinted straight at Sydscri, holding both paw out in front of her, clenched together like a vice. Forest dealt a savage blow to the stoat's skull, pried the sabre from the unconcious Sydscri's paws and ran back to the compound. She thrust her sabre through her woven belt and tossed the quiver containing arrows and bow to Zenith.
"There ya go, ol' chap. Knew ya wanted 'em!" the irrepressible hare turned and pressed the longknife into Typhoons's paws. Just then, a scream emmitted from the opposite wall.
"Escape! Escape!" a water rat called Flatskull shouted out. Unfortunately for him, Zenith fitted arrow to bow. Flatskull was silenced forever.
"Hurry, up the net!" he shouted. Only he, Typhoon and Forest remained on the ground. The scaled the net, ignoring the shouts of vermin soldiers. Zenith was last down. Balancing expertly on a battlement, he fired arrow after arrow down at the vermin scrambling up the net, laughing madly the whole time.
