Disclaimer: Need I say it?

A/N: There aren't any warnings for this chapter. It is rather short though…

Chapter 9

Pale spring sunlight filtered through the dusty stained-glass window sending shafts of rose colored light into the room that Kinliv was sharing with Farah. Kinliv was leaning against the wall next to the window, one knee bent with footpaw resting against the stone behind her. Her arms were folded and she was staring at the floor, deep in thought. This morning she was clad in baggy gray pants, held up by a black belt with a silver buckle, and a tan shirt. Today her weapon was not concealed, the rapier stood out clearly attached to her belt. She had been standing like this for about an hour as she had already raided the kitchen for breakfast two or three hours before. Cold eyes darted upward as she detected the noises of her stirring roommate.

Faraheos sat up and rubbed her eyes, yawning. Without sparing a glance for the observing Kinliv she got up and crossed the room to the marble water basin that stood in the corner. After thoroughly scrubbing her face she turned to the other squirrel, "Morning."

"Aye, it is." replied her companion in her usual unwavering tone.

Farah grinned, "Big day today?"

Kinliv nodded, "Today we begin training."

"Fun. Breakfast first?"

Kinliv shook her head with a faint, almost unnoticeable grimace, "I have already eaten."

Farah seemed to understand, "Well you'll have to come down anyway. We have to figure out the training schedule."

If the other squirrel seemed less than happy with this plan she didn't show it, merely nodding and stating that she would wait out in the hall for her "friend". She strode out the door and assumed her previous position, this time outside the room. After a few moments of waiting she began to hear voices from down the hall and in a short time their owners came into view from around the corner. They appeared to belong to two young creatures about Kinliv's age, a mouse and an otter. The talking stopped dead as the creatures spotted the squirrel. Kinliv expected them to hurry past, heads down, but instead they approached her.

The young mouse spoke, feet shifting back and forth, "I just wanted to say that what you did yesterday, standing up to Cassus and all, I just thought that that was pretty brave."

"Yeah, me too." Agreed his companion.

This caught Kinliv completely off guard and, before she could stop herself, she cracked a grin, "Thank you."

The two nodded and smiled back before hurrying off to breakfast. Shortly after they departed, Farah came out. Even Kinliv had to agree that she looked stunning this morning clad in jet back pants and a sapphire blue fitted shirt embroidered with silver leaves down the sleeves. When Kinliv enquired the occasion for such an appearance Farah simply shrugged and said something about wanting to make a good impression.

The two walked down to breakfast in almost complete silence, though their minds were both focused on the same topic. All talk faded and turned into low mutterings when Kinliv entered, though, she noticed, not all angry. In fact, most of the younger creatures and even some of the adults were smiling approvingly at her. They took seats at the table they had sat at the previous night.

Rowan greeted the plainly-dressed squirrel happily, "What you did last night has had quite an effect on the beasts here. Quite a few of them are rather impressed and I've already had at least twenty young creatures approach me with wishes to join the army."

For the second time that morning, Kinliv couldn't stop herself from smiling, "It was not anything, just some hasty words brought on by too much alcohol."

Rowan shrugged, "Well, whatever it was, it did the job!" His attention was then distracted by the fact that Farah had just taken the seat next to him and, despite their conversation the night before, Kinliv could not stop her paws from clenching. She sat down abruptly next to Kenafon, pouring herself a hot cup of coffee.

"So, how was the council?" she asked, pointedly not looking at the other two squirrels at the table.

"Rather interesting." The shrew stated before continuing to fill her in with the previous evening's events from the battle plans to the sword. Kinliv nodded and in turn told her friend of the conversation she had had with Farah.

"So you told her, huh?

"Yes."

"Do you think you did the right thing?"

"Yes."

"Well that's good enough for me."

They would have continued the discussion, but were interrupted when Abbot Boniface stood up and addressed the Hall, "Today we begin training for the approaching battle. Anybeast interested in joining the troops should congregate on the grounds by the orchards after breakfast. Also the Long Patrol should be arriving today so if you have no chores today, you may stand watch. Now, I believe that's it, you are free to go."

With this dismissal Kinliv bolted up as though she had been stung. Kenafon followed, though at a slower pace. Together they were the first to leave the building. Kinliv's mind was still a bit clouded from the usual depression of seeing Rowan and Farah together, but she quickly pulled herself together, "So the Long Patrol will be assisting us?"

"So it would seem."

"Lovely. I have always wanted to meet them. They sound quite interesting."

"Yes, my father met them once. Perilous beasts, he said."

They lapsed into silence, waiting for their future army to gather. A wind blew around them, much to cold for the spring that had just arrived, but Kinliv did not even stir. She was lost in her own mind. She flinched as she remembered Rowan and Farah kissing at breakfast. Damn it! Why did it still hurt? Why couldn't she just bloody get over it? She wilted as the image flashed through her mind again, tearing her heart into countless more pieces. She blinked back the stinging at the corners of her eyes. It should not hurt so damn much…

Her head snapped upward as she realized Kenafon was speaking to her, "Ah, here they come…Kinliv! Are you alright?"

She blinked again and forced a stoic expression onto her face, "Yes, I'm fine. It's nothing."

He offered her a sympathetic look before turning to Rowan, Farah, Keem and Calimb who had come up next to them. "Where's the clan, father?" he addressed the other shrew.

"I told them to practice formations and such on their own, doncha know? I left the Committee in charge. We'll get together with them in about a week to go over the jolly old plans, doncha know?"

His son nodded then turned to the crowed that had formed before them. It consisted of about fifty otters led by Corydalis and one-hundred abbey dwellers. Keem addressed the Abby Warrior, "Cory, Ah believe that Ah do be correct in assuming that yer otters are already sufficiently trained in handling their weapons?" When she nodded he continued, "Then would you be so kind as to go train with the Avaborit? We'll just be assigning weapons and instructing in the usage of them this week Ah do believe."

"Alright then. Cummon crew!" The otters left and all that was left was the group of timid looking mice, moles, voles, hedgehogs and squirrels.

Keem addressed the bunch, "Right well we have the army, now we need the weapons. So, your first task is to completely ransack this place for anything that could be used as a fighting implement. Meet back here in an hour! Dismiss!" The group hurried off surprisingly fast and the four original travelers were left standing alone with the shrew and his father. Rowan and Farah immediately engaged in a non-verbal conversation and Kinliv turned away, forcing her face to be calm, holding back the tears that once again threatened to overwhelm her.

She was spared further torment however by the call of a mouse on the battlements, "The Long Patrol! The Long Patrol has arrived!" Just then the front gates burst open in a cloud of dust and there stood, all perfectly to attention, the two hundred-fifty hairs of the Long Patrol. They all stood stalk still until a command was given by their leader, a tough looking hair clad in a red tunic with a claymore and a monocle, then shifted to the "at ease" position.

By this time the signal had been carried to the Abbot and he strode out to meet them. The hair in charge saluted, a gesture mimicked by the rest of the Patrol in a perfect mirror. The Abbot saluted in return then shook hands with the red-tunic clad hair, "Good day, Major!" he greeted.

"Good day Abbot, wot?" replied the perilous beast.

"Why don't you and your troops come into the Abbey, we'll see if we can get you some food and fill you in on our current situation."

"Some fodder sounds jolly good right now, wot! Lead the way." The hungry warriors were led into the Abbey, leaving the six beasts alone once more. Once again Rowan and Farah locked in a tight embrace and began to kiss in a rather passionate manner.

Calimb chuckled, "It looks like they're eating each others faces, doncha know? I always just thought it was a literary description, but it's actually true!"

Kinliv winced and Rowan broke apart for a second to send the older shrew a look that would wither a plant before submerging once more. Kinliv waited in silent agony for roughly fifteen minutes before the weapon search-party returned. They dumped their weapons in a huge pile then stood milling around as if unsure of what to do.

When Keem decided that they had all returned he spoke to them, "Alright, fine bunch of weapons you've got here! Now, Ah'd like you to sort them into piles by weapon. Well get started!"

The rodents jumped and began to sort. By the end they had roughly twenty-five spears (or implements that could be used as spears), ten swords swords, thirty-five wood axes, thirty bows and a large pile of daggers, knives and slings (all from previous invasions on the Abbey). They set up a makeshift archery range and a dueling area with practice swords and it soon became apparent which beasts were suited to which weapons. After the main weapons were assigned each beast was given a dagger, knife or sling and so began the training. From the first few minutes it was quite obvious that they had a lot of work to do. The archers were lucky if they could hit the target at ten feet let alone the bulls-eye at fifty. The sword beasts were lucky if they didn't chop off their own limbs and the spear beasts kept tripping over their shafts. Only the axe wielding creatures knew how to handle their weapons from the time spent chopping down trees for fire wood.

Kinliv was getting fed up with the twelve sword beasts she was training (Keem had taken the other thirteen). She had decided to teach them all a few simple moves then pair them up to spar with their blades wrapped up in cloths so not to let them actually hurt each other. She doubted that they would cause much damage without the safety precaution, except to maybe themselves. She could excuse them for not being warriors, but this was pathetic! They either barely moved the weapons, as if afraid to hit there opponents and apologizing profusely every time they miraculously managed to get a good blow in or swung so wildly that they often got off balance and landed on the ground.

"No you pathetic mindless creatures!" the squirrel shouted. Some of the beasts started to get teary-eyed and she tried to control her temper. She walked over to one sparing pair of mice and moved them into fighting positions. "You! Thrust out with your blade!" the young mouse did as instructed and hit his partner squarely in the chest causing him to topple over. The mouse on the ground blinked and looked dumbstruck, but Kinliv congratulated the attacker, "Very good! Nice blow!"

The other mouse paid her no heed, but rushed over to the fallen creature, "Oh, are you okay? I'm so sorry!"

"No, do not apologize to him! He is fine!"

The mouse looked at his trainer as though she were insane, but stood up none-the-less. Kinliv helped the other mouse up and instructed the two to return to their fighting positions. "This time, when he strikes at you, I want you to parry, like this." She showed him the correct form to block an opposing blade and this time when the first mouse thrust, the defender was able to hit the blade aside. "Very good. I would like you all to try this now. Take turns attacking and defending."

Slowly, very slowly the soldiers began to improve and by the end of the day an exhausted, yet satisfied Kinliv entered the Great Hall.

More A/N: Ok, so I just stayed up 24 consecutive hours just to prove to myself that I could. Yeah, not one of my better ideas. Just thought I'd share ::yawns::. Also, just as a side note, I believe there will only be one more chapter in this story then a brief epilogue. Anyway, thanks for reviews and Happy Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Winter Solstice, or whatever the heck you celebrate and if you don't celebrate anything this time of year then have a pleasant day!