Chapter 13
Brome, Keyla, and Grayhound saw Celandine, Vinsar, and Grejor, along with Bargah and a small group of shrews being lined up to be slaughtered.
"Let me go, you wicked reptiles!"
Celandine screamed as she struggled with her binds. The cannibalistic lizard tribe were poking the poor beasts with their spear handles.
"You slimy slithertails!"
Vinsar snapped, a green and yellow lizard whacked Vinsar upside the head with his pike handle, the blow was so hard, Vinsar stumbled around as small droplets of blood trickled down from his forehead to his chin. Grayhound's eye twitched and his fangs started to bear. The prisoners were then forced to kneel, the lead lizard nodded, and one lizard wielding a stone dagger casually walked up to a shrew, and slit his throat. Brome's eyes widened with horror, how could anybeast murder a creature with his paws bound behind his back? Brome gritted his teeth, he clenched his paws, and scrunched his face. The three beasts that were forced to watch as their friends and new allies were forced to die, writhed in anger. Then something snapped, Grayhound started seeing red. His mouth foamed, and he snarled. The badger broke through his binds as if they were parchment. He raced to the lead lizard, the leader of the tribe screeched out orders.
"No you don't!"
Grayhound shouted as he chased the lizard, he grabbed Brome's sword and in one swoop, he chopped the lizard's head clean off. The lizards in the tribe saw their leader's head roll, Grayhound turned himself around and stared directly into the faces of the scarred lizards, the lizards looked into the badger's eyes, it was like looking into the face of death. However, the tide turned when more lizards came out from the bushes and the trees. The swarmed on Grayhound hitting him with stones, and sticks. Grayhound threw the sword towards Brome, he freed his paw and slashed through the bindings. He then ran clutching the sword in both paws, he hacked and slashed through the lizards attacking Grayhound.
"Thanks, Brome Voh."
"You can thank me later, right now, we've got to free our friends from these vile creatures."
"Agreed, you free Keyla, and I'll free the others."
"Deal, let's do this."
They both shouted the old war cry.
"Fur and freedom!"
Brome sprinted towards Keyla, as two lizards approached the helpless otter. Brome slashed through the lizards and freed Keyla. Grayhound grabbed his battle axe and started cleaving through waves of lizards, he then broke the binds of Celandine, Vinsar, Grejor, and Bargah. Eventually, everybeast were free from their binds, they all grabbed their weapons, and were ready to fight, however, there were too many of them. That was until everybeast present, friend and foe heard a cry.
"Krreeaah!"
Everyone, looked up to the sky, they saw the silhouette of a hawk, the predator bird swooped down and pierced 1 lizards with its sharp beak. The hawk went in for a second dive and grabbed a small group of lizards in its talons, the hawk landed and turned around, it spread its wings and cried out its fearsome shriek.
"Caaaw!"
This made the remaining lizards scared out of their wits and they scurried away. Brome and his company walked up to the tall hawk.
"Thank you for saving us."
The bird spoke in a heavy Northland accent.
"Ah, jus' doin' mah duty, wee lad."
"You come from the Northlands. South from us but still, nice to make your acquaintance."
"You as well."
Brome shook the bird's wing.
"So tell me, mr. uhh?"
"Strypper, me name's Strypper, and don't you fergit it."
"Alright, Mr. Strypper. What brought you up here?"
"Well, me mousie friend, I'm on a mission, to rid the land of a stoat named Damien, he and his horde of cutthroats, plunder through me nest, killed me sweet bonnie wife, and me eggchicks too."
"We too are travelling to stop Damien once and for all, maybe we can team up, we may need a beast who is capable of flight."
"I would be happy to oblige you, me friend."
"Thank you, oh and my name is Brome Voh."
Back at Noonvale, Sharon was sitting with Laycee, and her leverets. Sharon sat in a wooden rocking chair, nursing Rose.
"You seem to be a bit worried, wot. Is something troublin' you?"
Laycee asked her mousemaid companion.
"Oh, heheh, sorry, I was thinking about Brome and all of our warriors. I have a terrible suspicion that one of ours might not make it back."
"Oh come on now, old girl, you seem to worry top much, wot."
Rose cooed as she suckled on a bottle of milk. Sharon looked down at the daughter of Patriarch and Matriarch of Noonvale.
"You have a point, old friend, let's see how Ballaw and Rowanoak are doing."
The two got up and left the cottage, the strolled to Ballaw and Rowanoak's cottage, as soon as the pair opened the door, they saw a bedridden Rowanoak, her breath was labored, and her fur was grey.
"Thank you, for coming, it seems her condition has worsened."
Ballaw explained. How could this be, even though she needed a wheelchair, Rowanoak seemed to be chipper this morning. Rowanoak weakly lifted her right paw, and she spoke in a raspy voice.
"Ballaw... when is, Brome... to return?"
"I'm not certain, Rowan Old Oak."
"Hmmhmm. They're probably already at Marshank dealing with the evil vermin."
"I do hope so, Rowanoak, dearly do."
Laycee kneeled down by the foot of Rowanoak's bed.
"Scuse me, ma'am, but is there something I could do for you, some scoff, a drink?"
Rowanoak smiled at the eager haremaid.
"No, I'll be okay, I've got Ballaw, your dad for that."
Laycee stood up.
"Well then, I shall leave the two of you alone."
"Please, stay, even though I am bedridden, that doesn't mean I don't want you to stay."
Rowanoak weakly said.