Author Note:

First of all; MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE! I hope you all have a good Christmas! Second of all; my story has passed its one year anniversary! I published the first chapter on December 21. Boy, I never knew what I would be getting myself into... XD

Now, to the review responses…

Abrahem 52: Yes, I like writing any scene with Blue-Eyes (He's one of my favorite creations, actually). And yes, Keva's my editor. I don't know where I'd be without her to be honest.

Keva Strongbow: Yes, it shall be interesting to see who wins… I'll let Rockfur know that you wished him luck. ;-) I'm glad that you liked the scenes with the hares and the badgers!

Waycaster: [A buildup chapter. Another one to be exact.] Yep, that it is. However, the wait is over! We shall see how the duel ends once and for all.

Thanks! Though hold on a second, what's this nonsense about you not writing emotion well? Tsk tsk. Don't be absurd!

Hopefully, one day we shall learn a bit more about Baro's back story. Until then, I guess you (And everyone else, including me) shall sadly have to wait. :'(

Merry Christmas!

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SALAMANDASTRON'S SOUTH SHORE

Cheering broke out as the two mighty beasts charged forward. Steel met steel in a grinding rhythm. As shouts of encouragement rang out from both sides, the two beasts began their dance of death, each seeking to end the other's life.

"I say, sah, you're doing absolutely marvelous!"

"Don't give that bally scoundrel an inch, M'lord!"

"Give 'im blood an' vinegar! Wot wot!"

"Kill th' badger! Make th' sand run red with 'is blood!" a rat shrieked out, "Cut his eyes out, Yer Majesty!"

Baro had left his mighty mace-and-chain on the edge of the ring in Blue-Eyes' possession. He wanted to take stock of his opponent's fighting style before he resorted to using it.

"You'd better watch out, Lord Rockfur." Baro called out as he blocked one of the badger's powerful thrusts. "We wouldn't want me to have to kill you too easily, now would we?"

"You scum!" The badger gritted between clenched teeth. "You'll never kill another beast again when I'm through with you!"

The duel continued on with a clashing of blades. For a while, it appeared that Lord Rockfur held the upper paw as he beat the wolverine back, using sheer strength alone. And then suddenly, it all changed. Baro seemed to gain a second wind and, letting out a savage cry, he attacked with a brutality that shocked the badger.

It was all Rockfur could do to block the wolverine's blows, let alone strike any himself. Slowly, yet surely, the massive badger was driven back step by step, his footpaws sliding across the sandy surface.

Among the crowd, Brewster was nervously chewing the ends of his whiskers. "Gah! That wolverine is far better than we feared. Rockfur already seems to be losing some of his strength. His coordination seems off. Baro's blows are coming too hard and fast."

Eric's face mirrored the colonel's own worried expression. "You're right. That must be why his moves are so uncoordinated. If he can't turn this fight back in his favor soon, it's not going to end well."

Brewster winced as he saw Baro's sword nick the badger's left gauntlet. The armor blocked most of the blow, but the force of it made Rockfur's paw throb painfully.

Brewster mumbled under his breath. "Come on, Rockfur… Fight! You can do this!"

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INSIDE THE MOUNTAIN

Harry Mackelson was one of the lowly kitchen helpers. He had been assigned to bring food to the Long Patrollers who were guarding the crater. On his way, he had the ill fortune of knocking over one of the half-empty water barrels, spilling its contents all over the rocky floor.

A nearby officer saw what happened and wasted no time at calling to him.

"I say, wot wot! What the blazes do you think you're bally-well doing!? Go fetch another barrel and clean up this blinking mess." Seeing Harry's hesitation, he had swelled out his chest and added briskly, "Well? Why are you standing there with your mouth hanging open like a fish? Chop-chop! And don't let me catch you doing something foolish like that again. Next time, watch where you're going! Hear me, Private?"

"Yes, sah! Completely understood, sah! I'll fetch another barrel straight away, sah!"

Harry turned around and swiftly ran back down the tunnel.

He was on his way to the room where the water barrels were kept, when he heard the sounds of a beast grunting loudly in a muffled voice.

"Mmmh! Mgh mmm mgh!"

Harry stopped. The sounds were coming from inside Lord Rockfur's forge room.

"I say… That's bloomin' peculiar…" Harry took a few slow steps toward the door, drawing a knife from his belt. Gulping, he slowly opened the massive wooden door. The hare gasped and dropped his weapon with a clang when he saw who was inside.

"L-L-Lord Rockfur," he managed to gasp out, his voice shaking with shock. "What are y-you doing here?"

The Badger Lord was outstretched on the floor, his paws tied behind his back, and his mouth gagged with a cloth. He made a few grunting noises, and Harry quickly picked up his knife from where he had dropped it, and ran over to his master.

"Who did this to you, M'lord?" he asked, slicing through the ropes with his knife. "Are you okay? What happened? Wot wot!"

Once his paws were free, Rockfur ripped off his gag and glanced around groggily. His eyes were unfocused, and they looked like as if he had just awoken from a deep sleep. The massive badger slowly got onto his footpaws and struggled to hold his balance. "I… I feel so weak. My head, it…it hurts."

"What happened, Sah?"

Rockfur held a paw to his head as he tried to remember. "I… I must've been drugged with some sort of sleeping potion. Yes, that must've been it. Somebeast must've drugged my water or something. But who would've done such a thing?"

"When did it happen, sah?"

Rockfur held his head with his paws. "The last thing I remember was Urthblaze talking to me and asking to take my place at the duel. Maybe– …oh no!"

Harry nearly jumped out of his skin as Rockfur let out an anguished moan, and began to stumble his way toward the door. The hare quickly ran over to assist him. Rockfur turned and gripped him tightly by the shoulders, his eyes seeming to bore right through the hare.

"Has the duel started?" he asked urgently.

"I…er, yes it has, M'lord," Harry babbled out, "But you probably shouldn't be moving … I'll get a doctor– Owch!"

He grimaced as the Badger Lord's grip on his shoulder tightened. "Who is fighting Baro?"

"I-I-I don't know! Somebeast in your battle armor… We all thought it was you!"

Rockfur released Harry then dropped to his knees. "No," he mumbled to himself, tearing at the fur on his head with his mighty paws. "No, no, noooo!"

Harry had started to back slowly towards the door when he stopped dead in his tracks as a thought hit him. "Wait a minute…" he said, realization dawning on him. "That means…" He gasped. "Urthblaze!"

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SALAMANDASTRON'S SOUTH SHORE

The heat was becoming unbearable for Urthblaze as he blocked blow after blow. His metal helmet absorbed the sun's rays like a magnet, causing large drops of sweat to trickle down his neck.

Urthblaze knew if he couldn't end this soon, Baro would slowly carve him to bits.

The wolverine's experienced and calculating moves were proving too much for the young badger. Baro had been clever by not showing his full skill until the duel had dragged out long enough for the sun's heat to take its toll. Slowly, yet surely, the wounds that Baro continued to give Urthblaze increased, causing him to become even more tired and sloppy.

Thinking quickly, Urthblaze suddenly changed tactics and hurled himself forward.

Baro grunted with surprise at his opponent's unexpected move. Their blades were locked together, rendering them useless since they were too close and there wasn't any room to get a proper swing.

The wolverine swung out with his free paw and smashed his armored fist into the side of Urthblaze's helm. The badger staggered as he tried to stop his head from ringing.

Casting his weapon aside, Urthblaze leapt forward and bulled into Baro, once again catching the wolverine by surprise.

Sand flew in all directions as the two of them rolled on the ground, their teeth bared as they snarled.

Urthblaze finally managed to untangle himself from the other beast's grasp by kicking him with both of his footpaws. It temporarily winded Baro, and the two creatures slowly backed off, each assessing the other.

"Do… Do you need a respite, old one?" Baro gasped out, he was clearly beginning to lose energy as well. His ribs ached where Urthblaze had kicked him. Out of the corner of his eye, he searched the ground for his sword. "You need… a rest?"

It was tempting thought, but Urthblaze knew that it wouldn't happen. If they dragged this out too long, somebeast was going to eventually connect the dots and figure out that Urthblaze wasn't Lord Rockfur.

Wiping blood from a bite wound on his neck, Urthblaze growled. "We're going to end this here! No rests, no breaks. What's the matter? Are you afraid you might lose to such an old warrior like me?"

That earned a reaction from Baro. The wolverine let out a furious bellow and charged forward, claws outstretched and teeth bared, throwing his dented helmet aside.

They crashed together in a whirl of fur and armor.

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SALAMANDASTRON'S NORTH SHORE

Chief Askarr and the Rogue Crew had marched until they feared their footpaws would drop off. They had finally made it to the base of the mountain. They spotted a few vermin scouts, but they were too far away for the otters to do anything.

"So much for our arrival being a bally secret, wot wot." Sergeant One-Ear remarked as he hobbled along with his long, wooden crutches. A couple of the clan otters had offered to help him along the way, yet the hare had brushed them off with a scowl. "I'm injured, not dead," he had snapped.

The only creature that he would tolerate to escort him was Private Snowpetal. The young private wouldn't take no for an answer. Yet even then, One-Ear only allowed her to help when the terrain was incredibly rocky or steep. His self-dignity wouldn't have it any other way.

"Well, stealth isn't exactly a strong point o' mine." Askarr gestured toward the mountain with his massive axe. "Jus' lead us t' the vermin, an' we'll show you 'ow t' deal with 'em th' Rogue Crew way."

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SALAMANDASTRON'S SOUTH SHORE

The fight had been in a stalemate as the two had wrestled ruthlessly. Pieces of armor littered the sand around them, torn off from the paw-to-paw fighting. Baro's face was covered with bruises, and there was some blood smeared across his forehead. Urthblaze, however, was also not caught unscathed. The young badger's arm was covered with deep bites, and parts of flesh had been ripped off by the wolverine's terrible claws.

Catching sight of his fallen sword half-buried in the sand beside him, Urthblaze suddenly saw his chance. The one he'd been waiting for. Using all of the strength that he had left, he pushed Baro away from him and dove for the blade.

Picking it up, he swung out wildly, catching Baro a blow on the shoulder. The wolverine shrieked out a pained roar. Then, scooping up a pawful of sand, he threw it at the young badger's face.

Urthblaze scrambled back and tried to brush out the sand that had entered through his visor, but his helmet made it impossible for him to reach his eyes. Blinded, he never stood a chance as Baro ran forward and body slammed into him, grabbing possession of the weapon as he did.

"No!" Private Brewster screamed and made as if to leap into the fray. A few of the other Long Patrollers only just managed to hold him back. Still struggling, the hare continued to yell out protests.

Baro smiled triumphantly as he stood over the fallen badger who gaped around blindly, looking for his enemy.

The wolverine – gripping the sword with both paws – drove its point through a weak spot in Urthblaze's shoulder armor.

The wound seemed to burn like fire as the young warrior realized that the wound was going to be fatal. He desperately tried to struggle to his footpaws, but Baro kicked him back down.

Urthblaze grunted as pain seared through his body. His eyes stung as he tried to open them. All he could make out was the crowd of hares calling out to him from a distance. He knew they were yelling encouragement to him. Even though their voices seemed far away and indistinct, he knew that they wanted him to get back up, to finish the fight.

I'm sorry Rockfur…His thoughts flashed through his mind. "I thought I could do this. I thought I could help repay you for all you've done for me by protecting your mountain… I wish I could have defeated him for you. I only wanted to help…He let out a cry of pain as the blade plunged into his chest. Giving one final shudder, the badger closed his eyes and went limp.

Baro breathed heavily and took a few weary steps back. "It is finished."

A choking cry rang out from amongst the deathly silent crowd.

"Urthblaze!"

There were gasps as Lord Rockfur came stumbling forward into view. His left arm was still half-wrapped in a bandage, and his movements were slow and sluggish from the sleeping herbs.

"R-Rockfur?" Brewster's tear-stained face looked at him in shock. "But-but…" Solemnly he turned back to stare at the still body of the badger lying dead on the sand.

"What in Hellgates is going on here?" Baro snarled, glancing from the dead body at his footpaws to the Badger Lord. "I killed you!"

Bending over, he ripped off the helm of the dead warrior.

"The young one?" His face went purple with rage. "Treachery! I challenged you, Rockfur, not this wet-behind-the-ears whelp!"

"You get away from him!" Lord Rockfur staggered forward and pushed the wolverine away. Falling to his knees, he knelt beside the body. Shoulders shaking from his sobbing, he didn't even bother to wipe the tears as they rolled down his face. "My dear lad…Why…why…"

Baro stomped off toward Blue-Eyes. "Give me my weapon," he ordered, snatching up his mace-and-chain. He turned back toward the woodlanders and pointed at them with the sword in his other paw, its blade still red from Urthblaze's blood. "They tricked me! They broke the rules by choosing a different champion. Kill them!"

As the vermin hesitated and shot each other confused glances, Baro let out a mighty roar and swung his mace-and-chain in the air.

"ATTACK!"

Bunching together in a group, they charged toward the Badger Lord and his hares.

Brewster's training instantly kicked in. Running about, he started barking out orders to the Long Patrollers. "Form ranks around Lord Rockfur, chaps! They mean to blooming charge us!"

Woodlanders and vermin alike were suddenly startled as a mighty cry thundered out from behind the hares.

"Rogue Crew, CHAAAAAARGE!"

The vermin attackers' resolve wavered as the dunes to the north came alive with scores of tattooed otters, led by the fearsome-looking Chief Askarr.

Outnumbered and outmatched, the vermin began to scramble as fast as they could back to the safety of their camp. Even Baro in his rage realized that he and his two score creatures didn't stand a chance against the shrieking horde. Calling out for them to regroup with the main force, he reluctantly followed his fleeing soldiers.

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Brewster's jaw dropped open as he saw One-Ear limp his way over on his crutches, Snowpetal at his side with her weapon held at-ready.

"Sergeant One-Ear reporting, Sah!" The hare saluted smartly. "Accompanied by Private Snowpetal –along with reinforcements, as ordered."

The colonel shook his head and embraced One-Ear. "Thank Heavens you're jolly-well alive, wot wot!" He threw an anxious glance at the retreating vermin's backs. "We'll have to talk later, I'm afraid. Let's get our chaps back in the mountain afore we have a whole mob of those bloody scoundrels on our tails!"