Northland Fighters - Part 2
Disclaimer: Standard.
A/N: Oh, I'm sorry that I did this - I really didn't want to do this …
Sorrel slid through the crack in the rock. Silently, she slipped past her brother, who looked half-asleep.
She picked up his bow and filled his quiver. She stuffed her sling into the quiver as well, and filled Clover's pouch with rocks. She stuck a dagger into her belt, and brandished a lance. Armed to the teeth, she crept back past her brother.
"Sorrel, what on earth d'you think yore doin'?"
Sorrel froze. Slowly, she turned to face her brother.
"Come on, Reguba. There's no need to look so shocked."
"Paris!"
"What?"
"One, you called me Reguba - "
"Oh, that's true enough. Yore mother were a Reguba, and yore dad a Swifteye."
"Two, I'm going out to kill vermin - "
"Really? I thought you were goin' to kill yore sister!" said Paris sarcastically.
"Paris, why d'you call Clovy my sister? She's yore sister too, y'know!"
"Nope. She's not. But I'm not goin' to go into it now. Where's the vermin?"
"Camped in the strawberry patch," quipped Sorrel.
"Shut yore mouth, 'cause that's my bow you've got there, an' my best one at that!"
"Tough. A Reguba doesn't borrow, he takes!"
Paris jumped up. "Oi! Watch yore mouth!"
"You just told me to shut it," ruminated Sorrel.
"So do it!"
"Nope, sorry, can't. Got some nasty vermin to fight, an' the good old Urgan Nagru ain't goin' to hang around to get killed. Leave 'im to old Finnbarr, eh?"
"Only wish ole Finnbarr were 'ere now, old lass," muttered Paris. "He'd knock some sense into you!"
Sorrel scowled.
"Just remember, old chap, that if I get killed, yore not to go avengin' my death, OK? I don't need you chaps barging in an' gettin' yoreselves killed, 'specially Hector and Darian."
She patted her brother's head and fled through the cave entrance before he could say anything.
*
Amine, Paris's wife, cradled her two squirrelbabes in her paws. Darian, the smaller one, woke, and started to cry. She was something of a Seer, but Amine paid little attention to her prophecies, which came frequently, and were always true.
*
"Regubaaaaa!" yelled Sorrel, dancing the dance of death. She knew she had no chance, but her natural agility would make it easy to escape. Clover had joined the battle from the treetops, hurling stones from Sorrel's sling, which she had confiscated before Sorrel knocked her out. Only now and then would she venture down on to the ground to refill her pouch.
A well-aimed spear caught Sorrel in mid-air, and she fell with a cry. Clover leapt down into the screaming sea of rats, killing with a berserk rage that she had never felt before.
*
"That's our Sorrel," said Amine tiredly. She had been out searching for the miscreant for at least an hour, and Paris had only just got back.
"Disappears into thin air, just like Hector," replied Paris.
"Hector?"
"He's vanished, Amine. Darian is there, asleep, but Hector's gone."
"You know where he'll be," said Amine resignedly. "With Sorrel, you can count on it."
"The stupid little ---------!"
Paris cursed. Turning to his small daughter, he was set upon from behind.
"What the - "
Five rats pierced him sharply with their spears. With a yell of maddened pain, he threw himself on the first, kicking out fiercely with his back legs. Two fell with dislocated necks as he tore the throat out of the first with his teeth. Snatching up a javelin, he ran one rat straight through, killing the rat behind him as well.
Paris handed the javelin to Amine, who promptly stabbed Ashfur. Crouching in a sparring position, Paris let fly with his fists. Darian bit another rat on the footpaw, and he howled and kicked out, landing on his tail. Darian bit off the tip of his tail and spat it out.
"Rats don' taste nice," she explained in her baby tongue. "Sovvel does."
*
Sorrel was determined. Clover dragged her away by her tail, and Sorrel howled with pain.
"Get off, you dirty traitor! Ow, yore pullin' me brush off!"
Clover found it fairly easy for her to lift her twin, because though Sorrel was a fierce fighter, she was very light.
"Come on, Sorrel," she whispered. "The Foxwolf knows where our cave is."
Sorrel froze. Then she flung herself into the trees. Just thirty seconds later she arrived at the cave.
She could hardly see the crack that signified the entrance, for a waterfall of blood dripped down. She turned pale.
"Paris?"
Sorrel slid inside. She knelt by a dying rat.
"Foxwolf … joined up two seasons ago. Never knew … Fur and Freedom!"
Sorrel's eyes smiled as they swam with tears, a mixture of green, blue, and brown as they changed colour at rapid pace.
"Five of us set on the big male as he turned his back. We came through a passage the Foxwolf found … they never saw us until it was too late!
"My mate, Ringear, had 'is throat torn out … the female had a javelin, split Gouldon's gizzard … even the little one had something to say. There were fivescore of us … just look at who's left! We completed our mission, though … we slew them all. Now there's only those little squirrelmaids, the Urgan Nagru says. Mind you, the one that slew Bragnose wasn't too little. Tall, they say … the Urgan Nagru says there's two … twins. The first squirrel twins in history to be identical, he said … supposed to be quite famous … "
Sorrel stood up and slew the rat, babbling in his fever. She knew all she needed.
A faint moan came from Amine. Sorrel felt a glimmer of hope.
"Amine?"
"Sorrel … I'm dying. Listen, don't interrupt … it wasn't your fault. You could have done nothing. Even if we had had all the weapons in the northlands we couldn't have survived that attack. Fivescore! Cowards! But we've taken a few with us … don't worry, Sorrel. Don't worry."
"Amine," Sorrel whispered. "Amine, I know. You and Paris have killed them all. Don't worry. We'll get revenge."
"What was it you said to Paris? If they kill me, don't bother avenging me. Don't go getting yourself killed."
"That's different," said Sorrel sadly. "I didn't know how it felt … if only I could go back … "
"You can't, though. I meant that as a warning … and Hector … he's disappeared!"
Sorrel nodded. "But he's still alive … we'll take care of him … "
"We … " repeated Amine. "You're both alive … "
Sorrel nodded again. "Clover is winging her way here like she's a bird. We'll be a happy bunch, I promise. And to the good creature, death is the next great adventure … and there's always a happy ending … "