Hello there! Thank you for coming, I'll be your narrator this evening... may I suggest the fanfic today? It's chef speciality...
Yes, I am a scary, scary person. And I'm not a chef(or much of a writer...) Last time I cooked something, I set fire to the oven mitt. Well, anyway... Here's the third installment of my Suisho Nakidasu story. I made it by combining about three different word files b/c they weren't enuf by themselves, so it's a little longer than the others, but it's not the *best* thing I've written. Laaalaaa... everyone laugh at Jamiak's poor writing skills! Yaaay.
For those of you who aren't familiar with the other two parts, this takes place in the country of Jekaria, which is near Mossflower, etc. etc. I don't feel comfortable making up a few of the "goodbeast" characters, as I guess I think that foxes, wolves, and ferrets are more suited to my personality... go figure... So, therefore, the actual Abby/Mossflower *might* not come into the story for a while. Or not at all, if I don't get some good mice/squirrel/otter characters with reasonable personalities any time soon. Which will probably happen when Hell freezes over and Satan gives out free ice cream cones.
Don't hurt me... please? I'll give you a cookie?
And everybodies favorite, a disclaimer! This will go for ALL the chapters... I do not own Redwall, Mossflower, etc. etc. This is a fanfiction site, so you all should probably know that... In short, please don't sue me. I have no money, so all you'd get is my collection of *quickly calculates in head* 33+ violent fantasy books. And you don't want to separate Jamiak from her fantasy books. Because then she'd be forced to go on a rampage and kill all her happy little characters in stories like these... and we wouldn't want THAT, now, would we? ^^;;;; Actually, she plans on doing that anyway, so it don't matter...

Things braketed by *'s are italicized

In any case, if you're here, you're here to read the story. Or to make fun of me. Either way, have fun!!

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Cimar opened the tent flap hesitantly. It had rained all night. Getting out of the tent felt good; it had leaked and was much less than comfortable inside. The day was bright, clouds clearing to uncover the sun. Tendrils of steam rose up from where the sunlight hit the gound, shrouding camp with a light mist. The Alysian general walked over to where his campfire had been the night before. Looking around the clearing, he saw it was filled with puddles and patches of mud. There would be no dry wood for a fire.

Other soldiers were slowly venturing out of their shelter, some making their way over to the rain-swelled Coldran River which rushed near by. It was hard to believe that the day before yesterday there had been twice as many troops as there were now.

Cimar felt a light touch on his sleeve. "Sir." He turned his head to look at the speaker.

Jian was a tall ferret, ruddy uniform off-setting his dark black-brown fur. He was one of Cimar's captains, and the troops he had commanded had been made up of most of the dead. Of course, it wasn't his fault... poor planning on all of their parts, Cimar included, had sealed their fates. Jian waited for a respose before continuing. Cimar nodded.

"What do we do now? The Jekarians are bound to attack sooner or later." He paused. "Are we to defend, or are we to strike first?"

A thin smile played on the general's features. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a damp piece of paper. Handing it to the ferret, he waited for the reaction. Jian un-folded the paper, reading the contents happily. Cimar had spent the better part of last night writing up the plans for their next assault. If he was correct, there would be no errors in his plan.

"Tell the captains about it."

Jian looked up, smiled at his leader, and gave him a careless salute. "Yes sir!" Re-folding the plans, he pocketed them and walked off to inform the others.

An hour later, they had a well organized army setting off.



Overlooking the Jekarian camp, Cimar called a halt. Smoke rose lazily from half-lit campfires of wet wood, beasts sat around talking and joking with eachother, not paying attention to their surroundings. The few they had on guard duty were the only ones that would be adaquitely prepared for a fight. This was going to be easier than the Alysian general had origionally thought.

The captains and general held a small whispered conversation, then nodded slowly. Signaling silently to Jian, Cimar led a quarter of the troops down the hill. The others had been divided evenly beforehand, and were now led by Jian, Lanmola, and Aiden. Cimar and the others had decided that they didn't really need to follow the plans... just take out the guards with a few well-placed arrows and surround the camp. Setting off, the four groups went to get into position.



Kygan was lazily monitoring the outskirts of the Jekarian camp. He wasn't having much fun. He was tired and the uniform he had was uncomfortable. Waiting for a replacement was all that he was really intent on. Taking a sip of water from his canteen, he paused his walk. The forest was silent, only the sounds of birds chirping from the high boughs of trees broke the peacefulness.

Dropping his water carrier at a noise behind him, he whirled around. Nothing. Dismissing it, Kygan bent to pick up his canteen. But he couldn't shake the eerie feeling that someone was watching him. Fingertips fractions of an inch from closing around the item, he looked up sharply. Again, there had been the sound of a crack. He froze.

Materializing out of the dark murkiness of the surrounding woods, a tall fox approached Kygan, who stood strait, paw inching towards sword hilt.

"Who are you...?"

"Aiden," was all the answer he got. The mysterious figure, Aiden, smiled, then signaled to someone in the bushes. Only the ominous twang and hiss of an arrow told Kygan what snuffed out his life.

Looking at the body laying at his feet, Aiden gave a small smile. Cimar had been right... this was going to be as if taking candied fruit from a babe. Motioning for the others in his ground to get in position, Aiden crouched down into the foliage.

The sound of an owl broke the stillness. Another, followed swiftly by a third hoot. The attack was on.



Talat jerked his head up. "What was that?"

Ashi, who was lounging on the ground nearby, opened his eyes.

"Hm? I don't hear anything."

Nodding uncertainly, the fox went back to trying to light his fire. Ashi had given up a long time ago... the wet wood just wouldn't catch. But Talat wasn't one that would just stop. He would keep trying until either it was lit, or he had run out of flint. Nerves running on end anyway, the fox was edgy and kept looking over his sholder. The Alysians had been quiet too long... something was up. The sound of an owl rang out, startling Talat. He looked up again, paw reassuringly on sword.

"It was nothing, Talat." Ashi was amused by his friend's reaction. He rolled over and got up, standing over the fox and looking down.

"Owls don't hoot during the day." Talat had mumbled, but it was still audible to his friend. Giving a small laugh, Ashi looked around the clearing. A flash of dark brown-red and the glint of steel wiped the smile off his face. Before he could react, Alysian troops charged into the clearing from all sides.



Ashi drew his sword and looked around at the soldiers near him. Most were startled and were just getting out their weapons; those too close to the charge were already dead. He felt rather than saw Talat move beside him, the fox's own sword in hand. Both realized it in an instant... they were surrounded.

Beasts fighting for their lives were all around them. Talat stood uncertainly for a moment, then attacked the nearest Alysian troop. Ashi followed his lead, searching out someone he could kill and be done with it. There. A ferret... helping a tall fox double-team one of Ashi's comrades. Ashi ran over, sword ready.

The ferret saw him coming and turned to face the oncoming threat. Saying something quickly to his partner, the ferret advanced on Ashi. Sword met sword with a clang of metal. The two beasts glared at eachother for the split second their weapons were locked. Both knew this would be hard fought.

For what seemed to Ashi as at least the next fifteen minutes, the two parried, dodged, and weaved, trying to stay alive and kill the other. Parry. Thrust. Dodge. It was almost automatic. Ashi's arm hurt; each contact with the ferrets broadsword sent a paw-numbing shock down Ashi's blade. He had been a fool to try and take on this beast... it would prove the death of him.

There. An opening.

Gritting his teeth, Ashi stabbed forward. Catching the ferrets full in the chest, Ashi knew he was victorious. It suprised him how easy his opponant had been to kill; it had been far less easier than it should have been. Nonetheless, Ashi still hated killing, no matter how easy or hard it was. Wiping his blade on the ferrets uniform, Ashi looked down at its corpse.

The fox Ashi had seen soon realized that the ferret was dead. Noticing Ashi just standing there, he took advantage of the situation and planned the revenge of his friends death. Giving a signal to another soldier near him, the fox advanced.

Ashi felt his arms grabbed and roughly pulled behind him, twisting his sword from his grasp. Startled, he turned his head to see what was going on. Two beasts, a weasle and a wolf were holding him. They steered the struggling wolf through the fighting beasts and to the edge of the battle. Suddenly, once they reached the edge, they stopped. Still trying to break free, Ashi looked up to see the tall Alysian fox that had been fighting by the dead ferret's side.

"Stop struggling. You won't get away," the voice was low, cold with hatred.

Ashi took the advice, knowing the beast spoke the truth. If he waited, maybe there would be a better chance. You never knew.

The fox picked up a pike at his feet. Ashi's eyes widened... perhaps waiting wasn't the best idea. He looked around wildly, searching for an escape. The two beasts, the weasle and wolf, held him in an iron grip that was impossible to break. Soon, he stopped struggling again, turning his attention to the advancing fox.

"The price is death for killing a Alysian captain." Pressing the pike's point to where Ashi's neck met his body, the fox glared at him.

At that, Ashi bit his lip. He knew he would be unable to get away. Tilting his head back to look at the sky, Ashi closed his eyes. Commanding his soul to the good forces, apologizing for any wrongs to any god that would listen, he waited for death to come.

It never did.

The pike point was pushed farther to his chest, ready to make the fatal blow.

"Let him go!" At the same moment the words were shouted, the wolf that was holding Ashi let go. Ashi's eyes snapped open... he knew that voice. The pike-armed fox had turned and was looking for the source of the cry. Ashi looked at the dead wolf, noting the dagger lodged in its chest. From the hilt, Ashi knew he had been right. Talat had thrown it.

In a split second, the red-clothed fox had turned back to Ashi. Using the pike butt as a club, he jabbed Ashi hard in the stomach. The weasle released him, letting him fall to the ground winded. As Ashi gasped for air, the fox dropped the pike and drew his sword. Talat and the fox attacked eachother.

When Ashi could breathe again, he looked up. Talat and the other fox were battling. It seemed as if Talat was losing more and more ground with each stroke, the fox grinning wickedly as he forced Talat up against a tree. Before Ashi could react, he saw Talat's sword go flying and the fox make a downward slash at his friend. Seeing Talat collapse onto the ground, Ashi searched frantically for a weapon.

There. Talat's sword. It would be fitting, killing this fox with his own victims blade.

Reaching for it, Ashi was startled as a footpaw came to rest firmly on the flat of the sword. Slowly looking up, Ashi saw the Alysian weasle that had helped hold him standing over him. The weasle had picked up the fallen pike, and was now brandishing in Ashi's direction. Hatred in his eyes, the weasle lifted the pike high. The last that Ashi saw was the pike butt swinging at his head.



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The tent was green canvas, illuminated by the sunlight filtering through the tree-tops. Folds and seams ran to the same area, a central point on the roof of the rectangular shelter. The tent was about ten to fifteen feet high, high enough that none would have to stoop. The stitching: uneven and wide... done by paw. It's amazing how many details you can pick out of something by just staring at it.

Ashi lay there, aquamarine eyes rivited on the canvas surface above him. He had come to on a cot against the tent's wall, in pain, not knowing what had happened. Slowly, he began to sort through half-formed memories of the battle, seeing what sense he could make of the jumbled mass. And that's how he came to the conclusion that Talat was dead.

The wolf sighed. He knew his friend had died honorably. Saving Ashi and risking his life at the same time. The thing that Ashi didn't want to do, but knew he must, was go and find the body.

"So you're awake." Ashi flicked his eyes to the speaker and back to the roof. Slowly--needlessly--he nodded.

Kyra was Ashi's fellow soldier, only female captain among them. She also served as the army's medical leader. Average in height, she made up for being one of the only girls in her strength and cunning in the ways of war. Dark brown eyes and sholder length head-fur the color of a sunset, she was an odd sight among the soldiers.

"You seem depressed..." Ashi snorted mirthlessly. Why wouldn't he be? Judging by the amount and condition of beasts in the tent, they had lost the battle and made a hasty retreat. He sighed once more and started to sit up. Ignoring Kyra's protests that he needed rest, he stood and pulled on his outer-shirt. The wolf hesitated only a moment; a moment that only strengthened his opinion about what must be done. Without a word, he walked out in search of Luka.



He found the black fox sitting on a rock at the edges of camp. Luka seemed lost in thought, a dismal expression showing what he was most likely thinking about. King Othmann didn't tolerate faliure. Everyone knew that. But... that was his problem. Right about now Ashi only cared about Talat getting a prober burial.

"Sir."

Luka didn't look up. "Ashi. You're alright, I see. Shouldn't have expected any less..." The fox leveled a bleak, overcast gaze on his subordinate. "Why aren't you with Talat? I hardly see you without him."

Ashi swallowed hard. "Talat's... gone, sir." Luka's eyes took on a startled appearance before returning to their previous dull mien. "Permission to go and find his..." Ashi trailed off. It seemed suddenly hard to find a word to use. Corpse seemed so impersonal; like he was another anonymous recruit to add to the body count. The wolf bit his lip. "To find Talat."

Luka raised his eyebrow knowingly. "His body?" The wolf nodded. "This is a war Ashi. Beasts die. ... I keep being told that in the long run, it doesn't add up to much, and that all the deaths serve a greater good." He paused a moment before continuing, studying Ashi's expression. "The more I see, the more that I'm convinced that it's wrong." He looked away. "They may die honorable deaths, deserving recognition, and it may free our country. But they don't disappear; losing a friend is terrible. I know from expirience. I also know that you don't forget how it feels..."

He didn't say any more. Ashi wasn't sure what to think from the lecture he had just recieved. Luka had a way of answering questions, and not answering them at the same time. At the beginning, it had seemed that he was becoming one of *them*; one of those beasts that thought peace could be reached through warfare. Ashi himself wasn't a total pacifist; he knew that war was a way of getting the Alysians off their backs.

But it was an interesting concept, all the same. Fighting to achieve peace. Something akin to saying, 'Stop the violence, or I'll kill you'. Whatever. A few beasts out there likened the war to the mythical pheonix. They thought that they should fight back to the point of taking over Alysia themselves, teach them a lesson. And then, out of the ashes of the ruins, a strong nation would take form. Like a tranquil realm can ever form from two that hate eachother with a vengence.

Pheonixes don't exist.

The wolf shook his head slowly, then turned to walk away.

"Ashi..." Ashi turned to look at the general. Luka smiled sadly at him. "Don't die out there."