3
Raflag was Cleavo's most trusted comrade. He was the only current member of Cleavo's dissident operation. He, like Cleavo, wore steel to his teeth. He had a pair of many-layered gauntlets that made its way up to his elbow; no knife could penetrate it. On his head, he wore a hand fashioned helmet, which protected the back, and sides of his neck and which fastened just below his chin. Because armor limited movement, he preferred mail, which covered him from shoulders down and was insulated by canvas. On his lizard- hide belt, a small ax, and two identical daggers and in his paw he held a pole with a large curving barbed hook on the end.
On the tip of his canine was a metal cap melded with the enamel.
"Sir, 'ave the rips in yer mail been repaired 'ffectively?"
Raflag's pride and joy was his skill with making mail or mesh of metal.
"If they weren't, you'd have known it a long time ago!" Cleavo snapped.
"'Es, sir," Raflag said clutching his neck nervously.
"Well then, Raflag, gather a party, while you were gone I fell upon some prey."
Moments later, they came hobbling back with three hares. Two, rather old and one adolescent. Most of the party were hobbling because the young 'un was swinging his mother's double bladed pike. They had quickly disarmed the amateur warrior and manacled him.
"Good, good, we'll keep them as hostages," Vortigern responded.
"What for?" Cleavo had his own agenda.
"Haven't you heard? We're going to conquer the abbey. It's two seasons north but it is in a prime location."
"Yes, sir," Cleavo gritted through his teeth. "Shall I confine the prisoners?"
"See that you do. Moreover, pack up. We're leaving now."
"How can I help you?"
"You can help me by not talking."
Rune acknowledged this by nodding. They were stealing up on the enemy encampment. The badger, who introduced himself as Darab, had brought his weapon: two, thick, curving blades. However, they did not have the standard sword hilt. Instead, both ends of the blade connected to the ends of an 'L shaped' piece of wood.
Rune peered through the undergrowth. It was obvious that most of the rats hadn't seen battle in many a season. There were scuffles and games of chance. Some were on their backs dozing. Then Rune looked where most of the activity was taking place. Several rats were taking rope and timber and fashioning a cell. Off to the side were three hares, bound, guarded and gagged and being manacled.
"Okay, which one has the other half of the crest?" Darab asked.
"The big one, standing off to the side."
"He looks almost as large as me!"
"I know. I think I should warn you, he's a captain, he has the option of sending a platoon at us."
"O, I'd like to free those prisoners." Rune said desirably.
"You will, after they lax their guards."
"When will?"
"Tomorrow. I think I know a way to get those chains off. Ba-Shhh."
Rune could barely hear the ramblings. He was several dozen paces into the woods before he saw them: three scouts. "Come on let's go t' the boss. Think he'll give us a nightmare 'cuz we couldn't find erselves anyding?"
"He'll give ya yer wurst dreams. Hey, di' yew hear that?"
Darab singled Rune to follow. He moved into a site to the left of the scouts. Then he pointed at the rats. He jumped from the leaves and knocked one rat silly with the handle of his blade. Rune, unknown to battle, went at a rat with a spear crazily swinging his staff like a bat.
As the rat fell, stiff as a board, Rune spied a stoat running back the way that he had come. He threw his staff like a spear. It turned in mid-air and landed sideways less than halfway to the rat. Darab came up behind him and threw a large stone. The stoat fell instantly.
"Let's go break camp and leave. There's no need for killing here."
Rune obeyed. Soon, he was concealing remnants of a campfire as the badger prepared the cart.
"There!" he said patting down the wet sand and soil. "Who will we move the cart?"
The badger stretched his arms. "I will. Will you walk?"
Rune didn't know how to answer. "I guess I will."
The badger lifted the cart off its brake with obvious ease and began walking. A cloud born above began to scatter its drizzles upon the woodland.
After mid-morning, Rune's stomach churned and he realized he had not eaten breakfast.
"I see you're hungry. I have some rations in the cart."
Rune had to find several handholds before he could enter the cart. The internal of the cart seemed cavernous. In the corner, four huge barrels. A length of cabinets and cupboards dominated one side of the wagon. The badger walked to a cupboard and withdrew a single loaf of bread, which appeared to be able to last one more day before it ruined. Rune leaned his staff against a cabinet.
"I'll have to bake more tonight when the rain stops," he said as he broke the bread. He then picked up a corked flagon of squeezed fruit and tossed it to Rune who accepted it heartily.
Midway through the afternoon the rain turned to mist and disappeared.
Darab retrieved some of the dry firewood he had kept under the shelter of the cart and set up a campfire.
"Light a fire, would you? The flint is in that cabinet and there should be a blade on the one next to it."
Rune found flint in the cabinet was plentiful. He opened the next cabinet and was astonished by the array of blades there; there were daggers, rapiers, and swords. He took one of the older looking daggers and put it to flint on the firewood. Rune hadn't seen much fire starting in his lifetime and had to try several times before a flame began and he stepped back.
Darab took three metal posts and embedded them in the ground around the wood. He ventured inside the wagon, took out a large flat metal sheet, and placed it securely on the posts to heat. Then he took a bowl and the last of flour and sugar and began mixing a batter with a wooden spoon
"That bread'll be done a few hours," said the badger after he poured the batter on the sheet. He began to hone his blades. He gave an annoyed sigh, walked to the end of the wagon and opened a trapdoor. Holding his blades close he plunged into the square void.
Clang! Clang! Clangg-ggg-gggg!
The last note caused Rune to jump. He lied down in front of the hole and peeked through ready to face whatever was emitting the pounding notes. There in the shallow chamber Darab, ducking his head, welded a giant hammer and was suppressing a chip in his blade on a miniature anvil. He flinched at the sight of Rune and his paw strayed toward his blade all in a split second.
"Sorry. Habit. It's what you get from being a loner."
"I know the feeling."
The chamber was extremely compressed and it was obvious that it had been hastily affixed to the cart. In the corner, a full crate of coal and several bellows rested unused.
"So this is how you're gonna free the prisoners."
"Yep."
Raflag was Cleavo's most trusted comrade. He was the only current member of Cleavo's dissident operation. He, like Cleavo, wore steel to his teeth. He had a pair of many-layered gauntlets that made its way up to his elbow; no knife could penetrate it. On his head, he wore a hand fashioned helmet, which protected the back, and sides of his neck and which fastened just below his chin. Because armor limited movement, he preferred mail, which covered him from shoulders down and was insulated by canvas. On his lizard- hide belt, a small ax, and two identical daggers and in his paw he held a pole with a large curving barbed hook on the end.
On the tip of his canine was a metal cap melded with the enamel.
"Sir, 'ave the rips in yer mail been repaired 'ffectively?"
Raflag's pride and joy was his skill with making mail or mesh of metal.
"If they weren't, you'd have known it a long time ago!" Cleavo snapped.
"'Es, sir," Raflag said clutching his neck nervously.
"Well then, Raflag, gather a party, while you were gone I fell upon some prey."
Moments later, they came hobbling back with three hares. Two, rather old and one adolescent. Most of the party were hobbling because the young 'un was swinging his mother's double bladed pike. They had quickly disarmed the amateur warrior and manacled him.
"Good, good, we'll keep them as hostages," Vortigern responded.
"What for?" Cleavo had his own agenda.
"Haven't you heard? We're going to conquer the abbey. It's two seasons north but it is in a prime location."
"Yes, sir," Cleavo gritted through his teeth. "Shall I confine the prisoners?"
"See that you do. Moreover, pack up. We're leaving now."
"How can I help you?"
"You can help me by not talking."
Rune acknowledged this by nodding. They were stealing up on the enemy encampment. The badger, who introduced himself as Darab, had brought his weapon: two, thick, curving blades. However, they did not have the standard sword hilt. Instead, both ends of the blade connected to the ends of an 'L shaped' piece of wood.
Rune peered through the undergrowth. It was obvious that most of the rats hadn't seen battle in many a season. There were scuffles and games of chance. Some were on their backs dozing. Then Rune looked where most of the activity was taking place. Several rats were taking rope and timber and fashioning a cell. Off to the side were three hares, bound, guarded and gagged and being manacled.
"Okay, which one has the other half of the crest?" Darab asked.
"The big one, standing off to the side."
"He looks almost as large as me!"
"I know. I think I should warn you, he's a captain, he has the option of sending a platoon at us."
"O, I'd like to free those prisoners." Rune said desirably.
"You will, after they lax their guards."
"When will?"
"Tomorrow. I think I know a way to get those chains off. Ba-Shhh."
Rune could barely hear the ramblings. He was several dozen paces into the woods before he saw them: three scouts. "Come on let's go t' the boss. Think he'll give us a nightmare 'cuz we couldn't find erselves anyding?"
"He'll give ya yer wurst dreams. Hey, di' yew hear that?"
Darab singled Rune to follow. He moved into a site to the left of the scouts. Then he pointed at the rats. He jumped from the leaves and knocked one rat silly with the handle of his blade. Rune, unknown to battle, went at a rat with a spear crazily swinging his staff like a bat.
As the rat fell, stiff as a board, Rune spied a stoat running back the way that he had come. He threw his staff like a spear. It turned in mid-air and landed sideways less than halfway to the rat. Darab came up behind him and threw a large stone. The stoat fell instantly.
"Let's go break camp and leave. There's no need for killing here."
Rune obeyed. Soon, he was concealing remnants of a campfire as the badger prepared the cart.
"There!" he said patting down the wet sand and soil. "Who will we move the cart?"
The badger stretched his arms. "I will. Will you walk?"
Rune didn't know how to answer. "I guess I will."
The badger lifted the cart off its brake with obvious ease and began walking. A cloud born above began to scatter its drizzles upon the woodland.
After mid-morning, Rune's stomach churned and he realized he had not eaten breakfast.
"I see you're hungry. I have some rations in the cart."
Rune had to find several handholds before he could enter the cart. The internal of the cart seemed cavernous. In the corner, four huge barrels. A length of cabinets and cupboards dominated one side of the wagon. The badger walked to a cupboard and withdrew a single loaf of bread, which appeared to be able to last one more day before it ruined. Rune leaned his staff against a cabinet.
"I'll have to bake more tonight when the rain stops," he said as he broke the bread. He then picked up a corked flagon of squeezed fruit and tossed it to Rune who accepted it heartily.
Midway through the afternoon the rain turned to mist and disappeared.
Darab retrieved some of the dry firewood he had kept under the shelter of the cart and set up a campfire.
"Light a fire, would you? The flint is in that cabinet and there should be a blade on the one next to it."
Rune found flint in the cabinet was plentiful. He opened the next cabinet and was astonished by the array of blades there; there were daggers, rapiers, and swords. He took one of the older looking daggers and put it to flint on the firewood. Rune hadn't seen much fire starting in his lifetime and had to try several times before a flame began and he stepped back.
Darab took three metal posts and embedded them in the ground around the wood. He ventured inside the wagon, took out a large flat metal sheet, and placed it securely on the posts to heat. Then he took a bowl and the last of flour and sugar and began mixing a batter with a wooden spoon
"That bread'll be done a few hours," said the badger after he poured the batter on the sheet. He began to hone his blades. He gave an annoyed sigh, walked to the end of the wagon and opened a trapdoor. Holding his blades close he plunged into the square void.
Clang! Clang! Clangg-ggg-gggg!
The last note caused Rune to jump. He lied down in front of the hole and peeked through ready to face whatever was emitting the pounding notes. There in the shallow chamber Darab, ducking his head, welded a giant hammer and was suppressing a chip in his blade on a miniature anvil. He flinched at the sight of Rune and his paw strayed toward his blade all in a split second.
"Sorry. Habit. It's what you get from being a loner."
"I know the feeling."
The chamber was extremely compressed and it was obvious that it had been hastily affixed to the cart. In the corner, a full crate of coal and several bellows rested unused.
"So this is how you're gonna free the prisoners."
"Yep."