4
Gurse, the guard stationed to oversee the captives leaned casually against the cage and seemed to be half asleep. The twilight was all too tempting. A stealthy paw crawled pass the bars of the cage toward a dagger. Instantly the dagger was unsheathed and was brought into the ground. It would have lanced the young hare's paw had it not been retracted.
"Herh! Trying t' scape are ya?" said Gurse, wide-awake as he sheathed the dagger.
One of the older hares awoke. "Nevinal Framptell Peltinop! Are you trying to lose a paw? You know we don't have the supplies to treat it."
"Sorry, mum. He looked asleep t' me. I probably would've gotten him anyway if you didn't wake up.
Tehlan smiled. "I'm not as young as I used to be. I can't sleep the blinkin' day away."
Tehlan, Nevin's mother, was worried. Her spouse hadn't woken for almost two days but he was still breathing.
Cosleck, a captain who, like Cleavo, had his own regiment, claimed the giant leaf-bladed pike as his own.
"If only I had any blade. That knot right there holds this whole side of the cell together. But they tied that thing up tight."
"That's why I was trying to get the dagger!"
A sharp poke in his back interrupted.
"Shaddap!" Gurse said as he put a small tree limb between the bars.
Two acquaintances crowded around a campfire in the gray of morning, attempting to toast bread.
"So where are you headed?" Darab asked.
"I don't know." Rune said despairingly. "I'm guessing I won't be welcome at the fire mountain, eh?"
"Alas, no. But maybe I can help you get in."
"No, you needn't toil to get me in. I'll live a loner an' die one."
Darab stood up. "Hear me now, I've never met a ferret who wasn't trying to rob and kill me. You won't die with out avenging your mother, you won't die without two halves of a medallion and you won't die without a friend at your side." He said ardently. Then, in a more friendly tone he said, "We're in this for the long run. You can come wit me or we can part ways and we'll never succeed." He offered his hand over the fire. Rune shook it.
The subject matter was dropped immediately.
"So, didn't you say we were gonna free some prisoners today."
"Yeah," he replied nonchalantly. "Can you fire an arrow?"
"A what?" Rune added a touch of humor.
"I'll assume no?"
Rune shook his head.
Darab retrieved a bow and a quiver from the wagon.
"Let's go."
Minutes later, they were advancing the familiar terrain. Rune was enlightened with Darab's simple plan: Take out all the guards and cut through the primary ropes binding the cage. Darab left his blades behind as they clattered incessantly so Rune had been given a two daggers and the job of cutting the prisoners free.
"Been a long time since I've done this." He pulled out and arrow and strung it. He pulled back the bowstring a considerable length, took aim and after and interminable moment, fired. The arrow flew off an angle from the string and flew off to the right. It caused quite a ruckus as it landed in the cauldron of stew being served for breakfast for the horde.
Darab turned around. "I think it's time we leeeaaave!!" He began running. Rune followed.
A warm flagon of stew all but carefully was passed between the bars of the cage to Tehlan. Nevin released the beetle he was playing with.
"Come on pa, wakeup. Food."
Mr. Peltinop did not move. He remained slumped over in the corner. Nevin employed the technique his mother had taught him: feeling for a pulse.
"Ma!" he yelled, distressed. "Pa..he..isn't…"
"I know."
The very thought froze in Nevin's throat. He brought his paws up and breathed on them. Suddenly he felt cold. The tears welled up in Nevin's eyes.
Suddenly, he broke loose and muted his sobs into his paws. Tehlan looked to the breeze. It partially dried her tears.
Cleavo tapped his fingers together ponderously thinking about his main priority: his enemy. He was still alive. He who forced his brother into the marsh. His brother! His partner and undeviating companion, gone! Sucked into the mire faster than fish can scatter. With that moment, his dream was torn from him. His dream of ruling a fortress, commanding a horde. He would need to command a horde before he ruled any fortress.
But the only horde around was Vortigern's. It was no use trying to fight them directly. This plan must be passive. He would be demanding. Assassination by poison was ruled out as Vortigern's chalice never left his paw and only his lowest ranking officers refilled it. That way his captains wouldn't become ambitious. He was clever; if he was killed then the horde shall be left in disarray. He purposefully created hostile rivalries. The captains would wage war against each other and some will indefinitely be killed. The rest of the horde would leave and scatter in that precious moment. That's why Vortigern never had a second-in-command. Then his main concern was to eliminate the captains.
Darab was lounging on his back, his arms tucked beneath his head.
"Where do we go from here? We can't free the prisoners the way I shoot. Are you sure you can't fire an arrow?"
"I could try, I guess," Rune said shrugging his shoulders.
"Here then." Darab tossed him the bow and the quiver. "Be careful with those they're my last ones."
Rune strung the bowstring though the narrow groove on the end of the arrow.
"Like this, right?"
Darab nodded. "Aim for that bush there."
Rune trained the arrow tip on the bush and fired. The arrow flew through the bush with a rustle. Darab sat up blinking in incredulity. He pointed at another bush.
"Try that one."
Rune fired again. The arrow zipped though the bush in the same matter as the previous shaft. A loud yelp was heard. Darab quickly stood and inspected the vicinity.
"What was that?"
"I don't know. Now let's free some prisoners."
Gurse, the guard stationed to oversee the captives leaned casually against the cage and seemed to be half asleep. The twilight was all too tempting. A stealthy paw crawled pass the bars of the cage toward a dagger. Instantly the dagger was unsheathed and was brought into the ground. It would have lanced the young hare's paw had it not been retracted.
"Herh! Trying t' scape are ya?" said Gurse, wide-awake as he sheathed the dagger.
One of the older hares awoke. "Nevinal Framptell Peltinop! Are you trying to lose a paw? You know we don't have the supplies to treat it."
"Sorry, mum. He looked asleep t' me. I probably would've gotten him anyway if you didn't wake up.
Tehlan smiled. "I'm not as young as I used to be. I can't sleep the blinkin' day away."
Tehlan, Nevin's mother, was worried. Her spouse hadn't woken for almost two days but he was still breathing.
Cosleck, a captain who, like Cleavo, had his own regiment, claimed the giant leaf-bladed pike as his own.
"If only I had any blade. That knot right there holds this whole side of the cell together. But they tied that thing up tight."
"That's why I was trying to get the dagger!"
A sharp poke in his back interrupted.
"Shaddap!" Gurse said as he put a small tree limb between the bars.
Two acquaintances crowded around a campfire in the gray of morning, attempting to toast bread.
"So where are you headed?" Darab asked.
"I don't know." Rune said despairingly. "I'm guessing I won't be welcome at the fire mountain, eh?"
"Alas, no. But maybe I can help you get in."
"No, you needn't toil to get me in. I'll live a loner an' die one."
Darab stood up. "Hear me now, I've never met a ferret who wasn't trying to rob and kill me. You won't die with out avenging your mother, you won't die without two halves of a medallion and you won't die without a friend at your side." He said ardently. Then, in a more friendly tone he said, "We're in this for the long run. You can come wit me or we can part ways and we'll never succeed." He offered his hand over the fire. Rune shook it.
The subject matter was dropped immediately.
"So, didn't you say we were gonna free some prisoners today."
"Yeah," he replied nonchalantly. "Can you fire an arrow?"
"A what?" Rune added a touch of humor.
"I'll assume no?"
Rune shook his head.
Darab retrieved a bow and a quiver from the wagon.
"Let's go."
Minutes later, they were advancing the familiar terrain. Rune was enlightened with Darab's simple plan: Take out all the guards and cut through the primary ropes binding the cage. Darab left his blades behind as they clattered incessantly so Rune had been given a two daggers and the job of cutting the prisoners free.
"Been a long time since I've done this." He pulled out and arrow and strung it. He pulled back the bowstring a considerable length, took aim and after and interminable moment, fired. The arrow flew off an angle from the string and flew off to the right. It caused quite a ruckus as it landed in the cauldron of stew being served for breakfast for the horde.
Darab turned around. "I think it's time we leeeaaave!!" He began running. Rune followed.
A warm flagon of stew all but carefully was passed between the bars of the cage to Tehlan. Nevin released the beetle he was playing with.
"Come on pa, wakeup. Food."
Mr. Peltinop did not move. He remained slumped over in the corner. Nevin employed the technique his mother had taught him: feeling for a pulse.
"Ma!" he yelled, distressed. "Pa..he..isn't…"
"I know."
The very thought froze in Nevin's throat. He brought his paws up and breathed on them. Suddenly he felt cold. The tears welled up in Nevin's eyes.
Suddenly, he broke loose and muted his sobs into his paws. Tehlan looked to the breeze. It partially dried her tears.
Cleavo tapped his fingers together ponderously thinking about his main priority: his enemy. He was still alive. He who forced his brother into the marsh. His brother! His partner and undeviating companion, gone! Sucked into the mire faster than fish can scatter. With that moment, his dream was torn from him. His dream of ruling a fortress, commanding a horde. He would need to command a horde before he ruled any fortress.
But the only horde around was Vortigern's. It was no use trying to fight them directly. This plan must be passive. He would be demanding. Assassination by poison was ruled out as Vortigern's chalice never left his paw and only his lowest ranking officers refilled it. That way his captains wouldn't become ambitious. He was clever; if he was killed then the horde shall be left in disarray. He purposefully created hostile rivalries. The captains would wage war against each other and some will indefinitely be killed. The rest of the horde would leave and scatter in that precious moment. That's why Vortigern never had a second-in-command. Then his main concern was to eliminate the captains.
Darab was lounging on his back, his arms tucked beneath his head.
"Where do we go from here? We can't free the prisoners the way I shoot. Are you sure you can't fire an arrow?"
"I could try, I guess," Rune said shrugging his shoulders.
"Here then." Darab tossed him the bow and the quiver. "Be careful with those they're my last ones."
Rune strung the bowstring though the narrow groove on the end of the arrow.
"Like this, right?"
Darab nodded. "Aim for that bush there."
Rune trained the arrow tip on the bush and fired. The arrow flew through the bush with a rustle. Darab sat up blinking in incredulity. He pointed at another bush.
"Try that one."
Rune fired again. The arrow zipped though the bush in the same matter as the previous shaft. A loud yelp was heard. Darab quickly stood and inspected the vicinity.
"What was that?"
"I don't know. Now let's free some prisoners."