5
It was Cosleck's turn to stand guard with the prisoners. He was accompanied by two other weasels, which leaned sleepily on their spear butts. In the dead dry night a figure skulked, waiting.
Cosleck twirled the enormous battle pike as best he could, slashing unseen foes.
At each end of it were blades wider than a beast's head sporting three long prongs. The lethal weapon was a dull gray with no sheen so it appeared invisible to the ebony forest. The discernible sound of a blade being scraping past bone pulled him from his fantasies. One of his company had just fallen to the ground clutching his abdomen. The remaining weasel stared at the darkness agonized that he was next. He wasn't wrong to worry for in a second he curved his back and fell on his side.
Cosleck slowed his breathing and tried to pinpoint the silent assassin but it or they, had seemed to disappear.
"Now you're sure you can hit a moving target?"
Darab was looking over his shoulder at Rune who was trailing behind with the bow. Now the badger had been given the job of freeing the prisoners.
Rune felt strangely empowered. "How could hitting a rat be different than hitting a tree? They're not much smarter. Heheheh."
Darab chuckled. Rune had just insulted his own kind. Though he understood this, chains inside him restrained his thoughts.
They came upon the familiar site. Excluding the large wooden cell, the limited but unbroken land was deserted.
" Hey! What's that over there?"
Rune fixed an arrow to the bow lest the object was hostile. Darab stealthily sidestepped over and scrutinized the dark shape.
" He's dead. Stab wound. While ago, too. Is that another one, over there? "
Rune still had the arrow readied on the bowstring. His fingers were beginning to perspire from the tension.
Flit!
The arrow flew into the darkness with a fleshy whoosh. The wind parted some willow branches revealing that the arrow's destination was the other spear weasel.
" Whoops, sorry. At least we know he's dead."
Darab drew a small dagger from his belt. " Let's free those prisoners," he said dutifully. A thin hare's face was pressed against the bars.
"If you would be so kind, could you cut through that knot there? It's a load bearer. Whose your accomplice, sir?"
Darab began chopping the ropes. "He helps me, I help him."
"Helping what?"
Nevin fought his way through the limiting cage to view the scene. "Egad! A badger lord!"
"Not just yet actually. Whose that?" he said indicating.
A shape silhouetted the moon with a blade held high.
Tehlan shouted. "Watch out!"
Cosleck jumped form his hideaway and swung the pike blade downward. The blade ignited a spark against the dagger, which was still lodged in the twisted fibers of the rope, but otherwise it cut neatly through the rope knot and wedged into the wood. Tehlan grabbed the swinging face of the cage as best she could while being limited by manacles and blocked Cosleck's second blow with it. She grabbed the dagger from the knot and tossed it to Nevin.
"Cut the other hinge, son."
Cosleck thrust through the bars only to find the prongs buried in the wood bars. Tehlan, using this to her advantage, shoved the wall as far forward as it would reach. Luckily at this point Nevin was ready to sever the last fiber of rope. Tehlan surged forward and managed to leave Cosleck's arm slashed to the bone with the opposite blade. He levered the pike and kicked the bottommost edge of the cage wall striking Tehlan in the stomach.
Darab rushed to assist the old hare but stopped at the noise of reinforcements.
"Fall back!"
Rune sent an arrow flying to take a ferret through the leg and began for the camp.
"No! They'll follow. Go that way." Darab commanded, pointing in the opposite direction. "Hey, where are those hares?"
The hares had gone. Deep within the foliage, the pike blade, chewing away at bars slipped between them. Opportunely for Tehlan, Cosleck was stepping on her footpaw with a heavy boot as he thrust. She fell back with a deep cut in her shoulder as Cosleck threw the bars over his shoulder ready to finish her. At this moment, Nevin rushed to the scene and grabbed its handle with both paws.
It was a power struggle between them. Cosleck tried to crush Nevin's paw with his thick leather boot but the hare was in a mad dance. They pulled this way and that until a blade buried itself in a rotting rowan. The metal stuck in the soft wood a refused to move. Cosleck succeeded in crushing Nevin's footpaw. He reared to headbutt Nevin but just as suddenly the rowan released the pike that Nevin had been pulling on for so long. It buried its outward facing blade in the ground and swung with both beasts holding the handle. Had he not been holding it, Corleck probably would have lost his head but he didn't. Instead the blade lodged halfway in. As the blood began seeping down Cosleck's front, Nevin unbound and helped his mother up.
Darab and Rune were waiting for them. The 'reinforcements' were actually the next shift's guards and their number was easily trounced.
"Okay let's g-"
"Dose prisoners are escapin'!"
Darab and Rune looked at each other.
"Rune, cover them as they head back to camp." Darab pointed. "I'll try to lead them away. Run!"
The party scurried into the wood.
It was Cosleck's turn to stand guard with the prisoners. He was accompanied by two other weasels, which leaned sleepily on their spear butts. In the dead dry night a figure skulked, waiting.
Cosleck twirled the enormous battle pike as best he could, slashing unseen foes.
At each end of it were blades wider than a beast's head sporting three long prongs. The lethal weapon was a dull gray with no sheen so it appeared invisible to the ebony forest. The discernible sound of a blade being scraping past bone pulled him from his fantasies. One of his company had just fallen to the ground clutching his abdomen. The remaining weasel stared at the darkness agonized that he was next. He wasn't wrong to worry for in a second he curved his back and fell on his side.
Cosleck slowed his breathing and tried to pinpoint the silent assassin but it or they, had seemed to disappear.
"Now you're sure you can hit a moving target?"
Darab was looking over his shoulder at Rune who was trailing behind with the bow. Now the badger had been given the job of freeing the prisoners.
Rune felt strangely empowered. "How could hitting a rat be different than hitting a tree? They're not much smarter. Heheheh."
Darab chuckled. Rune had just insulted his own kind. Though he understood this, chains inside him restrained his thoughts.
They came upon the familiar site. Excluding the large wooden cell, the limited but unbroken land was deserted.
" Hey! What's that over there?"
Rune fixed an arrow to the bow lest the object was hostile. Darab stealthily sidestepped over and scrutinized the dark shape.
" He's dead. Stab wound. While ago, too. Is that another one, over there? "
Rune still had the arrow readied on the bowstring. His fingers were beginning to perspire from the tension.
Flit!
The arrow flew into the darkness with a fleshy whoosh. The wind parted some willow branches revealing that the arrow's destination was the other spear weasel.
" Whoops, sorry. At least we know he's dead."
Darab drew a small dagger from his belt. " Let's free those prisoners," he said dutifully. A thin hare's face was pressed against the bars.
"If you would be so kind, could you cut through that knot there? It's a load bearer. Whose your accomplice, sir?"
Darab began chopping the ropes. "He helps me, I help him."
"Helping what?"
Nevin fought his way through the limiting cage to view the scene. "Egad! A badger lord!"
"Not just yet actually. Whose that?" he said indicating.
A shape silhouetted the moon with a blade held high.
Tehlan shouted. "Watch out!"
Cosleck jumped form his hideaway and swung the pike blade downward. The blade ignited a spark against the dagger, which was still lodged in the twisted fibers of the rope, but otherwise it cut neatly through the rope knot and wedged into the wood. Tehlan grabbed the swinging face of the cage as best she could while being limited by manacles and blocked Cosleck's second blow with it. She grabbed the dagger from the knot and tossed it to Nevin.
"Cut the other hinge, son."
Cosleck thrust through the bars only to find the prongs buried in the wood bars. Tehlan, using this to her advantage, shoved the wall as far forward as it would reach. Luckily at this point Nevin was ready to sever the last fiber of rope. Tehlan surged forward and managed to leave Cosleck's arm slashed to the bone with the opposite blade. He levered the pike and kicked the bottommost edge of the cage wall striking Tehlan in the stomach.
Darab rushed to assist the old hare but stopped at the noise of reinforcements.
"Fall back!"
Rune sent an arrow flying to take a ferret through the leg and began for the camp.
"No! They'll follow. Go that way." Darab commanded, pointing in the opposite direction. "Hey, where are those hares?"
The hares had gone. Deep within the foliage, the pike blade, chewing away at bars slipped between them. Opportunely for Tehlan, Cosleck was stepping on her footpaw with a heavy boot as he thrust. She fell back with a deep cut in her shoulder as Cosleck threw the bars over his shoulder ready to finish her. At this moment, Nevin rushed to the scene and grabbed its handle with both paws.
It was a power struggle between them. Cosleck tried to crush Nevin's paw with his thick leather boot but the hare was in a mad dance. They pulled this way and that until a blade buried itself in a rotting rowan. The metal stuck in the soft wood a refused to move. Cosleck succeeded in crushing Nevin's footpaw. He reared to headbutt Nevin but just as suddenly the rowan released the pike that Nevin had been pulling on for so long. It buried its outward facing blade in the ground and swung with both beasts holding the handle. Had he not been holding it, Corleck probably would have lost his head but he didn't. Instead the blade lodged halfway in. As the blood began seeping down Cosleck's front, Nevin unbound and helped his mother up.
Darab and Rune were waiting for them. The 'reinforcements' were actually the next shift's guards and their number was easily trounced.
"Okay let's g-"
"Dose prisoners are escapin'!"
Darab and Rune looked at each other.
"Rune, cover them as they head back to camp." Darab pointed. "I'll try to lead them away. Run!"
The party scurried into the wood.