Chapter Two.
It had been several weeks since Destruction's first meeting with Sheede Silvercat and none of his anger had cooled. Alas, the wolf's temper was nothing in the face of Sheede's tactical expertise. Every known exit from the mountain was blocked by countless unseen archers. In retrospect Destruction realized that he should've investigated his enemy before making any moves against her; but that sort thinking was most often done by his commander Death. Destruction was far more suited to carrying out orders though he never would've admitted that even to himself. Now he'd gotten himself and his army stuck between a rock and a hard place. The worst bit of it was having to watch the slave hares practically dance about their work; how they reveled in the suffering of their oppressors.
So the wolf hunkered down in his throne room in a desperate attempt to transform himself to a fox and think of a plan. Finally after several hours of trying to get his brain to think in ways it wasn't used to, he smirked at his own cleverness as he called Frag to him.
The plump rat crept in trying to merge with the shadows on the floor,
"Aye my Lord?" he asked carefully. Destruction patted him on the shoulder on cooed gently to him,
"Good, loyal, brave Frag. Fear not, this plan does not involve you beyond bringing me one of the hares. Now go." Frag trotted out with a sigh of relief.
Moments later he returned with a young scrawny hare who regarded Destruction with disdain. The wolf smiled disarmingly and walked over to the hare saying,
"Welcome! I suppose you're just about as hungry as we are, yes?" the hare's gaze was reaching far beyond the wolf's throne room to a far better place and that was beginning to try Destruction's patience. He snarled silently and tried again. "Now, my little lad what's your name?" To his surprise the hare snapped to attention and barked out,
"Corporal Phillet Longears Stridefellow the Third!" Thinking that he'd won a victory the wolf smiled wickedly before continuing.
"Well, Corporal, I have a job for you, " the young hare promptly interrupted him,
"I'd never even give you a swift kick in the ponch if that's what you're going to ask, wot wot!" Beyond that outcry the hare hadn't moved a muscle or looked at the fuming wolf. The enraged wolf whispered harshly into Phillet's ear,
"You will do this for me or I will kill every single hare in this place to feed my crew!" The hare could only set his jaw and consent to do the wicked wolf's bidding. As the cruel wolf outlined his plan for bloody slaughter and the consequences that Phillet and the hares would face if the young hare betrayed Destruction, Frag cowered in a dark corner shivering as he thought about how the Silvercat would respond.
It had been several weeks since Destruction's first meeting with Sheede Silvercat and none of his anger had cooled. Alas, the wolf's temper was nothing in the face of Sheede's tactical expertise. Every known exit from the mountain was blocked by countless unseen archers. In retrospect Destruction realized that he should've investigated his enemy before making any moves against her; but that sort thinking was most often done by his commander Death. Destruction was far more suited to carrying out orders though he never would've admitted that even to himself. Now he'd gotten himself and his army stuck between a rock and a hard place. The worst bit of it was having to watch the slave hares practically dance about their work; how they reveled in the suffering of their oppressors.
So the wolf hunkered down in his throne room in a desperate attempt to transform himself to a fox and think of a plan. Finally after several hours of trying to get his brain to think in ways it wasn't used to, he smirked at his own cleverness as he called Frag to him.
The plump rat crept in trying to merge with the shadows on the floor,
"Aye my Lord?" he asked carefully. Destruction patted him on the shoulder on cooed gently to him,
"Good, loyal, brave Frag. Fear not, this plan does not involve you beyond bringing me one of the hares. Now go." Frag trotted out with a sigh of relief.
Moments later he returned with a young scrawny hare who regarded Destruction with disdain. The wolf smiled disarmingly and walked over to the hare saying,
"Welcome! I suppose you're just about as hungry as we are, yes?" the hare's gaze was reaching far beyond the wolf's throne room to a far better place and that was beginning to try Destruction's patience. He snarled silently and tried again. "Now, my little lad what's your name?" To his surprise the hare snapped to attention and barked out,
"Corporal Phillet Longears Stridefellow the Third!" Thinking that he'd won a victory the wolf smiled wickedly before continuing.
"Well, Corporal, I have a job for you, " the young hare promptly interrupted him,
"I'd never even give you a swift kick in the ponch if that's what you're going to ask, wot wot!" Beyond that outcry the hare hadn't moved a muscle or looked at the fuming wolf. The enraged wolf whispered harshly into Phillet's ear,
"You will do this for me or I will kill every single hare in this place to feed my crew!" The hare could only set his jaw and consent to do the wicked wolf's bidding. As the cruel wolf outlined his plan for bloody slaughter and the consequences that Phillet and the hares would face if the young hare betrayed Destruction, Frag cowered in a dark corner shivering as he thought about how the Silvercat would respond.