Disclaimer: It's still not mine; well, except for what is of course…
A/N: Sorry I'm late but I ran into a washing machine on a sled; long story, no point.
Chapter Three.
The next morning Phillet strode out of the prison that had once been his beloved home with a heavy heart. He had been given the opportunity to save his comrades, the wolf was far too confident in how intimidating he was. But the young hare worried about the honor of the wildcat he went to face; what if they traded a lesser evil for a greater evil?
But still as Phillet walked calmly across the warm dunes his heart beat eagerly as he heard the ancient doors grind shut. He took a deep breath and continued out in to the golden dunes and right in to the waiting hands of a hidden archer. The big weasel held a paw over Phillet's mouth and gave him a big grin. After a moment the weasel removed his paw and sat down next to the nervous hare,
"Well, I didn't think I'd be seeing one of you boyos out here. What's going on?" Phillet quickly answered in the only possible way he had.
"I've been sent to meet with the Silvercat." The weasel nodded,
"Aye, I thought as much. We'll head out as soon as my replacement arrives. so, what's your name young warrior?" Phillet felt his ears redden at the weasel's compliment,
"Corporal Phillet Longears Stridefellow the Third." He answered proudly. His companion chuckled and shook his head.
"Trust a hare to have a name for every season. Well, it's not really impressive but my name is Grange. Pleasure to meet you Phillet." He replied offering Phillet his paw; Phillet took it happily but felt a twinge of guilt deep in his mind.
"Grange, you must forgive me; ever since I was but a leveret I've been took that weasels were nothing but dirty vermin who wouldn't trust their own mother. But I can see that it's not true." Grange smiled knowingly,
"Well, it is true for some I'll grant ye; but to have the courage to admit your prejudice is truly a redeeming quality. For example, ever since I was a pup I were taught that hares were naught but puffed up rabbits who cared more about their stomachs and their breeding to see beyond their own noses. But you my young one have helped to restore my faith in the plain goodness in others. You and the Silvercat, of course." Phillet felt his jaw slacken at Grange's last comment; suddenly his heart was again pounding at the magnitude of the opportunity he'd been given. But only if this Silvercat was as noble as Grange made her seem; young as he was Phillet still had enough experience to not just trust someone blindly.
Only a moment later a lithe ottermaid came trotting up the sand toward them. She gave Grange a wide-eyed look when she saw Phillet and muttered,
"Phew, where'd ya pick him up Grange? 'S he dangerous?" Grange patted her shoulder reassuringly and replied,
"Peace Kryl, he's been sent to meet with the captain. And we're leaving now that you're here." Kryl couldn't help but give the hare a suspicious glance as he and Grange started off for the Silvercat's camp.
Once they were out of Kryl's hearong the weasel turned to Phillet,
"Don't be offended Phillet. Kryl's been through terrible things; she was a slave before the Captain saved her. I as too, I suppose we all were. It's still hard to trust outsiders." Phillet could only nod numbly; more and more this Silvercat was sounding like the hero he and his comrades had been waiting for.
After walking a few leagues they crested a final large dune and Phillet's jaw fell to his chest. Stretched out before him was a great circle of tents and canopies. There were hundreds of creatures moving about at their assigned tasks; and to Phillt's amazment he saw squirrels, stoats, mice, ferrets, otters, rats, shrews, weasels, even a few moles and foxes. The cooperation dumbfounded him; this went against everything that he had been taught for his entire life! As Grange led him through the crew he couldn't help but stare around in amazement at those around him. Of course all he received in return were a few calculating glares; but if what Grange had told him was true they were perfectly entitled to be cynical in his opinion. Finally, they came to an ordinary tent on the outside of the encampment. Phillet was confused,
"Is this it?" Grange nodded, "But I thought it would be in the center?" Phillet asked.
"Ah no, that's where the medic tents are so they're closest to everything at once. Plus the Captain likes to be near the sea." Grange explained, "So, young warrior, go on in." The weasel held open the tent flap and motioned Phillet in.
Phillet found the in side of the tent to be deceptively sparse. There was a table to one side that was covered in countless hand drawn maps and charts of Salamandastron. Some of them even pointed out exits that Phillet hadn't even known about! Whoever this Silvercat turned out to be she certainly was no fool like Destruction, he realized suddenly.
There was a small noise behind him and he turned quickly to see none other than the Silvercat herself with her arms crossed over chest and a small smile over her lips. Phillet started to tremble at the sheer power coming of her; she saw his fear and held up her paws in a calming manner saying,
"Be at peace young one; you needn't fear me if you're here to tell me what I think you are." She stepped over to another table that was in the shadows and returned with a tray of food and sat down on one of the cushions that littered the tent.
"Sit and eat you must be starving." Phillet's hunger overcame his fear and he sat across from the cat and began to eat happily. Sheede regarded the thin hare before her; it pulled at her heart to be partly responsible for that.
"Young one I must confess that it grieves me to think that my siege has added to your suffering." The hare snorted,
"Marm you've done nothing of the sort; we were starving well before you came and gave us great hope see those pieces of scum suffer some too! I'm Corporal Phillet Longears Stridefellow the Third; pleased to meet you." He finished holding out his paw; Sheede took it gratefully,
"I am Sheed Silvercat and the pleasure is mine. And once my first mate arrives you can begin to tell us your story."
Yes, it is an evil ending; but you should review and my hands have gone completely numb.
A/N: Sorry I'm late but I ran into a washing machine on a sled; long story, no point.
Chapter Three.
The next morning Phillet strode out of the prison that had once been his beloved home with a heavy heart. He had been given the opportunity to save his comrades, the wolf was far too confident in how intimidating he was. But the young hare worried about the honor of the wildcat he went to face; what if they traded a lesser evil for a greater evil?
But still as Phillet walked calmly across the warm dunes his heart beat eagerly as he heard the ancient doors grind shut. He took a deep breath and continued out in to the golden dunes and right in to the waiting hands of a hidden archer. The big weasel held a paw over Phillet's mouth and gave him a big grin. After a moment the weasel removed his paw and sat down next to the nervous hare,
"Well, I didn't think I'd be seeing one of you boyos out here. What's going on?" Phillet quickly answered in the only possible way he had.
"I've been sent to meet with the Silvercat." The weasel nodded,
"Aye, I thought as much. We'll head out as soon as my replacement arrives. so, what's your name young warrior?" Phillet felt his ears redden at the weasel's compliment,
"Corporal Phillet Longears Stridefellow the Third." He answered proudly. His companion chuckled and shook his head.
"Trust a hare to have a name for every season. Well, it's not really impressive but my name is Grange. Pleasure to meet you Phillet." He replied offering Phillet his paw; Phillet took it happily but felt a twinge of guilt deep in his mind.
"Grange, you must forgive me; ever since I was but a leveret I've been took that weasels were nothing but dirty vermin who wouldn't trust their own mother. But I can see that it's not true." Grange smiled knowingly,
"Well, it is true for some I'll grant ye; but to have the courage to admit your prejudice is truly a redeeming quality. For example, ever since I was a pup I were taught that hares were naught but puffed up rabbits who cared more about their stomachs and their breeding to see beyond their own noses. But you my young one have helped to restore my faith in the plain goodness in others. You and the Silvercat, of course." Phillet felt his jaw slacken at Grange's last comment; suddenly his heart was again pounding at the magnitude of the opportunity he'd been given. But only if this Silvercat was as noble as Grange made her seem; young as he was Phillet still had enough experience to not just trust someone blindly.
Only a moment later a lithe ottermaid came trotting up the sand toward them. She gave Grange a wide-eyed look when she saw Phillet and muttered,
"Phew, where'd ya pick him up Grange? 'S he dangerous?" Grange patted her shoulder reassuringly and replied,
"Peace Kryl, he's been sent to meet with the captain. And we're leaving now that you're here." Kryl couldn't help but give the hare a suspicious glance as he and Grange started off for the Silvercat's camp.
Once they were out of Kryl's hearong the weasel turned to Phillet,
"Don't be offended Phillet. Kryl's been through terrible things; she was a slave before the Captain saved her. I as too, I suppose we all were. It's still hard to trust outsiders." Phillet could only nod numbly; more and more this Silvercat was sounding like the hero he and his comrades had been waiting for.
After walking a few leagues they crested a final large dune and Phillet's jaw fell to his chest. Stretched out before him was a great circle of tents and canopies. There were hundreds of creatures moving about at their assigned tasks; and to Phillt's amazment he saw squirrels, stoats, mice, ferrets, otters, rats, shrews, weasels, even a few moles and foxes. The cooperation dumbfounded him; this went against everything that he had been taught for his entire life! As Grange led him through the crew he couldn't help but stare around in amazement at those around him. Of course all he received in return were a few calculating glares; but if what Grange had told him was true they were perfectly entitled to be cynical in his opinion. Finally, they came to an ordinary tent on the outside of the encampment. Phillet was confused,
"Is this it?" Grange nodded, "But I thought it would be in the center?" Phillet asked.
"Ah no, that's where the medic tents are so they're closest to everything at once. Plus the Captain likes to be near the sea." Grange explained, "So, young warrior, go on in." The weasel held open the tent flap and motioned Phillet in.
Phillet found the in side of the tent to be deceptively sparse. There was a table to one side that was covered in countless hand drawn maps and charts of Salamandastron. Some of them even pointed out exits that Phillet hadn't even known about! Whoever this Silvercat turned out to be she certainly was no fool like Destruction, he realized suddenly.
There was a small noise behind him and he turned quickly to see none other than the Silvercat herself with her arms crossed over chest and a small smile over her lips. Phillet started to tremble at the sheer power coming of her; she saw his fear and held up her paws in a calming manner saying,
"Be at peace young one; you needn't fear me if you're here to tell me what I think you are." She stepped over to another table that was in the shadows and returned with a tray of food and sat down on one of the cushions that littered the tent.
"Sit and eat you must be starving." Phillet's hunger overcame his fear and he sat across from the cat and began to eat happily. Sheede regarded the thin hare before her; it pulled at her heart to be partly responsible for that.
"Young one I must confess that it grieves me to think that my siege has added to your suffering." The hare snorted,
"Marm you've done nothing of the sort; we were starving well before you came and gave us great hope see those pieces of scum suffer some too! I'm Corporal Phillet Longears Stridefellow the Third; pleased to meet you." He finished holding out his paw; Sheede took it gratefully,
"I am Sheed Silvercat and the pleasure is mine. And once my first mate arrives you can begin to tell us your story."
Yes, it is an evil ending; but you should review and my hands have gone completely numb.