Here's the next chapter. *sighs* I tried to make it longer, I really did. It just.ended.*shrugs* Ah well, it isn't any longer or shorter than my previous chappys so, eh!

Thank you to Acoustical Ferret, once again, for reviewing. I WOULD say thanx to Trinity, but in her review she didn't mention my story once. She just talked about her own fic.

Hee hee, on with the fic!

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Enemies Forever Chapter 8:

Captured

Skant gasped in horror and pushed past Raptail, sending the rat flying against the canvas wall of the tent. She ran outside, her eyes flicking around the campsite. Finally, she spotted a group of beasts huddled around something. She trotted over to them, as they saw her they parted, showing what they were looking at.

It was Rantan. The red-furred ferret was standing, but was drooping with exhaustion. Grasped tightly in his right paw was a shattered arrow and his left paw was sliced up really badly. He was covered in blood, although most of it wasn't his. Skant ran forward and held him up as he threatened to collapse,

"Rantan," she gasped, "what 'appened to you?" A dry, humorless chuckle came from the ferret,

"I woz attacked Cap'n, ain't it obvious?" He lifted his head, causing Skant to stare in horror.

"By the Fangs' o' Vulpuz." Rantans' face was fine, on the left side. But the right side of his face had a horrible, jagged cut etched over his eye. His eye was gone, leaving a gruesome hole.

"Ahh, come on, Skanny. It ain't that bad!" Rantan persisted.

"WHAT DO YE MEAN, NOT THAT BAD!" She yelled at him. "YE COULD 'AVE BEEN KILLED!" She suddenly remembered what Raptail had told her and lowered her voice to a barely audible whisper,

"Rantan, wha' 'appened to Maky?"

He lowered his head and murmured one word.

"Captured."

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Lady Crestwave stared at the young wildcat that was bound to a chair in the barracks. She hadn't wanted to tie her up but Nexent had insisted. She looked so small and scared, but, the young beast was a corsair.

As Maky began to stir, Lady Crestwave leant forward and raised her face with a paw. As Maky opened her eyes, she saw the otter staring at her. With a gasp, she tried to push Crestwave away from her. Since her paws were tied, this just resulted in her rocking backward and forwards on the chair a few times.

"I wouldn't try that," Crestwave chuckled. "That chair you're on isn't too stable."

Maky snarled at her, she may be small, but she didn't want Lady Crestwave to get the impression that she was weak. That was one of the first lessons that Skant, not being an intimidating size herself, had taught her. Of course, it was hard to act tough when you had a splitting headache.

The Lady just chuckled and removed her paw from under Maky's face as she began to pace in front of her.

"It seems that you're probably not goin' to be talking to me much. Still, I can try. So, young wildcat. What's your name?" Maky just closed her eyes stubbornly and bowed her head against her chest. "Okay, then. Don't tell me your name. I'll tell you mine. I'm Crest."

Maky opened her eyes.

'Hmmm' she thought, 'this 'Crest' may be useful. If I can just befriend the stupid waterdog then maybe she'll release me.'

She looked up and introduced herself in true corsair fashion, "M'name's Maky, wot's it to you?"

Crestwave smiled, her plan was working. "What's it to me? Well, nothing really. Apart from a name to call you." Her smile grew broader, "well, Maky. Why don't you tell me about yourself?"

Maky's eyes immediately narrowed to suspicious, blue slits. "Why? I'll tell ye why! 'Cause if'n I do, then a certain annoyin' riverdog might use those facts to hurt me friends."

Lady Crestwave was inwardly amazed at the young beasts' ability to pick up on things so fast, but she made sure that her face didn't show it.

"What? No! I'm just curious."

Maky couldn't help but let out a nasty snicker, "Then go be curious somewhere else!" She let out another low snicker that ended in a deep threatening growl.

"Git lost, waterhound. Me Cap'n allus said ne'er to trust an otter!"

With a sigh, Lady Crestwave turned and walked away. As she walked past the door, she spoke in a low murmur to Nexent, who was waiting there.

"Throw the stupid corsair into the dungeons, we'll use her to bargain." Nexent nodded as he flexed his paws. With a nasty chuckle, he walked towards Maky.

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"Wha'? You can't go out there!? I'm goin' wid yer." Skant turned on Rantan, who, refusing proper treatment, had just cleaned himself and his wounds and had exited his tent to find a furious Skant.

"You're not comin' wid me Rantan. You need ta stay 'ere an' heal."

This just brought a stubborn snort from the red-furred ferret, who was tired but would never admit it to his Captain,

"Me? Heal? No! I'm fine Skant, really, I am!"

He gulped as his Captain turned around and took an angry step forward, so that her face was now just a whisker away from his, her green and hazel eyes blazing as she ground out her words.

"You. Are. Not. Comin'. With. Me!" She waved her arms in the air and growled as he opened his mouth to speak. "That's a direct order from yore Cap'n. If you go ag'inst it. Then I'll expel ye from th' crew."

Without waiting for an answer, Skant turned and walked off. She grabbed a bow and full quiver of arrows from a stoat that was preparing weapons and started running in the general direction of Castle Streamswift.

'I'll save ye Maky. If'n it's the last thing I do!'

Rantan watched her go with a frown on his face. The frown gradually changed to a soft smirk as he limped towards one particular tent to discuss 'pressing issues'.

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Ending, finish. Etc. I actually had this chapter finished earlier than this, but I was too lazy to put it up. *winces* Sorry! I'm about halfway through the next chappy so.YAY! Of course, that doesn't actually mean it will get posted sooner. I just want to talk about something.