((You know, I really don't need to put up the last chapter. I think this would have worked as an ending, but I did say there was going to be twelve chapters, so I guess I'll go ahead and write a twelfth chapter. And I have a question: Who is your favorite character? It's not incredibly important, but I want to know. Thanks, again, for reviewing.))
Darkclaw and Kael turned the corner to find Redsplash baring her teeth at them, with an albino otter barely conscious on the floor, an arrow protruding from his stomach, and Fatefiend unconscious, his back leaning against the wall. At the sight of Darkclaw, Redsplash's eyes flashed and she growled, his paws clenching into fists.
"You!" she hissed.
"Me." Darkclaw replied calmly.
"I should kill you! This is all your fault!"
Darkclaw shrugged, "Probably." He said.
"Try to kill him, and I'll have to kill you." Kael added.
Redsplash shot him a look that was surprisingly hateful, "I've killed many weasels. I could kill another one."
"What's goin' on?" Havoc demanded, dragging himself painfully up onto his knees. He hissed in pain, eyes fluttering closed and then snapping open.
"There are things more pathetic then the Nameless One in these halls, apparently." Redsplash snapped, glaring pointedly at Darkclaw.
"Apparently." Darkclaw agreed, his gaze lingering on the albino otter. "And who is this? Havoc?"
"How did you know?" Redsplash demanded, "Did you throw him in here too?"
"No. Bloodrise wanted to get him out of here."
"And who is Bloodrise?" Redsplash said, a bit too fatigued to remember if she had ever heard that name before.
"My sister."
"I thought her name was Silverdawn."
"She changed it."
"Well, tell her not to do it again!" Redsplash snapped moodily.
A sudden clatter followed by three guards, two rats and a stoat, walking into the hallway, ending up a few paces from Havoc. Darkclaw smiled, his eyes flashed. The stoat yelped and threw his spear. Darkclaw lunged to the left and the spear hit the stone where Darkclaw's head had been a few seconds ago. The first rat died, an arrow going completely through its throat. Kael reached for another arrow, but it was not needed. Darkclaw pounced, slashing the remaining rat across the stomach with his sharp claws. The rat had a few seconds of desperately trying to keep his guts in before he died and it did not matter. The stoat's head was crushed easily by Darkclaw's paws.
"Damn Nameless One….kill….idiot…wine…food…" Redsplash murmured under her breath.
"Don't talk…about…food." Fatefiend said slowly, his eyes opening slowly, "I'm…so hungry."
"I thought you were dead." Redsplash told him honestly.
"Keep…wishing." Fatefiend said, breathing heavily, "Might…come true."
"You'll be dead soon." Kael said, "You can't loose that much blood and recover."
"Sounds like a challenge." Fatefiend said, eyes narrowing at the weasel.
"More like a bet." Havoc replied, his voice strained.
"Darkclaw, we have to leave here." Kael said. "The guards will be here in seconds."
"Do I look stupid?" Darkclaw demanded.
"Yes!" Redsplash said, scowling.
"You two," Darkclaw said, pointing at Redsplash and Fatefiend, "Are coming with us, and we're getting out of here."
"I'm not going with you." Redsplash snarled at him.
"Then you'll stay here to die?"
Redsplash glared at him. Instead of arguing about this she decided to simply make Darkclaw give up. "I'll go if you we take Havoc, too."
"Fine." Darkclaw said immediately, shocking Redsplash into silence.
"Leave me here." Havoc said, "I can't walk."
Darkclaw and Redsplash shared a look and Redsplash shrugged. It wasn't her fault Havoc was a hero; it was just an unfortunate accident.
"Darkclaw can carry you." Redsplash offered.
"And you can help Fatefiend." Darkclaw replied.
Redsplash narrowed her eyes but didn't argue. Kael smirked. Fatefiend, however, voiced an opinion. "You're all idiots."
"What?" Darkclaw asked, frowning at him.
"Redsplash here is tired. Havoc's dying. I'm dying. The weasel is just being an idiot. And you cat, are being completely stupid. We'll never make it out of here if we don't go right now." Fatefiend snapped.
"Ferret's right." Havoc said.
"Then let's leave." Redsplash growled.
"Fine." Darkclaw said and scooped Havoc up by his neck with one paw.
"Don't carry him like that!" Redsplash objected, "You'll kill him."
Darkclaw glared at her, but changed his grip so that he wouldn't kill Havoc. Redsplash leaned down and helped Fatefiend to his feet, nearly falling over several times from Fatefiend's weight. A clattering sound, like someone dropping a sword or spear, made everyone turn. A rat was staring at the stupidly.
Kael whirled, bringing his bow up. The rat screamed, either following orders or because he knew he was about to die, and his scream was cut short as an arrow dug into his throat. Still, the damage had been done. The scream carried, and the sound of several running beasts, all well armed and all coming this way, caused them all to break into a sprint. Redsplash did not know where she got the strength. She was tired, more tired then she had ever been in her life, and she was practically dragging Fatefiend, and it hurt, but she couldn't stop running, even when she tried.
Kael ran oddly, turning around backwards every couple of seconds to fire arrows into the darkness. Suddenly his quiver was empty, "Damn…" he murmured and then, "Redsplash! Move!"
Redsplash's mind, however, did not comprehend the command until it was too late. She felt an arrow burrow into her side. She jerked dully, staggered, and then kept going, at a slower pace now. The arrow hurt. She paused long enough to pull it out. She was about to throw it away when Kael stole it from her paws. He aimed and shot, and they were rewarded with a scream.
"Got the archer." He said, sounding immensely pleased. "You able to run?" Kael asked.
"Why not?" Redsplash asked, sounding bitter.
"Here." The weasel said, moved, and easily shifted Fatefiend's weight from Redsplash to himself. "Now run, before you get us killed."
Redsplash staggered quickly forward, catching up with Darkclaw who obviously hadn't even really started running. He was jogging calmly along as if he had no idea the Nameless One's entire castle guard was chasing him.
Redsplash considered tripping him, but didn't have the energy. She decided to concentrate on putting one paw in front of the other. Left, right, left, right, left, right…her mind concentrated on the familiar pattern, blocking out the pain, the fatigue, and the disturbing feeling of blood seeping from the wound on her side. She didn't hear the sounds around her, didn't notice when Fatefiend fainted and Kael, silently, picked the ferret up, and continued running. She barely even noticed when the spears and arrows stopped flying around them. She blinked, and couldn't open her eyes. She stumbled, hit the ground, and got up again, eyes open once again. She saw a flicker of light and headed towards it uncertainly, her vision blurred and her mind ready to give in.
Slowly it dawned on her that she light she was seeing was the welcome sight of fire. With a strangled sound of relief she managed to double her pace to something that could have been considered a run, and broke through the foliage, staring around blearily at the camp full of Darkclaw's doubtful associates. She felt Darkclaw step up beside her, saw Kael step into the light, covered in blood and carrying Fatefiend, who looked dead. She had time only to wonder why the ground was rushing up at her, before she hit the ground hard and she fainted.
Redsplash was asleep, and she was relatively happy. She was a little cold, but she was happy. Or, at least, she was happy, until some idiot decided to mess with the wound on her side. Screeching, she tried to sit up, but paws held her down, keeping her from moving. She struggled fiercely now, because the pain had increased, and because she couldn't get free.
"If you don't hold her down, I can't heal her." A feminine voice said, sounding stressed.
"We are holding her down." Kael growled, "If you want to try it, fox, please, go ahead."
Redsplash stopped struggling, looking around. A fox was determinedly working on the wound in her side, or had just finished, actually. A long white bandage, rapidly turning red, was being wound around her ribs and stomach. Finally the fox nodded and stepped back.
"There. This one'll live, but she'll have a scar." The female fox looked at Redsplash and rolled her eyes, "Not like she'll notice another scar, though."
Redsplash stared dumbly at her, and then, "How are Fate and Havoc?"
"Unconscious." The vixen replied sharply.
"Or dead. We haven't checked in a while." Kael added, tiredly.
"I think we had better go and see if they're alive now, Lilit." Darkclaw rumbled from where he was sitting.
"Ah, yes." The fox said with a doubtful nod. She turned and walked seven paces, kneeling between two figures by the fire.
Redsplash, grumbling darkly, sat up and started headed towards the other two.
"You're supposed to stay here." Kael remarked.
"Oh, well." Redsplash snapped.
Darkclaw turned to Kael, "Get some sleep. You'll need it in the morning."
"Why?" Kael asked tiredly.
"Because we're leaving." Darkclaw replied.
"Ah." Kael said and, silently, walked away.
Redsplash stared doubtfully down at Havoc and Fatefiend. They weren't unconscious, anymore, or at least Havoc wasn't. He stared listlessly up at the sky, watching the clouds move over the moon, blinking slowly every couple of minutes, like it took all his energy to do so. Lilit, the vixen, kept trying to get him to drink brews that would send him to sleep, or at least dull the pain, but he refused, turning his head away and keeping his mouth closed tightly. Redsplash thought he was crazy. She'd have taken the mixtures, no matter how repulsive they smelled, looked, or tasted. She'd have taken them now, to dull the aching pain in her side, but they weren't offered, and she wouldn't ask for them.
Havoc glanced at Redsplash, his eyes glinting dully in the flickering light of the several fires and four torches Lilit had placed around the two wounded beasts. Havoc looked like he wanted to say something, but then turned his head towards the sky again and watched passively as Lilit suddenly pulled the arrow out of his stomach. The only sign that he had felt the pain was the way his eyes closed just a bit faster then they normally did, and stayed closed for a beat longer then ever before.
The fox held the arrow close to the fire, staring at it. She sighed, "Poison." She said and tossed the arrow into the fire.
"He's gonna die then, right?" Redsplash asked, her voice perfectly emotionless, as was her face.
Lilit blinked, "Yes. Sometime. I have the antidote to the poison, but it may be to late, and he may be too weak."
"He's not weak." Redsplash said, offended.
Lilit shrugged, "Maybe not." She said quietly, "But to beat that poison you have to fight, and I'm not sure he can fight it."
Havoc turned his gaze on the fox, staring at her quietly. And then he directed his gaze once more at the stars, following the patterns he found there with his eyes, frowning slightly.
"And then it might not matter how strong he is." Lilit said after a minute, "Some things you just can't fight."
"You can fight anything." Darkclaw corrected mildly, "You just can't win against them all."
"What's that Darkclaw? Admitting to not being invincible?" Redsplash demanded dryly.
"Oh, don't worry, Redsplash." Darkclaw said with a knowing smile, "I'll always be powerful enough to crush you."
Redsplash rolled her eyes, "It's lovely that you're such a humble creature. I do so hate egotistical maniacs."
"Red…?" Fatefiend asked quietly, "Red…?"
"What?" Redsplash asked darkly.
"Where are you?"
"Over here, idiot." Redsplash snapped.
"I'm tired."
"Go to sleep."
"Can't. He said if I went to sleep again I wouldn't ever wake up." Fatefiend murmured sleepily. "Although, he didn't seem like he cared that much. Said it was now or a couple seasons later."
"You're friend is having hallucinations." Darkclaw remarked calmly.
"Oh, he's still here?" Fatefiend said darkly, "I hoped someone had killed him by now."
Darkclaw only smiled, standing up. "I'll speak with you later, Fatefiend…if you survive." He walked off calmly, dodging the rock Redsplash threw after him easily, as if he knew it was coming.
"Have you finished the antidote yet?" Redsplash demanded, glaring at the fox. The fox had informed her, several minutes ago, that the potion would be finished soon. Both Fatefiend and Havoc had been fed some sort of brew a minute or so ago that had, apparently, caused incredible pain. Fatefiend was nearly crushing Redsplash's left paw, and Havoc had made Redsplash's right go numb, but, even though she complained endlessly about it, if it had really bothered Redsplash she would have stopped, but the pain was almost good, because at least she knew that Havoc, Fatefiend, and herself were still alive.
"Almost." Lilit growled.
"Well hurry up." Redsplash snapped back, annoying the healer even more. "His grip is getting weaker." She added, gesturing at Havoc.
Havoc's lips twitched into a weak smile, still staring up at the sky. "I don't want to break your paw." He said, his voice quiet and tense, the first words he had spoken for a very long time.
"Oh, please." Redsplash said, "Like you could."
Fatefiend laughed at that, but it was a sick, bitter laugh. He didn't really find it funny; he was just trying to think of something besides the pain.
Finally Lilit turned, holding a cup of some doubtful looking mixture. "Finished." She said.
"Then give it to him, idiot." Redsplash said, annoyed.
"It has some side effects-" Lilit started, looking at Havoc. "And they can be very painful."
"Give me the antidote." Havoc said quietly, carefully lifting himself up enough to take the cup from her hands and drink the entire thing. He sighed and settled back, grip weakening even more, eyes fluttering closed.
"There's nothing else I can do for him." Lilit said, "He either makes it, or he dies."
"What about me?" Fatefiend demanded.
Lilit glanced at him, "Your wounds are very serious. I doubt very much that you will live."
Redsplash scowled, "I did not almost die getting him out of the torture chamber for you to be to stupid to save him. Help him."
Lilit sighed and nodded, gently shoving Redsplash out of the way, "If he's to survive, I need more room." She muttered.
Redsplash glared at her for a minute then went to sit by Havoc, whose eyes were still closed. His mouth twitched into a grimace of pain for a second and Redsplash let go of his paw. "Use your strength on yourself." She muttered, massaging her paw.
He opened his eyes to look at her and then suddenly looked shocked. He looked over at Lilit and then up at the sky, and then closed his eyes tightly. "She was right." He muttered quietly.
"What?" Redsplash asked, frowning.
"It hurts." Havoc said, eyes still tightly closed.
"You need to get more sleep." Lilit said sharply to Redsplash.
"I do not." Redsplash said.
"Go sleep, Red." Havoc said tiredly.
"We don't need you here." Fatefiend added.
"Fine." Redsplash said and stalked off.
"Redsplash. Otter. Get up." Came a voice, accompanied by someone poking her in the shoulder.
Redsplash woke up slowly. She had been sleeping. Every time she was sleeping, someone woke her up. She ought to bite them.
"Wha…?" Redsplash asked, forcing her eyelids to open. The fox, Lilit, was crouched beside her, trying to get her to wake up.
"The otter, Havoc. He's asking for you."
"Tell him to talk to Fate." Redsplash said, about to roll over and go back to sleep.
"He says he has to tell you something." Lilit said.
Redsplash blinked and sat up. "All right, but this had better be worth it." She growled.
She staggered to her feet and slowly followed the fox.
"How's Fate?" Redsplash asked when they where almost there.
"He'll be fine. It's strange, I did not know he had the strength to survive."
"Never underestimate Fate's fear of dying." Redsplash muttered.
Half a minute later she was crouched beside Havoc.
"So…what's so important that you made me get up to hear it?" Redsplash demanded.
"I'm dying." Havoc said.
Redsplash glanced at Lilit who nodded. Redsplash rocked back onto her heels, frowning. "Well…that's…uh…bad." She said, not knowing what else to say.
"Yes. It is." He said, "But, look, I need to give you something."
"You're dying and still thinking about others? You're a real hero, Havoc. It's disgusting." Redsplash informed him.
Havoc seemed to find that funny. He reached up, grabbing at a necklace Redsplash hadn't noticed before. He pulled, and the necklace quickly came off his neck. "Here." He said, "Every otter has to respect that, as long as another otter has it. You can get food, shelter, weapons, guards, anything they can give, they will."
Redsplash took it, staring at the black stone, a single, odd shaped gold letter carved into it. "That's impressive." She said.
"Just…someday, give it to Khalida."
"Who is that?"
"My mother." He said, "She'll know I'm dead…don't want her worrying. And tell Dwynwen to work harder with her sword. She always leaves an opening…right at the neck when she's about to disarm someone."
"Who's Dwynwen?" Redsplash asked.
"Little sister." He said quietly.
Redsplash looked shocked suddenly, and found herself agreeing. She would do it to. She'd find these people and give them their messages.
"Oh, and Red?"
"Yes?" Redsplash said.
"Goodbye." Havoc let out a breath, shaky and rasping, and didn't draw another one.
Redsplash closed her eyes, paw gripping the stone tightly. She breathed once, twice, before opening her eyes and quickly putting the necklace around her neck. Lilit was watching her, waiting, for some kind of sign of grief. Redsplash wouldn't give her that; Redsplash didn't have it to give.
"If Fate asks, tell him I'm going to go dig a grave." She said.
"Here." Lilit said, holding out a mixture.
"What is it?" Redsplash demanded suspiciously.
"It'll give you the strength to carry a body and dig a grave." The fox replied.
Redsplash nodded, lifted the brew to her lips, and swallowed it quickly. It tasted horrible, but left a strange aftertaste that wasn't that bad. She reached down, wincing at the pain from her side, and, carefully, picked up Havoc's cooling body, frowning, as she set off to find somewhere to bury him.
The sun was slowly beginning to climb into the sky, but Redsplash didn't care. The shovel dug into the dirt, and then flung the dirt into a pile she had formed. Redsplash wasn't sure why, but digging felt almost good. It hurt, yes, every time she moved the wound in her side stung, ached, or burned, but Redsplash didn't want to stop moving. Digging didn't require much thought, but it required enough effort to keep the rest of her thoughts far away.
She had chosen a spot about a quarter of an hour's walk away from the camp, near a stream. She had been here for a while, and was around halfway through digging the grave. She had run into Kael at the edge of camp, surprised to find the weasel sitting, with his back against the trunk of a tree, eyes half closed. He hadn't told her what he was doing awake, and Redsplash's hadn't cared enough to ask. She had gotten the strangest feeling, that if she'd asked, he would have helped her dig Havoc's grave, but Redsplash didn't want help. She wanted to be alone…well, relatively alone.
Redsplash remembered her old life. It had been bitter and painful, yes, but so was this life. She was free, it was true, but freedom could sting just as much as enslavement. She didn't know what she was supposed to do now. She had been forced to travel this far with Darkclaw so that he could get his sister back. Now that Bloodrise was free, Redsplash didn't know if she and Fatefiend would split off and go wandering. She wasn't sure if she wanted to leave. She wasn't sure of much at all, except that Havoc was dead, the Nameless One was alive, Fatefiend would live, and she would have yet another scar to add to her numerous and impressive collection. She wondered idly if she could remember how she got every single one of them. Suddenly she pictured herself as old and gray, talking to cubs, and explaining, "Now, see this here 'x' shaped scar? Yes, I got that one when I spat in the Nameless One's face. Never a good idea, I do not recommend it."
Redsplash laughed softly at the thought, shaking her head in amusement. She would never live to be that old. She didn't want to live to be that old. Still, it was funny to think of herself as old and somewhat wise, telling someone's cubs of her previous adventures, if they could be called that. Though, she would not tell her stories to the youngest cubs. Redsplash doubted that the mothers would approve of some of the words they would learn. Redsplash shook her head, smilingly faintly, as the shovel, once more, bit into the dirt in a continuous and welcome pattern.
Fallen watched the otter dig a grave from his perch behind a rock on the other side of the stream. No, it couldn't be true…Redsplash and Brighteye, the same otter? How could this be? He had followed the group of five when they fled from the vermin back to their camp. He had watched them summon the fox, and had watched the healer attend to the three wounded. All along he had denied what he now knew was true. Redsplash and Brighteye the same otter…what had he done to deserve such a cruel twist of fate? What had she done?
He held the bow, with its poisoned arrow, easily. He knew he should kill the digging otter. Redsplash was dangerous, cruel almost. Who knew what ciaos she might cause if allowed to live? He would have to right so many wrongs she caused if he let her live…but he couldn't kill her. He knew that before he even put the arrow to the string. How could he kill Brighteye? Yes, she might deserve it now, but he couldn't justly blame her for what she had become. If he had been the Nameless One's slave for as many years as she had, would he have become the same thing? If he had been the Nameless One's slave at all, would he too value vengeance over justice?
He sighed, and snapped the arrow in two, digging a small hole in the ground with his paws and burying the poisoned arrow so that no innocent creature would come along and accidentally kill themselves with the poison. Fallen carefully hid his bow. He would come back for it later. Right now he needed to swim.
Fallen jumped from behind the rock into the stream, causing only a slight splash. By the time Redsplash turned to see what had disturbed the water, he was gone, swimming quickly away from the sight that distressed him.
Redsplash had just put the last shovel full of dirt back on Havoc's grave when Fatefiend walked up to her. He stood beside her for a couple seconds, staring down at the mound of dirt. "Darkclaw says if we aren't down there ready to go in five minutes, he'll leave us behind." The ferret said quietly.
"A threat of abandonment instead of death? I think he likes us, Fate." Redsplash said, joking quietly.
"Abandonment? A four-syllable word. I'm impressed." Fatefiend replied.
"Hilarious, Fate." Redsplash returned darkly, "Not only are you funny looking, but your jokes are funny too."
"Joking on the grave of a friend," Fatefiend said, "Pathetic."
"Oh, don't worry, Fate. If you die, I'll joke on your grave too." Redsplash said sarcastically.
"I can ask no more then that." Fatefiend replied, "Let's go, Red. I don't like going over the ocean, and I know you don't, but…anything to get away from that castle."
"Are you all right?" Redsplash asked, looking at the many bandages wrapped around him.
"No, but I will be. All I need is some time to heal and, of course, a serious case of seasickness to shove out all other problems I might have." Fatefiend replied cheerfully.
Redsplash nodded, "Yes. Sounds like fun." They started walking slowly towards where Darkclaw would be waiting.
"He was a good otter, Red. Yes, he was a hero, but he could have been cured of that eventually. If he had lived, you could've married him."
"What?" Redsplash squawked.
"I pity the cubs, though. They'd have been an ugly bunch. Of course, you're u-OW! That's my wounded rib!"
"I know."
"Don't sound so smug, or I'll elbow you in your wound, and see how you like it."