((Well, here it is. The last chapter….I really should fix that summary, it's embarrassing…and my bio too. Anyway, I'm thinking about writing a sequel, mostly because I never actually got around to Redsplash's past, and because I never even mentioned the Abbey or Salamandastron, where Redsplash was supposed to spend a lot of time, and cause a lot of ciaos. I have to go back and edit this story sometime soon, but, for now, it's done. Thanks, one more time, for reviewing.))
The sunrise was beautiful, but Redsplash did not appreciate it. She stared at it spitefully as she fought to keep what little food she'd had for breakfast in her stomach. She heard Fatefiend, Darkclaw, and Kael, who had come along with the rest of his band, making bets on when she'd loose that fight. Of course, this was Kael's ship, and a rather impressive one, too. It's impressiveness, though, was lost on Redsplash, who hated all boats.
"So, Red, remember that time my father tossed that half-rotted seagull into the slave's cell?" Fatefiend asked her conversationally, "And one of the mice actually tried to eat it?"
Redsplash made an interesting choking noise, and then turned to glare wrathfully at Fatefiend. "Just wait until we get on land again and I can walk again, ferret." She muttered darkly.
"You know," Kael said, staring at the sky, "I think we're going to have a storm sometime today."
"Good. You idiots need a bath." Redsplash mumbled rebelliously.
Fatefiend and Kael continued trying to conjure images that would make Redsplash lose her battle to keep her breakfast in her stomach. It didn't work, though Redsplash was looking incredibly sick. Finally, Darkclaw had enough of their pathetic attempts and simply walked over to his pack that he had recently refilled with food, pulled something out, and tossed it over his shoulder. An eyeball landed directly in front of Redsplash, making a revolting squishing noise. Redsplash glanced at it once, choked, and lunged for the side of the boat, making it just in time.
"Do you always have to make me look bad?" Fatefiend demanded, frowning at Darkclaw.
"Do you always have to make it so easy?" Darkclaw returned.
"Kael." Redsplash called over her shoulder.
"What?" The weasel asked, turning to frown at her.
"I am stealing your cabin." Redsplash returned, and staggered towards Kael's cabin.
"You can't-" Kael said, staring to go after her. Fatefiend's paw hit him in the chest, stopping him.
"Believe me, Kael, you don't wanna try and stop her. It might look like she doesn't have any food left in her stomach, but Red eats a lot. Let her have the cabin." Fatefiend said seriously.
Kael, grumbling, nodded. Redsplash slammed the door so loud a rat nearly went flying overboard. Darkclaw, from his current seat in the galley, applauded.
It was quiet on the ship until, suddenly, a roar of complete and deadly fury sounded from somewhere below the galley.
"Sounds like dear sister's up." Fatefiend told Darkclaw wryly.
"Be glad you don't have siblings." Darkclaw responded calmly.
Bloodrise erupted unto the deck and knocked a rat, screeching, off into the ocean. Kael gestured calmly and several ferrets, rats, and a weasel began trying to fish the rat out of the water. Bloodrise, having finally found her brother, stalked over.
"I hate you!" She screamed at him, paws clenched into fists.
Darkclaw looked up from his food. "All right." He said calmly and went back to eating.
Bloodrise grabbed the dish and threw it out of the galley. Kael ducked and it hit Fatefiend on the side of the head. Kael smirked at the wounded ferret, who staggered around listlessly.
Darkclaw looked up at her, "And I suppose you want me to ask why you're so angry?"
"You're a bastard." She growled, her ears flattening against her skull.
"I think I preferred you as a pacifist." He informed her, "At least then you could come up with interesting insults."
She hissed, her claws sliding out. "I can't believe you left me back there and went off to the Nameless One's castle without me."
"If it's so surprising, you obviously never knew me very well." Darkclaw replied.
"It's something I might expect from Bluefang, but not from you." She growled.
Darkclaw frowned and stood up slowly, staring down at her. "Bluefang would have allowed you to go to the castle, sister, because if you had gone you would have insisted on revenge and you would have died. That would be one less sibling he has to worry over. I didn't want you along because if I came all this way to get you home, and you died because of some pathetic attempt at revenge, then my attempt to get you home would have failed."
"And you would have looked bad!" she screeched at him, "That's why you made me sleep. Because you didn't want to look bad."
Darkclaw shrugged, "You're wrong, but if it makes you feel better, you can believe that."
"I wouldn't have died." She said.
"You're weak." Darkclaw said, "You wouldn't have stood a chance."
"I am not weak!" she screeched at him, "Kael survived!"
"Kael has been a warrior long before you suddenly found out what hate feels like. I trust him to keep himself alive and I trust his greed to keep him loyal to me." Darkclaw replied, still calm. Kael blinked, and then frowned. Fatefiend, finally able to keep himself balanced, snickered.
"What about the ferret and the otter?! They were there!" Bloodrise said, sounding about one more sentence away from going into hysterics.
"And you have no idea how irritating it is to have a ferret and an otter stronger then my own sister, but the truth is that they are stronger then you, and, besides that, they had to be there. We were rescuing them, if you remember." Darkclaw said. "And I think, sister, that you should get some rest and try to recover some semblance of intelligence before you return home. If you continue to act like an idiot, Bluefang will find a reason to execute you, and, this time, I won't stop him." Darkclaw walked off calmly, leaving Bloodrise staring dumbly after him.
"Redsplash!" Fatefiend said, pounding his paw against the door, "Come on, Red. Come out!"
"No." Redsplash replied, sounding calm.
"Come on. Where are you gonna get your food?"
"Don't need any right now." Redsplash replied.
"Red, you're actin' kinda weird…"
"No weirder then normal."
"That's true…" Fatefiend said, "But, still, come out. I've got your breakfast here. Aren't you hungry?"
"Not right now."
"At least open the door."
"It's fine how it is."
Fatefiend sighed loudly, hoping she could hear it through the door. "Come on, Red. If this is some little stunt to get attention, you've got it, all right?"
"I don't want attention, Fate. Go talk to Darkclaw or Kael or someone else. I'm busy."
"Doing what?"
"Trying to sleep."
"Still?"
"Yes. Now…go."
"Fine." Fatefiend said, turned, and stalked off towards Darkclaw.
"She wouldn't even come out for food." He said, his voice somewhere between concerned and whining.
"I didn't think she would." Darkclaw said, "What was her excuse this time?"
"She was still sleeping."
"Ah." Darkclaw said.
"She hasn't eaten in three days." Fatefiend objected, "She's gonna get even sicker."
"She's been sneaking out at night to get food." Darkclaw informed him.
"She has?" Fatefiend said suspiciously, "How did you know?"
"Kael told me, and his sentries told him. She also went for a swim in the sea yesterday."
"What?" Fatefiend demanded.
"She went for a swim in the sea yesterday." Darkclaw repeated patiently.
"Well, I know that, but how? Why? She's gone suicidal on us."
"No. She tied a rope around the rail and around herself and jumped into the sea. Stayed there for about an hour, climbed back up the rope, and went back into the cabin. She's not suicidal."
"Then she's stupid."
"Probably."
"I don't understand why she's doing this." Fatefiend growled, "She's always been insane, but understandable. I don't get this."
"Stop trying so hard." Darkclaw said, "You're missing a detail that I think you'd like to know."
"I'm missing a whole lot of details." Fatefiend snapped.
"Think about all the details, ferret, and you'll understand. If you try to understand immediately your brain will never be able to comprehend it."
"You've always got to stick an insult in everything you say, don't you?" Fatefiend asked darkly.
"I only use insults when they're needed. If you were smart enough to understand the truth, they wouldn't be required."
"There you go again with the insults." Fatefiend paused, "What am I supposed to do with her breakfast?" he asked, frowning thoughtfully down at the tray of food.
"Eat it yourself. You need to heal, too. Stop worrying so much about your friend, and worry about yourself. It's what she's doing."
"You're a bastard." Fatefiend asked as he began to eat Redsplash's breakfast.
"So everyone keeps telling me." Darkclaw said, shrugged, and walked off to talk to Kael.
"Hello, Redsplash." Fatefiend began the next morning.
"Hello, Fatefiend." She responded.
"Hello, Redsplash." He repeated, trying to force her into saying something else.
"Hello, Fatefiend." Was her response.
"Hello, Red."
"Hello, Fate."
"Hello, Red."
"Hello, Fate."
"That's it!" Fatefiend shouted, "Stay in there! I don't care anymore!" He paused, waiting for an answer.
"Good bye, Fatefiend." Redsplash replied.
"Damn this!" Fatefiend bellowed, turned, and stalked off.
"Redsplash…" Fatefiend started, a few days later. He'd been angry for a long time after his last brush with Redsplash's door, and had walked around, grumbling, until Darkclaw finally threatened to toss him overboard and let him drown if he didn't stop. After that Fatefiend had sunk into sullen silence, until he'd finally gotten bored of that. Now, with land in sight, he was going to have to get Redsplash out of this damn cabin.
"Hello, Fatefiend." She responded through the door, and though her tone was emotionless, he could sense the mockery.
"You've gotta come out." he said.
"I'm trying to get some sleep. Why won't anyone just let me sleep?"
"Because you're always sleeping. Or thinking. Or just not answering. You've gotta come out now. We're gonna land soon."
"Really? That's interesting. But I was having this great dream, you see, about the Nameless One being dead, and Darkclaw choking to death on a carrot. So can you please go away?"
"We'll be ready to go on land in around an hour." Kael informed Fatefiend as he passed him.
"That's it, Red." Fatefiend said tiredly, "I'm coming in."
No answer.
Fatefiend took that as an invitation and shoved the door open. Redsplash, who was trying to force several artifacts into a pack she'd managed to scrounge up from somewhere, looked over at him as if torn between exasperation and surprise. Several dishes, half filled with food in various stages of freshness, were scatted around the room on the floor, and a necklace Fatefiend hadn't noticed before hung around Redsplash's neck.
"Fate, get out!" Redsplash yelled and him and jumped away from the bag, paws out to force him out of the cabin.
He ducked under her paws and circled around to stare down at the pile of things she was about to put in the pack. "Red!" he said, "These aren't yours." He held up several pieces of golden trinkets and jewelry.
"Oh, don't sound so shocked." Redsplash muttered darkly, kicking the door closed and then leaning against it. "So I'm a thief."
"You're stealing from Kael?!"
"Keep your voice down, idiot." Redsplash said sharply, "And it's not stealing. It's called revenge."
"For what?" Fatefiend demanded. Since Redsplash hadn't been there to talk to, Fatefiend had started to form what might have been called a friendship with the weasel, if the truth was stretched. Stretched a lot. Still, Fatefiend wasn't exactly happy with Redsplash right now, and this theft was only making him more displeased.
"Oh, I'm sure he's done something that needs revenge for." Redsplash said, "And what are you getting so upset about anyway? You stole all the time."
"From my father!" Fatefiend said, "It's just a bit different."
"How? I find stealing from a family member worse then stealing from someone that's not related to you."
"Did your family almost torture you to death?" Fatefiend demanded loudly.
Redsplash looked at him for a minute, a paw going up to clench around the black stone on the necklace. "Well, no." she admitted, "But we did have this huge family gathering once where-"
"Red!"
"What?" Redsplash asked, frowning.
"Where'd you get the necklace?"
"Havoc gave
it to me." Redsplash said, and Fatefiend frowned, noticing the defensive tone
in her voice.
"When?"
"A few seconds before he died."
"Ah." Fatefiend said and then sighed, "Really, Red, you've gotta put the gold stuff back. Kael'll hunt us down to get them, and he's pretty good with those daggers."
Redsplash sighed, "But it's gold." She objected, moving to pick up a few of the trinkets and wave them at him, "Gold."
"I've seen lots of gold in my life." Fatefiend replied dryly, "So I'm not particularly impressed. Put it back."
"But why?"
"Because I don't want to die!" Fatefiend said, "And Kael will kill us."
"Well, maybe you should just leave. You know, you could do it. Once we got on land, I could go one way and you could go the other and we'd never see each other again." Redsplash said, dropping the gold.
Fatefiend stared at her, mouth hanging open. Shocked. He closed his mouth and raised an eyebrow, "Redsplash," he said, amazingly calmly, "Without me, you'd be dead in a couple of days."
"That's not true." Redsplash said, scowling at him. "I can do just fine without you."
"Fine. Then think of me." Fatefiend said, "I'm weak and stupid and clumsy. Without you, someone'd kill me before I'd even decided which direction to go in. Think about me."
"It's always about you." Redsplash said, "Isn't it?"
"Yes. Unless it's about you." Fatefiend agreed.
"Fine. I'll stay with you." Redsplash said, sighing.
"Good. Now. You've gotta come out of this cabin."
"But now I've really gotta sleep. If we're gonna be one land soon…"
"Come sleep out on the deck. There's some of these weird net things they call hammocks." Fatefiend paused. "Not really comfortable at first, but after a while they're not that bad. Besides, you obvious aren't seasick anymore…"
Redsplash nodded slowly, "I don't know how it happened. I still get sick sometimes, but not for a while and not badly."
"So come out on to the deck."
Redsplash shook her head, "I don't think so."
"Oh, come on." Fatefiend said and moved towards the door, "What's the matter? Are you afraid?"
Redsplash, who had been trying to get the gold into her pockets without Fatefiend noticing, turned quickly, the gold going everywhere. She scowled at her, green eyes narrowed in anger, "What?" she hissed.
"It's a perfectly natural reaction. Fear. I mean, I never thought you'd be afraid of a little sunlight and a little seasickness, but I guess everyone's gotta be afraid of something. Still, it's a rather pathetic fear and I don't-" Redsplash lunged at him and Fatefiend threw the door open, sprinting out onto the deck. Redsplash chased after him, yelling curses, and Fatefiend attempted to duck behind Bloodrise who, scowling, shoved him away, straight into her brother.
"Ferret! Watch where you're going!" Darkclaw snapped.
"Sorry, Dark, can't stop to chat. Being chased by insane otter." Fatefiend said in a rush and raced off again, wondering if it had been such a good idea to bait Redsplash like that. He heard a sickening thump, an abrupt silence, and then Redsplash was screeching again, only this time complaints about masts being in stupid places could be heard, along with snickers from the crew.
Fatefiend weaved between the vermin crew, trying to find somewhere safe to hide. At least Redsplash was out of that damn cabin. Suddenly Fatefiend ran out of boat.
"Whoa!" He said, stopping suddenly. He wondered what had happened to the railing on this section of the boat, and then remembered Bloodrise's fit of fury and her destruction of many innocent ropes and a serious portion of the rail.
"Diiiiiieeee!" Redsplash yelled, furious, and slammed into him from behind.
Fatefiend yelped, and whirled, grabbing hastily onto Redsplash's neck, trying to avoid falling. Redsplash choked, trying to shove him away, but Fatefiend would not let go. Redsplash lost her balance and the two toppled forward.
Suddenly something caught Redsplash and tugged her back, sending her flying back onto the safety of the deck. Fatefiend let go of Redsplash's neck and landed painfully on a pile of ropes. Redsplash landed with a thump on the wood of the deck and sat up seconds later, rebelliously rubbing her throat. She glared at Fatefiend who smiled feebly at her. They both turned to see who had saved them from falling overboard.
Darkclaw frowned at them from the exact spot Fatefiend had stopped at. "We're two hours from land. Try to keep from any more suicidal antics until then. I have a headache."
"It was all Red's fault." Fatefiend said quickly, pointing at Redsplash who scowled at him.
"It was not!" Redsplash snapped, "He was the one that said I was afraid."
Darkclaw rolled his eyes, turned, and walked off.
Fatefiend had mastered the ability to float. Unfortunately, that was the only swimming skill he had managed to achieve. Redsplash was watching him in disgust from the deck of the boat as the ferret tried to convince his paws to let go of the rope that he had climbed off of Kael's rather large ship with. The ocean was at least ten times deeper than Fatefiend was tall, but Kael insisted on going no closer to shore, despite Bloodrise's many threats, and Fatefiend's insistent, shrill, pleas. So Fatefiend was shivering in the cold water, and trying to get his paws, which were slowly going numb, to let go of the rope that was the only thing keeping him afloat. Fatefiend was not succeeding.
"Ferret! Let go!" Kael shouted down to him, and tugged at the rope. Fatefiend let out a startled yelp and his paws slid from the rope. He went under, and he did not come up.
"Why do I always have to rescue him?" Redsplash demanded before jumping up onto the railing and then diving off, making a small splash as she entered the water.
The saltwater made the wound in her side sting, but Redsplash ignored it. Her eyes moved through the water, searching. There. Fatefiend was struggling for the surface, but he wasn't very good at swimming. Redsplash reached him in seconds and gripped his right arm. She pulled him, struggling listlessly, to the surface. When Fatefiend realized he could breathe again he promptly coughed up about a gallon of seawater. Right in Redsplash's face.
"Oh, wonderful." Redsplash said, before ducking her head underwater and rubbing at her face, trying to get it all off. She quickly brought her head back up, though, when Fatefiend's paw suddenly gripped her ear and pulled.
"What?" Redsplash demanded, irritated, as she rubbed at her ear.
"We gotta get out of the water." He said, teeth chattering together.
"Why? Because you're a little cold?" Redsplash said with a disgusted look.
"I can't feel my legs." Fatefiend replied. "I'm not sure they're there!"
Redsplash was about to assure him that, yes, his legs were still there and to tell him to stop kicking her with them, when Kael called down to them. "Stop playing around! Sharks live in these waters, ya know!"
Fatefiend panicked. Screaming, he flailed wildly in the water, slapping Redsplash with his paws more then once. Somehow he managed to discover how to swim, and began to make his way, in a manner more like a beached fish then a swimming one, towards the shore. Redsplash turned to glare up at Kael, who was laughing so hard he had to hold onto the railing to keep from falling off his own ship. She sighed and turned to look for Fatefiend, finding him on the shore on all fours, panting desperately and sending her worried looks.
"Get out, Red!" he screeched.
"I see you've rediscovered your legs." Redsplash observed.
"This is no time for jokes!" he yelled, "There are sharks in that water!"
Redsplash gave him a poisonous glare in return, "You idiot." She said, "There are no sharks in this part of the ocean."
Fatefiend, dripping wet and still out of breath, stared at her stupidly for a minute. Kael's laughter reached them, and Bloodrise soon joined in. Darkclaw smirked down at him and Fatefiend stood up slowly, turned his head towards Kael, and glared at him.
Redsplash, shaking her head, began swimming slowly towards the shore.
Redsplash walked steadily through the tall snow. She clutched her heavy cloak tighter around her and sent Fatefiend, who had started with one cloak and was currently wearing three, an angry, bitter glare. Since the hood of one of the cloaks fell so far forward it was amazing Fatefiend didn't run into anything, Redsplash didn't know if her even saw her glare. Darkclaw and Bloodrise, walking calmly through the snow, paused almost at the same time and tilted their heads at almost the same angle. Redsplash fought back the urge to spit at them.
They had been traveling like this for days. Kael and his bunch had declined the offer to join Darkclaw on this little venture back to his castle, and Redsplash envied them the option to do so. Of course, Darkclaw insisted that she was free to leave, and had suggested that she do so many times, but Redsplash knew as well as he did that if she did, she would die out here. She hated cold weather and she had no idea how to make it back to warmer climates. Fatefiend claimed to know how to get back, but Redsplash knew the ferret's sense of direction too well to rely on him to remember left from right, and wasn't about to let him attempt something that involved her risking her life.
Fatefiend and Darkclaw had attempted to teach her to read, but because of a certain escapade involving a very, very angry snake, Darkclaw's cloak's pocket, and Redsplash in a particularly evil mood, Darkclaw had stopped helping with the lessons. Fatefiend still attempted to teach Redsplash, but Bloodrise, who apparently had a very pessimistic, and very active, sense of humor, continuously disrupted their lessons. Their food supplies were running low, and if they didn't find either Darkclaw's castle, or some other source of food, Redsplash would be forced to try to digest some of the food Darkclaw, and now Bloodrise, preferred. Fatefiend had tried squirrel a few days ago, and, though he told Redsplash that it was exceptionally good and suggested she try some, had been unable to keep the food in his stomach, and had vomited it up in the snow as Bloodrise snickered evilly.
Redsplash hated snow. At first, she had loved it. Then she had tried to sleep with it falling on her all night. By the time the sun finally decided to rise, Redsplash had developed a deep hatred for the annoying white flakes. It was getting closer and closer to actual winter, and Redsplash didn't want to think about what she would do once she actually reached Darkclaw's castle. The wildcat would probably just send her away, or maybe kill her. No matter how long she traveled with him, she still couldn't figure out what he was going to do next. She had thought he was just a cold, emotionless, bastard, but the infinite patience he treated his sister with proved he at least liked his sister enough not to strangle her to death when she obviously went out of her way to annoy him. Redsplash doubted he had the same affection for her and Fatefiend. Still, Darkclaw had yet to even attempt to kill either of them, though, after the snake incident, he had threatened to kill them both when they were asleep.
Redsplash snorted and, sullenly, yanked the cloak even closer. She wondered how long this could go on. She glanced over at the two wildcats, to find Bloodrise slowing down, letting Darkclaw pass her. Redsplash frowned, suspicious. The younger wildcat crouched down, grabbing handfuls of snow. Darkclaw continued walking, ignoring her. Or he ignored her until a ball of snow smacked into the back of his head. Darkclaw roared in annoyance, and whirled. Fatefiend tried to see what was going on, turned too quickly, and tripped on his many cloaks. He went sprawling in the snow. Redsplash shrieked with laughter, finding everything hilarious right up into a ball of snow hit her directly in the face. Fatefiend smirked smugly at her.
Bloodrise snickered, and three snowballs hit her seconds later.
"This is all your fault," Redsplash remarked to Bloodrise, "All your fault." She repeated.
"Aw, but Red, white's a pretty color." Fatefiend objected, with his eyes way too wide and blinking way too often for it to not be a joke.
"Har, har, har," Redsplash snapped as she tried to brush all the snow off her cloak. "I hate white. It's so…white."
"You could be a poet with that kind of wit." Darkclaw observed, his tone completely emotionless.
"Aw, go rot in-"
"Darkclaw!" Bloodrise, who had wandered a bit away from the other three, screeched.
Darkclaw whirled, his eyes flashing. He bounded off towards the direction the shriek had come from. Fatefiend and Redsplash exchanged a look, shrugged, and walked off after them. They struggled up a particularly steep hill and found the two wildcats staring at a gigantic castle. Redsplash squinted at it…it looked familiar.
"So." Fatefiend said conversationally, "You're home."
"Oh, this is Darkclaw's castle." Redsplash said with a nod. "I was wondering."
"What? You don't remember it?" Fatefiend asked, blinking.
"I spent most of my time in it." Redsplash replied sharply, "Or walking away from it. Never towards it."
"I'm home." Bloodrise said, sounding uncertain, almost like she couldn't believe it. Redsplash glanced suspiciously at the wildcat. She suddenly wondered which of them was older. She wondered how old Darkclaw was. Maybe the wildcats weren't that much older than Fatefiend and Redsplash. It must be extremely frustrating, having to act like they did all the time, even if they weren't young.
"Yes, well, let's go make sure nothing has changed in our absence." Darkclaw's eyes were on a dark blue flag flying from a tower, his voice bordering on a growl.
"Where's mother's flag?" Bloodrise asked. She sounded worried. Redsplash glanced at her out of the corner of her eye. If Bloodrise started to cry…
"I don't know." Darkclaw's eyes were narrowed, watching small figures running around on the castle. He stalked towards it, the fur along his spine standing up, his eyes flaming with anger.
"Red…" Fatefiend whispered.
"Yes?" Redsplash whispered back.
"Let's not mess with Darkclaw anymore…"
"I agree." Redsplash said with a nod.
"Where is my brother?" Darkclaw roared, and Redsplash glanced uneasily behind her. The urge to flee was becoming incredibly powerful. Fatefiend took an uncertain step backwards, and then forwards, looking about as confused and nervous as Redsplash felt.
Suddenly, with a loud, insistent creaking, the heavy wooden door in the front of the castle creaked down. What looked like a hundred or so vermin marched out, leaving a small aisle straight through them. Bluefang, smug and dressed in much more expensive garments than he once wore, walked out.
"So," Bluefang said, sounding immensely pleased, "The younger brother returns."
"What have you done?" Darkclaw roared. The smug smile on Bluefang's face became a bit forced.
"The Queen died while you were away, brother." Bluefang said, almost smirking.
"You killed her!" the words sounded tormented and angry. Redsplash, Fatefiend, and Bluefang gaped at Bloodrise. Darkclaw glanced at her and rolled her eyes.
"I don't suppose it was hard." Darkclaw said to Bluefang, his tone as cold as the climate. "But it's the biggest kill you've ever made. Congratulations."
"I did not kill her!" Bluefang protested, but he was smiling.
"And I suppose you've taken over?" Darkclaw asked coldly.
"Well, of course, brother. You were off on a frivolous quest. Someone had to take control." Bluefang.
"Then you'll be happy to relinquish it. The throne is Darkclaw's." Bloodrise hissed. "And it was not a frivolous quest!"
"Be silent Silverdawn!" Bluefang said. Fatefiend heard a noise and a feeling like panic entered his system. He turned to Redsplash, trying to stop her, but it was to late. The snowball hit Bluefang on the nose, and then, melting, dripped down under his tunic.
"Her name," Redsplash said wryly, with a smug grin to match Bluefang's, "Is Bloodrise."
"Red!" Fatefiend squeaked, "You're gonna get us killed!"
"It's the otter slave." Bluefang said, shocked, "The one the Nameless One wants. And…the ferret's son."
"Look what you did." Fatefiend told Redsplash accusatively, "You idiot."
"Oh, like you've never done something stupid either." Redsplash replied.
"Stupid, yes. Suicidal, no." Fatefiend argued.
"Bluefang, this castle and these lands are not yours." Darkclaw growled, and Fatefiend and Redsplash quieted, remembering the danger they were in. "They are mine."
"And do you really want them?" Bluefang asked, "You never wanted power won this easily. It was so obvious. You would never be happy as king and we all know it."
"Happy or not it is my responsibility and I will not let you take it from me!" Darkclaw shouted this and then roared, furious. Redsplash and Fatefiend both slunk a step or two back, along with everyone else within hearing range, except for Bloodrise and Bluefang. Bloodrise looked angry, scowling at Bluefang. Bluefang's smug smile was so obviously forced Redsplash had to wonder how long the older brother could keep this up before permanently damaging his face.
"Are you going to kill me?" Bluefang asked, laughing, "In front of our poor sister, who has suffered enough?"
Bloodrise muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, "I'll show you suffering."
Darkclaw, however, seemed actually effected by Bluefang's words. He was still frowning, but thoughtfully now, more resentful and sullen then furious. "No. I won't kill you." He bared his teeth, "I would never be weak enough to murder a family member so that I could have a bit of power."
Bluefang bared his own teeth in response, and growled, but his growl was pathetic compared to any of Darkclaw's. It was obvious who was the stronger one. But Darkclaw suddenly didn't look interested in fighting. For the first time since she'd met him, Redsplash saw uncertainty in his eyes. Darkclaw glanced back at Bloodrise.
"You can't expect to live easily if I stay." Darkclaw said.
"Which is why you've been banished." Bluefang replied.
"I'll come back." Darkclaw warned.
"I'll kill you." Bluefang returned the warning.
"You can try all you like." Darkclaw said, a growl entering his tone again. Suddenly he blinked, calming down again, "And what about our sister? Is she banished too?"
"Of course not. What do I have to fear from a female?" Bluefang seemed to find this immensely amusing.
Bloodrise growled, eyes flashing. Redsplash, too, looked rather unhappy. Fatefiend, nervously, edged out of the way. If either of the two decided to charge at Bluefang, Fatefiend didn't want to be in the way. In fact, he didn't want to be here. There was too much danger in the air. Any second, the tension could snap, and beasts could start dying. And Fatefiend got the feeling, that he'd be one of the many that would die.
"Fine. Bloodrise'll stay here." Darkclaw announced.
"I will not!" Bloodrise objected.
Darkclaw whirled, stalked over to her, and grabbed her right arm in a grip that looked painful. He whispered something, vehement but quiet. Slowly a smirk formed on Bloodrise's features, and then a scowl as she objected to something. Darkclaw shook his head, and another muted conversation was held until, finally, Bloodrise nodded slowly, sullen. She stalked over to stand, disgusted and obviously displeased, beside and a little behind Bluefang who gave her a quick, annoyed, glance. Once he was turned towards Darkclaw again, she made a face at him. Redsplash and Fatefiend snickered.
"You've been banished, Darkclaw. You have until nightfall to get out of my realm." Bluefang announced to his younger brother.
Darkclaw laughed harshly, "Your soldiers won't attack me. They're more afraid of my then they are of you. But I'll leave. Just try not to ruin my realm while I'm gone."
Bluefang hissed in response. Darkclaw shook his head, turned and walked away, heading straight for the gape in between Redsplash and Fatefiend. Redsplash scanned the crowd of vermin, noting the archers. The archers didn't move though, but watched Darkclaw move away with terrified looks in their wide eyes. Fatefiend snorted as Darkclaw passed them.
"Looks like we've both been banished from our realms." He observed to Darkclaw.
"Looks like you still insist on speaking with me." Darkclaw returned sharply.
Redsplash grinned evilly and trotted over to walk beside him, "Of course, Dark."
"You shortened my name." Darkclaw observed menacingly.
"That's because we've all got shortened names. You're Dark, I'm Red, he's Fate." Redsplash replied.
"There is no 'we.'" Darkclaw growled.
"Well, there is now." Fatefiend said, "You have no home, we have no idea how to get back to somewhere with a sane temperature, and, besides, without us who are you going to plot with?"
"'Plot with?'" Darkclaw asked, still walking as the other two moved to walk on either side of him.
"Yes, to get your realm back. Besides, it's not healthy being a loner." Fatefiend said.
"Not true." Redsplash said, "I'm plenty healthy."
"Not healthy mentally, Red, mentally." Fatefiend said.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Redsplash demanded, frowning.
"Fine. You two can travel with me." Darkclaw said, interrupting what could have become a full-fledged argument. "But if you two idiots get attacked by something, I will not help you. I'll leave."
"He's really one of us now, Red." Fatefiend said, moving to walk alongside Redsplash and mock-sniffle.
"Sad, isn't it?" Redsplash replied.
"But he's so…so young!" Fatefiend said, and burst into mock-tears. Redsplash laughed and Darkclaw scowled at both of them.
Suddenly Fatefiend stumbled upon a realization that was not at all funny, "Darkclaw…" he said uneasily, "What are we gonna do when we run out of food?"
"Oh, I'm not worried." Darkclaw replied, the smallest of smirks tugging at his lips.
Redsplash blinked and exchanged a long, meaningful look with Fatefiend.
"Uh, Darkclaw…" Fatefiend said uneasily, "About this whole meat-eating thing…"