Chapter 1
Ketris was running as fast as she could. She didn't know where she was going, much less where she actually was, but she knew she had to get away. There were three grown weasels after her. They were skilled trackers, and she was still young, and had never learned to cover her tracks or trick her enemies. It was only a matter of time before she was caught.
Ten minutes later, Ket was still running, and she was exhausted. If she stopped, she knew she'd be caught for sure. If she kept running, they'd still catch her when she collapsed from fatigue. Ketris was losing all hope when she noticed a cave to her right. It was her last chance. The terrified badger ran to seek refuge in the cave.
It turned out, Whitestripe wasn't as nice as he first seemed. The "family" he had spoken of was actually a horde of vermin, and he was their warlord. The badger had been an outcast of some mountain, and now he had sworn to conquer it. He knew his army wasn't nearly strong enough to win, so he was training his troops in the north.
True, he had raised her, and taught her (most of it false, but she didn't know), but she had never felt right, or at home with the white-striped badger. He even taught her a bit of weaponry, and she had skill, but she never grew comfortable with Whitestripe. After he offered for her to join his army, she flatly refused, and he cast her into slavery. Every so often, he would offer again, but she always refused. She had grown to hate her captor, but he never gave up. And just recently, she had the chance to escape, but she knew she was going to be recaptured soon.
A weasel yelled into the cave. "C'mon out, badger! We weren' told t'kill yer, jus' capture ye alive!"
Ket decided to try her luck with a mole voice. "Oi'm jus' a moler, zurr. No badger's been 'ere since las' season, burr aye."
The first weasel fell for it, and apologized (he wasn't the smartest creature in the army), but a second female wasn't fooled. "Rottail's an idjit, badger. He did leave one thing out though: We were given permission t'kill ye if'n ye gave us trouble! So jus' surrender now an' save us the work!"
Ket lived by a rule: "Where there's life, there's hope," so she gave up and walked out of the cave. Instantly, she was leapt upon, and her hands were bound. She snarled at the female. "Ferretooth, I'm really gonna kill you when I get free."
"Well, ain't yew the brave one? Oooohh, yer gonna be in fer it when we get back t'camp! His Lordship wasn' happy last we saw 'im!" She sneered evilly at the captive, and started to lead her back to the camp.
Ferretooth was right. Whitestripe was definitely not happy. In fact, he was enraged! After killing the old slave driver, he had sent his trackers out to recover his property. But where were they? They'd probably be back very soon. He called for his captain, Scumstripe, to come into his tent.
Scumstripe was an unusual creature with a deadly weapon. He was a skunk, and greatly respected. All knew that if you made the captain angry, your bunk would smell VERY strongly that night. As a result, he was perfect as a captain, for he was feared throughout the camp. The fact that he was a strong fighter also helped the cause.
The skunk entered the badger's cabin, careful to be very polite. "What do ye wish o' me, m'lord?"
The badger answered quietly, "When the trackers get back, send them to me if they have Ketris. If they don't. well, you know what to do if they fail." He smiled grimly, causing the captain to shudder.
"It will be as ye command, Sir.
Whitestripe didn't even have to wait five minutes before there was a knock on the door. He grunted, inviting them to enter, and three annoyed looking weasels and a badger stumbled in. "Good, Ferretooth. Was she any trouble? You look disturbed."
She answered nonchalantly, "Nay, sir, she was jus' annoyin'. We got 'er easily."
"Excellent. You may go. Reward yourself with some food." All four creatures turned to go. "Oh, no. Not you, Threestripe." The young badger stopped and turned around, her face showing no emotion. He stood and paced in front of her. "Ketris, Ketris, Ketris. I've raised you, clothed you, taught you, and this is how you repay me?" She didn't answer. "You could be great, Threestripe. You could be higher than Scumstripe! I ask again: Join my army, Ketris? You'll get decent meals, decent rooms, and. well, definitely less work than you do now! What do you say? I offer you freedom in exchange for loyalty."
As an answer, she spat in his face. Surprisingly, he wasn't pleased.
"I should have killed you! I should have left you for dead! But I didn't! Any other beast would DIE for such insolence!" Ket didn't reply, she was very much aware of the last fact. "I won't kill you though. However, don't believe that I'll let you go unpunished." Ket still stood still. She hadn't been expecting that. She knew she'd receive a bit of pain. "Hold out your left paw." The young slave thought it would be better to obey. It would be over soon. Her master drew his sword, and with a great sweeping movement-
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaauuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!" Ket made her first reply. She couldn't help it with the excruciating pain coming from her paw. She looked down to realize that she only had four fingers. She glared at Whitestripe with a look of pure hate.
The older badger called his captain again. "Take her to the slave quarters. and tell Stubb to cut her rations."
Once in the quarters, her fellow slaves surrounded her. Dylan, a friendly wildcat she was particularly friends with, rushed to her aid and noticed she was bleeding. "Ket, what did that tyrant do to you? Oh, I hope I'll see the day when he's killed!"
"You will, my friend," Ket growled. "Because I'll be the one to kill him!"
All the slaves cheered.
Like it so far? Please review, but be kind! It's my first fic, after all.
Ketris was running as fast as she could. She didn't know where she was going, much less where she actually was, but she knew she had to get away. There were three grown weasels after her. They were skilled trackers, and she was still young, and had never learned to cover her tracks or trick her enemies. It was only a matter of time before she was caught.
Ten minutes later, Ket was still running, and she was exhausted. If she stopped, she knew she'd be caught for sure. If she kept running, they'd still catch her when she collapsed from fatigue. Ketris was losing all hope when she noticed a cave to her right. It was her last chance. The terrified badger ran to seek refuge in the cave.
It turned out, Whitestripe wasn't as nice as he first seemed. The "family" he had spoken of was actually a horde of vermin, and he was their warlord. The badger had been an outcast of some mountain, and now he had sworn to conquer it. He knew his army wasn't nearly strong enough to win, so he was training his troops in the north.
True, he had raised her, and taught her (most of it false, but she didn't know), but she had never felt right, or at home with the white-striped badger. He even taught her a bit of weaponry, and she had skill, but she never grew comfortable with Whitestripe. After he offered for her to join his army, she flatly refused, and he cast her into slavery. Every so often, he would offer again, but she always refused. She had grown to hate her captor, but he never gave up. And just recently, she had the chance to escape, but she knew she was going to be recaptured soon.
A weasel yelled into the cave. "C'mon out, badger! We weren' told t'kill yer, jus' capture ye alive!"
Ket decided to try her luck with a mole voice. "Oi'm jus' a moler, zurr. No badger's been 'ere since las' season, burr aye."
The first weasel fell for it, and apologized (he wasn't the smartest creature in the army), but a second female wasn't fooled. "Rottail's an idjit, badger. He did leave one thing out though: We were given permission t'kill ye if'n ye gave us trouble! So jus' surrender now an' save us the work!"
Ket lived by a rule: "Where there's life, there's hope," so she gave up and walked out of the cave. Instantly, she was leapt upon, and her hands were bound. She snarled at the female. "Ferretooth, I'm really gonna kill you when I get free."
"Well, ain't yew the brave one? Oooohh, yer gonna be in fer it when we get back t'camp! His Lordship wasn' happy last we saw 'im!" She sneered evilly at the captive, and started to lead her back to the camp.
Ferretooth was right. Whitestripe was definitely not happy. In fact, he was enraged! After killing the old slave driver, he had sent his trackers out to recover his property. But where were they? They'd probably be back very soon. He called for his captain, Scumstripe, to come into his tent.
Scumstripe was an unusual creature with a deadly weapon. He was a skunk, and greatly respected. All knew that if you made the captain angry, your bunk would smell VERY strongly that night. As a result, he was perfect as a captain, for he was feared throughout the camp. The fact that he was a strong fighter also helped the cause.
The skunk entered the badger's cabin, careful to be very polite. "What do ye wish o' me, m'lord?"
The badger answered quietly, "When the trackers get back, send them to me if they have Ketris. If they don't. well, you know what to do if they fail." He smiled grimly, causing the captain to shudder.
"It will be as ye command, Sir.
Whitestripe didn't even have to wait five minutes before there was a knock on the door. He grunted, inviting them to enter, and three annoyed looking weasels and a badger stumbled in. "Good, Ferretooth. Was she any trouble? You look disturbed."
She answered nonchalantly, "Nay, sir, she was jus' annoyin'. We got 'er easily."
"Excellent. You may go. Reward yourself with some food." All four creatures turned to go. "Oh, no. Not you, Threestripe." The young badger stopped and turned around, her face showing no emotion. He stood and paced in front of her. "Ketris, Ketris, Ketris. I've raised you, clothed you, taught you, and this is how you repay me?" She didn't answer. "You could be great, Threestripe. You could be higher than Scumstripe! I ask again: Join my army, Ketris? You'll get decent meals, decent rooms, and. well, definitely less work than you do now! What do you say? I offer you freedom in exchange for loyalty."
As an answer, she spat in his face. Surprisingly, he wasn't pleased.
"I should have killed you! I should have left you for dead! But I didn't! Any other beast would DIE for such insolence!" Ket didn't reply, she was very much aware of the last fact. "I won't kill you though. However, don't believe that I'll let you go unpunished." Ket still stood still. She hadn't been expecting that. She knew she'd receive a bit of pain. "Hold out your left paw." The young slave thought it would be better to obey. It would be over soon. Her master drew his sword, and with a great sweeping movement-
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaauuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!" Ket made her first reply. She couldn't help it with the excruciating pain coming from her paw. She looked down to realize that she only had four fingers. She glared at Whitestripe with a look of pure hate.
The older badger called his captain again. "Take her to the slave quarters. and tell Stubb to cut her rations."
Once in the quarters, her fellow slaves surrounded her. Dylan, a friendly wildcat she was particularly friends with, rushed to her aid and noticed she was bleeding. "Ket, what did that tyrant do to you? Oh, I hope I'll see the day when he's killed!"
"You will, my friend," Ket growled. "Because I'll be the one to kill him!"
All the slaves cheered.
Like it so far? Please review, but be kind! It's my first fic, after all.