"What?!!!"
TealFur was in a high temper, pacing back in forth angrily and shouting at Bloodnoose and Chaimp's quivering forms. Neither the rat or the fox had had any luck finding the area Morgra had described. Thus the Wildcat lord was in a mood even the storms that wreaked havoc about the land could not compete with. With TealFur's rapier and death threats at their tails the two Slayers fled the tent. The cat stomped out of the tent, rage blinding his eyes. With two swift moves TealFur slew Blotchfur the stoat guard and his companion who were standing, as always, at the sides of the entrance. Slicing the air with the bloodied rapier his voice boomed out over the camp.
"Akujiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!"
The ranks of watching Searchers parted, allowing a silver-furred mink saunter towards the wrathful lord. A dark-green cloak was draped about him, tattoos littered the face of the creature. Finally the mink stepped up to face TealFur, turning his red eyes on him.
"What do you call upon me for, lord?" The mink's voice was like an echo, something long gone with only a faint trace of its presence left. When TealFur regained his calmness he began to pace around the mink.
"Akuji, is it true you served my father and was loyal to him?"
"Yes, my lord. I was the right paw of your father, Dest, king of the Northern Mountains..." The echo-like voice spoke again; neither showing emotion or question. TealFur suddenly turned on the mink, his face inches away from Akuji's, the tip of his rapier tickling the speaker's throat.
"Never, never, speak that name in my presence." He growled through clenched fangs. "My father has been long dead for seasons now. Like the soil on his grave he will not be remembered in my hordes. You serve me now, you worthless excuse for an assassin!" Wrenching the blade away from Akuji's throat he stared wrathfully into the assassin's blood red eyes. Still no emotion was shown.
"Yes, my lord."
In one quick swipe the rapier blade flew past the mink's face, just cutting the tip of his nose. With the point tickling Akuji's throat the cat began whispering silkily into the assassin's ear.
"Good, good, now I have a job for you..."
Wrapped up in old blankets the two former Slayers sat near a small fire, a day's run from the horde's camp. The sat shivering, glaring at each other and occasionally throwing death threats at the other. For a long while Chaimp's eyes were locked on the coin that hung from the chain in his paws. The gold shined in the firelight. Wrapping the tattered blanket around his form Bloodnoose watched Chaimp toy around with the item.
"Hoi, snotnose! What's that thing yer got there?" Chaimp raised his head to face the rat, as if just noticing his presence.
"Oh, 'tis just a trinket I stole offa otter 'bout two seasons ago. What's it to ye, ratface?" The fox snarled aggressively and Bloodnoose glared back.
"Good morn, comrades."
As if he had always been sitting there, Akuji the mink appeared sitting next to Bloodnoose and Chaimp. He smiled, red eyes smiling with trust. He offered a napkin with a few bits of cooked fish on it to Bloodnoose.
"Would you like some dace, friend?" With a growl the rat knocked the offering into the flame and unsheathed the short sword given to him by TealFur.
"Tryin' ta poison us, eh?" A fiendish sneer grew on the rat's face. The tip of the blade tapped on Akuji's already wounded nose. "I see through yer little words." The point shifted to Akuji's throat. Slowly moving the blade from his neck, the mink turned to Chaimp.
"Why, my friend? I only came to assist you." His voice was coated with sadness.
Chaimp snorted. "Yah an' fishes fly an' birds swim. Ye lie; I know yer TealFur's little lackey."
The mink put on a face of pain disbelief. "How could my own mates suspect me of anything, when I only came to help them slay the cat!"
Bloodnoose shook his head. "You lie, mink."
Akuji stood and stomped a footpaw down in anger. "For too long that stripecat and his kin have ordered me around! For too long I've watched good, strong Searchers die in feeble attacks planned out by him and the cat's sire!" Hatred dripped from his voice as the word flew to sting the two sitting figures. Rage shined in Akuji's red eyes. "For too long I have waited, waited for the perfect chance to strike him down! Now I ask of you, my friends, help me in the killing of that barbaric creature who calls himself a warlord!" He looked down at the rat and fox. The light of greed began to show in their eyes. They nodded and the mink smiled.
"Aye, that worthless scum has breathed long enough!"
"Yea! Let's slip a likkle blade inter his throat. Tonight!"
Akuji clapped his paws together. "Good! Now, go and gather any who agree with my plan and meet me at the edge of the camp at midnight."
As the two stood and ambled off, they failed to catch a glimpse of the axe that was drawn from behind the flowing green cloak, and did not notice when it was raised above their heads......
The sun was setting, and TealFur lay on the side of a hill, basking in the dying rays. He sighed. Morgra had not been seen in his horde since the night Bloodnoose and Chaimp where sent out to scout the land, and TealFur had begun to worry for her. This was because, of course, within her the heirs of the lord of the Southernlands awaited their birth. The sound of pawsteps grew louder as the weasel Slayer Zaire approached.
"Sire, Akuji has returned. Alone."
Zaire was a trustworthy weasel, no longer young in seasons, with his brown fur becoming slightly grey in patches. He was a cunning bowbeast, his skills with the bow and arrow legendary in the horde of Searchers. Now he stood on the top of the hill whilst awaiting the reply of his master.
TealFur twirled a paw in a bored fashion. "Then the scum have been taken care of?"
"Yes, Sire, both beheaded and left to rot."
TealFur nodded and sat up, tail swishing through the long grass. "Tell Akuji to come here, after that search for the two next Slayers. Only the best."
"Yes lord. But...."
"But, what?"
"The scouts?"
"Slay them."
Zaire nodded and left the cat to his thinking.
An arrow was notched and Zaire took aim, felling a rat scout. His green eyes wandered about the group of tied former scouts and the other archers slaying them. Another arrow took the life of a stoat whose spear skills where impressive in the eyes of the weasel. Zaire sighed and notched another arrow.
TealFur was in a high temper, pacing back in forth angrily and shouting at Bloodnoose and Chaimp's quivering forms. Neither the rat or the fox had had any luck finding the area Morgra had described. Thus the Wildcat lord was in a mood even the storms that wreaked havoc about the land could not compete with. With TealFur's rapier and death threats at their tails the two Slayers fled the tent. The cat stomped out of the tent, rage blinding his eyes. With two swift moves TealFur slew Blotchfur the stoat guard and his companion who were standing, as always, at the sides of the entrance. Slicing the air with the bloodied rapier his voice boomed out over the camp.
"Akujiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!"
The ranks of watching Searchers parted, allowing a silver-furred mink saunter towards the wrathful lord. A dark-green cloak was draped about him, tattoos littered the face of the creature. Finally the mink stepped up to face TealFur, turning his red eyes on him.
"What do you call upon me for, lord?" The mink's voice was like an echo, something long gone with only a faint trace of its presence left. When TealFur regained his calmness he began to pace around the mink.
"Akuji, is it true you served my father and was loyal to him?"
"Yes, my lord. I was the right paw of your father, Dest, king of the Northern Mountains..." The echo-like voice spoke again; neither showing emotion or question. TealFur suddenly turned on the mink, his face inches away from Akuji's, the tip of his rapier tickling the speaker's throat.
"Never, never, speak that name in my presence." He growled through clenched fangs. "My father has been long dead for seasons now. Like the soil on his grave he will not be remembered in my hordes. You serve me now, you worthless excuse for an assassin!" Wrenching the blade away from Akuji's throat he stared wrathfully into the assassin's blood red eyes. Still no emotion was shown.
"Yes, my lord."
In one quick swipe the rapier blade flew past the mink's face, just cutting the tip of his nose. With the point tickling Akuji's throat the cat began whispering silkily into the assassin's ear.
"Good, good, now I have a job for you..."
Wrapped up in old blankets the two former Slayers sat near a small fire, a day's run from the horde's camp. The sat shivering, glaring at each other and occasionally throwing death threats at the other. For a long while Chaimp's eyes were locked on the coin that hung from the chain in his paws. The gold shined in the firelight. Wrapping the tattered blanket around his form Bloodnoose watched Chaimp toy around with the item.
"Hoi, snotnose! What's that thing yer got there?" Chaimp raised his head to face the rat, as if just noticing his presence.
"Oh, 'tis just a trinket I stole offa otter 'bout two seasons ago. What's it to ye, ratface?" The fox snarled aggressively and Bloodnoose glared back.
"Good morn, comrades."
As if he had always been sitting there, Akuji the mink appeared sitting next to Bloodnoose and Chaimp. He smiled, red eyes smiling with trust. He offered a napkin with a few bits of cooked fish on it to Bloodnoose.
"Would you like some dace, friend?" With a growl the rat knocked the offering into the flame and unsheathed the short sword given to him by TealFur.
"Tryin' ta poison us, eh?" A fiendish sneer grew on the rat's face. The tip of the blade tapped on Akuji's already wounded nose. "I see through yer little words." The point shifted to Akuji's throat. Slowly moving the blade from his neck, the mink turned to Chaimp.
"Why, my friend? I only came to assist you." His voice was coated with sadness.
Chaimp snorted. "Yah an' fishes fly an' birds swim. Ye lie; I know yer TealFur's little lackey."
The mink put on a face of pain disbelief. "How could my own mates suspect me of anything, when I only came to help them slay the cat!"
Bloodnoose shook his head. "You lie, mink."
Akuji stood and stomped a footpaw down in anger. "For too long that stripecat and his kin have ordered me around! For too long I've watched good, strong Searchers die in feeble attacks planned out by him and the cat's sire!" Hatred dripped from his voice as the word flew to sting the two sitting figures. Rage shined in Akuji's red eyes. "For too long I have waited, waited for the perfect chance to strike him down! Now I ask of you, my friends, help me in the killing of that barbaric creature who calls himself a warlord!" He looked down at the rat and fox. The light of greed began to show in their eyes. They nodded and the mink smiled.
"Aye, that worthless scum has breathed long enough!"
"Yea! Let's slip a likkle blade inter his throat. Tonight!"
Akuji clapped his paws together. "Good! Now, go and gather any who agree with my plan and meet me at the edge of the camp at midnight."
As the two stood and ambled off, they failed to catch a glimpse of the axe that was drawn from behind the flowing green cloak, and did not notice when it was raised above their heads......
The sun was setting, and TealFur lay on the side of a hill, basking in the dying rays. He sighed. Morgra had not been seen in his horde since the night Bloodnoose and Chaimp where sent out to scout the land, and TealFur had begun to worry for her. This was because, of course, within her the heirs of the lord of the Southernlands awaited their birth. The sound of pawsteps grew louder as the weasel Slayer Zaire approached.
"Sire, Akuji has returned. Alone."
Zaire was a trustworthy weasel, no longer young in seasons, with his brown fur becoming slightly grey in patches. He was a cunning bowbeast, his skills with the bow and arrow legendary in the horde of Searchers. Now he stood on the top of the hill whilst awaiting the reply of his master.
TealFur twirled a paw in a bored fashion. "Then the scum have been taken care of?"
"Yes, Sire, both beheaded and left to rot."
TealFur nodded and sat up, tail swishing through the long grass. "Tell Akuji to come here, after that search for the two next Slayers. Only the best."
"Yes lord. But...."
"But, what?"
"The scouts?"
"Slay them."
Zaire nodded and left the cat to his thinking.
An arrow was notched and Zaire took aim, felling a rat scout. His green eyes wandered about the group of tied former scouts and the other archers slaying them. Another arrow took the life of a stoat whose spear skills where impressive in the eyes of the weasel. Zaire sighed and notched another arrow.