~Theft Of The Sword~
~Chapter Two~
In a flash of the thief's dagger the ottermaid fell into a motionless heap, a dark, crimson stain across her throat. Outside the Great Hall one of the had risen from her state of unconsciousness with a throbbing headache, at the sound of the scream she bolted towards the doors into the abbey, her spear in paw, ready for anything. Inside the thief gathered up the dagger he had knocked out the male otter with, quickly he climbed up the tapestry to take the sword of Martin from its perch.
Sliding it into a sheath lashed on his back that seemed to have been made for the weapon, the thief breathed a soft sigh of relief as his heart began to beat normally. Having taken his prize the thief sprinted towards the door to the inner grounds of the abbey, but just when he had gotten halfway to the door, it opened to reveal the lone sentry, her spear held out in front of her defensively as she saw the thief emerging from the shadows.
"Halt!" She called out, hoping to at least make the thief hesitate, but it did not slow for the sentry barreling into her, throwing both of them to the ground and backwards into the courtyards. The wind knocked out of her, the otter could only watch as the thief leapt to his foot paws darting towards the outer wall and the gatehouse.
As quickly as she could the sentry was up again, her sling out and loaded as she chased after her attacker, but by the time she was halfway to the outer wall's stairs the thief had reached the top and disappeared over the wall. When the otter maid had reached the top she let loose a sling stone, but it was already far too late, even if she hit the thief it wouldn't have too much effect from that sort of range. In the distance, barely visible even with the full moon above, she saw the thief cut to right and off the path, disappearing into the thick foliage of the forest.
"Peri?" A weak voice asked, breaking the silence of the cold night air.
"Aro!" Peri rushed to her fellow otter's side, dropping her weapons as she knelt down beside him, checking him over for any wounds. "Ye all right, mate?"
"Me ole head ain't, how 'bout you?" The otter asked, trying to rise, still somewhat dazed, failing to get above a crouch, leaning heavily on the wall.
"I'm fine I guess." It was really a lie, her head throbbed painfully, but he was off worse then her, she could see a damp spot at the back of his skull where the hilt of the dagger had struck. "C'mon we best get ye inside."
"Sounds good." Aro replied as the smaller otter maid supported his weight, leading him down off the wall and through the courtyard to the Great Hall. Once inside they found the Hall lit up brightly as it had been at suppertime, a crowd of abbey beasts gathered below the tapestry of Martin the Warrior. Worried, Peri made her way quickly towards the crowd, wondering what the thief had done to cause this sort of crowd, but remembering the scream she knew what it had to be.
"Peri! Are you two all right?" A mouse at the edges of the crowd had noticed the pair as they staggered down the main aisle of the Great Hall, rushing to meet them halfway to the Tapestry, helping the ottermaid with the dazed sentry.
"We're fine enough, what 'appened?" She demanded, carefully setting the still half-conscious Aro down on a table.
"Somebeast stole the sword of Martin, Deyna was knocked out an'. . .an'. . ." The mouse stuttered for the moment, seeming to fight back tears as he spoke. " . . .They found Mother Mhera, her throat was slashed, they have her up in the infirmary right now." At these words Peri pushed through the crowd to find Deyna, the abbey warrior, up on his foot paws, but barely conscious as he stood, leaning heavily against the wall.
"Deyna, ye all right, matey?" Nimbalo, a mouse that Deyna had brought into abbey upon his arrival, asked his friend, a look of worry upon his face.
"Who did this?" The warrior otter demanded, his voice cold and menacing.
"It was a thief, sir." Peri had stepped through the crowd to the otter's side. "He came for Martin's sword, he snuck up behind us an' got in, we couldn't stop him." She explained, a little nervous talking to the otter, but mostly she was just ashamed of the fact that she hadn't been able to stop the thief.
"You saw the thief, where'd the scum go?" Deyna demanded from the ottermaid, now fully conscious, with a rage burning deep within his eyes.
"He went down the main path and went northwards into the forest, probably towards the river." Peri answered, gulping in fear at the look in the warrior's eyes. Suddenly the otter left, pushing through the crowds towards the door to the courtyards. Nimbalo made a move to follow his friend, but the paw of a pretty squirrel maid stopped him.
"I don't think ye want ta be goin' near Deyna anytime soon. Anything happening to Mhera is more than enough ta push him over the edge. May as well be the blood wrath." The squirrel maid muttered as she held the mouse back, her face mirroring the look of worry on his.
"But . . ." He began, but Fwirl simply silenced him with a wave of her paw.
"C'mon, let's go check on Mhera, it's the best thing we can do for him right now." She told him with a sigh, as with a glance towards the now closed door, the mouse nodded his consent, following the squirrel maid as she made her way upstairs. Meanwhile outside, Deyna had left the safety of the abbey, a spear in paw, the blood of the Taggerung flowing in his veins. He was hunting, following a trail of footprints as only he could, a vengeful desire for the thief's blood alive his soul.
~Chapter Two~
In a flash of the thief's dagger the ottermaid fell into a motionless heap, a dark, crimson stain across her throat. Outside the Great Hall one of the had risen from her state of unconsciousness with a throbbing headache, at the sound of the scream she bolted towards the doors into the abbey, her spear in paw, ready for anything. Inside the thief gathered up the dagger he had knocked out the male otter with, quickly he climbed up the tapestry to take the sword of Martin from its perch.
Sliding it into a sheath lashed on his back that seemed to have been made for the weapon, the thief breathed a soft sigh of relief as his heart began to beat normally. Having taken his prize the thief sprinted towards the door to the inner grounds of the abbey, but just when he had gotten halfway to the door, it opened to reveal the lone sentry, her spear held out in front of her defensively as she saw the thief emerging from the shadows.
"Halt!" She called out, hoping to at least make the thief hesitate, but it did not slow for the sentry barreling into her, throwing both of them to the ground and backwards into the courtyards. The wind knocked out of her, the otter could only watch as the thief leapt to his foot paws darting towards the outer wall and the gatehouse.
As quickly as she could the sentry was up again, her sling out and loaded as she chased after her attacker, but by the time she was halfway to the outer wall's stairs the thief had reached the top and disappeared over the wall. When the otter maid had reached the top she let loose a sling stone, but it was already far too late, even if she hit the thief it wouldn't have too much effect from that sort of range. In the distance, barely visible even with the full moon above, she saw the thief cut to right and off the path, disappearing into the thick foliage of the forest.
"Peri?" A weak voice asked, breaking the silence of the cold night air.
"Aro!" Peri rushed to her fellow otter's side, dropping her weapons as she knelt down beside him, checking him over for any wounds. "Ye all right, mate?"
"Me ole head ain't, how 'bout you?" The otter asked, trying to rise, still somewhat dazed, failing to get above a crouch, leaning heavily on the wall.
"I'm fine I guess." It was really a lie, her head throbbed painfully, but he was off worse then her, she could see a damp spot at the back of his skull where the hilt of the dagger had struck. "C'mon we best get ye inside."
"Sounds good." Aro replied as the smaller otter maid supported his weight, leading him down off the wall and through the courtyard to the Great Hall. Once inside they found the Hall lit up brightly as it had been at suppertime, a crowd of abbey beasts gathered below the tapestry of Martin the Warrior. Worried, Peri made her way quickly towards the crowd, wondering what the thief had done to cause this sort of crowd, but remembering the scream she knew what it had to be.
"Peri! Are you two all right?" A mouse at the edges of the crowd had noticed the pair as they staggered down the main aisle of the Great Hall, rushing to meet them halfway to the Tapestry, helping the ottermaid with the dazed sentry.
"We're fine enough, what 'appened?" She demanded, carefully setting the still half-conscious Aro down on a table.
"Somebeast stole the sword of Martin, Deyna was knocked out an'. . .an'. . ." The mouse stuttered for the moment, seeming to fight back tears as he spoke. " . . .They found Mother Mhera, her throat was slashed, they have her up in the infirmary right now." At these words Peri pushed through the crowd to find Deyna, the abbey warrior, up on his foot paws, but barely conscious as he stood, leaning heavily against the wall.
"Deyna, ye all right, matey?" Nimbalo, a mouse that Deyna had brought into abbey upon his arrival, asked his friend, a look of worry upon his face.
"Who did this?" The warrior otter demanded, his voice cold and menacing.
"It was a thief, sir." Peri had stepped through the crowd to the otter's side. "He came for Martin's sword, he snuck up behind us an' got in, we couldn't stop him." She explained, a little nervous talking to the otter, but mostly she was just ashamed of the fact that she hadn't been able to stop the thief.
"You saw the thief, where'd the scum go?" Deyna demanded from the ottermaid, now fully conscious, with a rage burning deep within his eyes.
"He went down the main path and went northwards into the forest, probably towards the river." Peri answered, gulping in fear at the look in the warrior's eyes. Suddenly the otter left, pushing through the crowds towards the door to the courtyards. Nimbalo made a move to follow his friend, but the paw of a pretty squirrel maid stopped him.
"I don't think ye want ta be goin' near Deyna anytime soon. Anything happening to Mhera is more than enough ta push him over the edge. May as well be the blood wrath." The squirrel maid muttered as she held the mouse back, her face mirroring the look of worry on his.
"But . . ." He began, but Fwirl simply silenced him with a wave of her paw.
"C'mon, let's go check on Mhera, it's the best thing we can do for him right now." She told him with a sigh, as with a glance towards the now closed door, the mouse nodded his consent, following the squirrel maid as she made her way upstairs. Meanwhile outside, Deyna had left the safety of the abbey, a spear in paw, the blood of the Taggerung flowing in his veins. He was hunting, following a trail of footprints as only he could, a vengeful desire for the thief's blood alive his soul.