Sorry for taking so long! I haven't had much time to write, and I just finished the second chapter! Hope you guys like it and thanks for all the great reviews.

Happy Holidays

-Passion

December 18, 2004

The Red

Chapter 2

Scribnose was a born leader. His mother, a healing ferret, told him he would make a good captain someday. And then she would spank him on the rear for stealing her "magical" berries. Scribnose knew his mother was a fake. Her potions never worked, her elixirs never cured, her bandages didn't hold. But she was a decent mother, unlike the other parents around their camp. The only thing he had against her was the fact she gave him such a horrible name. Scribnose wanted a powerful name, a frightening name. He would change it, but he was too dense in the head to think of a better name himself. So, Scribnose stuck.

However, he did grow up to be a captain of his own ship. After his mother died, he ran away from his tribe's camp with a few members seeking more freedom and power and who were denser in the head than Scribnose himself. He built a small ship, named it Weedlang after his mother, and sailed off.

After a third of a season, Scribnose's ship was wrecked, all provisions were gone, and he had only half the crew he had left with.

Scribnose had ordered two weasels, Darkfang and Redear, to search for more food. They had found themselves on land once again. Scribnose was planning on searching for rations, fixing their weapons and putting together a new boat. But his plans changed when he heard a voice coming from the south. It sounded like a creature screaming. Hoping it was some innocent, defenseless woodlander he could easily capture, Scribnose chose two other ferrets and a rat to go with him and explore the area.

And that's when they spotted them. Behind a mass of bushes, Scribnose and his crew could see a young, strong looking mouse and a larger, chestnut colored creature with giant cheeks. Scribnose had no idea what the latter was, but it didn't look too powerful. The mouse looked rather tough, but they could take him on. They had a two to one advantage.

"But look at 'is blade, cap'n," Mangefur, the rat, complained after seeing the look of glee in Scribnose's eyes. " 'E could chop us all inter bits and eat us fer brekkist."

Scribnose snapped at the rat's whip like tail. "Shuttup, you blubbering fool," he said in a fierce whisper. "Look here. We outnumber 'em two to one. I've got my sword, an' you three got your rapiers. The mouse is armed, but that funny lookin' creature has no weapons. We could take 'em easily and keep 'em as slaves. Unless, you three want to build our new ship all by yerselves."

The three villains cringed and shook their heads. For disagreeing with their captain, becoming head boat builders would be getting off easy. There were much more cruel punishments Scribnose could give.

"Now listen 'ere," Scribnose ordered. "As I see it, this mouse and this-er-these two mice shouldn't give us any trouble. What we'll do is a fair trade. We'll threaten to kill 'em, and then we make 'em give us all of their vittles and weapons. And then, when they think they're all safe and free, we kill the big one for fun and take the armed one prisoner."

Mangefur and the others began to rub their paws together with glee. The thought of ruthless killing always brightened their spirits.

"You dud heads ready?" Scribnose asked.

The three crew members shook their heads vigorously. The fact that their captain just insulted them went unbeknownst to them.

"Do exactly as planned now. On three." The ferret leader clenched his fists. He could practically taste the easy victory sitting before him. "One...two…three!"

Seafarers.

Unsuccessful seafarers to be more exact. Martin was quite used to the type, but nevertheless, he would rather not have to deal with them.

There were three ferrets and a rat. The ferret in front, which Martin presumed to be the leader, was the largest of the four. He was predominantly white with a black cap and dorsal stripe. His muzzle was scrunched and scrambled to such an extent that Martin at first thought he was wearing a mask. Piercings littered his body and a tattoo of a sea monster could be seen on his left bicep. The sword he carried did not look too valuable and was probably stolen from a newly slain enemy.

The two other ferrets looked exactly alike. Martin guessed that, however rare it was for ferrets, they were twins. Unlike their captain, they were mostly black with white underbellies. Carrying rapiers, which Martin knew for a fact that they were stolen from the tribe of Guosim shrews, the pair looked bedraggled and underfed. Their sunken eyes flickered with delight at the sight of lonely woodlanders.

The rat was foul looking and smelling. His greasy fur was matted and stained with sap and blood. The wicked smile that played across his lips allowed for two chipped and rotted teeth to show. Slimy and dirty, his tail swung back and forth like a pendulum. He too carried a rapier, except this one was dull and had a broken hilt.

Smiling devilishly, the leading ferret commanded his gang to halt. "Hullo there, mice. Nice day isn't it?"

Martin was not fooled by the vermin's polite greeting. He turned to Azalea, and she too stared at the visitors warily. "Yes it is," the mouse answered. "What brings you here?"

Scribnose began to pace in front of the two friends. "Oh, we're just, ya know, passing through…"

Martin didn't believe it for one second. "Then you better leave us alone and be on your way." He tightened his grip on Luke's handsome sword.

"Ah, but why leave when there is a good source of vittles about, eh?" Scribnose's eyes glanced at Martin's haversack.

Martin could see were this conversation was heading. "Listen here," he said, his voice growing sterner, "we're just peaceful travelers. We don't mean you any harm. Now, just let us continue on our way, and we won't cause you any trouble."

The ferret clones snickered. Scribnose smiled dully. "Oh, I'm sure you won't be causing us any trouble, as long as you follow our directions very closely." The ferret's once friendly smile turned sinister.

In a flash, Scribnose's sword was underneath Martin's chin, its ominous point threatening the mouse to let down his guard.

"Step number one," Scribnose hissed, "you two give us all the vittles you've got, and we spare yer lives."

Martin wasn't panicking yet, and a plan began to form in his mind. "You have no right to take the personal belongings of innocent creatures," he said through gritted teeth.

The ferret captain chuckled. "You have no right to take the personal belongings of innocent creatures," he mocked in a squeaky, high-pitched voice. "Listen to him, mates. He's talking to me like he's the boss 'round here!" Scribnose thrust his weapon even higher.

The blade was touching Martin's skin now. He could feel the cold, hard steel on his flesh. At any moment, the sword would be jabbed into his unprotected jaw. Martin risked a quick glance to his right at Azalea. She was alert and at the ready.

With a grunt of exertion, Martin thrust his body backwards into midair. In the middle of a back flip, his footpaws collided with Scribnose's clenched fist. The ferret's sword went flying through the air. Landing smoothly on the ground, Martin swung out with his blade. The sharp steel connected with Scribnose's footpaw. Yelping in pain, Scribnose fell to the ground with a thud.

To Martin's right, Azalea was advancing on Mangefur. She leaped at him, digging her huge incisors into the back of his neck. Grabbing the rapier from the helpless rat, Azalea stabbed Mangefur swiftly in the back. He lay slain on the bloodstained grass.

Martin reached for the ferret captain's abandoned sword. He turned to the twins. After seeing their crew member brutally murdered with his own rapier and their captain's footpaw hacked into, they decided to pull a cut-and-run. How smart of the idiots, Martin thought to himself.

There was a groan heard from behind. Scribnose was beginning to rise. Martin wielded the ferret's blade and whacked Scribnose upside the head with the flat. Down he went again. Martin stood over the trembling ferret, pointing his father's sword at his throat.

Martin was just about to withdraw his weapons and show Scribnose some mercy, when a strange thought came into his mind.

Martin hadn't felt the thrill of killing in a long time.