Remember that anything you find in this story that is also written in Martin the Warrior belongs to Brain Jacques. Along with everything else.

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Chapter 2: Reacquainted

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Felldoh suddenly realized the awful trick. Quicker then anyone could remember, he flipped the javelin so the point was down. Then, raising it above his head, he stabbed down while yelling at the top of his voice, "Fur and Freedooooooooooooooom!"

So great was his force that the javelin not only ran right through the Tyrant, but it pinned him to that very shore. Every horde beast stopped dead in their tracks at the sight of their leader with a javelin protruding through his middle.

"Common, lets go." Brome grabbed Tullgrew's paw and together they ran down to meet Felldoh.

Wearily the squirrel eased down on the shore and massaged his wounded footpaw.

"Felldoh! Felldoh! I'm here!" Brome ran up and hugged the squirrelwarrior.

"Hello, Brome! Good to see a fair face in this crowd." The squirrel indicated the dull and witless, ugly vermin.

"Oh, that must hurt! Let me bandage that up."

"I guess I was wrong, I apologize for not having faith in you, Felldoh." Tullgrew sat down beside them as Brome selected herbs from his healing bag and applied them to Felldoh's footpaw.

"This might sting a little, Felldoh." Brome pressed some moss across the wound along with dock leaves. Then taking a bandage began to wrap it up.

Felldoh talked to Tullgrew to get his mind off the throbbing pain in his paw. "Apologize? For what?"

"I said you were going to die, because we sensed a trap."

"Aw that okay. I'm still here aren't I? He was the unlucky one." He pointed at Badrang's carcass. "But he deserved it ten times over."

Brome and Tullgrew nodded in agreement.

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Felldoh was right: a horde with out its leader is like a snake without its head. The horde stood looking at the three beast happily chatting on the beach while trying to think of what to do next.

"Waddowe do now?" A stoat asked.

"I dunno, ask 'im." The ferret next to him pointed at the rat by him.

"Not me, 'er!" He jabbed a paw at the female rat next to him.

"Where's Crosstooth? Ain't 'e in charge?" She looked around.

Crosstooth was inching back toward the fortress gates. "Everyone back inside! I see somthin' commin'!

All the beasts scrambled inside and shut the gates as the cart with Ballaw and Keyla on top and the rest of Fur and Freedom Fighters running behind. Rowanoak pulled the cart. The cart creaked and groaned as it was halted abruptly in front of the grinning and smiling trio.

"Good show, wot?" Ballaw said as he jump/tumbled down from the still swaying cart.

"I'm so happy to see you alive and well!" Rowanoak grabbed Felldoh in a bear hug that left him gasping for breath once she put him down.

Keyla gave him a hefty slap on the back and congratulated him. "Way to go, mate. You rid the land of the foulest stench."

Felldoh managed a meek smile. "Not so when you beat up the hero."

"Let us rid the stench's gasses." Rownoak waved a dramatic paw in the direction of the fortress Marshank.

"Then we can celebrate with a feast?" Ballaw added hopefully.

Roars of laughter followed the hare's remark.

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Two more chapters, maybe three. Then this short story is over.