Alright, I posted that other story, please review on it and tell me what you think!
Lenzon crept past the fire, hardly daring to breathe. Around the fire, vermin sat drinking and arguing over various trinkets plundered from the squirrel's home.
"I got that one!" a lean, muscular weasel shouted, tugging a necklace from the paws of an equally lean and muscular stoat.
"Did not! This un's from that 'ole squirrelma up in that big tree. 'Twas me wot slit 'er neck, ye great blithering oaf!"
Lenzon froze as the necklace caught the light.
His mother's necklace.
The vermin continued to fight as Lenzon bolted through the trees. Except for the smoke-blackened trunks, the smell of burnt foliage, and the absence of many branches, these trees were very familiar to him. He scurried up the large oak tree and hesitated a moment before opening the door.
His mother lay crumpled on the floor, eyes lifeless, with a gash across her throat. He knelt down and wiped a tear from her sleek fur, but another soon fell to take its place.
He stood up and looked around and the badly burnt drey. It took him a moment, but he found a mostly intact blanket and draped it gently over his mother's body.
He stood up and found his pack badly singed, but it would have to do. He foraged through all the cupboards and grabbed anything edible, which wasn't much, before heading into his room and trying to find where the bed had been.
His room had been burnt the worst; the whole south wall had fallen away and everything inside demolished by the licking flames. Except... he thought, and carefully sifted through the ash where his bed had been. Before long, he found what he was looking for. He picked up the small knife and quickly made a new bark holder for it, which he strapped to his leg.
He sifted through the pile a bit longer until he found three spearheads, the remnants of his best throwing spears. He put them in his pack, hoping to make new handles for them later.
Courage jogged steadily in a northeasterly direction, but was interrupted by Mara.
"C-rige!" she said, voice broken by the bumpy pace, "N-o b-ou-nce!"
"Sorry, Mare," Courage replied, "We have to."
"NOO!" she shrieked.
Courage stopped and clapped a paw over her mouth.
"Alright, we won't bounce."
She giggled and he removed his paw. Heaving a sigh, he readjusted the packs on his back before continuing at a fast walk. It was only a little while before Mara was bored again.
"Song?" she asked, tugging on Courage's whiskers.
"What? Oh, alright," he said distractedly, sure that he had heard something in the woods to his left.
Keeping his voice down just loud enough for Mara to hear, he sang a little riddle.
"I'm green and flat,
Not on a tree,
But I am something,
You often see,
What am I?"
Mara had heard that riddle many time and giggled out the answer.
"Grass!"
"Very good," Courage whispered, now positive that something was keeping pace with them.
Suddenly, an otter leapt out from the brush and stood in the middle of the path, grinning broadly.
"Well, stap me whiskers and boggle me barnacles! It's Courage Strongpaw! It's been ages since I've clapped eyes on you, little matey. Oh, but look at me; I can't very well call you little anymore, can I?"
"I don't think so," Courage replied warily, "But who are you?"
"Oh, dearie me, I've forgotten to introduce myself! Of course you don't know me, little matey, you weren't big enough to fit in a clamshell when I saw you last. The name's Wavepaw."
The otter shook Courage's paw heartily and tickled Mara's whiskers.
"Who's the little codfish?" he asked, chuckling as Mara giggled delightedly.
"My sister, Mara," Courage replied, "Can we walk and talk? I'm kind of in a hurry."
"No problem, little matey," Wavepaw said, following Courage's hasty pace. "So, sister, eh? How are your parents?"
"Well," Strongpaw said hesitantly, "There's been an attack on the wood further south. I ran with Mara and we're going to Salamandastron. I think they're probably... well, dead, I suppose."
"No!" cried Wavepaw, his eyes widening, "That's terrible! Me matey, Valiant!"
He broke off and they continued in silence for a while before Wavepaw spoke again.
"The least I can do is offer you a place to stay for the night, then I'll swim up north to my brother, the Skipper of a clan up there, so he can be ready for the vermin. I wish there was more I could do, little matey."
"Thank you, friend, We will stay with you tonight."
They walked until it was quite dark before they reached Wavepaw's dwelling.
After a nice supper, Wavepaw insisted on filling up his ration pack again with hearty biscuits and breads, and a few empty canteens. The next morning, Courage and Mara started out early with a few last instructions from Wavepaw.
I won't be posting any more chapters before I leave, and I doubt I'll post any more 'til at LEAST July 15. Sorry!
Please review!