Sorry about the whole ship name mix-up thingy. Oh, um there is two almost three pairings in this story so...yeah.
Silver Twistedjaw easily stood half a head higher than any other beast in her tribe. The tall, dusky furred weasel was a renowned fighter. She had traveled from the far east where kindness meant weakness. Once Silver arrived in Mossflower country, she had fought her way to the top.
Silver's tribe of ferrets, stoats, weasels, rats, and foxes were only too glad to follow the infamous warlord. There was no reason they wouldn't follow her. She knew her strength rested in her tribe so she made sure they were well-fed, well-clothed, and well-armed. The young and the nursing females were protected, and the old were valued for their fighting and medical skills.
The hot noonday sun beat down on a small vermin camp. Vermin sweated and panted as they worked under the sweltering heat. A ferret named Karri dropped the long oak log he had been carrying. At the other end of the log, Riggul the stoat grunted as he suddenly found himself bearing all the weight.
"Karri, gimmee a hand 'ere, mate!" He gasped.
Wiping sweat from his eyes, Karri picked up his end of the log. They carried it to a copse of trees. The ferret and stoat sighed as the leaned against the log. "Wot does Silver want this big ol' long fer, mate?"
Riggul shrugged, "Dunno. She's the leader, we're not. It's not our job ter know."
"She probably jus' wants it fer some arrers."
Riggul was about to reply when the sound of somebeast beating on a hollow log reached his ears. He scrambled to his feet. "Come on, Karri. Dat's probably Sinka callin' everybeast fer lunch."
Sinka was a narrow-faced vixen. She stood in front of a hollow log beating it with a wooden cudgel. Once every babe, mother, elder, fighter, and healer had lined up in front of a huge tent, she dropped the cudgel and hollered out. She had a loud clear voice, and it reached the ears of everyone gathered in the line.
"Alright everyone! Yew know the drill. Babes an' elders up in the front! Everyone else to the back!"
While Karri ended up near the back, Riggul found himself towards the front in between a rat and a weasel. Riggul felt the weasel tapping him on the shoulder. He turned around, "Wot?"
"Do ye know wot's fer lunch, matey?"
Riggul shook his head. "Nah, I wager nobeast else does to. Hey ain't yew that one that Dropear just recruited?"
"Aye, that's me. Me name's Snakestone."
"I'm Riggul. Welcome ter the tribe of Silver Twistedjaw."
"Who is Silver?"
"Ye'll meet 'er soon, mate."
Snakestone and Riggul continued to talk as they ducked into the tent. Several fires had been built in stone pits, and a variety of fish and birds roasted on them. Snakestone breathed in the scent of cooking food. Her mouth began to water. "Ah, I haven't had vittles like this since…never."
A sullen rat handed her a roasted bluegill wrapped in dock leaves. Farther down the line, a ferret handed her a flask of nettlebeer. Snakestone and Riggul took a seat under a shady tree. Karri sat down with them.
---
Silver Twistedjaw watched two ferrets and a fox tearing hungrily away at a roasted dove. The fox swigged some wine, belched, and gave his report. "Well, not to far away there's a pathway. We follered it fer a couple o' hours an' we bumped inter a huge red building. A bunch of woodlanders lived there."
Silver's amber eyes glinted with a wild light. She turned to the two ferrets. "Is this true?"
They nodded and spoke as one. "Aye, Silver."
The bigger of the two ferrets picked a piece of bird out of his tooth. He flicked it at his companion. "Aye, Silver. There's a big badger in there, but she's blind. There's also a tough lookin' squirrel, but he's the only real warrior there. It would be easy to take fer ourselves."
Silver was pleased. She massaged her jaw as she spoke. "Blind or not, the badger is dangerous. My jaw was broken by a big stripedog. It never healed right. Stripedogs are dangerous, blind or not. Tomorrow morning you three will lead me to this place, aye?"
"Aye!"