CHAPTER FOUR
Far across the mighty expanses of plains and grasslands, mountains and rivers, lay the monolith of Salamandastron, ancestral home to hares and badgers. Rising up against the morning sky, waves crashing at its base, the great former volcano was a protector of the western shores, barricade against searats and vermin corsairs. Ruled throughout vast ages by warlike male badgers, Salamandastron was now home to a family of them.
Russano the Wise was getting on in years, but certainly didn't look or act it. Many knew him as the wisest and kindest badger of all time. Tall and slim for a badger, he was still vastly powerful and strong, but the only weapon that he carried was a single hardwood stick. His wife Rosalaun, a pretty badger, had been a wanderer until stopping many seasons ago at the mountain. The pair had two offspring, young Snowstripe and his older sister Melanius.
Now the Badger Lord Russano stood at the eastern window in his bedchamber, worry etched upon his rough face. Speedwell had been gone for three days now. The young hare had reason to be upset, with his brother being recently killed, but that was no reason to run away. Salamandastron had seen hard times of late, and Russano did not like Speedwell adding more worry to the mountain.
Speedwell and his brother, Buckweed, were orphans, both of his parents being killed in a searat raid just after his birth. Russano had raised him and Buckweed along with his own two young ones. Thinking back, Russano brought his paw down hard on the windowsill.
Curse those vermin! Not two weeks ago the mountain had been sabotaged by mysterious unknown creatures. The Badger Lord was infuriated at how they could've gotten in, having all the exits blocked, sealed and guarded. Russano had been roused by a night guard, who just after had been slain by an enemy sword thrust. The guard hare had shouted that there were a small gang of vermin in the mountain just before he went down at trying to defend against them. What the evil vermin were after was still not entirely evident; they had left without taking a thing except for the lives of two gallant hares. Roused by the night guard's cry, Buckweed had come to his assistance, only to be felled by the long sword of a shadowed creature. Russano had seen that happen, as he tore down the hall from his chamber, roaring with grief and anger. The vermin had retreated without a sound, fleeing from the mountain and gone.
The puzzling rapidness and suddenness of the brutal attack sent waves of grief and fear through the mountain. Salamandastron was now home to more young creatures than usual, as Russano was greatly fond of leverets. The unexpected and speedy invasion had made the inhabitants of Salamandastron greatly fearful. Russano had sent out a tracking party of a score of his best tracking and fighting hares, and they were to return to him in as little time as possible.
Although the entire mountain was traumatized by the attack, nobeast had taken it with more force than Speedwell the young hare. The only family that he had left had been slain, and he was left alone with nobeast. Without a second thought he had fled the mountain, taking with him a satchel of provisions and his special weapon, the dirk that had once belonged to his grandsire, Tamello de Fformelo Tussock, who had been one of the greatest Long Patrol officers in the history of Salamandastron.
A separate search party had been set out in search of him, a trio of tracker hares. They were to bring him back immediately. Where he was headed Russano did not know, but he knew that he was driven merely by grief, and it distressed the Badger Lord greatly.
Russano was not known for anger; in fact, he was one of the few Badger Lords known that were not possessed by the Bloodwrath. However, the recent incidents had brought forth a bubble of rage that Russano was previously unaware of.
His wife, Rosalaun, was still asleep, as were his son and daughter in the next room. The sun was just coming up over the eastern sea, spreading rays of gold and scarlet across the sky and water. The Badger Lord clutched his polished hardwood stick tight, imagining the day when he could confront the vermin that had invaded his mountain.
With a swish of his cloak, he strode from the bedchamber and down the flight of stone stairs.
When he entered the dining hall, a small amount of hares had already woken and come down to wait for the cooks to arouse and come down to make breakfast. As young hares often sleep late, the hall contained half a score or so of older veterans. Lounging about in chairs and chattering about bygone battles and departed days, they looked up and fell silent when Russano entered the hall.
"Good morning, sire," greeted a withered old fighter, Colonel Sandoak. Though certainly getting on in seasons, Sandoak was a tough, wiry fighter and one of the best boxing hares on the mountain. He had a wife, who sat by her husband, the pretty Rockivy. Known throughout the mountain as Ivy, she was the head cook at the mountain, although she had been a formidable fighter in her time. The two had no offspring. Blake Thornstone was a dashing middle-aged hare, who leaned back with his paws crossed behind his head, in the chair to the right of Sandoak. He was the head Eighth Spring Galloper for Salamandastron. Blake wasn't married, but many of the mountain's female hares fancied him. Across the table from Blake sat Gangorn Willthrep, a hulking, powerful hare. He was the Garrison Captain of the mountain, and carried with him as his weapon a tremendous, formidable spear.
Russano nodded curtly at his hares and looked over them all with a fearsome gaze. It was amazing how much his attitude had changed with the mysterious incidents at the mountain lately. "Has either search party returned yet?" He asked.
Colonel shook his head sadly. "'Fraid not, sah. Neither the one for the vermin nor the young 'un."
A deep growl manifested itself in the back of the Badger Lord's throat. He sat down in his great central chair, bringing his clenched paw down forcefully on the oaken table. "I hate this waiting! Cannot anything be done about this? Speedwell is young, and he is alone out there. What if the receding band of vermin has caught up with him? That puts my hares in danger as well." He looked around at his circle of hares. Blake Thornstone opened his mouth to reply but Russano cut him off. "If at least one of the parties does not return by sunset tomorrow, I'm going out to look for them myself."
Blake continued. "I'd advise against it, sah. If the vermin return, you'll be needed here to guard the mountain."
Russano shook his great striped head. "I have a feeling that that won't be happening, Blake. I think I understand what the vermin were after, now that I've thought about it. They were looking for something, and they didn't find it. They only killed two of my best hares because they got in the way of their search."
Bitter tears welled in his angry eyes. He wiped them away with a paw before standing again. "There's nothing that I can do; I feel so useless!"
At that moment all heads looked up to the stairs as Russano's young daughter, Melanius, appeared, still in her nightshirt. "Father," she said urgently, "The sentries have just pinpointed a lone figure appearing over the horizon."
Russano muttered, "Speedwell," before leaping up and racing up the stairs behind his daughter.
Melanius was one of Speedwell's few friends at the mountain. The clever young badger and the misfit hare where roughly of the same age, and they had chummed up long ago. She had worried greatly when he had disappeared, telling not even her.
He arrived in his bedchamber. His wife, Rosalaun, and his son, Snowstripe, were out of bed and dressed. Rosalaun was a smaller, petite badger that was very pretty, kind, and generally soft-spoken. Little Snowstripe, who wasn't too far out of Dibbunhood, attached himself around his father's footpaws. "Papa, papa," he said. "Speedwell is coming back."
Rosalaun smiled wanly at her husband. "The sentry has just informed us that the rescue party is following Speedwell. I suppose that they found him. Either way, he's coming home."
Russano furrowed his brow and looked down, puzzled. "Yes...home." He looked up and out the window. Speedwell was approaching, nevertheless, and close behind him came the party of the three long-loping Gallopers. At the sight, Russano felt a great weight life from his heart. But there was something else bothering him; something that told him that this wasn't going to be that easy.
Gathering his family, Snowstripe scooped up in one powerful arm, he strode down the narrow stone stairway.
He met Speedwell and the trackers at the Salamandastron gateway. In many seasons past the doorway had been replaced by a great stone gate. Russano stood in the opening, watching grimly as Speedwell approached him, with his son in his arms and his wife, daughter, and Colonel Sandoak behind him.
Backed by the three tall, lithe Gallopers, Speedwell came from a lope to a steady jog and finally to stop, right in front of the Badger Lord. The two stared at each other in silence for a moment. Young Snowstripe piped up happily, "Speedwell's back!" Rosalaun took him from Russano's arms and hushed him quietly.
Speedwell nodded briefly at the patient trackers. "Any sign of the vermin?" The lead tracker, second in the mountain only to Blake, was known as Rontu Southpaw. Rontu replied, "No, sah. No tracks, so scent, so sign."
He nodded dismissal to the trackers and they marched quickly into the passage. He nodded to his wife as well, and she retreated into the mountain, saying, "Yes, I'll help Ivy get breakfast ready."
Russano walked out into the sand and shut the gate. The sun was rising over the horizon and a cool spring breeze blew across the sand, promising a beautiful day. The Badger Lord said quietly to the young hare, "Let's take a stroll along the shore, shall we?" Speedwell averted his eyes, almost ashamed. "Yes sah," he said submissively.
They walked side by side, the old badger and the young hare, in silence. Finally Russano said, "So why did you run away, young 'un?"
Speedwell kept his head down as he replied, "I don't know."
Russano stopped and turned toward the young hare. He stared at him quizzically. "Yes you do, son. You run from my mountain, in the midst of impending danger, adding a huge worry to my mind. I was just about to go out looking for you myself, you caused me so much stress, while I have enough on my mind lately with the vermin invasion. I think that I at least have the liberty of knowing why you ran away."
Speedwell's ears drooped further, and he hung his head lower. Bitter tears welled in his eyes. "I'm sorry," he mumbled. "I just wanted to get out, and leave for a while. I just wanted to get away."
Russano's heart went out to the young misfit. He took Speedwell's paw in his huge one. "I understand, my young friend. I've wanted to be alone myself in the past. But you see, you have a duty to this mountain, as do I, as do we all. You may be a great general or captain in my Long Patrol someday. I see great beginnings in you, Speedwell De Formelo Tussock. I was a mere infant when I met your grandsire for the first time, but I grew to know him well in later life. You are the spitting image of that great warrior. But.you have your mother's eyes."
Speedwell sniffed and wiped his nose on the hem of his tunic. Russano continued. "You will be a great, perilous warrior someday. The weapon you carry once belonged to your grandsire, you know?" Speedwell nodded lowly, pawing the handle of his dirk. Russano gazed at the hare, waiting reply. Finally the young one said, "But, sir, you don't understand. All my family is dead. I feel alone. I. . .I'm not happy here anymore, sire."
Russano's heart had known this all alone. The great striped head nodded slowly, infinite sadness reflected upon the badger's face. He said slowly, "I understand, young Speedwell. My personal ethics prohibit me from forbidding you to leave. You have come of age. If you feel the call of the open plains, the wanderer's life. . .then, I cannot force you to stay."
Speedwell choked back tears. "I don't want to leave," he said sorrowfully. "But I have to. All my family died at this mountain. I need to see more. This place holds terrible memories for me. I want a new life. I want to start over."
With heavy heart, the Badger Lord turned back to his mountain with the young hare in his wake.
Melanius, who had heard everything from the window ledge of her bedchamber, knew exactly what she would do. Her brother and mother were down in the dining hall with the rest of the mountain's hare population, so there was no one to stop her, for the time being, anyway. She sought out her satchel and loaded it with food and supplies, then darted down the stairs.
She met the returning two at the gateway. Russano's gaze went to the satchel in her daughter's paw, then to her face. She stared him square in the eyes and announced, "Father, I'm going with Speedwell."
Russano blinked. "Melanius."
"Please, Father! You know that my lifelong dream is to see the world. He is my best friend, and he's going to leave whether you like it or not. He needs company, he needs a friend, he needs support! Imagine him all alone out there. Anyway, I want...I need to see the world. I can't live my whole life at the mountain! I'm old enough, am I not? Please Father, you must understand."
Melanius hadn't realized that with her bold little speech, instead of persuading her father to let her go, she had unwittingly made him not want either to go. He was the Badger Lord after all. He had the power to stop Speedwell from leaving, and especially his own daughter.
"Mel. . .I can't let you leave. You are my daughter, and Speedwell, you are like a son to me. Melanius, you are only beginning your life at the mountain. We teach you our ways, we bring you up with the code of Badger Lords. . .you and your brother will have to rule in my place someday."
Gazing imploringly at Speedwell, Melanius continued, "But Father! Snowstripe will rule in your place, not I. I am not going to grow up to be the kitchen maid! Father, there is a place in the world for me. This mountain isn't it!"
A great and familiar sadness descended upon the Badger Lord. His own daughter, whom he cherished so much. . .practically begging him to let her leave.
Russano sighed heavily. "So be it," he said softly, his voice lined with pain. "So be it."
A few hours later, two lone shapes could be seen making their way across the shore of Salamandastron to the east, heading toward the rising sun.
A solitary figure stood at the gate of the mountain. He stared out at the receding young pair, his eyes full of sadness and pain. Unshed tears dampening his eyes, Russano said out loud in a voice barely above a whisper, "May the fates keep them safe."
(AUTHOR'S NOTE: Ah. Now it starts to get a little bit interesting. Read onward!)
Far across the mighty expanses of plains and grasslands, mountains and rivers, lay the monolith of Salamandastron, ancestral home to hares and badgers. Rising up against the morning sky, waves crashing at its base, the great former volcano was a protector of the western shores, barricade against searats and vermin corsairs. Ruled throughout vast ages by warlike male badgers, Salamandastron was now home to a family of them.
Russano the Wise was getting on in years, but certainly didn't look or act it. Many knew him as the wisest and kindest badger of all time. Tall and slim for a badger, he was still vastly powerful and strong, but the only weapon that he carried was a single hardwood stick. His wife Rosalaun, a pretty badger, had been a wanderer until stopping many seasons ago at the mountain. The pair had two offspring, young Snowstripe and his older sister Melanius.
Now the Badger Lord Russano stood at the eastern window in his bedchamber, worry etched upon his rough face. Speedwell had been gone for three days now. The young hare had reason to be upset, with his brother being recently killed, but that was no reason to run away. Salamandastron had seen hard times of late, and Russano did not like Speedwell adding more worry to the mountain.
Speedwell and his brother, Buckweed, were orphans, both of his parents being killed in a searat raid just after his birth. Russano had raised him and Buckweed along with his own two young ones. Thinking back, Russano brought his paw down hard on the windowsill.
Curse those vermin! Not two weeks ago the mountain had been sabotaged by mysterious unknown creatures. The Badger Lord was infuriated at how they could've gotten in, having all the exits blocked, sealed and guarded. Russano had been roused by a night guard, who just after had been slain by an enemy sword thrust. The guard hare had shouted that there were a small gang of vermin in the mountain just before he went down at trying to defend against them. What the evil vermin were after was still not entirely evident; they had left without taking a thing except for the lives of two gallant hares. Roused by the night guard's cry, Buckweed had come to his assistance, only to be felled by the long sword of a shadowed creature. Russano had seen that happen, as he tore down the hall from his chamber, roaring with grief and anger. The vermin had retreated without a sound, fleeing from the mountain and gone.
The puzzling rapidness and suddenness of the brutal attack sent waves of grief and fear through the mountain. Salamandastron was now home to more young creatures than usual, as Russano was greatly fond of leverets. The unexpected and speedy invasion had made the inhabitants of Salamandastron greatly fearful. Russano had sent out a tracking party of a score of his best tracking and fighting hares, and they were to return to him in as little time as possible.
Although the entire mountain was traumatized by the attack, nobeast had taken it with more force than Speedwell the young hare. The only family that he had left had been slain, and he was left alone with nobeast. Without a second thought he had fled the mountain, taking with him a satchel of provisions and his special weapon, the dirk that had once belonged to his grandsire, Tamello de Fformelo Tussock, who had been one of the greatest Long Patrol officers in the history of Salamandastron.
A separate search party had been set out in search of him, a trio of tracker hares. They were to bring him back immediately. Where he was headed Russano did not know, but he knew that he was driven merely by grief, and it distressed the Badger Lord greatly.
Russano was not known for anger; in fact, he was one of the few Badger Lords known that were not possessed by the Bloodwrath. However, the recent incidents had brought forth a bubble of rage that Russano was previously unaware of.
His wife, Rosalaun, was still asleep, as were his son and daughter in the next room. The sun was just coming up over the eastern sea, spreading rays of gold and scarlet across the sky and water. The Badger Lord clutched his polished hardwood stick tight, imagining the day when he could confront the vermin that had invaded his mountain.
With a swish of his cloak, he strode from the bedchamber and down the flight of stone stairs.
When he entered the dining hall, a small amount of hares had already woken and come down to wait for the cooks to arouse and come down to make breakfast. As young hares often sleep late, the hall contained half a score or so of older veterans. Lounging about in chairs and chattering about bygone battles and departed days, they looked up and fell silent when Russano entered the hall.
"Good morning, sire," greeted a withered old fighter, Colonel Sandoak. Though certainly getting on in seasons, Sandoak was a tough, wiry fighter and one of the best boxing hares on the mountain. He had a wife, who sat by her husband, the pretty Rockivy. Known throughout the mountain as Ivy, she was the head cook at the mountain, although she had been a formidable fighter in her time. The two had no offspring. Blake Thornstone was a dashing middle-aged hare, who leaned back with his paws crossed behind his head, in the chair to the right of Sandoak. He was the head Eighth Spring Galloper for Salamandastron. Blake wasn't married, but many of the mountain's female hares fancied him. Across the table from Blake sat Gangorn Willthrep, a hulking, powerful hare. He was the Garrison Captain of the mountain, and carried with him as his weapon a tremendous, formidable spear.
Russano nodded curtly at his hares and looked over them all with a fearsome gaze. It was amazing how much his attitude had changed with the mysterious incidents at the mountain lately. "Has either search party returned yet?" He asked.
Colonel shook his head sadly. "'Fraid not, sah. Neither the one for the vermin nor the young 'un."
A deep growl manifested itself in the back of the Badger Lord's throat. He sat down in his great central chair, bringing his clenched paw down forcefully on the oaken table. "I hate this waiting! Cannot anything be done about this? Speedwell is young, and he is alone out there. What if the receding band of vermin has caught up with him? That puts my hares in danger as well." He looked around at his circle of hares. Blake Thornstone opened his mouth to reply but Russano cut him off. "If at least one of the parties does not return by sunset tomorrow, I'm going out to look for them myself."
Blake continued. "I'd advise against it, sah. If the vermin return, you'll be needed here to guard the mountain."
Russano shook his great striped head. "I have a feeling that that won't be happening, Blake. I think I understand what the vermin were after, now that I've thought about it. They were looking for something, and they didn't find it. They only killed two of my best hares because they got in the way of their search."
Bitter tears welled in his angry eyes. He wiped them away with a paw before standing again. "There's nothing that I can do; I feel so useless!"
At that moment all heads looked up to the stairs as Russano's young daughter, Melanius, appeared, still in her nightshirt. "Father," she said urgently, "The sentries have just pinpointed a lone figure appearing over the horizon."
Russano muttered, "Speedwell," before leaping up and racing up the stairs behind his daughter.
Melanius was one of Speedwell's few friends at the mountain. The clever young badger and the misfit hare where roughly of the same age, and they had chummed up long ago. She had worried greatly when he had disappeared, telling not even her.
He arrived in his bedchamber. His wife, Rosalaun, and his son, Snowstripe, were out of bed and dressed. Rosalaun was a smaller, petite badger that was very pretty, kind, and generally soft-spoken. Little Snowstripe, who wasn't too far out of Dibbunhood, attached himself around his father's footpaws. "Papa, papa," he said. "Speedwell is coming back."
Rosalaun smiled wanly at her husband. "The sentry has just informed us that the rescue party is following Speedwell. I suppose that they found him. Either way, he's coming home."
Russano furrowed his brow and looked down, puzzled. "Yes...home." He looked up and out the window. Speedwell was approaching, nevertheless, and close behind him came the party of the three long-loping Gallopers. At the sight, Russano felt a great weight life from his heart. But there was something else bothering him; something that told him that this wasn't going to be that easy.
Gathering his family, Snowstripe scooped up in one powerful arm, he strode down the narrow stone stairway.
He met Speedwell and the trackers at the Salamandastron gateway. In many seasons past the doorway had been replaced by a great stone gate. Russano stood in the opening, watching grimly as Speedwell approached him, with his son in his arms and his wife, daughter, and Colonel Sandoak behind him.
Backed by the three tall, lithe Gallopers, Speedwell came from a lope to a steady jog and finally to stop, right in front of the Badger Lord. The two stared at each other in silence for a moment. Young Snowstripe piped up happily, "Speedwell's back!" Rosalaun took him from Russano's arms and hushed him quietly.
Speedwell nodded briefly at the patient trackers. "Any sign of the vermin?" The lead tracker, second in the mountain only to Blake, was known as Rontu Southpaw. Rontu replied, "No, sah. No tracks, so scent, so sign."
He nodded dismissal to the trackers and they marched quickly into the passage. He nodded to his wife as well, and she retreated into the mountain, saying, "Yes, I'll help Ivy get breakfast ready."
Russano walked out into the sand and shut the gate. The sun was rising over the horizon and a cool spring breeze blew across the sand, promising a beautiful day. The Badger Lord said quietly to the young hare, "Let's take a stroll along the shore, shall we?" Speedwell averted his eyes, almost ashamed. "Yes sah," he said submissively.
They walked side by side, the old badger and the young hare, in silence. Finally Russano said, "So why did you run away, young 'un?"
Speedwell kept his head down as he replied, "I don't know."
Russano stopped and turned toward the young hare. He stared at him quizzically. "Yes you do, son. You run from my mountain, in the midst of impending danger, adding a huge worry to my mind. I was just about to go out looking for you myself, you caused me so much stress, while I have enough on my mind lately with the vermin invasion. I think that I at least have the liberty of knowing why you ran away."
Speedwell's ears drooped further, and he hung his head lower. Bitter tears welled in his eyes. "I'm sorry," he mumbled. "I just wanted to get out, and leave for a while. I just wanted to get away."
Russano's heart went out to the young misfit. He took Speedwell's paw in his huge one. "I understand, my young friend. I've wanted to be alone myself in the past. But you see, you have a duty to this mountain, as do I, as do we all. You may be a great general or captain in my Long Patrol someday. I see great beginnings in you, Speedwell De Formelo Tussock. I was a mere infant when I met your grandsire for the first time, but I grew to know him well in later life. You are the spitting image of that great warrior. But.you have your mother's eyes."
Speedwell sniffed and wiped his nose on the hem of his tunic. Russano continued. "You will be a great, perilous warrior someday. The weapon you carry once belonged to your grandsire, you know?" Speedwell nodded lowly, pawing the handle of his dirk. Russano gazed at the hare, waiting reply. Finally the young one said, "But, sir, you don't understand. All my family is dead. I feel alone. I. . .I'm not happy here anymore, sire."
Russano's heart had known this all alone. The great striped head nodded slowly, infinite sadness reflected upon the badger's face. He said slowly, "I understand, young Speedwell. My personal ethics prohibit me from forbidding you to leave. You have come of age. If you feel the call of the open plains, the wanderer's life. . .then, I cannot force you to stay."
Speedwell choked back tears. "I don't want to leave," he said sorrowfully. "But I have to. All my family died at this mountain. I need to see more. This place holds terrible memories for me. I want a new life. I want to start over."
With heavy heart, the Badger Lord turned back to his mountain with the young hare in his wake.
Melanius, who had heard everything from the window ledge of her bedchamber, knew exactly what she would do. Her brother and mother were down in the dining hall with the rest of the mountain's hare population, so there was no one to stop her, for the time being, anyway. She sought out her satchel and loaded it with food and supplies, then darted down the stairs.
She met the returning two at the gateway. Russano's gaze went to the satchel in her daughter's paw, then to her face. She stared him square in the eyes and announced, "Father, I'm going with Speedwell."
Russano blinked. "Melanius."
"Please, Father! You know that my lifelong dream is to see the world. He is my best friend, and he's going to leave whether you like it or not. He needs company, he needs a friend, he needs support! Imagine him all alone out there. Anyway, I want...I need to see the world. I can't live my whole life at the mountain! I'm old enough, am I not? Please Father, you must understand."
Melanius hadn't realized that with her bold little speech, instead of persuading her father to let her go, she had unwittingly made him not want either to go. He was the Badger Lord after all. He had the power to stop Speedwell from leaving, and especially his own daughter.
"Mel. . .I can't let you leave. You are my daughter, and Speedwell, you are like a son to me. Melanius, you are only beginning your life at the mountain. We teach you our ways, we bring you up with the code of Badger Lords. . .you and your brother will have to rule in my place someday."
Gazing imploringly at Speedwell, Melanius continued, "But Father! Snowstripe will rule in your place, not I. I am not going to grow up to be the kitchen maid! Father, there is a place in the world for me. This mountain isn't it!"
A great and familiar sadness descended upon the Badger Lord. His own daughter, whom he cherished so much. . .practically begging him to let her leave.
Russano sighed heavily. "So be it," he said softly, his voice lined with pain. "So be it."
A few hours later, two lone shapes could be seen making their way across the shore of Salamandastron to the east, heading toward the rising sun.
A solitary figure stood at the gate of the mountain. He stared out at the receding young pair, his eyes full of sadness and pain. Unshed tears dampening his eyes, Russano said out loud in a voice barely above a whisper, "May the fates keep them safe."
(AUTHOR'S NOTE: Ah. Now it starts to get a little bit interesting. Read onward!)