A/N; I've been looking forward to writing this chapter for a long time. I hope you like reading it as much I have liked writing it.

4.

Storm of Destiny

"What do they eat when there's nobeast around? Grumm are you sure this will work?"

"Oi aspeckts so Miz Roser. 'Ee bitin' flies hates 'ee smell o foir smoke bake 'ome."

Grumm and Rose were camped for the night near a swamp. They had been tracking Brome for a fortnight and were no closer to finding him than when they had first started. The choice of camping next to a swamp hadn't been their first one, but Rose and Grumm hadn't had much choice. Brome's tracks led straight into the quagmire. Rather than striking across the wetland at night Rose and Grumm had wisely chosen to spend the night on solid dry ground. As night fell clouds of biting insects had risen from the swamp looking for food. The mole and mousemaid proved to be perfect targets for the insects. As Grumm foraged for firewood Rose found herself slapping at the flies time and time again.

"Maybe these flies will teach my brother to stay at home. They're nowhere near this bad in Noonvale."

"Hurr hurr, yurr we go. Noice toasty foir. Oi do loiks a foir." Grumm was smiling broadly as his tinder caught fire to the sticks he had arranged lean-to fashion against a larger log. Grumm started adding more sticks and soon the small clearing he and Rose were sharing was much more welcoming in the orange glow of the flames. Rose leaned forward and threw a few handfuls of green leaves on the flames. They smoldered for a moment before throwing off clouds of white smoke. The effect on the insects was instantaneous. One moment they had filled the air with their buzzing, the next they had seeming vanished.

"Oh that's so much better. Thank you Grumm."

"Et was moi pleasure," said the mole. "Now we'm best be startin' to get some vittle's a goin'. We'm won't be a-chatchin' Maister Brome on empty stummicks. No zurr."

Grumm wandered down to a stream that was providing the swamp with water. Fortunately the stream was clear of the mud and weeds that clogged the swamp. Setting the pot to boil he began taking some the vegetables they had brought with them from Noonvale out of one of their haversacks.

"Hurr, 'taters, carrots, oinions, all 'ee makins furr a foin zoop."

Rose looked in on Grumm's preparations. "That looks good. How soon until its ready?"

Grumm drew his small knife from his belt and started chopping the vegetables on a flat rock. "Water's be needin' to boil an' simmer for a whoil yet. You'm can zit doawn an' rest yurr footenpaws mizzy."

Rose took the advice to heart. She leaned back against a nearby tree as her thoughts began to wander. Traveling out from Noonvale hadn't been anything like she had expected. There were few paths to follow, hardly any shelter from the harsh elements of late spring, and to make matters worse they still hadn't found Brome. It was only because Brome kept leaving obvious signs of his passage that Rose and Grumm had been able to follow him this far. Even still Rose felt lighter than she had in a long while. Her heart felt freer than she had ever felt it, her confidence in herself likewise was also building. The first time Grumm had talked her through building a fire she had been quite nervous as it was a task she hadn't done much in Noonvale. Not two days later she was able to catch a spark with one blow of her small knife on the flint she had brought along. The first time she and Grumm had been caught in a rainstorm she had huddled and shivered under a tree feeling very sorry for herself and also feeling very angry at Brome for getting her into such a situation. Yet the rains had passed and now when storm clouds gathered she would simply pull up the hood on her purple traveling dress and pressed on having realized that eventually water dries off.

After eating the two friends laid down for the night. Rose lay on her back staring up at the stars as Grumm snored gently near her. The punky wood they had put on the coals of their fire sent up enough smoke to keep the insects away so she could rest peacefully. As she lay awake that night Rose had a curious feeling creep over her. A strong sense of something she couldn't explain made itself known to the mousemaid that night. It wasn't an uncomfortable feeling, rather it was a feeling of a calm certainty that was stealing over the mousemaid. As had happened in other occasions when such a feeling came over her Rose began to sing softly.

"Under springtime's gentle starlight,
Far away from my dear home.
I am seeking he who wandered,
A young mouse whose name is Brome.
Yet while I'm seeking him I wonder,
What I will find along my way.
Here beneath the starry woodlands,
Waiting for the coming day.

"Under springtime's gentle starlight,
Thoughts are racing through my mind.
Of my home and of my family,
And the brother I must find.
But there's a deeper thought that puzzles me,
Something hidden I can't see.
Locked away inside my feelings,
I am searching for a key.

"Under springtime's gentle starlight,
Thoughts and questions I do face.
But I'm calm and I'm not frightened,
Even in this strange new place.
So I will travel ever onwards,
Till my journey meets its end.
Here beneath the starry woodlands,
As I lay here with my friend."

Her eyes grew heavy as the last notes of her song faded into the night. The fire burned down to red coals as the night wore on.

That night Rose dreamed. She was standing on a cliff looking over the vast stretches of the sea. Beside her was a mouse she knew was her own age. He didn't say anything as he stared across the waves with her. Rose knew she had never met the mouse yet somehow she trusted him completely. The next morning Rose barely remembered her dream. Even still she felt more confident than when she had laid down to sleep the night before. Chalking it up to a good dream and a restful night's sleep she set out that day with Grumm with a smile on her face.

"Oi thinks we be close to Maister Brome," Grumm announced. "Yurr be 'is trackers, straight through 'ee mud 'n muck."

Rose inspected the tracks Grumm was pointing at. They were indeed her brother's tracks. The mousemaid and mole had tromped straight through the swamp lands and had thought they would lose their trail in the miry bog. The new and fresh looking tracks did much to lift their sprits.

"That's my brother alright," said Rose. "He can't be too far ahead of us now."

She was about to charge through a stand of cattails when Grumm put a claw out to catch her. "'Old 'ard mizzy. They'm be toads an' the loik abouts. Over yurr 'ee can see 'em. Gurt rotten creaturs they'm be."

Moving over to where Grumm was looking, Rose peered through the rushes. What she saw caused her to catch her breath. Across an open area of swampland Brome was tied to a pole surrounded by twenty large toads. The toads were beginning to stack wood around the pole Brome was tied to. It quickly became clear that they intended to make a fine meal out of the wayward mouse.

"Grumm!" Rose hissed in an undertone so she wouldn't be heard. "They're going to eat him! We've got to get him out of there!"

The industrious mole pulled a few vines off of a nearby tree. He quickly braided them together and gave them to Rose. "Yurr 'ee go Miz Roser. Sling ee' pebblers at ee' toaders quick loik. Oi'll go rounden behind Maister Brome an' cut 'ee ropes offen 'im." With that Grumm sneaked off into the rushes.

Rose took the sling and looked around her for rocks. Soon she had a small pile in front of her. Having never used a sling before she wasn't used to the weapon. She had only seen a few demonstrations from the few otters in Noonvale on a few rare occasions. Putting a stone into the pouch of the sling she began twirling it over her head. With a quiet grunt she let the stone fly. It was an unimpressive shot. The stone didn't carry even halfway to the toads before it landed in the swamp with a plop. Hoping the toads hadn't noticed she loaded another stone into the pouch.

This time she whirled the sling above her head faster until it whooshed in the air above her. She tried to throw her arm forwards as she shot the second stone but the rock flew far to the left of her intended target. Loading a third stone into the sling Rose looked around for Grumm. The mole was having more success launching stones from his ladle. The toads were looking around for the source of the missiles that were plaguing them.

Determined to shoot straight Rose changed tactics. Instead of whirling the sling above her head she spun it sideways off her right side. This time when she let go she was pleased to see the stone fly true and hit one of the toads. She chuckled to herself as she loaded another stone. She had been aiming for a toad to the left of the one she had hit, still her success with her third shot gave her confidence for her forth. This time she did hit the toad she had been aiming for. However her success proved to be a double edged sword.

One of the toads had seen her as she stood up to fire her sling. Pointing straight at her the toads began moving swiftly across the open area directly at her. Several were wielding fearsome looking tridents that they jabbed in her direction as they charged. Rose dropped the sling in her paw and froze with fright.

The toads were halfway across the open space when a new sound rent the air. A high pitched screech that came from high above the charging mass of amphibians. The toads stopped their charge and looked around with fear building in their eyes. The screech pierced the air again and from seeming out of nowhere a large eagle swooped down over the swamp. The golden eagle snatched two toads from the group and lifted them into the air with ease. The remaining toads made an undignified scramble for any cover they could find. There they waited trembling for the predator to pass.

The eagle call also helped to snap Rose out of her stupor. Shaking her head she picked up the sling she had dropped and backed off in the same direction Grumm had taken. She kept an eye on the toads and also looked out for any sign of the eagle returning. She crouched as she moved through the reeds as she searched for Grumm and Brome.

"Rose! Over here!"

The words were a welcome relief to her ears. Pushing aside a few more reeds she found Grumm and Brome hiding under a few bushes. Crawling down next to them she embraced her brother fondly.

"Brome! Oh it's so good to see you again."

"You too. I've missed you," said Brome as he returned her hug. "But what are you doing here?"

Rose let go of him and answered. "Looking for you of course."

She would have explained more but Grumm quickly cut them off. "'Ush now you'm two. 'Ee toaders be lookin' fer us'ns. We'm bes' be off quick loik."

Rose looked around carefully. The toads were beginning to emerge from their hiding spots. They didn't look at all pleased to find their meal had somehow escaped their clutches. Rose turned back to the other two. "Stay down and don't move. I just thought of something that could help us get out of here." As Brome and Grumm ducked down again Rose put a paw to her throat and took a deep breath. She called out in a very accurate imitation of the eagle that had just passed over. The high screech cut through the mists of the swamp with ease. As she had hoped the toads froze momentarily before scrambling back into their hiding places.

"Careful now, let's go," she whispered to the other two. Slowly the trio crawled out of sight of the band of toads. When they judged themselves to be a fair distance away they stood up and began trying to find their way out of the swamp. They didn't make it onto firm soil until near to nightfall. By that time all three of them were covered in mud, insect bites, and burrs that had gotten into their fur and on their clothes. Finding a small clearing next to a stream they set up a small camp.

"Am I ever glad you two came along when you did. I thought I was a goner." The relief was strikingly clear in Brome's eyes and voice.

"Don't worry about that now Brome," Rose told him. "I'm just glad we finally found you safe and sound."

"Oi be 'arrpy to find 'ee too Maister Brome zurr. Et was quite 'ard trackin' you'm through 'ee swamps an' across 'ee woods," Grumm chimed in as he prepared that nights soup.

"So now what? I think that there's some fine looking country to the east." Brome then looked to both his sister and Grumm.

Rose looked up sharply. "East? What do you mean east? I promised Mama and Papa I'd bring you home. That's west of here."

Brome didn't take this news well. "Home? Why would I want to go home? To have father yell at me some more? To live by his old rules? I don't think so."

"Brome please listen to me," Rose implored. "I know you think that Papa is being unfair, but you have to know he loves you. He's just trying to-"

"Trying to what?" Brome interrupted. "Trying to teach me responsibility? Fine job he's doing of it by only yelling at me all the time!"

Now Rose was starting to get annoyed. "Well he wouldn't have to yell if you didn't-"

Brome interrupted her again. "Didn't what? Wander off? Talk back? Think for myself?"

"That's not what I meant," Rose told him.

"Then what did you mean?"

"I'm just saying that Mama and Papa do have a point. The other creatures in Noonvale are constantly looking at us. They expect us to be responsible simply because of whom our parents are. It's not fair to either of us, but what can we do?"

"We can run away to a place where we can be free of that," Brome snapped back. "That's what I did."

"And you almost got eaten by toads for your trouble."

Now that he was free Brome waved off the incident. "To be honest I could have gotten out of that just fine."

"And how would have done that dear brother?" Rose was now starting to glare at Brome.

"I just would have!"

Rose took a deep breath before she spoke again. "Brome, please stop talking like this. Noonvale is our home. It's where we belong. You, me, Mama, Papa, as a family. It's dangerous out here outside of Noonvale. What if you meet some beast a lot more cruel than those toads? How would you get out of a mess like that?"

Brome didn't answer her. Instead he just sat staring at the ground. Rose sighed and stood up. "Well you think about that. I need to clean up." She left and headed behind some bushes that were growing next to the stream they were camped next to.

After she was out of earshot Brome looked to where Grumm was adding spices to the soup. "You think I'm right don't you Grumm?"

Grumm just shrugged as he stirred the pot. "Oi thinks you'm gots a sister whom loves you'm Maister Brome. She an oi didn't a coom all this a-way furr nothin'."

"So you think I should go back to Noonvale?" said the young mouse through furrowed eyebrows.

"Oi thinks et would be makin' roight sense to be a-doin' so's if'n you'm be askin' oi. Now troi moi zoop. Oi thinks et be needin' more spoices."

Soon Rose returned from the stream. She took the bowl of soup Grumm offered her and looked at her bother as she sipped it. He was determined to avoid any eye contact or conversation with his sister. He finished his soup and handed his bowl back to Grumm before turning his back on the both on the far side of the fire. Rose looked to Grumm who sadly shook his head. It was clear to both of them that the young mouse still wasn't over his anger with his father. Hoping that he would be in a better mood in the morning Rose let him sleep in peace. Soon they were all lying quietly on the ground.

The next morning Rose got up with a yawn as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Brome," she called out. "Time to get up. We've got a long trip ahead of us to make it back to Noonvale." But when she looked around Brome was gone again. Rose quickly moved over to where Grumm was asleep clutching his ladle. "Grumm! Grumm! Wake up! Brome's gone again!"

The mole was awake in an instant. "Maister Brome!" he called out. But like Rose his call went unheeded. A quick search of the surrounding woods proved fruitless. There was no sign of the young mouse. Grumm looked at Rose. "Now what we'm a-going to be doin'?"

Rose moved with authority. "Strike the camp. He can't have gone too far ahead."

"Maister Brome wizened oop. He'm left no tracker furr usn's to follow, boi okey he'm didn'."

Rose talked as she packed her haversack. "Then we'll strike out east. That's where he said he wanted to go. Maybe we'll get lucky and run into somebeast who's seen him."

Rose and Grumm were soon on the trail. They didn't have the luxury of following Brome's tracks this time. However they did have a guess as to where he had gone. The stream they had camped next to was flowing eastwards. Grumm thought that the reason they hadn't seen any tracks was because Brome was walking through the water. Since the stream was still frigid from the winter's snow melt Rose and Grumm decided to stay on the bank rather than wading in the water. They continued on following the stream as it got slightly wider for the next few days. At mid-day on their third day since Brome left them Rose spotted something beyond a bend in the stream.

"Grumm did you see that?" She pointed down the stream bank.

"Did oi see what Miz Roser?"

"I thought I saw somebeast just beyond that bend in the steam."

"Then usn's be needin' to search furr what you'm saw. Be careful Miz Roser. Et could be vurmints sneakin' aboawt."

Approaching the bend cautiously Rose and Grumm kept their eyes peeled for anything. They were so intent on the stream that they were very surprised when a new voice was heard behind them. "And what's so interestin' about the stream then?"

Rose and Grumm jumped in surprise to see a young vole standing behind them. He looked to be even younger than Brome and his fur was unkempt. Still he looked friendly so Rose smiled at him. "We're looking for my brother. Perhaps you've seen him? He's a mouse like me, but younger."

The young vole looked up at Rose and cocked his head to one side. "I thinks I might'a seen somethin' like that. Maybe my Mama might know too. C'mon then, I'll show you were I live." He turned and started walking quickly up the stream bank.

He led them to the bend in the stream that Rose had been so intent on exploring. Moving aside a mat of rushes that camouflaged a hole in the bank he beckoned the two travelers to follow him inside. The vole then turned down a quick corner dug into the bank that opened up into a quaint and homely cave. A volewife was tending the small fire over which a cauldron was bubbling with an inviting smell coming from it.

"Mama! I found more travelers!"

The volewife turned to look at her son and his guests. "Oh lackaday!" She exclaimed. "Any more creatures come down this bank and they'll eat us out of our stocks and larders so they will. Well come in then the two of you. I suspects you'll be wanting something to eat too then?"

Rose gave the volewife a smile and curtsied politely to her. "Thank you. That's very kind. My name is Laterose daughter of the Chieftain Urran Voh of Noonvale. This is my friend Grumm Trencher. We're looking for my brother, a young mouse named Brome. Have you seen him?"

Immediately the volewife's demeanor changed for the better. "Well now that's a bit more like it. A nice young maid who knows her manners. Welcome Laterose. I'm called Ashera and this is my son Tooler. Please sit down the both of you."

"Thank 'ee kindly marm. Ez that zoop oi smell? Oi dearly luvs zoop,oi do." Grumm took a few more whiffs of the soup bubbling on the fire.

Ashera was all smiles for the two friends. "It's my own recipe mister Grumm. Leek and water chestnut soup. I don't think you'll find a better soup anywhere round these parts."

Rose and Grumm enjoyed a fine meal with the two voles. Ashera even offered to refill their food packs which were starting to run low. It was getting on to evening when Rose brought up the subject of her brother again.

"You mentioned earlier that other travelers had been this way. Was my brother one of those travelers" she asked.

"Indeed he was," Ashera answered her. "Not nearly as nice as you and mister Grumm here. Came in an' didn't say a word. I gave him a meal and offered him a bed for the night. Said he didn't want one and left as soon as he was done eatin'."

"Which way did he go?"

Ashera sighed and shook her head before she answered. "East, to the shore of the sea I suppose. Nothin' but trouble he'll find too if you ask me."

Rose grew concerned and looked at Grumm before turning to Ashera again. "Why would that be?"

"Big vermin fort on the eastern sea. Slavers and cutthroats the lot of them too. Fort Marshank it's called, big stoat called Badrang the Tyrant is their chieftain. From what I hear he used to plunder the waves till he decided to go roamin' over land and build himself a fortress. He's got a whole mess of peaceful creatures all chained up quarrying rocks and gatherin' food for his horde too. Believe you me that's one place you don't want to go anywhere near."

"Oi susspeckts you'm be righten marm," Grumm told her. "But Miz Roser an' oi be bound to foller Maister Brome an' bring 'im 'ome, so we'm are."

Rose nodded her agreement to what Grumm had said. "How far is it to the shore?"

Ashera sighed but answered them. "Not two days if you keep following this stream. Just keep out of sight of that big vermin place. They see you, they'll snatch you up quick and make you a slave."

"We'll be careful," Rose promised her.

"That's jus' what your brother said too. 'Twas the only thing he said now that I think about it. But enough talk. It's too late for you too to be pressin' on anymore today. Stay here tonight with a roof over your heads. You look like you need it."

Rose smiled at the kind vole. "Thank you very much. It would be a welcome change from sleeping under a tree. Just one last question, how long ago did Brome come this way?"

"Just about two days," Ashera answered. "If he was bound for the coast I reckon he'd a made it there by now."

As Rose and Grumm settled in for the night they didn't know how true Ashera's words were. Two days walk to the east Brome was walking along the shore staring off into the waves trying to get his bearings. He had climbed a sand dune to get a better picture of the area when the sand had given way. He tumbled down the dune and in the process gotten very turned around and knocked out for his trouble. He came to a while later and got up a little dazed when he saw the big building in the distance. He started blundering his way towards it when the big gates on the east side of the building opened up and two creatures came running out straight at him. At first he thought they were friends, but when one turned out to be a fox and the other a rat both with drawn swords he tried running. Sadly he didn't make it. The two vermin quickly closed the distance and with a shove he went tumbling down into the rocky sand.

"Well now, what's this Gurrad?" said the fox.

Gurrad sniggered as he drew his cutlass and held it to Brome's throat. "Looks like a mousey far from 'is 'ome to me Skalrag."

Skalrag the fox grinned evilly at his companion. "Aye, I thinks yore right. We'll give him a home now won't we?"

"That we will. A nice hole widout any food or drink few a few days. Then off to the quarry with the others." The rat lost his evil grin then and snarled at Brome. "C'mon you useless lump on yer feet and get goin'!"

He prodded Brome with his cutlass as Skalrag tied Brome's paws behind his back. Together the fox and rat frog-marched Brome inside Marshank and tossed him into a hole just to the right of the gates as they came in. All of the bravado he had felt earlier was gone. Brome broke down and began to cry as he lay in the Marshank prison pit with his paws bound behind him. His adventure had suddenly become much less fun now that he was locked in a deep prison pit.

The mousemaid took a hasty bite of oatcake, fanning her mouth. "Oo,'s hot! There'll be no sleep for us until we've found out whether or not Brome is held captive in that dreadful fortress."

Rose and Grumm had arrived on the eastern shore and had started scouting around Marshank. They heeded Ashera's advice and took every measure to remain hidden from the vermin patrols that were around constantly.

Grumm wiped his ladle clean with some sedge grass. "May'ap ole Brome jus' a-wandered off 'n' got losed, may'ap 'ee bain't catchered in yon fortress."

Rose shook her head. "You must understand, Grumm, the name Brome and the word trouble go together. He was always in trouble with Father at home – that's why he went off wandering. You weren't there at the time but they had a furious argument over Brome just taking off and roaming as he pleased. Father said it was no way for the son of a Chieftain to learn his responsibilities, but Brome wouldn't listen, he ran off alone. Well, we've tracked him this far, Grumm and I'm certain my brother has run straight into trouble again. That's why I'm sure he's been taken by Badrang's scouts. I hope that he hasn't been forced to tell them where Noonvale is. The whole tribe of Urran Voh would be in danger of Brome gave our location to that filthy Tyrant."

Grumm refilled Rose's shell with vegetable soup. "Doant'ee fret mizzy. Ole Brome can keepen his'n mouth shutted toighter'n a mussel at low toide, ho hurr!"

The mousemaid unwound the throwing sling from around her waist. "I hope you're right, Grumm. I'd hate to think of the things those vermin would do to a young mouse to get information."

The mole patted Rose's back gently with a heavy digging claw. "Doant'ee wurry, Roser. Us'll get ole Maister Brome out'n yon pest'old iffen him be in thurr."

When they had finished eating they extinguished the fire and broke camp. A stiff breeze had sprung up out of the east, bringing with it a light spatter of raindrops which threatened to get heavier as night set in.

Scrambling down rocks, the two friends gained the shore, their paws making soft chinking noises as the trotted through the shingled tideline. Marshank stood grim and forbidding up ahead, a dark hump of misery in the moonless night.

The wind picked up and steadily gained strength. Soon a full fledged gale was pounding the coastline. Rose and Grumm had found a rocky overhang that sheltered them from the worst of the storm and the sight of Marshank. Not that there were any sentries on the wall when the weather was this bad anyway. Rose leaned back against the rock shivering and cold. They didn't dare light a fire this close to Marshank for fear of being spotted. Then something happened that caused a tremor of courage to run up Rose's spine. Over the teeth of the gale a strong and defiant voice roared out into the night.

"I am a warrior! Martin son of Luke! I will live, I will not give in and die up here! Do you hear me, Badrang? I will live to take back my father's sword and slay you one day! Badraaaaaaaannggg!"

A/N; One word; BOOYAH!