OK, so I have a name for the other rat, but I'm not sure if I'm going to use it this chapter or not. I'm introducing a new character, (This one is an OC like the new rat). Hope you like it...
Gregor settled himself onto Aurora's back and pulled Luxa up behind him. Temp scrambled up behind them.
Howard crawled onto Nike, and crossed his arms over his chest. He was waiting for something.
"Oh no you guys," said Ripred, "If we are going on a little adventure, we had best go through the cave here," he gestured to the cave behind them, it was the one that reeked of rotten eggs.
"Ugh," grumbled the rat whose name Gregor didn't know. "We don't seriously have to go in there, do we?"
"Unfortunately, I think we do," said Lapblood.
"Precisely," Ripred grunted, "there is not enough room on the bats for all of us, so we must go by foot until another means of travel presents itself."
The group nodded and slid off the bats. Ripred led the way through the cave, followed by Lapblood and Luxa, then the bats, with Temp staying directly beneath Aurora. The bats were followed by Howard and Gregor, and the other rat brought up the rear.
The group was miserable with the smelly liquid dripping down and soaking them to the bone. Gregor had passed through here more times than he had wished, so he was kind of used to it.
They walked on for what seemed like hours, and then finally, the end of the tunnel was in view.
"Scout ahead, I will, scout ahead," said Temp, and he scrambled forward to the opening ahead of them.
"Brave, that one." Commented the nameless rat.
"Very brave," Gregor smiled, "If it weren't for him, my sister wouldn't be alive today,"
Temp came back about a minute later saying that the coast was clear. They pressed forward. As soon as they were out of the tunnel, Nike and Aurora took to the air to stretch out their wings. They had had to remain on the ground for what Gregor thought was about two hours. Lapblood shook herself and Ripred began to groom the smelly stuff out of his fur. The other rat just slumped onto the ground and casually messed around with his tail.
Gregor came over to Lapblood and helped her work through her fur really quickly. They needed to find a spring or something to get the actual stink out, but this would help get out some of the wet clumps of loose fur.
"What's that rat's name?" Gregor asked, beginning to work on a clump where Lapblood couldn't reach.
"Ratchet," said Lapblood.
"He looks sad," Luxa put in quietly, coming over to stand near Gregor.
"He is still young, he lost his father in the war with the Bane," Lapblood said softly. "His mother was the rat standing next to Ripred, she was the first to be taken,"
"How old is he?"
"Not much older than Twitchtip would have been," Said Ripred. "Though he isn't nearly as brave."
"I heard that Ripred," called Ratchet. Ripred laughed almost nervously.
Then Gregor realized that he hadn't seen Howard in a while. "Hey," he asked Luxa, "Where'd Howard go?"
Luxa pointed up, Gregor followed her finger and saw Howard riding on Nike as they spiraled around the open area that they were in.
All three bats looked as if they were having a great time. Nike and Aurora were flying in circles around the other bat, who was doing intricate little loops and dives.
Then Gregor realized that he had no idea who this third bat was. Just then Nike and Howard come in for a landing, followed by Aurora, and then the new bat.
The bat was a very odd looking bat. It was obviously young still, it had light silvery fur, and two black spots – one on its stomach, the other over its, left eye. Its right eye was pink, and its left eye was black. It also had one black wing, and one white.
"Greetings," said the bat shyly, "I am she called Artemis,"
Ok, how was that? Please R&R!