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Chapter 37. Do the Ninja

by Rekkua

Ninja sneak ninja sneak to the wall,
Ninja sneak ninja sneak down the hall,
Ninja sneak, ninjas, ninjas all,
Ninja sneak on with stocking paw.

"There she goes." Brull peered around the corner, tail twitching through the dirt.

"Let me zee." Rekkua gently – something that was new to her when dealing with furbeasts – pulled the rat back so she could get a look.

Escorted by that otter, Pearl was shuffling down the street, looking for all the world as if the world had abandoned her. She stumbled, and Rekkua winced.

"Are you zure t'iz iz best idea?"

Brull shrugged. "We don't have much choice."

"'Sides, she knows what she's doin'!" Zula almost sounded defensive. "She's 'ad lotsa practice."

The otter hustled Pearl past the guards and out of sight. She was inside the woodlander compound now – a massive, wooden building patched up and boarded. The prison they had escaped only the day before, and now they were back. Somewhere in there, Kiaza was locked away. And Zavak. Rekkua's tongue flicked in distaste. Rekkua had never cared for Zavak and his admiration of the Zattaka, but he was still Clan Jahk.

"Come on. We need to hurry. Pearl can't distract Marcion forever."

One last glance at the building, and Rekkua followed after Brull and Zula. Down a side street they slipped, moving as quietly as possible, slowly and slowly closer to the stronghold. They kept to the alleyways, always a wall between them and any prying eyes ahead.

A pair of armored rodents marched past, spears on shoulders. It was not until their pawsteps died away that the three unglued themselves from the pile of debris and continued forward. Finally, amazingly, they found themselves staring up at the edifice, all windows on the entire side boarded up and sealed.

Brull squinted, eyeing the row of windows above their heads. "Probably have the ground floor barricaded. Our best bet is something on the second floor." Apparently finding what he was looking for, he raised a paw to point. "Give that one a try."

To Rekkua, the window looked no different from the others. Then again, she was much more used to living in the jungle and really had no idea how furbeasts defended their wooden homes. Not that she had ever needed to know, or wanted to know now.

"About time you three showed up." From a battered shack stepped a weasel, one of their martie cohorts. "Was beginning to think you were giving us the skip. We were about to head back." From behind him filed nineteen other vermin, each more bedraggled than the next. Nevyeer's promised help. Twenty starving, malnourished, slightly-crazy creatures. Fantastic.

Brull puffed out his chest and brought himself toe to toe with the weasel. "Well, we're here now, so listen up." Brull waited until all eyes – bloodshot and not – were on him. "As far as we know, Pearl's in there right now…" The rat paused, coughed awkwardly. "…distracting their leader, so they'll hopefully not be quick to act if we're spotted. As long as we're all quiet, we should be fine."

Rekkua wondered if that were true. After the escape yesterday, the woodlanders were likely to be on much higher alert. Much more prone to acting without orders. She glanced sidelong at Zula. She shouldn't have come along. She's much too young. Something might happen to… Rekkua snorted and gave her head a shake. What do I care? She's a furbeast…! But, she's so unbiased. Much more respect from her than Sarkleyet. Rekkua spat on the ground at the thought of the pine marten. Now there was a creature to which something needed to happen!

"Rekkua, go to it."

Bringing herself back to the present, Rekkua nodded and clambered up the wall, finding easy grips in the cacophony of boards, cracks, and splits. Like walking on the beach! Within moments, she was balancing carefully on the narrow window ledge. Hindclaws digging into the slightly rotted wood of the sill and heavy tail hanging down to provide balance, she set to work searching for a loose board. Finding one, she began tugging, gently and without result.

"Need any help?" The question wafted up from below, both helpful and infinitely irritating.

Rekkua growled and renewed her efforts, scales scintillating as they stretched and rolled over her muscles. A very satisfying cracking later, and the plank flew backwards, nearly taking her with it. She cried out and arched her back, claws scrabbling for purchase. They hit something solid, and she curled inwards, entire body tensed.

"Are you alright?"

Her cool blood heated up, rushing to her face, and she didn't say anything for a moment, breathing long and deep to calm herself. It was only when her pulse began to regain some semblance of normality that she trusted herself to speak. And even then her reply was a bit wobbly, spoken through clenched teeth. "I iz fine." Stupid, stupid, stupid! Squinting her eyes, she peered through the gap she had created in the window. Just don't look at them. Don't think what they must be thinking.

Inside the building – at least this section – was dimly lit. What light might have streamed through was mostly blocked by Rekkua's head. She tasted the air. A strong musk lay thick about the interior, but it was dulled and faded. Nobeast had been this way for at least a day. "Iz all clear."

Now started, it was much easier to clear away the boards covering the window. After several minutes of tense work, there was a hole large enough to clamber through, and clamber through she did. Light now filled the room, illuminating shattered furniture and water-stained walls. Rekkua tiptoed towards the door, cringing at the creaking floorboards. Laying her head against the door, she listened for movement on the other side.

"Taking yor sweet time, aren't you?" A stoat's head, mangy and pitted, stared back at her from over the windowsill, a smirk rubbed across his ruined maw.

Rekkua glared and twitched her claws. If it wasn't one crazy beast talking down at her, it was another. First it was that mangy servant of Sarkleyet's, then the marten himself, then those corsairs, then Nevyeer and his crazies…

She shook her head. It was a good thing her three companions showed some measure of respect for her, or she would have been very tempted to split some hides. "Juzt zend t'he ot'erz up."

"Yeah, yeah." Tumbling into the room, the stoat tossed a length of rope over the side and tied it off.

As the room began to fill with furbeasts, Rekkua turned back to the door in exhasperation. She wrenched it open, splinters and debris sprinkling down from the doorframe. The hallway was gloomy and empty.

Zula bounced over to Rekkua and peered out with her lizard friend. "This is excitin'!" A swift paw covered her muzzle. It was a wonder this fox had survived past her first season!

"Bezt be quiet, Zula."

"So what now? We just goin' to stand 'ere?" That smelly stoat again.

Sparing a glare for him, Rekkua moved from the room, keeping to the walls, silent. Imitating her movements, Zula followed after, an ecstatic grin splashed across her snout. These attempts at stealth were completely ruined by Brull, the rat not even attempting to contain his bulk to the wall. The rest trailed behind. Down the hallway they stalked, slowing at intersections, creeping past voices, and, incredibly, not once being spotted.

After slipping down a staircase and doubling back no less than three times, the group approached a set of doors guarded by a mouse behind a desk. Spectacles rested on his nose, and he was half-hidden behind a sheaf of papers. Three and twenty pairs of paws stomped towards him, three and twenty unfriendly faces.

"More prisoners this early in the day?" He didn't look up once.

Brull covered Zula's eyes. "You shouldn' watch."

Without a word, Rekkua stepped up to the desk, ripped the papers out of the way, and sank her claws into the mouse's unnaturally-warm neck.

"Whaaa…?" His eyes bulged and his words died in a gargle. Rekkua could feel his pulse slipping, slowing. Stilling, stalling. Stopping. Spent.

"Goodbye, furbeast." The words lilted off her tongue, much more melodic than the harsh language of the Zattaka. "[/I]Rest peacefully.[/I]" The mouse crumpled to the desk, glasses askew, eyes closed forever. Rekkua wiped her claws clean in his fur and grabbed the keys off the mouse's belt.

"No time to lose," Brull said. "Let's go!" He pushed open the door. A murmur of voices greeted them, and that horrible taste from when Rekkua was imprisoned washed outwards.

The band of rescuers rushed into the hall, Rekkua in the midst of them. Voices emanated from behind six doors, grimy faces materializing at the barred screens.

"Look! It's a buncha Marties!"

"What're you lot doin' here?"

"We don't want no Marties in here wif us!"

"We're here to bloody save you!" Brull growled. "Rekkua, pass me the keys!" Rekkua tossed the key ring to the rat, who began fumbling through them, trying one after the other on the door he was standing in front of. Finally, one worked, and the door swung open. Vermin came filing out as Brull moved to the next door.

Rekkua watched as the prisoners were released, looking for two familiar faces. They weren't in the first one. They weren't in the second or third one. From the fourth one strolled a vixen, who, upon catching sight of Zula, nodded and gave a somewhat awkward pat on the head. Still no Varan.

The last one to step from the fifth one, however…

"Zavak!" Rekkua rushed over and, without thinking, wrapped her arms around the other lizard.

Surprised, Zavak returned the embrace, his reaction a little slow. "Rekkua? What are you doing here? You weren't in any of these cells!"

"I can't believe you're alright!" She pulled away from her clanmate and peered into the empty cell behind. "Where's Kiaza?"

"Right here." A third monitor lizard staggered over, teetered, and began tipping towards Rekkua.

She caught him. "Kiaza! Are you okay? If her sibling's appearance was anything to go by, he was very clearly not alright. His eyes were sunken and listless, the wound on his arm was scabbed over and cracked, and the scales surrounding it were discolored.

Kiaza smiled weakly. "Been better. The food here is terrible."

Zavak nodded. "And there's no sun. My blood feels like mud."

"Okay everyone. Let's move out!" It was Brull trying to get control of the mass of bodies now filling the hallway.

"Why should we listen to you?" A female rat next to Rekkua, arms crossed, was staring challengingly at Brull.

Gently passing her brother to Zavak, Rekkua straightened and leered down at the rat, teeth full of menace. "You will lizzen to him becauze he haz zet you free. If you wizh to get out of here, you lizzen to him."

The rat shrank back from the fearsome native, muttering something under her breath. A small part of Rekkua was disgusted by the rat's fear, but another, more savage part, exulted in it.

Nodding his thanks, Brull continued. "Right. We're getting out of here as fast as we can, whatever path we find first. Stay together and watch each other's. . ."

A pair of guards rounded the corner. Instant silence fell as everybeast stared at them.

"Uh, er. . .what are you vermin doin' out of yor cells?"