Elizabeth awoke to the sound of children's voices. Her eyes opened slowly, revealed Orion and Sarah's dimly lit bedroom. The couple had given their bed to the Brisby family that night, waiting for a spare room to be arranged. She rubbed her eyes, stretching her arms and legs. She'd slept soundly, her body well rested. There was a mild aching from the night before, but it was the kind she'd longed for the past two weeks. She hopped from the bed, shocked to find her cape had been cleaned, though it hadn't been a complete wash. Some minor tears had also been stitched up. She wrapped it around her, going out to find the couple entertaining her children.
"Hey, look everybody," Orion said happily. "Mommy's up!"
Elizabeth laughed. It seemed he'd worked up everyone's excitement like it was Christmas morning, and Cynthia ran over to hug her mother.
"What have you been doing?" asked Elizabeth.
"Orion's been telling stories," Cynthia said excitedly.
"Stories?" she glanced at Orion. "All good, I hope."
"He told us about they traveled to Thorn Valley," said Martin. "And how he and Justin slayed a giant snake!"
"Really?"
"Yeah?"
She looked at Orion with mock sternness.
Orion raised his hands. "Hey, I only fabricated the parts that were true," he said, then turned to Martin. "You weren't supposed to tell her that."
"Oh, yeah?" challenged Martin. "What're you gonna do about it?"
"Arm wrestle ya," Orion put his arm on the coffee table. "C'mon, I think you and your brother can take me."
"You're on!" cried Timothy. He and Martin grabbed Orion's hand with all four of theirs, struggling as he gave out false yells of agony. Sitting on the couch, Teresa and Sarah laughed at the action.
"Did you sleep well?" Sarah asked Elizabeth.
Elizabeth nodded. "Yes."
Sarah winked and smiled. "No problems at all?"
Elizabeth smiled as well. "No, none at all."
She hoped her children didn't pick up on the quiet exchange.
"Oh, no, they've almost got me!" Orion pretended to be giving in. "Hopefully, I can fight back…I just hope no one else joins in!"
Cynthia caught the signal, running over and adding her hands to her brothers'. To her triumphant giggles, Orion caved in under the weight.
"Damn—I mean, drats!" he spoke with false anger. "Foiled by the little one!"
"You said a bad word," Cynthia's look was innocent, half-stunned.
"No, I didn't" Orion ran a hand through his hair. "You're hearing things."
Cynthia looked ready to tackle him. "Yes, you did!"
"Okay, I did," he chuckled. "Say, who's ready for breakfast?"
"What is it?" asked Martin.
"You'll like it," Orion grabbed Cynthia, putting her on his shoulders. Sarah and Elizabeth trailed them as they headed toward the cafeteria.
"He certainly has a way with children," said Elizabeth.
Sarah laughed. "Sometimes, I don't think he ever grew up."
The cafeteria could house two hundred at once, though it was nearly empty when they arrived, as most of the rats had either already eaten, or had skipped breakfast entirely. The cooks didn't have all they would've liked at their disposal, but they made the most of what they had, the pancakes and cornbread was easily the best meal the Brisbys had had in a long while. Everyone except Cynthia devoured the rat-sized portions. Afterwards, Orion got the okay from Elizabeth, taking the children to the school wing of the lair. There was an indoor playground and small children's library, plenty to keep them entertained.
"I need to be heading there myself, soon," Sarah said after they'd taken off. "I know Arthur gave you a tour of the place, but is there anywhere I could lead you to?"
Elizabeth was somewhat reserved as she said, "Actually, yes, if it's not too much trouble. I understand if you're busy."
"Don't worry about me," Sarah assured her. "You're the guest; anything you wish."
"I was wondering," Elizabeth rubbed her hands. "Would Nicodemus be busy? I'd like to see him, if that's possible."
Sarah laughed. "Of course you can see him. Nicodemus is enjoying his retirement. He's got plenty of time on his hands now, and I'm sure he would be more than willing to make time for you."
(****)
Elizabeth entered the chamber with less fear than when they'd met, though she was still hesitant, intimidated by his majestic presence and unfathomable ability to move objects without getting up. His new chamber was not nearly as ornate or gothic as his old one, instead a simple, square room with more lighting, although he had the lights dimmed, due to the strain brightness put on his eyes.
"I've been expecting you, Mrs. Brisby," he said, after she'd quietly shut the door.
Elizabeth took small steps toward him. "You have?"
"Are you still afraid of us, my child?"
She blushed at her behavior. "No, it's just that…so much has happened these past few days, that…" she trailed off, not knowing where to go with the thought.
"You have questions, don't you?" he asked. "There are things still you don't understand, that you want to?"
"How-" she cut herself off, knowing full well he was always one step ahead.
"Please, don't be afraid," he assured her. "Ask anything you wish to know. You have a right to know about everything that is happening around you. Is it about NIMH, your children, or perhaps," he seemed to smile. "Justin?"
Elizabeth stopped herself from blushing again. "I do want to know more about NIMH," she began. "But what I really want to know, is what happened, that night on the farm. What did I do, Nicodemus?" she asked. "What happened to me when I used that stone? I've felt a little strange ever since; it's not that obvious to me, but I just have this feeling, like an old memory. Did that stone do something to me?"
The old rat sighed, as if measuring the question's weight. "There isn't an easy answer," he said. "Some of what I tell you may not make sense, not now anyway. It all goes back to when we were in the laboratories at NIMH, and the injections they gave us."
Elizabeth sat on the floor, pulling her cape around her.
"Rats," he continued. "Are not much different than mice, or cats, or even humans; we all have the same basic form. We have brains to think, eyes to see with, and hearts to pump our blood, skin, skeletons, and lungs. We are the same as any living creature; the only difference is how our bodies are molded. Within each of us, whether we are rat, or mouse, or human, there is a code that tells our body how to grow, a genetic code. It is embedded within every cell of our body, it tells what we are, what we do. Our code tells us we have fur on our skin, tails on our backs, claws on our fingers. It tells us we are not very big, but that we make up for it with our instinctive ability to forage and hide, but the most important part of our genetic code tells us how smart we are going to be. We, like all other animals, use our brains to think, but we don't use the entirety of our brains. In fact, we use only a very small portion as normal creatures. There are untapped fountains of knowledge that can be achieved, by finding a way to unlock that vast area nobody knows about. No animal, not even humans, has found a way to use their brains at any greater capacity than we are supposed to, that is, until NIMH experimented on us.
"The injections they gave us were very potent; there were chemicals, compounds, and drugs that no rat ever would have been exposed to. Most of the time, when someone encounters a toxic chemical, they are affected only on a superficial level; we may get sick, or die; we may get burned, or we may recover from a disease. Most drugs and chemicals affect the equilibrium of our bodies," he continued, after taking a breath. "But they have no real effect on who we are. This is no true of NIMH's injections. Whatever we were exposed to, at such high levels of intensity, it caused a chemical reaction within our bodies. Those injections changed us, infiltrated every cell and mutated our genetic code. They changed us, into something different than we were before, but unlike catching a sickness and then getting healthy, our bodies were affected permanently. We began to think and act differently.
"We can only assume NIMH was experimenting on us in some way to make rats smarter, so they figured out what kinds of chemicals within our bodies affected our brain, and enhanced the in some way. We can also assume the experiments went much further than they anticipated. We could learn at an exponential rate. They had altered the genetic code that had formerly restrained us from using the untapped parts of our brain. We began thinking in ways we never had before. Our minds worked so differently, in ways we could not even comprehend, though not all of us were affected equally.
"Many rats, like Justin and Jenner, became very smart, but others of us changed even further. We had discovered realms within our own minds that we never knew existed. We had become an advanced species, far ahead of the evolutionary process. A few of us, like myself, found ways to manipulate the things around us. Brutus has learned how to redirect electricity to his bidding, and some have even claimed to be able to see dimly see the future, not necessarily enough to predict it, but vague emotions were there," he stopped a second. "This is a trait that your Jonathan had."
Elizabeth gasped, trying to comprehend the thought. "Are you saying," she began. "That he might have…that he knew…"
"He may have," said Nicodemus. "Then again, he might not have. Even Jonathan had abilities he was not even aware of. But, the point is, Mrs. Brisby, that the things you have seen me do, or what Brutus could do with his poleax, these events that seem magical and unexplainable are, in fact, a natural phenomenon, controlled by us, due to the fact that our minds have skipped over countless generations of evolution. I can make that staff over there float across the room, to my hand, without even thinking about it, but I have no way of putting into words how I did it; the rules that govern my abilities are beyond normal comprehension.
"And just as we have unlocked these uncharted depths of our own minds, our bodies have changed as well. We can live longer than we were ever supposed to, due to our advanced chemical state. We are stronger, faster, healthier than any rat that has ever walked the face of this earth, but all of what we've become has always been inside us, buried deep within our genetic code. We've always had the ability to become the creatures we are, we just didn't know how to get there; the injections did that."
"What about my children?" asked Elizabeth. "They have Jonathan's blood, but they are mine as well. I'm not different like you are."
"Your children are indeed interesting," Nicodemus continued. "There has never been anyone among our colony that has, if you will excuse my frankness, mated outside of our advanced species. Because you are a normal mouse, and Jonathan was not, we can only assume that his dominate genetics will make your children more like we are. However, that does not mean you did not give your children anything. Your children are growing at a much slower rat than those of our rats, and we are also not greatly affected by diseases the way that your son was."
"From the sound of that," Elizabeth dropped her head. "It doesn't sound like they inherited anything good from me."
"No, that is nor true," he almost smiled. "Do not look at their shortcomings as faults or defects, as they are simply traits of a normal mouse, such as yourself. They are as much like you as they are like us."
Elizabeth sat silently in thought. "Then, what about me?" she said at last. "Nicodemus, what happened to me when I used that stone?"
"That is a trickier question to answer," he replied. "Everything I have told you has become available to me naturally, due to my increased ability to absorb and digest knowledge, but the events of that night are not so clear to me. Mrs. Brisby," he continued. "I was dead. I should not still be alive after what happened to me, but the power you unleashed brought me back to life."
"How?"
"In most cases, when someone dies, they are not immediately dead. The functions of the body don't just stop; they take time to slow down. Think of it as if you upset a glass of water. At first, the water moves chaotically back and forth, but eventually, after a brief bit of time, it settles down, becoming still. A body is similar, only it takes longer to become perfectly still, as it is much more complex than a glass of water. However, there is only a small window of opportunity, and once it is gone, it is gone forever. Luckily, for myself, Sullivan, and your children, our windows had not yet closed."
"But neither had Jenner's."
"Do not think of that now," his voice was a little firmer. "It is not your fault. The stone is controlled by sheer emotion, Mrs. Brisby. I created it as a reservoir for my power, as well as the others who shared my extraordinary abilities, including Jonathan's. They only needed to be unlocked by someone who had the strongest faith and conviction, who had courage and strength. Because of the great love you have for your children, and your desire for them to live safely, the energy you directed through the stone, without even thinking, was so strong that it not only moved your home and saved your children, you saved us as well, and that is why you were so weakened afterwards. Using the stone's power means spending your own energy to do it, and because you are young, healthy, and full of life, you were able to survive. However, such a great feat might have drained all my energy, and I probably would not live through it.
"And to answer your question as to why you feel different, when you send your life energy through the stone, you are also getting energy directed back into you; everything that made up the stone, everything it was given by us, has been absorbed by your body. You might think of it as a scar, only it has affected you on the inside, but don't think of it in a bad way. Just think of it in the same sense of permanence of a scar. We who created the stone had put our own life force into it, so to speak, and now what we did for it has become part of you."
The mouse put a hand to her head. "This is crazy," she said.
"It may not make sense, Mrs. Brisby," he told her. "But there really isn't any other way to explain it to you in words. Much of our power is driven by pure emotion and feelings. You may not understand it in your head, but you can feel it. You know it's there, yet you just don't know how to put it in words." He paused, then, "You can feel it, can't you?"
Elizabeth sat motionless, then slowly nodded her head.
(****)
Orion strolled down the hall with a lazy swagger, a smile on his face. There was a joke around the colony that he'd chosen the wrong profession, as he often seemed like he'd make a better teacher than a guard. It was obvious there were few who worked better with children, of any age, than he did. After escorting Elizabeth's children to the daycare/school area, he hadn't been able to help but smile at all the attention they gave him; Martin had even made an off-color comment about how Orion might be tougher than Justin. Orion had introduced them to a group of rat children similar ages. They'd all known who Jonathan and Elizabeth were, what their deeds meant to the colony, and at first had greeted the mice with legend-like awe. After a moment, they'd realized the mice were mere mortals, as they were, and had greeted them with open arms.
Not far from the rear entrance, he passed his living quarters, having noticed sounds from inside, the door slightly open. He pushed it aside, seeing Sarah work on something in the bedroom. He was instantly excited, closed the door behind him, and went back to see her.
"Hey," he made a smooth entrance. "What're you doing here?" she was usually somewhere in the school or nursery.
"Nothing," she said absently. "Just getting some things together." She flipped through the piles of notes on her desk. "What're you doing?"
"Oh, nothing," he ignored the bland tone of her voice. "I was just on my way out, to catch some fresh air, when I walked by the door, taking in the most wonderfully sweet smell that's ever crossed my nose. I decided to investigate, and low and behold, I discover you sitting here, looking professional, but also more beautiful than any of God's creations."
He put out his hands, and gently began massaging her shoulders.
She paused a moment, then continued sifting through her notes.
"Are you in a hurry?" he asked hopefully.
"No, not really, but…" she trailed off.
"No?" he ran his hands down her back, then under her arms to her breasts. He leaned closer, kissing her neck and shoulders, trying to get her in the mood.
She loved it when he kissed her neck but, "Orion," she said, hesitantly. She tried to fight the sensations he stirred in her.
"What, not feeling well?" he asked, then pulled her to him, rubbing her cheek with his. "Got a headache?"
"No," she put a hand on his, in more of a restraining way than caressing.
"Then, what's the problem?" he felt her body stiffen a bit, and continued kissing her neck. "Neither of us are busy at the moment…"
"It's not that, it's just…" she trailed off again.
Realizing his efforts were in vain, he let his arms drop to his sides. He stood, motionless, for a moment, his head beside hers. He gave up and stepped away from her. He sighed, rubbing closed eyes. "What is it?" he asked. "What did I do wrong?"
"It's not you, Orion," she said, then a moment later, she sniffed. Orion snapped to attention.
"What was that?" he asked.
"Nothing, I…" she stopped when his hand met her chin, and he pulled her face in his direction.
"Why are you crying?" he demanded, sighing deeply before turning away.
She sniffed again, wiping a tear from her cheek. "I don't know," she began. "I just started having this feeling…there was no one around, and I just started feeling bad again…"
"God dammit!" he threw his hands in the air, then through his hair and down his face. "It's been almost a week since the last time," he continued, words coming slowly. "I was hoping that was the end of it."
Sarah's mood swings had calmed since the move to the valley, especially after she and Orion had started living together. Several rats had known about their affair, though they'd kept the relationship secret for the most part. They'd dropped the charade after the last night on the farm, as Jenner was thoroughly out of the picture, living openly as a couple.
"I don't know what I can do, Sarah," Orion continued. "I don't know how many more ways I can say 'I love you'."
"I know you do," she told him.
"Then, why are you crying?" he shouted. "You've been doing so well, even with all this talk of NIMH the past few days!" he began pacing, hands on his hips. "I thought spending time with the Brisbys was doing you good."
"Orion, stop," her voice was cracking. "Please!"
"Stop what, God dammit?" he threw his arms out. "Stop loving you, trying to make you happy, treating you like you're the best thing that's ever happened to me, what?" he almost smirked. "Tell me if I'm getting close."
"Stop doing this, Orion," she shouted. "You know I can't help it!"
"Yes, you can, Sarah," he snapped. "You have control over the whole-fucking-thing! I'm doing everything I can, but you're the one who needs to let it go. The past is over, it's done; I am here now, and sooner or later, you're going to need to realize that."
"I know you're here, Orion," she sobbed. "And I do love you…"
"Then what's the problem?" he was only getting angrier. "You were acting so happy this morning, and when we had this bit of time alone, all I wanted to do was make love to you, to make you happy. I'm crazy about you, Sarah," he continued. "I always have been, but this swinging back and forth is making me just plain crazy, and I can't put up with it forever!"
He stormed off, throwing the dividing curtain aside as he went to the door. Sarah got up to follow him.
"Orion, wait!"
"Forget it," he slammed the door, hard enough it popped back open. She stood, speechless, before dropping to her knees, burying her face in her hands. Tears coming like rain, she tried coming to grips with the emotions whirling furiously in her head.
(****)
Orion stomped down the hall, toward the rear entrance, hands curled tightly into fists, mind a furious thunderstorm. He'd grown used to Sarah's mood swings, but he'd never enjoyed them. Sometimes, he'd be in the greatest of moods, only to be dragged down by her depression. She'd been so much better since the move, and not seeing her emotions off-balance for any length of time only made it harder to deal with, once they came back. In the past, he'd always held her to make her feel better, as she would only be slightly melancholy. But then there were others where she'd cry herself to sleep, only to have nightmares. Every time, he'd been there to comfort her, but after two years, it was starting to wear him down. As he stormed outside, he took mental not of a blot of shadow in the hall.
A freaking burned-out bulb, he thought. The small inconvenience only added to his frustration. In fact, he'd become so consumed in his thoughts, he didn't even notice Jenner hiding in the shadows.
(****)
Jenner silently watched as Orion went on muttering to himself, until he was sure the new captain had ventured outdoors. He then moved from the small crevice, making his way down the hall from which Orion had come. He'd heard the rat's yells from his hiding place, though they'd been muffled by the door. He'd only planned to make a quick appearance in Nicodemus' chambers to slay the old rat, but couldn't pass up the opportunity to pay a visit to the woman who, technically, was still his wife. He slid to the doorway, peering through the crack. He could hear Sarah crying inside, though couldn't see her. He entered and closed the door behind him, locking it.
Sarah's voice came from the bedroom. "Orion?"
He ran to the dividing curtain, flattening himself against the wall.
Sarah walked slowly to the curtain. "Orion?" she said again. He jumped her, grabbing her wrist, dragging her back to the bedroom. Sarah was too shocked to make a sound, and the force of his grip knocked the wind out of her. He threw her on the bed, pinning her arms when he pounced on her. Her eyes widened in horror, but she clamped his hand on her mouth before she could speak.
"You even try to scream," he hissed in her ear. "I'll kill you. I'll break your neck like a twig, and no one will know about it. No one will hear you, and no one will come save you, not even your precious Orion."
He grinned widely, revealing his sharp teeth. He could feel her body tremble beneath him, her eyes staying open as he glared down at her.
"What's the matter, Sarah?" he asked sarcastically. "Aren't you happy to see your husband alive?"
He took his hand from her mouth, and began stroking her hair. She didn't even flinch, too afraid to move as her jaw quivered, her breath coming in quick gasps. Her eyes started watering, and a single tear slipped down her cheek. Casually, Jenner wiped it away with his finger.
"I can only assume these are tears of joy from seeing me," he flashed his teeth again, rubbing her cheek with his hand. "No? Oh, Sarah, where did we go wrong, hmm? We made such a good pair, you and I. Well, we did, until you started slutting yourself on that ingrate Orion, like the cheap whore you are. What do you think he even sees in you?" the glare darkened. "You are nothing but a crying, whimpering, emotional wreck, just a bag of ruined goods, a ruined flower with just a few petals left. I bet the only thing he sees in you is an easy lay; I should know."
He lifted her further, pulling her arms above her head, pinning them with one hand, allowing their bodies to be even closer. He nuzzled her chin and neck, gently licking her skin. Powerless under his grip, she could only shiver with fright.
"You know," he continued. "I bet he hates it too, making love to you, that is. I'll bet it just eats away at him every time he goes inside you. I know he can't help but imagine that I was there first, that I was the one to break you in. I bet knowing he can never please you the way I did probably makes him so angry, he can't even think of you as he fucking you. The only way he can be happy is to think of you as a whore, as a cheap, dirty piece of meat. That way, he doesn't have to pretend to meet the expectations he knows he can never hope to achieve. How does that make you feel?" he asked. He kept kissing her neck, further pushing her body down with his. "That the only man you think loves you has to envision you as a slut to enjoy himself?"
Sarah could barely find the strength to whisper.
"W-Wh-What is it you want?"
"I want you to shut up."
He rose, flipped her on her stomach, and tore off his belt. He twisted her arms behind her, binding them with it. Then, he tore an arm from a shirt on the floor, wrapping the cloth tightly around her muzzle. He then searched for something else to bind her with, eventually finding one of Orion's belts. He bent her legs behind her, tying her ankles together and binding them to her wrists. Before that, however, he used the leather to strike her rear, again making her shiver. He then hovered over her shackled body, whispering in her ear from behind.
"I've got to go pay my respects to Nicodemus now," he said. "But when I'm done, I'll be sure to stop back and give you what Orion never could."
He started to get up, then fell again, his lips even closer as he hissed, "Wait here, I'll be back."
He crawled off her confined body and vanished, leaving her completely helpless.
(****)
Orion stepped into daylight, shielding his eyes from the sun. The cool breeze whipped through his fur, and he wound up, kicking a small, round stone as hard as he could. It went flying, but regretted the action as a bolt of pain shot through his foot.
"Son of a bitch," he muttered, leaning down to rub his toes. "Is there anything else that can go wrong?"
He gazed around, seeing a couple rats vanish through the main entrance. Other than that, there wasn't anyone outside, which wasn't unusual for that time of day, as most of the farmers were busy with carpentry work. He looked at the firing range, learning that, whoever had used it last, they'd left it a mess.
"God dammit," he seethed, going over to clean it himself.
He needed something to get his mind off Sarah. His blood had begun simmering at the first sign of her sadness, and had been boiling when he'd left the room. What the hell do I have to do? He walked to a dowel someone had left standing from sword practice, unsheathing his own blade and making quick work of the wooden pole. He drove his blade into the ground when he finished, breathing heavily with his hands on his knees. He then fell on his back, throwing out his arms. He stared at the clouds.
It's going to rain soon, he thought, noting their dark shade. Heh, just my freaking luck! He brought his hands to his face, rubbing his eyes, then threw them out again, growling in frustration. In his mind, his thoughts moved wildly about, almost like the ocean during a storm. He'd never thought Sarah would push him to the breaking point, but something had just snapped within him. Sure, they'd argued about things before, but the fights had always had substance to them; he'd never flat-out yelled at her, as he'd just had. And she'd been doing well.
Her school duties kept her busy during the day, but they always spent the evenings together, alone, just talking. One night in bed, he'd simply held her as they, literally, talked the night away. Before either of them had known it, the alarm clock had started buzzing, and neither had slept a wink. They hadn't even been tired, afterward. Then, just the other night, he'd had her in high spirits, having wrestled, then tickled her to bed, where they'd made the best love since their arrival in Thorn Valley.
Hell, he thought. It was the best so far, this year. She hadn't even skipped a beat when Elizabeth had brought the horrifying news of NIMH. She'd just taken everything in stride, and had welcomed the chance to help the mice settle in. She'd especially loved being with the children. Everything had been almost perfect; she hadn't shown any negative signs at all. What'd caused the sudden shift, he wondered, and began evaluating the past. Why did he put up with it? It wasn't the first time she'd appeared for a bit, then had relapsed. What could he possibly do? He'd tried everything he knew to make her happy, but the relationship had been draining him for some time. After all, it was a lot of work, handling her emotional baggage, trying to appear as though he were fully in command of the situation, just to try and give her strength. Why did he stay with her, bother to face this over and over? He wondered, why did he even try at all?
Because, his heart spoke to him. Because, you love her.
The wind shifted, the clouds above twisting into ugly shapes. He sat up, rubbing his face again while he groaned in resentment. He held his arms loosely over his knees, going over everything in his mind; the arguments, the nights of crying and tedious mood swings. The constant walking on eggshells was a lot for anyone to try and handle.
But she's worth it, he thought, feeling suddenly determined. She's always worth it.
He had a lot to manage with their relationship, but he cherished every minute they were together. Her beauty always soothed his overworked nerves, and he forgot all the frustration of the past whenever he held her body to his. And every time he took in her scent, it washed away the anger he held toward Jenner, the one who'd driven her to her current state of mind. He realized it wasn't her fault at all, that Jenner had abused her and crushed her will. That kind of damage required gradual, delicate repair, though he knew he was having an effect. She was much better now than she'd been a year ago. The biggest cause of her emotional imbalance was having lived under Jenner's shadow so long in the rosebush, but now they were in Thorn Valley, and Jenner was gone. He realized then that things would obviously be getting better, especially now that they were in a new home, it would just take time.
Shit, what've I done?
He stood, grabbed his sword and sheathed it. He then stretched his arms above his head, popping his back, taking another look at the darkening clouds. He then headed back to see if he could repair whatever he had damaged.
(****)
He closed the door softly behind him, still able to hear soft crying from the bedroom. When he spoke, his voice was soft.
"Sarah, honey," he began. "Listen, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have ever said those things to you."
He walked to the blue dividing curtain, staying on his side to give her space. "For what's it worth, I didn't mean what I said. It's just that," he paused, sighing. "I have so much on my mind right now. I'm trying to keep this place in order, and I've got every rat and their mother coming to me, looking for advice. I've got plumbing that doesn't work half the time," he continued. "And no heat; I get so frustrated sometimes that I just try to simplify everything, and I shouldn't. I just you want to be happy, so much that when you're not happy, it hurts me. I hate seeing you that way, and I just wish…I just wish I could make it go away, I wish I could just take you somewhere, where we won't have anything to worry about."
He paused again, listening to her shift around. "Look, I know a lot of this might not mean much, but I—" he moved the cloth aside, just slightly, but enough to see her hands were tied up. "What the hell?"
He rushed to her side, tearing the leather from her wrists, heart racing as he released her muzzle. "Who did this?"
She gasped in relief, her mouth finally free.
"Jenner!" she cried.
"What?"
"It's Jenner," she cried again. "H-He's going to kill Nicodemus!"
His jaw dropped. "Jenner? What?"
"Go!" Sarah shouted. "He's going after Nicodemus; go now!"
Orion charged into the hall, hurtling toward the old rat's quarters. He spotted Jenner around the corner, closing in on the carved door. "Hey!"
Jenner turned in time to see the walking shadow tackle him. They fell, bodies twisting as each tried to gain the upper hand. Finally, Jenner kicked with both legs, sending Orion into the wall. It didn't stop him, and in an instant his sword was out, clashing loudly against Jenner's. They pounded at each other, blow by blow, until at last, their hilts locked, each still trying to shove the other down. Once he was close enough, Orion threw a left hook, following with a roundhouse kick that sent Jenner flying, making Elizabeth gasp in horror.
She'd emerged from Nicodemus' chamber to see Jenner crash into the wall beside her, and before she could move, he grabbed her wrist and spun her body in front of his. He held his blade to her neck, making Orion stop in his tracks.
"Stay back," Jenner snarled. "You try anything, and your next bath will be in her blood."
Elizabeth shrieked. "Jenner!"
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Brisby," he said. "Were you expecting someone else?"
"Leave he out of this, Jenner!" shouted Orion. "She's got nothing to do with it!"
"Oh, but she does," Jenner told him. "She does, Orion. She has everything to do with it."
"Let her go, Jenner; take on someone your own size."
Jenner slowly began to back up with Elizabeth. "No, I don't think so."
She stood helplessly in Jenner's grasp, terrified and looking to Orion for help, knowing he couldn't.
"You've ruined my plans, Orion," Jenner said coldly.
"And you should've stayed dead," Orion snapped.
"Fair enough, we're-" he ducked beneath Brutus' flying poleax, watching the blade crash into the wall. It sent out a shower of electrical sparks. Jenner kept his grip on Elizabeth, facing his new challenger. Brutus stood a few feet away, crossbow at the ready.
"Brutus, no!" shouted Orion.
"That's right, Brutus," Jenner said. "Listen to your captain."
He pulled Elizabeth with him, dragging her along as she fought to stop, but he was far too powerful for her to escape.
"Let her go, Jenner," said Orion. "We can work this out. What do you want; Sarah, me, Nicodemus, the stone, what?" he was desperate. "Let her go, and we can figure this out."
Brutus had circled slowly toward him, never letting his aim down.
"Just try it," Jenner told him. "The second you fire, I'll lift her to block the arrow, and still get away."
"Put it down, Brutus," Orion said.
The big rat slowly complied.
"Don't do this, Jenner," Orion continued. He threw down his sword, holding out his arms. "Take me instead, just let her go."
Jenner smiled. "As much as I'd enjoy the opportunity to slowly kill you, I'm afraid I'll have to take a rain check. Right now," he glanced at Elizabeth. "Mrs. Brisby and I are going to catch up on old times. I'm sure she has lots to tell, don't you, Mrs. Brisby?" he tightened his grip. Still too frightened to do anything, Elizabeth could only fight his grip, trying to keep the sword's edge away from her throat.
"God dammit," Orion cried. "You can't do this!"
Again, Jenner smiled. "I am doing this," he said, then began backing out, Elizabeth still trapped. "If you even try to follow me," he said. "She's dead."
He brought the blade closer to her throat as she gasped.
Orion could only stand, helpless, gritting his teeth. He cried out in frustration, as Jenner vanished from view. Quickly, he retrieved his sword, hitting a red button on the nearest intercom. The emergency lights were strings of small Christmas ones set to the highest chase speed, and they began flashing as an alarm echoed through the halls. He switched the intercom to the all-access frequency.
"Attention all guards," he began. "Report immediately; Jenner is on the premises, and has a hostage, lock down the lair. Repeat, lock down the lair now! Seal the entrance, and all exposed skylights. And all rats of Thorn Valley, report immediately to the nearest department head or supervisor, I want all rats accounted for!"
He released the voice box, walking back to the exposed rear entrance. A group of guards, both on-duty and off was on their way by when they noticed him.
"Captain," one of them asked. "What's going on?"
Others nearby were starting to filter into the hallway.
"Jenner was just in here," Orion told him. "He's taken Mrs. Brisby hostage, and done who-knows-what else," he pointed to the gate. "I want you men to seal off this entrance; find something to barricade it, defend it with whatever you've got. I'll send reinforcements soon."
He quickly tried to subdue the situation, before it plunged into chaos. Several rats began questioning him.
One emerged from the workshop. "What's going on?"
"Jenner's here?" said another.
"What's this about a hostage?"
He raised his arms to settle the crowd. "Please, everyone," he shouted. "Just report in for now; we need to get a head count to make sure everyone is safe. I'll fill you in on details later." He went over to Brutus' poleax, still embedded in the wall, and tore it out. "I want you to stay here, big guy," he said, handing Brutus the weapon. "Keep that exit secure."
The big rat nodded silently, heading toward the lair's one vulnerable spot while Orion rushed to the main entrance.
He encountered many questioning stares along the way, ignoring those who tried to stop him. They'd never done a drill for shutting down the lair, but everyone knew what to do, it would just take a minute or two for them to remember. He rounded a corner, running straight into Arthur.
"Whoa," he backed up. "Just the man I wanted to see!"
"Orion, what the hell's going on?" the big rat demanded.
"Jenner was just in here," Orion explained. "He made a move for Nicodemus."
"My God…he didn't—did he?"
"No, Nicodemus is okay, but the bad news is, Mrs. Brisby got caught up in the struggle, and he took her hostage."
"He what?" Arthur shook his head. "Mrs. Brisby? Where are they now?"
"He left, out the back entrance; I don't know how he got in, or what else he's done. But now," he took a breath. "I want you to move everyone into the larger rooms; the cafeteria, the library, all back in there, until we get everyone accounted for. Do you know if anybody's still outside?"
"No, not that I know of," replied Arthur. "We didn't have any outside work scheduled for today."
"Who knows what he may have been up to in here?" Orion said, almost to himself. "I've got some men sealing off that entrance, but it may take some time."
"That's going to be tricky," the engineer told him. "By closing the entrances off, we won't get much air through here, especially since the fans aren't up to speed."
"Shit," Orion sighed. "Well, we'll just have to come up with something, for now. I don't know, just start getting everyone together. We'll go from there."
He patted Arthur's shoulder, heading off to round up his guards, moving from post to post, directing his men on what to do, where to go. He also caught any off-duty, putting them to work. After a long while, he reached the front entrance, only to find the gate wide open.
"What the hell are you doing?" he yelled at the perplexed guard. "I said seal the gate!"
"But, sir, Castor and his men are out there!"
"Castor's what?"
"Lieutenant Castor and a bunch of others, sir," said Kyle. "They left just a few minutes ago; he said to leave the entrance open."
"How many went out?" the captain demanded
"There was a lot," the youth replied. "Around fifty, or so."
"And you didn't think that was weird?"
"Well, I thought it was odd, but-"
"Who else was with him?" snapped Orion.
"Some guards," Kyle said. "Marcus, I believe, but Cameron was with also him, and a couple other council members, Sasha too. I didn't have time to see them all, the way they were rushing outside; I thought you ordered them…" he trailed off, realizing he was in trouble.
Orion seethed inside, trying to remain calm without losing it. "Fifty or so rats?" he repeated. You're not sure, though? Could there've been more?"
"Maybe," said Kyle. "I don't know."
"Well, we'll know soon enough," Orion glared at the land outside. "Seal this gate."
"But sir," Kyle protested. "Castor-"
"Castor is a traitor!" his captain shouted. "Along with all those other rats; they've gone out there to meet Jenner. Now, seal this gate!"
(****)
Castor had realized what was going on, quickly assembling as many followers as he could, getting out before Orion could stop them. Luckily, most had been nearby when the alarm had gone off. Those that weren't had had enough sense to get it, going out to meet with the group. The guard at the entrance had been easy enough to dupe, but Castor knew they'd be figured out soon enough, and would be cut off from their home. Jenner was planted nearby, not bothering to be as far as he'd been for their other meeting, and was pleased to see that the majority of his followers had gotten out.
"This is a fine mess you've started!" shouted Cameron. "Just what the hell were you thinking? Why didn't you go over any of this with us?"
"The reason is I didn't want any of you to suddenly develop a conscience," Jenner said coolly. "I knew I couldn't go over anything too drastic, so I left it up to you to figure out what was going on. Why, Cameron," he continued. "Did you not appreciate my handiwork?"
"I certainly did not!" Cameron shouted. "What was it you were trying to accomplish with this? Now we're stuck out here! Couldn't you find a more subtle approach?"
"Our time is short here, Cameron," said his leader, still calm. "We have to act quickly, while there is still uncertainty in everyone's minds. If we waited, we wouldn't catch them off-guard. Eventually, a siege would've been inevitable, anyway."
"A siege?" Cameron's jaw dropped. "You plan on the lot of us to attempt a siege in the entire colony? Are you insane?"
"Do you ever stop complaining?" said Castor, irritated.
"I don't see how you can take this so-"
"Cameron," interrupted his wife, Sasha. "It's all under control."
Cameron was flustered, but knew his argument was useless when he saw the three immobile faces in front of him. Instead, he motioned to Elizabeth, whose hands were tied, the other end of the rope tight in Jenner's grasp. "Then, what's she for?"
"Think of her as a bargaining chip," Jenner told him. "If things get too rough, we'll throw her on the table and see what happens."
Elizabeth's eyes widened, but she feared for her safety, so she remained silent.
"So, what's the plan?" asked Castor.
"Yes," added Cameron. "Just how do you plan on handling this siege?"
"Gentlemen," began Jenner. "While the rats cooped inside the lair may appear to have the advantage, they do not," he nearly smirked. "They are nothing more than caged animals; they have food and water, but the supply is limited, so is their supply in which they can defend themselves. Right now, I'm sure Arthur and Nicodemus are sorely regretting their decision to store the explosives and spare crossbows outside in a secure bunker."
Castor and Sasha smirked at the thought, several others grunting and nodding in approval of their sudden, apparent, advantage.
"Also," Jenner continued. "Right now, Orion and his men are running their tails off, trying to secure the lair, making sure everyone is safe and sound. They'll spend the day fortifying their position to defend themselves, keeping themselves busy, wearing out their bodies and minds from stress. And we're going to be out here, relax, and attack when they least expect it. They may have time to dig in, but they'll be too tired to fight, once we attack. No doubt, they'll try to gather everyone in the same location, so once we punch through, it will be easy to find Nicodemus."
"Then what?" asked Cameron.
"By then, we will have slaughtered most of Orion's guards. Once we destroy Nicodemus and I have that stone in my grasp, nothing will stop us."
"You just had your chance at Nicodemus," reminded Cameron.
"A mistake that I will correct, but that doesn't matter. I've set the ball in motion. Right now, we wait. Meanwhile, they will drive themselves crazy with worry. They will be exhausted when we attack, and we will take them by force. And then, the lair will be ours."
Jenner had support from everyone then, as evident by the cheers and greedy smiles spreading around the group. As they clapped their hands and patted their new leader on the back, Elizabeth could only huddle silently in fear of what part she would play in Jenner's scheme, and prayed for Justin to hurry back.