Redwall: War of the Four Banners

by PepperDeadSworn

"Young as autumn, old as summer, from sea to forest the cries of war shall come Four armies, one outcome, in ruin you shall find the truth Look to the place of my rest, for friend shall be foe, and foe shall be friend." A epic tale of Redwall in which four great factions battle for the fate of Mossflower itself.

14. The Wild Hunt

Chapter 13: The Wild Hunt

Niala and her brother were marching in the drylands, giving a wide berth from Fort Tussock whose scouts no doubt in Jarolom's mind had spotted them as they travelled. Jarolom's division marched out with 50 vermin, but were followed by 5 slaves who hobbled behind. The Foxtrot siblings marched out from Gholand, with a sizable gang by vermin standards carrying their own tents. Before having headed out, Niala was sure to make every member grab an additional pair of clothes and to abandon any metal armor, using padded cloth instead. It was less protective, but the biggest danger from the north wasn't angry vermin tribals, but from the rocky cliffs, sudden pitfalls, and difficult terrain. Jarolom was reluctant to agree with his sister, fearing she may try to upend his authority, but Niala seemed less intent on that. Niala explained to her group as they traveled. "The highlands of the north where we are headin is filled with hills, cliffs, and dangerous groups. Bandit vermin, sea raiders, an' Noonvale patrols will hound us if we are not careful an' ill prepared. If ya can't climb a cliff, you will be left behind to fend fer yerselves."

The vermin only nodded in agreement. In the drylands, the group would camp for a day before heading off again, tended to by their slaves who cooked and dished out the rations for the vermin and for themselves. Where they had once been quite talkative back in Gholand, they remained ominously silent around Jarolom. The fox tended to act with cruelty and very little restraint when far off from Markem's sight, and they knew full well Jarolom would just as much kill them as look at them. Niala and Jarolom discussed that night with another officer, drawing up their plans and their objectives.

"The slave caravans are usin an' old path to move more southward, they avoid the mountains where Noonvale lies an squeeze through a path towards the western sea. Not sure if there be any port they are droppin der slaves off from, though. The hares been trackin at least three small caravans, with the larger ones havin been finished tradin until next spring." Jarolom drew a path on a sandy map with a stick, pointing to a pass in the northern highlands which dipped down into the drylands and looped between a crude double keeps of Noonvale and Riftgard. Niala knew full well the slave caravans were fellow northerners, mostly raiding some island kingdoms off the coasts of the western sea. The caravans were not common, they only could yearly take on new captives to sell to differing warlords. However, Jarolom then pointed at the crude tapping of Noonvale and sighed. "The slavers must have been emboldened lately. A bunch of em' took over one of the keeps leadin into the kingdom's valley. The mice brutalized the horde fer sure, but the Hare that Scarl tortured swore that the slavers were prodding at der villages."

"Noonvale? Are they mad?" Niala knew of the mice of Noonvale all too well, and the gentle beasts which it commanded. The kingdom prospered since the days of Martin the Warrior, a massive bulwark against the dangerous hordes. They nearly fell against the hordes of Kasg of Craven, but survived when Kasg moved his hordes southward for an unknown purpose. Yet, the mice and their allies still held strong despite the issue, and this was the first time she heard of slavers poking them. It would have been considered suicide for any vermin horde to dare try to breach into the well defended valley.

"Apparently. They be taken dem to this coast on the western banks, far off from Noonvale an' where there be some old vermin settlements an' ports. Weird ain't it. Ya never heard of this before?"

"Never. Warlords always be wantin work beasts in the northern settlements. Some far northerners, in the lands of ice an' snow even come down to trade. Never seen or heard of those caravans being brave enough to face off against a pair Noonvale soldiers, let alone go the risky distance to even get near Riftgard. That abbey resisted Jusbrag fer a long time, and der warriors do not like slavers especially."

"Ya think they be tradin in more den slaves then?"

"Ya. They may be tradin in vermin."

The thought wasn't new to vermin like the Foxtrots. Vermin after all, when lacking in woodlanders to enslave for their hordes and gangs, often turned on each other. Yet, this was often as a last resort. Vermin were violent and did not take well to the lash, they were lazy and difficult to whip to work. However, it wasn't uncommon to know slavers who chained up vermin warriors and sold them to warlords as fresh recruits. Niala guessed, and circled a part of the map, a small coastal bend near a forest where the group could likely set up an ambush to capture a slaver to interrogate. "We could set up here. There usually be three bands at a time, slowed down by the trade. Scarl says they made their last drop less then a season ago, so we may catch on bringing der load to the shore, or coming back up north."

Jarolom nodded and ate of his rations. "Sounds good, lets just hope nothing goes wrong, eh?"
_

The vermin division was passing through the drylands by mid morning, and were on their way, but as they passed, Niala stopped the division and pointed to a large group of rocks. "I see a large dust cloud up ahead. There a huge mass headin towards us." Niala and Jarolom shifted into the rocks with their large gang, staying quiet. Any large horde that approached, friend or foe, was always trouble. They waited in the rocks, as one vermin soldier sat between the two siblings as they peaked out between several boulders. In the far off distance. Niala saw the flag of Jusbrag flying over in the distance, and watched as drums sounded and horns blew. The vermin marched with spears, swords, axes, and bows, marching in a barely formable and awkward line. The sound of their feet crumbled the earth beneath them and their loud thumping feet thrummed. Niala had never seen such a large army of vermin before. Markem had a lot of vermin himself, over a thousand it seemed, but a lot of that army was scattered across his realm. Jusbrag's army was different, it was one massive unified force, and it was unclear how many were in number.

The Jusbrag vermin all wore a mixture of orange and red headbands and armbands, but each vermin was fairly unique in themselves in terms of wear. Most were dirty, a mix of ages and skills, and had an odd assortment of weapons. Jusbrag was a true vermin settlement, a cancer on the northwest, and its vermin host reflected that well. Some vermin gathered their own things, pulling caravans of meat and foods, with several terrified and older slaves next to them. As they marched, the brown flag of the Great Vermin Band was seen flying all across the horde in various lengths. Some of Jarolom's vermin recognized it, and were relieved. Jarolom kept them silent however as he whispered a warning. "Kylan an' his beasts may be friendly, but friendly to a vermin like him will get us dragged all the way back to Gholand. Kylan be a dumb cretan, just as likely to think we are deserters or worse. Keep yer heads down."

As the vermin captains and officers of Jusbrag gave out orders and cracked their voices in insult at their moving host, Jarolom could hear the cracking voice of singing vermin, a war song mostly unique to Jusbrag's vermin army.

"Grab yer boots an' march in line, yer hearts beats to a dummer's line

Keep yer spear close to paw, feel the cool air as ye move

Swing yer axe to the beat, an' keep on stepping to the beat

String yer bows, cear yer swords, for we are now apart of Kylan's horde

Burn an' pillage through an through, to Jusbrag will approve

For ol' Kylan will bring us loot, to share an' plunder fer all to see

Kill the mouse, burn the hare, boil the otter, slaughter the squirrel

To the sounds of Jusbrag's drums

We'll kill an' slaughter till the beat is done!"

The drums rang louder as Kylan Bignose himself and his brother Loc came into view, humming to his own tune. The army kept moving, with Kylan yelling at his horde, clearly exhausted from his own weight "Keep movin, ya slack jawed weaklings! Markem asks fer an army, an ol' Kylan will bring him an army! We'll eat well in Gholand tonight if ya can keep pace!"

The vermin army moved on, for what felt like hours until they disappeared far off. Niala kept everyone still as a group of scouts moved up far behind, keeping an eye out for others. Once the full army was gone, the division regrouped, a bit shaken. It was truly a massive army, many trying to discuss the numbers they had just seen.

"Tis like Kasg reborn, he be! I swears he brought the whole of the north down der!"

"I think I saw 2,000 vermin!"

"Nay, that be clearly 3,000. Ya see those spears, eh? Some of that be farmin tools."

"Aye, how does he even feed that army ya think?"

The discussion went on as Jarolom and Niala watched the distant cloud of dust. It was a decent question with Niala providing a basic answer to Jarolom who was genuinely curious. He knew Jusbag had a lot of vermin, but not that many. "Jusbrag collects vermin from the north like a trap, mate. They mostly got farmsteads an' fisheries by the far coast, tradin and recruitin from vermin from across the east sea. This land be poor fer farmin, but I think some of the vermin settlements still make due, an' provide food fer Jusbrag. Not a bad place if ya want to grab a bite to eat, so long as ya don't mind the prices."

Jarolom shook his head "I'd rather keep me head on, thank you. Lets get movin. Markem will have to deal with that cursed lot."

---

The group entered into the northlands, and knew they had arrived when the dry hills and sandy crevices disappeared, and the long rows of ancient northern pines and trees began to sprout out into the distance. Jarolom noticed it was getting very dark out, and ordered his vermin ever forward into the night. They would camp near the coastal beachhead. Niala had mustered Jarolom's division personally, from each vermin and woodlander in it. She sent out two older vermin to scour for food, while commanding one otter she had picked out from Gholand's slave pens which she brought into the army to begin scouring the waters for fish. Jarolom didn't trust the slave one bit, and sat with his sister. They may have had a week's worth of provisions in their packs, but most were moldy vermin vittles, and some fresh grub from the sea and surrounding lands could at least be cooked up to improve their own morale. The otter caught a fish and swam back to shore with Niala examining it "Looks decent, glad I brought ya along. . .ummm. . . .erm. . ."

"They call me Wesk, miss."

Niala examined the caught sea fish and nodded, but Jarolom took out his paw and smacked the creature as if insulted "Get back in der water and grab us somethin better, ya dolt. 50 Vermin won't be fed like ya lot." The otter jumped back in. As much as he wished he could escape, he had spotted Niala's bow and knew full well if he swam incorrectly, he may as well be dead. Niala grunted and sat back down on the beach, tossing the fish to the side.

"That chief ya serve probably wouldn't like dat, brotha."

"He wouldn't, but unless ya are a tattletail, ya shouldn't concern yerself. Remember, I'm in charge dis time."

"As if I could ferget. Feels like der old days, when Pa was still kicken." Jarolom looked a bit different when he was mentioned, turning his gaze outward into the sea. His mind wandered a bit till Niala noticed, saddened by her brother's burning love for a dead creature who would never return. Niala nudged him a bit "I think ya be better then Pa was, or at least be makin him proud. I'm surprised ya still ain't over it."

"How can I? Pa was the great and legendary 'Jacks' Foxtrot, legendary sword swingin beast of an age. Said to have done over a hundred raids, fought tooth an' claw with the badger lord himself, even be said he stole a string from the tapestry of Redwall. I saw that string ya know, Pa always liked showin it off. When he returned to the burrow, all I wanted to do was hug him an' hear his tales. He asked me to join him one time. . ." Jarolom stopped. His face twisted into a frown as the fox's ears lowered. "He never returned Niala, an' fer a long time we never knew why. Ya went off with a gang northward, an' I got conscripted into another's horde. Ma only called us back cause she figured out what happened."

Niala remembered it well. They were still fairly young and inexperienced hordebeasts, but she remembered re-entering her mother's burrow, a small and dirty hole beneath a tree where they grew up as young pups. They found 'Jacks' Foxtrot, bandit hero and legendary thief of Mossflower dead, slain by the Warrior of Redwall and his body hurled off a cliff. 'Jacks' had an unfortunate run-in with Jue the Warrior and a group of companions, as he was trying to steal the blade itself apparently. In such a line of business, Niala wasn't surprised it had not happened sooner, but she always knew her father's death had drilled a hole where Jarolom's heart used to be. They left for prospective hordes after a very makeshift funeral, having fumbled his burial quite a bit. The legendary bandit 'Jacks' Foxtrot still laid upside down several feet under where they had grown up.

The two were distracted from their family's memories with the otter pulling with, holding onto a larger fish which he herded to the shore. Jarolom remained fairly cold to the catch, but Niala was practically clapping her paws. "Ah! Perfect. Is der anymore out der, river dog?"

The otter reluctantly shook his head "Nay, fish might be out to sea a bit more, an' to be honest, missus. I'm afraid ya will shoot me wit'yer bow if I move out any further."

Niala didn't comment. He was right, but didn't want to admit he was. "Well come to shore, and give it to the cook. Rest fer now, cause we got's a long march ahead of us still."
_

The vermin of the camp separated between three campfires, while others were finishing up their rest and began to patrol around. Jarolom thought 50 vermin was too big of a number for such a simple mission by Scarl, but then he half realized that vermin in any command with any mission would likely start taking casualties regardless of where they went. He had held command in Markem's horde since the start, but he still cringed at the time when he once commanded a rat to move forward and the poor beast tripped on a slope and fell to his unfortunate end, impaling himself on his own weapon. It was a terrible accident, but the entire idea that vermin like himself died to attrition in such a way did make bringing so many along make a lot of sense. Feeding the group however was a different story.

With the fish Wesk had caught, the vermin divided up their meals and began eating. Each of the hordbeasts warmed themselves by the fires with Jarolom and Niala sitting alone in their own tent, plotting their next move. The vermin host was enjoying themselves, all except for the five slaves of the division who sat mostly alone and ate in silence. Both Foxtrot siblings began to look through the maps of Noonvale, most crudely drawn. The night went on, and unbeknownst to any of them, several figures were spying on the camp from afar. Lefen and Loudaxe kept a far off distance from the vermin encampment, hiding themselves behind rocks and crevices.

Lefen had been journeying for over several long days trying to catch up with the group, but not without difficulty. The main issue had been food and scavenging, with the group having barely avoided the massive army from Jusbrag itself. They eventually were able to scavenge for food in the drylands, but it was mostly flowers and barely edible vittles which Lefen's rebels struggled to eat. Without a proper campfire, under Lefen's orders, the group could only remain in utter misery as they smelled the cooked food of the campfire beyond.

"I'd say they caught a sea fish from the smell of it." Loudaxe noted "No doubt needing one of their slaves to do it. Is it just me, or does it seem odd?"

"What does?" Lefen could barely keep focus, for whatever cook the vermin had, made a very decent meal.

"Markem's divisions don't normally have so many. I think I spotted five in the group. Slaves an all' that. If we attack now, we could very much overwhelm them and get 5 others on our side. Kill Jarolom and be done with it."

"I'd prefer not to lose more creatures to Markem, our troop isn't exactly well off. We have proper weapons, or at least with what Luzgot gave us, but most of our own can barely stand let alone fight. Avoiding Kylan's horde was bad enough. Once they move on, we'll rest and gather proper food and vittles, and then ambush them when all seems right."

"What do you think they are doing up here? Far past Jusbrag?"

Lefen shrugged "Don't know. Noonvale ain't far, at least by distance. Maybe they are raiding, but I don't know for certain."

Loudaxe agreed with his friend and waited. The group continued to watch from a distance. If the Foxtrots moved, they would follow.
_

In the early morning, the vermin division moved out. Jarolom continued to lead the vermin talong the coast of the river and into the forest beyond. By early afternoon, the group found themselves trekking through forests and fields. As Jarolom looked over the territory, Niala was examining the ground, looking for tracks. Several large pairs of vermin tracks were obvious to find which didn't belong to her own group, and smiled as she pointed out a smaller pair belonging to what she believed to be a limping vole. "Look, brother. A slaver gang I thinks came dis way less then a day ago, draggin voles most likely. Strange, though. Some of these paw prints. I think dey be some stouts dragging behind the line as well. Maybe they be tradin in vermin conscripts, eh?"

"Aye. Maybe." The two continued to follow, as the tracks soon abruptly stopped and looked like they scampered off in various directions. The two foxes order their division to set up a hidden camp nearby while they investigate, taking with them five archers. They group veered off into the forest. Niala eventually became worried as she again pointed out oddities in the tracks.

"Look. Some of these are cloak pins. Odd for them to lose em."

Jarolom eventually could see what she was speaking of "Some of these tracks look new. These rat paws look. . .large. Very large. Much larger than our own, that's fer certain." One of the rats in the company shifted uncomfortably. Jarolom continued as they looked over. They spotted dried blood, branches with ripped fur. It was odd. A slave caravan wasn't exactly a big issue to raid, as their loads were mostly in living things, not actual loot. It was clear that fellow vermin attacked the slavers, but as they continued to look, Niala's eyes widened as one set of tracks terrified her. In the dirt of the forest floor, one massive paw could be seen as she gripped her halberd closely.

"We need to move camp, Jarolom. Now."

"What. Why?" Niala followed the tracks with her eyes, pointing to a large snapped branch and the large paws leading away from it.

"A wolverine. Huge beast from the north they are, bein an leadin hordes of cannibals. I wouldn't want to face one if I can help it." As Niala was about to head back however, one of the vermin in their party was struck with a javelin in the back. The vermin soldier struggled in vain to reach at it, and fell to the forest floor dead. Niala and Jarolom ducked for cover as they soon found themselves ambushed. Jumping in and out of the trees, Lefen could see his quarry was far from their reinforcements, and Loudaxe came out thundering from the tree line. One vermin soldier attempted to raise his sword to block the incoming blow, but was cleaved in by the badger.

Jarolom took his sister in paw and began running "We are leavin! Hurry into the trees!" Niala grabbed her things and watched as the remainder of their vermin guard was killed by Lefen's ambushing soldiers. Loudaxe charged off, taking his time to attempt to kill the two. Lefen hurled javilens from the tree as the two weaved and ducked out of the way. All they could do was escape and hope their division would figure out they were being ambushed. Jarolom cursed himself and eventually found himself face to face with Lefen, the squirrel trying to cut him off. Lefen gained the upper paw, crashing a swift axe strike down at Jarolom who could only roll to the side to escape it's grasp. Jarolom could see the squirrel was out of javelins to huck at him, and simply began to run again. Niala didn't fare better, as Loudaxe charged through branches and thicket while her cloak kept getting caught on the shrubberies and bushes. Abandoning her cloak in a bush, she turned to face the badger with her halberd.

Loudaxe scoffed at the idea, a vermin cretan challenging him to a duel. He was tempted to wait it out, allow the remaining rebels to catch up and finish her off, but he relished the thought of ending another cruel creature of Markem's horde personally. Loudaxe smashed his woodaxe down on her with a loud roar, but she dodged to the side with dirt scraping by her. She knew full well that strength was not on her side, looking around to see where she could find a vantage. The forest was sloping downward, and she nimbly jumped more downward, giving the badger his high ground. She would occasionally keep the creature at bay by swiping at his feet, but it did only so little. The two kept getting farther and farther away as Jarolom was lost entirely from sight.

The two continued to duel, with the badger getting ever closer, but more exhausted. Niala eventually caught herself on a branch while moving backwards, falling down with a thud. She was overly anxious, and the badger attempted to take a swift and crushing blow with his woodaxe upon her. Yet, as he swung downward, she nimbly rolled far to the side and again the axe fell straight into the ground. He growled angrily at his misfortune and attempted to lift the axe again. In the deep forest, the badger didn't have enough strength to pull up his axe handle, finding it stuck in the ground. Seeing an opportunity, Niala picked up her halberd and began moving to find her brother, but felt a sudden leather bag being pulled over her head and her weapon knocked aside by some unknown force. Before Loudaxe could figure out what was going on himself, a massive furry fist was brought down upon his face.
_

Oh god, Oh fudge! Jarolom could no longer see his sister, but his mind was focused on trying to escape Lefen. The squirrel was barely able to catch up, but in the deep forest, Jarolom found himself absolutely lost. He didn't know where east or west was, and eventually he found himself entirely lost in the forest itself. He guided around several trees, but this was rather pointless as Lefen came bounding out of the brush and began attacking him again. At long last, Jarolom drew his sword and dueled the squirrel as best he could, but the fury of Lefen was getting to him. A brutal axe scar rang across the coat of his fur, as Lefen was the superior fighter. Jarolom was knocked to the ground in several swift and quick movements, with Lefen standing over him, quite ready to gloat.

"You and your master will pay for what they did to Streamwaddle and those hares. Markem isn't here to save this time, fox." Jarolom swiftly looked around and saw a branch next to him. As Lefen got ready to swing down his axe onto Jarolom, the fox took the branch and bashed it at the squirrel's legs in one nimble movement. Lefen was stunned and knocked back onto his back, although he was more annoyed than pained. Taking up his sword again, Jarolom kept going. He didn't wish to stay to try to finish off Lefen or even try it, as he knew it was only a temporary stunt. Lefen was soon joined by several of his friends, and they continued to hound Jarolom through the woods.

How the hell is Lefen even here! Jarolom thought, his mind racing and less focused as he gained distance. The fox needed to think fast before he exhausted himself in the pursuit. As the rebels temporarily lost sight of him, Jarolom stopped to look around at his surroundings. He could see very little except for trees and bushes, with the terrain continuing to slope down. He could only guess that the forest was on the edge of some kind of water, likely a marsh, and that he was on a hill. He followed the path down and was relieved to be correct, coming across a thick and covered marshland which looked like it could stretch for miles. Having no other options, he began to trek it. I hope Niala is safe. Lefen is a gentle beast for sure, he wouldn't be foolish enough to follow into a marsh filled with shallow waters. He could hear the voices of Lefen behind him, having finally caught up and trailing a small group of woodlanders behind him.

---

Niala saw only darkness before her, for whatever beast grabbed her had not suspected her to give such resistance and had bumped her on the head. Huh. So this where my story ends, eh? Serves me right for answering that call to me brotha. I wonder if I am dead. Who grabbed me? Vermin? Lizards? Both? Maybe it was the badger's friends. Niala half realized that she was still bound, but couldn't feel much. The hood slowly slipped off her head to reveal a midnight scene and that she was sitting on a rocky crevice. She was bound by her paws behind her back by rope, her weapon and favorite cloak having been collected and put into a haphazard pile alongside the weapon of her badger pursuer. She then began to hear the crackling laughter and angry discussion of fellow vermin, although they had a strange series of accents and spoke in an oddly specific language she could only half recognize.

Standing over her was a younger beast, and she felt half relieved at first to see the face of a gentle beast, a sea otter who was just shedding his coat. He looked strange for a sea otter however, being much taller than those she had seen before. He wore a brownish tunic lined with fur, and had a suspicious number of vermin tattoos all over his body. He looked her over, as if taking down mental notes. She whispered to him.

"Matey, I think der be cannibals in dat camp ahead of me." She looked over to get a better view of the vermin camp off in the distance, it was large and based in a decent part of the mountain's base. She was however somewhere else, and looked over only to see a steep cliff going far downward. She gulped, realizing the vermin didn't need to keep their prisoners in camp. Unless she was a very good climber, she was stuck. She hoped that the sea otter was some local who had passed by the vermin camp, but the creature only gave her a cringed and pained look.

"Sorray, missus. If I help ya, dey beat me silly. You an' yer badger friend happened upon me lord huntin."

"Huntin? Ya sound like one of us, otter. Ya part of dis war camp?"

"Aye, fer awhile now. Names Kag, missus. Yer badger friend be in a different part of der camp. Me lord tells me to check up on ya, an to. . .erm. . ." He stopped and looked a bit shamefully at the ground. "I'm sorry to tell ya missus, but I be given a grim duty."

"An'd dat is?"

"Yer to be made into a breakfast fer the horde next mornin. Der be 100 hungry vermin in de camp, an' me lord wants to save de badger fer a feast. Bird be difficult to find up here, an' the vermin be wanten meat."

Niala wasn't surprised, but her eyes did widen with fear. She had to think quickly as the sea otter put some kind of bowl of food on the ground for her, likely in a vain attempt to fatten her up for the morning feast. She blurted out "Kag, ain' it? I'm Niala, ya see. A creature of a great horde, an yer master be makin a terrible mistake eatin me. Tell em' I wish to speak. . .please. . ." Kag couldn't help feel sorry for the fox, despite his pity for vermin having disappeared long ago. He thought about it, but it clear he didn't wish to face his overlord. Niala then look him over and smiled "Ya look hungry, otter. Why don't ya have this meal, yerself. If ya help me, i'm more den willin to share me meal wit ya." The otter licked his lips, it was clear to Niala that he hasn't eaten in awhile, or if he did eat he was given the cursed mush of a cannibal's bowl. The prisoner's meal seemed a lot more satisfying in that case. The sea otter reluctantly agreed and took the bowl and began to eat it, and keeping to his word, he made his way back into the camp itself. Niala hoped to whatever god could hear her thought; I hope this works. Last thing I need is be made into soup!
_

Loudaxe was waking up himself, and felt a throbbing pain in his head. His eyes began to adjust as he tried to move his body around, only to find his paws tied by large upward ropes, and his feet fastened together. He struggled a bit, but finding it pointless, he partially relaxed himself, regaining some lost energy from his pained slumber. He looked upward, seeing a large brown figure overlooking him. His eyes adjusted, to see the grinning face of a massive beast looking down upon him, a wolverine glaring with ill intent. The badger didn't recognize his species at first, thinking he looked like some kind of horrible vision of a weasel the size of himself. The wolverine came around, looking at his prize, the beast had a rough looking tunic which covered some kind of cloth armor which covered most of his body, and a large belt for which hanged a huge falchion from. He was draped in a great blue cloak, held together by a silver pin, as he prodded his prisoner with his paws "My gods must bless me much, isn't that right my brother? Yes, yes. He will make a good meal for the horde, I be thinking. Look out it tries to worm out of its bond, this southern creature has spirit. Spirit makes the meat tender, I thinks."

The badger attempted to keep away but could not, the wolverine looked fairly well groomed for a creature who spoke madly. Loudaxe looked about him, seeing no other except him and the wolverine. Whatever forlorn brother he was calling too, was simply not there. The wolverine spoke calmly and with some undue authority "You southerners I hear have many spices which makes this taste good, yes? Me and my brother Yulfang would love to know any of your gentle beast cooking secrets."

"Let me go, and I'll teach you more then that, cannibal." Loudaxe gritted his fangs with the wolverine giving a hearty laugh. "I bet you would, but sadly, I am in the mood for such things. You should be honored to be tomorrow's evening meal. Never caught one of your kind before, I do admit."

The badger angrily tried to grab at his bindings, desperately trying to claw at them as the wolverine watched. Loudaxe knew full well he was staring at a far northern vermin, a cannibal he had heard of who devoured creatures and their own. He cursed himself, wondering why they didn't just kill him yet. He wondered if Lefen knew where he was, and he sure did hope. The wolverine took out his weapon and pressed the blade to his chest. "I think I'll carve right there first. Don't want you to wiggle too much as my horde eats you, ya know."

"Coward! You cannot fight me fairly, so you have to kill me bound."

Wulvog was tempted, but he shook his head and pressed the blade to cut into the badger's chest "Bound or not, you will make a decent meal I think. Attacking and eating those wretched slaver caravans and their hauls has been decent, I do admit, but nothing as filling as this. Usually, I'd have to work for my food. Now though? They practically come to me."

Within a short moment, Kag the Sea Otter came around a corner and gave a fake cough to call out to Wulvog. The wolverine pretended not to notice, but the younger sea otter spoke up with a cautious voice "My lord. The. . .the prisoner wanted to see you, she says she comes from a mighty horde, an' wishes to greet you."

"Thrall, can't you see I am busy? Every damned vermin said the same when I kept em' bound and feasted on."

"Aye, but I think she be tellin the truth, I thinks." Wulvog turned around and grunted, putting his weapon back into its sheath. He herded his servant into the camp and lowly growled at him "You better not be wastin my time thrall, or you will be fed to the horde for tomorrow's breakfast."
_

Niala was surrounded by several large light grey rats and pulled to her feet, being harshly dragged through a camp of 100 savage vermin. The spat and cursed as they gnawed on the bones of their unfortunate victims. They were a mix of large grey rats, white foxes, and ermine. Most wore a mix of garb, with only a few having iron armor and rounded helms. Most had bloody snouts and spoke in a barbaric language. Niala had used to work against such creatures when she served northern warlords, they were vermin all the same, but they were more driven than any other bandit creature she faced. In battle, they fought to eat, and eat to fight. The gluttonous host watched the orange fox be thrown to the ground in front of the wolverine Wulvog who stared down with a clear discontent. She had seen only one wolverine before, a mighty beast he was, a massive figure as tall and powerful as a badger but as evil and dubious as she was. They could easily rip apart creatures with their claws alone.

"Speak quickly, runt. I am in no mood for games." Kag came to the side of his master and bowed his head in his presence. He was likely the only gentle beast in the camp, as Niala realized that several discarded bones belonged to both vermin and woodlanders. A large gray rat wielding a spear prodded her backside lightly, one of the more armored and groomed beasts who spoke with some authority.

"My lord, dis future meal be not worth yer time. I say we eat her now, an' be done with it."

"If you eat me. . .you will become an enemy of Markem Brownnose, a great and mighty warlord in the south."

"Liar! Dis beast be but some mercenary I bets." The rat prodded her further and slinked up to his master "Oh great devourer, destroyer of tribes and bane of the highland coasts, Wulvog the Strong an' mighty. I say we boil her first, then fry her up so the meat falls right off the bone!"

"A great idea, captain Dakar. However, I will hear out these pitiful pleas. Tell me of this Markem then, fox. If he is a mighty warlord as you say, what purpose does that serve you now?"

Niala collected herself, kneeling in front of the wolverine who folded his paws and tapped his massive foot. "My warlord is wise and strong as any other, survivor of a thousand assassination, a mighty kingdom of vermin and woodlanders he commands at his beck and call oh mighty, Wulvog. Yet my lord Markem. . .to harm his servants such as myself will bring you to war. If you let go his servant, and spare her life, I will gladly show you the mighty realm he had built."

Niala was hoping that goading the dumb brute would at least spare her life for a few days, but the wolverine was having none of it. "A great many servants, eh? I did not hear of a Markem or Brownnose till you first mentioned it."

"You have heard of perhaps the Great Vermin Band?"

"No."

"Gholand?"

The wolverine shook his head. Niala felt fear as the troubles continued "I tire of this, Daka-" Niala yelped out "Spare my life and I will show you an entire division of food! We brought many with us, from the south, and I lead them here. Perhaps if you spare my life, you will take them in my stead?"

The wolverine looked intrigued "How many did you bring?"

"Fifty, and five slaves. A brother as well."

The wolverine's smile crested his face and gave out a hearty laugh. "Then so be it. I shall spare your life in return to showing me a great feast for me and my warriors. Now come little fox, why don't you show us the way."
_

Loudaxe may not have known it, nor Niala for that matter, but the fox had unintentionally saved his life. Both he and Niala were bound by their paws and kept at the head of the moving force, where they discovered something which was odd about Wulvog and his horde. The horde put on fur-lined boots, and marched in complete silence. They had no ranged weapons, lacking even a simple sling, but they carried a decent amount of terrifying weaponry with them as they marched. Some even painted themselves in various forest colors. The two learned quickly that Wulvog had come down from the lands of Ice and Snow as a refugee, his horde had built a sizable ambush point along the slaver's path that Jarolom had pointed out to Niala. What had drawn them to it however was an odd story within itself.

"They captured you both, huh?" Niala motioned at Kag and Dakar who were marching beside them. Dakar grunted at the comment, a bit embarrassed. Kag was a bit more talkative, making sure to whisper as to not get the deadly gaze of his lord.

"Aye. Me and me pa were captured by Wulvog and his brother a long time ago, but Pa and I tried to run and they. . .ate him alive. I've been here since an' tendin to Wulvog since. We came down southward across the ice and were mostly campin near some big ol' rocks. I was out foraging one day and came across a big ol' bundle of fish. Got snared by some rat. Dakar came out to try to find me, but he got grabbed by some more rats. They chained us to some line with a bunch of other woodlanders an' vermin and began draggin us southward. Wulvog must of followed us, and ambushed the group. He ate both the prisoners an' slavers alike, and discovered a bunch of a caravans movin southward. They don't suspect or are prepared for some ol' big wolverine comin down an' killen em'."

Well, that confirms that theory at least. Niala thought. Loudaxe grunted in anger at what he heard. It was one thing to be dragged away in chains, it's another thing to hear their prospective rescuers murdered them and ate them. Kag was desentized to the whole of what had happened it seemed, as he explained in further details that the slavers wanted to sell him and Dakar to some strange creatures on the western sea. "It was odd, I gotta admit. There were more vermin then gentle beasts in the slave line. You remember, Dakar?"

"Jah. I do. Now be silent, thrall. Fox, your 'companions' best be around here somewhere or I will personally slay ya meself."

Niala had not been fully honest with them, guiding them a long way through the forest. She made sure she was guiding them towards the coast, but not in the remembered direction of her vermin band. She hoped Jarolom made it back to safety, with Loudaxe hoping that Lefen would notice the marching group. Many of the vermin in the group gave the badger a wide berth, all except Wulvog who seemed pleased with his capture. He prodded his victim often as he could, making sure the badger was uncomfortable as they marched.

"Do you think, badger, that you would go well with a side of berry? I'd still be interested to hear what kind of sauce your people make. Make my meal enjoyable."

"I only hope you choke on my bones, cretan."

"You wish. Isn't that right, brother?" Wulvog would turn to the side to an empty space. Niala had no clue what Wulvog was doing, but Loudaxe could guess quite correctly that he was talking to some kind of delusion. Niala didn't dare question it, fearing what the wolverine or his horde would do if she did. As the group moved ever forward, Wulvog was approached by one his ermine, a scout.

"Chief, der be some tracks to a large force up ahead. I think dey be larger beasts, I thinks, thirty I thinks. Dey be headin towards the coast. Well armed, well disciplined."

"Thirty? Are you sure?"

Niala was confused, she was worried that her division had just been found out. Only thirty? Maybe they ran into trouble or they are looking for their commanders. They have orders to begin heading back to Gholand in such a situation like this, but they still have a sub captain. Wulvog seemed disappointed and turned to Niala to demand an answer from her.

"50, eh?"

"50. That is what we brought, unless they took considerable attrition while me and my brother were gone."

Wulvog angrily grabbed the fox by the cuff of his shirt and pulled her close, his foul breath filled her space to make her nacuous. "If you have lied to me, fox, your death will be very slow. I eat my more troublesome meals alive, bleeding and begging as I rip off their arms and legs without much thought to their screams."

"I do not lie, wolverine."

Loudaxe couldn't help but be amused, as the fox helped the hungry cannibal lead them to do what he and Lefen sought out to do. At the end of the day, they are all vermin, willing to betray and murder one another to save their own skins.
_

Wulvog was annoyed as he and his horde neared the coast, as they mostly began to follow the tracks. True to his word, he kept Niala alive for now as he followed closely behind. Niala however began to examine their movement which wasn't cut off by Wulvog's bumbling weight ruining the tracks beneath them. They were getting clearer, which meant they were catching up to whatever they were following. However, as they began to catch up, Niala couldn't help notice that so many of the tracks were far too uniform, even for her own disciplined group. They were distinctive, a mixture of boots and feet which she didn't fully recognize. She thought very hard what kind of tracks they were, until she began to realize they were not following vermin, they were following something else.

Hares. These are hare tracks. 30-40 of them, and very uniform, but not too much to be Long Patrol. Odd, hares are rarer up here in the north. The small horde then stopped with Wulvog and his scout looking over in a bit of dismay. The tracks stopped in a small clearing and seemed to whirl in all manner of directions all of a sudden. Wulvog stepped close and looked down, his eyes lazily following along one set. As he spotted them going off into a bush, an arrow wizzed at him and grazed his neck. Several more arrows whizzed past him and struck into the vermin band itself, killing several as Niala and Loudaxe ducked for cover. Kag was shocked as one arrow struck his paw, as Dakar roughly struck a nearby vermin and took up a round shield, saving his life as several arrows punctured into it. The unfortunate creature he had stolen the shield from was not so fortunate and laid dead on the ground.

"Ambush! Ambush!" The vermin yelled as several northern hares came out from the bushes, and in confidence began striking into the main bulk of the vermin force. They were mostly white hares with a mix of lighter fur colors, they were lean, tall, and strong, all wearing brown and dark green kilts, some wearing small berets with fuzzy caps. They wielded bows primarily, but many charged out with dual wielded weapons, crashing into the vermin with claymore, pike, and warhammer. One hare got within range of Wulvog who cut him down with a single swing of his paw, and looked to his struggling horde.

"Charge into them! Kill them! Kill them!" The northern vermin recklessly charged the hares, with the northern warriors having grievously underestimated their enemy, the vermin fighting with equal bravery, strength, and fury as they did. The two forces clashed with the hare leading them continuing to fire a bow at the wolverine, hitting him more and more. Wulvog was more annoyed, taking out arrows as he slowly, calmly, and efficiently cut down those who got in his path.

Niala and Loudaxe crawled, the badger temporarily looking up at a distracted Kag who was reeling from the pain to his paw. Niala kicked the young sea otter's legs and collapsed to the ground, as arrows whizzed where he was standing. Loudaxe gave an odd look at her, wondering why the fox saved his life. Niala harshly grabbed the sea otter "My halberd an' cloak, grab it. Or I swear ya will die with me." The bound badger looked on annoyed as the sea otter crawled to grab the halberd and orange cloak Niala wore and crawled back to it. Loudaxe growled at him "If ya wanna be free, grab me axe as well."

Niala quickly cut her bonds on her weapon, and kept an eye on the bushes. The hares were firing blindly into the mass of the crowd, but were struggling to rout the vermin mass. Once she had her weapon, she turned back to find her bow, only to find it snapped from a dead vermin laying upon it. She saw the otter attempting to bring Loudaxe his axe, but she quickly and nimbly caught up to him and shoved him down into the dirt "You will not be giving that badger his axe, ya hear!" The sea otter obeyed, mostly because her attention was mostly on him. She crawled beneath the battle, occasionally fighting off both vermin and hare alike. Loudaxe cursed himself as the meek servant kept to a corner, pinned down by an ongoing fight above him. Loudaxe bounded upward and made a dash of faith, taking some accidental fire from the hares themselves and a cut from a vermin spear. He bounded to safety into the bushes, the hares within nearly turning on him. Loudaxe raised his bound paws and yelled at them "Don't you dare harm me, or I will use what remains of my strength to break your bones!"

"I see, lad." A voice rang out, a taller hare in a kilt looking down at him. It was clear he was some kind of leader, covered head to toe in tribal tattoos and wielding a claymore to his belt which swayed as he walked. He seemed overly calm, and happy to see the badger. "Gale's the name, laddie. Prisoner of de horde of flesh eaters an' cannibal, ya mad stripe dog. What fool an' stupid decision make ya think that was a wise idea to be captured by em?"

"Not out of choice, hare. Free me and give me a weapon. I want to take a good shot at that wolverine. That murderer has eaten his last meal!"

The hare laughed, his strong willed chuckle could be heard loud and clear as he took out a knife from his boot and cut the badger's bonds. "Me clansbeasts don't got badger weapons, me hearty ol' stripe dog. Got a weapon this lot be luggin?"

"Yes. In their loot pile yonder. Cover me while I got get my axe."

"Understood."
_

Wulvog had killed 5 hares personally so far, but he was taking a lot of hits, and so was his horde. Over twenty vermin laid dead, but they struggled against them. He had never seen such warriors before, fighting like madbeasts and with little thought to their own lives. They were clearly expert warriors. His eyes followed down the hills of the forest, with Niala's orange cloak flowing away to escape. Wulvog was angry, and had not suspected this at all, but the fox was clever to escape down hill. The marshes sounded like good terrain to lose the hares in. He thought about just staying to finish them off, but the hares made a sudden push into the middle, with a freed badger taking up his axe and chopping an ermine in half with a single swing. Wulvog looked around, seeing his beloved brother who seemed unfazed by what was going around him. The wolverine mockingly pointed to the marshes and snickered, disappearing behind a set of tree. Wulvog grunted and called out to his horde.

"Make for the marshes! Go! Now!"

The wolverine and his horde made one large push down the hill and began running like mad creatures, abandoning what they could. The hares didn't give chase for long, regrouping in order to lick their wounds and count their dead. The blue cloaked wolverine disappeared into the marshes, followed closely by Dakar who didn't bother to regroup the vermin and kept very close to the wolverine. The badger could see the group moving into the marshes, with Gale looking on a bit amused.

"Bluudy cretans think they are retreating to somewhere safer. Ya up for some vermin huntin, badger?"

Loudaxe looked around, cleaning gore from his axe and disappointed he couldn't reach Wulvog in time before he escaped. They were still in the distance as he tried to find one creature in particular. "You seen a sea otter, younger creature."

Gale pointed to Kag being dragged away by an Ermine and naively running, still nursing his paw. The badger couldn't help but sigh at the younger creature's inability to see help, even in front of his own eyes. Gale looked on "He will survive the marshes and we can collect him if ya wish. Friend of yers?"

"No, a thrall of that horde. Have you seen a squirrel named Lefen by chance?"

"No, but we got no time for explanation or pleasantries. Rest up and be ready to move, good stripe dog. Ya be workin wit the Wild Hunt now."

---

Lefen was growing frustrated as he and his former slaves set up camp in the night of the marshes. They had lost Jarolom in their pursuit as the fox drove ever further into the marshlands alone, getting nearly stuck in the bogs and wetlands. Lefen hoped to drive the fox into a sand pit or a deep shallow where he could finally finish him off, but his query continued to evade him. Lefen had sent out scouts to find Loudaxe, only to report back tracks of a large vermin force in the area. He wasn't surprised, but he was concerned. The scouts he sent were certain it wasn't Markem's vermin, but another group. He wondered if a slaving band was still haunting the area, or perhaps a large gang or tribe was moving through. In either case, he would have to find Loudaxe later, more than certain he had been hunting the other fox. The rebel leader was not worried for Loudaxe's safety, the badger warrior could easily and swiftly turn any vermin into a pile of red mush, no matter how skilled they are.

Lefen sat around the campfire, his companions were weary for sure. Most were eating some poorly scavenged food. Lefen spoke, his intention being to bring back some light into the demoralized woodlander's eyes. "By the seasons. I do not miss the days when my father would send me out to fetch berries and mushrooms, tis for certain."

One of the woodlanders spoke up, an older mouse. "Aye. I be missin Mossflower a great deal now. Even if it be infested with vermin like Markem."

The older mouse sighed "I just wish me kids were free, an their families." Lefen patted his companion on the back "We will see them free one of these days. All the young uns and old uns will be free. My friends, I know it be miserable out here, fighting a war we never wanted, doing the bidding of a rat just as evil if not worse then Markem, but I promise you this. We will see our families free, and we will live in peaceful times without a need for all this bloodshed." The squirrel took up a fresh branch and began to sharpen it into a javelin with his axe.

"I say onto you, if we do not fight now, who will free our neighbors, our families, our people from the tyranny of the vermin? How can we sit idly by as they remove the birds to eat from our skies, silencing their song forever as our children grow? How can we sit and mope while our friends an' families live under the fear of the vermin lash. Cheer up my comrades, for we will see a day of a free Mossflower by our own paws. We will see the evil Markem brought forever washed away, sent beyond the eastern sea an' vanish forever." Some of the frowning faces around the campfire finally began to lit up with a shine of hope. One of the younger squirrels in a party began to sing, passing the time while the group ate their meager rations.

"Tis a good day to always be free, livin with a noble melody

To explore the fields beyond the vale, to forever follow the winds of the gale

Tis a good day to always be gentle, to cook an' sing with metal

To build our homes with wood galore, to dance an' play in the fields

Tis a good day to always be good, never to harm a good an noble breed

To fight the vermin through an' through, to free us all from tyranny!"

Jarolom was half asleep, listening to the song nearby. He was hidden in a brush right under the nose of the former slaves. He had doubled back, listening to their simple and gentle song which lifted their spirits, and broke his own. Jarolom was hungry, in danger, and on the prowl. If he wished to escape his hunters, he would have to hope Lefen either died of a heartattack this very night, or escape to the coast and try to find his division of remaining vermin. Wherever they were, he hoped he could sneak away unnoticed. Jarolom was tired, and he knew it. I am not going to die out here, oh no Lefen you bush tailed wretch. Unlike Markem, when I get back to my horde, I am going to have them kill you last as you watch while I have those singing buffoons cut open!
_

The marshes and bogs of the lowland seemed to disappear a bit more as Jarolom looked up into the forests above. It was midmorning as Jarolom sighed with relief as he approached the rim of the hills. The softer ground remained far off in the distance, and Jarolom looked very happy to see a campfire's rising smoke. The horde! Ha! My captains must be still near by lookin fer me! Just need to get to them though. Jarolom stepped out and noticed that the distance between where he was and the hills was a long field of cattails and tall grass, the murky bog having some rocks and boulders strung about it. Jarolom stepped out, confident that his trickery in doubling back would keep Lefen chasing circles. His hopes were dashed when a shot from a sling bounced into the water. Lefen was coming up from behind with his hunters, and threw a javelin at Jarolom, who fell backwards into a marshy puddle in trying to avoid it. Jarolom yelped out and began running again, but his tiredness was catching up to him very fast, and was half dazed from a long night of trying to escape Lefen. The fox got up and began to run again, with Lefen and his gang behind him.

Lefen was happy to see his prey running off into the distance, the fox had pulled a clever one, but the tired creature made several mistakes. The bog was great for losing creatures in, especially if they didn't want to be tracked. Lefen however was more focused then the tired and weak Jarolom, who didn't notice he left an increasingly large trail of snapped twigs and muddy footprints. The squirrel continued to fire javelins at the fox in the distance, collecting his missed throws as the fox continued to exhaust himself. Jarolom thought he was dead for a minute, and that it would have been better to corner himself and fight to a bitter end. Then he saw his sister, running into the marshes, surprised to see him. Her distinctive orange cloak flapped in the distance as she ran towards him. However, she had not come to rescue him, as much as bring worse news.

The squirrel saw Niala come into the distance, but did not know or recognize her at all, assuming her to be another common vermin. Her appearance made him second guess that she was a warrior from the distant north, perhaps even a captain. She saw the approaching rebels and swiftly came to her brother's side. Lefen launched another javelin at her this time, but the fox realized what was happening and whirled her halberd and knocked the projectile to its side.

"Brotha! I didn't think you would be out here!"

"Neither did I suspect ya to be here, but we don't got much time Niala. Tell me ya brought some reinforcements."

Niala looked behind her as a group of fleeing vermin savages bounded into the marshes. She turned to her brother and pushed him towards some rocks. Once the vermin came into view, Lefen ordered a hasty retreat away from them as Jarolom and Niala found themselves sharing a boulder with Wulvog who swiftly came beside them. He looked down, angry and ready to kill them both.

"Now, I hate to break it to ya Wulvog, but I didn't mean any of that to happen."

Wulvog was about done, but Jarolom quickly defused the situation, having some momentary relief "I must thank ye for rescuin me sister, ummmmm, Wulvog is it? Who be chasin ya?"

"Hares, future breakfast." Niala had to quickly whisper to her brother what had happened in their little adventure, much to Jarolom's personal disgust.

"Got chased by the badger, I think he joined dos blump tails chasin us. Got captured by this wolverine an his horde, planned to cook me fer breakfast. However, I tricked em into sparin me life, but now he suspected us to give the entire division over to him to eat. Lazy fool was bein led in a goose chase. Ya know where our division is, I hope?"

Jarolom pointed to a very distant campfire beyond, it was barely visible to her. "Likely over yonder. We didn't go that far I feels like, unless that camp be the Hare's. Are they Long Patrol?"

"Unless Mossflower's badger lords be usin kilts an' claymores, usin rushed ambush tactics of late, then I'd say no."

The hares followed close, sniping at vermin from afar with limited success, the group began to circle around the main horde which was slowly moving through the marshes. Despite early optimism of losing the hares in the wetlands, those hopes were dashed as the savage vermin began to fall into the waters, some even drowning and struggling. Lefen looked relieved on the other side of the bushes, seeing his friend Loudaxe escorting some hares to him, and skirmished with the vermin who tried to make it to higher ground in the marshy woodlands. The hares were far more swift and nimble, despite their heavier armament and swiftly had the group surrounded on all sides except their left most flank, trying to keep the horde contained within a circle of boulders.

Wulvog looked on with an ill realization to see the hares out maneuvering him, his horde reduced to being pinned between rocks. Dakar moved about, trying to avoid being hit as he cursed as his vermin to try to move forward, only to be hit by arrows and forced to retreat back to the boulder for safety.

"If I have to make my last stand here brother, then so be it! We will fight to a bitter end!"

"I don't think thats an option for me, mate." Jarolom commented, huffing and collecting himself. Wulvog growled at him "If ya aren't here to fight, then yer our meal if we are sieged down here, fox."

"Maybe not, an it don't gotta be a last stand. I am Jarolom of the Great Vermin Band. I got a good deal of vermin waitin fer me on the other side of der camp, wit archers. I just need to reach em' an we can defeat these woodlanders. I just need a distraction."

"Why should I trust you?"

"If ya don't trust me, ya die anyway. At least this way, one of us can live, eh?" Wulvog angrily snarled. "I don't trust any of ya. You there, fox lady, ya stay wit me."

"That isn't negotiable. I be too tired as it is, an me sister will be able to help me reach our camp." Dumb ol' brute. If he lets me and Niala go, we can be home free. Let these idiots kill one another as we escape back to Jusbrag. Niala was quick to catch onto her brother's scheme. She hoped to escape to fight another day, but was now having serious second thoughts of serving Markem. Wulvog was not buying into the two's scheme, perhaps knowing better. "One of you goes, the other stays. If you try to both go, I'll kill you myself."

"Fine. Jarolom will go. I'll stay here." Niala said. Jarolom whispered to his sister, "Now is no time for bravery, sis. When I go I ain't comin back."

"Oh I know that, but if ya leave without me, you get to tell mum how ya abandon me to an angry wolverine. Besides, he won't let us both go anyway. Just hurry back." Niala knew Jarolom would return for her as he very reluctantly agreed. Jarolom looked to Wulvog and growled out his command "Distract em and I will make my run to the camp. Niala will join ya."
_

Loudaxe was explaining his misadventure to Lefen, with the hare Gale drinking from a bottle, watching the battlefield. Lefen was mortified with what he heard, and explained his own hunt for Jarolom. Things were falling well into place, with the vermin surrounded by archers. Gale however was a bit worried, grimly looking over the field "We'll run out of arrows eventually lads."

"Then we'll start building stakes to throw at them. There be plenty of branches here in the lowland." Gale gave a grim smile "Aye. There be. Ya lowlanders be huntin vermin all the way up north?"

"Lowlanders?"

"Aye, ya are all lowlanders to me and me hunters. Mossflower blood I be assumin. Name's Gale. We hunt vermin wretches like fer sport an' protection, killin their wretched gangs and dispursen dem back to their holes. Not seen a wolverine in awhile though, but this one has a decent bounty I am certain somewhere. Been huntin a weasel, a real wretched raider named Tactum who fled south, an we be followin his trail. You are lucky I came across yer friend and that this wolverine tried to track us. Spotted the big buffoon a mile away."

Loudaxe continued to scan the battlefield and pointed "Keep your archers away from that boulder. I think one of your archers hit that young sea otter in the paw, see the creature nursing it? I'd prefer not have that poor fool's death on my conscious."

"I make no promises, stripe dog. We'll try to rescue him if we can, one of yers I take it?"

Lefen answered for him "No, but any enslaved creature is deserving of rescue. Names Lefen by the way, I lead this gang out freed slaves."

"Free beasts? I thought Mossflower was pretty an' safe, lad?"

"Was. A powerful warlord named Markem united a number of warlords and plans to conquer all of Mossflower. The fox we chase is named Jarolom, you likely see him somewhere in that crowd, hiding like the coward he is. He is likely up here trading with some slavers no doubt."

Gale softly snickered "Heh. Well, me lad, I'll gladly help ya out in due course, but only once I find me own query." Gale was happy with the way the battle was going, up until the savage vermin began to line up near the edge of the boulders facing them. Wulvog unsheathed his blade and roared out, bringing his falchion and leading a sudden charge. Of the vermin in his white horde, he brought mostly his foxes and ermine, which would dash with a wild haste at his command. Gale ordered a hasty volley on them, killing several savage vermin and pinning down others, all except Wulvog who crashed into the forest with unmatched fury. Physically intimidating and massive in size, he slew one of Lefen's rebels with a single wave of his blade, cutting them in two.

Wulvog gave a temporary glace as Jarolom crouched down and covered himself in mud, escaping into the marshes to circle away from the hares and towards the camp in the distance. Niala stayed with his captain in the back, while he battled the Wild Hunt and their new rebel friends. Loudaxe, seeing one of his companions slain, charged forward with his wood axe, catching Wulvog's blade before it could crash down on another. Wulvog was rabid as he charged, but what gave Loudaxe quite a fright as the wolverine expertly pulled his blade away and calmly began to perry the blade of the badger. Frustrated, Loudaxe continued to duel the creature as best he could.

Loudaxe kept Wulvog distracted, not knowing how to handle the wolverine. He had a very specific fighting style where he would go into sudden rages and charge with his full strength, but retreat and take a very calm and defensive stance. Loudaxe would try to strike at this stance and defend against the wolverine's rabid and sudden attacks. Yet, whenever he did, he was struck with a paw, or was easily parried by the wolverine. Wulvog was clearly a very experienced warrior, more so then him, and despite his dumb and brutish attitude, he had a mind like that of a fox and would often purposefully move around and strike at other foes. The vermin were putting up a decent fight, but they were still losing, as Lefen retreated his rebels to throw stones and distract the vermin while the hares picked them off one by one.

Loudaxe eventually tried a desperate and sudden charge, angrily clashing into the wolverine. Close up to his face, Wulvog gave a comical smile and then bit Loudaxe on the snout, causing him sudden pain. Reeling from the wound, the badger retreated back, only to realize that Wulvog was commanding his vermin retreat. Regaining some lost strength, Gale was finishing up killing a downed vermin as Wulvog's blue cloak flapped far off into the distance.

"What do ya think that was about lads."

Loudaxe touched his snout and spat out blood onto the ground "A last and desperate act of a cruel cannibal. Let us finish them off."
_

Sub Captain Bleakpaw was sitting around a fire, fiddling his thumbs of his paw, the older stout waiting with baited breath. Less than a day ago, his chief and co-captain disappeared, and he sent out scouts who turned up with the bodies of slain vermin, but not those under his command. Bleakpaw wondered if they got grabbed or killed under his watch, and the thought of returning to Gholand to tell Markem that his favorite captain just up and disappeared did not sound pleasing to his career. One of the soldiers fumbled his paws as they watched the stout shakingly drink from his mug. He had done everything to the letter, and still felt he needed to do more.

"What are ya starin at! Go out an' grab vittles! Where be the slaves, I need. . .I need a report to look at!" The soldier scurried off as one of the slaves, a hedgehog who was brought on by Jarolom to handle the division's logistics meekly stepped forward to give his report. Bleakpaw was still not satisfied and continued to drink without much rest. There was a commotion in the camp as one of the vermin had just sent out came back, happy and cheerful.

"Sir! Jarolom be back!"

Bleakpaw rushed forward to find Jarolom over exhausted and starving. One of the soldiers took out rations to give to their chief which he gulped down without a second thought. He looked about and began barking orders.

"Not much time to explain. Gather yer bows an' weapons and prepare to move out on me orders! Bleakpaw, need to speak with ya. Now." Jarolom rushed his captain into the camp's officer area where they were left alone. Jarolom quickly motioned him to keep quiet and explained to him the situation, and his plan.

"Sis be caught by cannibals, an is fightin some northern hares an' Lefen. Not sure how or why he be here, but he is, an we need to kill em. Ya are to bring 10 vermin with ya, yer best bowbeasts and keep yer distance. Once we rout both lefen and de'm hares, ya need to move up and silently string yer bows and keep good aim on the cannibals. I need yer bowbeasts to be ready to take down a creature the size an' strength of a badger. Once I have me sis back, i'll give a signal an ya are to fire on em. Ya understand."

Bleakpaw grunted and agreed "Ya got it chief."

Jarolom went back into the camp and began to kick his vermin to action, with Bleakpaw moving out with his bowbeasts ahead of his own. The vermin left only a few to guard their camp while they went off to relieve his sister Niala. Jarolom kept up a brisk pace, tired and exhausted, covered in mud and grime, he was quite ready to bring a swift end to his enemy. The vermin army moved out, and began to make their way down the forest hills, following their leader closely.
_

Niala felt trapped as the hares slowed down their fire. She realized quickly they were out of arrows, turning her head side to side. On her left was Kag who was still frightened and nursing his paw. She wondered if he even knew he would be on his way to a swift freedom if he realized the hares were going to spare him. He sat, and looked around helplessly. Dakar was upward, keeping an eye on the hares who were trying to bound around corners to snipe at him. He ducked out of the way of an arrow and cursed. "Those hares have us nearly surrounded, but the idiots keep the southern areas unguarded. We should make a run for it there!"

Niala was shocked by his idiocy "No, you buffoon! That marsh plain be even more wetland an' crevices, with no cover at all! Ya would lead yer vermin right into a big ol' trap. Its better we stay here an wait em' out. They don't look well supplied, an are trying to prepare fer a charge into us, we should be settin up defensive positions wit spear an' pike."

"Bah! We are true vermin warriors, we need no such things. Ya think they be runnin out of arrows? I think we best charge on in."

"What?! No! You an' yer horde will be killed. They likely still got a good volley left in em."

Wulvog returned to his rock, with bruises and scars. He sat down, resting as he began to pull out arrows from his body. The hare's arrows hurt and bled him, but he was still breathing and very capable. His distracting charge worked, but he was down more vermin and had nothing to show for it except some more wounds. He angrily called over to Kag and Niala "Come over here ya two! Dakar, throw some axes or somethin!" Dakar attempted a skirmish against the hares, but was unable to do much. Niala and Kag came over. The wolverine angrily growled at his wound. He order Kag to go find some cloth to bandage his wounds while to spoke to Niala.

"If yer brother doesn't arrive in a few hours, i'm just goin to kill ya. You led me into this!"

"Led ya into this? Ya followed their tracks with some scout who likely be dead by now! It's yer gluttony that led me into this! At least i'll die with a halberd in my paws, at least."

The two were interrupted by a sudden shout from Gale in the far off distance. The hare stepped forward, with Lefen and Loudaxe to his side, shouting from afar at the vermin. The two listened to the hare give his speech.

"Ya flea bitten cannibals, listen up! I am Gale of the Wild Hunt ya hear! I ask fer yer surrender an the give up this fool fight. We have terms, an' if ya don't agree, I'll gladly behead each an' every one of ya!"

Wulvog called back with a booming voice "Amuse us, Gale of the Wild Hunt! I am Wulvog, The Great Bane of the North Coast! We are listening, you puffed up wretch!"

Gale couldn't help but chuckle. He turned to Lefen who shouted his demands, having convinced the hare to even allow this exchange. Lefen hoped the vermin surrendered, they had run out of arrows and were now mostly awaiting to charge on in. The horde surrendering reduced the chances of their own thrall within their ranks from accidentally getting killed or worse, which Lefen took as a top priority. However, he could only hope, as he and Loudaxe guessed that vermin such as this would prefer death than any other alternative.

"I am Lefen of Eastern Mossflower, Wulvog. You have already met my companion Loudaxe. If you surrender now, your lives will be spared."

Wulvog called back "Spared, eh? How so? You cannot bind me nor any vermin here."

Niala sat close by and readied her weapon, whispering to the wolverine "Try to keep them talking. They won't charge into us otherwise."

Lefen cracked his voice, he was starting to regret offering surrender with yelling at the group from afar "You will be, under oath an' honor, brought to Noonvale for judgement. Your slave which you keep with you set free, and the two vermin you keep with you handed over to me for immediate execution, which you deserve! If you dare try to run, you will be cut down!"

Niala looked to Kag who was now starting to realize whose side he should have been on, a bit embarrassed he hadn't from the start. She looked to Wulvog and whispered a plan into his ear who grunted and agreed to it. He got up and took Kag by the shoulders, keeping his massive paw on one of Kag's arms. He pushed himself forward, with Niala watching from a distance, keeping herself hidden. She knew now that Lefen still thought her brother was there, and she remained as hidden as possible to keep them guessing.

Wulvog faced Lefen and Loudaxe in the front, his arm firmly tightening around Kag's arm. He called out, much to the fright of his young thrall and those in front of him "Come closer and I will tear apart this thrall. That is what I think of your terms, Lefen of Southern Mossflower! You would dare drag me and my horde to some mouse kingdom to remain locked up in some dungeon? Facing some meager and lesser lord! I am Wulvog! A warrior of Ice and Snow!"

Loudaxe bellowed out "A coward of Ice and Snow! You let that creature go, wretch, or I swear on my axe I will lob your head off!"

Kag kept silent as Gale attempted to approach, but he let out a terrifying yelp as Wulvog pulled very lightly on his arm. Kag knew full well what the wolverine could do, and his oncoming death mortified him. The hares kept their distance as Lefen and Loudaxe looked at each other, unsure of what to do. Gale kept his hares back and Wulvog pulled Kag to the side and calmly forced him back onto the ground next to Niala. He looked terrified, and rightfully so.

"I hope that worked." Wulvog mentioned.

"Well, it did. I half suspected you to kill him right then and there."

"And give up our only meat shield? What do you think I am, a degenerate?"
_

Jarolom's horde reached the lowland marshes. Several birds saw the vermin coming and began to fly off into the distance, keeping watch as the sizable warband moved into the land itself, its weapons at the ready. Jarolom divided his forces, sending one team under an emergency captain to relieve the wolverine's horde, while he and his own forces would circle around and take a shot at Lefen and his new found friends. Jarolom was clearly tired and anxious, and it began to affect his command.

"He'll head straight into the wolverine's horde, ya lot will. . .wait. You lot head towards the wolverine's horde, while me and the others fight the hares."

"Are fighten the squirrel or the hares?"

"What did I just say, ya idiot! Of course we are fightin both!"

"The wolverine too?"

"Yes. . .wait. No. Not yet. Look. Just do as I say. Ya lot start. . .an' I'll just lead this group to Niala. We need to move an' swiftly. Get yer bows ready. Shoot any woodlander you see. I want no prisoners. None, ya hear me. None!"

Jarolom was not thinking straight at all. He realized just how exhausted he was, and needed some rest. I'll rest once this is all over. Or when I am dead. Had he been thinking, he would have brought his horde down farther down the hill rather than heading in a narrow path. He would have sent out a scout to figure out what was happening. He thought of all the mistakes he was making, and cared little for it. He had a big bad horde, and he was going to use it. His vermin looked at their captain with concern, but followed him regardless. The vermin split into two groups, with Jarolom ultimately leading the charge to aid the savages. The hares realized the danger they were in as arrows were fired at them by approaching vermin, bouncing harmlessly in the muck they stood in.

Jarolom dove into the horde with his melee vermin, his idea was to reinforce them. Wulvog was glad to see the vermin horde approaching and aiding them as the other vermin veered into the forest. The screams of battle swirled around them as Lefen called for a retreat with Gale adding to his command.

"Make for the mountains! We'll lose them in the northern passes! We need to make for Noonvale!" Markem's horde were less barbaric and more cowardly then Wulvog's, but it was clear they were a lot more disciplined. As ordered, they took no prisoners and simply killed any creature they caught. The hares were in full retreat, with Lefen and Loudaxe following them, with their remaining number. Niala and Wuvlog raised their weapons to cheer, with Jarolom giving a very weak hoorah. The fox then sat down, huffed out, and collapsed from exhaustion.

---

Jarolom shifted his eyes, looking up to see the cloth of his tent and his sister standing over him. She gave a weak smile as Jarolom shifted on his cot, weak and dazed. Niala touched a bowl of water to his lips which he drank readily, and sat up in the tent. Niala wasn't wearing her armor, just her tunic and pants, as she greeted her brother with a morning hello.

"Mornin, Jarolom. Ya slept like a babe, ya know. Practically vulnerable an' what not. Did my brother really collapse from runnin too hard? What would Pa say to that."

"He'd probably congratulate me I thinks for escapin that lot as I did. Thought I was dead with a gaggle of free beasts chasin me. Tell me Niala. Anything happen while I was out cold?"

Niala shrugged as she sat on her own cot opposite of him. They shared a tent together, as Niala was the only creature in the world Jarolom would trust. "Brotha, not much happened after that. Wulvog be in our camp now, lickin his wounds. Our medic was slain in the battle unfortunately, so we are havin one of the slaves who knows a thing or two about bandaging tendin to our injured. We sent a party out to track down that squirrel, badger, an hare but they only found tracks leadin to the mountains. They guess they made it, camped out to rest fer a night, an they went straight away up path to Sunwatch, that big ol' Noonvale tower which guards the mountain pass into the mouse valley. Wulvog now be wit us in the camp, but Bleakpaw still ain't nowhere to be seen. A lot of the soldiers be afraid to even move while Wulvog an' savages are about. I did promise em' meat, an they are gluttonous."

Jarolom nodded "Bleakpaw gots orders to kill the wolverine on me orders, he likely is still out there I bets. I say we poison der food, kill em off swiftly."

Niala nodded. She wanted to get rid of Wulvog before he started making demands or causing trouble, but Jarolom sighed "Admittingly though, he does got his uses. He just bein friendly in our camp, or is he causin trouble fer us?"

"Its a wolverine, brotha. They eat an' kill, with not an original thought between em."

"Clearly not, cause if he didn't, ya wouldn't be here."

"How so?"

"Vermin like rats aren't smart beasts, an by extension no beast is except us foxes I reckon. Yet, this Wulvog seems. . .different. He called for a retreat, admittingly to a bad position, but he still spared yer life when ya offered something to him. I'm sort of tempted to recruit em an' his horde, yet he still be a wretch an' a fool. We'll have to find some wolfsbane. Once we get our breakfast, we'll poison der evenin meal and if that doesn't work, I'll have Bleakpaw an our archers stick that wolverine with arrows."

"Sounds good an' all brother, although I would skip breakfast."

"What? Why? I'm famished. We run out of food?"

Niala cringed, and pursed her lips "No. . .but the savages insisted on cookin."
_

Jarolom had come outside to his vermin keeping a far and terrified distance from the savage camp of Wulvog who was intermingled close by. Jarolom wondered why a wolverine would even spare a creature like Kag, a young sea otter. Thralls weren't exactly a part of most hordes in the north, and if they were, they were mostly future meals. To discover that Kag was the camp's 'cook' however did erase those doubts, as the sea otter sadly turned a spit over an open fire, with a dead hare stuck to it. It was one of the slain Wild Hunt, with Wulvog munching heavily upon what looked to be an arm, and his horde making a deadly broth. The wolverine didn't wave to Jarolom, more focused on his meal which he was gulping down with the help of some hefty water. Niala joined her brother as they sat down in discomfort, realizing their own slaves were gone. Damn. I wonder if he killed them while I wasn't looking.

Jarolom was relieved when the camp's cook, a rat, gave him a bowl of soup and then quickly turned away. Wulvog couldn't help but chuckle "Your hordebeasts seem a bit yellow bellied, acting like they never ate a good meal in their whole lives! Keep spinning that hare, thrall. This side is barely done!"

"I'm surprised you are camping with us, Wulvog. I thought you'd be back in your own camp." Jarolom was losing his appetite and put down the bowl on the ground.

"After the casualties we had today, fox, I be thinking we have work better together for now. Besides, we got plenty of meat now from our own dead." Wulvog would shift his eyes as Dakar, his rat captain. The gray rat gave a wide smile and stood up, excusing himself as he went off. Neither Niala or Jarolom noticed as the two thought of wild plans to get rid of the wolverine.

Jarolom shifted awkwardly as he tried to bring up a conversation "We should be movin out as soon as possible, eh. We got delayed terribly, an those battles likely scared away the slaving caravans we have been after. Ya likely know of em."

"Jah, killed about two of them an' ate them."

"I see. I'd prefer ya didn't do that fer a few days. Tell me Wulvog, how did a big lug like ya come down here anyhow?"

Wulvog sat comfortably and began to speak, putting down his morbid meal "My clan comes from the realm of Ice and Snow, my brother here can tell you much more. Isn't that right, Yulfang? There was a battle against the king in the north, which my clan lost and fell into slavery for. However, me and my brother escaped. Yulfang is kidding about that one, but as you should know, we crossed the icy sea and I fell into a vermin gang, mostly refugees an the like. Been wandering with this lot since, along with my brother. . .and Kag, my thrall. We chased a group of slavers down into the south when they dared kidnap parts of my horde, and we ate them alive. You are right brother, they should have heard the screams! Haha!"

Jarolom frowned quite dramatically, as Wulvog would occasionally look to his right in an empty patch and talk to it, as if expecting him to listen to some ghost. Jarolom peaked up a quick question.

"I . .see. Who or where is Yulfang, wolverine?"

"Do not fool yourselves, he is my brother! My strong and beautiful brother, and he sits beside me! Don't let his age and height fool you, I am twice the warrior he is." Wulvog would made a weird collection of motions, as if pretending to brush the head off a larger creature. Niala was suddenly saddened, and could only have guessed what had happened. She motioned Kag over to her to try to give the Foxtrots some kind of explanation which he was happy to give.

"Don't try to mention it too much but when Wulvog's clan was attacked when they refused to bow to him, Yulfang and a lot of Wulvog's family was slain. I don't know much, but you kind of get used to it. His ghost does keep the wolverine happy."

"Is he mad?"

Kag could only shrug "I mean, it's madness that he expects me to cook other creatures for him, but I do it cause otherwise he will just eat me himself!"

Niala excused him to go back to his duties, as she stared in disbelief. Wulvog's other savage vermin didn't seem to mind at all, as their chief. She began to prod him for more information "Yer tribe fought a northern king? What even goes on in the lands of Ice an' Snow anyhow?"

"Der normal. Every beast an' warlord fights for the white city of the north, wolverines an' white foxes all. The recent king took command an send out his armies to wipe clean the tribes of disloyalty, but I know not for what reason. Many lords of the north send down armies southward an' never returned, an not but tribes an peoples lay up there, feastin on others. Only the seas remain diligent enough to keep der distance."

"The white city?"

"Aye, a great city of snow an' ice cut into a mountain, with a stone palace fer which sits a single fire. Never seen it meself, but all manner of vermin lay in that city, many die an' are eaten. Tis said that no slaves live in the city, only death an' bone, with the walls reinforced by generations of vermin. Its name be lost to memory, so we all just call it the White City. Most of me clansbeasts ended up in the cityself, likely mining away in its great iron mines. But not me, I escaped wit me brother. You are correct Yulfang, you are correct. Tis not just you who escaped, but me as well!"

Niala couldn't help but feel pity for Wulvog. His entire family and clan was gone, likely forever lost, their last moments in the cold north being put under the lash. It also terrified her that there was some great malevolent force which roamed in a city of bone and ice, capable of casually warring and enslaving an entire tribe of wolverines. To imagine such things did not put Niala's mind at ease.

Wulvog looked to his right at the ghost, and only seemed to nod. "Now, I be a creature of me word, so I do suspect a creature be of yer word as well, foxes."

"For the most part." Jarolom lied. He was ready to begin the long process of collecting poison. Perhaps he could even season it into the corpse before him, and led Wulvog and his horde choke on their own meal. However, before he could even move, he felt a sudden sharp blade to his neck. A grey vermin stood over him as the group heard a slight and hurried scream. Several of the vermin in the division found themselves being held at knife point, with Wulvog's vermin swiftly betraying their new comrades. Niala found herself being lorded over by a white fox who had crept up behind her, and held an axe to her own throat.

Jarolom calmly and angrily spat out "What are ya doin, Wulvog. We invite ya into me camp an this how you be treatin us?"

"Ya see, I came here to eat fox. I was promised a meal of vermin, an entire beast for each of my own. Yulfang here convinced me I should be cautious towards you lot. I never agreed to parley with ya, yer help is appreciated so you will die quickly once i get my fires cooked. Don't worry however, Yulfang will allow some of yer stronger vermin into me own ranks." Wulvog hungrily gulped down a piece of meat, smiling at his successful betrayal.
_

Jarolom had to think fast. He was well rested now, but he and his sister were dragged alongside their frightened band of vermin who were being disarmed by the savages. Wulvog took over the slaves of the camp, with Dakar forcing them to gather firewood for what would be their own funerals. Wulvog had been clever, putting his vermin all across the camp while they ate their morning breakfast after the battle, and swiftly had captured the larger creatures, forcing the meeker ones to obey. The white vermin began to tie up their prospective meals, and were soon fighting amongst themselves over who would get the plumpest vermin. Niala called out to Wulvog who was inspecting his new feasting ground.

"Ya said ya would let me go, is this how ya reward those who save ya!"

Wulvog turned "Aye, I did tell ya that, but ya broke yer own promise by freein yerself in the midst of battle. By the way me and Yulfang see it, you broke yer own deal. However, I do thank you for your service, so you will be the main course of my great feast! You'll be the first to die." Wulvog pulled out his falchion and approached. Jarolom quickly spoke up, an idea forming in his head.

"Coward! Ya hear me Wulvog, ya are a coward an' a buffoon who ain't worth the lick of salt ya spawn from. You an yer clan both deserved what happened to ya, and now I can see why ya fell so quickly an' easily! Ya couldn't fight us like a true warrior, so ya got keep on usin tricks an ambushes to get yer way!"

Wulvog grunted in amusement "Perhaps I be smarter then ya."

"Smarter? Ya needed me to save yer petty little life in the first place, wretch. Ya need vermin to bank off of to even get up in the mornin, an a thrall to cook fer ya. Ya be as silver spooned as any ol' noble king, if not worse. Yer as mad as a hare, talkin to a ghost who don't even exists!"

Niala didn't understand what her brother was trying to do. Are you trying to use your brave words to extend our deaths to getting eaten alive? If thats the case, i'd prefer to be dead then listen to such drivel. Jarolom's mockery was working, the wolverine's eye twitched as he came closer, his fangs glaring.

"Kill us as ya will, but at least I died fighten! Unlike ya who will die chokin on a bone!"

"Brave words for a fox, I did offer you a swift death but I think I'll just tear you limb from limb instead."

"Ya be killen a bound creature, provin me right that ya cannot kill a creature at all, I bets! Prove to me ya are even a warrior at all, winner takes all, wolverine."

Niala then realized what Jarolom was doing, challenging the angry beast to a duel. Duelling amongst vermin was rare, and if it was done, it was usually with a trick. Jarolom was not a good fighter, and Niala knew it, and the wolverine looked out to his horde with anger in his eyes. He stopped only to lean on his blade. "Fine. Winner takes all, fox, even though this ain't much a competition."

"It'll be enough."

Jarolom had noticed the wolverine was a bit skeptical and he felt insulted. He could easily kill Jarolom with a single swing, so he looked to Dakar. "Let the fox maiden go, an provide her with her halberd. We are gonna have a show before out feast."

Jarolom winked at his sister, who now understood his ploy. It was a risky ploy, but it was all they had. Jarolom and his sister arose and were give their weapons. Wulvog's vermin clears some tents and made a makeshift circle around the figures. The wolverine gave a cruel and dubious smile and Jarolom and Niala got into positions. Wulvog called out to them.

"If I win, I am going to just kill you two. You will not be killed, and neither will your vermin followers. None will be spared as I make a feast of your corpses. This will be a swift victory."

Jarolom was tempted to say the same, but a devious idea formed in his mind. "If I win, an prove yer a shit warrior with a overblown ego, ya will surrender in full to do with what I want. Ya will join an swear to me warlord Markem when we return to Gholand."

Niala prepared herself, but gave a weirded out look to her brother "Ya sure that be wise? Why not kill him?" She whispered.

"To keep him talkin while Bleakpaw gets into a better position." He whispered back, motioning his head to a hidden stout and his archers slowly encircling the camp.

"So be it." Wulvog laughed "So be it. Draw yer weapons, foxes. Yer time has come."
_

Jarolom and Niala held their weapons up , defensively keeping their distance. The wolverine pounded the ground, and kept his blue cloak on, slowly circling the two with a disturbed silence. Niala knew that this would be no easy fight, and Bleakpaw was getting into a position to reign down a volley to rescue them. She blocked the coming chaos out of her mind and continued to keep his halberd lowered to the wolverine. His falchion was massive, and the wolverine held it like a downward knife. Jarolom kept close to his sister as he tried to act the brave warrior, but he couldn't stop his beating heart from exploding with anxiety. The calmness of the wolverine disutrbed them both, as he slowly approached in a circle formation. With a sudden jolt, he lurched forward and slammed his falchion into the ground. Both Foxtrot siblings ducked out of the way, stunned by the maneuver as Jarolom attempted and failed to parry the oncoming strike. The wolverine whirled expertly and sliced into Jarolom's sword which shattered, the fox looking at his cut off blade with terror.

Niala regathered herself and swung her halberd at the wolverine's backside, catching him in the back. Wulvog whirled around and attempted to chop at her in a wide swing, but she ducked and weaved to keep herself on the wolverine's back. Niala took over the fight while Jarolom came over to one impressed savage rat and punched him, taking up his spear and hurling it at Wulvog. The wolverine noticed only barely in time and ducked to the ground. Niala kept herself in the back of the wolverine, chipping away at his armor and ducking whenever she could. Wulvog eventually regained the upper paw, pulling his blade down onto the axehead of Niala's halberd. The sheer force put her into the ground, as she swiped the wolverine's blade aside. Wulvog was shocked how the two had not been slain in the first bout, and went into a more defensive stance. Niala and Wulvog traded light blows as Jarolom seemingly disappeared, coming up from behind the wolverine and began to climb his cloak. The wolverine noticed a bit too late as Niala aggressively began to attack him, giving her brother time to do whatever he needed to do.

Jarolom had no serious means of letting Wulvog live and tried to jab his broken sword into his throat. Wulvog however let down his blade, and harshly picked up Jarolom and threw him into the ground, breaking his arm. The fox yelped out in pain in which Niala tried to swipe down her blade onto Wulvog, catching him in the paw. One of Wulvog's fingers flew off, much to his dismay, but he seemed not to bothered by it. His response to the loss of his finger was to use his bloody hand to grab onto Niala's halberd and yank it from her paws, tossing it aside and approaching her. He didn't need his falchion. He only needed his large and sharpened nails.

Niala backed up, not sure as to what to do next. Her brother was nursing his broken arm as Wulvog approached. Little did any of them know Bleakpaw was sweeping the camp, murdering the savage vermin outliers as the rest were watching and cheering. Niala attempted to roll out of the way, but was caught in the tail by Wulvog who pulled her upward. Niala kicked at Wulvog weakly, as the wolverine pulled her close, opening his mouth to take a big and nasty chunk from her flesh. Yet as he attempted to do so, a rock flew into his eye and Niala was dropped onto the ground. Wulvog turned to see Jarolom having thrown it. He approached him as Niala collected herself. Jarolom waited for him to get closer and dover between his legs, catching his cloak. Niala saw what was happening and joined on in, pulling the wolverine down with what strength they had left. It was a difficult process, but Wulvog was fazed from his wound and a swift yank pulled him lightly to the ground. Niala hurried over to her halberd and picked it up and swiftly went around, bringing the halberd's stinging edge to the downed wolverine's throat. She huffed in exhaustion and tiredness. The wolverine attempted to struggle, but relented as the halberd's edge came closer to his neck.

"Surrender, Wulvog. Surrender or face yer brother in whatever hellgated afterlife ya believe in."

"Me brother ain't dead, he be right behind you."

"Shut up! Call off yer vermin."

Wulvog gave a cruel smile as yet again Dakar came forward with sword drawn. He and his vermin came closer, but stopped when an arrow whizzed past him and came down at his feet. The gray rat captain shifted through his ranks to safety as Bleakpaw called out from the forest.

"Put down yer weapons, ya degenerates! Or be skewered by arrows!"

Wulvog widened his eyes, realizing he was defeated. Jarolom looked down at his new found captive and angrily spat at him. "As I be sayin, ya will swear to the Great Vermin Band now, or lose all honor if ya even got any. Make one false move, an ya will be dead. I should, and could, kill ya now, but I thinks you an' those hares reduced me reinforcements down quite a bit. Ya will be docile now, right mate?"

Wulvog looked up at his proud and tall brother looming over him. The being, despite being taller then anything in the camp did not block out the sun's gaze. He looked sadly down at Wulvog and spoke to him "You should take their deal, little brother. Looks like we are beaten."

Wulvog turned his attention to Jarolom, wincing in pain from his cracked arm. He only gave a single obedient nod.
_

Within the forests beyond Noonvale, a small slave train of vermin moved noisily through the brush. At the head were two rats from two very different worlds, one was a northern rat named Mikov in a large fur cap and in a set of thick padded armor, occasionally yanking the chain lead of his slave train. His gang of slavers were all from his tribe, and there were around ten of them moving about at the flank, occasionally whipping their haul with sticks if they got too slow. Only Mikov had a whip, and grunted as his 'companion' mostly commanded the group. Mikov's other companion, a large fellow water rat, was a strange far western creature who looked obedient and disciplined. He carried a spear and shield on his back, with the branding of a cat's eye singed onto his left cheek. He carried a well worn whip to his side, and covered his face in a green hood. His entire uniform was a mixture of green and white, and Mikov only knew him as Tenteye. Tenteye lazily looked at their rather pathetic load, less then he had hoped, but more then Mikov was use to.

Of the twenty slaves in the line, being miserably dragged along, there was only two far northern sea otters, an angry black squirrel, and the rest were a mixture of vermin. Most were young, kidnapped from their villages and homes which Mikov betrayed in order to get his grand reward from Tenteye himself. The slaver was happy at first to take on missions to raid a sea otter holt, or even gather his tribe to hunt for slaves in the borderlands. Yet, Tenteye was not interested in the woodlanders themselves. He was only interested in the vermin. Some were grey rats, one was a very young white fox who had kept his head down after a savage whipping to his face, and an entire family of stouts. Tenteye had killed the patriarch of the family in a brutal fashion to keep them docile. He complained to Mikov as they traveled.

"Bah, a useless gaggle of criminals, bandits, and clansbeasts. You'd have been better paid if ya sold me yer own, Mikov."

"Speak ill of me clan again, Sandbeach wretch, an' you'll get a taste of me axe."

"Move em' out. We are already late as it is. Killin that white fox's family wasn't worth the trouble. The Greeneyed Horde demands soldiers, an' they shall get em." Tenteye unfurled his whip and rang it out across the sky. Mikov angrily grunted at him "Will ya put that thing away! We be movin as fast as we can, ya daft idiot!"

"I heard there be ambushers over yonder, an' i want to move past Sunwatch before Noonvale's scouts an patrols start making der rounds. We'll camp along the coast where they are less likely to notice us campin."

The group moved slowly through the forest and as they did so, a sudden and lumbering figure came out from the road. The slave train stopped, as a massive wolverine in a great blue cloak approached, his blade sheathed. He had been sitting behind some trees, and his sudden appearance brought fear to Mikov and his rats. They lowered their weapons at him, as the wolverine's companions began to surround them. Tenteye scoffed "We'll take that one as well."

"Are ya mad! Its a wolverine! It'll kill us!"

"Correct." A voice rang out from beside them. Several Gholand vermin and Wulvog's savages lowered spears and notched arrows. The slavers found themselves completely surrounded, and the surprised slaves looked about them. There was a tense silence as Jarolom, in a bound up arm and giving a short limp walked forward. He gave a cruel smile. "Name's Jarolom. Captain of the Great Vermin Band. We would like to ask ya some questions."

Tenteye looked fearful as Jarolom approached, the injured fox came with some authority as Niala came out of the woods, a bit proud as they looked over the slavers. Niala and Jarolom came close, with Wulvog folding his paws, keeping an eye on the slavers in his presence. They dared not move as they saw the vermin host around them, many wondering if they were cannibals.

Niala looked over the prisoners and whispered to Jarolom "Do ya see somethin off about this slave train, brother?"

"Aye. I do. Most of these wretches are conscripts. Vermin I take it, but they be chained up like slaves. That squirrel and those two sea otters over yonder be the only gentle beasts in this pack of wretches."

Jarolom turned, inspecting them and looked down at a younger white fox who looked mortified. For perhaps once in his life, Jarolom pitied some poor slave creature and turned to the crowd "I have great news fer you all! A great deal of congratulations, to you lot, for you all are now apart of the Great Vermin Band! We will be travelen south to Markem's horde, an to Gholand! Congratulations on yer new employment!"

Tenteye veered around "Ya can't just do that! The Greeneyes won't allow ya to steal from der paws!"

"Who be the Greeneyes?" Jarolom asked, with a smile. Tenteye took out his blade and waved it at Mikov. "Well! What are ya waitin for! Kill em!"

The slaver didn't move, fearful of the vermin around him. He came up to Jarolom and begged pitifully "Have mercy on poor Mikov! We's swears to whatever horde ya got, fox!"

Tenteye forced the slaver up as none moved. The rat angrily then tried to kill Jarolom as Niala expertly caved the rat's spear with a swing of her halberd. Wulvog angrily came over with a silent step. Jarolom nodded to him as Tenteye was lifted into the air as the wolverine bite viciously down into his chest. The prisoners and tribal northerners watched horrified as the wolverine finally got his meal, although he wished it was Jarolom's corpse he was eating instead. By oath, he was bound to serve this 'Great Vermin Band'. Humiliated in a duel, and his horde now mostly in the service of Jarolom, he threw the rat's corpse down as Niala soon realized what they had done.

"Maybe we should have spared him. He had valuable information."

"Nay, cause we got this slaver. . .what's yer name, lad?"

"Mikov, my lord."

"Mikov, eh? Unchain these prisoners. You are now all equals in the horde of Markem Brownnose, the Great Warlord."
_

The vermin in the slave chain were shocked to find Jarolom personally freeing them from their shackles, but he did insist on his words and conscripted him into his army. The woodlanders were happy to be free from their chains, but not so happy when Markem's vermin put rope collars around their necks and began binding their paws with rope. Put into a marching formation, the group marched back to their main camp. Jarolom put a paw around the frightened northern slaver, who stepped carefully with him as Jarolom told him how the horde ran things. Questions came up of course, mostly friendly discussions. The group marched towards the coast where the main camp laid snuggly upon a beach. Niala, Jarolom, and Wulvog couldn't agree on much, but they had grown quite tired of forests, and most wanted to just rest near a body of water.

Jarolom slowly sat down on a log bench, enjoying the warmth of his camp fire. He tended his wounds with Niala's help, but his arm still hurt terribly. The new vermin were brought into the camp and were pleased to see Markem's vermin treated them well, giving them decent vittles and giving them the weapons of fallen comrades. One of the younger foxes, a white fox who was barely above that of a child, sat uncomfortably upon a log next to Niala, looking deep into the fire. Niala patted the child on the back and smiled "Ya got a name, young un?"

"Loik, mam. Das what me pa use to call me."

"Loik, eh? Strong name, ya come from the north by the color of yer fur. How'd ya end up at the end of a slave train?"

"Me pa an' brothers tried to rob it, but we were defeated by Tenteye. . .the rat the wolverine killed. They must of spotted out camp, and killed em. I just wanna go home."

Jarolom interrupted "Nay, yer home be gone, young un. Ya will serve well in Gholand instead, me lad. Ya ever marched in a horde before?"

"Don't be absurd, this barely even be a boy Jarolom."

"Didn't stop ya, did it? Young un, ya will have tasks an' duties to the horde. Go find the stout Bleakeye, an make yerself useful." Loik was about to get up and obey, but Niala sat him down forcefully. Niala grunted at her brother "Ya should be more mindful. Dis beast just watched his entire family be killed and he send off to toil under a lash. Ya stay an' eat." Loik did as requested, happily eating away at some mush and kicking his feet. Jarolom frowned at his sister and growled out "I'm yer captain, sis, an ya should do as I say."

"Yer captain only because I allow it, brotha. If ya weren't, we'd be killen each other. Ya lucky I even need ya alive to keep Mr. 'I cannot stop eating for 10 seconds and talkin about how much I am goin to devour you with a side of pinched salt' over der." She pointed to Wulvog who was in fact eating something.

Jarolom gave a low chuckle "That is what I come to suspect of ya, sista. Ya should be grateful I am yer commander at all. Speaking of which. . ." Mikov, the rat slaver was pulled close to an uncomfortable seat towards Jarolom. The fox smiled and began to interrogate him with a pinch of cruelty.

"Now, ya are going to tell me a couple things, an if I don't like what I hear, I will feed ya to the wolverine. I set some basic rules for him, but me new companion always be hungry and a constant complainer. Why were ya mostly trailing vermin behind ya, who was that idiot rat we killed, an where were ya takin em?"

Mikov gulped "I'll tell ya, if ya spare me life."

"Yer life already be spared, now tell me."

Mikov sighed "Fer your first question, we were told we would be bringing slaves down from the northlands. Our usual huntin grounds were laid barren by Kasg the Craven long ago, so we had to get creative an' risky. Tenteye came to use with some contract from some horde called the 'Greeneyed Horde', an asked us to take in vermin. A bunch of other raiders were sent to pillage the vermin holdouts an settlements, but we were bringing in the ermine, stouts, an north vermin. They paid us in golden coin, fox. Golden coin. We didn't ask why, nor dared tried to figure out their motives, me lord."

Jarolom pursed his lips and frowned "The hells is a 'Greeneyed Horde'"