Chapter 12: It is Forbidden to Kill
In southern Mossflower, a mouse picked up a bundle of twigs and strapped him to his back. His tunic was worn and his head hurt of exhaustion, as the short and humble Eskert began to climb his load onto the back of his cart filled with kindling. He patted his old cart, even at a ripe adult age, he still felt like the young and youthful child who had once traveled across Mossflower. Southern Mossflower had its problems, and he was a common farmer, who tended dutifully to his crop. As he wandered back to his village, his mind turned to his family. He wondered if she was getting along with his uncle, whose own family was staying with him. He dreaded the family reunion, with so many staying in the village. The vermin attacks had grown more bold, and he wondered if he was even safe in his own village. He shrugged off the thought. The rats are far in the east, let them rot there.
Eskert traveled by the road, and stopped only temporarily. He saw a strange group of tracks which littered the ground of the path in front of him. Eskert flicked his feet at some of the prints, not recognizing them. They were large, some look well laden with boots. He moved on, as further signs seemed to haunt him. The forest he was foraging in, with clearings all around the hills and crevices, had an eerie silence. It was as if all the creatures had died in the world except for him. A distant caw of a crow was in the far off distance, and a rustle of trees nearly made him shiver with fear. It was an unnatural silence, one for which starts a terrible tale he had once heard. Collecting himself, Eskert lowly sang a forester's song to calm his nerves.
"Tis a road that goes on, with paths leadin beyond
Through the woods I collect me sticks,
To the stream I'll fish me trout
Through the woods I gather me food
An bless me days through and through
The woodsbeast chops, the axehead falls
The greens bless ye all
Eskert slowly emerged from the forest, pulling his cart, and looked out into the distant hills. Beyond in which were more forests, and beyond that marshes of frogs and snakes. Yet, it was a place he called home, a wooden farmstead off in the distance. He could practically smell the sweet aroma of cooking on the wind, looking out at the village beyond. It was a gentle community, and as he pulled close he could see a smoke rising. It rose ever higher as Eskert distracted himself to what feast he would be pulling his cart into. Then as he got closer, the pillows of smoke arose even more viciously, becoming black and sorid. Eskert stopped and rushed up a hill. He saw his peaceful community below, and below he saw a house burning.
Then figures began to emerge from the households, screaming, and snickering. Pairs of black shapes moved about, as other shapes crowded in corners and were swiftly cut down and stopped moving. Eskert grabbed a branch from his pile and rushed forward. He rushed so hard he was practically fumbling down the hill. The vermin were attacking, and they came for his home.
_
Eskert pushed back anger and cries of battle as he strode up silently on his burning village, with several of those he knew scattered across the ground. He looked on shocked, seeing a villager's son, a hedgehog and gentlest and shy creature he knew, attempting to tend to his brutal wound on his stomach. Blood poured out as he cried out in a terrible pain, and shock set in, and was dead. To see such a young creature die filled Eskert with a fury and rage he had never known and he rushed out, branch in paw. Several barbaric vermin were having their 'fun' with their variety of victims, others carrying off loot. One vermin saw Eskert and rushed towards him, attempting to slash at him with a crude dagger. Eskert dodged to his side and swiftly crushed the vermin's head in with a single whack of his branch, breaking it. Taking the pieces, he continued to pummel the vermin to death and took his knife for his own.
Eskert made a run for his farmhouse. If anything else, he could at least get his family to safety. He reached the steps of his household, and the door slammed open. Eskert's wife, his dear and beloved Elain came out with dried tears and in a bloody dress. She was covered in it, utterly drenched in the crimson flow. She gripped a massive wound to which Eskert soon realized as she slumped over she had been disemboweled. She was dead far before she even reached the door, as blood dripped out of the house. Eskert refused to believe what had happened, and with tears in his eyes he looked up and saw a single fox, playing with a knife. He was bloody himself, his worn and ripped shirt draped him, his belt filled with a collection of knives.
Eskert knew straight away, he was looking at the insane murderer himself, Nurf Bloodkeep. No one knew where he came from, all what was known is that he wandered southern Mossflower like a ghost, an insane and hated creature by both woodlander and vermin alike. To the vermin they called him degenerate. To the woodlanders they called him murderer. To Nurf, he was proud of both.
"What's we got here?" Nurf approached, giving a mocking bow, as Eskert arose with his knife. "The mousie pa of some of dem sweet beuties in der? Tis too bad ye be late, me goodie beast. Ye missed me show." Nurf didn't speak for much longer, lounging at Eskert who dodged again to his side and rammed himself straight into the fox. Nurf wasn't exactly a common creature however and quickly put his paws on Eskert and rammed him into the village itself. One of Nurf's vermin crew took a torch and threw it into the window of Eskert's home, hiding the horrors inside. Eskert yelled a warrior's cry and slashed at Nurf with what strength he had left, forcing Nurf's own knife to the side. Yet the fox didn't get baited again, and called his vermin to his side.
"Kill him!"
Eskert didn't see the vermin who did it, but he felt a spear enter into his side. He slumped over, the last thing he heard was the fox's wretched laugh as he whirled around his dead victims. "Me good and gentle lads! Look upon me works an despair! Death an Blood fer all good beast this day, eh!" The vermin cheers rang in Eskert's mind, slumped upon the ground.
_
Esket began to slowly open his eyes, the oblivion he had seen was short lived, but his pain was enduring. He looked around him, the burnt ashes of his village still soured the sky. He grabbed his pained waste, looking over the damage, wondering if he would die soon regardless. The vermin spear had entered him, but missed many of his more important organs, and didn't push down all the way he had suspected, but it hurt him terribly. Taking his tunic, he ripped it and made some basic bandages for himself and wandered aimlessly through the debris of his village.
He came up to his wife, her blood dried on the steps of his household. Eskert kneeled to his wife and looked at the smoking ruin of his home. Inside, he smelt the dried flesh of a lot of dead creatures. To imagine what was inside was terrible, to think of it broke him and shattered his soul. The vermin didn't take prisoners, those who fled had likely fled into the countryside to avoid their deaths and would not return. Eskert slowly began to rise, but in near defeat he laid down, unable to move or think.
He stared up into the cloudy gray skies, accepting death was upon him. He wished to join his family on the other side, his young ones and wife called to him. Yet, he did not die. Anger and fury boiled him alive in his own body. A single, large shadow loomed over him, and he fell into unconsciousness once more.
_
Eskert regained consciousness again, but the blood on his lips and pain in his stomach still left him weak. He had harshly gotten up, banging his head on a wooden frame in a badly lit room. It was a small wooden shack, his entire body bandaged and with a patch of herbs stuffed amateurishly in him. It wasn't a bad form of doctoring, but even Eskert knew he could have done better. He observed the wooden shack he was trapped in, and slowly got up. He began to pace towards the window of the small shack, covered up by a single cloth. He saw a hedgehog silently tending to a crop of carrots. In the distance laid more valleys and hills, trailing off into the sandy deserts beyond. Eskert grasped himself and went out the door, knowing his rescuer fairly well.
"Lufan. . ." He cried out weakly. The hedgehog had not noticed him, humming to himself. Eskert called out again, a bit more desperation to his voice "Lufan!"
The hedgehog turned, and looked shocked. He quickly came over and rushed to his friend, bringing him back inside the wooden shack. "Eskert, of my dear Eskert! Get back inside, you are not well yet." Eskert struggled to return with Lufan attending to him. The hedgehog used a pile of wood as a makeshift bed, using some old sheets and damp pillows to keep his friend warm. Eskert looked horrible, and breathed slowly as Lufan fed him some hot stew.
"My village. . .my. . ." Eskert began, but Lufan silenced him "They are gone Eskert. I checked twice. I buried. . . .I buried your young uns this morning."
The sentence made Eskert weep, practically choking and gagging on his own tears. Lufan had no words of comfort, and would have weeped with him had he not cried a river of tears when he was burying their remains. Eskert eventually calmed himself and angrily asked "Lufan, my family be dead. Their murderer be loose. We need to head to Palewind Camp and get reinforcements. Nurf an' his gang. . .they be here. They not be in the east. They be here."
"I met the hares when they came by the village, Eskert. The Long Patrol sent out scouts, but the fox be coverin his tracks. Your village isn't the only one they hit."
"How. How did they get so far in?"
"I don't know. I asked them, but the Long Patrol didn't have an answer either. He must have went the long way around, the fox gathered up a lot of loot. His gang must have been preparing for the winter. . ." Lufan stopped, but Eskert caught him and replied for him "And bored."
"Yes, but i didn't wish to say it. I hadn't even noticed. You are badly hurt, my friend. Rest. We'll go see the Long Patrol soon enough."
"No. . .No time. I am going to kill that fox, Lufan." Eskert gritted his teeth angrily. "I am going to kill him."
_
It took some time before Eskert could walk again, let alone dress himself. When he was finally stable, Eskert began a trek back to his destroyed village. The burned out remains had only one new addition to them, which was Lufan's makeshift graves. The two stopped by them, with Lufan pointing out where each of his family had been buried. The grim task was a new and terrible experience for the hedgehog farmer. Eskert only looked on with a cold silence, and began decorating each of the graves with small stones and sticks. Once he was done, he said his farewells.
"My. . .my dear Elain. My love, and light of my life. I remember when you gave me a yellow flower by the stream and flirted our dreams of owning a big red brick house by the shores. I have not, will not, forget. You bore me good sons and a good daughter. I love you, and still do, your father is here now. My dear uncle. . .please, watch them as you watched your own family in the silent forest. Please tell them their father will come home one day. I. . .I. . ." Eskert held back tears, the silence foreboding as a small storm cloud began to roll in. Black clouds pierced through the sky, but it did not rain yet. Lefen let out a single, powerful curse, his eyes fixated on Elain's grave. "I will not stop, not till the stars drop from the sky or till I die. I will avenge you. I will avenge all of you. I swear it on my very soul. Nurf Bloodkeep will pay a thousand lifetimes for yours."
Eskert marched off with Lufan following close behind. He entered the burned out remains of his home, looking for something he hoped survived the fire. He found it, covered in dust and charred was a single sword he had from his youth. He unsheathed it, examining it. It was a fine blade and packed it up. Taking on a traveling cloak and putting on some padded armor, he was quite ready to head off, but turned to his friend.
"I will not ask you to join me, Lufan."
"For Elain and for you, I will hunt this fox. Even if we die trying. I had no family of my own you know, my good friend. I knew your sons well, and they were like my own." The two were off for their hunt, heading eastward with a dark haste.
Loy was lost, his journey was leaving him in a state of panic. It had been his 3rd night since his freedom, alone and surrounded by unfamiliar territory. He often returned to the edge of the inland lake, and cursed himself. He had never learned to trek before, let alone scavenge, but at least he knew how to fish. Loy caught a smaller fish and set himself a cooking fire for himself to cook and eat it. While he did so, he looked out onto the lake, with a depressive attitude.
He had been free for three days, but his time spent out in the wilderness was truly getting to him. At times he had felt more miserable and frustrated than he had being a slave in Gandal's fortress. At least at the vermin war camp he had rations and bedding, and his friend Glain was alive to comfort him. He pushed the thought out of his mind, or at least tried to. Nothing is more miserable then that camp. I need to find Palewind Camp, or I may as well truly be lost, or worse. Collected by a vermin patrol.
Several vermin patrols had been circling near and around the lake, and Loy wondered if Gandal knew how lost he was. Two vermin he recognized, led by a frustrated Olan, had circled around the lake looking for him, with nets and a bolass. They had even bought a boat one day and crossed the lake to visit the vermin who lived and farmed the island in the middle. Loy was told that they were an odd bunch of water rats, former slaves themselves of a group of foxes, and now mostly kept to themselves. Likely just as villainous as the rest of them. If I had gone over, they would have imprisoned me and sold me back into Gandal's paws most likely.
Loy continued to sit by his fire, awaiting for sleep to take hold of him, but was kept awake by a rush of noise and a single torch fire illuminating several figures also circling around a beach. The voices were unmistakable, the snickers and cruel laughter of mixed vermin. Loy leaped up and began stomping out his fire and ducked with speed and desperation into the brush of the forest. He noticed he had left a trail of his footprints all across the sandy beach, and his paws gripped his makeshift javelin. The vermin villains approached, led by a bloody looking fox, which had barely dried across his body.
"Looks, boss! Somebeast be campin here. It look a bit hot, eh? Maybe it be still around." one of the vermin investigated Loy's campfire, prodding at it with the edge of a wooden spear.
"Ay's! Maybe, but I be bored of the slaughter. Why waste our precious time on what is likely just another vole when we's got this here pretty beast to decorate." The fox came over to a younger squirrel, who looked horrified and as young as Loy was. He struggled a bit as the fox lightly tapped his nose with the edge of his knife. "Ain't dat right, me pretty thing. You will be screamin when we gets back to me home. Back to where blood flow like rivers, heh heh."
The fox sounded deranged, more so than other vermin. He twitched uncomfortably and shouted with a dubious anger "Move you lot! Or I will be making you into pretty things as well, heh!" The verminous host moved, following the fox Nurf Bloodkeep back to his lair. Loy followed behind at a brisk and dedicated pace in the dark.
_
Loy came across the lair of Nurf Bloodkeep, and his disgust for the vermin only grew tenfold by just seeing where the creature called home. It was an old, ruined tower hidden deep in the brush of the forest, far off from wandering eyes, with only its base of the ground floor of the tower remaining. The only entrance into it was a loose cobblestone set of stairs, planked over by loose and creaking wooden branches to make into a makeshift bridge, and the tower's ruined base still had a roof for which the vermin occupied. However, Loy didn't come to admire the lucky aspects of the gang's stone home, his attention was to it's 'decorations'.
All across the base of the ruined tower were spikes. Spikes where lopsided skeletal corpses of Nurf's victims hanged, their shriveled and decaying forms remained in a limp state of shock and horror. It was a mixture of creatures, a hellish cadre of Nurf's many unfortunate victims. The bones and skulls of both gentle and evil beasts were scattered all across the tower, as Nurf dragged an even more terrified squirrel through the stone archway into his dark lair. Loy was mortified at what he saw, and paced around the structure to see more refuse and bones in his wake. Loy accidently stepped onto an older skull, a fox's skull which was strewn about, one of its teeth jabbing into his feet. Loy quickly grabbed his foot and nursed it, looking up and seeing a illuminated window above, right next to two empty stakes with dried blood on it.
Loy slowly climbed the ruined tower base, it was a difficult process and was fairly noisy, but he eventually was able to make his way up into the window's edge. He peaked in, seeing a small gang of vermin looking over their new found loot, with Nurf personally tying his new captive to a chair.
"Yas just stay right der me pretty, yas will make a good set of fun when's we wake up an are good an' about, heh. Now, me hearties! Me friends! Has not Nurf Bloodkeep been good to ya, right!" There was a disinterested cheer from his audience. Disappointed and angry, Nurf took out his knife and threw it harshly into the face of one of his own who fell over dead onto the ground. There was a stunned silence as Nurf again called to them "Nurf been good to ya. Right me hearties?"
There was a terrified but vicious cheer from his vermin, noticing he was getting into one of his moods. He began speaking to a shadow in the room "Ya sees, dis mouse gets it. Der otter next to him, he knows Nurf be doin a good job! Dey know how to have fun, eh!"
There was mouse and otter skull in that corner, but Nurf talked to them as if they were alive. "Ya two hahaha! Good joke, I likes it! Ya hear that me lads! Ya think that joke was funny! Ha!" The vermin uncomfortably laughed, all except a rat who edged himself closer to their new captive. Taking out a hammer, he began to toy with the squirrel "Chief, dis one be quite a young un. Why couldn't we bring a good gaggle like dos mouse babes wit us? Been a lot more fun if ya asked me."
"Too risky, Goran. Even fer the likes of me. Besides, too much trouble to have another scout of the Long Patrol happen upon us. Ain't dat right Sigus Carrotbreak?" Nurf came over to a skeletal remains of a hare which was dumped in a corner. He took the skeleton and spun it around and it shattered into a wall. The vermin gave a cruel laugh as Nurf went over to his dead comrade and pulled out his knife "Nurf be good to ya, me laddies. Me mates. Nurf give you more then just loot from me raids, but fun fer us all! Now gets der sleep, an we can have our fun tomorrow an' divide up the loot. . .and decorate me new pretty."
Loy looked on with utter contempt, disgust, and horror. The vermin knocked out light and torches, with the rat Goran whispering something into the ear of the squirrel who could only give a terrified look at the rat. I am not going to let these vermin have their way, especially not with that squirrel. There are too many of them to take on now. I best try to get at the poor lad in there.
_
Loy awaited till he was confident the vermin were sleeping, slowly making his way into the darkness of the room. The vermin who had been Nurf's confidants were sleeping soundly on top of their loot, some still having stuffed themselves with food they had stolen. Almost all were murderers and thieves of the worst kind, well armed with a variety of knives, axes, and spears. Loy had heard of these vermin back in Gandal's war camp, who referred to them as degenerates. The vermin of the vermin, a group of misbegotten cannibals and hated creatures who lived to kill, eat, and sleep on the whims of their evil chief. Loy resisted the urge to stick the hapless creatures with his own knife, but knew if he engaged even one of these creatures, his own death was certain.
Loy crept closer to the tired out squirrel who had also fallen asleep, having spent his last time struggling to get free. Loy stepped over snoring vermin, but in the darkness he had accidently stepped on a crunchy scone. It was loud, and Loy cringed, turning about him. Some of the vermin huffed, not awakened but they were stirring. Keeping himself more comfortable, Loy continued on and kept his attention more towards the ground and trying to paw away trash from his makeshift path.
Loy came close to the squirrel and shook him awake. The squirrel look up weakly at Loy, and was surprised. He nearly gasped in excitement to see a friendly gentle beast "You. You have come to-" Loy put his paw over the fool squirrel's mouth and shushed him. He looked around, the vermin stirred a bit more. The squirrel silenced himself as Loy began to cut into his bonds. As Loy kept his eyes on the crowd, he spotted something which made him hurry and clumsily cut into the rope bonds of the squirrel's chair. The squirrel felt a prick on his paws and even his arm, and silently peeped at him "Be careful! Be slow now, yer hurting me!"
Loy didn't listen, his eyes transfixed on the vermin themselves. The squirrel turned to see what was causing his rescuer such concern. In the darkness, two orange eyes stood wide open, unmoving in the dark. They were illuminated, with Nurf Bloodkeep looking back from his cot in the corner. He didn't move, only occasionally letting out an angry whimper and small shake of his arms. Loy believed he was trying to awake, regain some strength before leaping at him. Loy cut through the bonds as the squirrel and himself were soon leaping out of the dirty room with a fright.
In the wilderness, far off, the squirrel turned behind him to see none of the vermin were chasing them. He was relieved as he and Loy caught their breath at the edge of the water. Loy turned to the squirrel, and pointed towards the edge of the water "We. . .we can camp there, far off in those clearings. Regain some strength and eat. We will have to keep moving or that lot will catch up to us!"
"Thank you otter." The squirrel half collapsed, rubbing his stomach. Loy turned to his friend as he tried to get him up. "Names Loy, friend."
"They call me Pelo."
"Pelo. Are you hurt?" The squirrel revealed a mortifying sight to Loy, a large gash in the side of his chest which cut deep into him. There were some warped burn marks around it, a 'attempt' to seal the wound as Pelo angrily winced in pain "That lot did it me before they got me. . .I'm afraid ya may have rescued a big ol' burden, Loy."
"Tis no burden to rescue any beast. Come, we'll recover once we are clear of that evil lot."
_
It was early the next morning when the vermin realized that their prisoner was missing. The rat Goran Fisler stood over his boss and tapped his nose. Nurf responded with a spark of life, taking the rat by the throat and yelling at him "The children were here while ye slept! They were here! Here! They took me prisoner they did! Goran, grab the gang, we's gotta rescue me pretty!" The fox was up and about, his paws shaking as he tossed the rat lightly aside. Gasping for air and spitting, Goran did as his chief commanded and whipped Nurf's gang of murderous vermin into a decent formation "I knows full well one of ya are a weak willed lot to help the boss's prisoner escape. I tied those ropes meself! No beast could have gotten free from it."
Nurf quickly corrected him, pacing and leaping from piles of trash as if frightened "Tis was the children Goran! They took him. They took him!"
What Nurf saw that night was like many other nights. A waking nightmare where he would lay in his bed and his eyes opened, but his body shut down. In the darkness, figures emerged from the shadows like wraiths, the bodies of various children he had killed in his long career haunted his waking nightmares. Goran knew of Nurf's disease, the fox was mortally frightened of them, the children of shadow. They clawed and grabbed him in the night, touching and biting at him as he slept. This was the first time they had acted, taking away one of his prisoners.
Nurf grabbed a spear and knocked one of the vermin gang members on his head "Get to it, fer we got a hunt! They only come out at night, and my pretty will not be far. He likely be trailing blood. Swiftly we must go!"
Nurf and his gang were off again, many disappointed they couldn't just rest after their earlier raids and divide up their loot. Nurf rushed off, spear in paw. "I am coming, me pretty! Nurf will save you, an' can join me friend Bulp! Ya will like him, ya see!" Bulb was once a vole, whose body was impaled on Nurf's lair. The fox gave a bloody and villainous smile, rushing outward to find his query.
Loy was lucky to have Pelo with him, even though he was a bit twitchy and soft. The squirrel was slowed from his wound, which Loy had no idea how to heal, but the squirrel at least knew how to bandage himself somewhat. They used what remained of his shirt, and he knew where he was going. Pelo and Loy got to know each other a bit more, sharing their spot of misery with one another. Loy told him he was a slave in Gandal's camp, and escaped only recently and that his family was murdered by the rat. Pelo explained to Loy his brothers and sisters were out foraging, and were caught by Nurf on his way back home, who he brutally murdered. How Nurf did so, Pelo did not say, but from the shaking in his voice Loy did not wish to know. Pelo was nearly slain himself, but Nurf took a 'liking' to him, and decided to cauterize his wound and bring him to his lair.
"Vermin wretch, once we get to Palewind, we can get the Long Patrol to help us both. You for your family, and me for mine."
Pelo winced as he walked, his bloody wound was healing but felt weary "I just hope I don't get an infection. Tis how me uncle died. Once we go around that bend of trees, we should come onto the main road. From there, we can head towards the southern hills where Palewind be at."
The two continued onward, but as they did, several figures were spotted heading towards them in the distance. The otter brought his new friend to duck with him in a dense brush, with a group of vermin black-clads followed by Gandal's captain Olan coming up behind. The rat had spotted the two, not caring at first until one of the vermin pointed out an otter in the distance. Having still been hunting for Loy, Olan rushed his vermin forward.
"Search the forest, Gandal wants that otter alive!" Olan shouted. He looked to the ground, noticing paw prints and sniffing the air. Loy could see Olan looking in his general direction, and soon knew he and his friend were in terrible danger. The two backed away as Loy whispered to him "We need to run, and run quick. That be Gandal's captain and his black clad vermin. They be armored, which means they are a lot slower then us."
On the count of three, the two rushed off from the brush, with Olan seeing them go off. He yelled at his vermin "After them!"
The flight through the forest was going well at first, gaining some distance, but Loy soon saw his friend struggle and huff. His wound still made him weak, and he had to stop to collect himself. Pelo climbed a tree for safety, and the vermin could not get him as Loy looped around and would hide in the brush nearby. Olan however had a simple and easy solution for his trouble. "Take out your slings, hit em' in the paws if ya can. Don't aim fer the head. Gandal will want them alive!"
One of the vermin expertly hit Pelo in his right leg and he gasped. On a branch in a tree above, the vermin would pick up stones and hurl them and pin down the squirrel. Loy whirled around and tried to distract the vermin from Pelo, throwing a stone at Olan which bonked him on his shoulder. It didn't even phase the rat who looked at Loy popping into the bushes again. Loy attempted to make his way out to a new position, but as he slid around he felt his feet get suddenly tangled and twisted, with bolass wrapped around his legs. Olan was already upon him and without much effort soon had the otter at knife point to his throat.
"Jano will be happy to see you water dog, but not before ya taste a good an' proper lashing fer runnin. I'll make sure of that, slave beast."
The thought of being taken back to Gandal terrified the younger otter, but Loy's anger was more powerful. He swiftly brought his paw to Olan's knife who slashed his paw, but at least it was free from his throat, and cracked Olan's head with his own. Olan got up a bit dazed as Loy began to unbuckle and untangle his feet from the bolass. By the time he was free again, Olan had recovered. Loy attempted to ignore the pain in his paw, but did not give Olan ground and charged into the rat. This caught Olan off who tried to stab into the escaped slave, but only found his paw held by Loy. Loy was the larger creature, bit into his paw, forcing the rat to scream and drop it. Shoved to the side, Loy grabbed the knife and was soon upon his query, now holding a knife to Olan's throat. Loy called out to the black clad vermin.
"Drop your slings and let the squirrel off, or your captain dies!"
The black clads obeyed very reluctantly, the old and northern vermin allowed Pelo to climb out from a branch and run off to a safer distance, with the group now slowly trying to reach around Loy himself. Olan held up his paws to keep the vermin soldiers back as Loy realized they were trying to surround him. To them, Olan was just another captain they could replace. Loy kicked the rat into the group and then bolted like a mad beast, with Olan choking out as he recovered "After them! Cut em down, if ya have to! I want that otter dead!"
_
Loy and Pelo were rushing on two different levels, with Pelo climbing the trees for safety, and Loy weaving out of bushes. Loy had been terribly wrong to think the soldiers in their armor would be slow as he had once been trying on their armor when he first escaped from their camp, and soon realized the black-clad vermin were very much keeping pace. They slung stones at both, with one stone catching Loy near his ear. The thought of being returned to Gandal drove him more then any whip his taskmaster could have brought down on him, his oath singing in his head as the vermin weaved around and were circling them both. Pelo wasn't much luckier, the squirrel getting occasionally weakened and nearly dropping from a branch from the pain in his wounds. Both were running out of energy, which was when Loy bumped into a creature as he rounded out of a clearing. He recovered, knife ready to fight to a bitter end, only to see a mouse and hedgehog looking back at him.
Eskert and Lufan were traversing the forests, having traveled quite a way to hunt Nurf Bloodkeep, and happened upon Loy. Pelo was running out of trees and joined him, with Loy looking up mortified to see more woodlanders. The black clad vermin came bounding out of the trees and circled the group, Eskert drawing his sword. Lufan didn't have a weapon, and raised his paws, with the group of 8 well armed vermin in their black armor surrounding them. Pelo joined on in.
Olan came out of the forest, angry and furious as he yelled at Loy "You are more trouble then you are worth, water dog! I should have ya killed now, but me master be merciful as always, an if ya come quietly you will at least get 50 lashes instead of being torn asunder!"
Loy called out "It ain't happening, snot nose! I'm not going back to that camp, you'll have to bring me his head!"
"That can be arranged!"
Eskert called out "None of you will approach if you know what is good for you. Leave, scum, or die." His voice was commanding and sick of the vermin, the mouse's cold and lonesome gaze looked around him. Olan called out in vain to Eskert "If ya just let the otter be an push em' forward, mouse, I'll spare ye own life and ya may go on yer way!"
"I am not condemning a creature to slavery, vermin. Be gone, or die."
Olan had enough and ordered his black clad elite forward. One rat attempted to bring a spear down on Eskert, but the mouse brushed the vermin aside and expertly cleaved into his head, slicing open his neck. Another two vermin came forward as a pair a swung their swords. They suspected easy prey, but instead were slain in a very similar manner. Eskert would parry the two to the side and jam his sword into the unprotected face of a soldier, and swing around to keep distance from the other. Parrying the vermin's blows, Eskert swung into the vermin's feet, and then carried his sword upward into the vermin's head. Eskert observed his enemy well, and he exploited their lacking helms with relative ease. Another vermin came up from behind and shifted the hedgehog companion of Eskert's aside and tried to ram his spear into the mouse's gut, but Loy charged into him with his javelin, impaling his neck.
Olan and his vermin were shocked. Three dead black-clad vermin laid on the ground, a lot of years of experience and warfare was gone in a flash. Olan soon realized his foe was not some bumbling adventurer with a family sword, but an experienced warrior. He decided to change tactics.
"Stay back and use yer javilens an' slings you idiots!" Eskert veered around to see the remaining vermin backed up expertly and were about to start to hurling down stones and sharp stakes at them, but one vermin screamed and winced, a spear having impaled him and slid out of him as Nurf casually walked in on the group. Olan veered, as the gang of murderous rabble descended upon his own. Nurf called out "De's black-clads make fer poor sport, me lads! Kill em! We'll make good coats of this fool lot, but spare me pretty an his friends! We will have some good fun wit em!"
Nurf turned to Eskert, disturbingly excited to see him while his large rabble of murderers descended and fought the armored vermin. He approached, knife drawn "You! I thought I slayed ya, me not-so-pretty mouse. Yer wife an' kids scream no more, they do, an soon enough I will gladly help ye join em."
Eskert was mocked and yelled out, drawing his sword as he slashed at the fox who parried him to the side. With a knife, Nurf was as skilled if not more so than Eskert as he cut into the mouse's ear as he dashed against him. Nurf however found himself in a bad situation in the middle of the battle, with Loy striking Olan's knife into the fox's backside. Nurf gasped in pain and was soon fleeing to safety before Eskert could recover and strike him down for good.
Eskert realized the battle around him would eventually be won, and he nor his companions were going to be good in a drawn out fight. He slashed his way across one of Nurf's minions and cleared an opening. Through a gauntlet of gashes and struggling vermin, the four nearly made their escape as Olan threw a net over Pelo. Olan took up his sword and began swinging down to try to at least kill the squirrel, but was knocked aside by a rushing charge by Eskert. The mouse saved the squirrel and cut the net, freeing him as motioning him to run. Olan recovered and was about to follow, but Nurf came around to the side and was soon upon the rat. "Ya dare strike me pretty! Pain be temporary, rat, an ya will soon know how to sing!" The murderous fox now had a new query, and a new pretty, as Olan struggled for his bitter life to keep Nurf at bay. Eskert retreated back into the forest as the sounds of battle continued to ring behind him.
_
Eskert and his company kept running till they could run no more, exhausted, bleeding, and hopelessly lost as they charged off, it took them awhile to find one another and even figure out where they were. Eskert listened, trying to figure out if they were still being followed by a victorious band, but heard not even a peep. He was relieved and saddened at the same time. He survived to fight another day, but Nurf had been his grasp and had somehow escaped. He turned to Loy and Pelo, with a weak smile and huffing out "You two. . .quite an escape, huh?"
Loy smiled back "You're a good fighter, round ears. Reminds me of me pa. Lucky to come upon you, I suppose, although I was half certain we were dead there for a moment."
"Same." Lufan said, sitting down to regain lost strength from his tired legs. Eskert sat down and began to take out some prepared bandages, passing them around so the group could bandage up. Once they knew they were safe, the group began to share all manner of things. They began with their names.
"Names Eskert, and my friend here is Lufan."
"Loy. Loy Watertrot. Son of Lorgar Watertrot."
"Pelo."
"Well. As Eskert said, names Lufan. Nice to meet you all."
The four soon began discussing how they had come to be where they are. Loy listened as Eskert casually and generically explained he had come to hunt the fox Nurf, the murderous ghost who killed his family and burned his village. Lufan had joined them in their quest, leaving out the more gorey details. Eskert could see Loy was young, but began to pry from both Pelo and Loy's stories from their wounds. Eskert listened with a growing fury in his mind as Loy explained in graphic detail what had happened to him, his father, his mother, and his friend Glain. The whip marks of Jano's lash left visible marks on the arms of his body, and Pelo pulled up his shirt to reveal the mortifying wounds which were poorly cauterized by Nurf.
Eskert sighed "Seems once I am done killing Nurf, Gandal and his horde will be next on my bucket list of vermin to kill. What was done to you, young Loy is an atrocity. I promise you, while I still live, no vermin will come to harm our people again."
"I thank you for your oath, Eskert. However, I am still quite hungry, and I am ready to move onto Palewind. We will need the aid of the Hares to even get close at killing Gandal."
"Agreed, but we have no time to waste. Let us have some supper at least, and be on our way before whatever vermin party licks their wounds."
Loy felt a kinship and happiness he had not experienced since he was enslaved in Gandal's war camp, as Eskert helped gather some nuts, berries, and edibles from his pack to make some abomination of bread. It wasn't the best tasting, as Loy found himself enjoying the company of Eskert the most. Pelo and Lufan sat close, helping to set up a cooking fire for the night, with the hedgehog bandaging the wounds of the squirrel to be more proper. Loy admired Eskert's diligence, helping him cook as the mouse looked on with a grim sadness. "I had come all this way to find and kill Nurf, but I fear it will take a much longer time. My vengeance can wait till we get you two to Palewind."
"You think the Hares could help me?"
"I hope so, if not, I wouldn't mind if you joined me. I'm certain this Gandal will not want you alive."
"You are probably right. What if Nurf didn't escape and Gandal's captain cut him down?"
Eskert shrugged "I doubt so. That ghost will likely return in due course I am certain. You said you found his keep? Do you remember where?"
Loy pointed far past the forest and shrugged "We were in a bit of a hurry, but its on the farther end of the lake. I hope that helps. You'll smell it first before you see it."
Eskert looked outward into the darkness and grunted. It was enough, but once he helped this poor otter out, he would be off himself. Your days grow smaller Nurf. I know full well you and your lot are alive. When I find you, you will suffer for every creature you killed, I swear it!
Olan returned with only half of his vermin, and all of them including himself were injured. He entered into Gandal's war camp and crested the hill to his pavilion, cursing and muttering to himself as he bandaged himself up. His vermin brought a medic who survived with them at least, saving himself from at least an infection. He hoped. Olan saluted the guards as he entered. Gandal stood looking at his maps, making a dash with a piece of charcoal in them, drawing up plans.
"Olan. You better have that otter with ya, dead or alive."
"I am sorry, Gandal. I was. . .delayed. I had em in me very paws, but escaped."
Gandal angrily turned his head upward towards his captain, a tint of anger and frustration in Olan's voice. The fear of his chief left him, leaving a shallow shell of a vermin captain was far too tired to fear. "Explain, an explain well or your head is goin on the chopping block."
"We were ambushed by that crazed fox, half defendin an' half attackin the otter. Then we came across some mouse warrior who slew three of our Black Clads with that slave beast's help. If ya got any dreams of putting that otter into proper chains an' makin him yer serving beast to get back at Lorgar, ya can forget it sir."
Gandal angrily spat "Fine. So ya didn't kill em either?"
"Nay. Loy be a fightin beast, clever too. Escaped me up until Nurf decided to fight us. We killed a good amount of his gang though, but that mouse slew our own with such ease that I decided to retreat back here. I'd follow them if Nurf hadn't decided to rush so quickly back into the woods. He could either be lickin his wounds, or waiting to ambush us again as soon as we step out to greet em."
"I am getting sick of that degenerate mad beast." Gandal angrily clawed at his helm and took it off, putting it down gently "Maybe Jano was right, but it don't matter now I suppose. Loy Watertrot may got his freedom now, but he'll regret it once I catch em. Any other beasts wit em' besides him an' this warrior mouse?"
"A squirrel an' hedgehog, both unarmed."
Gandal tapped his claw, thinking. He then stood up and paced around. "Lorgar be a dead beast, his son will head to Palewind to get help from the hares, but they are too weak to fight us directly. We both be in a stalemate, Olan. If we siege them, we lose. If they siege us, they lose. We need more vermin, an a lot more, and the south ain't got much to spare. We's dont got a lot more options left, but we can focus on more pressin matters." Gandal showed his plan to Olan, with a crudely drawn map of the battlefield between his war camp and palewind, with several villages on the far side of the hills to the south circled.
"We'll hit the villages here and here, take in many slaves. I've had Jano start expandin the pens. We won't destroy or raid these ones near us however. The Long Patrol will be forced to build garrisons farther out then usual. Its become a game ya see, if we do enough damage and draw em' out more and more, we will hit em' hard an' fast. We'll use our numbers to kill one garrison at a time, cause I know full well de's beasts will not want to leave der villages an homes."
"What about militias?"
"We'll have to kill em' quickly. We need to end this stalemate before Salamanderstron sends their main army to crush us. Why they bide their time is none of our concern, which is why we's need to move fast against Palewind. We'll divide our forces into two, an attack two villages at the same time an' take captives. With em' we can buy some time to recruit from the vermin settlements about us, arm our forces, gather vittles fer our armies."
Olan smiled, it was a long while since he saw Gandal stop focusing so much on his vengeance for Kasg and get in his planning mood. The warlord rat smacked his paw on the table of his tent "We move out in the night an' attack before the hares are even up an' about in der barracks. Once we have em' stretched out, we'll make our move."
_
Gandal had gathered his horde to him, but from the slave pens, the unfortunate slaves who had tried to escape could only see a muster of vermin gathering their weapons and putting on their uniforms. Rats struggled to put on tunics, while more experienced veterans got on chainmail. Only the black-clad vermin were able to march so efficiently to their master's beck and call, looking up with villainous eyes upon Gandal who called out to them. His mustering in the night had awoken several of the camp's slaves, still reeling from their loss of freedom. Those who were caught were still licking lash wounds and mourning over those who were recently executed.
"What do you think they are doing? Night raid?" Asked Mela. She crept close to the pen, looking as vermin with torches ran about on the outside. The mouse maiden was joined by the squirrel maid Tera who looked about. "No. . .they are going to war. Look. Too many vermin for a night raid. They had use expandin the pens. I think they are bringing in company."
Both gulped in horror at the thought as vermin wheeled to the center of Gandal's camp, the rat stood in his old officer uniform, his black armor sheened in the night's brisk air and under his torch light. He looked about, standing on top of a box, whisking his tail from side to side as he yelled into the crowd of vermin.
"Ya all swore to me, as I had long ago, to serve the black rat Kasg! Kasg the Craven they called him, a fool title for a great warlord! I tell ye now that he may be dead, but his vision of a conquered Mossflower for you lot will live on through me! I brought ya out of holes and gentle hamlets, made ya into real warriors, an now we will march to the drums of war once again! Gather yer arms, lads, gather yer weapons and armor. We will strike two villages at once, an' from there pick off the Long Patrol one by one as they position themselves for our future attack. We will win, me wretched horde, ya slack-jawed fools will get yer loot and vittles galore! I promise ya slaves, homes, an' meat, and ya shall have it this night!
The vermin cheered in a rapturous applause as Gandal commanded his army forward, his war camp emptying. They would move out in the night, his vicious host a black stain moving across the woodland plains and into the southern hills.
Kasg may have been long dead, yet his black shadow still loomed at the head of his army.
_
An older squirrel yawned in the midmorning sun, getting up and putting on a tunic. Dressing himself and getting ready for his daily work, the graying squirrel could feel the life draining from him with each step, already ready to go back to sleep as he poured himself a large chug of cordial for himself. He had been a shopkeeper in the village center of Robsborn for many years, buying stock from Southwards traders such as wool, cotten, and silk. The woodlanders did not know where wool came from, and nor did he for that matter, but it was nice and warm, and popular for the local craftsman.
He heard a commotion outside, some yelling, but his old ears often heard such things from the common village life, although he did admit they were louder then usual. He calmly stepped towards the door and began thinking of the beautiful and wonderful day he was going to have. He wondered if the village baker would have enough sugar to make him those delectable treats. As the old squirrel opened up the door and took a swig of his Cordial, he stepped outside to see a very different scene. One his neighbors was slammed into the walls of his home by a rat wielding a sabre, and one of the town guards, a mouse he had known for a long time, lying in a pool of blood on the ground. A weasel in a black clad armor standing over him, wiping blood from his sword in a casual manner.
The old squirrel took another shaking sip of his morning Cordial and stepped back inside his home, fumbling his paws as he calmly locked his door. Must be a pretty bad dream. Must be the cordial. I think I am going to lay back down. Unfortunately, it wasn't a dream as several rats rammed their way into the old squirrel's home and dragged him outside. They ransacked the house, lustily looking over boxes of valuables, stealing what they could and loading it into wagons.
The old squirrel were forced to kneel alongside others in the sight of a great black rat who strode across them like a victorious conqueror. Gandal's plan had worked, except for the parts which he had not fully prepared for. His forces split between himself and Olan's, who led their rabble armies to the two small villages on the southern tip. It was extremely risky, even for him, but there were merits to his plan. Being far deep in enemy territory with the entire horde was one thing, actively raiding would no doubt draw out the Long Patrol themselves. If a lot of things went wrong at once, Olan's army would be the first to be hit and he and his own could quickly retreat to the safety of their walls in the war camp.
Gandal had many long years fighting the Long Patrol and had a very basic understanding of their tactics. They were not like fighting vermin warlords when Kasg were building the mighty horde in the north, the Long Patrol didn't do pitched battles normally, they used small team tactics and brutalizing skirmishes to mow down vermin divisions. Hares could also quickly gain allies, trained up local forces, and expertly scout, but with these tactics came noticeable weaknesses which Gandal came to exploit. Gandal had the larger army, and he would use it. Splitting the army may have seemed insane to any warlord, yet the rat warlord had a plan.
Under special orders, Olan wasn't to take prisoners, and instead was to cull the village and its surrounding hamlets, setting fires and causing a mess. Once he was done, he would double back and temporarily rejoin Gandal. There would be no time for looting or prisoner taking, and once he doubled back, he trail Gandal's army who would be trailing wagons of loot and prisoners back to the war camp. Gandal suspected that his own scouts missed Long Patrol stations and camps, who were already sounding the alarm. Gandal seemed to be the faster creature, as Olan and his battle guard marched into the village, with Olan trying to wipe off blood from his black breastplate.
Gandal sneered "Long Patrol didn't answer ya?"
"They be close. Me scouts say about 200 are baring down on us, but another 50 left der camp not too long ago. That number concerns me. I'll take me forces and trail behind, far from sight, as ya order chief."
Gandal looked over his prisoners, the old squirrel being shackled by a chain lead to several of his neighbors, looking up in fear. "Get these new slaves movin. Once we are back at home, my plan will be complete. It all becomes a waitin game after that."
_
The first patrol to have spotted Gandal's army didn't believe it at first, several large battalions of vermin had split along the march. The Patrol reached the sleepy camp of Palewind to tell the news, their commander Numbat Vigor von Biggerplume III was in his pavilion with his officers and the badger warrior Balon Blackpatch. Both looked shocked as Numbat practically arose and called out "Gather the hares at once, captains! Balon, gather your wargear. We must move out at once, the blighter Gandal is going to make a big mistake this day!"
The Hares had gotten into formation as Balon spoke to his commanding officer. "This isn't normal for Gandal. Usually he plays out defensively. He stopped raiding when he realized his side of Mossflower didn't have many more villages. Something doesn't seem right."
Numbat was busy putting on his own armor and Long Patrol vest "You are right, old bean. This isn't very normal for the bloody rat, now ain't it? The scouts say he likely emptied his war camp, which means his force at the camp is fairly empty. I will lead 200 of my Hares out to greet our old foe an' we'll try to force him off the path towards the coast, where we have reinforcing garrisons from our more defended villages and stations. Several mice owe me a beer and a division of clansbeasts to fight Gandal, and by golly are we goin to show that rat what real warriors be made of. I'll send one of my captains to his war camp, scout it with a large division, and if applicable, we will also free his prisoners and rescue Lorgar's family! If only Borbon was here to see this, but I guess its best he wasn't."
Balon raised an eyebrow at this "Borbon is a hero, and a good warrior. What is wrong with him?"
"Nothing personal for him, my good Balon. That mole I fear will never be able to forgive me for keeping to my tactics, and he is just as likely to get himself and any hares I give him bloody killed. Wherever he is, I hope he remains away. For all of our sakes."
_
Numbat and his divisions of Hares marched out from their camp, most were lightly armored and wielded bows or slings. Numbat's army was also followed by well armored hares with spears and rapiers, with Balon effortlessly pulling a cart filled to the brim with supplies and food. Balon never complained about his duties, but he didn't exactly admire being so subservient of Numbat, but the Hare had been able to keep Gandal at bay despite their limited resources. Numbat knew that Gandal was a terrible threat, but lacked a lot of resources to officially handle him. He prodded at Gandal's defenses before, overly scouting him and having some clue where he was at all times. Yet this time, Gandal must have broke under stress, and was now leading an army out. If they could catch him in a march, they could swiftly volley them and take out vermin, and if enough were slain, Numbat could even defeat Kasg within this very season.
However, planning was important, and Gandal was no fool. Numbat did not personally rival Gandal, the experienced vermin warlord had surprised him before. Gandal wasn't an insane or overly aggressive commander, he was in fact very calm and collected in a fight. His main flaw was his need for petty vengeance where most of his defeats came from, but yet here was getting what he wanted. Gandal learned how to counter Numbat's small unit tactics with his own, often raiding personally with a small force such as when he went after Lorgar Watertrot and his family personally.
Most likely, Gandal would raid a local village, which he would be too late to stop. He and Balon discussed it, but investigating the villages would buy Gandal time to escape. Balon disliked it, but Numbat was ultimately right in pursuing Gandal now, with a division of hares going off towards the war camp to cut off any attempt to flee like Gandal did the last few times. Gandal had become very good at fleeing in battle, he could shift around quickly and defeat an individual attacker and then run very fast in any direction he needed to go. This would not happen this time. Even if Gandal escaped from him again, Numbat was certain his subordinate Terrance von Blumber would catch the rat as he fled.
As Numbat and Balon suspected, the bleak and black smoke of burning villages could be seen as the Long Patrol marched, and a black mass began to descend down the hill, a smaller for of 350 vermin soldiers dragging along carts and captives. Numbat raised his rapier.
"Blood an' Vinegar gents!"
_
The Long Patrol was always far from predictable, as the army of hares and a single badger began to crest their way over the battlefield. Gandal stood at the center of his army, watching intently. He kept himself in the back, making sure he wouldn't be in the sight of any of the Long Patrol's brutal shenanigans, such as Numbat's liberal use of mercenaries, longbows, or marksbeasts. He then laid out to his captains and black-clads an odd order. "I want ya to divide the army into divisions of 100 beasts each, but bring 5 captives which ya are to bring to yer forefront. Don't ask why, just do it. The remainder will stay back with me an' guard the remaining caravan."
The black clad horde did as ordered as vermin shifted under the cruel words of their overseers. They formed into several divisions, including the skirmishers themselves, but brought captives of various ages to the forefront of their armies, held down by the vermin themselves. If anything, the Long Patrol were difficult to maneuver, but they were still gentle beasts at the end of the day. His arch rival Numbat couldn't help but watch as their division halted within skirmishing distance and ordered a full stop.
"Damn blighter, he is using those captives as shields!" Numbat cursed. He ordered his division forward, towards the front of Gandal's army, with Gandal calling out to his vermin he was personally commanding "10 of you with me, an bring the youngest of the new slaves with ya. Carry em if ya need, the rest of ya stay here an' guard our captives an' loot." It became a race to the eastern path Gandal's army was taking, holding their ground with a safe distance of the Long Patrol's forces. Gandal had correctly assumed that Numbat wouldn't risk having his hares fire into his vermin host if they were shielded by slaves, effectively disabling the hares from using their ranged advantage. However, he cursed when he saw a division of hares swiftly beat him to the eastern part of the hill.
"I see what yer doin chief! What if we used these young uns as shields, knock em off the path!" One of the vermin was confident, holding onto a mouse child who struggled in his paws. Gandal cursed him and slapped his claw to the side of his face in anger "Don't even try it, ya dolt. Those hares know as soon as we lose our prisoners, we be dead beasts to der arrows. In a melee, they'd have a good chance to knock into us. Retreat fer now."
The hares drew a bit closer, with some losing arrows over the vermin and into the caravan itself where there weren't any of the captives. Two hare divisions, numbering around 50 each, slowly and cautiously descended on the vermin at Numbat's orders. They stopped when some of the vermin holding captives instinctively held their weapons to their throats. However, the hares were not buying it, as the division which reached the eastern path began prodding at the flank. Gandal fled into the further back, knowing full well another division was coming up behind them, and we're releasing arrows into the undefended back of a vermin battalion. It was a bad situation for the rat, but this had all been to plan, his attention to the last battalion of hares trying to maneuver around his left flank.
Thundering out of the hills and forests of southern Mossflower, 3 new battalions of vermin formed ranks and rushed out. It was caught by the hares trying to maneuver around the left flank towards Gandal's captive caravan, and saw the vermin rushing out in time to make a hasty retreat. Numbat was shocked. His scouts had told him that Gandal's force destroyed two small villages and met up with a larger group, but what he had not known was that the scouts had not noticed the mass of vermin footprints marching eastward and having partially covered their trail, assuming it joined with Gandal's larger host. Doubling the size of his full horde. Olan led the charge personally, the rat shouting Kasg's old war cry to a chilling effect "Cull an' Kill! For Kasg an' Gandal!"
Olan's 3 vermin battalions were rushing out, but Numbat was quick on his feet and rang out orders "Face the reinforcements, giv'em a good volley! Fire!" The hares quickly retreated to a safer position and fired several volleys into Olan's advancing vermin. Most of Gandal's horde was lighter infantry, mixed in with armored veterans, began to see several vermin fall and shake as their cries rang out across the battlefield. Olan himself was nearly slain until he saw the arrows and pushed himself back into his own army, slaying one of his unfortunate battle guards. The hares provided covering fire for their wayward division to rejoin into their ranks, firing more volleys at Olan's advancing forces.
Gandal ordered his right-most division to draw weapons and to make a break for the eastern path, shoving the prisoners away and swiftly making their way up a hill to the lone division. Gandal ordered his own divisions forward and began having the caravan move. More vermin were dying then hares, with the few archers and skirmishers in Olan's rank firing back at the hares.
Numbat could see Olan's forces advance further against him, and ordered Balon forward "Balon, why don't you take that big sword of yours and move some of the armored chaps forward. I think its time for a good ol' move an' spit maneuver." Balon knew what the hare meant, gathering some armored hares and wielding a greatsword for his size, he rushed into the fray. The vermin of southern Mossflower nearly routed on the spot at the sight of the badger warrior coming out for blood, crashing into his enemies and cleaving into one of Olan's divisions with such haste and fury. Olan tried to push his creatures onward, but the conscripts were more fearful of the badger in front of them, followed on by well armored hares who expertly and cleanly cut into their ranks. Numbat's archer retreated to a safe position, stopped, and then fired a stream of volleys into Olan's guard. Numbat was pleased with the maneuver, it was highly effective against Gandal in the past, and the rat was too ill prepared to build shields to defend against it. However, his smile turned upside down when he heard screams from his hares from the back.
The Long Patrol division guarding the road was cut off, and were struggling to hold off the vermin cresting a hill to clear the way for their retreat. Gandal joined on in when he was confident the Long Patrol's numbers were thinning, coming in with his elite guard to kill the remainder. Several hares were put to flght as Numbat ordered a division to wheel around and relieve the force. Yet, as he did so, Gandal's captains broke their orders and were charging towards them. Numbat could see the writing on the walls, that despite the losses the vermin were taking, they were ultimately winning.
Numbat called out to Balon "Call for a retreat! Now! We need to head back to Palewind at once!"
Balon was shocked, especially as they put an entire vermin division to rout. He thought Numbat was being overly cautious, up until he saw Numbat fighting his way through another vermin battalion, desperately and vainly trying to relieve his hares who got themselves surrounded. Vermin and hare bodies littered the ground, as Gandal himself was getting sickened by the losses.
"Retreat, ya dumb beasts! If any one of ya die once more, I'll wear yer tails fer a kilt!" Gandal didn't want to lose his entire horde to the hare's antics, especially since they had brought a large amount of arrows with their supplies which they were soon refilling. It was quite a stalemate of a battle, both sides having lost a great deal and gained nothing. Numbat cursed as he regrouped with his hares, the vermin licking their wounds and retreating, leaving the bodies of their fallen comrades in their wake.
"Gather a scout and send them to find Terrance. There are still too many vermin in that army. They will be wiped out if Gandal comes upon them!"
Balon agreed, and took one of the faster runners aside to give Terrance instructions. Numbat looked over the battlefield, with Balon commenting to him "Did we get defeated?"
"No, but it certainly seems like it."
Borbon and his friend Siegfried sat around another campfire, but were surprised to see 50 or so hares casually and suddenly stride up next to them. Borbon had been keeping an eye out for Gandal's scouts, edging ever closer and secretly to his territory, yet here came an entire division of Long Patrol with bows and hoods led by a captain who plopped himself down by the fire. "Good evening, chaps! I must say, wot, you moles seem to be looking quite droll on such a fine day like this?"
Borbon looked a bit surprised. Uz thus hure mockun me? Borbon lifted his paw to him and looked around "Yus be frum Pulewind, ruight?"
"Aye aye. Names Terrance von Bulmber, advanced scouting company. Nice to meet you sir Borbon Rocklore. Heard a lot about you, me chap."
"If tus bee a attumpt of yur cummander tur gut me buck on hus guud side, lud, yu caun tell um it auin't workun."
"Tis not, actually, me bucko, tis me who came to you. I heard you and your friend be good warriors. Say, cheer up me lad. When I asked around lookin for you lot, didn't expect you all to be this far out. My commander sent me to catch that rascal Gandal, and I be thinking 'Maybe that mole fellow who keeps slaying Gandal's scouts might want a swing with us'. Do tell me I a right."
Borbon and Siegfriend looked even more surprised. Borbon got up with a haste, gripping his warhammer in paw and gave the hare a devilish grin. "Turrance, ain't it? I follow ye, me an' Siegfrud both!"
_
Borbon and Siegfriend lagged behind the company of hares and examined the surroundings of Gandal's territory. They couldn't see the war camp itself, but a bellow of smaller campfires arose from it. Borbon was informed along the way by Terrance what was happening, with the mole having many common questions which Terrance could not answer. How big was Gandal's raiding army? Were the hares going to defend the villages or fight them out on the field? How fast was the army? Terrance had no clue, all they knew was that a large vermin force struck out from Gandal's war camp in the night and it was rather unsuspected. Gandal wasn't overly cautious, and the main host's target was toward the southern hills and forests.
The group stopped in a plain, with Terrance and Borbon examining tracks from a large vermin host coming from the war camp's direction, several misbegotten vittles and an entire dagger was pushed into the dirt. Terrance examined it and grunted "Vermin make alright, not in poor condition either. Must have been a black-clad's."
Borbon was more interested in the foot prints "Duz traucks lead wustward. U'd say arund four hundrud to eighut hundrud. Most of his arumy, must likeuly."
Terrance looked into the warcamp's direction and put his paw to his chin "If that is so, doesn't that mean the camp is empty, right?"
"Nu. Varments brought families, typicul of must hordes to conscrupt dem an' keep der new warriors in line, smush up der humes an' such. Gandal must likely gut a garrison in dur."
"Why the families? I have a family of my own, but the Long Patrol doesn't lug them around."
"Varments like Gandul bee needun food an' supplius. Tus a labor game wit varments. Whule the wurriors fight an' die fer der buss, de womun, babes, an' elderly work in der camp. Der be prisoners in demselves, an' sometumes be helpun out in de camp's defense. If lackun in prisuners, dey be the ones makun der vittles, buildun der supplies, farmun der fields. Varments all der same, slavurs an' banduts all."
Siegfried was preparing a crossbow bolt and looked a bit shocked as his friend "Well'uz, maybue not be liuke dat yet, but what me frund be sayin is dat Gandul's horde be still well defunded back in der cump."
"Agreed. We'll set up and ambush here and wait for their army, good mole. More then likely, Numbat gave them a good tanning. With enough of our forces here, we'll stick that old wretch with some arrows, the remainder of the Long Patrol will quickly take their camp. Come on chaps, let's get ready to show these lopsided bandits what Long Patrol hares can do!"
_
Night came as the vermin army moved more slowly across the field, with Gandal and Olan at the near head of their armies. Their 'victory' over the Long Patrol had been fairly hollow, as a headcount was taken with rather predictable results. Of the 700 or so vermin who had been at the forefront, they had lost almost 150, with even more grievously injured. Olan spent much of the evening taking the worst injured far off from the camp and forcing them to stay away from the main force and to meet back up with them in the war camp once they could fully heal. These injured vermin were given specific instructions, that if they were ever captured, their lives would not even be traded for the slaves they had just captured. The vermin host moved slowly still, much to Gandal's dismay.
Olan figured that their horde had killed around 30-60 of the hares, but Gandal reduced that number to 20. It was a considerable embarrassment if he was fighting vermin, but the Long Patrol had been a vicious enemy he could only beat with sheer numbers. Even with a 2 to 1 odds when fighting the hares, they were nimble and swift, capable of escaping his wrath and killing a soldier without a single break of sweat. Their flow of battle, bravery, and tactical advantage made them a terrible foe to challenge, but yet here he was. Gandal cursed the day when Kasg received a vision of a great treasure in Mossflower, and gathered the whole and mighty horde to find it.
As the vermin's vast torch lights illuminated the night, Terrance's hares sat a bit amazed at the size of the foe. He suspected a lot more dead, and things were a bit more complicated by the matters of several woodlanders being dragged behind the horde as slaves. Terrance divided his force into two divisions on each side of a short hill, covered in the darkness. Borbon and Siegfried laid next to him, looking over the huge vermin host.
"Dut army be Gandul's entire hurde! I thought Numbut would huv reduced it by a bit. Louk! Dey be trailin in captuves."
Terrance winced, a thought entered his mind, one which was difficult to push out. Did Numbat fail? Am I going to return to see a bunch of dead hares back in Palewind? The hare hoped to see a hare army closing in, reinforcement at most, but none would come. Borbon gripped his warhammer, his beady eyes set upon Gandal with a dark and terrible fury.
"Cull da attuk." He ordered. Terrance was not confident in victory, if he could kill Gandal now, the horde might just disperse. Before he could call his decision, an exhausted hare slid himself next to the two, and crouched near them. The moles and Terrance were on an upper side of the hill, crouched low enough and covered in the twilight of a Mossflower's cool summer night, hidden better by their darker cloaks. The hare was a scout, but let off and exhausted breath "Sir Terrance! Numbat sent me. He is ordering a retreat, you are to return to Palewind at once."
Borbon could have grabbed the hare by the throat, but resisted the urge as he loudly whispered "Nu! Gandul is right thur! Me frund's and home's murderer marchun into der warcump, takun slaves an' murdurun good beasts! Cull da attuk."
Borbon's eyes were like a flaming fury, with his friend Siegfried looking out with concern for his vengeful companion. Yet Terrance couldn't help but agree with him. If Gandal got away again, he would continue causing trouble for all of Mossflower, enslaving and killing at his pleasure. Terrance was tired of it, he had just finished up an investigation of trying to hunt the murderer Nurf Bloodkeep who had once again snuck through his patrols, slaughtered his scouts, and destroyed an entire village. His trail of blood led ever eastward, and now he was being pulled back again by his commander. Too dangerous for the Long Patrol, bah! Damn Numbat then, an' damn his command! I'm not letting another murderer get away with their loot.
Terrance took the courier "I think a time has come, my good chap, for a change of plans. Stay here a bit with us, as a real Long Patrol officer pays a vermin's due! Siegfried, take those hares at our southern most flank and attack the caravan leading those poor captives, we'll free them. The rest of you, be ready, this is going to be a difficult maneuver. Be ready to fire on the vermin host, we'll use the darkness to our advantage. Once we run out of arrows, we need to charge, our goal is to kill Gandal. The blighter will not be getting away from us this evening!"
Borbon gave a crooked smile, readying his warhammer for the push.
_
Gandal continued to lead his army, his planning phase got him talking to Olan "First thing be first, once we get back to de camp, we's need to begin settin up foraging parties. Don't wanna starve in the winter. We'll start recruitin again in the spring. Der slaves will make fine laborers in that sense, an' once we got enough vittles an' beasts, we can start layin siege to the Long Patrol garrisons. Whatever delays the remainder army will have to also be investigated, ya know. We'll send a gaggle of sco-" Olan quickly and suddenly crashed into Gandal and forced his warlord down to the ground. Gandal was shocked at first, but then realized why his captain had done so, as he heard a whirl of arrows. Several screams of pain and gurgling death was heard around him as the horde began to panic. Several were dead, others terrible injured.
"Ambush! Ambush! Get da archers to the back an light der arrows!" Olan ordered. The vermin archers were quick to find cover behind a meat shield of others, although this would not last. Long Patrol arrows were targeting Gandal specifically as Olan pushed his warlord into the middle of the army "Surround the warlord, if any of ya got shield, get to us now!" Several vermin came forward with shields and surrounded Gandal. The vermin divisions were in fright, and the host didn't know how many there were, especially as more arrows came from other directions. More vermin began to be felled. Gandal couldn't figure out what was going on, but Olan took it upon himself to take charge. Several vermin archers covered their arrows in rags and lit a campfire to burn them, soaking them in flammable grog. Olan ordered a volley onto the hills opposite of the vermin army.
The hares were quick to guess this tactic, as the flame wasn't meant to harm them as much reveal them. The flames caught onto one hare's hood, but it was swiftly put out. Once Olan could see the battlefield, he realized just how few hares there were.
"There be only a few of them! Kill em!" Olan ordered a general charge, with Gandal's other captains cresting the opposite hill. The hares used their tactics of retreating and firing upon their enemies, but the vermin were motivated by their sheer number, even as more fell. What the vermin did not see was a mole leading a valiant charge on the caravan itself. Siegfried loaded a crossbow bolt and fired at a retreating vermin, hitting him in the shoulder. A hare had swiftly come up to the crying soldier, and cut his swiftly across the throat, ending his life. The Long Patrol got to work finishing off the caravan's guards and were hacking away at bonds, searching bodies for keys to shackles. Siegfried reloaded his crossbow calmly at first, shooting at vermin who began to see the Long Patrol burning the loot they had taken and freeing their prisoners, but as Siefried continued to rack up kills, his calmness began to collapse. Vermin were getting closer, ignoring fallen comrades as they rushed to reclaim their lost loot. Some even made it to the slower group of villagers, the screams and chaos around the mole grew louder. Hunting a singular vermin bandit was one thing, a full blown battle was another.
The screams could not be ignored, as Siegfried turned to see several vermin trying to hold down several mice. An old squirrel was trying to help them, struggling with a stronger vagabond. The mole attempted to aim, but as he fired, a hare bumped into him who was also fighting a vermin. The shot missed and hit the squirrel straight in the chest. He froze in sudden shock, and fell over dead. The mole realized what happened quickly, and the vermin foe overcame the mice and grabbed them, hauling them off to an unknown fate. He looked around, seeing similar missed shots. None had killed the slaves, but several were limping away or curled up injured. The vermin were upon both the hares and captives, and the chaotic fighting made skirmishing impossible. In the melee, the hares were being overrun. The mercenary mole was pulled up by another hare "Get with the remaining escapers, lad! We'll hold them off as long as we can, wot!"
Siegfried could only give a weak nod, collecting his things and hobbling off to regroup the few who did escape.
_
Arrows stopped falling, but the battle was far from over. The Hares may have been on the run, but that had been their plan, going off to a safer distance to continue picking off vermin. The horde was confused and in disarray, and Gandal knew it. He was informed by a captain of the attack on their caravan, that a good chunk of the captives escaped, only some were recaptured. The hares who led the assault were mostly dead or fled back to their units. Gandal practically strangled his subordinate in fury "Take a division of vermin and go after them, you idiots! I will not lose my quarry to this ambush, ya hear!"
The vermin went off, as Gandal returned his attention to the battlefield. He was winning at least, and he was alive, but then he saw several of the vermin viciously running back down the hill, and one flew into his army. Gandal winced in pain and anger, as Borbon stood on top of the hill, with regrouped hares picking up some fresh arrows. Gandal took out his sword and waved it at his comrades "Follow me. I am going to kill that mole, and I will kill him proper!"
It was a rather familiar sight to Borbon. Gandal was leading his black-clad vermin elite up the hill, with hares firing down at the vermin below. Faster warriors, whipped forward by their captains, tried to overwhelm Borbon who blew them away with a heave of his warhammer. One shielded vermin, confident in his poor, old round shield had his arm broken when it shattered brom Borbon's warhammer. The mole and two other hares guarded archers as they continued to fire down at the group approaching them. Borbon eventually was face to face with his old enemy, the wretched murderer Gandal now clanged his sword against Borbon's warhammer as his vermin fought beside him.
Gandal taunted the mole, ignoring the mole wildly smashing his way through vermin as he tried to pull the angry warrior closer into groups of vermin to surround him. "I killed that otter painfull an' slowly, mole! I even took his family and made dem me slaves. Ye will share the same fate, along with the whole of Mossflower! You will pay for Kasg's death with yer blood!"
Borbon realized Gandal's words rang true, and crashed his way into the horde. Gandal was surprised as two vermin gave out short and bloody screams and were knocked back dead into their comrades "Yu wull pay fer every deuth! Every lust friend! If yu got der family wit you, we will daunce on yer gruve, Gandul!" The rat didn't move out of the way in time, as Borbon's warhammer slammed down on the rat's armor. Gandal felt it, with several ribs cracking under the sudden pressure. His favored enemy attempted to finish him off, but he was soon being carried away by the hares. Vermin were enclosing around them, as they desperately fought off vermin. Gandal shook with pain, spitting out blood as Olan came to his side, sliding him away.
Terrance grabbed the mole and pulled him away from the fighting, the vermin kept surrounding them with Borbon trying to escape to finish the deed. However, Terrance slapped sense into him "We cannot stay here, lad! We are being finished off, don't waste your energy on that cripple, we'll return in short time. I don't think more hares are coming."
Borbon cried out "He'ull escupe again!"
"He will, but you at least dealt him a severe blow. Don't give him what he wants, and throw your life away on killing him. We will return! I promise you."
Borbon knew the hare spoke sense, but he painfully and regretfully agreed. The two and the remaining hares fought their way through the vermin. With their leader horrifically injured, the vermin were ordered by Olan to keep their distance, just in case the hares would try to finish off their warlord from a sniper they had not seen. Carried away by the horde, the vermin rushed back to their warcamp, always looking over their shoulders as Borbon and Terrance escaped into the night.
_
Gandal laid in his bed, with Jano looking over him. The ferret was clearly disgusted, as Olan tried very hard to bandage and heal his fallen warlord. Gandal writhed in pain, as gripped Olan by the throat and pulled him closer "The mole. Borbon! Is he dead?"
"Nay. He escaped." The vice on his throat closed, as Gandal began to choke his captain with a furious rage "How. . ."
"I ordered the vermin. . .to stay back. . .in case it was another. . .ambush!" Gandal let go. He was furious and fuming, but also in terrible pain. He gripped his stomach where the mole's warhammer fell the hardest. It knocked him out cold, and Olan was struggling to be an efficient doctor. Gandal's paws stopped gripping onto Olan's neck as he slumped back down in pain, groaning from his injuries. Olan felt that perhaps he did make a mistake, perhaps he should having continued to rout and kill the hares and mole fully. He had no strength to tell his warlord how many more vermin they lost, how many captives were freed, how much loot was burned. Effectively, in a single strike, the vermin were back to square one. A stalemate.
Jano looked over at Gandal, gritting his fangs once he realized their chief was out of disabled from pain, and fell into the darkness of unconsciousness. "Olan, why do we bother? The raid ended terribly, an Gandal be out cold. Lets just put a knife to him an' be done with it."
Olan grasped his throat and turned to Jano. "Yer lucky the chief be out cold, or I'd just slay ya right there, ferret. Dis disaster be a risk, an we failed. He brought us this far, mate, I won't see our chief dead just to get a handle on dis horde."
"Why not? We cannot seriously think we have enough now to even face the might of Salamanderstron, let alone a camp of meager hares! I say we kill the chief, steal his things, an' move off. I told the chief we should have killed that otter instead of toying wit him. Why be a softy towards dat?"
"It ain't softness, Jano. The Chief wanted to break in Lorgar's brood fer his plans, see."
"What plans? The plan to appease the ghost of some dead warlord? Look, I tried to appease Gandal by huntin that mole's daughter, an' failed because I know full well they went north to Redwall. Ever since our raid against that otter's fishery, we've been goin down hill. I think we are just waitin till the hares had enough of us and kill us for good. We lost too many, an' ya know it."
"Yes, but we's all swore to that dead warlord, ferret. Includin ya."
"So did that otter slave beast. Look how well that turned out, eh."
"Just be outta here, an' go introduce our new captives to their new lives, why don't ya." Jano angrily left the tent with Olan half tempted to take a good number of soldiers to take him out into the forest and slay the ambitious cretan. Olan however would leave that to Gandal once he recovered. They had come very close to Gandal realizing his plans, perhaps one day he would live to see them fulfilled.
Palewind Camp is considered the Hare's most southern most barracks, without a palisade it was truly just a well organized encampment which was ringed with stakes ontop of a beastmade hill. The hares returned to their camp dejected at their defeat, with Balon and Numbat going into their barracks to discuss what had happened. The main officer hall was the only wooden structure in the camp, and where Numbat kept his studies and letters. He shifted a number of unsent demands for reinforcements and scrapped demands for more supplies from the table. He suspected Terrance would rejoin him soon, but he and Balon grew more worried as time ticked on by. It was night, both enjoying a small supper when Terrance and his companions showed up, who were far fewer in number. Of the 50 Long Patrol sent with Terrance, only 7 have made it back, and most of them were injured.
Numbat sat in his creaking office chair, grimly listening to Terrance's report with Borbon at his side. Borbon, in his vicious assault against Gandal sustained some face wounds from axes and spears, but they were fairly minor. Numbat twitched his long ears, which indicated to Balon that he was very mad. Extremely mad considering how often Numbat twitched his ears. His commanding officer said nothing, and once Terrance was finished with his report, Numbat turned his attention to Borbon first.
"Borbon Rocklore, if I had the authority over you and your companion, I would have had you both arrested for undermining my authority and sent you to Salamanderstron in chains. Your blatant disregard for my tactics is one thing, actively goading my officers into a suicidal rush is another. I will tell you this, however. Your services are no longer required, mole. You are to leave southern Mossflower immediately, or I will use force to have you removed."
Borbon angrily shouted out "Yu cannut duo dat! Yu huve remaiuned cautious dus whule campgun, lettun Gandul go over an' uver again. Ya shuld be ashumed to call yourself Lung Patrul! I hud gottun closer to killun Gandul den any utder creature in dis hur room. If yu pursued like a pruper warrior, he'd be dud! Yu instead meaunder around Pulwund, an fer whut!" Borbon practically had tears in his eyes as he blurted out "Dud ya evun know me frund's family be alive! Gandul hulds em! He hulds as slave beasts!"
Numbat closed his eyes, calming himself as he spoke "My orders are final. I will handle this from now on, without your 'aid'. You led a lot of hares to their underserved death. My hares to be exact. Now get out. If I see you again, I will take more drastic measures to make sure you don't do any more harm than you already have." Borbon left with a fuss, with Terrance looking down with disappointment at his frustrated commander.
"Sir, if I may say, may I say something in relation to my superior officer that is critical?" Numbat shook his head and looked up at him. He knew what he was going to say. Numbat blurted out, a seething croak to his voice "No, you may not, and if I hear it consider yourself going back to latrine duties. Forever. I know full well what you will say, Terrance. You should be bloomin sent to the stocks for what you did, but I won't do that. Consider yourself demoted. You will report to scout officer Blavan from now on."
Terrance reluctantly gave a salute as he was dismissed. Once they were gone, Numbat closed his eyes and breathed out a fiery sigh. He took out a piece of paper and began to write into it with silence. Balon still stood in the corner, awaiting orders, but decided to break that silence.
"Sir. . .was all that necessary? I mean, give the mole some credit. We lost a lot of soldiers, yes, but we at least stopped whatever plan Gandal was up to. Right?"
"Gandal's risky plan is as bloody obvious as a dazed rat trying to convince a badger lord of his sincerity. Gandal raided those villages to try to get us to increase the size of our garrisons on the open border, which is why tomorrow you will take the Long Patrol out and begin evacuating them to other villages closer to Palewind. They won't go easily, so take your time. The blighter is trying to use his numbers against us, but knows he will fail in a pitched battle. A real one. He got lucky that our scouts were hurried to report back to me."
"Borbon is only trying to help."
"Borbon is trying to get vengeance, which led to the deaths of a lot of good hares. Our strength doesn't come in numbers, it comes in our ability to take down twenty dumb and ill trained bandits without them even touching us. The vermin fear a single one of us, and are right to be fearful. However, we no longer have many options. Ever since Kasg died, the forests became filled with vermin. Eastern Mossflower crawls with all manner of warlords. I cannot defeat Gandal effectively on my own, no matter how hard I try. We can only wait him out."
Balon shook his head "What about my kinsbeast?"
"Galgor I have been informed took to the sea. Apparently there is a major pirate threat. That letter I received only recently."
"So we have no reinforcements, a bunch of villages we cannot even defend, and an injured enemy warlord. . .what else? A rain of fire?"
"Worst. Nurf Bloodkeep. That wretch awoke from the east again. Carved a bloody path with his gang. I don't blame Terrance for his outburst, I just wish he didn't damn so many to the silent forest. He lost a lot of good hares just trying to track down that fox."
Balon looked down at the letter "You know those are useless. Why even waste the ink on them?"
"This letter isn't going to the mountain. I am going to send it south. I know full well many of the hares do not like my cautious command, and I know we now lack reinforcement from our own benefactors. Ever been to Southward, Balon? Beautiful place, transformed in these many long years. However, I do not praise it alone for its long years of progress and peace. . .or its spice yam wine which I still would love another case of. Oh no, they have quite an army. A new one at that, vast and far larger than ours. I am going to send a missive for aid to them, but I will need permission from Salamanderstron to do it with. However, I am going to send them at the same time."
Balon nodded "It's better than those vermin mercenaries you hired at least." Numbat sighed and looked down "I just hope they come in time before any further damage is done. Just be ready for your orders tomorrow. My report back to our mountain fortress will. . .not be pleasing."
