A/N: Waycaster: More than one celebration XD To be fair, the kind of things I usually write into action scenes *gazes awkwardly at the KFP fics under my name* don't really fit into this fic hence my lack of them. (Fret being used as a rope in tug of war is proooobably the closest that comes to it XD) Granted this arc is a bit more light-hearted than say... Clogg flaying somebeast.

Joe Reddam: Glad you're still reading (haven't seen you in a while) and also glad there was some tension there XD

Abrahem: Such a hard question that one... was that ferret maid meant to be a diversion? No and yes and yes and no... I mean. I had no idea where I was going at the time XD I don't think it was diversion- but at the same time I remember deliberately leaving it vague. I do tend to get ideas on the fly so I like to give myself some wiggle room in case I think of something good/better. It's also why my foreshadowing can be... messy... Although I do have an idea of how she survived that 'fits'.

Yes! This arc is finally over and the Slave Rebellion will be the climax of Book II. So maybe at most a dozen more chapters. *Maybe*.

Yeah, Stannis isn't gonna burn Shireen but I do think the poor girl will get burnt and spread greyscale around the wall... Val foreshadows this in her talks with Jon (Val is a fun character- Mance Rayder's wife's sister). And Melisandre is at the wall... with Shireen...

What happens to Clogg... Has changed quite a bit over time but I have some ideas...

I love the idea of Threeclaw sounding like Jerry's musketeer nephew XD You have given me a few ideas now about his language things hehehehe... As for him being a relation to Snakeskin... I can't say yes or no buuuut- ye got any evidence?

Is he... hmmm... why would he tell Clogg about it though? The Manywhispers is a mystery... Yes, slowly but surely he is coming to terms with himself. Symbolism was semi-intentional XD

I was just checking because I don't think I did- and I got an interesting idea recently which I'm gonna slide on in soooo hehehehehe Momchillo's tail is pink then, I thought it was but just needed to double check.

Bats, snakes... Any stoats and toads? Fourth of July sounded rather fun XD

Sequel is gonna happen eventually (and I say this with certainty, because like Thanos, it is inevitable) but it'll likely be quite... a while... Not sure about adding a Book IV but I have considered it... in part because er- Book II was so long and I don't want III to be even longer XD

AlexFalTalon: Well yes, for a young beaver, which is still bigger than young mouse and young ferret.

Sebias of Redwall: That he will... and he will hate it. Toads, as Keldor pointed out, taste worse than he does XD That was Berserker88 Seb, the other awesome reviewer who's funny. It's so hard to tell them apart sometimes ya know? XD

Berserker88: I mean they *could*- but they won't XD Things can never go easy for Fret (and he was likely to dislike flying/being carried plus their verbal tic anyways).

Keldor: That they are- finally no more twisty tunnels! To be fair- back when Bella was on her 'bathing spree' Fret was younger and less likely to bite someone's nose off. I mean, Constance would have struggled less (because she did have some measure of maternal control over him) but she was also less likely to er- abruptly do it.

Certainly a better outcome than Slimegut ending up stuck with the taste of ferret :P

And so dear friends and beloved readers, the Fret and Momchillo arc (of Book II) has come to an end.

A distant whirring penetrated the walls of Fret's slumber, and a nearby growl summoned him forth from the sweet realm of sleep. The ferret did not open his eyes, letting his other senses discover his environment. A distinct itching along his front told him he was laying on one of Snakeskin's furry blankets. Which meant that he was safe- the toads would never have been able to get one of their slimy fingers on the stoat's precious bedcloths.

Yawning awake, he stretched out his limbs. The ferret rolled onto his back and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes with another yawn.

Blinking into reality he found, to his surprise, that he was in a new cavern. The walls here were made of stone, not ice and the only light seemed to be coming from a tiny firefly.

The whirring stopped. "You're awake!" It was Momchillo's voice, but the ferret couldn't see where he was yet. Just as his vision began to adjust, and just as a vague outline of the mouse was coming into view, a candle flickered to life and illuminated Momchillo's grin.

Fret sat up suddenly and had to momentarily shield his eyes from the sudden lighting. "Careful with that!" He snapped, and Momchillo, in his haste to obey, nearly put it out. "Sorry." Fret added immediately after, as usual he'd snapped too quickly.

"Nah, should've warned you." The mouse placed the candle on a bedside table. "So, how are you feeling? Not hurt?"

The ferret flopped back onto the blanket with a third yawn. "Arms are sore, feetpaws are tired and I can still taste toad... I've been better." While his energy was replenished- what he still sorely missed was optimism, the uplifting feeling of rescuing Butch and the bats had all been dreamed away leaving Fret in his usual state of glumness.

"I know what'll cheer you up!" Suddenly, a round metal bob shot out from the mouse's paw and caught the startled Fret right on the nose.

"What was that for!?" The ferret howled, rubbing his sore sniffer.

"Sorry! I'm sorry!" Momchillo hastily unwound the yo-yo's rope from around his paw. "I- I was just trying to give it to you!"

"Well try handing it over next time!" Fret snapped, snatching the yo-yo from his grip.

Momchillo's ears drooped, and all of a sudden the mouse was unable to maintain eye contact. "I got your the cloak back too. " He added half-heartedly. "And Snakeskin wanted me to give you the helmet..."

Fret felt the twinges of guilt begin to toy with his heart. He looked away and fixed his gaze determinedly on his Nuncle's toy. It meant more to him than he'd ever verbally admit, and if Momchillo wasn't looking he'd have been nuzzling it with the care and affection he very rarely showed a living thing. "Thank you." There was a brief pause and then Fret continued, finding that the back of his yo-yo was a very interesting thing to stare at- especially when one did not want to stare at Momchillo. "F-for the yo-yo. A-and the cloak and- an- and n-not leaving me." He made a strange sound that was almost like a cough but sounded more like a... squeal?

"So er- what happened?" Fret began idly flicking the yo-yo. "Last I remember was all the toads panicking an-and that bat showing up."

Momchillo shrugged. "Not much really." The mouse frowned. "Well, the bats are throwing a party and there's a feast going on but I've been up here with you the whole time so I'm not too sure."

Fret blinked and stopped flicking. "You missed out on a feast to watch me sleep?"

The brownish-yellow mouse rolled his eyes. "Well when you put it like that it just sounds weird. Somebeast had to watch over you to make sure you were okay and didn't get lost when you woke up."

"And you volunteered?"

"Well... yes... I er- wanted to give you back your toy."

The awkwardness of the silence that followed was tangible and the ferret was almost glad when his stomach interrupted it.

Momchillo grinned. "Sounds like you're hungry. Come on, there should still be some food left." The mouse helped Fret to his feetpaws before picking up the candle. "I think it's fair to warn you though that..." He made sure nobeast was looking or within earshot, before whispering. "Bat food isn't really... well... they eat grubs."

"Yuck!" Said Fret, far too loudly. Luckily nobat seemed to have heard. Well... there was nobat there... The ferret's stomach gave another impatient gurgle. "I-is there nothing edible?"

"There's you." Momchillo snickered, before shrugging. "Like I said, I haven't really been to the feast. But that's what Snakeskin said. Also, do not, under any circumstances play Bat Catch."

"What's that?"

"Well... it's catch." The mouse explained. "Only er- you'd be the ball."

Fret's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You're pulling my tail."

Momchillo shook his head. "Nope, not this time. Trust me Fret, you really wouldn't like this game."

"Hmmm..." The ferret mused, once more beginning to flick his yo-yo. "So how do you know about it?"

"Let's just say..." Momchillo scratched his chest-fur. "I have some er- personal experience."

Fret could not help snorting in laughter. "So you were the ball?" He could not help snickering either.

The mouse gave the ferret's tail a warning tug. "You'd make a better one if it came to it, Bearfood."

"Bat-toy!"

"Luncheon!"

"Plaything!"

And so, giving one another all sorts of ridiculous names and titles, the pair made their way down the tunnels and towards a large, open cavern where the feast was being held.

The party was still in full-swing by the time they arrived. Several bats were clumped together, singing a rendition of 'Maggy May' that made Snakeskin and Momchillo's appalling music desirable. A set of tables had been taken out, stacked high with all sorts of 'delicacies'. Fried beetle eggs, scewered spiders, a soup of boiled worms and snake flesh, large centipedes roasting over a spit, honeyed fireflies, all these and more made Fret go as green as a spring leaf. Friar Gord would not have allowed any of these things into the Redwall kitchens and the Badgermum wouldn't have allowed them into Redwall!

And yet, it was so hard to ignore his hunger. The last thing he'd eaten had been the previous day's revolting Hellgates Stew- and Fret was quite sure he'd go to Hellgates if he ate another bite of that.

"There ye are!" A pair of white paws, Snakeskin's, clamped down upon the shoulders of mouse and ferret. "Bin waitin' fer ye to show up! 'Ow ye feelin' Fret?"

"I'm fine." He replied, prizing his eyes away from the 'feast' in an attempt to not puke. Which was rather difficult. He could still taste toad...

"'Ungry?" The stoat smiled knowingly. "C'mon, I made sure Snap got the pair of ye some real food. An' I made sure Youn' Butcher didn' scoff it all."

Gently, he guided them towards a corner of the cavern, one that was almost entirely devoid of bats. Probably because Butch took up most of the space. The beaver babe waved as they approached.

"Hello Fretch!"

"Hello." The ferret replied, more interested in getting his paws on the goodies before him. It wasn't much; small pot of barely-spiced hotroot, several loaves of bread (as usual, older than anybeast present), something that could've been meadowcream but smelled more like a bog and three rotten fruit, and some (ice) cold pancakes with honey; but it was much better than anything else available.

"Sleep well?" Snakeskin asked, nonchallantly sipping a bowl of hotroot.

"I did." Fret selected a pancake, but found that not even his sharp teeth could tear it apart.

"Whatch did you dweam aboutch?"

And now his teeth were stuck to the frozen honey!

"Fretch?"

"Lemme 'elp with that." Before Fret could refuse him, Snakeskin snapped the pancake in two, and pulled it free of the ferret's jaws. "Try a loaf."

Fret chewed on one sullenly, noting with bitterness, that it tasted faintly of toad. He was quite sure he'd have indigestion...

"So whatch did you dweam aboutch?" Butch asked again, apparently very interested in this subject.

Fret swallowed, gagged (why had he bitten the stupid chieftain!?), and turned to answer the question with a simple 'nothing'.

"Oh." Butch shrugged and went on for several minutes about his very sweet and childish dream of rolling (and sometimes swimming) through a flower-field, by which time Fret had worked up the courage to take a few more bites of the bread.

"And den you popped out of a flower Fretch!"

"All sneezy and covered in pollen." The ferret muttered. The beaver babe hadn't heard him, but Momchillo almost snorted into the bowl of hotroot.

"I know I keep you amused, mused, mused, but I feel I'm being used, used, used!" Came the bat chorus. The music was so horrendously painful that Fret was relieved when Momchillo struck up some more conversation.

"So what happened to the toads? Last I saw them they were still trying to run away, but the bats caught them all, didn't they?"

Snakeskin chuckled and shook his head. "Finish yer- this ough'a be brekkfis' I suppose- an' I'll show ye what Snap's come up with."

Fret was not sure if he wanted to see, Clogg had flayed a paw for far less of a crime. As much as they deserved it, the ferret doubted he would be able to stomach whatever horrendous fate had befallen them.

As if reading his mind (or the look of frightened horror on his face) Snakeskin shook his head. "Whatever yer thinkin' it ain' what 'appened te 'em."

Fret had been thinking of mangled corpses.

"Ladies and gentlebats, bats, bats!" Boomed the voice of Chief Snap, dragging the young ferret away from his imaginary cadavers. "I hope you're enjoying the feast, feast, feast!"

A tremendous cheer of 'hip-hip-hip-hoo-hoo-hoo-ray-ray-ray' made Fret dizzy.

"As you all know, we have recently been terrorised by a tribe of frogs, frogs, frogs, posing as a bear, bear, bear!"

Momchillo frowned in contemplation. "I thought they were toads."

"Were it not for the efforts of one beast, beast, beast it would still be so, so, so!" The well-built chieftain's eyes seemed to dart towards Fret.

The ferret in question felt Momchillo clap him on the back. His own heart had missed a beat.

"This one, one, one, has waited a long time for recognition, recognition, recognition!"

Snakeskin ruffled the fur between his ears with a chuckle. Butch began whistling through his fingers. Fret, who had never known but always wondered what it was like to face a cheering crowd, who had daydreamed of a moment like this back in Abbot Martin's history lessons, flushed with pride and stood a little straighter.

"BARTOK! BARTOK! BARTOK!"

Snakeskin choked on his drink, Momchillo did the spit-take of the century, Butch's whistling turned into a raspberry and Fret felt like somebeast had punched him in the lungs.

Yet, all their reactions were lost in the sea of cheering. Bartok, who had been standing a short distance behind them all, flapped over towards the chieftain amidst the gales of celebration.

"B-b-but he didn't do anything!" Momchillo complained, loud enough to be heard by a generous amount of bats (they had excellent hearing after all).

"Yeah!" Butch agreed. "Fretch is de one dat killed de bear! And de one dat escaped fiwst! And de one dat-"

Quite a lot of the bats were staring now, the cheering noticeably quieter.

"Forget it Butch." The ferret said quietly, silencing the beaver. "Shouldn't have gotten my hopes up anyways." With rather less cheer than most of the bats present, Fret slunk away.

"Now jus' a minute Fret." Snakeskin called after him, but his drooping ears did not seem to do much listening. The stoat growled. "Can I 'ave some privacy fur 'Ellgates sake! What is this a talen' show?"

The onlookers coughed awkwardly in many cases, and almost as one shifted their gaze to the chieftain- who was going on and one about how Bartok had been 'brave, brave, brave'.

"Dat's not true." Butch crossed his paws crossly. "All he did was get slapped by Snakie-skin!"

"It ain' importan'." Snakeskin reassured him. "Now where did Fret go?"

"Had he not, not, not volunteered as sacrifice." Bartok hadn't, but Snap hardly felt compelled to share that now. "The bear, bear, bear would never have been defeated! I know, know, know that I was wrong, wrong, wrong to give you all up, up, up." Theatrically, the chieftain turned towards the other captives. "Can you ever forgive me, me, me?"

Amidst cheers of 'Yes! Yes! Yes!' Snakeskin narrowed his one good eye. "So that's what 'e's doin'." The stoat shook his head, only noticing now that Momchillo had also disappeared. Then he growled, and stomped after the faint scent of mouse.

He should have known. How many times had he thought it? How many times had he said it? No matter what he did, he was vermin and fate would treat him as such. Fate and everybeast else. Fret had been stupid enough to forget, his hopes had soared. A hero was always welcome at Redwall, even if nobeast liked them. But now bitter, painful disappointment was rushing through him, making a mockery of all his efforts. He had tried, he had succeeded. He had been good! It didn't matter. Bartok was the hero. The bat that had laughed while he went off a waterfall. Who had thrown him down a waterfall! The one that had tried to talk him out of his attempt to rescue everybeast.

He was the hero, and Fret was nobeast important. The ferret wasn't even sure what he was. Angry? Well, anybeast would be. Sad? Of course! After all he'd gone through he was blatantly ignored in favor of the beast that had put him through hellgates.

Perhaps he was being ridiculous, Snap had saved him in the end. Nevermind that Snap wouldn't have been there had Fret not gotten away... But it was not like the burly chief even knew him. Perhaps it was Bartok that was behind all this? The ferret kicked a stray pebble. The grey bat wasn't smart enough for anything of the sort anyways. He was stupid.

"For the record I think that chieftain's not right in the head." Fret was not sure how Momchillo had found him, but the mouse was here now and looked as grumpy as he did. "But it doesn't matter Fret, let the idiots celebrate. When we get to Redwall Grollo's dad is going to make you a cake shaped like a toad."

This was undoubtedly a pitiful attempt to cheer him up, but Fret was grateful for it anyways. "As long as it doesn't taste like one." Almost instinctively he began flicking the yo-yo.

"I reckon they taste worst that you." Momchillo sat down and lay back on the ice. "This has been quite the adventure hasn't it."

"Nobeast will believe it." Fret said sullenly. "A bunch of toads in a bear suit? Snakeskin? A beaver? The Badgermum'll just tell me to stop lying."

"Let's not forget the time we took out a wolverine." Momchillo grinned.

Fret's face fell even lower. Bork, for all his faults, would never have let Bartok throw him off a waterfall.

"That, that, that is very impressive!" It was the jubilant voice of Chief Snap, the last beast Fret wanted to hear from right now. "Wolverines are big, big, big!"

"I know that." The ferret snapped, scowling.

"Of course, course, course." The bat sounded less cheerful as he landed on the ice before them. He glanced at Momchillo. "I don't suppose you could leave us alone, lone, lone?"

The brownish yellow mouse turned to Fret, who shrugged, not meeting his gaze.

"I'll be with Butch and Snakeskin if you need me for anything." The mouse said quietly.

As soon as his pawsteps had faded away, Snap turned towards the ferret before him. "I'm sorry, sorry, sorry."

Fret made an indistinct noise somewhere between a growl and affirmation.

"But I need, need, need Bartok and the others happy, happy, happy so they can forget that I sent them to a bear, bear, bear. I know, know, know you three did most, most, most of the rescuing but I can't have my clan, clan, clan angry with me, me, me."

The ferret idly fixed his gaze onto his still-bouncing yo-yo.

"I just sent these bats, bats, bats to their death. You know, important for the clan, clan, clan can't have them hating me now. What you did was good, good, good! But if everybat thinks you're the hero, hero, hero then they'll still resent me."

"Well maybe they should." Fret's voice was barely more than a whisper, but Snap heard it all the same.

Awkwardly, the burly bat flapped into a more comfortable perch. "If you want, want, want I could-"

"It's fine." Fret snapped. "I don't care." He was lying of course, he cared very much, but Snap did not need to know that. The ferret didn't want, want, want his stupid apologies and he most certainly didn't want to hear his incessant verbal repetition.

Snap grinned, oblivious to the ferret's lack of honesty. "The name is-"

"Chief Snap, I know!" Fret snapped. Why was this beast still talking to him?

Contrary to expectations the chieftain grinned even more widely, most beasts Fret snapped at did not. "And you are Fret, Fret, Fret." Then he hugged him.

The ferret looked momentarily startled, and was also momentarily glad his ribs were bendy- the Chieftain had the grip of a bear!

"Your mates, mates, mates told me."Snap explained, releasing him. "Interesting for vermin, vermin, vermin to live in the Great Abbey, Abbey, Abbey."

He went back to scowling. "Yes. Very interesting."

"You have a very interesting tale, too, too, too! It reminds me of a story I once heard, heard, heard." The bat went on, wrapping what was probably meant to be a reassuring wing around his shoulder. "There was a ferret raised in Redwall, wall, wall, just like you, you, you! And he left, left, left to find his warlord father, father, father! You don't look much like Marik I'm sure you've been told, told, told." He winked at the ferret, who had been startled by the sudden mention of his deepest darkest secret. "It was a good, good, story! Heard it from a traveller. Now, what was his name, name, name? He was banished for being vermin, vermin or something like that, that, that? You know this? His name was, was... Veil! Yes! Veil, Veil, Veil!"

Fret felt a sudden jolt run through him- as if he'd been struck by lightning. Veil... Veil... Veil...

It had started with a strange class. Abbot Martin's lesson made less sense than usual- and even Momchillo seemed confused by some bits! It was a story about Sunflash the Mace, another boring Badgerlord that could singlepawedly smite a vermin horde into dust. The same stupid songs were there, the same battles, the same feasting- all recorded by somebeast Fret did not remember the name of.

But it felt like something was missing. The Abbot had skipped several pages and Fret was not sure who Bryrony even was- some angelic mousemaid sent by the Spirit of Martin to save the Badgerlord from death by warlord? It was even more contrived than all the other lessons!

As if to prove his point Grollo asked (for the eighth time that hour) "What was Bryrony doing there?"

Abbot Martin's bespectacled eyes flickered over to Fret, who hastily stopped chewing his quill. "Well she was a mousemaid from Redwall-"

"But what was she doing so far away?" Momchillo interrupted, his burning curiosity tearing apart any manners he had.

"Don't interrupt beasts Momchillo. This is a classroom, not a mess-hall." The Abbot said sternly.

"Sorry." The young mouse, fixed his gaze towards the floor.

Wordlessly Martin tossed him a candied chestnut. He never seemed to toss Fret any...

"Now, what she was doing so far from Redwall is er- heavily disputed. Lots of false recordings." The Abbot waved his paw away. "There's far too much studying involved to cover it er- now. Perhaps later-"

There was a small clamour as Fret, Grollo and Matiya, all averse to studying for various reasons, agreed that it was not important and that it was most likely Martin the Warrior sending her on a quest or something anyways.

The Abbot seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, before smiling. "Very well then. We may skip over the whole Bryrony debate for now and move onto more important things!" The old mouse, who hadn't been as old back then, opened the door to the classroom. "It is a beautiful, sunny day and you should not waste it reading in a corner! Er- if you don't mind I'd also like your copies of a History of Mossflower."

Fret did not care much for the Bryrony debate, and was content to spend much of his afternoon not snoring over a dumb book. It was hot and sunny, and for once Matiya decided not to beat his tail blue. Indeed, the whole history lesson had been forgotten by lunchtime. He had just been about to enter Cavern Hole when Momchillo came charging into him.

The two were brought to the floor, the ferret was scowling and the mouse was apologizing. "I'm sorry Fret, didn't see you dere!" And then, as if forgetting that he was still pinning his classmate to the ground, the mouse clapped his paws excitedly. "Oooh Fret, guess what? You know dat story we read in class?"

Fret scowled deeper. Trust Momchillo to go and do unnecessary studying. "What about it? Just another badger lord."

The mouse shook his head vigorously, his ears flapping around him like the wings of a bird. "No no no. Dis one has a ferret!"

"Another so called warlord brutally killed by the badger. Yes, I know." For once he hadn't been snoring in the back of the classroom!

"No! Dis one was in de abbey!"

He was a bit taller than the young mouse, and both had the healthy chub of any abbey child- but Fret lacked the strength to push him off. "An' probably more ferrets in his horde- wait, what?"

"Dey found a baby ferret and brought it to de abbey." Momchillo grinned. "It sounds like you!"

"They did?" Fret was suddenly very interested, and no longer annoyed.

"Yes, yes. De Recorder let me borrow a book! Wanna see?"

"Yes!" Fret squealed, he couldn't quite contain his excitement. Another ferret in Redwall? Maybe he wasn't so alone after all! It was all he could do to stop himself from instinctively twisting and flipping, as ferrets were wont to do sometimes.

The brownish-yellow mouse got off of him, held out his paw, which Fret took, and together they skipped the way to the mouse's room. "I'm at de bit where dis mouse called Byrony names him Veil."

Fret nodded eagerly and followed. What might have happened to Veil? He was dead now of course, that was what history was about. But before that?

About an hour or so later- because Momchillo was a quick reader and Fret liked to skip over the boring bits, the pair closed the book as if trying to contain some horrible monster.

"Dat story wasn't very fun." The mouse's voice was as hollow as a drum.

Fret nodded mutely, trying to hide the wetness in his eyes. It had been a bad story by all accounts. Veil Sixclaw had been banished for poisoning somebeast, gone to find his father- a warlord, and died saving his mother. And then, the final, most painful twist, was how little the mousemaid seemed to care! He'd saved her life... b-but was still evil!? It did not help matters that he imagined Veil looking a lot like him...

"Fret? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine!" The ferret snapped, scampering away as swiftly as he had come, barely holding back his tears.

Constance had found him sobbing helplessly into a pillow a few hours later. He had missed lunch, and of course she was worried. He'd told her everything, and all his worries. How Veil looked and sounded a lot like him, how Abbot Martin hadn't told him about it- because clearly everybeast was worried he'd end up just like Veil and didn't trust him, how he could just imagine being banished!

The big mouse of course, did as she always did, and hugged him tightly. "Fret, sweetling, you're nothing at all like Veil."

Oh how wrong you were momma...

Two ferrets raised in Redwall, each fathered by a warlord and a cutthroat... Rejected by the beasts of the abbey- save and except their adoptive mouse mothers... Constance's words had been a great comfort back then, when he hadn't known all he did now... Back when he'd been too young and too stupid to know how the world worked...

"Fret? You okay, okay, okay?"

"Fine." The ferret lied, blinking back into reality. Chief Snap was still there, still holding him. They hadn't moved an inch. "So, what happened to the toads?" He asked, determined to change the subject. His mind was still reeling from the flashback, and now more than ever, he needed a distraction.

The burly bat provided it with hysterical laughter. "Oh you'll want to see, see, see this!"

"Mercy!" Cried the toads, but the bats gave none.

"Spare us!" Cried the toads, but the bats ignored them

"If you think you can get away with this!" Slimegut hollered as one laughing (and especially large) bat tossed him through the air and into the waiting talons of another. "I- I'll gut all of you!" The fat toad's threats would probably have been taken more seriously if he wasn't tied up and greener-than-usual in the face. As it was his loud complaining was barely noticed by his torturers.

"This Fret." Said Momchillo, reappearing at the ferret's side. "Is Bat Catch."

"Drop me!" Slimegut roared.

"If you say so, so, so!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!" SPLASH!

"W-whahat do you mean I wouldn't like this game?" Fret was reduced to laughter in a matter of seconds, all thoughts of Veil vanishing.

"Watching it is a lot more fun." Momchillo agreed.

"Put them down, down, down!" Chief Snap ordered. "Ready the bear, bear, bear and gather the others!"

Slimegut was dragged from the waters and dumped unceremoniously on the ice. His little gang were then dumped on top of him.

"We should never have swallowed that ferret!" The fat chief spat, wriggling his head free of the pile.

"I think we should have! If we'd eaten him properly-"

"I meant as the bear stupid! You numpties were all so surprised when he dropped on the platform!"

"Well I didn't expect him to start clawing me!" Came a muffled (and indignant) voice from the bottom of the pile.

"You idiots! What did you THINK would happen! Where ELSE would he have landed?!"

"Uhhh..."

"We thought you'd take care of him, boss."

"Yeah."

"MUST I DO EVERYTHING!? I tried to handle the slimeball! But by foul treachery the lying sneak-"

"Bit off your nose." Fret cut in, slinking in just out of reach of the toad. He wore a smirk more befitting the son of a warlord than someone desperate to wash the taste of said nose out of his mouth. "And escaped. Twice? Thrice?"

Slimegut sneered. "And so what? You got your tail saved in the end. Weren't you what beat-"

Fret smacked him across the face, laughing gleefully. "Oh but you're right! I didn't! I didn't do anything. You tied yourselves up then, didn't you?"

"My tongue ain't tied-"

"You're not threatening." He continued cackling.

"Longtongue got away!" The chieftain seemed desperate to save face. "He'll get you! He'll avenge me! He-he'll-"

"Wanna know what getting eaten feels like?" The ferret interrupted. "What about flying? Ever wanted to fly? A shave? All that skin must get itchy!" Fret turned away, shaking with mirth. "Should've killed me when you had the chance toad!"

"Maybe I will! One day ferret! One day!"

Fret ignored him and slunk back to Momchillo, who had watched it all with a small frown on his face. "I hope the bats don't kill them." The mouse began awkwardly as the ferret sat down besides him.

His companion harrumphed. "I suppose yeah."

"They didn't kill anybeast." The mouse pointed out.

"They would have." Fret said stubbornly. Clogg would have flayed their slimy fingers red, and Veil Sixclaw would have poisoned them and Fret swallowed abruptly. "B-but you're right." He was not Clogg and he was not Veil and as much as Slimegut deserved it Fret did not want the fat toad slain or flayed or poisoned. The ferret stared at his paw, would it one day go red? "I shouldn't have slapped him."

"He deserved that. And I thought it was funny." The mouse now knew to always keep track of Fret's ears during their conversations. Emotion was easily betrayed by the small movements they made. And now, flat as they were, it was obvious his companion was upset. "Although, you are pretty funny in general."

"Yes." There was the hint of a growl in his voice now. "I'm sure it's all very funny to you."

"That's not what I meant. Sometimes you make these really good jokes or you just do something that's so... so..." Momchillo trailed off and rubbed his wrists. "I was just trying to be nice."

"There ye are!" Snakeskin seemed to come out of nowhere. "Ye alrigh' Fret? Seemed kinda down after the 'ole Bartok thin'."

"I'm fine." The ferret lied.

Butch didn't come out of nowhere, but that was mostly because a beast his size was... rather hard to miss. "Don'tch wawy- when we getch to my place de food will be much bedder!"

Several bats seemed offended by this declaration, but ignored their large guest. Fret was confused about what he meant by 'get to my place' and was about to ask when a sudden commotion distracted him.

"Put me down!"

"Lemme go!"

"I'm innocent!"

One by one, the toads were hurled into the 'bear', kicking and screaming futilely. The overly large costume had been rather lavishly desecrated. Propped up on a few logs, dripping in some foul-smelling white substance (Fret did not know, nor want to know what it was) and spotted with random pieces of garbage, it looked like another example of the bat's horrendous cooking.

Slimegut was the last to go. His tongue tried and failed to find purchase on the ice and he sobbed helplessly as slowly but surely he was reeled into his brainchild. Fret almost pitied him. But it was rather hard to pity someone that would have done worse to him were their roles reversed.

As soon as the fat toad was safely tossed in, the 'bear's' jaws were shut and tied together.

"Let this be a lesson to any and all who see our clan, clan, clan as easy pickings!" Chief Snap shouted over the din of cheering and laughing bats. "We are merciful now Slimy ones but, but, but if you ever disturb our peace again we will not be so kind, kind, kind!"

The blubbering of the toads was lost amidst the uproar. The burly bat had done well to secure his position. He'd turned what might've been disaster into his greatest success. Not a single bat would hold a grudge and he'd made himself more popular than ever.

The bear suit, filled to the brim with toads both sobbing helplessly and spewing curses, was pushed onto the stream. Slowly, but surely, it sped away and Fret hoped dearly this would be his last, as Momchillo would put it, 'adventure'.

Footnote: Quite a few scenes were moved over to Book III for the sake of some pacing XD Interesting things I am eager to get to- but we'll get to it eventually! I don't wanna delve too deeply into what they were- one was pretty funny and the other was... more dark...

I might take a small break to finish WASOR (knows that he has been saying that for a while) but I'm undecided XD Hope you enjoyed the chapter!