Boarwing looked at her door groggily. "Come in!" she shouted, her voice thick with sleep but the door creaked open and a guard barged in,
"My Lady," He said saluting her sharply, careful to look into space to make sure he saw nothing either would be ashamed to see.
"What is it?" Boarwing croaked, grabbing a cup with watered mead sitting on her nightstand and downing it in one gulp.
"The Wildcats have been spotted on the horizon." the Silverfox replied.
"Dark forest…" Boarwing cursed. "How did my father react?"
"He ordered guards to the walls and for the outbuildings to be emptied but he requested you to command the defense, he said and I quote 'That girl needs to learn how to defend a castle in case her brothers don't return." the guard finished, doing a passable impression of the Badger lord.
Boarwing rose to her feet, even as an especially slight badgermaid she was easily twice the guard's height and bulk, "Let me get dressed and I will go to the walls, dismissed."
The Guard saluted again and left the room, careful to close the door after him, leaving Boarwing free to change from the dress she had passed out in and into her plate mail, hefting her sword she strode from her room as a warrior maiden, ready to defend home and family.
Striding through the halls of her family's stronghold she soon arrived at the walls where half the garrison, the other half in their barracks resting for what must come, but the silver foxes of the Garrison peered at the horizon, clad in silver armor and clutching oval shields and long spear.
With a great roar, Boarwing burst onto the battlements holding her sword aloft. "BOAR! BOAR! BOAR!" She chanted, the foxes pounding their spears against the stones in time with her chant as they joined in with her chant, pacing back and forth Boarwing made sure all of her guards were well energized for the blood that would fall before the sun does.
"What news Sir Fox-of-Boar?" Boarwing said when she was finished with her little pep rally, eying the shadow on the horizon and barely looking at her Guard captain who nonetheless, promptly snapped to attention.
"Sentries spotted a hundred or thereabouts Wildcats but it was too dark to see their colours." The elderly fox reported, leaning on the nearby battlement for support from his aging joints, the beast clearly far to proud to rely on a cane especially not near one of the long-lived Badgers. Even one whom he taught how to wield a sword back when she was only his height.
Boarwing noticed the leaning, but she ignored it and nodded sagely, "Is there anyone still outside the walls?" She asked, still looking out over the horizon where she could now make out individual members of the raiding party. "They must have some trick up their sleeve if they think they could survive getting this close to a Badger stronghold."
"No Ma'am, our scouts warned every beast in the out-village and they took shelter in the wall-." the fox shifted his weight from foot to foot. "-I-, I'm sorry My lady but we don't know what they are planning, an army of a thousand could break themselves against our walls and my foxes would hold them off. But well…" the Fox seemed uncomfortable, clearly not happy with not being able to fully report on the going ons of the enemy to his Badger Lord's daughter and presumed heir.
Boarwing sighed deeply, still looking at the company quickly approaching her family's stronghold. "I understand, I know my father trusts us to deal with this or he would be leading this charge himself, but frankly this scares me," she said, looking down at her paws as she shifted uncomfortably. "I've seen skirmishes but never a full battle like this…"
The elderly fox reached up and patted her arm comfortingly, not saying a word. but even as the duo watched a runner separated from the mass, clutching a white banner in his paws and waving it proudly in the air so all could see the mark of truce.
The two commanding officers watched impassively until the rat stopped short within shouting range of their wall, hesitant to go closer.
"The Warlord Gher-url wishes to hold treaty with the Lord of this Castle!" the beast shouted at the top of his longs, causing Boarwing & Fox-of-Boar to look at one another as they mentally debated if it was worth trusting this Gher-url.
"We agree to this meeting!" Boarwing shouted down after a minute of discussion, causing the rat to bow and scurry off back to his comrades.
"Your Father won't be happy to hear about this." Sir Fox-of-Boar said casually, as he watched the rat depart.
Boarwing just shrugs, "He doesn't need to know until after the meeting."
The Silver fox standing beside her began to chuckle, "spoken like a true rebel," he says at last.
Boarwing looks away from the horde and looks down at the night and gives him a smirk. "Good to hear."
The Fox just continues to Chuckle but in time the two fall quiet and watch as the rat rejoins the horde and converses with one of the wild cats clad in grey and gold armor, when the Rat was finished relaying his information to his warlord, the rat bowed and scurried off, still clutching his white banner, the only thing stopping him from disappearing into the other rats.
After a moment the Cat who had been approached, in addition to a half score of rats or so, all bearing long spears, set off from the group and began to make their way to the Castle.
The Defenders on the walls watched the small party approach impassively, although a few gripped their weapons tighter for some semblance of security, not like it would do much if they were attacked.
The postern gate below creaked open as the visitors approached and although clearly said visitors were suspicious they entered the gate and passed through the tunnel beneath the walls beyond, anxious to meet with the lords of this stronghold, and hope they aren't betrayed, but at the same time they would hardly be surprised if their ancient rivals decided to break the laws of guest hospitality.