Subject:  Chapter 3! |
Author:
Checkery
|
[
Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
]
Date Posted: 01:48:07 04/29/03 Tue
In reply to:
Checkery
's message, "I'm going to start a story from scratch!" on 02:57:27 04/26/03 Sat
Jurrin felt weighted down in the darkness. Something heavy was on top of him, and he couldn't move. Another weight descended on him, concentrated on two spots of his back. Muffled voices came to him, then the wieght lifted and blinding sunlight streamed in on him. "Quick, help the chap! That's no vermin!" Many paws helped Jurrin up and dusted him off. Ten hares milled about, hoisting up a lumpy canvas into the trees with ropes. Elcra stared upwards, then turned on one of the hares. "Hi, what's the meaning of all this, longears?"
The hare held up his paws. "Sorry 'bout that, marm. We, er, thought y'were somebeast else. Bunch o' blinkin' vermin been comin' after us for a while now." He lashed his rope to a branch and spoke again. "You'll have t'come t'the camp with us, if you've got the bally time. Then y'could find out more." Elcra adjusted her scabbard. "Huh, there'd better be a good explanation..." Jurrin trundled past her, none the worse for the wear. "Boo arr, may'ap we'm kin acroot they 'uns." The squirrel muttered. "Acruitin', eh? That's about he ever thinks about, I'd say."
At the camp were ten more hares, all armed and ready for action. The lead hare held up a paw. "False alarm, chaps. No enemies, just a bally mole an' a squirrel." The hares swarmed around the newcomers, greeting them heartily. Amid the hellos, back-patting, and paw-shaking, Jurrin managed to get a word in edge-wise. "Hurr, ee doan't moind moi sayin' so, but oi'll arsk ee fur ee help." The leader hare quieted the others. "I say chaps, don't go overboard there! Now, you two, m'name's Carbanelli Sandpaw Catselka, Carb f'short. We're the Long Patrol of Salamandastron. Who're you?" Elcra put forth a paw. "The Long Patrol, I heard of you. Perilous warriors, eh? I'm Elcra, and this here's me pal Jurrin." Carb shook her paw. "Good t'meet you then. What's that you said you needed help for? We'll always be happy to oblige." Jurrin stepped forward. "Oi met ee otter frum Barkwood, doawnstream. Ee'm sed 'is holt were unner attack frum varmints. Ee were acrootin' beasts, tho we'm were attacked an' ee otter were slayed. Oi want to acroot beasts fur 'im, an' save his fambly."
Carb scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm, riddin' the land of vermin is what we're all about, though we have a blinkin' great problem of our own at the moment. Maybe you could help us, then it'll be on to bally Barkwhatsit to save your deceased chum's holt." Elcra nodded. "A sort o' trade, I see. Sure, an' maybe we kin rouse up some more beasts while we're helpin' ye. Now, I thought the Long Patrol protected the shores. What are ye doin' this far inland?" Carb waved a paw airily. "Oh, y'know, chasin' down a crew o' pirates we did battle with at the old fire mountain. They escaped here t'Mossflower, an' we had to go after 'em." Jurrin hefted his spear. "Hurr, then we'm goo arter 'em, an' hope ee wurst luck on ee varmints. Grrrr! Oi knoaw they 'uns attacked oi an' slayed Rekerwain. Oi slay 'em!"
Carbanelli drew his sword. "Righty ho, a volenteer's worth ten pressed soldiers. We'd best get a move on right now; don't want the scum gettin' away an' causin' trouble." In less than half an hour, all the hares were ready to march. Carbanelli pointed due north. "That's the trail the murderin' scum took, chaps. Accordin' t'what our new friends told us, that reargaurd they left was done in for. Come on, chaps!" The Long Patrol was on the move.
From noon till evening, they traveled fast. There were signs of the vermin's flight all over the woodlands, and the trail was easy to follow. They had also gained three more fighters: two former Guosim shrews and an otter called Beecheyes. The shrews, Tackle and Toplop, were brothers who were tired of roving the rivers. Beecheyes had a family that had been lated quite recently by the fleeing pirates. All three joined willingly.
As night fell, they set up camp and three small, sheltered fires. Carb expressed his thoughts to Jurrin, Elcra, and a second-in-command hare named Telichen Jugcloud Nimbog. "Well chaps, the trail's been a pretty easy one. That's the problem." Telichen looked at him quizically. "I don't see what y'mean, old bean. I'd think that'd be a good thing." Carbanelli looked at the puzzled faces sorrounding him. "Ah, well, you chaps don't have the seasons under y'belt that I have. We could be walkin' right into a trap, an blinkin' ambush. We'll send out some scouts t'night, figure out what they're up to." Elcra agreed. "Oh, I see it. Aye, that's a right good idea, Carb."
A voice, hoarse and ragged through mourning, came from behind her. "When we get to attack 'em, with yore permission, I want t'be in the front lines." Elcra jumped with surprise. "Ahck! Great loads of acorns, you nearly scared me out of ten seasons growth there!" Carb ignored the nervous squirrel. "Nobeast's got more of a right than you, miss. Not quite more, but just almost, mayhaps..."
[
Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
]
| |
Feedback: 