Cave-In (2)
Continued from “Cave-In”
Stubb's momentum carries him directly into the pile of rocks that clogs the base of the tunnel, and he drops to the floor with a thud. "Oy. Maybe dis weren' such a bloody good oidea, after all." The force of his impact did, however, dislodge a largish stone from the pile, opening a window that admits a hint of the phosphorescent glow from the lake beyond.
Hactor follows, landing not too gracefully on his many rear. "Bloody hell," he grumbles struggaling to his feat. Once he regains his balance he looks around at the skins and markings. "Cheery lil spot eh?" He notices the glow from the lake for a moment but then asks breaking into his usual accent, S'what moikes ya think he'll come thisa way?
Stubb stands painfully up and begins heaving the rocks away with all the energy that he can muster, pressing them downhill, out of the way. "Oi don', ma'e. Oi jes' fink da whole tunnel's gonna come crashin' down on us sooner or la'er, whoile tha squirrel an 'is lackeys make a clean break for i'! Da's what oi fink: dey go' free an' dumped a load a rocks behoind 'em to seal us up toigh'!" Panting, he takes a break to survey his work. "Fink you can squeeze yore tail frough dere?" The gap is wide enough to clearly see the glow of the lake now--wide enough for Stubb to put his head through, in fact.
Hactor crouches and looks through the hole. Chuckeling he replies, "Well bagars can't be chooser eh mae?" He then begins to squirm his way through the hole, thrasing and clawing. Finalley he pops over on the other side and yells back, "Well c'mone. Tha squirrel shouldn't be far now!"
Stubb follows suit; he pulls off his backpack and, with difficulty, slips his lithe frame through the gap, tugging the pack behind him. "Givin' orders again, eh, 'Actor?" He chuckles. "Roighto, den." Moving at a gentle jog, he continues down the tunnel to the glowing lake, practically dancing from spot to spot, aided by the illumination from below.
For a moment the lake dazzles Hactor's eye, but he smiles and replies, "Startn ta feel loike me ol' self again." He barks a chuckle before half running/ half hobbaling after Stubb.
Stubb skirts along the rim of the giant lake. Despite his recent wounds, his pace is even and unburdened by pain. His fur is flung back, slick with sweat, but he races on. His pack almost seems liable to lift off his back as it hovers behind the speeding weasel. In due time, he reaches the mouth of the other tunnel, and, catching his breath, Stubb squints back at the warlord.
Hactor is a few paces behihd the quicker Stubb. As he catches up, it is he leans heavily on his crutch, catching his own breath. He can smell the fresh air and gives a sigh of releive. No lizards, or dibbuns to worry about. Just hunting squirrel with a friend. Almost made him feel like a pup again!
Stubb grins back at Hactor, his eyes catching the bluish light from the rippling waters. "Seems ya still go' some foight in ya, ma'e. Good ta see dose abbey beasts ain' taken tha loife out a the ole warlord ye'!" He points into the tunnel. "Don' seem to be no cave-in here." His jaw tightens as he looks back in the direction of the tunnel the others took--the tunnel where the others are no doubt trapped. "Oi wish oi cou'd say oi told 'em so, bu' damned if oi ain' sorry about i'." He shakes off the mood. "Roigh'. Onward an upward." He plunges into the tunnel that will take them back to the surface.
Hactor laughs his signature high pitched cackle and replies, "It's good ta be back mae! I'll show that squirrel a thing or two abow 'royal etiquite'." He contiues to chuckle as he follows into the tunnel, his little giggles bouncing merrily off the walls. In fact the ekowing can seem a little unsetaling.
Stubb's voice comes echoing back. "Tha's tha ticke'! Bushtails, finkin' dey cou'd get tha better uv us! We'll chop off deir tails an' wear 'em in our ha's!" The air grows fresher, less humid as the distance between them and the surface grows shorter, pace by pace.
Hactor smiles and replies, "Ya know, I could use a new fur cloak. Tha king had a noice black coat eh?" He to notices the freshness in the air an inhales deeply.
"Ay, that 'e did. Moigh' need a dunk or two in tha Broadstream ta rid it a squirrel funk, though." Stubb's laughter is hoarse from inhaling all that debris earlier, but it seems to grow clearer as the cool night air exerts its influence on his lungs.
As they continue their march Hactor laughs even harder, replying, "No way tha fool smells worse than me!"
"Weren' gonna say it moise'f," Stubb grins, just as moonlight slices down through an opening above his head. "Still noigh'," he says, more thoughtfully than from shock. "Seem loike we bin in tha' stinkin' hole for near a week." He shivers and stops to wait for his friend to close the distance to the surface.
"Aye," replies Hactor still chuckeling, "Wise move." He marches out of the tunnel, feeling like a new fox. A cool night breeze begins to blow and he continues, "Aye. After being with that damned Anba I never want ta be underground again!" He shivers a bit at the thought of that evil creature, but quickly shakes it off.
They emerge from the tunnel
Stubb looks curiously over at the fox. "Nearly forgot abou' your li'tle trouble wif da fox. Din' treat you well, den? We did look for you, ma'e. Oi swear we did. 'E always keeps one paw ahead, though, no what it is we do." He sniffs. "We'll catch 'im, though, one day. On tha' day..." He shakes his head. "On tha' day, dere'll be hell ta pay." The thought seems sweet to him, for the mere voicing of it tugs his lips into a sinister smile.
Hactor would like to smile, but the memories of Anba's tunnel haunted him like winter haunts spring. He simply shakes his head and loos around with his good eye.
Darkmane flips the 'toothpick' into the air as he sits relaxing crosslegged near the entrance, his gaze lifting slightly as he hears somebody exit the cavern without missing a flip "So ya managed to find the way out again eh?" his head tilting to the left "Where's the rest?"
The horse's disembodied voice strikes instant fear into the weasel's eyes as it cuts to pieces the illusion that he and Hactor are alone. Stubb peers frantically around a while before his eyes settle on the dark figure of the horse. "Hell, ma'e. You scared tha tar out a me." He laughs off the fright that still pulses through his heart. "Tha rest..." He snorts. "Bloody fools, dey fough' dey'd push deir way frough tha cave-in, whoile those woodbeasts took to deir heels."
Hactor has about the same fearfull reaction as Stubb. Yet once he sees the large warrior he laughs and says, "Darky! Good ta see ya maye!" He snorts himself and nods saying, "Aye. Stubb and me dcoided ta cut off tha squirrel in his escape. Wanna join in. Could be fun?'
Darkmane makes one more flip with his dagger before its suddently tossed in Stubb's direction and burries itself into the ground a few inches infront of his feet seemingly having judged the distance quite well "I believe this is yours, and if i just scared the tar outa yas then i guess i'll have to try harder" a very innocent smile offered his two friends "one of these days it has to work yes?" his body then quickly being pushed into a standing position in a fluid movement "Lead the way and I will follow."
Stubb bends down to retrieve it, his eyes wide. "Nearly wou'd a left it 'ere," he says by way of thanks and tucks it into his vest. His nose turns into the darkness. "Mm. Judgin' boi tha way we come, the uvver tunnel ought to a come up..." He holds out his paw, as if sensing the directions in his bones. "...Dere." His finger points south. "Ay, fink dat'd be abou' roigh'. C'mon."
Hactor nods and beginns following the weasel. He limps harder than usual and asks Darkmane, "Ya know Darky, I'm an ol' warrior by nature. Know any good places ta get a sword. Lost my old black one at tha battle of Mossflower."
Darkmane chuckles softly "Find me an anvil and some proper tools and i'll get you a better sword then you can buy in most places, be warned tho that I'll likely need to waste enough metal for a few swords to remove any rust i have gained from not smithing in a while" his body turning before he starts to follow them "Once i get back into it tho getting you a proper blade should be easy"
Stubb proceeds through the quarry in silence for a while, with only a single stray glance in the direction of the guttering campfire. Scaith is still passed out beside it, covered in a pilfered bedroll. "Eh." The weasel coughs and says over his shoulder. "She'll be foine, boi tha way, ma'e. Dangeon, oi mean. Amos 'll look out for 'er. You can be sure a that." Having said that, he continues wordlessly. His paws crunch on the dry surface of the quarry floor.
Hactor to goes quiet, after giving nod to Darkmane. His tattered ears swiffel thus way and that, as does his eye. After speaking of Anba every nigh noice, or gust of wind doesn't happen without Hacto's scrutiny. The old fox would never let him be taken prisoner like that again.
Darkmane smirks slightly "I'm fairly sure she is gonna be fine, if she isn't tho things will get quite bloody i can promise you that" his head shaking slightly as he surveys the area silently while following them
As the three move south through the quarry, Stubb is hunched forward with his eyes intent on the rocky ground. Just as they approach it, a small pile of rocks begins to shiver and quake, as if coming to life. "Dere it is, ma'es!" Stubb darts gingerly toward it. "Hell. Tha fing looks loike it's givin' way on 'em." He cringes. "Oy! Wha's tha bloody oidea down dere, eh? Finkin' a taken down the 'ole quarry now?" Stubb shouts into the rock pile.
Hactor rushes over looking slightly worries. "Well we can't jast stan here!" he says to Stubb. He then begins to move stones as fast as he can fom the quaking pile.
Stubb nods. He kneels down to claw at the rocks, clearing them away from the entrance of the tunnel, which gradually reveals itself as Hactor's and his labor progresses.
Darkmane moves over alongside Hactor to help him toss stones aside, each stone chosen somewhat carefully to avoid a mess and potential injuries by unlodging the wrong one.
Even as Stubb, Hactor, and Darkmane hasten to clear the tunnel, the others below have succeeded in unleashing the torrent of rocks directly into the tunnel. Stubb nearly flips forward as a rock he was gripping tumbles off into the darkness. He manages, with the aid of his outstretched legs, to hook himself on the ledge and ease himself back up. "Damn. Damn it." He lets loose a few, choicer curses. "Jes' 'ope dey go' clear a dat, 'fore i' gave."
Hactor lifts himself back to his feet with his crutch, laughing a bit at Stubb's predicament. "Now we wait."
The avalanche accelerates into the depths of the tunnel, until at last all the largest rocks that obstructed its mouth have either disappeared from view or lodged in stable crannies on the wall. Stubb has gotten his feet back on land again. He gazes down into the black as the river of debris is sucked underground. "Bloody... Bloody 'ell, ma'e." His skin trembles from exertion, from fright, from the terror that he's seen the last of his buddies, from the dread that his last words to them were too harsh.
Hactor's mouth hangs open in terrified shock. The severity of the situation sinks in as he says in a hushes voice, "No!" He hobbles over and yells into the pit, "Are you there? Is anyone there!?"
Stubb is struck dumb as the enormity of it sinks into his little mustelid skull. He stares blankly into the expanse and listens, prays for a response.
"Is anyone there? Hellooo!" But still no answer of yet. Only the creul wind. Hactor looks nervously from Stubbs short form to Darkmanes huge form, before taking up the call again.
Stubb holds out his paw. "Sshh! Shush! I think I hear something!" Like a captain adjusting his sextant, he calibrates the direction of his ear to gather any hint of life from below. "Oi fink oi 'eard laughin'..." Even as he speaks, a distant voice rings out: "S'us, mate! Be with ye' in a jiff." Stubb's face lights up. He jumps to his feet. "Woo!" His victorious cry splashes across the walls of the enormous quarry. "'Gus! How the 'ell...!" He seems on the verge of dancing.
Hactor lets out a sigh of relief and sits back on the ground. "Knew they'de be fine," he chuckles to the dancing weasel. He looks back and flashes a smile at Darkmane, before laying on the ground, completly relaxed.
Stubb sits down, too. "Shore ya did, ma'e. Shore ya did." He gives one glance upward, and the stars above seem to be smiling, for once.
Hactor pats Stubb on the back with his good arm, abd too looks at the sky. For once things seemed to be clearing up.
An extra dust-caked lizard gradually emerges from the gaping mouth of the tunnel. On his shoulders is a miniature version of himself, except clad in a tattered dress. ".. evenin'," he grunts, squinting.
