Thats Captain... Aikuen...
Location: Moledeep Entrance
Characters: Aikuen, Squad of Trackers
(Sequal to: Ink and Chalk)
Aikuen leaves Moledeep, and sits at the entrance to it. He keeps his ears open for the sounds of trouble. He didn’t want to alarm William, or the little fox… But they had been followed by a group of beasts by far as he can tell. Besides, he thinks to himself, there not the greatest of trackers. Should be easy to find out who they are and what they want.
Aikuen ears perk up at the sound of movement. Smiling wickedly, he jumps into the tree that he had picked out earlier. Climbing the tree is difficult, but he must get to a particular branch, where he stored some weapons. There he waits and watches.
The group of beasts stumble through the under grove. There are not the quietest of characters, for they do not care about stealth. There not here for that reason anyway. There is six beasts in all, three rats, two ferrets, and one stoat. Each dressed in a blood red tunic, and covered in a similarly colored cloak. They each carried a long sword, and some of the older beasts were carrying pikes also. The one leading them, one of the ferrets, grits his teeth as he tries to find his way through Mossflower wood. He thinks to himself, ‘How can you find anything in these woods!’ Finally entering a clearing, the ferret decides that this is a good place to rest for the night.
Tilm the Ferret leader shoves his sword into the ground, then speaking in a different language, “This be a good place to rest for now, pick up his trail in the morning… STOP FIGHTING!” He glares at the two of the others who were fighting each other for a piece of fruit that they had found in a nearby tree. “There is enough food to go around, and stop making so much noise… a dead beast could hear you…” He sits down, and begins to rub the feeling back into his feet. He never walked so much in his life.
Larn the rat, one of the beasts that were fighting punches the other rat in the face, “Give it here you numbskull, I found it first!” When he hears the leader talking he stops, and drops the rotted apple. Waiting until the leader is not looking then made a rude gesture toward him. He also sits down, but lies back trying to catch a few winks of sleep.
Relk, the rat on the receiving end of the punch quickly dives on the rotted fruit and quickly devours it. He then sits down next to Larn, and does likewise of him. But he asks Tilm a question, “What are we doing in this forsaken land anyway… we had a much better life back on Ashurah…”
The oldest beasts of the group huddle together on the side of the clearing. Let the young ones get themselves killed, they didn’t care one way or the other. As long as they live, they could care less. The rat of the group goes off to find better food then the rotting vegetables growing nearby. The ferret leans against a tree. And the other rat does likewise, but he is visibly shaking.
Tilm picks up a small rock and chucks it at Relk, “I’ve told you a million times. But I guess it can’t get through your tiny brain. Were here in Mossflower country to find and capture Aikuen… He has information that the Emperor would like to know.” He looks at the rat shaking, “Hey Snive! Don’t you know this otter personally! Bet he will be glad to see yah! Hahaha…”
Snive shakes even harder at that.
The otter sits quietly in the tree, putting a fine point on one of his hidden javelins. When he hears Snive’s name, He smiles devilishly. But he thinks it time to make his presence known. He whistles to get their attention.
Relk sits up and scratches his head, “Oh right… I forgot… But how do we know that we are following him… and not just some other otter?”
Tilm gets up and kicks Relk several times, “Cause I’m the one doing the tracking idiot! Do you question my skills! Eh?” He hears the whistle, but thinks it only a bird or something.
Snive has heard that whistle before. He jumps up and hides behind the tree. He leans out and mouths, “He is here!” He wishes he wasn’t here…
The rest of the elder beasts follow what Snive is doing. Snive is the oldest of the group, and has experience in dealing with this particular otter.
Tilm looks at Snive and the others, “What in hellgates are you doing…” He then sees the mouthed words and looks around. He doesn’t see any other beast. He goes over and kicks the other two younger beasts, “Up on your paws, get ready…”
Relk and Larn grudgingly get to their feet and take out there swords, looking around as if he is going to jump out at any moment.
The otter grins, and carefully stands up on the tree branch, balancing himself with the javelin in his paw.
Tilm hears the tree branch move slightly. Spinning around he unsheathes his sword and points it at the tree, “By order of Emperor Skig, you are to surrender yourself… as decreed by the, unnnggg…” He doesn’t get any farther as a he grabs the javelin that is piercing his chest. He falls to the ground face first, but he is propped up by the javelin.
The otter laughs from within the trees, “I’m guessing this is his first outing isn’t it? You can’t force some beast to do something, with words.” He drops from the tree branch, bearing a javelin and his sword.
Relk and Larn are now shaking uncontrolled. This is the first time they have ever seen some beast slain before. They make no movement, except shake. They stare at the otter wide eyed.
The otter gets close enough to whisper, “This is the part where you take your tails between your legs and run away…”
The rat and the stoat need no second bidding. Dropping there swords to the ground they run off in the direction they had come from earlier.
The elder beasts remain hid behind the tree. They have more experience and have gotten over the dreaded fact that the leader is dead. The rat and the ferret, are preparing to take the otter down by any means. Snive on the other hand, has sat down against the tree and is now talking to himself, “I knew this day would come… why… I’m a dead beast… oh I’m a dead beast for sure.”
The two others plan to rush the otter and attack him from both sides. They look at each other and nod.
Aikuen laughs as the two run away “Don’t come back now! I felt generous today! Next time you won’t be so lucky! Hahaha…” He begins to walk forward toward the tree that they are hiding behind.
The two older beasts jump out from behind the tree, and with pikes forward they charge the otter.
Aikuen is not surprised, and attacks back. He takes the javelin and tosses it at the first forerunner of the two. Then taking his sword into his preferred paw, he prepares for the other attacker.
It’s a lot harder to hit a moving target, and the javelin only pierces the rat in the shoulder, screaming with pain he falls to the ground.
The ferret watches as his comrade falls, but continues his run at the otter. Getting close enough he swings the pike low, to try to get him in the legs.
Aikuen is prepared for this attack, he jumps over the pole arm, and in the process shoves his sword into wood. Getting to the ground he clenches his right paw, and does a right jab at the ferrets face.
The ferret tries to swing the pike at the otter again, but finds if difficult with the sword at the end. Since he couldn’t do a return attack, he takes the full hit in the side of his face. He staggers back, and drops the heaved pike onto the ground, going for his own sword instead. He swings it horizontally at the otter.
Aikuen tries to dodge the slice, for he connect block with anything. He doesn’t have any weapons on him. He can’t win for very long against an armed beast so he needs to end this now. He dodges to the left, and the sword clips of the side of his head fur area. He grabs the ferrets sword holding hand and twits is sharply in one direction.
The ferret screams with pain as the otter breaks his wrist. He drops the sword and holds his now broken wrist. But he is immediately pinned to the ground by the otter. He can’t move.
Aikuen pins the Ferret to the ground, then grabbing the side of his head he feels warm blood beginning to come out. Laughing he bends close to the ferret’s ear, “Have you ever heard ‘Ear for an ear’ ? heh… guess you haven’t…” He reaches into his pants and pulls out a covered knife, His trust skinning knife. He takes the ferret’s ear and pulls on it. Taking his sharp knife, he cuts if off.
The ferret screams with pain as the ear comes off. He tries to get away, but the otter is still pinning him down. All he can do is lay there and scream. Why isn’t Snive running to help him?
Snive is too busy cowering in fear to help anybeast at the moment. He just sits there, paws in face shaking and mumbling, “He is gonna get me… he is gonna get me…”
Aikuen tosses the freshly removed ear and tosses it at the dead leader. He wipes the blood on the ferrets cloak, and gets up. “You better leave right now, and take your friend with yah…” He points to the now passed out rat.
The ferret gets up and grabs his ear stub, he yells at the otter, “You bastard! I’m going to kill you!” He goes to pick up his sword with his other paw, and runs at the otter.
Aikuen shakes his head, and easily sidesteps the attack. Grabbing the ferret around the neck, he takes the knife, and pokes it in the neck, “I gave you your life once. Don’t push your luck.” He then violently shoves the ferret forward, and steps back.
The ferret falls to the ground. Slowly getting to his feet he clutches his ear stub, and goes over to the other fallen rat. He drags the rat and himself in the direction the other two had taken. He growls at the otter as he passes, he is soon lost to the north.
Aikuen waves to the ferret and smiles, “Remember what I told you! See yah!” He then goes to the tree that they were hiding behind. He sees the rat cowering, so he reaches down and grabs him by the scruff.
Snive is hauled up, but he is not little beast, and all it does just put him to his feet. He looks right into the eyes of his former commander. He mouth is shaking, and mumbles inaudible sounds.
Aikuen grins, “Hello me ole mess mate!” He punches him in the neck.
Snive is knocked out immediately, and is at the mercy of the otter.
The otter drags him to the rose garden, laughing aloud as he goes.
