Cap’n Tramun Clogg had finished filling in the prison pit. His paws ached with weariness and his tawdry finery was coated in dust. Pushing the barrow to a corner of the courtyard, he lowered himself gently into it and let the enormous wooden clogs slip from his footpaws as he heaved a melancholy sigh.
“Harr, ’tis an ’ard life an’ no mistake, but at least Badrang ain’t got me stannin’ guard up on the wall like those fellers.”
Clogg lay in the barrow, watching the guards on the walltop silhouetted against the early night sky, ruminating to himself. “Aye, ’is ’igh ’n’ mighty Lordship will be drinkin’ wine an’ dinin’ off fish an’ roasted fowl in that long’ouse, while I’ve got to bide ’ere til mornin’, waitin’ fer a crust an’ some water.”
The corsair heard the thwock of the slingstones as the two wall sentries fell in a heap. He smiled wickedly in the darkness. “Hah, them slaves is learnin’ fast. Now iffen me an’ Badrang was still partners, I’d raise the alarm. But we ain’t, I’m only a slave, an’ raisin’ alarms is nought to do with slaves!”
A volley of flaming javelins whooshed in over the walls. Clogg was well out of their range. He watched with great interest as they hit the longhouse, two or three missing, some falling flat on the roof. But the majority thudded into the timber walls, blazing merrily. Another wave of burning javelins streaked through the night sky like comets, finding the wooden palisade fence of the slave compound. A mighty roar rose from the shores outside Marshank.
“Fur and freeeedooooom!”
* * *
Badrang came tearing out of the longhouse, stood on a lighted javelin by accident and hopped about on one paw yelling, “Attack, attack! Stand to arms! Walltop stations!” He grabbed two scurrying half-asleep soldiers. “Put that fire out, quick!”
They stood undecided. “But we ain’t got water, Sire!”
The enraged Tyrant knocked their heads sharply together. “Addlepates, use sand, earth, dust!” He dashed off to the walltop, drawing his sword as he shouted orders to the horde milling in the courtyard.
“Archers, slingthrowers, follow me!”
* * *
Ballaw and Felldoh doused the fire they had used to ignite the javelins. They split up, each taking half the force, Ballaw to the back of the fort, Felldoh to the left side.
Felldoh’s attackers flattened themselves against the earth and lay quite still. The squirrel passed the order along to his group. “After Ballaw’s troops send their javelins off, be ready!”
* * *
Badrang peered out across the deserted shore. The archers and slingthrowers stood ready for his command.
Crosstooth stood beside the Tyrant, watching. “They’ll be hidin’ behind those rocks on the shore.”
Badrang could see what the fox said was true. He raised a paw. “Archers, put a volley or two over the back of those rocks. That should flush them out. Ready, fire!”
The shafts clattered harmlessly off the rocks, leaving the beach still silent. There was a hissing noise in the air. Instinctively Badrang threw himself flat on the walltop. “Down! Get down!”
Too late. Three hordebeasts fell to the javelins that sped in over the back walls. Propelled by the throwing sticks, they smashed and splintered on the fort side of the walltop.
Badrang was up and running around the rampart. “The slimy tricksters, they’re round the back. Come on!”
* * *
Felldoh crouched low, watching the walltop, his javelins and slings ready. “Here they come. Wait for it now, let them get to the middle of the wall. Wait for it, steady, steady. . . . Now!”
The javelins and sling stones whirred off into the night, wounding three and slaying a further two. Felldoh’s troops immediately fell flat, blending with the landscape in the night.
* * *
As soon as they had launched their javelins, Ballaw’s command dashed off to the right side wall and lay low. Badrang had left half his archers to fire at Felldoh’s fighters, leading the other half around to the back, only to find the rear landscape deserted. He banged his sword handle hard against the wall.
“The scum, they’ve probably backed off into the marshes. Cringing curs, why don’t they show themselves and fight!”
Boggs the ferret had served long in Clogg’s crow’s-nest. He had the keenest eyes of any beast. Peering hard into the darkness, he stood stock still, straining his eyes. “There’s creatures out there. I’m sure of it, Sire!”
“Where, Boggs? Can you see ’em?” Badrang’s voice was low and excited.
“Aye, I can now, Sire. They’re a good distance off, but comin’ this way. Looks to be about six, no, five of ’em!”
Badrang took a bow from a nearby rat. “Give me your arrows. You there, give Boggs your bow and arrows. The rest of you archers, notch up your shafts and lie low. Don’t fire until I give the word!”
* * *
Plastered with mud, hungry and boneweary after trekking the country, lost since emerging from the marshes, Hisk and four survivors staggered through the darkness. The weasel Captain rubbed dirt from his tired eyes. Peering at the shape that loomed ahead in the night, he gasped in sheer relief, “It’s Marshank! The fortress! We’re safe. Come on!”
They broke into a shambling run, cheering hoarsely.
* * *
To Badrang it appeared that the five figures were charging. Mistaking them for enemies, he drew back the shaft on his taut bowstring. “Let ’em get a bit closer. Wait!”
* * *
Ballaw and his throwers released a salvo of javelins from over the right side of the fort.
The force on the left walltop had an idea where Felldoh and his troop were lying, they kept them well pinned down with arrows and slingstones. Ballaw’s javelins caused disarray among them, and a weasel shrieked as he was struck in the side.
Young Juniper leaped up calling triumphantly, “Haha, that stopped ’em, they aaaargh!”
He fell with an arrow protruding from his chest. His friend, a young mouse named Yarrow, stood up, completely in shock. “They got Juniper. Look, there’s an arrow sti—”
Keyla tackled him low around the footpaws. Yarrow fell, staring in amazement at the arrow that pierced his paw right through.
Felldoh was grim-faced as he dragged Juniper’s body to him. “Keep your heads down! Keyla, we’ve got to get out of here. Help Yarrow, I’ll carry Juniper. Now all of you, crawl fast and stay low. Follow me!”
* * *
Badrang crouched below the parapet, straining the arrow against his taut bowstring as he watched Boggs scanning across the walltop. The ferret dropped down by the Tyrant’s side and nodded.
“They’re very close now. We can pick ’em off like daisies!”
Badrang glared along at the archers ranged in a crouching row. “We’re not taking any prisoners. Kill them. Now!”
The five creatures went down like stones as the hail of barbed shafts hit them. Two more volleys followed, thudding into the bodies to make sure they were truly slain.
Badrang was shaking with exhilaration. “I only wish it had been day, then I could have watched the looks of surprise on their stupid faces!”
* * *
Ballaw took his fighters around the front and along the beach, meeting up with Felldoh and the others at the foot of the cliffs. The hare was in high good humor. “Top hole, wot! I think I could get to like this soldierin’ life. We gave them a bally good lesson an’ not one of us was harmed. How did it go with you, squirrel m’lad?”
Felldoh nodded towards the limp form on the ground. “Juniper was killed, Yarrow is wounded.”
The exhilaration of victory left Ballaw and his command. “Poor little chap. Here I’ll carry him.”
It was a sad procession that made its way along the clifftops back to camp.
* * *
In the dawn light a group of horde soldiers gathered round the five carcasses shot full of arrows. Clogg watched the venomous look on Badrang’s face and laughed humourlessly.
“You did well last night, matey. Slayed Hisk an’ four of yer own. Still, you could be forgiven fer the mistake. They’re so covered in marshmud they could’ve been anybeast.”
The Tyrant’s paw shot to his sword, but then he thought better of it. Turning on his paw, he barked out an order as he stalked off. “Fleabane, Wulpp, make that slave dig five separate graves and bury that lot. Don’t spare the rod, keep him busy!”
* * *
Rowanoak stood over the small grave that Felldoh and Ballaw had dug, as near to the cliff edge as the rocky ground would permit. Brome put the finishing touches to a herbal dressing and bandage on Yarrow’s paw.
“There, as good as new. How does that feel?”
Yarrow lifted his paw up and down, wincing slightly. “Thank you, Brome. It still hurts a bit, but I’ll live with it. Not like poor Juniper.” He wiped away the bitter tears that flowed afresh on the bandage.
Brome threw a comforting paw around the young mouse. “Come on, let’s go and say our farewells to him, Yarrow. Ballaw and Felldoh made him a nice resting place that will always stand free to the sunshine and wind, in sight of the sea.”
* * *
The entire camp gathered round the grave. After a short ceremony, summer flowers were placed on the fresh filled-in earth and Barkjon said some words.
“It is always sad when a young one who has not seen many seasons is taken from us. Juniper was such a mouse, cheerful and well loved by all. But he did not die in vain. This young one gave his life fighting tyranny, so that others in the seasons to come may live in peace and freedom. That is all I have to say. Would anybeast like to add a word or two?”
Felldoh stepped forward. He laid Juniper’s sling and stones amid the flowers. “You were a brave fighter, Juniper. We will never forget you. Badrang and his horde will pay tenfold for your death!”
As the Fur and Freedom Fighters drifted away from the grave, Yarrow sat alone by the flowers, gazing numbly at the resting place of his friend. Brome caught up with Felldoh and motioned him to one side.
“That was not a goodbye to Juniper, it was an oath of vengeance. How many more must die before you’re satisfied?”
Felldoh’s eyes were like rainswept pebbles as he answered, “As many as fate decrees, myself included. I will not rest until Badrang is dead and Marshank brought down!” He strode off in search of fresh lancewood.
Kastern watched them parting before going across to Brome. “Do not blame Felldoh, he feels for Juniper as much as you, Brome.”
The young mouse shook his head. “No he doesn’t, all he feels is that he must take revenge and carry on killing. He was my hero once, but now it’s like talking to a strange beast. I don’t know him any more.”
Kastern watched the lone figure of Felldoh in the distance. “He is a warrior, and that is the way of warriors, just like the mouse Martin you are always talking about.”
Brome shouldered his healing kit. “If Martin is a warrior like Felldoh, then may the seasons help my sister Rose if she is still with him!”