Chest Out

[Thrayjen]

Sand, kicked up from frantically roving footpaws, clouded around Thrayjen?s head and gagged him. Salty tears stung his eyes as he desperately tried to rub the grit from them with his wrist. Thrayjen?s blurred vision gave Ripfang the Wild an easy target. Ripfang rushed forward, tackling Thrayjen down into the ground and pummeling him with the butt end of his sickles. The trident went flying from Thrayjen?s paw, skittering across the ground to rest several paw lengths away beside his lost net. Cheers from the stands rose with excitement.

Thrayjen gasped as the weasel?s knee dug into his chest and ground into his sternum. He shoved against the weasel?s hips, kicking wildly until he managed to crack his tail against Ripfang?s face and knock him loose. Thrayjen rolled over onto his belly and struggled to kneel, heaving a breath while Ripfang leapt to his feet.

The weasel laughed and pointed a blade at Thrayjen while raising his other paw to the crowd. The eager audience cheered Ripfang?s performance while Raggabrash continued to slam his fist into a fallen Kentigern?s body. Ripfang turned to his brother and cheered as well.

Thrayjen growled, setting his jaw. With Ripfang?s attention elsewhere, Thrayjen broke into a sudden sprint, all four paws ripping up dirt as he ran to his lost weapons.

Startled, Ripfang turned but immediately flinched. The recovered net billowed out behind the rat. Hooks sang as they cut through the air. Ripfang raised his sickles to blindly defend himself but the rat attacked low.

Thrayjen plunged the trident?s prongs into Ripfang?s left footpaw and vaulted up, using the handle to raise himself above and over Ripfang. The weasel screamed, desperately trying to wrench his paw from the piercing pain. The trident pulled free as Thrayjen landed. Ripfang stumbled, distracted from his opponent. Thrayjen smashed the length of handle into Ripfang?s nose and the weasel fell back, clutching at his face.

The sound of his brother?s agonized screaming drew Raggabrash?s attention away from Kentigern. He bellowed angrily and loped to his brother?s rescue. Thrayjen passed the net to his paw and flung it outwards while he twisted around to meet the larger weasel. When the net stretched to its full length, Thrayjen jerked it back. Raggabrash stepped away but only just enough and so Thrayjen spun, lashing out with both his net and the trident. Raggabrash began to circle him, trying to find a way past the hooks and prongs.

Two scarred faces creased into deep furrows as rat and weasel snarled at each other. Raggabrash lurched forward but Kentigern suddenly launched himself at the weasel. A hard punch spun Raggabrash?s head around, his eyes unfocused from the force of the hit. The weasel collapsed, hitting the ground hard.

The crowd chanted something Thrayjen couldn?t decipher while Kentigern screamed at him. The energy was intoxicating; Thrayjen barely thought as he tossed his net over the large weasel. He watched the surreal scene, stepping back a few paces as Kentigern?s knuckles began to seek vengeance on Raggabrash?s skull.

Screeching from elsewhere on the field brought Thrayjen?s eyes to rest on Ripfang, still writhing on the ground while the mask of blood and mud on his face became thicker. The crowd chanted harder as Thrayjen stepped towards the weasel.

That pathetic mess had wanted to hurt him, and he had delighted in it.

The rat?s eyes narrowed and anger rose in his chest.

?How dare you,? Thrayjen spat, bearing his teeth. A frustrated warmth flooded his limbs and Thrayjen marched to Ripfang, eyes boring into the frightened weasel?s captured stare. Ripfang?s screeching was cut short with a phlegm-filled gurgle. Thrayjen kicked the weasel?s chin, sending him sprawling. The rat loomed above Ripfang, staring down at him while pressing the trident?s prongs deeper and deeper into the soil around the weasel?s lithe neck. Pinned and crippled, Ripfang whimpered to his brother for help, but Kentigern?s bloodied knuckles had seen Raggabrash the Beheader into unconsciousness.

Ripfang?s crying froze the heat in Thrayjen?s chest. He blinked down at himself before looking around the stadium. All four of the fighters were bloody from their battle. The brothers were battered and wrecked in defeat. The herald was perched upon their platform, hollering over the din MacRaff the Wrathful and Hracken the Kraken had beaten the weasel brother favourites in a fantastic upset. Thrayjen licked his lips and immediately choked on the coppery flavour. Beasts in the stands were on their feet, applauding and cheering while coins were exchanged and tickets shredded in disappointment.

I?ve crippled the poor bastard.

Thrayjen?s heart pounded as he fought for breath, his body shaking with the force of each beat. Composure eluded him and Thrayjen barely managed to rip the trident from the ground, freeing Ripfang and leaning against the weapon for support while the weasel rolled over.

?You?ll live,? Thrayjen told Ripfang, insistently repeating himself. He began to kneel down and place a paw on Ripfang?s shoulder. ?You?ll live. You?ll both live...?

The weasel merely glared as Thrayjen stared blankly at him.

Thrayjen?s life was still his but he had caused so much pain. He closed his eyes, pushing the imagined faces of Nan and his sweet hogbabes out of his mind.
?You?ll live,? Thrayjen told Ripfang one last time, then stood and turned away.

Kentigern?s face was barely a whisker?s width away from his nose. The crowd continued their applause as he grabbed Thrayjen by his jerkin and began to roar.

?What are ye tryin? tae play at? Ah was hearin? bells and you?re dancin? around like a useless bairn! Why did ye pretend ye couldnae fight? Did ye want me tae die? Ye shouldnae have told me ye couldnae fight! Why did ye nae help me sooner?!?

The hare paused upon seeing Thrayjen?s alarmed face and he released his grip. Turning away, Kentigern crossed his arms and determinedly watched the audience as he looked anywhere but at the rat.

?I?m sorry,? Thrayjen said, looking up to the sky and releasing a shaky sigh. ?I didn?t want to fight.?

?Ferget it, rat. Ah ken?d ah couldna trust ye tae have mah back.? The hare snorted, still searching the crowd.

From the door they had entered the arena, a squirrel carrying an armful of gauze leapt out and hastily skipped past the victors to tend to the beaten weasels. Kentigern and Thrayjen stepped inside the tunnel, Thrayjen?s eyes trained to his footpaws as he dragged his trident and net behind him.

?Champion, aye! Absolute champion! I knew you could fight!? Blue greeted them, pulling Thrayjen by his notched ear. Thrayjen barely flinched, the minor pain nothing compared to his other ailments. As they made their way back to the armoury, the ferret poked at his wounds, made him open his mouth to inspect his teeth, and then began to poke at his limbs for soft areas of bone. Hargorn took Thrayjen?s weapons away at the door while Kentigern, smirking at the rat?s plight, limped towards an adjacent room where clean towels and a comfortable seat promised him relief. Thrayjen enviously watched the hare open the door and disappear into a cloud of steam.

?You?ll be fine after you get cleaned up,? Blue said while nodding to herself in satisfaction. ?You?ve got a loose tooth, but we?ll pluck that and stuff a wood one in. Nire will like that, aye. Good and piratey, aye! Master Hargorn, if you please??

Thrayjen?s protest was cut off when Hargorn seized the opportunity to grab Thrayjen?s head on either side and wrench his jaws open. Blue produced a thin dirk from her belt and stuffed her paw into the rat?s mouth where she began digging. The rat gurgled painfully while Hargorn held his jaws wide in between two massive paws. Blue pried and picked at the offending tooth, finally digging it out from the gums as Thrayjen barked in pain and reeled back as Hargorn let him loose.

?It split in half! You?re lucky I care about my winnin? fighters; you?d be worse off tomorrow without me,? Blue said, examining the tooth in her paw as she put her dirk away.

?Thank-you, Miss Blue,? Thrayjen groaned, holding his jaw and blinking tears from his eyes. Blue snorted, pocketing the tooth.

The armoury doors opened and every beast flung themselves to attention as Nire entered the room, Kentigern at his side. Nire opened his arms as he approached Blue and shook her paw. The ferret beamed.

?Miss Blue, my dear, you did it, and on such short notice! You do your father proud! Tell him I said that, won?t you? You do us all very proud.? Nire turned to Kentigern and laid a congratulatory paw on his shoulder. ?Didn?t I say you?ll be a crowd favourite? Trust a highlander to fight his guts out even if it?s just for show! Good man, good man!?

?Tae be honest, an ale would be mighty appreciated after all the work ah did today,? Kentigern said, glaring pointedly at Thrayjen.

As Nire stepped away, Thrayjen noticed how Kentigern subtly twisted from the lynx?s paw, his face dropping ever so slightly into a scowl.

?Ohoho! No need to say good night!? Nire exclaimed, once again patting Kentigern?s shoulder. ?I wouldn?t deny you two a round together!? The lynx?s eyes narrowed as he smiled at Kentigern. ?You both fought very well! As a matter of fact, I was more than impressed with your interesting acrobatics, Hracken.?

?Thank-you, Master Nire,? Thrayjen replied quietly, deciding to not correct the cat?s moniker for him. If Nire liked Hracken, then on the cat?s good side Hracken would stand. He watched closely as Nire turned from him and addressed the slave keepers.

?Hracken shall accompany Master MacRaff to the tavern this evening. A guard shall escort him back after he?s had his prize,? Nire added, looking pointedly to Thrayjen. The rat nodded his understanding. Blue pushed him away towards a trough of water. As Thrayjen brought pawfuls of water over his face, he listened intently to the free beasts across the room.

?Now, more importantly, Master MacRaff!? Nire turned his head, almost touching noses with Kentigern as the lynx?s arm was still around him. The cat produced a pouch from an inner pocket on his vest, and happily offered it to the hare. Kentigern outstretched his paw and let the jingling bag drop into his palm.

Kentigern offered a grunt of acknowledgement. Nire smiled, every single tooth showing.

?I look forward to great things from you,? Nire said, and slid away from Kentigern.

?Good evening, Nire.? The hare bowed politely and, with very controlled movements, turned away. As Kentigern began to head back out of the room, he paused briefly and glared through the purple bruises starting to form around his swollen eyes.

?Let?s get movin?,? Kentigern ordered Thrayjen. ?Ah willnae be kept from wettin? mah gullet any longer.?

Thrayjen sighed and followed after the bounding hare, lagging behind in the winding Drag as he held his swelling face.

The tavern was less a pub and more of a lounge, Thrayjen noted. Its colourful limestone walls were richly decorated with the banners of The Crater as well as sigils of past and present champions. A plaque engraved with a scene of two fighting beasts was hung above the bar alongside numerous weapons that were all tagged with different signatures of the beasts who had once wielded them. Beautiful wooden frames housed exciting paintings of historical matches, and sketches depicting horrendous monsters were drawn onto coasters. Creatures with a dozen legs and no eyes or giant scorpions with lashing tails seemed to be the preferred subject of the local artist.

Only a few beasts occupied the tavern, but they all rose from their seats and applauded the pair. Kentigern sat himself down at the bar, Thrayjen shyly following after. Greasy, delicious smells wafted from the far end of the bar where a door led to a kitchen. As he sat, Thrayjen looked at where the liquor shelf would normally sit only to see a glass window that overlooked the fighting pit. The bar tender gave him a wink upon seeing the rat?s impressed expression.

?Better than any picture, aye??

?Aye,? Thrayjen echoed absently before looking up. The bartender, a tall ferret, had eyes as blue as his apron. The ferret winked again.

?You?re trainer is my sister,? the ferret explained. ?Name?s Plockette.?

?October ale,? Kentigern ordered, eyeing the ferret disdainfully.

?I, uh?May I have a mead, please?? Thrayjen asked.

?Right away!? The ferret reached beneath the bar for a glass, simultaneously turning to a barrel with a spigot. Within seconds, the ferret produced two full mugs on the polished bar top. Kentigern grabbed his and began to down it without a word.

?Thank-you,? Thrayjen said, lifting his mug to his lips and inhaling the scent before drinking deeply. Plockette chatted idly to him as he polished glasses. Thrayjen smiled throughout the banter, finally letting a sense of ease return. His lax in vigilance cost him both a sense of peace and his ale.

?Ye?ye are a limey bastard!? Kentigern spat, slamming his drink upon the bar. ?Ye ken how tae fight!? The hare shoved Thrayjen with a paw. ?An? ye left me tae take care o? everything myself! Ah expected as much from a vermin.?

?That?s what you told me to do,? Thrayjen pointed out. The hare?s ears twitched indignantly. Plockette warned the two to settle down, that their match was over, but the ferret stepped back when Kentigern ignored him.

?Ah gave ye the smaller weasel, and ye still took yer sweet time! Ye coulda tied him up wi? yer net, ye coulda stabbed him in the neck! Ye coulda killed them both earlier, be ye let me get hurt! Why did ye nae fight from the beginning?! Ye coulda killed-?

?You told me,? Thrayjen began sharply, eyes narrowing, ?To stay out of your way and let you handle everything. You ordered me to stay away, least you cut me down in battle.? Thrayjen?s grip tightened around his mug. A thin crack begin to appear where one of his claws curled inward. ?You act like you?re my master, yet without me I am certain you?d be drinking with your ancestors. You?re welcome for the help,? the rat spat, slamming his mug upon the bar top and rising off his seat to meet Kentigern?s glaring eyes. ?You know I can fight, now. So does Nire. He?ll never let me go, not for anything. If I had kept my head down, stayed quiet, remained forgettable, I could have one day slipped into a collar with a different symbol. Now I can?t. That?s on you.? Heat welled in Thrayjen?s chest and his split lips curled back to bear his fangs. ?Master MacRaff.?

The hares eyes widened and his ears went stiff with indignation. He swung his arm back, paw clenched into a heavy fist.

?Mac, you devil, you! I thought I heard the barely comprehensible garble of your illustrious and most endearing of accents! Music to my ears! Sing to me of your victory, laddie bucko!?

A vole with a smile as wide as his belly sauntered from the kitchen and pushed a bar stool across the floor. Once he was set immediately between the two fighters, he clambered onto the stool and plopped himself down comfortably. Seeing the mug of October ale within paws reach, the vole downed it in a single gulp and sighed.

?Sly!? Kentigern exclaimed, looking from his pilfered pint to the vole again.

Speakeasy laughed gaily. ?The one and only! The one and only beast in this establishment doing dishes!? The vole looked at the ferret behind the bar. Plockette drew a claw across his throat warningly. ?Well put,? Sly observed. ?But, as of your victory, Mac, I was able to collect some honest wages!?

The vole beamed at Kentigern, then looked to Thrayjen. ?And you, too, Hackin` the Crackin`! Amazing what you did with that pitchfork. Never seen anything like it!?

?Thrayjen,? the rat immediately answered. He released his mug, paw shaking ever so slightly as he extended it towards the vole. ?My name is Thrayjen.?

?Ah,? Sly said, observing the metal around Thrayjen?s neck. ?One of Nire?s beloved pets. Well, good on you for making the best of it and not getting horribly maimed and murdered! Although that face of yours makes me think perhaps the part about not getting maimed has eluded you in the past, but of course a few scars never hurt to up the ante! You two won me a few coins, so the least I can do is buy you a drink in gratitude. Pocket, my brother in apron strings, bring us honest and hardworking gentlebeasts a round!?

As Plockette served up a fresh round, Sly leaned over to Thrayjen and nudged him playfully in the ribs.

?Don?t pirates like grog? I didn?t take you for a honey bee beast, but I suppose we all have our dirty little secrets. I once knew a toad who couldn?t stand the taste of crickets. He?d eat crunchy little black crackers when he was with his friends so they wouldn?t notice! He was a nasty, ill-tempered beast but his breath was infinitely better than his companions.?

?We?d make mead once in a while,? Thrayjen murmured as Sly went on. ?I helped Nan grow the flowers. She kept a few hives but we mostly made teas.?

?I love tea!? Sly replied. ?Especially with some spirits haunting my mug!?

?Growin? flowers,? Kentigern scoffed. ?What kind o? vermin grows flowers??

?One who sold tea and honey to feed his family,? Thrayjen replied curtly. Kentigern snorted scornfully but kept his mouth tightly shut.

Thrayjen sighed, tightly gripping his cup. He tipped his head back and even Sly gave a whistle of admiration as the rat?s beverage disappeared. At this, Kentigern shot Sly a flat scowl.

?Ach, ye think that?s ah wee bit impressive? A jug of ale, barkeep!?

Kentigern proved impressive. The hare downed his drink and slammed the pitcher onto the bar, proudly sticking his chest out. Sly applauded, as did Plockette and the other few patrons in the bar.

?What dae ye say ta that, rat?? Kentigern goaded Thrayjen, but the rat only shrugged. 

?Did you expect me to keep up?? Thrayjen said lightly. ?I?m a slave. I don?t have money to compete with you.?

Kentigern spluttered, almost dropping the jug. ?Fine!? he exclaimed, slamming the pitcher down. ?Fine. Ye didnae stab me in the back while ah was fightin? so ah suppose ah?ll take example from Sly an? say thanks wi? a drink. Just one, though, rat!? Kentigern added hastily. ?Cannae have ye souring the mood while Sly an? I have ah good time.?

One drink turned into two more rounds turned into hours spent polishing the bar top with their sleeves. Between stories of old battles, bets gone wrong, and being chased by bees, the three drinking companions kept Plockette busy, and the ferret happily obliged them as Kentigern dropped coin after coin into his paw.

?Flowers, though?? Kentigern yelled, leaning heavily on Sly and almost losing the vole in his thick fur. ?Why ? hic ? why ? hic ? why do you grow tea and not crops? Proper crops, like food and ? hic - and proper crops!?

?I did, though!? Thrayjen exclaimed. His glassy eyes looked from Kentigern to Sly. ?I read books on farming. I was growing tubers in the cellar. I had strawberries on the roof!?

?The noble tuber!? Sly shouted, placing a paw over his heart. ?Defeater of famine and maker of smiles. Wait, the roof??

?I?d walk all day to get to town, and I?d, I?d sell our teas and the flowers Nan would cut. She was so old, you see?? Thrayjen leaned precariously forward, and Kentigern pushed the rat back with his foot. ?She couldn?t, couldn?t do it any more, walk that far. So I?d go, and sometimes they?d try to, try to follow me, Verna and Helix?but they couldn?t walk far, just across the fields to the road?and I?d carry them home again?? Thrayjen trailed off, his eyes beginning to water. ?And they?d be tuckered out and asleep by the time we got back. They were so little.?

Kentigern exchanged a look with Sly. Wordlessly, Plockette put another drink in front of Thrayjen. The rat stared straight ahead, gazing through the window that looked over the pit.

?Too little to walk that far. Too small to run fast enough.? Thrayjen finally looked away, wiping a paw over his eyes.  ?Not fit for a place like this, just more mouths to feed. I know how it goes. Not the first time I?ve worn chains.?

?I, uh?? Sly shifted uncomfortably. His mouth remained closed for the first time that evening. Even Kentigern looked away, biting his lip. The hare suddenly sprang from his chair, pointing at a beast who had just strolled into the tavern.

?You! Fuzzy pumpkin wench! Kali!? Kentigern hollered.

The creature who had just strolled into the tavern was shaking terribly. She was nervously looking around with unblinking eyes which widened even more as her large ears flattened against her skull upon being addressed. Her sagging leather arms that poked out from her thickly furred, orange body, and the bells on her hat indicated she was some kind of entertainer. The lute she dragged behind her was split up the centre and its strings hung lose.

?Yer ah jester, aye? Hrack ? hic ? Thrayjen is a terrible teller o? tales!?

The frightened bat leaned away from the drunk hare, scrunching her nose and looking around for some sort of help.

?I, uh, uh, uh, uh, a rat and ferret walk into a bar, uh, I mean, NO, not that one, uh, I mean-?

?Oh, she?s terribly funny!? Sly managed to say through raucous laughter. ?Does she sing, too? I hope she sings! I love a good sea shanty!? The vole elbowed Thrayjen hard in the side. ?Or a good ol? battle hymn for you, my haughty highland hare??

The bat looked even more anxious than before, but the cheers of the tavern patrons gave her some courage. She stepped onto a table, looking around.

?I, uh, my lute?s a little sick?but if you sing along?very, very loudly?then I think we?ll all have a  great time with the Aaaamazing Kali!? The widely smiling bat suddenly began stomping her feet on the table to keep time as she lightly plucked the only surviving string on her lute.

?Twenty three ales and a bottle of mead,? Kali began singing surprisingly soft for her exuberant dancing.

?Hey ho, hi ho, raise the flag high! HEY!? Her chanting became loud and Thrayjen looked up.

?She tied another knot and made the mayor bleed!?

?Hey ho, hi ho, raise the flag high! HEY!? Thrayjen?s voice joined the bat, his voice rising to a shout along with Kali?s.

?He wouldn?t be her first, nor would he be last!?

?Hey ho, hi ho, raise the flag high! HEY!? Kentigern and Sly joined in, oblivious to the flinching and spastic motions Plockette was making every time Kali sang a line.

?She set fire to the town, and hung him from a mast!?

?Hey ho, hi ho, raise the flag high! HEY!?

?A pirate all her life, money her ambition!?

?Hey ho, hi ho, raise the flag high! HEY!?

?I?d rather trust a pirate, but not a politician!?

?Hey ho, hi ho, raise the flag high!?

?They cheered her on, raised her up and made her their queen!?

?Hey ho, hi ho, raise the flag high!?

?Twas the happiest kingdom ever to be seen!?

The string on Kali?s lute snapped with a loud twang. For a moment, the bat blinked away tears but she perked up at hearing Thrayjen clap. The rat was slumped over the bar and barely registering Sly hollering for more song and dance. Kali happily obliged him as Kentigern took her wingtips in his paws and began to whirl them about the room while they sang with loud exuberance.

?Ah?ll see ye in trainin?, Thrayjen! Fer now, Ah?ve got tae entertain this wee lassie!?

?Nan would not be happy seeing me like this,? Thrayjen slurred between hiccups, starring into his empty cup. Sly patted him on the back sympathetically.

?Don?t dwell on what?s behind you when what?s ahead is vastly more important,? the vole advised, and pushed another drink towards Thrayjen. Thrayjen looked at Sly, then at the drink, and then threw up on the floor.

?You?ll live,? Sly said with a wink.