Knife's Edge

[Kentrith Hapley]

Why must everything fall apart now?

His lone companion stood facing him, his gaze seemingly accusing. Kentrith sighed, trying to keep his composure.

?Did you see Tavin and the shrew leave? How long ago??

The slightly plump rat shrugged. ?I don?t know. I looked back, and they were gone.?

Muttering about stupid brats with mush for brains, Kentrith fisted his paws and rubbed his eyes tiredly. ?And I suppose you?re off to??

Tegue glanced down the hallway behind him nervously. ?Should have been back ages ago, actually.?

Reining in his irritation, Kentrith swallowed, then huffed, ?I??

?I?m sorry,? Tegue interrupted, moving away as he spoke. ?If I?m not there??

Kentrith stared after him until he passed through the doorway, blinking at the abandoned hallway. He glanced back and forth, then muttered, ?By myself again. It always ends up this way, somehow.? A wave of familiar lassitude threatened to swamp him, but he shook it off. Marik is still stuck here. I need to get him out, then I can collapse into a ball of misery.

He continued down the passageway, his momentary worry of being caught through his soaked state smothered as several dripping beasts passed him.

?What?s going on?? he asked one harried ferret.

?The pumps have stopped, and we?re trying to bale water so we don?t flood. Where have you been?? Without waiting for an answer, the ferret sprinted off, and Kentrith, shaking his head, continued on.

He spent the next several minutes alternating cursing and blessing the weather and the problems it presented. The hallways that had been so empty earlier now were trafficked heavily by sodden creatures, trying to stem trickles of water, or hurriedly moving dry goods out of the way, or racing to retrieve more tools for water removal. Kentrith ducked, dodged, and flatted against the wall as the need arose, and worried how on earth he was going to sneak Marik out now.

"Feeling The Noose?" came a voice from behind. Kentrith nearly jumped out of his water-logged fur, and turned to face Thrayjen. The large rat stood to the side, looking slightly anxious.

"Frightful, Truth Needed." Kentrith replied cautiously. Glancing about him, he moved closer, footpaws itching to continue their journey toward the remaining kit. "What do you want?"

Thrayjen frowned slightly. "I was wondering why the Crane was not fighting in the arena tonight. Perhaps he had other things on his mind?"

Kentrith tapped his right claws nervously against the hidden scalpel. I don't have time for this! "I've been busy," he muttered. "Had to get the Dibbuns out while everyone was distracted."

Thrayjen stared at him for several moments. "That's why... the boars," he whispered. "And the babes? They are safe?"

"Safer every moment, as far as I could make them," Kentrith replied, looking over his shoulder.

The rat's shoulders sagged for a moment in relief, then he straightened. "As long as the hedgehogs are away from this terrible place, I am satisfied." After thinking for a moment, he mumble, almost to himself, "Then I'd better get my ladies out safely."

"Leave me out of it!" Kentrith blurted in exasperation. "I have my own mission!"

Thrayjen gave him a strange look before turning and running in the direction of the arena. Kentrith had traversed two more hallways before the rat?s words caught up with him, and he stopped in his tracks.

?Wait. Hedgehogs??

*******

Kentrith stared around at the disheveled nursery. The urge to look under the beds for the missing marten was strong, despite the ridiculousness of that thought. Marik could hardly bend over, much less be mobile enough in a prone position to crawl under any furniture.

He also doubted that Marik would have turned the beds upside down, or left them standing upright on their headboards.

He collapsed against the doorjamb, and pressed his paw to his muzzle. A shaking started deep in his bones, and he barely kept himself upright.

They won?t kill him, they couldn?t? He didn?t do anything, he?s only a kit?

Even silent, the words sounded hollow.

An arm wrapped around Kentrith?s throat, pulling him back. It squeezed, cutting off his air enough to where he was slightly panicked. He looked up into murderous eyes, their red rims detracting from their hatred not a bit.

?Where is he?? Kentrith gurgled out past his beleaguered throat.

?Where else,? Nix hissed. ?With Nire. Nire wants FTN. He won?t stop until he makes an example of someone. Guess what, Kent? You?re the only FTN I know, except that otter, who was a traitor anyway.? Her eyes narrowed, almost disguising the glassy shine of tears.

Thoughts chased each other around Kentrith?s head. He?s not dead! At least, not yet. With Dia in the mix, now, I know at least one beast will have the same goal, to get him out. Maybe she can persuade Nix to join? He relaxed against the marten, whose grip loosened with surprise. When he didn?t take advantage of the opening, she released her hold around his neck, instead grabbing the sleeves of his tunic. After being yanked so many times, my tunic will never be the same, Kentrith thought wryly.

?Are you going to fight me?? Nix growled.

?Not while he?s threatening Marik,? Kent replied calmly.

Nix began to tow him away, making for the upper reaches of the Crater. ?Now you?re concerned for his well-being,? she sneered. ?Too bad you didn?t think about him before this.?

?I wasn?t just thinking about him,? Kentrith scolded her. ?I also helped out the other Dibbuns.?

?That?s just like you, Hap. Always a bleeding heart. Even when I thought the arena had ripped it out of you, you always kept just the softest bit for the sob story.?

?Sob story?? Kentrith snarled. Nix jerked in surprise. ?I?ll tell you, Nix, was losing your husband just a ?sob story?? Each of those babes, each of the slaves here, has the same sort of tale to tell. Why is it so wrong to want to assuage all the hurt and sorrow that this place generates??

?Fighting against it only causes more pain. It?s better to let things go, so they don?t get worse.?

?No, that?s not it,? Kentrith replied flatly. ?You just don?t care as long as it doesn?t affect you. The minute Marik or you are threatened, and then you move.? He glared at her. ?The pure self interest astounds me.?

She snarled wordlessly, and continued to drag him off.

As they moved closer and closer to the end of everything that Kentrith had worked for, possibly the end of his life, he was surprised that he didn?t feel more nervous. His shakes, his fear, and all his worries were mysteriously gone.

Save one.

How am I going to get Marik out of this? Dia will try her best, but?

?Nix,? he said urgently, as the door to Nire?s stadium section appeared in front of them, ?Things are moving tonight. Events in the Crater will not be the same, no matter who wins. You have to promise me to get Marik out. I have friends, those who will help him, and you if you wish, to move along. To escape. Just promise me that Marik won?t be involved anymore.?

?I though I was self-centered,? Nix muttered, reaching for the door handle.

Kentrith halted, pulling her to a stop as well. He turned to her with mild incredulity. ?That doesn?t mean I won?t help you,? he stated. The stunned look on her face took him aback. Without another word, he spun and entered the stadium.

The size of the crowd surprised him. A sea of blue uniforms clustered around the dreaded pair of tufted ears. At Nix?s bark, they parted to show Nire, teeth bared and eye pupils widened as far as they would go. Beside him, a large weasel held a twisted figure by the collar, lifting him off the ground. Marik had a set look on his face, the determination hiding the fear he must have been feeling. When he saw Kentrith, however, his eyes widened. Kentrith smiled at him. It?s alright, he thought, hoping that Marik would understand. Don?t worry about me. You are more important.

?Sir,? the weasel grunted. Nire turned and saw Nix and her willing captive, and pinned his ears. ?Crane,? he hissed. ?I might have known you were FTN. How long? Did you plan this from the very beginning? Was it you who retrieved the kits?" He laughed, a high, desperate sound. "Well, you missed one."

?Missed?? Marik interrupted. Nix and Kentrith both started, and Nix began shaking her head vigorously. Marik ignored them both, glaring instead at the Lord of the Crater. ?You think it was deliberate that I was left behind? I asked to be left behind when the others were rescued." His voice was strong, every word ringing as everybeast held their breath at his audacity. ?By now, those who work against you have removed your greatest weapon, and the only reason I remain is because I refuse. I refuse to bow to you any longer, I refuse to be used against those I love, who have given everything for me. You want to know who FTN is? Their identity??

By now he was shouting, words spilling out of him like a fountain. His twisted body strained, and Kentrith noticed it was stiffer than normal. ?It?s everybeast you have abused! Every single creature is somebeast that you have ripped loved ones from, have torn apart, have coerced into becoming the thing they most abhor. I am proud to be FTN, because they are the only ones doing something about it!?

Silence filled every corner, as all eyes were riveted on the fiery young marten. Nire?s face was a frozen mask of disbelief, then he turned to the weasel. ?Remove him,? he snarled.

A sword swung up, and both Nix and Kentrith gasped. Nix released her hold on Kent, and he dashed forward. He didn?t even pay attention to the hulking champion that lifted the crippled marten up. All he saw was the limping kit that had melted his heart when he though he had none left. The young beast who had inspired him to leave the place that was destroying him, then caused him to return to offer others the same opportunity. The young beast, who in spite of the blade slashing toward him, gazed calmly at his captive, his face serene in its defiance.

Both Kentrith and Nix reached them at the same time.

The swiping sword missed Marik?s neck as Kentrith snagged it, dragging it down. The fox was unable to stop the momentum completely, and it slashed into the young marten?s side. Kentrith jerked the weapon away, ignoring the cuts on his paws as he dove for the wound, placing his paws over the cut that spread life?s blood through Marik?s tunic. He didn?t even look up as he heard a thud, instead placing as much pressure as he could to stop the flow, glancing around for something to bandage it with. He did, however, look up at Nix?s words.

?Nire,? she bellowed, standing over the weasel that now lay in two pieces at her paws, ?You asked me to bring you FTN. Well, here I am.? With that she lunged at the lynx, jumping over seats and aimed at his throat.

Several guards intercepted her, but she lifted the sword the weasel had used to swipe at Marik, the same instrument of the weasel?s demise. She took them by surprise, stabbing one right in the heart, then yanking at the spear he held. Jerking it backward, she sank the haft into another guard?s gut, swiping to the side at another and opening up his face.

?Um??

Kentrith dragged his attention from the fight to Marik, who was staring bemusedly at him. ?Right,? he mumbled, still dazed by the Iron Maiden?s ferocity. ?Bandaging you. That? that would be good.?

?Technically, we?re family now,? Marik smiled as Kentrith shifted one paw to cover the whole wound so he could rip up his tunic with the other.

?What do you mean?? he asked the young marten, silently mourning his beleaguered tunic.

?I believe we have bled into each other?s wounds, making us blood brothers.? Marik?s smile widened.

Kentrith paused, looked at the still bleeding cut in his paw, then at the smirking beast. ?Well, I believe the blood loss is making you delirious,? he informed his impromptu patient. He paused before putting the bandage on the cut, then huffed. ?Too big. I?m going to have to sew it.?

Marik?s eyes widened. ?Do you have to?? he whispered.

?If we want to keep the rest of your blood where it belongs,? Kentrith intoned grimly.

?What do you need??

Kentrith?s head came up sharply, as he glared at the guard standing over him. It was an otter, who looked rather discomfited. Kentrith?s eyes narrowed. ?Why?? he barked.

The otter shuffled awkwardly, then replied, ?We?re not?? he swallowed, then tilted his head toward Marik. ?The young un?s right. Nire has gotten away with too much for far too long, and?? He sighed, then gripped his spear tighter. ?It?s time we stopped helping him.?

Violent cursing broke out from the other side of the stadium, drawing everybeast?s attention. Nix glared at them all, the seats around her littered with dead or dying guards. She gripped her weapons before her like some mad beast. ?Nire?s gone!? she shrieked, gnashing her teeth with rage.

After a heartbeat, Kentrith ordered, ?Go. We?ll take care of your kit.? Without waiting to see if she obeyed, he turned to the otter and the other four guards who remained. ?I?m going to need thread, a sterilized needle, and actual clean bandages. I need alcohol, and my supplies of herbs from my room.?

He turned his attention back to his patient as the guards scattered to retrieve the items. As he bent over the seeping wound to examine it and plan his actions, he heard Marik whisper, ?Welcome back, Healer.?