Stone Cold (Ulrick Hammerpaw)

[Substitute Author]

Now sir, give I this advice to thee! Never, never, never trust thine enemy!



The woodlanders peered over their rock. Ulrick felt a strange uncertainty. Tassle?s suggestion of leaving before they were spotted was certainly attractive. But then again, Cricket was still out there and Ulrick was determined that the rat would pay for what she had done to him.

?You go if you want,? he growled. ?I?m going to find that vermin. When I?m finished with her??

?Ulrick!? Tassle hissed sharply. ?Let her go! There?s no good that can come of charging after her now, not with these rats around. With any luck she?ll find a way out of these tunnels by herself.?

Ulrick shot the shrewmaid a glare. ?With any luck whatever did for Shelby has already found her. It would be much better for her.?

?How can you say that?? Tassle glared back at the badger. ?She?s just a child!?
?A child who sabotaged my raft, nearly drowned me and trapped me on this island!? Snarled Ulrick. ?Not to mention all the times she would torment the prisoners on the slave deck! If that isn?t a good enough cause for revenge then I don?t know what is.?

Tassle looked like she wanted to strike the badger. ?That?s the trouble with you! Everything is always about you! As long as you get what you want then everything else can rot for all you care. Why can?t you do something selfless for once? Something to help the greater good? We are all stuck here Ulrick, and unless we can all work together we?ll stay here forever, until we?re all dead! Now will you stop this petty idea of hunting Cricket and help us??

Tears of rage had welled up in the shrewmaid?s eyes, her fists clenched tightly into balls. Ulrick stared at her, more bemused than angry.

?Why do you care about that vermin?? he asked. ?She?s a menace, and until she?s dead then she?ll try and attack me? us?again.?

?She?s only a child,? repeated Tassle resolutely. ?It?s all she?s known. Maybe with a better upbringing she might change??

Ulrick dismissed the idea with a wave of his great paw. ?She?s a vermin. Vermin never change. Be the noble hero all you want Tassle, but I know that if you let an enemy live, then next time you see them is when they stick a blade in your back. I?ve seen it before.?

Tassle was about to open her mouth to reply, when there was a squeak from Roger. The two arguing beasts turned to look at the mouse. Roger was half hiding behind Brooga, who stood wringing her digging claws. He reached out from behind the mole, and pointed towards where the rats had been gathered. Ulrick and Tassle followed his point, to find the rats had fallen silent and now stood staring towards the group of woodlanders, now rather pathetically crammed behind the same outcrop.

Ulrick peered over the top of the rock. Obligo seemed to recover first. ?Stripyface!? he shouted, pointing accusingly at Ulrick.

Next Wakeeha raised her staff as high as her emaciated arms could lift it. ?Blood!? she screeched. ?Evil comes! Wants blood!?

The rats surged forward towards the woodlanders. Ulrick drew himself up to full height and roared, his voice echoing around the chamber. The badger was about to leap over the rock when he spotted a solitary rat that had lagged behind the main rush. Cricket!

This time there was no stopping him. Before the others had a chance to grab him, the badger was off, charging through the crowd of Bladegirt rats that parted for him as he came. Despite the urgings of their leaders, none seemed eager to be the first to face the badger.

Cricket spotted Ulrick as soon as the badger had stood up from behind the rock. Now she danced through the cave, singing out taunts as he chased her through the swirling mass of rats.

?Meanystripe! Can?t catch me! You great worm eaten, mangy, moss brained, big fat stupid!?
As Ulrick and Cricket darted across the cave, the other woodlanders found that the native rats? attention had left them for a moment. ?What do we do Tassle?? Roger squeaked in a rare appearance from behind Brooga.
?Bo hurr, Oi?d say zurr badger needs t?be stopped, afore ?e bashes Cricket?s ?ead against th?wall!?

Tassle nodded. ?We need to calm him down. If we can grab him and Cricket there might be enough confusion amongst the rats to let us get away.? The shrew looked across to where Ulrick was batting away Bladegirt rats with great sweeps of his paw in an effort to get closer to Cricket.

?On second thoughts, just grab Cricket. He?ll follow us. Ready?? The others nodded. ?Alright then, let?s make this quick!?

Ulrick didn?t see the others charge out from behind the rock. He was totally focussed on getting his paw round Cricket?s neck. Kicking another Bladegirt rat out of the way, he reached out, snatching at her. Cricket danced back out of his reach again.

?Great Evil need blood!?
Ulrick?s gaze shot upwards. Wakeeha and several other rats had climbed up to where Obligo had been standing moments before. Between them, they held a large piece of rock. With a loud grunt, the rats toppled the rock over the edge.
Time seemed to stand still. Ulrick watched the rock falling towards him.

No.
The badger was surprised at why he hadn?t moved yet. Then, before he had a chance to, time caught up with itself.

There was a searing flash of pain as the rock struck a glancing blow to the side of Ulrick?s head. The badger dropped to his knees, stunned, before slumping sideways. He could hear everything, the shouts of the rats, Cricket?s taunts, Wakeeha?s cackling laughter, screams from somewhere?
He could feel paws grabbing him, he was being dragged by several beasts, but he wasn?t aware of by whom. He wanted to struggle, but he couldn?t seem to move.
?Great Evil need blood! Take to Great Evil!?

The sounds of the struggle were growing fainter now. Soon there was no noise at all but the sound of his body being dragged along the dirt floor of the tunnel.
It was a while before Ulrick?s swimming vision began to focus itself. A face loomed over him. The badger blinked several times, before it finally came into focus.
?Kelsey???
The otter smiled grimly and pressed a torn piece of cloth against Ulrick?s wound. The badger gasped in pain and shuddered.

?That was a nasty knock you took there Ulrick,? the otter grimaced. ?You must have a thick skull!?

Ulrick tried to sit up, but thought better of it. There was no sign of the others. ?What happened?? he asked. ?Where are the others? Where is the vermin??
Kelsey bit her lip. ?Brooga?s covering up our tracks, she sent Roger to get some water to wash that wound. As for Tassle and Cricket?? The otter tailed off.
?What? Tell me!?
?They took them Ulrick! Tassle went to rescue you and they took her! Cricket too, as if you?d care.? Kelsey screwed the piece of rag into a ball and flung it into Ulrick?s lap. ?You probably won?t even try and save her!?