Rat Pack (Cricket Argyll)

[Substitute Author]

Crickets chirruping...


It was the smell that scared her most. Cricket was used to eating meat, she had been doing it for her entire life, or at least the parts she could remember with any sort of clarity.  Few food shortages in the Empire had touched her. Though there was no father to speak of in the young rat?s life, her mother had spoiled her rotten. And now there was this. This Gates awful smell of decaying flesh and an exotic musk.

Cookie had smelled of death flesh, too, but it was always covered with the colorful aromas so unique to cooks. When they had little to do or there was a rare break in the ever frantic galley, Cricket delighted in guessing what spices and herbs the cat had used in the food for that day. Certainly, it became easier as their food stocks ran low, but at the outset of the journey when the little rodent first encountered the feline, there were more smells about him than she had names for. He taught her, though -- smells and cooking and how to use tools properly. Most importantly, Cookie, Zin Typha, the merciful killer of the Black Brine, taught Cricket Argyll of death.

And death approached. Cricket no longer fancied herself as ?Cutfang?. That was a name reserved for the determined and vengeful beast who had successfully sabotaged the woodlanders? raft, escaped the wrath of a badger with her amazing agility and proved herself smarter than a slew of grown-up creatures?even if they were woodlanders. The wretched creature, terrified, captured and bound by idiot pygmies, and crying like a baby, was Cricket Argyll.

I don?t wanna die! I can?t die! They were older. They were all so much older than her. Tassle, Brooga, Kelsey, Roger, and especially Ulrick, had all lived for years more than the ratmaid. They were the ones who were supposed to die first. Take them! Not me! I ain?t got t?kill a beast proper or drink that alcohol stuff the crew?s allus goin? on about or give Cookie back his ladle or-or figure out what hippo-crabs are!

Cricket shut her eyes tight as the smell of the Big Evil washed over her in a putrid wave, but a sudden tightening of the rope as Tassle convulsed, screaming, forced the little vermin?s eyes to pop open. In the darkness that her gaze had long since, unwillingly, adjusted to, she saw the monster.

It was blacker than the darkness and as it stepped out of the tunnel into the weak light thrown by the torches, she saw it grow even taller as it raised itself from a hunched stance. Yellow eyes glinted even as teeth the length of the rodent?s forearm protruded from its upper jaw, dripping saliva and some other liquid she did not dare guess at. It had the face of a fox, except its ears were too small and its face was squished with a short, broad snout. Even as her gaze was drawn to the Big Evil, Cricket noted that every island rat was gone. They might serve the Big Evil, but no love was lost between a master who had a tendency to eat anything with even an ounce of flesh on its frame and his life-oriented servants.

The Big Evil?s maw gaped open and he threw back his head, a piercing cry filling the entire cavern with the wail that had haunted the slaves since their entrance into the tunnels. ?Arrrrooooo?? the echoes continued even as he stopped howling and took two long strides forward, setting his eyes on the helpless pair. ?Mother is hungry,? his voice rumbled and grated like a cascade of boulders. ?Such small offerings, though. Tch!? I-is he makin? fun o? us? Th-that big, smelly, smoosh-faced son o? a fox!  ?There?s much hunting left, my little friends.?

?Stop!? Cricket?s eyes grew wide as she recognized the timbre of Tassle?s voice. It was shaky, filled with phlegm, but it was also?commanding. ?Stay away from us.? Why?s she includin? me? Stupid shrew should save her own hide! I would? What was wrong with these woodlanders, really? They all had to be cracked, with the possible exception of Meanystripe. All the others were intent on helping her even when she had stabbed them in the back so many times. That was why they all deserved to die. They were just so stupid!

?Oh?? the Big Evil took another step closer, his black lips curling into a toothy smirk, and Cricket felt every fur on her body stand erect. Cookie was scary. Ulrick was scarier, but this was worse. Much, much worse because at least with the cat and badger she had an idea of what they might do to her and she was confident in her ability to avoid them. Tied to a post, though? ?The sacrifice speaks? I can smell your fear, little one.?

?Y-ya don?t wanna eat us!? Cricket piped up and squeaked pitifully as the yellow-eyed fiend shifted his gaze to her.

?And why is that?? he queried nonchalantly, that same smile as he took one more step forward, only a badger?s length away now. For a giant fox, his tail sure was skinny and his paws were far too large. Aside from his general shape, there was little else fox-like about the creature. There was a legend about?But they don?t really exist! Mama told me so!

?We don?t taste good?? Tassle tried.

?Hah! You can?t possibly taste any worse than those rats.?

?Because?because we c?n get ya a buncha beasts t?eat if ya let us go!? the younger of the pair offered.

?Do you think I?m an idiot?? Well, what if I say ?yes?, huh?!

Though the rat was inclined to start shouting obscenities, as with Ulrick, she mastered herself and replied instead, ?No. No, Mr. Big Evil thingy. I jist?I thought ya might want more food than jist us s-small offerin?s.?

?Yes!? Tassle agreed, cottoning on. ?Yes, if you release us we can bring a whole crew of well-fed vermin to you. Wouldn?t that be better than a shrew and mangy, foul-mouthed little rat?? Keep talkin? Spikey an? I?ll tell him t?eat ya!

?Most are too afraid to speak to me,? the Big Evil commented as if ignoring them, stroking his chin with a grimy claw. ?Or I kill them too quickly. This is a novelty for me, but then Mother always told me not to play with my food.?

?NO! Please!? Tassle cried.

?I?m inclined not to trust someone I?ve just met. After all, little friends,? the Big Evil was now right next to the post, towering above them with a Cricket-sized paw raised to strike, ?we?re hardly even acquaintances an--Oof!?

The Big Evil lurched to the side as a black and white-striped blur bowled him over. In the same moment, the rope suddenly grew slack and a husky, fear-laden voice shouted, ?Run!?

Cricket needed no further bidding, throwing the rope off her tingling limbs and scrambling toward a smaller tunnel where she could see Roger and Kelsey waiting. ?Rragh!? She did not dare glance behind where she knew Ulrick was struggling with the Big Evil, focusing instead on her own survival as she passed the woodlanders and continued in her escape. even as they screamed at her. Get away! Get away! If I c?n just out run them I won?t get eaten, she reasoned. The slowest. I jist have t?run faster than the slowest!

It was not long before she heard the howl of the Big Evil sounding behind and the lumbering footsteps and labored breathing of the slaves as they caught up with her. Ulrick was in the lead, bounding forward with long strides that brought him nearly to Cricket?s tail. He got away quick like, the vermin observed, storing this cowardly act away for future reference, then trying to speed up as another wail reverberated around them, its source far too close for comfort.

?There!? Ulrick panted and the ratmaid took notice of the smaller tunnel leading off to one side. With any luck, it would be too narrow for the Big Evil to follow. She darted in the new direction, distancing herself slightly from the lumbering badger, feeling the closeness of the stones around her and thanking the Fates for it.

She was so preoccupied with praying that she did not note the growing light in the tunnel, nor the murmur of disturbed, familiar voices that accompanied them, until she rounded a bend and ran full tilt into a skinny female ferret. ?Ashira? Ashira, it?s after me!? Cricket had a moment to recognize the slaver?s face before she was shoved off roughly.

?What are you doing, fool?!? the narrow-eyed adult snarled, the crew clearly evident behind her and staring with unconcealed curiosity.

?The Big Evil!? the little rat panted, regaining her feet, scurrying around Ashira and bounding past most of the crew. ?Run!?