Bend and Break

[Alan]

Screams are interesting things.  There are screams of joy, accompanied by tears of laughter.  Screams of rage.   Screams of pain that are torn from your lips despite your best efforts to be brave.

This scream sent a shiver scrambling down Alan?s spine and jerked his body into action before his mind had time to assess the situation. 

?What the-!?

?Sir!  They?re attacking!?

Alan felt his paw clenching around the hilt of his sword without remembering how it had gotten there.  His eyes focused.  He was in the great hall and the scream was still going.  Somehow, he was getting closer to it.  Ah yes.  He was running.

Alan burst out of the castle mainframe out into the grounds.  He could see the source of the scream now.  Standing framed between the open gates, with water rats pouring in around him, stood the scarred rat.  Throat held fast between his wicked claws, Rallentando?s footpaws twitched above the ground as the rat tightened his grip, and silenced her forever. 

?Alan!?

The mink felt his stomach twist inside as the rat dropped the girls carcass and kick it aside.  Slowly looking up, the rat made eye contact with him, then, raising a wicked looking spear to the sky, he howled.

?Attack, Children!  Rend this place stone from stone and restore the glory of the waters!  I, Morleo, will lead you to clean these heathen scum from our pure lands!? 
As if on cue, the sky opened up with a crash of thunder and a flash of lightning.  Water began to pour down in freezing torrents, turning the cold ground into a trap of mud and slime.

Alan was running dead out now.  No one invaded his home and killed?  Children.   No one invaded his home and killed anybody.   

?Vulpuz will take you!? he hissed.  He was getting closer to the scarred rat.  Alan could see the twisted limbs, bulging with muscle and malice, and he raised his sword.

?Alan!?

Whoever was calling him could wait.  He had a job to do.

?Umph!?

Alan felt the breath leave his lungs as something barreled into his side and sent him skidding across the ground.  He twisted, legs scrabbling to kick into his opponent?s soft underbelly, but they weren?t there. 

?Wher-?

?Shuttup!? 

His head turned as someone slapped his face.  With a snarl he twisted his head to see who was holding him down.  Rousseau sat, straddling his chest, trying to keep out of the way of his flailing sword.  Leaning down she hissed in his ear;

"Ya may be the one in charge 'ere, captain, but it's my crew were on the walls when they attacked.  Now ya better order a retreat inside now, or we'll all be slaughtered before mornin'!"

Alan pushed her off of him and stood up.  All around them beasts were fighting and falling.  Some water rats, some soldiers, but it was becoming clear that they were easily outnumbered, and the ratio of soldiers to water rats was grim.  He slashed through a rat?s throat as it ran past and then stabbed into its side for good measure.   

?That?s for murdering children!?

Rousseau slapped him again. "Wot in Hellgates are ya goin' on about?  Get yer head together an' call a retreat!"

Alan snarled, his paw rising to hit her back when a grinning water rat?s head appeared behind Rousseau?s shoulder.  He punched him instead.

?They killed Rail?  They killed Rall?  Ra?  Rabbit.  They killed the stupid rabbit!?

She stared at him.  ?Wots that t? you??

Alan met her gaze and sneered.  ?Because she was nice to me, all right?  And thank you so much for preventing me from killing the leader of this disaster!?

Rousseau turned him around to gaze over the compound.  ?Look ya idiot!?

He looked.  The water rats were quickly overpowering Lord Tirians army.  The wolves, alerted by the chaos had emerged and were trying to put up a defense system, but caught by surprise as they were the effort was futile.  As he watched, rats surrounded Yvo and forced him to the ground by sheer weight in numbers.  Alan smiled despite himself. 

?Take that you worthless-?

?Captain, now!?

?Retreat!?  Alan yelled.  Even across the compound, he could feel Kovari?s glare of rage at his cowardice.  Lord Tirian bent his head to hiss something to her she tilted her ears back, and with snarls and snapping retreated into the castle a half moon of Alan?s soldiers covering their escape. 

The call of retreat echoed across the fortress grounds.  Beast by beast they moved inside the shelter of the castle, leaving the water rats to mill around, taking the life of the occasional slave they found and taking prisoner anyone who seemed of any importance.

Together, Alan and Rousseau fought their way to the doors.  Alan looked up to see Tobias motioning them inside.

?Get in!? he yelled.  ?Once you?re in we can bar the door!?

As they got past the last rat standing in their way, Alan turned to look back.  The rats were regrouping, planning a charge towards the barricaded door.   He grinned at them, waving his bloody sword high. 

?Come get me ya blighters!?

?Alan!?

Rousseau shoved him back into the door.  ?Get inside now!?

And then it happened.  Alan?s eyes lit on the infirmary building.  Standing alone, apart from the main castle? Defenseless.

Energy he didn?t know he had surged through his body and spurred him to action.  He took a step forward, and then another.

?Where are ya goin???  Rousseau screamed.

?I have to get Konner!? Alan yelled back. 

?Are you mad?!?

?I can?t leave him!?

He pounded forward, oblivious to the mass of rats surging towards him to cut him off.  As sling stones whizzed past his ears and smashed onto the ground around him, there was only one thing he could see.  Konner was waiting for him.

Somehow, by the will of Vulpuz, he reached the building.  He slammed the door open and stumbled in.  Ahead of him loomed the stairs, so inviting, so daunting.  Had the rats found his brother yet?  His paws clenched into fists.  If they had?

He whirled as someone clattered in behind him.  His sword lowered as he recognized Rousseau.  Her cheek was bleeding from a sling stone that had gotten far too close to doing real damage to its target.

?What the hell are you doing here?  Are you trying to get killed??  Alan glared at her.

She shook water out of her fur.  "Ya needed somebeast t'watch yer back, ya daft idiot!"

Alan felt a retort coming to his tongue as another crash of thunder rattled the building.  He swallowed.

?Thank you.?

She nodded curtly.  "Wotever, now ya had better go an' get wot was so important that ya had t' risk me life fer." Rousseau turned back to the door. "I'll hold these buggers off."

Without another word Alan pounded up the steps two at a time, bursting through the door at the top.  The room was like it had been so many times before.  Empty save for Konner?s heavy breathing echoing through it.  Despite the rain pounding on the roof, Alan could hear every harsh breath.  He went to his brother?s side, and reaching down, slid his arms under the still body.  Cradling him like a baby. 

?Easy now,? he murmured as he eased Konner out of bed.  ?We?ve got a long way ahead.?

He was amazed at how light his brother had gotten.  His wasted skin stretched out across his skeleton like fabric stretched too tightly over brittle sticks.  Alan clenched his teeth, and his eyes narrowed.  If Vulpuz did indeed demand a life, it wouldn?t be this one.  He moved to the door and eased his way down the stairs.  Rousseau was leaning against a closed door.  She started as she caught sight of the mink cradled in Alan?s arms. 

?What th-?

?He?s my brother.? Alan snapped.  ?Can we go now??

She stared back and forth between his face and Konner.  "He looks jest like ya!"

Alan rolled his eyes.  ?Yes, amazing the resemblance between twins.  Can we go now??

Rousseau blinked, then shaking herself, nodded towards the door.  "Right, here's the plan.  I'm goin' first.  You can't defend yerself while yer carryin' 'im."

Alan shifted Konner until he hung over his shoulder, holding his brothers limp legs tight to him, leaving his paw free for his sword.

?I?m not helpless!?

She snorted "Yer not much good either.  Now shut up.  I'm goin' out first.  You count t' ten, then follow me.  With any luck, I kin draw them away an' give ya enough time t' get across the ground 'afore they realize wot's happened."

?Just have to be the hero, don?t you??

She eyed him. "You were right.  I won't leave my beasts behind again.  Alive," she nodded at Konner's still body, "or dead."

Alan snorted.  ?He isn?t dead!  And you?re welcome.?

"Don't ya mean 'thank ya'?"

He shrugged.  ?Get me back alive and we?ll talk about thank yous.?

She looked squarely at him.  "Ya owe me, Blacktip."

?Go to hell.?

She threw open the door and even with her one eye, managed a wink.  ?I?ll see ya there!?

Alan counted to ten as the thunder rolled around him, punctuated by the screams and clash of battle.  When he hit eight he started running, brandishing his sword in front of him.  He would survive this.  His lips pulled back in a grin.  He would for Konner.

Outside the ground was treacherous.  The mud was getting thicker, sucking at his paws as he ran.  His eyes fixed on the slim bar of light that promised safety.  He was closer now.  A stone slashed through the air and ripped a gash in his ear.  He yelled in pain as he felt warm, sticky liquid start to slide down his face.  Gritting his teeth he moved forward again.  Another stone hit his leg, he tripped and almost fell as his leg went numb.  He tried not to think about what would happen to Konnor if a stone hit him, ending the fragile life that was already so close to fleeting.

Ahead of him the warm light of safety was almost at his footpaws.  He stumbled closer, the weight of his brother crushing down on his shoulders.  He would make it.  He had to.  He?d promised.

?Some of you blighters help me get him in!? he screamed at the door.  Before he?d finished speaking, the familiar shapes of Tobias and Rexim appeared, lifting, and helping him struggle through with his precious burden.  As they reached safety, and the comforting sound of the door slamming shut, Alan let the adrenaline wash over him.  His heart pounded hard as his chest rose and fell with heavy breathing.   Letting Tobias and Rexim take the weight of Konnor off of him, Alan slumped to the floor, looking around at the gathered crowd.  Slaves and soldiers alike stood, weapons in paw, ready to fight to the death if the rats chose to storm the door.  Even now, two soldiers and a slave moved a heavy chest in front of the barred door, and piled chairs on top of it, sealing them inside.

Aloof from the proceedings, Clutus looked on, Mirdros, paw firmly stuck in his mouth, seated primly beside him.  Alan laughed.

?Not a bad show then for a surprise attack.?

Rexim looked up from where he was seated next to Konner?s still body. 

"Eet was good enough. We lost a lot of soldiers out there."

Alan snorted.  ?We all made it, save for the rabbit.?  He ignored the churning in his stomach.  ?Pity that.?

There was silence.  Alan looked around.  ?Where?s Rousseau??

No one said a word.  Around his paw, Mirdros smirked at him.  Alan stood up.

?Where?s Rousseau?  Is she hurt??

Tobias stood from where he?d been kneeling next to Konnor and moved towards the window.  He motioned Alan to stand next to him.  The churning in his stomach worsened.

?Look,? said Tobias.

Dread mounting, Alan went to the window and gazed out.  Through flashes of lightning, he could see rats surrounding a single beast.  From the looks of it, they weren?t having an easy time.  But sheer weight of numbers was their greatest weapon, and they used it.  As another bolt of white light slashed across his vision, he saw the scarred rat, Morleo raise a club and bring it down hard on the back of Rosseau?s head.  As she fell limp, the rat looked up at him and raised his weapon to the sky, laughter twisting back his lips in a gruesome smile.

?Blast her to Vulpuz!?  Before Tobias could stop him, Alan slammed his fist into the window.  The heavy glass cracked and splintered, shards ripping through fur and skin as he punched into open air.  His paw dripped blood as rain began to pound through the broken glass.

He turned away from the scene and faced the assembled beasts.  Three pairs of eyes stared back at him.  There were four of them now, if Rousseau wasn?t dead from that blow, the rats would surely take care to see that she was by other means soon.  Four that Vulpuz chose to fulfill his mission left alive.  And once again, with Konnor?s body a grim reminder, it was his fault.