Death of Innocence

[Alan]

To lose ones mate is a harrowing experience.  Various beasts may deal with it in different ways.  There was usually some crying, maybe a bit of furniture throwing, lots of drinking, preferably alcohol.  The proper protocol in these situations was to; offer a pat on the back, paw holding, gentle murmurings of, well, it didn't matter really, whatever sounded good at the time.  It's amazing how nice, "thatnogooddirtyrottenscoundrelIhopeherotsinhellgatestherenowdeariewe'veonlygotonehankydon'truinitallinonego!" can sound when murmured gently to a beast in distress.

"Hold her arms blast it!"

Alan struggled to avoid Kovari's snapping teeth and flailing claws.  While loosing a mate could send one into a killing spree of any and all living things nearby, he hardly thought that this was the one he wanted to deal with.

Lady Kovari thought otherwise.

"Release me! I will rain death down upon their disgusting little heads!  They want a lake?  I'll give them a lake.  A lake of blood!  No beast degrades the Alpha of the Northlands!"

Alan ducked his head around the frantic female and yelled at the first beast he saw.  

"Rousseau, get everyone out of the corridors to the library now!"

She blinked her good eye at him.  "Wot?"

"Library, out of the way, now!" he yelled over the wolf's screams.

"You and you, help me!"  He pointed at a fox and a rat who ran to help him.  Together they wrestled Kovari out of the mess hall and into the hallways leading to the library.  Out of the corner of his eye Alan saw a beast move as if to follow them.  Risking a quick glance back Alan saw Tobias standing in the doorway.

"Don't just stand there you idiot, get your tail over here!"

"I will have you all burned alive!" raged Kovari.

"Very good," muttered Alan.  "Maybe Vulpuz will let me sleep then."

Tobias arrived beside him.

"You look like you have everything under control."

Alan moved the wolf another step along the hallway.  "Find a spot and grab hold," he snarled.  "Now push!"  

They moved her another few steps.

"Traitors!  Mutiny!  I'll kill you all!"

Ahead, Alan could see the library with Rousseau holding the door open.  Gritting his teeth, Alan forced the wolf towards it.

"Forgive me, my lady," he said as they pushed her through.  "I'm sure you'll understand one day."

"I'll rip your ears from your sorry head, Blacktip!  I'll have you skinned alive!  I'll-"

Rousseau slammed the door shut as Alan and Tobias grabbed an ornate sideboard and shoved it in front of the door, making Kovari a prisoner in her own castle.  

Alan leaned against the sideboard and breathed.  From inside the room came more shrieks of rage and the sound of crashing furniture.  He jumped as something heavy crashed against the door and made the sideboard rattle.

Tobias joined him as they braced themselves against the sideboard, keeping the door shut.

"Why don't we jest set 'er on the rats?" Rousseau joked. "Seems like she could clean them all up, an' then we'd be done."

Alan grunted as the sideboard was shoved into his ribs again.  "Because if both our fearless leaders get captured, I'm going to think this whole affair is pointless, and I'll have completely failed as head Captain of this fortress.  I'm not even certain she'd go for the rats in the mood she's in.  I'm more prone to think she'd kill whoever was standing in front of her at the time, and at the moment, that's us.  Also-"

"Aye, I think you've made yer point."

Alan rolled his eyes.  "Then shut up."

"Where were you this morning?"

Alan jerked his head around.  "What?"  He stared at Tobias.  

The younger mink was glaring at him.  "You know what I mean," he snapped.  "Where were you this morning?  When the fight came, you weren't there."

Alan thought back.  He smiled.

"On the roof, like I said."

"You're lying."

Alan eyed him as another jarring crash shook him.  "I've killed beasts for less than that."

Tobias pointed at his wounded paw.  "Your paw is bandaged."

"So?"

"Adrian was with you and I damn well know you weren't on a roof!"

Alan tilted his head.  "I told you I'd get her first."  He grinned nastily.  "You'll love her, she's magnificent."

"I'll kill you."  

Alan laughed out loud.  "Oh really?  Seems like you have a hard enough time trying not to kill yourself when attacked en masse by a group of rats."

There was a final crash against the door, and then sudden silence reigned in the library.  Alan listened hard, but there was no sound.  He relaxed and then pointed at the two soldiers who had helped him restrain Kovari.  "You two stand guard.  If she attempts to get out in a less than civil mood, I want to be called immediately."

A small voice from behind them spoke up.  "What does ______! mean?"

They turned to see Mirdros standing in the hallway.  He blinked at them and pointed at Rousseau.  "That demon fiend is supposed to be watching me."

Alan turned to Rousseau.  "Well then, what does _______! mean?"

She glared at him.  "That ain't fair."

Alan spread his paws.  "Well forgive me for not being there when fairness was being given out.  Last I remember, you're the one watching him.  You answer him."

Rousseau chewed on her claw for a minute, and then grinned wickedly.  "______! means yer father," she said.  "Don't ever forget it."

Mirdros chewed a claw.  "It doesn't sound like it means my father," he spoke around his paw.  "It sounds like a bad word."

Alan snorted.  "Don't be silly.  We wouldn't say bad words in front of kits."

Tobias choked on a laugh.

"Shut up."  Alan growled.  "Rousseau, why don't you go find him something to eat, and when he's all fed, I'll take the little monster.  You get some sleep.  Vulpuz knows you need it."

Rousseau nodded and then taking Mirdros's paw, headed back towards the mess hall.  Alan moved to follow her, when Tobias grabbed his arm.

"Stop."

Alan looked down at the paw Tobias had on him.  "Get off of me."

"Not until you tell me the truth.  Why was Adrian with you?"

Alan shook him off.  "What's it matter to you, she's only been here a few months."

"It matters a good deal to me!"

"Well then, lover boy, why don't you ask her yourself what she was doing in my room in the early hours of the morning?"

"You dare-"

"I dare a lot of things boy!  Now go away."

"It's a good thing your brother is asleep, Alan.  He'd kill you himself."

Alan whirled on the younger mink.  "Oh and you're free of family shame yourself?  Where's your father, Toby?  What made him abandon his beloved son within these hallowed walls?"

"Where's your wife, Alan?" the younger mink snarled.  "Where has she gone?"

Alan stepped back as if he'd been punched.  The unread letter tucked into his tunic gained weight and burned against him.  He reached down to his sword hilt and his eyes narrowed.

"You want to go there, Forst?"

The younger mink drew his own sword.  "I think it's far past time we went there, Captain."