Light and Shadow

[Tassle Riverswift]

Fighting was going on all around her, but Tassle couldn't find it in her to care. They weren't her friends- let them all kill each other if they wished! Pushing down the sick feeling in her stomach, the shrew gathered her friends together and tried to get them out of the carnage.

"The tunnels," she hissed into Brooga's ear, pushing the mole in front of her.

"What 'bout zur wolvers?"

A particularly loud scream sounded out above the cacophony of the battle behind. The hair stood up on Tassle's back and, throat dry, she clutched at her sword.

"It couldn't be any worse than this." Almost to the trapdoor, Tassle hesitated and turned back. One of the rats broke off from the main fray and was skulking along the wall. Her jaw tightened. "Go quickly," she whispered to Brooga and Roger. Her eyes narrowed. "I'll be there in a moment."

No one noticed the little shrew darting back towards the battle. Her heart beat loudly in her chest, the pounding in her ears drowning out even the sounds of the battle. Everything was dark and shadowy, but she could see the rat as clearly as if he'd been standing in full sunlight. He was intent on his own escape and didn't notice her approach until it was too late.

For the second time that day Tassle held a knife to the rat Obligo's throat, firey anger coursing through her veins. She was smiling fiercly as she wrapped her paws in the rat's robe and pulled the blade close.

"Hello," she whispered roughly. She felt the rat quiver a little under her paws. "You're coming with me."

~

The sounds of the fighting did not reach down to the first cellar. Perhaps the fighting had stopped by now- there was no way they could be sure. Tassle wasn't about to go back up. Their little truce had failed miserably and now that brat was in charge of things. Her power may not last for long, but this shrew wasn't about to be around while she was queening it up above. The rat was treacherous.

This rat, however, was in her control. And he was afraid of her. Tassle could see him quake a little when she met his eyes, and a feeling of power welled up in her. Someone feared her. Good.

Brooga had found some cord and tied Obligo up. They propped him amid the broken down boxes in the cellar and gathered around him in a half circle. A torch gave off a warm, flickering light, and his eyes gleamed in it.

Tassle was still grinning, though it was completely without humor.

"You have blood on your robes," she said finally, raising an eyebrow. "And you're wounded. Been doing Cricket's dirty work for her?"

Obligo tried to draw himself up, but failed. He glared at her.

"We follow her for now," he said sullenly. "Wakeeha fail us. Little rat strong, for now."

"But you are their leader. Do they not follow you?"

Obligo's eyes blazed. "You stupid and be not knowing!" He spat the words out, but Tassle merely gave a slight smile. She could barely keep her burning excitement from showing in her voice.

"Maybe not," she said. "That doesn't matter. Let's talk about something else, shall we?" Obligo remained sullenly silent. "How about this. Do you want to regain your leadership position?" The shrew leaned forward, knotting her paws in front of her. Her voice dropped and became persuasive. "Or maybe go beyond that. Wakeeha had a powerful voice in your tribe. She was their seer. She is no longer powerful, now. Perhaps she never will be again. Cricket takes her place for now. If Cricket is removed... there will only be you."

The rat eyed her warily. "What do you want?"

"I want Cricket gone just as much as you. I suggest we work together for a little while. If we stop fighting- and you don't try to feed us to your little pets anymore- we'll get a lot more done. How does that sound?"

Obligo remained silent for a long time, his dark eyes shifting nervously. Finally he whetted his lips and spoke. "I agree." His voice rasped loudly, echoing slightly in the cellar. He held out his paws. "Let me free."

Tassle felt the urge to leap around and dance, but fought it down and restricted herself to a grim smile. "I'm glad to hear it, sir. But we're not done yet. We agree that we have a common goal to work towards. Now we come down to another item. I have something else that I want...

~

It was earlier. Consumed with frustration and rage at the way things were going, and at how helpless she felt, Tassle had stalked off to wander. She almost dared someone to challenge her. A fight would be welcome! There was nothing complicated about smashing somebeast's teeth in.

Her anger gave her the energy to walk long and far, back and forth throughout the area they had staked as their territory. Raised voices behind a door finally recalled her to herself. Staring about stupidly, she was just about to try to find out where she was when the voices made her pause.

It was Lowri. And Ulrick.

Rage immediately engulfed her again. That traitor! How dare he! Now he was making deals with their fine captain? Well, let him. Curse him, they didn't need him anymore! They were just fine without a stupid badger who couldn't care less about them. Let him trade himself to the Dark Gates if he wished. She was through with him.

Seething, she turned to stalk off when a sentence from the conversation filtered clearly through the door. It was Lowri.

"Bring me my daughter, and your passage aboard my rescue ship is assured."

Tassle froze.

For a long while she stood in a daze, the sentence ringing and repeating itself in her mind. She stared at nothing but her lips moved silent. His daughter...

A sound down the passageway made her jerk and then scurry off, trying to keep quiet. Her heart was in her mouth and, once again, she saw a tiny glimmer of hope.

~

Obligo looked a little panicked. "We do nothing of that!" he gibbered. "No take little one. That was... them."

That was bad news. Tassle felt a little chill sweep down her spine and swallowed hard. "No matter," she said firmly. "I will hear news of her. If you cannot tell me if she's alive, then I'll just have to talk to them myself."

The rat stared at her and Tassle nearly bit her lip. What was she saying? But this was their best- maybe their only- chance. She just had to hope Cricket managed to save Jonas. With effort she held Obligo's gaze. Finally mastering his tongue, Obligo spoke.

"You crazy," he said, voice shrill. "But..." His eyes began to shift again. "What you trade me? To take you see?"

Tassle drew her knife and looked at the blade shimmering in the torchlight calmly. Her gaze flickered over to Brooga, who sat with Roger a little way away. When she looked back at Obligo there was no hint of a smile on her face.

"Your life," she said flatly, just above a whisper. "Because I'll kill you if you don't."

~

The tunnels were dank and dark, much as before. Their torches seemed to make little progress against the shadows the flickered and danced around them. It was easy, far too easy, to see monsters hidden behind every rock. The air smelt bad. Tassle had forgotten how stale and cloying it had been.

They traveled in a single file line, as silently as they could. Their paws scuffed against the uneven ground and their breathing rasped in the stillness. Obligo went first, his eyes wide with terror. Tassle went behind him with her knife in her paw, watching him closely. Behind her Brooga and Roger clustered close.

Tassle had wanted them to stay behind, safe. This was going to be dangerous. The shrew, deep in her heart, had little hope that she would come out alive. But Brooga had insisted. Her eyes were also wide and frightened, and she nearly quaked at every step they took downward, but she firmly declared that she would not be left behind.

"We be in this t'gethurr," she insisted. Tassle, tears starting in her eyes, had agreed. They lived or died together.

The plan, such as it was, was madness. But maybe madness was the only thing left to them. Sometimes Tassle felt like she herself was going mad. This island was driving her crazy. Secrets, monsters, and danger everywhere. She had lived with danger so long that it was beginning to drain her. Desperation was beginning to goad her onward. Evil was everywhere. At least she could choose to face it.

It was this desperation that enabled her to keep walking forward. Step by step, one paw in front of the other, she was drawing closer to a fearsome monster. Was she going to her death? She would die anyway. So she fought down the panic that rose with each footfall and clung to grim determination. No imagining. No turning back.

She was so scared!

Mossflower Wood seemed like such a dream. It was miles away from this evil, barren, island. Everything good and wonderful was there. She was beginning to forget what it had really been like. Her mother- did she still wait for her Tassle, and mourn her? Did she think she was dead? Tassle couldn't remember what she looked like.

A lump rose in her throat and tears began to glimmer in her eyes. Tassle fought them back valiantly and turned her thoughts away. Not now. Thoughts of home did not help. Instead she would think of dangerous Cricket, above her, and of all the dangers that faced her. It was easier to face one terror when you knew that there were others wherever you went.

She still nearly shrieked aloud when Obligo stopped suddenly in front of her, turning frightened eyes to her.

"We here," he whispered agonizingly. "I go no more!"

Tassle, heart racing, regained herself enough to frown at him, but he just shook with terror. It was obvious there was no going forward with him.

"Brooga-" she started, but the mole shook her head firmly. The shrew sighed and turned to Roger. "Watch him."

Roger almost collapsed with relief. He took a jagged knife from his belt and moved closer to Obligo. The rat didn't even seem to notice him. He was too taken with staring down the passageway, whimpering to himself.

If I die, Tassle thought, moving almost in a trance past Obligo to a narrow opening in the wall. Who will remember the things I have done? Will the Guosim remember me? Will anyone ever leave the island who speaks of a stupid, brave, shrew who died at the hands of a monster? I'll never know...

There was light beyond the opening, and the scent of some sort of herb burning that drowned out the rankness of the cave. Tassle felt the smell- bitter but not unpleasant- fill her nostrils as she stepped inside. There was a fire burning in the center of the cave.

It took her eyes a little time to adjust to the brightness of it. Blinking stupidly, a paw raised to her face, she looked around her in a daze. A voice, soft and mocking, whispered in her ear.

"Well, well, two little morsels! It is not every day that my meal comes to me of its own free will. Do enter, my lovely snacks. Come into Meena's cavern and let me have a look at you."

A wolf, slighter than the other two but still huge, sat on a rug of skins by the fire. It was female, a beautiful shimmering silver from ears to tail, and dressed in beautiful cloth of light green. She looked at Tassle with dark, mesmerizing eyes. Almost against her will, the shrew took a trembling step forward into the firelight. Her paw tightened on her weapon.

But what good would a weapon be against this?

"I have come to talk to you. About the marten Derya." Her voice shook. "I need her back if she's still alive."

"Really? And who would this Derya be?" The voice was so smooth and disarming, yet so utterly and terrifyingly evil. "Another adorable appetizer?"

"She is- was-" Tassle was finding it hard to find the right words. She couldn't seem to tear her eyes away from the wolf. "Jonas' daughter!" she burst out. "I need to save her so I can go home."

"How utterly fascinating. Do tell me more. Come, sit by my fire! It has been long since I have been so entertained."

Hardly knowing she did it, Tassle sat down across the fire on a soft rug of skin, shuddering as her paws touched it but not taking her eyes away from Meena. The wolf raised an eyebrow and gestured a graceful, clawed paw at her.

And Tassle told her.

Everything spilled out in a stream of babbling words. Finally, when everything had been told, Tassle stopped, breathing hard. The cave seemed to hot and whatever herb was burning began to make her head ache.

Meena laughed, a silvery sound that made Tassle's fur stand on end.

"Oh, yes, how touching! And why do you think we would help you?"

"Because-" Tassle blurted the words out before she had time to even think where they had come from. "Because you must want to get off the island too. And I know how you can do it."