Interlude: Rugger

[Suellyn]

Authors: Revel, Rath the Whirlwind, Eliza Lacrimosa, Venril, Damask the Minstrel, and Bellona Littlebrush



Talk resumed again after a time. The vermin and woodlanders speaking over one another as they ate, until a lull in the conversation came and one voice rose above the others.

?What do you mean, Rugger?? Birch queried. ?What story??

"As Oi 'eard it from moi mum," Rugger began, "thurr's allus been a gurt h'evil in ee caves behoind ee falls. Oi never knew furr certain wot she bee'm sayin', but it sounded orful frightful to a wee liddle moler loike me. When Oi arsked too many questions, moi papa brought me to see ee Picshure Moun'ain an' tol' me 'orrible ghoster stories abowt ee carvin's in it!

"But then ee said, 'Rugger, us'n heirs o' Loam'edge bee'm given a gurt responserbil?ty to keep ee h'evil ?idden away, burr aye!' ?Is h?exact words." The mole nodded with certainty. "Oi never thought to arsk abowt ee story aggain."

"But the Fritterik are so peaceable!" Beaz gaped. "Even if they are of vermin ancestry - "

"Peaceable?" Bellona snorted. "It was one of these peaceable creatures that killed that wretch Deadtail."

"No? tha? we mind, ye ken?" Giddy added.

Bell nodded her agreement. "Not to mention the Srechrrl. Just Fritterik who've been taught to enjoy it."

"Oi doan't think it whurr ee varmints," Rugger said, shaking his head. "It whurr summat else. An? it got out not long ago..."

* * * * * *

"Where did they come from, Ritchin? What do they want?"

"Hush, hush... I don't know. They don't seem dangerous. They seem... confused."

"They're coming this way!"

"Hold steady - slings at ease! They're unarmed."

"They're unclothed!"

"Look how small, how thin they are. They're still only young beasts!"

"Some are turning back... good riddance!"

"Oh, hush, Adeny! Listen - they're trying to speak. Hello? Hello there! I am Ritchin, leader of this Oasis. Do you come in peace?"

"Ritchin... Ritchin, that's not talking! What are they saying?"

"Rigstern, please take Adeny away. She is quite agitated, and she is in no fit state. I and the others will stay to see to these beasts."

* * * * * *

Adeny watched the young weasels play-fighting in the stream. A larger one, a female with a black tipped tail - those were stoats, weren't they? - was giving them a sound thrashing. All in good fun, Adeny knew. Her own young would play in the stream someday as well.

She enjoyed watching the ver - no. They were good creatures. It was wrong to brand them as vermin. They were kind, and interested in learning. Even more interested in food, of course. The poor things were so weak, it was a wonder -

"Owowowow!"

"Yikker!" Adeny leapt to her footpaws and raced toward the scene. "Yikker, did you bite again? No! No! I said no biting. Oh, you darling thing."

The little weasel's leg was pierced deep. Adeny carried him into the stream and rubbed away until the fur was clean of desert-dust. There was more blood than she thought such a wound would cause - the mouse turned to watch a ribbon of it ease down the stream, towards the farm fields.

"Tsk, tsk. Bad Yikker, isn't she always biting?" Adeny mumbled. The little weasel nodded miserably as she applied a mud poultice to his leg and carried him inside to rest.

"Well, no dinner for her then!" she joked. The weasel laughed. But Adeny knew it was impossible. There was no way she would let any of them starve, even just for one meal. They were her children, until her own came. She would see them through.

The crops failed that season.

* * * * * *

"It was so wrong, so wrong," Adeny sobbed, rocking back and forth over Ritchin's body. "How many? How many did we starve? Just a stupid ritual, a waste of food. But it wasn't, was it? Our ancestors had their reasons. They're still in there, lost and alone, and they're starving. But we can't let them out - we can't! We mustn't! Ritchen - Ritchen speak to me. Tell me I'm right. I'm right, aren't I? We can't let them out. But they came out on their own, looking for food. And they found us. And they cursed as, as we had cursed them. The crops, the crops were enough, I thought. We could go upriver and scavenge, you said. But this, this is too much! Too much too much too much, oh, Ritchin... I couldn't let you. Why did you try to...? What in season's name - why would you try to bite our son?"

She dropped the knife in her paw and hugged her mate's body closer.

* * * * * *

"And you're sure they're gone?"

"Oi led ee liddle uns out far as Oi could starnd to go moiself, marm."

"We should have... done better by them. Drowning would be... or a knife... But who could bring themselves to?"

"Oi cain?t say, marm..."

"Oh my seasons, what kind of beasts are we, Rigstern? To leave innocent young beasts to die out there?"

"We'm just be doin' what we'm must, marm. Thurr b'aint no gudd way to go abowt doin' it."

"No... no, I suppose there isn't. But, Rigstern, I'll need your help more from now on. I can't lead the Oasis myself. And there's so much more to do. The ritual on top of the cliffs - we're going to bring that back. It had its purpose. And Picture Mountain. I need you to go there, and see what you can do about stopping... stopping more from coming out."

"Oi'll do whatever ee arsks, marm."

"Thank you. They weren't bad beasts... not bad beasts at all. I'd like for us to do right by them, from now on. As much as we can."

"An' moight I say, marm, ee liddle uns bee'm gurtly beoterfuls."

"Oh, Rigstern... You're so sweet!"

* * * * * *

"But none of us have been infected with any disease," Venril said.

"What about Sailpaw?" Bellona demanded.

"An? where's Figgums an? Jezzer, th?shrews?" Giddy said, ears pointed accusingly at the stoat. "I havenae seen hide nor hair o?em since after tha? Sketcherl attack!"

"My matey Redtail's gone, too," a searat complained.

"I haven't seen that ferret, whatsisname, Verand, for a while now, either."

"Haven't - why haven't thee been staying in groups?" Baez demanded. "I told thee to stay together, and to have one of the Fritterik accompany thee at all times outside thy chambers. Has nobeast heeded? None at all?"

"What, and have your jibberin? loonies tailin? us to the bog?" Matukhana said. "You said yourself, spikedog - the Stencherls or whatever they're called only get in through that main tunnel we came through. None of us have been stupid enough to wander around there, except the guards I stationed to protect your precious diggin? crew, so what's the problem?"

"Pitfalls!" Baez shouted. "Ledges! Moss-slickened passages! Not to mention there could be after-shocks from that earthquake - just because we haven't had but a few pile of rubble settling doesn't mean it can't happen!

"Have you ever been bitten?" Bellona asked coldly.

"Well, no, the Fritterik can?t exactly bite a Vik?hrr Chivkis..."

?Why?s that? Are one-eyed freaks so special?? Eliza snorted.

?As it happens: yes.? Baez did not elaborate further and the marten made an impatient noise in the back of her throat.

?If ye?ve nivver been bitten, then ye cannae know, sir,? Giddy picked up. ?Pi?falls an? earthquakes migh? no? be th?worst o? oor troubles yet.?

"This entire venture is a mess!" Birch wailed. "I just wanted to find my brother and give him this shell and now my hammer's been taken and..."

"Stop whinin'," Revel snorted.

Before Birch could find a suitable retort, a blind wildcat appeared. They recognized his sightless face as the leader of the underground world.

"Fritterik just tell me," Yriki Chivkis said, stepping up behind Beaz, "digging is finished. Shrip leave when want."

A great whooping and cheering set up along the tables. When it died down a little, the wildcat continued, now smiling even wider:

"Vik?hrr-Chivkis Baez? Your time come. Follow me, and let honour be on you."

The hedgehog visibly paled. "No... no! I regret to say so, but thou'rt mistaken... I am not worthy."

"Leadership of shrip is much good. There no arguments. Chivkis must honour you."

"What's going on?" Bellona whispered. "What's this about?"

"I think I know." Rath?s features darkened.

Baez positioned himself near Bellona.

"No, Yriki! No - I want to see the outside. I am leaving!"