Ode to Good Neighbor

[Bellona Littlebrush]

Good threats make good neighbors.



Ten days, Bell thought. How could so much?ve happened in just ten days?

They marched along excitedly toward the exit of the thrice blasted caves, woodland slaves and the remnants of Martin?s Shadow -- An army of two. Hah! The dormouse was hard-pressed to keep a mad grin from spreading across her face. She had to keep it together, just as she always kept it together. Oh, but wasn?t it just the height of hilarity -- a leftenant with no captain and a recruit greener than the new berries on a juniper bush?

Sailpaw?d know what to say to him right now if it?d been me. The realization was disheartening enough to subdue her minor bout of hysteria. She furrowed her brow unconsciously. Baez, a constant presence beside her -- as if expecting some special protection -- glanced at her, concern evident in his gentle eye.

?Are thee all right?? he queried.

Bell merely grunted and increased her pace, drawing even with Damask, who hopped along a few steps in front of the woodlander clump. That was something the dormouse most definitely did not like. The vermin crew and a few curious Fritterik formed an unwelcome guard around them -- Like a horde surrounding an unprepared training camp full of recruits and tired old warriors.

She set aside the worthless comparison and instead focused on the robin beside her. Although his expression held as much hope and relief as the next beast, a twinge of pain at each jolting step tarnished the sentiment. Damask hadn?t spoken about the wing injury he?d incurred at some point in the last week and a half, which meant it definitely hadn?t been Venril doing. That left only one beast with enough enmity and iron to attack him.

?What?s your read on Matukhana?? Bell asked, startling the bird from whatever fantasy he had been lost in. She almost smiled, not the mad grin she?d fought to contain before, but a genuinely affectionate curl of her mouth. For a moment, he?d reminded her just the tiniest bit of Freyr when he was engrossed in his clay shaping or painting -- so easy to surprise, then.

?My read?? The bird blinked thoughtfully before launching into a quiet, yet somehow grandiose description. That was another of Damask?s special talents -- He?s an entire troupe in one. Comedian and tragedian, hero and villain, noblebeast and spy, comrade and enemy. Just how many costumes did the robin own? And how many did she put on herself?

He?d seen her without her costumes -- naked, not undressed, but truly naked and vulnerable. There were no costumes to wear in the night when old friends and foes united to plague her dreams, and he had seen that. He had seen and, instead of turning away with an uncomfortable laugh as Sailpaw would have, he had pressed and pressed. She hated him for that?and she loved him.

?He?s not the cleverest creature to walk this land,? Damask shook her from her thoughts as he began, ?but he?s no fool, either. He cares only for what others will give him, not what he has to work for. He sets his sights on the tangible because he has no imagination for what could be, only what is. And??

?And?? Bell prompted.

?And he would stab his own mother in the back,? Damask concluded. ?Whether she deserved it or not.?

?Oh, I think she?d deserve it,? the dormouse commented with a flash of teeth that might generously be called a smile. ?The beast who birthed that blackguard?d deserve anything she got.?

?Hmm?? was all Damask had to offer on the subject, for at that moment they both had more pertinent concerns than a vermin captain?s character. Mainly, the treacherous scree at the base of a slope leading to an even more precarious stretch of rubble above. She noted the Picture Mountain off to one side and glanced ahead where the fox in question was already defying the steep incline with the Fritterik chittering encouragement at him. Bell started up, praising and cursing the diggers in equal measure for their efforts to open the passage as quickly as possible.

= ~ = ~ =

The descent from the shifting mountain of limestone proved faster and less dangerous than the ascent, but everybeast agreed that a halt was in order after the last creature had crossed the threshold. Some time later, Bell stood, stretched and ordered, ?Move out.?

It was a queer sensation. She was used to commanding others, as Leftenant Littlebrush to Captain Sailpaw, it was second nature. But for her to have decided those orders on her own, nobeast to ask for confirmation? Queer. The woodlanders, Fritterik, and even a few of the more compliant vermin moved to obey, but another voice stopped them.

?I?ll move when I feel like it, mouse,? Rath challenged. Silence fell like a hail of arrows, turning the beasts in the tunnel into staring corpses. Even the simple Fritterik sensed the tension in the air and stilled.

?I said ?move out?, ferret,? Bell repeated coolly.

?I said ?no?,? Rath sneered. They glared at each other in the dim light cast by the holes in the ceiling and walls of the tunnel, each daring the other to look away first.

?What?s the point in sittin? around, then, cullies?? Matukhana wondered aloud, standing and breaking the spell. ?I want to get out of these bleedin? caves.? Without preamble, he stumped onward. First one by one, then in pairs, then in a mass, the other creatures sitting about began to follow until it was only the warriors left, the ferret reclining, the dormouse at attention.

?It?s a draw, then.? He spat, stood, and hurried after the others. Bell followed reluctantly.

= ~ = ~ =

?What do you mean enslave the Fritterik?? Venril?s shrill demand carried clearly over the chatter near the front of the crowd. Bell was surprised to see the devious stoat?s paws balling into fists as he directed his glare at Matukhana. She?d noticed him becoming less?submissive in the caves under Rath?s training, but to openly defy the fox captain?

Unexpected. If he was a poisoner, keeping a low, unobtrusive profile should have been the top of his list. He was, then, either incredibly stupid, or? The plague. Could Sailpaw have?

?They?ve no notion of such things,? the mustelid continued, ?and we were supposed to be helping them escape the underground, not taking advantage like the Srechrrl.?

?Don?t get your tail in a twist, boy.? Matukhana shrugged noncommittally as he strode toward the flickering, twisting light of the waterfall exit not twelve badger-lengths away. ?We need slaves to rebuild the ship if we want to get out of here. The more slaves, the faster that happens, as a wise beast reminded me recently.? Bell?s head jerked up sharply at this statement, but all she could see was the tod?s back and scraggly tail.

That conniving, snot-nosed Chickenhound...

Before she could even begin to calm them, a shiver of fear ran through the woodlanders, pincered between the Srechrrl in the dark behind and Matukhana?s horde in the light ahead. Muttering broke out.

?Oh, Hellgates, I don?t wanna be a slave again.?
?Boo hurr! That foxer bee?m a rotten likkle creature!?
?What can we do, mates? Go back? We?re tryin? t?get out o? this hole.?
?We could figh?!?
?An? get slaughtered? How many vermin d?ye reckon are out there, longears??
?If I just had my hammer I could??

?Enough!? Bell hissed at them. She hadn?t anticipated Matukhana?s decision to enslave the Fritterik and his words sounded clearly what he thought of the truce she?d made with Venril at the start of these troubles.

Well then, the dormouse decided, paw coming up to rest on the hilt of her dirk, it?s time I take the initiative.

?Damask.? She motioned to the harried robin who hopped over to her. His creased brow and puffed feathers broadcasting that he was none-too-pleased with the sudden turn of events.

?When we?re tenpace from the waterfall,? the dormouse murmured as Venril?s indignation crescendoed, ?I?m going to attack Matukhana, hold him hostage. It?s the only way we?ll get out of here without going straight back to chains. When that happens, I need you to fly out. I?m sorry. I know you?re wounded, but I need you to do this for me. You?ll only get hurt in these tunnels if a serious battle breaks. I need to know where the crew are outside. We?ll need an escape route with the least vermin on it. You?ll be able to direct us. Understand??

No posturing or stately speeches to accompany the minstrel this time, but the robin?s words meant just as much to her as any epic poem he could compose. ?Of course, Bellona.?

?Thank you, Damask.? She let herself smile, truly smile, for the first time since Freyr. Two seconds later, the emotion was gone and the mask of indifference replaced it. The warrior had to be careful about anybeast seeing her so weak. Affection, she had learnt the hard way every time, could cripple a creature at the worst possible moments.

She waited for another few seconds, sidling forward, setting up a straight line to Matukhana, and when Venril threw up his paws in frustration, shouting, ?I won?t let you do this!? she made her move.

?Oi!? was all the warning the fox captain had as Bell shoved Revel?s incredible bulk to the side and bounded forward. She drew her blade in one smooth motion and leapt, landing squarely on the tod?s back, forcing him to rock forward precariously, then bend over backward as her dirk came to rest at his throat.

?Hellsteeth!? the captain snarled. Everybeast had stopped moving, though the exit was right before their eyes.

All at once, action resumed as Damask took an ungainly hop and launched into the air. His wings battered unsuspecting beasts to the side. Angry shrieks were accompanied by a cacophony of pained squawks from the bird. Bell followed him with her eyes as he narrowly escaped; one wing brushing the edge of the exit as he dropped back to his claws to avoid the waterfall, and with a muttered curse, he was free.

Moments later, everybeast with a weapon had it out and pointed at the nearest foe. Woodlander and vermin crew were evenly matched. The Fritterik, confused, squeaked and tried to squeeze themselves into crevices in the walls.

The stillness fell again as each side waited for the other to take action. Finally, Matukhana growled, ?What the Hellgates are you doin?, mouse??

?What I should have done a long time ago,? Bell replied, blade biting into the fox?s neck and drawing just a trickle of blood. He hissed sharply, but did not give any other verbal indication of his obvious discomfort.

?Now listen to me, you vermin scum,? the dormouse continued, feeling ridiculous. Speeches were Sailpaw and Damask?s proper battleground. ?We?re not going to be your slaves. I?ve played nice ?til now because of the truce, but by the Fates, I?ll slit this blackguard?s throat if you try to enslave anybeast here.?

?You?re mad.? Venril spoke up. ?Do you have any idea how this will end? You?re just going to get everybeast here killed.?

?Quiet, stoat. You vermin?re going to just hold while we leave the cavern first. I don?t care what you do after -- go build your own bloody ship to plunder and pillage for all it matters to me -- but right now you?re just going to hold. Giddy, Birch, Rugger, everybeast, keep your blades up, but start moving toward the waterfall. Come on now. Move!?

They obeyed and the vermin, whiskers twitching and bodies rigid, watched them go. ?But what about the Fritterik?? Venril demanded.

?What about them?? Bell quirked an eyebrow. The frightened creatures had remained rooted since the ordeal began.

?They?re going to be turned into slaves, too,? the stoat explained impatiently. ?That?s wrong.?

?Slavery is wrong, vermin.?

?Then why aren?t you helping them?? He bared his teeth.

?Why?s it my responsibility?? Bell rejoined.

?Because you?re saving the others.?

?Well, why don?t you do something about it if you care so much??

?Maybe I will!? the stoat shouted.

?Fine!? the dormouse hollered back.

?Then maybe we should work together!?

?Maybe we should!?

?Why are you screaming at me?!? he snarled.

?Because you?re screaming at me!?

An abrupt silence fell and the mad grin threatened to return. She?d just made another truce with this possible backstabber in the heat of the moment. When did I start getting so green?

What was done, was done, though. The woodlanders had assembled at the mouth of the waterfall and waited for Bell who began shifting back slowly, allowing Matukhana just enough room to tip-paw back with her. Venril followed, though the other vermin remained fixed.

A sudden trill startled everybeast, though Bell maintained her outward poise so her hostage wouldn?t have any clever ideas.

?They?re attacking!? Damask puffed, landing in a skitter of claws and loose stone.

?Who?s attacking?? Birch growled, gripping her unwanted sword. ?The vermin??

?No.? The robin?s face lit up. ?The woodlanders! Woodlanders are charging the camp!?

Bell couldn?t have asked for a better diversion. ?Well,? she addressed Matukhana more than his crew, ?we?re finished, then.? He relaxed just the slightest bit. ?But this is for Damask.?

Without preamble, she wedged her dirk blade between his teeth and jerked back. The fox thrashed violently as the soft flesh of his tongue and cheek gave, but the dormouse had already let go and turned tail to?

?Run!?