These Pawsteps Aren't Yours

[Alan]

Alan didn?t like reptiles.  Salishan was no exception.  It wasn?t that they were devoid of fur, although that was a problem.  But their eyes gave him the creeps.  Yellow and slanted into triangles that sent shivers down your spine.  It was plain disgusting was what it was.  Granted, the slow worm was harmless once you got past the teeth. That didn?t stop Alan from looking resolutely at the floor as he spoke to the seer.

?And well, some idiot was supposed to die and didn?t, and hellsteeth would you stop pounding your tail on the floor!?  Alan whirled on Chokk who blinked at him.

The beaver froze with his tail in the air.  ?It itched,?  he growled.  ?I was only going to scratch it.?

?Well don?t,?  snapped Alan.  ?If you touch it, it?ll fall off you?ve banged it so many times.?  He turned back to Zacari.

?Many idiots refrain from dying every day,? she said, swirling her wine.  ?Salishan can hardly point out who should be dead and who shouldn?t be.  You?re living proof of that.?

Alan felt the heat burn through his skin as he flushed purple under his fur.  ?Thank you, Lady, that is all.?

He turned on his heel and made for the door.  Tobias caught his arm.  ?What do you think you?re doing?  We haven?t accomplished anything yet.?

Alan waved a paw in the air.  ?This is stupid.  Moronic.  I mean really, we died and the Lord of Death sent us back in time??

Tobias shrugged uncomfortably.  ?How do you explain the unfinished castle??

Alan shook his paw off.  ?Bad ale,? he snapped.  ?Now go away.?  He stomped towards the door.

?Where are you going??

?Back to bed.? 

?Captain-?

Alan slammed the door shut on Tobias?s words.  Lord of Death indeed.  And that wolf!  Yes, he was alive.  He was very bloody much alive.  Every day he was more and more aware of it.

He changed his course from his barracks to the infirmary.  His footpaws knew the way by memory as he stomped up the stairs.  The only occupant in the room was all too familiar.  He threw a pillow at him.  It bounced harmlessly off the wall.

?Konner you blasted idiot!? he raged.  ?You just had to listen to me, didn?t you.  Had to.  And now I?m being conned into believing I met the Lord of Dark Forest himself.?  He pulled the letter out of his tunic that Radish had given him.  ?And she wrote again.  The wench just won?t leave me alone!  Every month another reminder.  For what?  Nothing.  Blast you.  Blast you to-?

?Captain Blacktip!?

Alan whirled on Radish, who stood in the door.

?What are you crepitating about now you disgusting little maggot??

Radish ignored the insult.  ?Captain, we have a situation in the barracks that needs attention!? 

Alan snorted.  ?Tell the soldier not to get caught next time.  Now get out.?

?There?s been another death sir.?

Alan?s body froze.  His mouth kept talking.  It was routine.  ?That?s a matter for Lord Tirian, not a lowly captain.  Goodbye.?

?It wasn?t the ghosts sir?  it? it was Kurt.?

Alan?s chest clamped up tighter than a rusted lock.  It was happening again. 

?Kurt is dead,? he croaked.

?Overseer Yvo will see to that if you don?t come quickly sir!?

It was happening too fast.  Against his will he found himself going back down the stairs, his heart pounding in his chest.  ?Who died?? he asked.

?One of Lady Kovari?s maids.?

They were outside now, and he shivered in the winter air.  There was Cass, running towards him.  He heard the words before she spoke them.  And there?  Yvo, the two guards, and Kurt.  It was a play.  He knew his lines. He?d rehearsed them before.

?He was caught this time,? Yvo said.  ?I understand that you took responsibility for him after his last... incident.?

?Hardly worth mentioning-?

?The sentence is death.?

With a gesture from Yvo, one of the guards holding Kurt down handed his crossbow to Alan.  It was loaded.

The mink looked down at Kurt?s sullen gaze and rebellious face.  As Alan?s eyes met his, the stoat?s face changed.

?No, Captain? I-?

Alan pulled the trigger.

The bolt landed in the ground between Kurt?s knees.  The blood drained from Kurt?s face.

?Captain-?

?Who killed her??

The stoat swallowed.  ?I don?t know?  but I saw a shadow?  It was like a rat, only bigger?  Honest, I don?t know.?

Alan turned the crossbow around and then smashed the stock into the side of Kurt?s head.  There was a ragged scream from Cass as he crumpled to the ground.

?Shut up wench,? snarled Alan.  He looked up at Yvo.  ?I?ll take care of this, but I wish to interrogate him first.?

Yvo?s tail twitched.  ?I?m the one appointed for that-?

?I don?t give a rat?s tail what you?re appointed for.  He?s my soldier, and I?ll be the one to enforce discipline among my troops.?

?Then I suggest you enforce it correctly, or I will.?

Alan spat as Yvo turned and walked back towards Kotir, his cape swirling behind him. 

?Alan!?

He looked up to see Tobias running towards him, the rabbit girl and the beaver tagging along behind him.  Before they reached him, he motioned at the two guards.  ?Take him to my room, and keep him there.  You,? he gestured at Cass, ?go with him.? 

Her face contorted as if she didn?t know whether to smile or cry.  Then she nodded and trotted after the soldiers as they dragged Kurt?s limp body away.

?Do you believe now?? Tobias asked as he reached Alan.

Alan stared at the bolt half buried in the ground.  Without speaking, he reached down and yanked it out.

?Well?? asked Chokk.  ?We don?t have all day.?

Alan turned the bolt in his paws and swallowed.  ?A week ago, I killed him.? 

He was dimly aware of the rabbit putting a timid paw on his arm.  ?You didn?t this time though, Captain Blacktip.?

The mink jerked his arm away.  ?Don?t touch me!?  he hissed.

Rallentando shuffled her footpaws and then cleared her throat.  ?Sir, the lady wolf informed us about a few woodland tribes that the wolves fought with.?

Alan kept turning the bolt in his paws.  ?And??

?She said that a tribe of water rats were their biggest adversary, and there was a bitter battle over the ground that Kotir is built on.?

Alan looked up.  ?This is real, isn?t it.?

Tobias nodded.  ?I think so.?

He swallowed and clenched his fist around the bolt.  Around them, the sky was beginning to darken with the oncoming night.

?One week,? he said.

?Yes,? said Tobias.

??Gates.?