Mirror Image

[Chokk]

The beaver pushed past a stand of rushes and caught sight of his river. He picked stray bits of foliage from between his ears while taking stock of the surroundings.

"I told them my lodge wasn't far away. A pack of vermin and I told them my lodge was close by." Chokk muttered between his teeth and shook his head in disbelief of his actions.

Water tumbled and played in crystalline tranquility. The familiar gurgling and splashing of the currents was lost to the beaver?s ears. Normally he would have ambled forward until his webbed footpaws were submerged in the coolness of his river but not this time. Chokk glanced back over his shoulder just as Alan came into view. The Kotir captain brushed his way past the reeds and stopped beside Chokk.

?All right woodlander, as much as I adore tramping the forest with your stinking hide, I?d like to get to your lodge before I bleed to death.? The mink held some bloodstained leaves to his arm, completely uninterested in the beauty surrounding them.

Chokk?s brow creased in frustration as he answered. ?Listen Blacktip, yer in my territory now. We?ll be at the lodge when we get there.?

The beaver sucked in a breath as a kingfisher swooped into view. The bird dove into the river with hardly a splash. It emerged a few moments later, a fish caught neatly in its beak. Had they not been in a similar situation to the fish's a few hours before? The water rats had swooped in without any warning. Chokk grimaced as he thought of Rallentando. He couldn?t have cared less for the vermin he was in company with but the young miss Ralle? How could he have let them take her? He rubbed the back of his neck ruefully. He couldn?t save Ralle, he had let down his family, allowed his friend to be captured, and now he was leading a pack of vermin right into the heart of the river community.  Chokk had to fight to hold onto his composure as he thought about what he must do.

?That is indeed a wonderful conclusion, but is there any way that it could be sooner rather than later?  I?m hungry.?

Chokk whirled around, his temper building like a teapot about to boil.

?What did I just say eh? I?ll lead you there, I just need a little more time.? Chokk glanced at the river, hoping the flowing water might offer some comfort.

Rousseau, Tobias, and Alan waited impatiently for him to lead them to his lodge.

?We don?t have time for this. Those water rats were right on our heels.? Rousseau muttered.

?If we aren?t hidden we?ll be seeing Vulpuz again by tonight.? Tobias swatted a curious insect away from his ear.

?Alright,? Chokk muttered as he began to shuffle in the direction of the lodge. ?Follow me.?

How would he explain what he was doing to anybeast from his community? They would see him not only in the company of vermin but leading them into the heart of their well kept secret. He felt like a betrayer as he lead the vermin ever closer to his home.  As he walked the beaver?s mind traveled back to the last time betrayal had occurred in his life.
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Chokk?s breath came short and ragged as he doggedly pursued the hedgehog along the edge of the river. The beaver passed a paw over his brow as he glanced about for tracks. Twinepin must have known Chokk was coming for him. It did not matter, the beaver would pursue the hedgehog until he caught up. Even as he tracked his prey, Chokk was not sure what he would do once he caught up with Twinepin. As he thought of his family being hauled away to be slaves in Kotir, Chokk?s temper rose. He took out his sling and loaded it with a heavy river pebble. Twinepin couldn?t be far ahead now. He must have been traveling in the river to hide his tracks for quite a while. Soon Chokk spied fresh tracks in the bank sand heading into the surrounding forest.

?I?m coming for you hedgehog.? Chokk picked up his pace, determined to avenge his family.

It was not long later when a deep ditch came into view. The inside of the crevasse was filled with thick leafy loam. The beaver twitched his whiskers as the pungent odor of decaying tree matter filled his nose. Mushrooms and other fungus grew in profusion about the area. As he was deciding how to cross the ditch the beaver noticed leaves shifting down below.

?Twinepin? If that is you, show yourself. You can?t run from me forever.?

There was silence for a while and then the spiny head of the hedgehog appeared. Twinepin shook leaves from his spikes and spoke quickly.

?Chokk, I?m sorry. I?m so sorry. I didn?t know what else to do. They were my family you see. I had to protect them.? Twinepin pleaded.

?And what of my family Twinpin? What of your promise to keep our dwelling a secret?? Chokk stooped down and picked a long grass stem. He stuck it in his mouth and chewed.

?Don?t you see? There was no other choice.?

?There?s always another choice Twinepin. I trusted you. You were my friend.? The beaver?s voice issued cold and flat.

?I?ve said that I?m sorry. I don?t know what else to do.? Twinepin began extracting himself from the leaf mold surrounding him. He carefully brushed off his spikes as he eyed Chokk. ?I never should have made that promise to you.?

?You are right, you should not have made that promise.? Chokk nodded, his calm expression betraying the anger that roiled within him. ?You have two choices now.?

?I know. Stay out here and hide from the slavers or come back and fight them.? Twinepin was now coming towards Chokk.

?No.? the beaver spat the grass stem to the ground.

The hedgehog stopped in his tracks as the beaver?s expression began to change. His brows dropped, hooding eyes that glinted dangerously. Chokk pawed his sling as he stood on the edge of the ditch and stared down at Twinepin.

?Your choices are stand here and make your dying swift, or run and let me chase you down. Either way there will be no more running and hiding for you after this day.? Chokk began to twirl his sling. The thongs of the weapon hummed ominously.

?Surely you jest friend Chokk.? Twinepin chuckled as he began to climb up from the ditch. The dirt crumbled in his paws and he slipped back into the loam. Twinepin was dusting off his paws when a mushroom next to him exploded. Chokk?s sling stone had taken it right through the center, a fraction away from Twinepin?s footpaw. The color drained from Twinepin?s face as he turned slowly to face Chokk through a cloud of mushroom spores. The beaver was loading another stone into his sling.

?Make your choice hedgehog. Die now, or die when I catch you.?

As he watched the hedgehog run, Chokk questioned himself. What would he do when he had subdued Twinepin? Would he really take the hedgehog's life? He had slain vermin before but never had he considered taking a woodlander?s life. Twinpine had caused his family to be taken. His wife and his only dear son. Twinepin was responsible for their enslavement and probable death at the paws of the wolves.  The hedgehog had caused this to happen to his family. He was therefore as guilty as any of the Kotir vermin for what was happening to their woodlands.

Twinepin's footpaws churned up leaves and dirt as he scuttled away from the enraged beaver. Chokk twirled his sling and squinted one eye closed while sighting his target. Twinepin yelped as a stone took him hard on the upper arm. He continued to run, his arm hanging limp at his side.

?I gave you a chance to run, that?s more than you gave my family.? Chokk spoke quietly as he loaded another stone. This one took the hedgehog high on the leg. Twinepin stumbled and fell face down in the leaves. Chokk vaulted into the ditch and ambled towards Twinepin. The hedgehog sat up and was rocking back and forth holding his arm across his body.

?Ye broke my arm! Shattered it with a stone! How could you do this to me??

The breath caught in Chokk?s throat as he came up to Twinepin. The hedgehog had been his friend, they had trusted each other. But all that was over and done now. The beaver did not speak as he came near Twinepin.

?What are you doing Chokk? Help me! It wasn?t my fault.?

?It was your fault Twinepin. You betrayed me to the slavers. You told them where my family was.?

?No he made me. He promised me he would spare everybeast else if I told them where you were.?

?Who??

?C-captain Blacktip. He promised me.?

?Making deals with the vermin eh? That?s all I need to know.? Chokk dismissed Twinepin?s words.

?No, no please. Help me! Hel- urk!?

Twinepin?s voice was cut off as the sling wrapped around his neck and went tight. Chokk looked up and away as he throttled the hedgehog. A kingfisher winged low over the ditch and then disappeared from sight. Late sunlight filtered through bare tree branches. As Twinepin?s body writhed and strained Chokk felt anger draining from his body. As his fury filtered away guilt swiftly took its place. Eventually the hedgehog stopped struggling and lay limp.
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They had reached the lodge, at least what was left of it. When the slavers had ransacked the area they had set fire to the main lodge building while extracting Chokk?s family. All that remained of his beloved home were the deep set foundation logs. The underground larder and dining area had not been touched, and the small hut attached to the dam out on the river were still intact.

The river sand beach that the lodge was built on rested on a side stream off the main river. A screen of tree branches and rushes could be pulled across the sand bank to shelter and conceal the area from prying eyes. Chokk glanced around to make sure no woodlanders were about. He figured most if not all of them would have moved on since the slavers had come through. 

?This is it. As long as we?re quiet they won?t be able to find us here.? The beaver?s stomach turned at the sight of minks and a rat settling into his dwelling area. He found himself suddenly missing his wife and son terribly. He remembered the days when his son would run out to meet him after a long day cutting logs on the river. His wife would emerge from the larder, laden with a large turnip and potato pie for supper. Twinepin had made sure that would never happen again. The beaver was just about to take a few minutes to himself when Alan spoke to him.

?You have got to be joking.  This, ahem, well concealed secret is in full view of the river!  Anybeast with half a brain could find us!?

?That?s because I haven?t set the reed screen up! What do you want from me? I brought you here, a bunch of stinkin? vermin in my lodge.? Chokk bared his huge front teeth menacingly at Alan. ?Do you have any more complaints? Dark Forest forbid you ever actually did anything besides take orders from the wolves. Disgusting, tongue lolling, slavers! That?s all you are! That?s?all??

The beavers voice trailed off as memories connected. The wolves, the slavers, his family gone, fire, tracking Twinepin?

?Of course it was your fault Twinepin. You betrayed me to the slavers. You told them where my family was.?

?No he made me. He promised me he would spare everybeast else if I told them where you were.?

?Who??

?C-captain Blacktip. He promised me.?

Captain Blacktip!

Chokk?s eyes widened as his thoughts connected. At the time the name had made no sense, but now it did. Captain Blacktip! It was Alan?s fault. Twinepin?s betrayal based on a promise of his family?s safety was Alan?s fault.  The fact that Chokk had slain another woodlander in cold blood was Alan?s fault. The beaver being caught up in this whole rotten mission was Alan?s fault.

?RRrrrrgggg!? A gut wrenching roar issued from the beaver?s cavernous chest as he bulled forward and plowed into the unexpected guard captain. Alan staggered back from the impact and fell winded onto the ground.

"What in gates!? Alan gasped as Chokk came at him.

?You! It was all you!? Chokk had pulled out his sling and loaded it with a heavy stone. He began to shower blows onto the prone mink. Each strike was punctuated by his words.  ?If it wasn?t for you they would still be here! My family! My home! My friends! His blood is on my paws because of you! I-- oof!?

Alan had rolled to the side while the beaver continued his berserk blows. Most of the hits had connected with the mink?s metal breastplate though a few lumps were already rising on his upper arms and face.  Even so he was not too badly injured. Alan moved quickly, connecting a blow with the metal grieve on his lower arm to Chokk?s considerable stomach. The beaver staggered back a pace.

?Don?t touch the face!  Now what in the name of Vulpuz are you talking about?? Alan panted as he readied himself.

Chokk whirled his sling and charged forward. ?You! This is all your doing!? Chokk was no longer making sense. He was blinded by his pent up anger, his hidden shame in killing Twinepin, his grief in losing his family and now Rallentando as well.

Alan neatly tripped the berserk beaver as Chokk leveled with him. Chokk sprawled forward and the mink ran towards him just as Rousseau and Tobias appeared from the larder. The beaver rolled over and was about the get up when Alan?s dagger point tickled his neck. Chokk laid still, his chest rising and falling as he panted from the exertion. His eyes glinted dangerously at Alan.

?I?ll slay you right now.? The captain threatened the beaver.

"Alan, what the 'gates are you doing?!" Tobias ran towards the pair.

The mink bent down, his mouth mere centimeters from Chokk?s ear.  ?Whatever your mad quarrel with me is, this is neither the time or the place.?  He glanced around the dilapidated lodge.  ?I?ve been here before?  haven?t I?  he looked into Chokk?s dilated eyes, and his own narrowed.  ?I should slay you now for bringing me back to this accursed place.?

"No, put up yer blade, Blacktip.  With those three beasts captured, killin' each other is not the brightest thing we could do right now.  There's hardly anybeast left t' finish this as it is." Rousseau stepped nearer.

?She has a point, slim as it may be.? Alan put up his blade and stepped back.  He was deathly pale under his fur.   ?But don?t think I?ll forget this.?

Chokk stood shakily and glared at Alan as he dusted off. ?This Redwall place is the only thing that keeps my sling from tightening around your neck mink.?

"An' if ya do, beaver, I'll be sure t' gut ya before ya have a chance to say 'dam.' We need everybeast, even the annoyin' ones.  From now on we focus on a plan t' rescue those taken by the water rats.  Beaver, you know these woods, we need a safe place t' make our plans."

Chokk nodded towards the hut out in the middle of the river. It looked like a pile of dead branches and twigs piled up along the dam. ?That?s the safest part of the lodge.? He lifted his lip contemptuously at Alan. ?Hope you don?t mind getting wet.? When the time was right he would pay Alan back. All he needed was a little more time.