We All Have Our Secrets...

[Ulrick Hammerpaw]

?Silus!  Silus!  Come lookit, quick!  The big evil is outside the fort.  It looks really mad.?

There was a mad rush as the weasel barged his way to a vantage point and looked out, followed quickly by some of the more adventurous crewbeasts. Doctor Lowri stood up fast, his chair tipping backwards and clattering against the floor.

?Silus, wait!? Lowri flung open the door to his office and stepped out, looking for the weasel. Before he could take another step, a heavy paw clamped down on his shoulder.

The pine marten started, and spun as much as was possible with one shoulder held firmly. Twisting his head, he could just make out the long striped muzzle of Ulrick.

?I think you and I need to have a little talk,? growled the badger in a low voice. Lowri finally shook himself loose of Ulrick?s grip and turned properly to face him.

?Obviously you have never had the benefit of an Imperial education, badger. Next time you wish to speak with me, have the common courtesy to knock rather than forcing me against my will.?

Ulrick bridled. ?I have come to speak with you now Doctor, I suggest you take advantage of my good temper and hear what I have to say.?

Doctor Lowri smoothed down his shirt and gave Ulrick a hard look. ?You may wait in my office. Right now there is a threat to my crew and I must investigate. Only through careful study of our foe shall we emerge triumphant.?

Turning his back to Ulrick, the Doctor headed off in the direction of Silus and his vantage point on the wall.

Ulrick stood stock still, his paw clenching into a fist. How dare he? How dare he treat me like that? The badger could feel his heart pounding, the same feeling he had known when he had escaped at the vermin circus. His gaze was fixed on the retreating form of Doctor Lowri. He could feel his breathing increase in speed?

Not now.

Ulrick shook his head hard, forcing himself out of his almost trance like state. Swallowing hard, the badger slowly relaxed his fist.

The silence was shattered by the howls of the monsters outside the walls. Despite his best efforts, Ulrick could not prevent a shiver running down his spine. Encountering one of those beasts had been enough, but now there were more! The badger took a few paces towards the wall, but changed his mind, reasoning that if the fort was attacked then the beasts on the wall would have ample time to shout for him. Instead, he bitterly kicked open the door of Jonas? office and stamped inside.

Considering their situation, Doctor Lowri seemed to have made the best of things. A crude desk had been fashioned from a large piece of driftwood, held up at either end by the remains of a pair of small wooden tables salvaged from the shipwreck. Ulrick wedged his heavy frame onto the least rickety looking chair and waited.

That it should come to this. Waiting on the whim of a vermin. Back in his youth of course, Ulrick would have had no qualms about sending Lowri and all his vermin slavers down to the gates of the Dark Forest. Back when I still called myself ?Warrior?.

The badger had nothing but contempt for these vermin, especially that weasel Silus. And yet, here he was, dealing with them. They hold all the keys. He had overheard the slavers on the ship. Lowri was an important figure in the court of whichever petty Emperor this band of glorified pirates happened to serve. Which meant the chances of a search for him and his cargo was much more likely.

Ulrick?s eye was drawn to a piece of paper that Lowri, in his hurry, had not cleared away. Snatching it from the desk he scanned it quickly, before placing it back on the desk and returning to his chair.

No sooner had he sat down, when the door opened and Doctor Lowri entered. The pine marten glanced across at the badger.

?Oh, it?s you. Ready to conduct yourself in a more appropriate manner this time, I trust??

Ulrick nodded slowly, but couldn?t stop himself from biting down on his lip as he did so.

?I am intrigued, Ulrick isn?t it? What drives you, an escaped slave, to offer your service to me?? asked Lowri as he carefully tidied his desk. Ulrick noted that the Doctor took great pains to conceal the piece he had just read.

?I am not one of your servants.? Ulrick rumbled. ?You and I both stand to gain from a partnership. You gain protection from those in your crew who may still feel inclined to mutiny. In return, I gain passage on whatever ship your Emperor sends looking for you.?

?Protection? What makes you think I need protecting?? Lowri sat behind his desk, leaning back on his chair and stroking his whiskers with a paw. ?I have Silus after all, and now Ashira is dead. And your own reason, what makes you think anybeast is coming for us??

?I?ve heard enough about you on our voyage,? growled the badger. ?Some of your crew had very active tongues. One of the foremost beasts of learning in your Emperor?s gang. Not somebeast that any self styled Emperor would want to leave at the mercy of the sea.?

Ulrick paused, leaning forward and lowering his voice. ?I read that rather interesting note you left on your desk. There is a ship on its way here now, and you haven?t said anything to your crew yet? I imagine they won?t be best pleased when word of that gets around.?

Now it was Jonas? turn to bridle. ?You read a confidential message from the Emperor? Do you have any concept of privacy? But I suppose I should be thankful that it was you and not Silus that discovered it. Or worse, that child.?

Ulrick couldn?t suppress a low growl at the mere mention of Cricket. ?I don?t know what your game is Doctor Lowri, and it is of no concern to me. All that interests me is getting away from this island.?

Lowri paused for a moment. ?My daughter is still missing,? he mused. ?If you can find her and bring her back to me, I will ensure you take passage with us aboard the rescue ship when it arrives. Do we have an accord??

The marten stood up and offered a paw to Ulrick. The badger rose warily from his chair.

?What guarantee do I have?? he rumbled.

?You have my word of honour.?

?From a vermin, that?s hardly a guarantee.?

Lowri shrugged, ?Fine, my word as a father. Bring me my daughter, and your passage aboard my rescue ship is assured.?

With a grunt, Ulrick nodded and turned to go. Outside the office, the camp was caught in an air of nervous excitement. Curiosity finally getting the better of him, Ulrick scaled the wall up to Silus? vantage point. The great white wolf was still there, glaring up at them. The monster snarled, revealing its powerful fangs. The slavers on the wall drew back, each trying to avoid being singled out.

?And how would you suggest we deal with this?? Silus seemed as calm as ever, despite the deadly adversary waiting close by.

?We?ll need to distract it for a while,? growled Ulrick. ?Get it chasing some of Obligo?s crowd. They tried to kill me in those tunnels, it would serve them right.?

Meanwhile, I?m going to need some kind of weapon.

Without waiting for a response from the weasel, Ulrick turned and stomped down to the great hall, where Tassle and the others were feverishly working on defences. There was a momentary hush as the badger walked in, if Ulrick had cared to look he would have seen Tassle glare at him, then turn furiously and go back to her work.

The badger scrabbled around in the wreckage left after the first battle in the hall between the slaves and the crew.

There has to be something here to kill a wolf? and maybe a vicious, treacherous little vermin too.