Voyage of the Chance (Ulrick Hammerpaw)

[Substitute Author]

For those in peril on the sea.



The waters of the bay were calm enough as the Chance made its way slowly towards the open sea. Kelsey swam as hard as she could to propel the makeshift raft away from the beach. The other escaped slaves hurried about the deck, making sure everything was ready to tackle the waves beyond the bay. 
With a splash, Kelsey nimbly pulled herself out of the water and stood glistening on the wooden deck. "Well mateys, it's good to be back at sea again!" she grinned. "And here's to a successful voyage for the good ship Chance!"
Some of the other slaves cheered, Roger even attempted a short jig before the raft pitched into a wave and the mouse was sent tumbling to the deck. Ulrick stood holding onto the mast and watching the island recede behind them. The badger could still make out the figure of Cricket on the beach. The young vermin seemed to be enjoying herself immensely. Well good riddance to her. Ulrick thought to himself. The badger couldn't understand why Brooga had seemed so insistent on having the rat along with them. She had been nothing but trouble since they found her, and Ulrick was very much looking forward to never having to see her again.   

Tassel was struggling with the ropes to unfurl the sail they had made from pieces of rags. The shrew strained against one of the ropes, gritting her teeth and pulling as hard as she could. "Hey, Ulrick!" she panted, gasping for breath. "Could you lend a paw? These knots are stuck fast!" 
Ulrick ran the rope through his paws. "You're the one that's supposed to know about boats, Tassle," he rumbled. The rope certainly wasn't giving, the sail was stuck barely a fraction up the mast. 

"I do know about boats," said Tassle indignantly. "And there's something very wrong with this rope! It shouldn't be sticking like this, not after..."
Suddenly the raft pitched into another wave and the crew were jolted hard. There was a loud crack. Ulrick looked down at Tassle, hardly daring to utter his thoughts. Then, with a long, slow creak of tortured wood, the raft began to break apart.
"Hang on to something!" Tassle screamed over the noise of the waves, building up to a crescendo now they were leaving the safety of the bay. Another wave swept over the rickety craft, taking more of the planking with it. The crew scrambled to grab hold of anything that would float. Ulrick roared as the mast came crashing down, smashing more of the disintegrating deck. How could this happen? I was so close!  The badger flung his arms around the mast and clung on for dear life, his claws digging into the wood. Kelsey had got hold of Brooga, who was thrashing about in the water and was trying to get the mole to hang on to a piece of the deck planking. Tassle had managed to free some of the rope and was franticly lashing herself to a large piece of broken support, while Roger, squeaking in terror, was trying to cling to the same piece.

The waves were washing them back towards the island. Ulrick spluttered as his head was forced under and he got a mouthful of disgusting salty sea water. Clinging to the piece of mast, he began to kick, trying to get back to the shore he had been so pleased to have left behind just minutes before. Already he had lost sight of some of the others, he could only assume that the current was forcing them back in the same direction as him.
He was getting nearer the shore now. The waves were lessening in size, but he could still feel himself being forced along, as if some strange force had decided that he was not to leave this island.

Ulrick was not one to believe in ghost stories. When he had heard that crazed shaman the first time they had met the island rats he had dismissed her ranting about the 'Great Evil' as little more than the product of a deranged imagination. But now he began to see why the rats had given her so much attention. Both Shelby and the squirrel dead, their one hope of escape dashed, forcing the survivors back to the beach. It certainly seemed like the island was cursed.

Suddenly, Ulrick realised what had happened. Why it was that Cricket had insisted on not coming with them. She knew! She did this to us! A steely resolve filled Ulrick as he floated in the freezing water. He would get back to shore. He would find Cricket. And then he would kill her with his bare paws.
The breakers were getting closer, the badger could hear the roar as the waves crashed on the sand. Finally letting go of the mast section, he pushed himself away from the shattered piece of wood. A wave began to lift him up, swelling under him and forcing him suddenly towards the beach in a mass of foam. Ulrick hit the sand hard, barely dragging himself away before the water sucked back. The badger hauled himself just above the tide line, and collapsed with exhaustion.

He could hear Cricket's taunts on the wind. ?Tell ol' Davy Jones that Cutfang Argyll sent ya! Chiichiirruup!? The badger lay still, recovering his breath after being in the cold ocean water. ?Tell 'im to get used to me name! I'm Cutfang Argyll, scourge of the woodlanders! Chiichiirruup! Chiichiiruu... Well well, if it ain't ol' Meanystripe!?

Ulrick struggled to keep still as Cricket danced around him throwing childish taunts. ?Stupid, worm eatin', flea bitten, fat old Meanystripe! The water didn't want you either, eh? You must smell too bad even for Davy Jones!?
The young rat must have found a piece of driftwood, because the next thing Ulrick knew he was being jabbed in the side with something sharp. Despite himself, Ulrick couldn't suppress a yowl as Cricket viciously poked at him. As Ulrick cried out and began to roll over, she leapt back, dropping her piece of wood in surprise. 

Ulrick's eyes snapped open. ?You!? he roared, rolling in the sand to try and get back on his footpaws. ?You sabotaged the raft, you nearly killed us!?
?So what if I did?? Cricket danced out of Ulrick's reach as the badger swung a great paw at her. ?It's no more than you all deserve! You're all big meanies, especially you Meanystripe! Serves you right fer trying t' make a slave outta me.?
?I could have got away from this island if it weren't for you!? Ulrick took another swipe at the young rat. ?I'll kill you, vermin!?

With a great surge, Ulrick charged at Cricket, who turned tail and fled from the furious badger.  The vermin looked back over her shoulder as she ran. ?Nyaah! Can't catch me, Meanystripe!? Sticking her tongue out at her pursuer, Cricket flew across the sands, Ulrick pounding along behind her. 
Ulrick could hear other voices calling to him, but he couldn't make out where from. It was as if he wore blinkers, everything but Cricket was barely noticeable. She had made it to the cliffs, where the tunnel entrance was. Ducking, she vanished into the darkness. 

Ulrick roared again. ?You won't escape that easily, vermin!? Barely breaking his stride, the badger charged into the tunnels. It took a while for his eyes to become accustomed to the dark again, but his keen sense of hearing picked out the sound of scurrying footpaws farther along the tunnel. Pausing only to catch his breath, he set off in hot pursuit.

Again he thought he could hear voices, even footpaws behind him, but he pressed on, determined to find Cricket so he could make her pay for what she'd done to him. Suddenly, the tunnel opened up into a cavern with several different tunnels leading away from it. Ulrick paused, listening carefully to pick up the sounds of Cricket's flight.

Now there was definitely something behind him. He could hear what sounded like several footpaws coming from the tunnel he had just come from. Turning, he was just about to raise a paw to attack when the disheveled face of Tassle appeared out of the darkness.

?Ulrick, didn't you hear us?? she asked, panting. ?We called you on the beach. What's happening??
?It was that vermin,? Ulrick growled. ?She sabotaged the raft, tried to kill us all. She ran down here.?

?Bo hurr.? So Brooga survived too then. ?'Ow d'ee know tha'? Ee mustn'...? The mole never got to finish her thoughts. A long, eerie howl echoed down the tunnel, turning the woodlander's blood to ice. 

As the howl died away, Ulrick thought he could hear a noise from one of the tunnels. A low moan, almost a chant. Tassle opened her mouth, but the badger shushed her with a wave of his paw. The sound was growing now, definitely a chant. Beckoning to the others to follow him, Ulrick made his way quietly into the tunnel.
It wasn't very long, and soon they had emerged on the edge of another, larger cavern. Torches burned around the wall, revealing a large crowd of the rats from the fort. The woodlanders ducked down behind an outcrop near the entrance and watched. 

The seer rat, Wakeeha, was dancing in the centre of a circle of rats, each chanting softly. She looked like she was in some kind of trance. Another rat had climbed up onto a large rock that stood alone in the centre of the cavern.
Ulrick squinted through the dim light of the torches. ?That's their chief, Obligo,? he muttered softly. ?I recognise him from the great hall.?
Obligo raised his arms and the gathering of rats fell silent. ?Oh Great Evil,? the rat intoned, ?Outsiders anger you. They swim on your waters. They goes in your caves. We has heard.?

?We has heard,? chanted the others.

?We warns Outsiders, but they not listen. Now you angry. You takes them to you. Be angry no more. We has heard.?

?We has heard,? chanted the rats again.

Wakeeha raised her arms again and began her own chant. ?Blood, death, doom! Blood, death doom!?
As the other Bladegirt rats took up the new chant, the woodlanders exchanged glances. ?We should get out of here,? hissed Tassle. ?I don't like the sound of this.?
E-vil!?