Drumming Song -An Interlude with Morleo

[Rousseau]

Morleo glanced impatiently at the massive barn owl that lay dead on the frozen ground by his footpaws, the brown spots on his tail feathers and the fresh blood being the only things betraying his white body from being concealed among the snow. The rodent itched at one of his many scars, staring at the body.  The Scourge of the Sky, as he had identified it, had died of two snapped legs, broken in some foolish attempt at flight as had been explained to him.  He grunted and nudged the once-feared hunter with his footpaw.  Two beasts stood behind him, awaiting further questions or orders.

?And did anybeast attempt to scale the rope?? Morleo asked.

?No, chief, it was cut before anybeast got the chance,? one of them answered.

Morleo frowned. ?Disappointing.  This would have made an excellent opportunity to finish this siege once and for all.? He waved his paw. ?No matter, it?s of no consequence.  You?ve both done well, the Mother will be pleased.  You may take an early breakfast if you wish.  Seeing to that the Scourge of the Sky has been slain, you and everybeast who took part deserves that honor.?

?Uhh, chief?? the second rat said. ?Would we be allowed to maybe cook him up later.  He?d make good grub for everybeast.?

The scarred rat smiled. ?It seems fitting for a beast such as him, who terrorized our tribe and the other beasts of this forest, but no.  He has walked among and aided heathens and has not absolved of his sins.  For that, he is tainted.? Morleo paused for a moment.?When you have finished eating, take his carcass to the river and let the current take him.?

?Yes, chief, right away,? both beasts echoed, saluting and trudging off to take their much-wanted break.

Morleo nodded and watched them go back through the gates of the castle ground where their camp was set.  In the center, surrounded by over threescore tents, was the main stronghold of Castle Kotir, the hulking monstrosity that had plagued the Children of the Water for so long.  The scarred rat smiled.  And soon, by the next sunrise if he got his way, the castle would crumble beneath the weight of his footpaws and the sacred lake would be restored to its former glory.  Already a plan was in motion to destroy the fortress and every heathen cowering within from the inside out, just in case the pirate Rousseau and the guardsbeasts did not agree to the surrender he had proposed.

Although he hated the thought of letting the beasts simply admit their defeat and give up, the scarred rat secretly wished they would.  Mirdros was still inside and, if they did surrender, he would be rescued far easier than he would if they didn?t.  Morleo simply hoped that his plan for preventing his son from coming to any harm would be successful.  After seeing the way Rousseau had tried to prevent one of her beasts from taking her place, he had agreed to the swap, not in a show of mercy or generosity, but mostly in an attempt to keep Mirdros safe.  By taking somebeast she cared about, he could be sure she wouldn?t let anything happen to his child for fear of him fulfilling the threats he had given her.

Morleo spat in disgust.  Him, trusting a heathen.

?Chief!?

The shout erased all thoughts from Morleo?s mind.  He turned to see the smiling face of Cefin running towards him. ?What is it??

?Chief, you asked to be told if the wolf woke up.  Well, I gave him a poke with a stick and he groaned a bit, so I figured I?d tell you,? the younger rat said, his grin never leaving his face.

Morleo nodded. ?Thank you, you?ve done well.  When he has fully awoken send him to my tent.?

Cefin saluted with his new rapier. ?Yes sir!?

Morleo watched the young beast run back to the camp obediently, following behind him slowly. It wasn?t the time to worry about Mirdros.  It was the time to find a way to defeat Kotir.  He smiled. And with his new prisoner, it was only a matter of time.

-.-.-

Lord Tirian, the so-called ruler of Kotir and the surrounding land, had managed to survive the blow the scarred rat had inflicted upon his back with his club.  Even still, the wolf sat in the same chair Rousseau had, his head hung low.  The beast had been stripped of his armor and weapons, now wearing a mere barkcloth tunic he had had underneath. 

Morleo smiled at the pathetic sight; even though it was a wonder the beast was still alive. ?You Kotir beasts are made of strong stuff,? he said to the wolf. ?That or I need a new club.  You?re the second beast it?s failed to kill this week.?

Much to Morleo?s annoyance, the wolf didn?t respond.  The rat tried a new approach. ?My name is Morleo, first son of the Mother.  I am the leader of this tribe. And you are Tirian, I presume, the one who dares call himself lord over this domain.  It?s quite funny at how the tables turn.  You were once the proud ruler of this castle and the surrounding land, but soon, you will rule nothing but rubble.?

?Go to Hellgates,? Tirian muttered, not meeting the rat?s gaze.

Morleo sat in his ornate chair and spat, ?you?ve attempted to wipe out my entire tribe, stolen away our children and holy places, and you, of all beasts, tell me to be damned to your place of eternal punishment.  I?ve only defended myself from you monsters and tried to protect the beasts I love!  Don?t you dare try to compare your actions to mine!?

Tirian lifted his head. ?I?ve made no such comparison, nor did I ever take part in whatever harm befell your tribe when my uncle, King Rolf, surveyed this land.  I was merely told that you were dangerous and belligerent, and, from your actions, I believe he was correct.?

?Belligerent?? Morleo questioned. ?Your heathen king is the one who stole and desecrated our lake, slaughtered my father- our leader at the time- and forced us from our homes! If anything, that belligerence was justified.? The scarred rat unbuttoned his tunic, revealing his scarred chest.  He pointed to a jagged scar that etched itself from his side to near his midsection, a gruesome wound that could have only been scored by some huge weapon. ?After my father was murdered, one of your king?s wolves landed a blow on me with his spear.  It was a big weapon, cruel and sharp, and I still feel the pain even today.  It should have killed me and yet, I survived, I clung onto my rage and used it as fuel for my survival.  Every time I see my chest and lay eyes on it, it reminds me of what I seek out to do.  I?m going to kill you all for what you?ve taken from me: my father, the Mother?s lake, and my son.?

?Everything my uncle has done to you and your beasts, I apologize for,? Tirian said. ?Perhaps there would be a way for our beasts to live peacefully-

?It is far too late for negotiations, Tirian, and even if it weren?t, they would be impossible,? Morleo countered. ?You have desecrated the Mother?s sacred lake and without it, we will be unable to survive. But there is a way for you to repent.  You may begin by telling me of your castle?s layout.  I wish to know where everything is, dormitories, barracks, the mess hall, lavatories, everything.  Second, I want to know if there are any hidden entrances or weaknesses within.  Some of my beasts found a weak spot in your west wall and, unfortunately, they didn?t alert me and instead rushed inside.  That hole has long since been covered up and so I want to know if there are any other spots in the foundation that would be easy to break.?

Tirian chuckled. ?I?m the lord of this castle, I?m not an architect.  And even if I did know these things, you act as if I would simply tell you.?

Morleo punched Tirian across the snout. ?In the end, it won?t matter who you are or what you were.  All of you heathens will be dead by my paw.  So, it would be wise to answer my questions, as it may save you from a lot of pain.?

?As I said, I can?t.?

?Then refer to me an architect among our prisoners who can.?

?Again, no.  You can torture me all you wish and I wouldn?t speak a word.? Tirian chuckled once more. ?I find it kind of amusing actually that you?d ask to know of our weaknesses. Can the great Morleo not find a way inside my castle?  And here we were all worried that you might actually be a threat to us inside.  What do you not have a plan??

Morleo clenched his teeth and punched him again, trying not to draw the dagger from the back of his belt. He couldn?t kill Tirian, he was far too valuable. He thought for a moment, pondering over every question he could think of that might get an acceptable answer. Mirdros crept into his mind and he couldn?t help but ask, ?What of my son? Has he been unharmed??

The scarred rat regretted the question when Tirian smiled. ?You are worried about his safety?? the wolf asked. ?Well in that case, I don?t think I?ll answer that question either.?

Morleo drew his dagger from his belt and placed the blade beneath Tirian?s snout. ?Tell me about my son!?

?No.?

He couldn?t bear the disrespect any longer. The scarred rat roared furiously, making to stab his blade deep into Tirian?s midsection.

?Morleo!?

The blade stopped mid stab and fell from his paw. 

Tirian smiled at him. Morleo stared at him in disbelief.  The wolf, a heathen, had manipulated him and made him look like a maniacal fool.  Had he actually killed him, any hope of recovering his son would be impossible. That had been what he was trying to do.  It was an obvious trick that he had fallen for.

The chieftain panted and turned to the beast who had called his name, his grandmother, Seren.  A guardsrat stood next to her by the entrance. 

Morleo looked back to Tirian. ?You will be given an hour to think, then I expect you to answer all of my questions.? He turned to the guard. ?Take him from my sight.?

When the wolf had been dragged away, Morleo turned to Seren.  The older rat was grey and wrinkled, her body hunched over an ash staff and she wore an expression of disapproval on her face.

?You could have killed him.?

?Don?t chastise me. I?m not a child.?

She shook her head. ?No you are not, but you are allowing yourself to become controlled as if you were one.?

Morleo ignored her. ?How long were you listening??

?Long enough.? Seren sat in one of the chairs around Morleo?s table and laid her staff by her footpaws, folding her arms over her lap. ?Long enough to hear that you have no plan, that you are letting worry over Mirdros control you and cloud your judgment, and that a heathen can provoke you to raise your blade by just a few words.  I don?t side with them, in fact, I wish they would die as much as you do, but the heathens are right when they say you shouldn?t be feared.  You have a deadly paw, but an easily touched mind and your arrogance will be the death of you. Learn to control yourself.?

Morleo chuckled. ?It?s easy for you to tell me to control myself.  It?s not your son who?s being held hostage among heathens.  He could be injured for all I know of, and yet, you wish for me to control myself??

?You could at least learn better judgment. Already your worry for Mirdros has led you to release a prisoner that could have been very valuable to us.?

?He?s my son.?

?But he?s not even a Son.?

?He?s my son!?

Seren crossed her arms. ?If you had the opportunity to save your son but at the cost of losing your own life, would you save him??

It was a trick question, Morleo knew, meant to throw him off if he answered wrong.  He thought for a moment, not wanting to give the hag the honor of seeing him stumble. ?I will never abandon the tribe of the Mother just for my son, if that is what you are asking.? It was a lie, but Morleo didn?t care.

Seren changed the subject. ?Do you even have a plan, Morleo??

?Yes,? he answered.

?Then please explain it to me.?

Morleo snarled. ?I do not need to explain anything to you, hag! I don?t answer to you or anybeast except for the Mother.  I?ll tell you this much. What she has commanded me to do will eradicate the heathens and make them feel her wrath.  Kotir will be left as a pile of rubble and the beasts inside corpses, honorable sacrifices for the lake?s revival.  According to her, our beasts will become stronger than ever, many new Son?s and Daughter?s will be born and we will thrive, grandmother, we will thrive!?

?The Mother told you this? Why should I believe she would tell this to the First Son over the First Daughter??

Morleo spat. ?She told my mother. When I was still a child, my mother told my brother and I that the heathens will be purged by water, and the true noble, enlightened beasts would rule for seasons to come.  The Mother told her this.? His mother, the titular First Daughter, was the maiden chosen to incite the will of the Mother, a seer who could interpret the deity?s will.  She was the voice of the tribe, even more powerful than the First Son, the tribe leader and her destined mate.

The scarred rat continued speaking. ?You can say what you will about me, but know that I shall kill every last one of them and restore our honor.  For we are the chosen beasts, correct? We are the ones destined to bring an end to the beasts who have dared try to erase us and bring an age of prosperity that the Mother has promised.? Here the rat paused for a moment. ?After all, Vulpuz, their being of fire and evil, stands no chance against our Mother.  Remember the elements, and even the smallest of kits could tell you that the blaze of the hottest flames will be extinguished by the slightest drop of water.?

?Or it could be evaporated.?

?And then the rain would wash it away. Regardless,? Morleo said, ?the heathens will be punished and, when I?ve rescued Mirdros and made sure that he is safe, I will make sure that they are all killed for their misdeeds.?

?And what if they surrender?? his grandmother asked. ?Caractacus would have them go free.?

?They will watch their castle crumble and then they will be all swiftly executed.  It is far too late for mercy,? Morleo said, standing up from his chair. He paced to the entrance of his tent and peered at the disgusting castle of Kotir outside. ?In the end, water washes everything away, grandmother.  We are taught this as kits. The same is true for the heathens.  They will be cleansed by the Mother and their bodies will be pulled away by the current, out of existence, out of our memories. The lake will be restored.  They cannot possibly fight it because there is no way we can possibly lose.

?After all, we have a god on our side.?