Little Lion Man

[Rousseau]

Rousseau flipped idly through the pages of her sketchbook, staring at the recorded pictures of places she had once visited and the beasts she had once met. The rattess was happily resting her paws from the countless hours she had been sparring with her fellow crewbeasts and preparing for her confrontation with Morleo, deciding to take her break within the confines of her room and with the company of only her thoughts.  She glanced out of her window.  Seeing that the morning mist had yet to clear, she turned back to her previous works.  The lake in Rexim?s tunnel, the glade and river at the end of it, some tavern in Terramort, a few doodles of Clutus? feathers that the avian forced her to draw, a picture of Mirdros that she had done while bored, and Willump all stared back at her from the parchment.  She put a pencil to the paper, trying to finish one of the scenes from memory.

Willump.  Rousseau thought of her first mate and how his survival depended entirely on the outcome of her duel with Morleo.  It sounded simple in context.  Shove a blade in between somebeast?s ribs to save the life of her friend, but even still, her enemy was to be Morleo and he was bound to have a trick or two up his sleeves.  And even if she did win, what would be the consequences: the respect of her crew and a life to live at the cost of killing an innocent kit?s father and starting the downfall of a tribe?

You?re a cruel beast, Vulpuz.

The pencil in Rousseau?s paw trembled as she thought of the battle to be. Everything depended on her, she realized. The lives of Willump, her crew, Alan, Tobias, and everybeast within the castle, as well as Kotir itself all rested in her paws, and if she were to be defeated, not only would she fail Vulpuz?s mission, but she would also doom them all to death.  Rousseau anxiously shivered. She shook her head.

No! It was no time to think of what could happen, but rather what she had to make happen.  Regardless of her fears of the consequences that may follow, Morleo had to die. No matter how scared she was, she was a captain of Terramort?s feared navy and she couldn?t allow anybeast to see her falter at the mere thought of what might happen. Not when everybeast was depending on her.  

Tapap.

Rousseau looked up at the sound of Calder?s knock and quickly glanced out the window. The mist, foreboding as it was, had not yet cleared. She sighed in relief. ?Aye??

The doorknob rattled in place.

?Coulda sworn I left that unlocked,? she mumbled to herself, getting up from her perch by her easel.  Rousseau fumbled with the lock and opened the door, letting the cook in.

The other rat, wearing his greased up apron, carried a tray of food and sat it down neatly on her bed. ?Thought ya might like somethin? t? eat. I haven?t eaten yet either, so I brought enough fer two.? Calder looked at her, concerned. ?Might be a little cold though.  Took me a while t? track ya down. Thought ya might be sparrin? with Aryll or somethin?, but looks like I was wrong.?

Rousseau closed the door. ?Sorry. I wanted t? be alone fer a bit.?

?Do ya want me t? leave??

The rattess shook her head. ?I could use the company.?

He nodded and sat down upon an unoccupied space on her bed.  Rousseau took a seat next to him.  For a while, both rodents were silent, unable to find the words they were looking for.  Calder was the first to speak, pulling the tray of food closer and analyzing it. ?Let?s see what we?ve got ?ere.? The rat sampled a blueberry scone. ?Hmm! Not bad fer bein? made by some oaf of a woodlander helper.  You should try it, Rouss, ?t?ain?t half bad.?

Rousseau followed his advice, nibbling at it tentatively. By the time she had finished her first, another was already in her paws. ?No, it ain?t.?

Calder nodded in approval.

Rousseau swallowed. ?So why are ya here, Cal??

?I already said.  Thought ya might like somethin? t? eat.?

?Ya brought enough fer two. Ya wanted t? come. Why?? she asked.

?Well,? Calder managed from a mouth full of food. He swallowed. ?With what?s about t? happen an? wot yer plannin?, I figgered ya might want somebeast t? talk to.  Somebeast t? keep ya company like ya said. An? I thought t? myself, why can?t it be me?  I ain?t got nothin? better t? do.  Might as well take a break from the kitchens fer a bit an? see how yer farin?. Besides, I-?

?Calder,? Rousseau said, ?thank ya.? The rattess hadn?t thought much about her cook, too busy worrying about Willump to pay him any mind, but she was happy that he had come.  In truth, she was almost hoping he would.  Calder had helped her as she had asked him to aiding her in her attempts to win over the crew and while they were following her judgment now, she was still sure that there were still some beasts who thought she would lead them to their deaths. And while there was still the occasional beast who mumbled a remark as she walked past, Calder seemed to trust her and, although he might complain about one thing or another, his words of encouragement convinced her that, for once, she was trying and that seemed to shush most beasts. Rousseau didn?t know too much of what most beasts called a friend, only having Willump, but if sharing mutual trust could be called friendship, she was happy that the cook was by her side.

?So, what?re ya thinkin? about if ya have t? be alone?? Calder questioned.

?Things.?

?What kind of things??

Rousseau sighed. ?Wot I?m gonna do. Wot might happen if I end up losin?.  How I?m gonna save Will an? get everybeast home.  Things like that.?

Calder swallowed a bite of another scone. ?I ain?t never seen ya scared before.  Wot happened t? the beast who was goin? t? slay that rat an? save Will??

The rattess nonchalantly flipped through her sketchbook, grabbing up something from the tray and pushing it between her teeth. She chewed and swallowed, not wanting to answer the question. Finally, Rousseau said, ?everybeast is dependin? on me winnin?, Cal, an if I lose? I jest don?t want t? think about it.  If I lose, the beast ya put all yer trust into, me, will have killed ya. There?ve been a few deaths this week that I coulda prevented had I actually done somethin? instead o? sittin? back an? bein? a bloody coward.  Even now, I?m cowerin? in ?ere thinkin? about wot might happen, about the beasts who will die if I lose, an? I jest can?t have any more blood on me paws because o? bein? lazy, bein? stupid, or bein? a coward.  I ain?t afraid t? fight or t? die.  I?m afraid it?ll all be my fault if I do.  Everybeast is followin? me, but not all of ?em trust me an? if I do fail, if I get slain by Morleo, I don?t wanna be known as Captain Rousseau, the stupid rat who doomed everybeast t? Hellgates because she decided t? take the helm.? Rousseau sighed. ?Ya know, a stupid self absorbed owl showed me how lonely I am in ?ere by meself.  An? if I die like that, with everybeast hatin? me? all I?ll be is alone, like I always am. An? I?ve learned that I hate the feelin?.  What I?m sayin? is? I? I don?t want t? die alone.?

Calder was quiet for a moment, taking it in. ?Ya act as if everybeast is out t? get ya.  As if we won?t help ya if ya needed it.  As if yer not a crewbeast in the same situation as us.  Eventually you?ll learn that yer not as alone as ya think ya are.  It?s truth that some o? us aren?t particularly fond o? Captain Rousseau, but nobeast ever said anythin? about good ol? Rouss.?  Rousseau felt the touch of a paw on her shoulder, something she hadn?t felt since Reginald had stabbed out her eye. Instinctively her remaining eye blinked close. ?Some of us actually like ya.?

?Calder.? She opened her eye. ?If I were t? die? Would ya??

?Would I leave ya??

The rattess nodded.  

Calder smiled. ?If I saw ya fall, Rouss, ya can bet yer pretty little eye that I?d be next t? ya in a heartbeat.  There could be an army in my way an? I wouldn?t leave ya, even if I knew I?d be next.  An? if ya were fadin? away t? The Dark Forest, I?d hold yer paw an? guide ya there.  I won?t let go. I won?t let ya die alone.  Nobeast deserves that.?

?Ya promise??

?Aye.?

Rousseau was going to shake off Calder?s paw, but didn?t. The touch changed from threatening to tender, a drastic change she wasn?t expecting.  She let the beast keep it there.  The cook?s touch was different than Reginald?s. ?I ain?t ever asked this t? nobeast, not even Will, but?? she started, thinking to herself, ?do ya want t? watch me paint??

Calder pushed aside the tray. ?I got time.?

?It might be the last paintin? I ever make.?

?Then ya might as well make it yer best.?

The rattess nodded. She picked up a brush and stared down the canvas in front of her. For little over an hour, Rousseau put her brush to canvas and worked diligently on the task.  Inspiration, as it was so called, hadn?t been caught, but had thrown itself at her. Colors poured from her paintbrush naturally, creating anything that came to her mind.  Plants, flowers, snow, and Clutus? white feathers intermingled together in perfect harmony, only contrasted by the soft green of the canopy of trees above.

When it was completed, Rousseau wiped the sweat from her brow. The perfect image of Clutus had been created upon the canvas, balanced, beautiful, and what the rattess dared called perfect. Calder stared at it carefully as he had been for the past hour, his eyes not moving from it.

?I?m impressed.?

?Thank ya.?

?You certainly do get int? it, don?t ya? I don?t think ya blinked,? Calder joked.

?I could say the same about yer cookin?,? Rousseau replied. ?It?s still gotta dry, but do ya like it??

?Aye,? the cook said. ?It looks good. This is what you?ve always wanted t? do, right??

?Aye, I jest want t? paint. I don?t wanna be Captain Rousseau,? she said, ?I jest wanna be Rouss, the rat who paints all day an? doesn?t give a care fer anythin?.  Sounds like a fine life t? me.?

Calder nodded. ?Aye.? He closed his eyes and thought for a moment, moving closer to her. His paw once again rested on her shoulder. ?Rousseau, when this is over, do ya maybe want t?-?

TapTapTapTap!

?Rousseau!?

The rattess? ears perked and she glanced out the window.  The mist was gone. She stood up and removed her painter?s apron, throwing off her naval jacket in the process.  She grabbed up her cutlass from where it lay by her easel, sticking it into her belt. ?Aye??

The mink poked his head into her room. He recoiled at the sight of the two rats. ?This is hardly the time for a liaison darling.  The mist has cleared, and Morleo is waiting.  Ready or not.?

?O? course.?

Alan nodded.  ?Skip to it then.  You have what you need?"

Rousseau nodded, turning one more time to glance at Calder. She thought of his promise he had made to her. ?You swear??

?Aye, I swear,? Calder said. ?Rousseau??

?Hmm??

?Go save Will.?

Rousseau nodded.  Grasping the hilt of her cutlass in preparation and with all fears erased from her head, she motioned towards the door. ?Lead the way, Alan.?