Hittin' on all Sixes

[Vanessa]

?Yowch! Noo whose brilliant idea was et tae brang along a torch wot cannae e?en stay lit fer half an hour??

Nessa tripped on a rock for the umpteenth time as the rescue party shambled along deeper into the bowels of the mole fortress. It was pitch dark; Greenfleck?s makeshift torch, constructed of haste and pine needles, had died not one hundred paces past the opening of the tunnel.

?Keep your voice down, Guardsbeast. If we want to have any chance at finding your... friend alive, we must keep the advantage of surprise.?

   This statement from her commander did not improve Nessa?s mood. The familiar sting from the use of her lower rank title, the arrogant tone of the order, and most of all, the fact that she knew Istvan was right all fed the burning ball of resentment in the pit of her stomach. A heated retort concerning Istvan?s responsibility as their commander to provide for adequate light was just on the tip of the ottermaid?s lips but she gulped it down. Really, she was no better than any of the creatures around her. Worse, in fact. She?d drunk herself senseless like any filthy, common tavern slut, endangered the survival of everyone around her, and then been forced to watch aghast as her actions sparked off quarrels and feuds between the only friends she had left in her life.

Another sharp rock sliced the side of her footpaw. Nessa stumbled- and immediately jumped back from the cold, moist body she?d bumped hard into.

?Sorry!?

Silence.

Shivering, the ottermaid reflected that perhaps she?d have been better off not slighting the toad?s handiwork. Granted, she didn?t doubt she could take on the slimy creature in a fair fight any day but there was something about Greenfleck that woke a wary, primal instinct in her, something that spoke of poison and knives in the dark. Apparently, Nyika had the same feeling-  she could hear the young wildcat?s soft pawsteps, very carefully keeping Nessa?s body between her and the toad as they walked blindly onwards.

Mindful of keeping a low tone, the young Guard tried lightening the atmosphere a bit.

?Sae, we?ve had a road collapsed on us, a braw flyin? feathermatress tryin? tae make us intae dinner, an? a bunch o? wee savages oot fer our blood. After survivin? all that, an undergroond rescue mission shouldnae be tae difficult, eh mates??

?It?s the curse.?

?A curse, Miss Nyika??

?Aye, it's been following us since the road collapse."

Weel, that turned oot nicely. Nessa?s eyes rolled skyward in exasperation. Trust Nyika to start talking of curses when they were lost inside a seemingly never-ending tunnel inhabited by hostile beasts.

?An? just wot is this curse, iffen ye dinnae mind me askin???

"Didn?t Zevka tell you? We found an expedition frozen in the snow past the hilltop, to the west of the lake. They had dressed for war. Zevka thinks they've been there a while, citing a lost expedition a year past, but I don't think it was them. Their bodies were still fresh. Spring and Summer would have brought decay."

?Hmph. Doesnae tell me anythin?, lass. These tunnelin? scoundrels almost did us ain- makes sense not everyone was so lucky, ye ken??

Nyika paused for a moment.

?No. Their wounds were too precise- killing blows. They walked into an ambush.?

Once again, silence envelopped the company as they each ruminated this new information.

A nagging memory tugged at Nessa?s mind, frustratingly just out of reach, a vague suspicious feeling that she should know about what Nyika was describing. Closing her eyes to concentrate didn?t help much either- she couldn?t see her paw in front of her face as it was. Her brows scrunching together the ottermaid tried to force the memory to the surface. It was important, she was certain of it. Something to do with her father... the memories were too painful, fogged by numerous visits to the taverns and pushed back to a remote corner of herself that she rarely brought to light. And now when she needed them, they obstinately refused to reveal themselves. Before she?d realized it, Nessa?s fist had shot out reflexively to punch the packed dirt on her right in frustration.

It was the wrong move.

A slight sprinkling of soil on her neck was the only warning she got before the earth wall she was leaning on bellied inwards, throwing her several yards away. Nessa had time only for one frantic shout before chaos filled the black passageway.

?Watch oot maaaates!?

It felt like a blind re-enactment of when the ground had first shifted under the ottermaid?s feet in the slide that had marked the beginning of their troubles, a nightmarish feeling of deja-vu. Amidst the groaning and cracking of the earth, rocks tumbled from the low ceiling and a choking cloud of dust rose up to fill Nessa?s eyes and throat. Coughing, the ottermaid scrambled wildly on all fours, trying to find her companions, and smacked straight into somebeast?s stomach, bringing them both down on the ground. A loose shower of earth fell and then the blackness around them resumed its peaceful silence.

?Istvan??

?Would you kindly remove your rudder from my stomach??

?Wot? Oh aye.  Nyika? Greenfleck??

There was no answer, not even any faint sound of breathing or rustle of fur. A sudden panic gripped Nessa. What had she done?

?Nyikaaaa!?

Heedless of their dangerous situation, the ottermaid threw herself towards the right where the tunnel split in twain... and slammed into a solid wall of rock and dirt. The area where Nyika and the toad had been standing had completely caved in. In numb disbelief, Nessa slid slowly down the rubble.

?Vanessa! What has happened, Vanessa??

?T... they?re gone, Istvan! The ceilin? caved ain!?

?What! Nyika?s gone??

Pressed against the rough dirt, Nessa clenched her paws tight, unable to control the burning rush of emotions pushing a hard lump of guilt and anger up her throat. Just then, against her ear, she heard the faint echo of a voice.

?Nessa??

?Nyika! Oh thank goodness yer alive!?

The wildcat seer?s voice barely made itself heard across the barrier that now separated the four beasts.

?We?re alright, we?re on the other side, the tunnel splits off here. Greenfleck is with me.?

Nessa detected a distinct note of uneasiness in her tone and started digging furiously only to be held back by Istvan?s paw grabbing her arm.

?What...!?

?Hold, Guardsbeast. You could start another cave-in. Nyika, can you hear me??

?Aye.?

?We?ll try to dig our way through slowly. It?ll take time but just stay where you are.?

?Please hurry!?

The note of agitation in her voice had increased and Nessa?s paws trembled as it suddenly dawned on her why the wildcat was so nervous. But before she could do anything to reassure the wildcat, her ears pricked up in alarm. Grunts and rough clanking noises were echoing from the mouth of the tunnel behind them.

?Ach! Istvan, we got company.?

The Corporal sounded positively harassed.

"Would it be too much to ask for the Mother to ameliorate some of our obstacles? Guardsbeast, we must hide, and quickly."

?But wot aboot Nyika? We cannae loose each other- if any moles show oop, Ah kin knock  ?em oot.?

?There?s too many, Vanessa, can?t you hear them? We?ll have to try and find the way into that tunnel further in.?

Despite sounding decidedly unsure about his last statement, Istvan headed off downwards at a fast trot. There was no time to inform their two companions of the recent developments- already the faint yellow light of torches and gravelly accent of their enemies were seeping around the corner of the tunnel.

It was grueling trying to run in pitch darkness. More often than she?d liked, Nessa found herself having to steady herself on Istvan after a stumble or, alternatively, having to catch Istvan to save him from a fall that could have dire consequences. They were approaching the deeper hub of the mole?s fortress and parties of the digging beasts could often be heard either behind or on either side of them. Fortunately, along with the increase in foebeasts, came an increase in light. Occasional crude torches stuck into directly into the earth of the tunnel walls now gave flickering light to their path and made progress much easier. Easier, that is, until their winding path began to split off into five different branches.

?Ach, which way noo??

Nessa was panting slightly- around them and behind them still echoed the sounds of the inhabitants of the underworld. Istvan did not hesitate, immediately heading into the rightmost tunnel.

?This way.?

?How?d?ye know??

The tattooed otter continued heading towards the entrance with maddening certainty.

?Vanessa, we are in a very dangerous situation in enemy territory. As a Guard and your officer, I must ask you now to follow and obey me immediately and without discussion. Our lives depend on swift and efficient action.?

What in the name o? crags....!? Nessa clamped her mouth shut, trying to ignore the various choice epitaphs and objections that came to mind, and hurried to catch up with Istvan. She didn?t have any leeway to question Istvan now, what with her episode of drunken irresponsibility still fresh in the Captain?s mind.

Following Istvan?s lead silently, she trotted onwards then took a sharp left as the tunnel split in two again. One right, two splits, and three left turns later and she was starting to seriously question Istvan?s judgement. True, he was constantly veering away from noises that signaled approaching moles but this mode of action was forcing the two creatures deeper and deeper into what was swiftly becoming a veritable maze.

Finally, they were forced to halt upon arriving in a large circular chamber with openings branching off all around them like spokes on a wheel.

?I believe this calls for a change of plans, Vanessa. We appear to be nearing the center of this network- probably where the moles are keeping their prisoners. In that case, I think we should focus on rescuing Zevka and Gashrock and then try to recover Nyika and the toad on our way out. At least, they are free; we shall have to hope they make good use of their wits and remain undetected until we find them. May the All-Mother protect them.?

Nessa nodded once. That, at least, made sense; she could see the entrance to many of the tunnels here were flattened and packed by constant activity. And as she padded around to inspect the seven branching paths, the ottermaid even noticed some scraps of rough fabric and crumbs of un-identifiable food on the beaten floor of the third one from their entry point. And there was something else about this tunnel, a faint aroma, something she felt she knew.

?Och, Istvan, Ah think Ah kin smell Zevka?s scent! An? this tunnel?s been used recently! Are ye comin???

Istvan was at the passage two entries lower down from her.

?Hmmm? Vanessa, I found a scrap... of what appears to be Gashrock?s robe. I think we?ll investigate this one first, the lack of tracks rather indicates that it is used less often- a logical place to put prisoners which they probably rarely keep.?

?Wot? But Istvan, Ah kin feel this is the reet one... the fabric scrap musta been swept o?er...?

?Come, Guardsbeast, there isn?t much time. My guess is this is the right tunnel to follow so we shall down it first.?

And down Nessa was forced to follow, her every instinct protesting as she left Zevka?s faint musk behind.

Ah willnae argue with Istvan. Ah willnae argue with Istvan. Ah willnae argue with Istvan even if he is an overbearing, air-headed dolt... Ah willnae...

?Istvan, Ah really feel we shouldnae be goin? this way!?

?I do not wish to have to repeat myself, Guardsbeast. Either you follow my orders or you answer to our Captain.?

Fine. She had her answer. She?d follow the crazy otter to the end of this mess, if only to be there to gloat when they ended up even more lost in some lonely cavern miles beneath the mountain.  As it turned out, they were both saved the walk when when after a short distance, Istvan?s tunnel simply ended in a very ordinary looking cul-de-sac.

?Weel, would ye lookit that!?

She didn?t even try to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.

?Och, Nessa, this is the right path, Ah?m sure, jist follow mah lead, lowly Guardsbeast!  Huh! Logic, mah auntie?s rudder. Ye, mah bonny Corporal, just led us intae a dead end.?

Istvan was apparently not listening, or trying not to listen as he examined the torch still illuminating the closed passage.

?Strange. Why would they illuminate passages that do not serve any apparent purpose??

Nessa didn?t let him finish his rumination, finally able to let out her frustration with the entire episode.

?Because they?re mad, that?s why! They?re mad, crazy, illogical little savages that attack anybeast for nae reason at all! And there ye are, moonin? aroond aboot a single blitherin? torch! Ah?m sick o? followin? ye aroond! This time, we?re goin? back oop an? doon mah tunnel where Ah?ll show ye who?s the real tracker ?ere.?

To the fuming ottermaid?s slight surprise, Istvan gave his resigned assent without too much trouble and once again, the duo headed out into the endlessly dull brown passages. Ah swear, iffen Ah stay in this stinkin? hole much longer, Ah?m goin? tae go mad! Once back into the large chamber, Nessa marched decidedly down her chosen way- and was brought to an astonished halt even more quickly than in Istvan?s tunnel.

This passage too was a dead end.

This was impossible. Trotting around, Nessa tried to recapture the elusive marten scent that had first convinced her but it slipped around her senses, her doubtful mind now wondering whether it had all just been in her head. Maybe she was going crazy.

"Well, it appears that your hunch was incorrect as well. Perhaps excessive imbibing of alcohol has damaged your sense of smell?" 

Istvan was leaning behind her, looking unbearably smug. Tae hellgates with that thrice-blasted otter! Perhaps in her haste to prove him wrong she?d gone down the wrong one. Without a single word, Nessa stormed back up to the main hall. By the time her officer had caught up, the ottermaid was running wildly around the numerous entries, growing more and more agitated by the minute.

?Vanessa, stop.?

She stopped. However hard it was to acknowledge, she knew there was no point throwing all her irritation and helpless anger out on him. Both of them were lost and yelling her head off at him like she was longing to do was not going to accomplish anything.

?Look, Istvan, Ah... Ah?m sorry. We?re goin? nowhere like this. Kin we call a truce, aye? We both do our best tae find Zevka and Gashrock an? the rest an? git oot o? this place alive an? in one piece. An?... Ah try not tae yell at ye tae much.?

A heavy tattooed paw met hers as Istvan nodded.

?Very well. Now, we need to decide our next move or continue to wander in this labyrinth until we both return to the Mother in very painful and useless circumstances.?

Their next move, however, was decided for them. Another platoon of the dreaded moles- the place seemed full of them- had, by some trick of the echoes, approached them undetected but could now be heard very clearly and glitters of sharpened stone were even starting to be discernible through the gloom.

As quickly and quietly as possible, they both ducked into the nearest hiding place at hand: a small hollow in the earth slightly hidden by a large stalagmite. Her heart pounding, Nessa flattened herself against the wall, watching as the gibbering crowd passed right before them, heading towards one of the tunnels they hadn?t investigated yet.

And right then and there, it hit her. There was a way they could find out exactly where the prisoners were located! Excitedly, she whirled on Istvan gabbling out her plan at a breakneck rate.

?Istvan, Ah got et! Iffen ye git captured, they?ll take ye tae straight tae the prisoner?s place, aye, aye? Then Ah kin follow ye an? break ye all oot, ye ken? ?Tis sich a bonny scheme, they?ll lead us straight tae the place!?

Istvan blinked, obviously trying to make sense of the sudden flood of whispered Highland gibberish. But Nessa was in no mood for explanations. The mole party were already almost past them, a minute later and the chance would be gone. Before Istvan could say or do anything, she was practically dragging him to the entrance of their hideout in the shadowy hollow.

?Vanessa, what...??

Bracing herself hard against the rock, Nessa brought both paws up and shoved Istvan squarely in the chest. Taken utterly by surprise, her officer stumbled out directly into the torchlight before the astonished eyes of the moles. Immediately, he was surrounded by the small, sable-furred creatures, hurr-ing and harr-ing away as they menaced him with crude but nevertheless dangerous hatchets made of sharpened stone bound to a simple wood handle.

?Harr, et be?s anuther unn! Gurt h?otter. ?Ow d?ee get in ?ere??

?Do you heathen savages understand who you are addressing? I am Istvan, most beloved priest of the All-Mother."?

The moles did not seem overly impressed.

?You?m drop dat thurr knoife, zurr h?otter. Garzo, did ?ee furrget to close ?ee turnnel erntrance agin??

?Hurr, Oi be?s gurtly zorry, zurr.?

?Grab ?is knoife, Buglle. Take ?im wid ?ee utherr prizners, burr aye. Shirft eeself noaw!?

Off they went, dragging Istvan along with them, but not before the Corporal had managed to make a last, accusing eye contact with the ottermaid hidden in the shadows.

Nessa waited just until the backs of the departing beasts disappeared around the corner before she slipped off after the party. She felt a bit guilty for her recent act (not to mention she was actively trying not to think about what Istvan?s report to Noonahootin would be, assuming they made it out) but still, there was no denying it felt vastly better to be working on her own. Paws clenched, she slithered along the walls, using every nook, cranny, and shadow to conceal herself. Guid ould Sergeant Reng. Ah ne?er thought those borin? camouflage lessons coulda been sae useful. Indeed, the need for concealment was great for in fear of losing them, Nessa kept in sight of the group and therefore on the edge of their torchlight.

The moles were a primitive looking bunch, she decided, quite unlike the industrious, well-fed crews in Yew. Emaciated and ragged, they shuffled along, dressed in torn rags and dried vegetative matter and brandishing their crude axes and stone tipped spears.

It wasn?t so long before they reached one of the dead ends that had so frustrated the two Yew Guards and she had the answer to the riddle. Three moles went forward and attacked the barrier with stout digging claws, reducing it to rubble in a surprisingly short time not above five minutes. Then the entire group proceeded through the hole and left the diggers to close the entry behind them, unaware of the silent shadow crawling up towards them.

It was over in a flash. Nessa leapt forward, head-butting the first mole in the stomach, whirled, striking the next one on the head with her rudder, and floored the last beast with a single jab to the snout. They didn?t make a single noise except for the dull thunk as they each hit the ground unconscious. Vaulting over the rubble, the ottermaid rushed to catch up with Istvan?s captors, a sudden rush of euphoria from her successful ambush lending extra speed and agility to her paws.

Though most of the tunnels were made in packed and shored-up earth, obviously mole-work, the entire network seemed to wend it?s way through natural cracks and large openings in the mountain bedrock that had slowly filled with earth and mud from the surface. This moutain rocks showed itself on many occasions as protrusions of rock or small grottoes of solid granite.  If it hadn?t been for those various stalactitites, stalagmites, hollows, and bell-shaped mounds, the undercover infiltrator would have immediately been noticed as the moles milled about in the narrow place. As it was, Nessa had to call upon all her natural agility to make use of what cover she had. Wedged between two large stalagmites growing on one side of the tunnel, she covertly watched the moles approach a large wooden door, open the heavy metal bar that locked it from the outside, and thrust Istvan inside.

It was only when all the moles had safely passed her and retraced their steps to the main chamber that Nessa dared to breathe. Dropping lightly to the floor, she scurried over to the door and called out softly through the woodwork, her heart dancing inside her as she heard the cynical tones of a familiar voice from inside.

?Zevka??

?Oh Gates, Nessa, you made it!?

Nessa couldn?t restrain the grin from her face.

?An? ye really thought Ah wouldnae??

?Believe me, Guardsbeast, it is a good thing for you that you did. But do not think for one instant that this erases your transgression from my memory. You may be sure I will..?

Nessa was still grinning, far too happy to let Istvan?s ominous speech dampen her spirits. She cut him off curtly.

?Save yer breath Istvan, Ah got the job done didnae Ah??

?That remains to be seen. How are we to get out of here now??

?Aye, an? ?ow do we get through the moles an? owt??

?Weel, Ah kin try tae lift this bolt without tae much noise...?

Nessa paused, listening. The moles were still in the large chamber, apparently holding some kind of council.

?But Ah dunno ?ow we kin get oot without them seein? us.?

She could almost see the thinking crease on the marten?s brow as Zevka?s voice was heard again.

?Hmmm. We?re already free of our chains in here, thanks to Gashrock?s needle. What we need is a distraction.?

Nessa?s eyes suddenly lit up.

?Ah?ll do et, Zevka! Ah?ll distract ?em! Listen, Ah?ll lift this bar and then sneak oot an? do a guid ould ruckus...?

Even while she was talking, Nessa was already lifting the heavy bar off the bolt, not daring to open the door lest it?s loud creakings attract attention. With flushed face and set jaw, the ottermaid whispered a final, ?When ye hear me shout, get oot an? run!?, and sped off down the passage leaving behind Zevka?s last words.

?Good luck.?

She emerged from the tunnel and crawled her way alongside the shadowed wall of the large council hall undetected before starting to worm her way up the rocky walls. The constant muttering of the debating moles that blocked the way not seven paces away from her droned on as she sweated and strived to find pawholds in the rugged rock.  And she made it, clinging to the rocky lumps over the heads of the mole council on the opposite side from the prison tunnel. Her head felt light, empty, her body thrumming with pent up energy. This was it.

She jumped, straight into the milling crowd of moles, and hit the ground with a cloud of dust and a tremendous yell that was doubled and trebled as it echoed around the cave.

?Ahoy, ye grimy bunch o? cloddheaded eedjits!?

The shock was complete. Over a hundred bright, beady eyes suddenly swiveled around to stare at the ottermaid. It took Nessa aback for a split second, then her chest swelled with the intoxicating fact that she had everybeast?s total, undiluted attention.

?Och, ?ave all ye wormbrained, sludgepawed, ninny-nosed lot gone daft, eh? What?r?ye starin? at me fer? ?Twould be a wonder yer mammies let ye keep watch o?er a wee marble, the way this place is guarded!?

En masse, the moles surged forward brandishing weapons at the impudent intruder. Laughing outright, Nessa turned, waggling her rudder impudently, and shot off further down the cavern. The realization that her plan was working gave her a fresh boost of confidence and she actually halted, calling back to her slightly slower pursuers.

?Jings, Ah?m growin? auld hangin? aboot ?ere! Git a move on, straggle-pawed, bumblin? country oafs! Hah, yer all sae scrawny ye cannae e?en run proper. That?s wot coom?s o? thievery an? laziness!?

The insults were working, more than working in fact. For some reason she ignored, the last jibe seemed to have hit a common nerve, enraging the moles to the point were they were even trampling some of their own kind in their haste to reach Nessa.

She was heading for the dark mouth of another tunnel now and a quick glance backwards told her that the way was now clear for the escaping prisoners. Putting on a turn of speed, the young Guard sprinted off inside the dim passage as the horde of bodies poured in behind her. The torches were getting sparser and the side passages more numerous. Much further and she suddenly realized she?d be completely lost and blocked off from her companions. Accordingly, Nessa suddenly spun around, her rudder scoring the earth as she faced the oncoming beasts.

?Haaaawaaay, buckoes, who?s first??

The four unlucky frontrunners stumbled straight into her range and Nessa didn?t keep them waiting on ceremony. Thwock! Whack! Whaaapaak! There was a reason why the ottermaid had a healthy reputation amidst the brawlers of Yew.

Seeing four of their number so quickly decimated brought the cave-dwellers to a momentary halt and Nessa crouched low, panting and grinning simultaneously, teeth bared as she slapped her rudder on the ground.

?Aye, aye, who?s the braw one ready tae git ?is face in the dirt next, ye scairt jelly-legs? Step oop an? meet the daughter o? Ravenna Riverflash o? the Stormloch Clan! Ah was born in a battle, amidst the fire o? Cucharok! The enemy took one look at me chewin? on a halberd an? ran off yellin? mercy! Ye wanna see yer death? Weel yer lookin? at et noo!?

Not a single mole answered the fearsome challenge and Nessa yelled louder, carried away by the adrenaline filling her body. Her stand was having the desired effect of delaying the moles enough to let Zevka and the rest get as far as possible but the real reason why the moles were not rushing her soon became evident. A sharp lancing pain suddenly cut through her bragging and Nessa tasted tangy blood on her muzzle. It was streaming from the score left by one of the spears. The moles weren?t stupid; drawing back, they brought their slings, spears, and throwing hatchets into play against their lone foe. Nessa backflipped, gracefully dodging the next missiles. But she couldn?t keep the maneuver up forever, not with the amount of thrown weaponry increasing every second. There was only one option left- head into the maze once again and hope that fate favored her escape.

As Nessa ran, she tried to ascertain if the tunnel she?d chosen roughly headed in the direction of the main cave where her friends were but she soon had other preoccupations. She?d only been fleeing for several minutes, always aware of the growling mob behind her, when she ran slap-bang into a second group of moles that scurried out of the side entry. This time, there was no bragging or baiting: the moles were deadly serious and fought with a surprising ferocity. With a roar, Nessa bulled into the smaller beasts, punching, kicking and breaking wherever she saw an opening. The moles were armed but at such short range, their weapons were easy targets for the smashing rudder and whirling paws of the ottermaid. Besides the wild warrior blood of her mother?s ancestors that was currently rushing like fire through her veins, the fact that Captain Fern had started training his daughter in the art of paw-to-paw fighting almost as soon as she could walk now proved a considerable difficulty for her enemies. But it was still one against scores and the moles clung like limpets even as the ottermaid strove to escape forward. Before long Nessa was bleeding from a second, more serious gash, on her leg and the spear bearer, taking advantage of her momentary pain, hefted his weapon for a second debilitating thrust. It never fell.

When Nessa looked up at her enemy, she saw his eyes roll up and his body slump to the ground, to be replaced by a figure she?d almost given up hope of seeing.

?Zevka!?

If Nessa had maintained a slight restraint towards actually killing the moles, Zevka had no such qualms. The marten?s saber flashed like lighting as it wove a graceful and deadly pattern, seeking out vital bleeding spots with frightening accuracy. Behind her, Istvan?s knife finished off the wounded, followed by Gashrock scowling fiercely, a sizable rock clenched in her paw. Faced with this unexpected onslaught, the moles dissipated and the escapers seized the chance.

?Come on, Nessa, this way!?

?Wh... how... d?ye.. find me??

?No time now, Guardsbeast. Run!?

Nessa put her paw down, meaning to sprint off, but suddenly her vision turned yellow and fuzzy and she felt the sounds of the world fade out. A rough paw thrust about her waist was the only thing that stopped the ottermaid from suddenly fainting.

?Not the ruddy place for a nap, innit??

?Th.. thanks.. Gashrock.?

Paws pounding the earth, the four dashed off. Zevka seemed to have a rough idea of a way, and Nessa was suddenly too tired to much care where they were running. But wherever the marten was leading them, they never got there. Moles flowed out from the tunnels before them like cockroaches swarming out of a jar, cutting off their routes wherever they turned. Soon they were completely encircled in a ring of foebeasts. Nessa?s vision was turning red, clouded by the blood caked over her eyes, as she leapt forward recklessly into the mob, the entire network echoing and re-echoing to the age-old Highland battle-cry.

?Coom on, mates, the more the merrier! Haaaawaaaaay the braaaaaaw!?