The Rise of Freedom

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==Dedications==
Lemme see....Ah yes.
To Shieldmaiden, for asking me as soon as I got on whether I was goin' to write fanfics or draw art. You gave me the prompting to start a story, even though I hated writing when I started. (I wouldn't put pencil to paper willingly, I had graphophobia)
==Map==
click here for map
Prologue
It was a dark and stormy night. Rain fell in thick sheets, blurring trees, rock, and shrub into one gray mass. The traveler’s footpaws squelched in the sticky mud as he fought his way through the storm. The wind whipped him mercilessly and tried to snatch away the cloak that covered him. He was a blur in a landscape of blurs, cloak puttied tight about him and hood up. Not a single hair was left exposed to the storm. Through the downpour, a glimmer of light showed itself from the mouth of a cave. Inside, it was warm and dry. The smell of smoke hung heavy in the air, its sweet muskiness lending the cave a homely feel.
A shape at the edge of the fire stirred, looking up at the intruder. It was a squirrel, old beyond guess. His once red fur was now a silvery gray, and his nimble limbs now creaked with rheumatism. A smile broke over his features as he waved the wanderer in.
“Come in out of the darkness and storm, my friend. It’s been far too long since I’ve had a visitor. Not many come to hear ancient history, even if I did live it. Settle yourself in, it’s quite a tale I have to tell, about slaves, injustice, and split families. Both trust and mistrust play a large part in my story. This tale centers around an unlikely friendship between a prince and a slave.” The old squirrel shook his head. “Now there I go giving away part of the story. Let’s begin before I ruin the end as well.”
“It all began one day in late spring, many, many, seasons ago…”
Book 1: The Palace
A fated friendship, a prince and a slave, 'Though neither were extraordinary, both were brave. ''But is the knowledge of wrong,''
The fails of the throng,
Enough for a Prince to give up his kingdom?
Chapter 1
The water is warm today, thought Colan as he kicked upwards off the seafloor towards the surface. Bubbles surrounded him as he spiraled upwards through the aquamarine depths. The pull of the bulging bag on his belt reminded him of the fact that he wasn’t here for fun, he had a job. And if he didn’t perform well…well, he’d just do his job and not think of that.
He broke the surface, blinking at the bright spring sun. The warm salt breeze sweeping towards the island off the sea tickled his nose, and Colan sneezed. Swimming over to the coracle he had anchored not far away, he pulled himself halfway out of the water. Looking over the opposite side of the coracle, he studied the island he called home. A clean white beach separated the sea from rolling fields of crops. Perched on a hill some distance away was a white stone palace. Colan’s father, Athuran, had told him that the finishing touches had been put on the palace when he was sixteen seasons old, the same age as Colan. Behind the palace, green-leafed trees swayed in the salt breeze.
The scene would’ve been peaceful, had it not been for the crack of the whip and the cries of its victims that echoed across the water. Squirrels, mice, shrews, and some otters were working in the fields, pushed ever faster by the whips of their overseers. Colan counted himself lucky that he was a diver; the overseers couldn’t push him so hard. Thinking of that reminded Colan that he still needed to work. Captain Ripfur, who oversaw the fishing and diving, and loved to embarrass and needle the slaves under him as much as possible, didn’t take kindly to slackers. Well, he didn’t take kindly to slaves in general, but he was harsher to those that didn’t fill their coracles by the end of the day.
Colan reached down with one paw and unhooked the bag around his waist. Heaving it into the little boat, he upended it, dumping its contents to the floor of the coracle with a clatter to join the twoscore specimens that already lay there. They were oysters, shiny as crystal and black as night. Most of them held only the oyster, but some held pearls that would be added to her majesty Queen Laburnum’s personal collection, to be made into pawrings sand necklaces later by slaves that showed skill as artisans.
Colan’s stomach rumbled as he stared at the oysters, but he couldn’t eat one, not yet. He had to be sure that he had enough to satisfy Ripfur before he began to eat his catch. Colan clipped the bag to his belt and took several deep breaths. Then he dove.
Down, down into the water he dove. Colan remembered the time when he was afraid to go so deep, and settled for the smaller oysters in the shallower areas. He had gotten many a whipping for returning with inadequate oysters before he began diving deeper. Now he dove deeper than anybeast else, and returned with larger oysters.
Colan’s paws toughed the seafloor and he looked around. The pressure the entire sea above him pressed in from around him, but he knew his body could stand it. He didn’t want to try pushing his luck much farther though. Colan vaguely remembered an incident some seasons back, when he had just started. Queen Laburnum’s son, Prince Alspur, had been out in a boat when he dropped his dagger in the water. He had called an otterslave over and ordered him to fetch it. The slave had pleaded with Alspur to leave it there, it was too far down. Prince Alspur then said that either the slave dove for it, or his family would be locked in their house and burned. The otter had gone down, blood had come up, and the slave joined the Prince’s dagger on the seafloor. Alspur had shrugged and commented that he had plenty more daggers just like it back at the palace. This had occurred not much further out than Colan was now.
Colan swam over to an oyster that had anchored itself to a second one. Ha, two for one. He thought as he pulled his knife from his belt. It wasn’t really a knife, simply a ground oyster shell, but it was the only sharp thing he was allowed to carry. Colan braced himself against a rock and pulled on the bottom oyster, slashing under it with the sharpened oyster shell. Colan slipped the oysters into his belt pouch and kicked off the bottom to get a breath of air. He had wasted too much time thinking instead of working, and now he had run out of air.
Halfway up, Colan noticed another boat near his coracle. This one was a proper boat, with oars sticking into the water. Colan gave an inward groan, why would Ripfur do a surprise inspection? He wouldn’t find anything out of the ordinary, he never had, and he never would. For a moment Colan hovered in the water, but then his lungs reminded him that he needed air, and he reluctantly continued towards the surface.
Colan broke the surface and studied the boat for signs of what it might mean. Four otterslaves sat at the oars, looking tired but otherwise fine. In the bow stood Captain Ripfur, a bulky rat with half of his right ear missing. A cutlass hung from his left side, and he held a whip coiled in his right paw. At the sound of Colan’s swimming, he turned his steely gray eyes to look at him.
“Git over ‘ere, slave!” He barked, “I don’t ‘ave all day.” Colan swam over until he was directly under the bow of the boat, craning his neck to look at Ripfur. “That’s better.” He said. “Divin’s over for t’day, everybeast is ordered t’ attend th’ execution of th’ would-be-assassins of King Alcon.” He gave Colan a look of disgust, “Make sure ya get some clothes on first though, yer not there to impress th’ females.” He turned his back on Colan and shouted to the rower, cracking his whip over their heads. “Put yer backs inta it, ya lazy fish’eads! To th’ shore, double time.”
Colan had to swim out of the way as the boat lurched over the spot he had just occupied. He felt his face burning as Ripfur was rowed away, laughing at his joke. He knew Ripfur had said that just to embarrass him, but it still sent the blood rushing to his face. It was normal among the divers to wear nothing but your belt, there was less drag that way and diving took less effort, which was important when you did it the entire day. All the divers were males anyway, Ripfur had the notion that females were better cooks and cleaners than divers and fishers. Colan though he was probably right, the few meals his father had cooked had been awful, but he was wrong about the males being better at fishing. He knew a few otterwives that could fish the rudder off any of the males. Colan though about what his friend Cetyl’s reaction would be if he went walking around the compound with only his belt on. He imagined it’d be something along the lines of Uh, Colan? You forgot yore clothes. Not impressed at all. Besides, Colan thought as he began swimming for shore, dragging the coracle behind him, It’s not like I have the muscles to impress anybeast with.
It was true. Colan was plenty strong for the work he did, but it wasn’t apparent. He was one of those beasts that didn’t appear as strong as they actually were. Colan pushed Ripfur’s jibe out of his mind, it was just to get him riled, nothing more. He succeeded in pushing it away, only to have his mind take a more sinister trail. He had heard rumors that King Alcon had nearly been assassinated by his family’s personal slaves, but it had only been rumors until now.
Soon his paws touched bottom and he was dragging the coracle up the beach past the tideline. Captain Ripfur was already there. He pointed to a nearby weasel, “You! Check this ‘un over.”
The weasel, a well-built beast with a black-furred right paw, walked over and frisked Colan. Well, this is unneeded. Thought Colan as he was patted down. Where am I gonna hide something? In me fur?
“Open.” The weasel ordered him sharply, placing a paw on the side of Colan’s muzzle. The otter obliged, and after peering around his mouth, the guard stepped back a pace. “Arms up!”
“Swing ‘em now!”
“Right footpaw up!”
“Now th’ left ‘un!”
Colan preformed all the tasks the soldier gave, from holding up his footpaws to waggling his rudder. The process took a whole five minutes, and much of it was unneeded commands that the weasel added just to be bossing somebeast around. Finally the guard got bored and pronounced him clear, after removing the oyster shell blade and tossing it into a basket in the coracle for safe keeping.
Colan grabbed his tunic from the coracle and moved a short distance away from Ripfur. The Captain would think it funny to confiscate his tunic on the grounds that he could strangle somebeast with it. Colan removed his belt and shook himself, getting much of the excess water off. Then he donned the rough homespun tunic and clipped the belt over it. Satisfied that he was now decent, he began walking down the path that led to the main road that stretched between the palace and the docks. He merged with the flow of traffic that moved toward the palace. Most were slaves in the fields, but some were workers at the docks or fishers. He saw a few divers who had been delayed like him, but most were already far ahead. He nodded to a hedgehog that cleaned the tavern by the docks and also to a pretty mousemaid that waited on the tables there.
Colan spotted his brother up ahead, and he broke into a trot to catch up. “How was fishin’?” He asked as he drew level.
“Bad.” Muttered Runtha, “Shark attack today, it got Chippen.”
Colan missed a step at the news. Chippen hadn’t been any good friend of his, but getting eaten by a shark was a horrible way to go. Fishing was notorious for its shark attacks, with the struggling and sometimes bleeding fish that the fisherbeasts hauled out of the water. The news effectively killed any further conversation, and they walked in silence for the rest of the way.
Soon they were walking through the town outside the gates of the palace. The wooden houses lined the dirt street, blocking out much of the sunlight. Across the street, a boor banged open and a rat stumbled out, followed by a pot, which bounced down the street. A ratwife stepped into the doorframe, waving a knife threateningly.
“Come back when yer sober, or not at all!” she shouted after the rat as he staggered down the street. “Yer too pushy an’ bossy after th’ score o’ flagons yew’ve ‘ad.”
Colan ducked his head to hide his smile. It wasn’t every day that he saw a rat get his tail whipped by his mate. Now they were walking next to the high wooden palisade of the slave compound. Guards patrolled the walkway that encircled the top of the palisade. Each night Colan reported to Ripfur at the gate, who, after a few more jibes, checked him off his list and let him in. The houses inside were more ramshackle huts than proper dwellings, and they were small and crowded. The meanest soldier could get a five room, well-built, cozy house easily while the slaves who built the house shivered in their drafty, one-room huts.
“Colan!” Runtha’s voice brought him back to reality, making him jump and look around. He hadn’t noticed the crowd pressing in around him, nor the gate of the palace looming high above him. Even now he was beginning to cross the drawbridge, the river running below him. The white stone towered above the crowd, making Colan feel small. As he passed through the gate, he glanced up at the portcullis hanging above him by thick iron chains. It was a sight that made him uneasy. Hundreds of pounds of iron hung above him with large iron spikes pointing downwards. He wouldn’t put it past one of the soldiers to send the portcullis crashing down for fun, the only punishment would be a few lashes for the destruction of royal property.
Colan moved with the crowd down a dark stone tunnel that burrowed its way through the thick wall. Suddenly he was in the palace courtyard, blinking at the bright sunlight. Colan hesitated; he wasn’t sure where to go. He was of two minds about the execution of these slaves. Yes, they had tried to kill King Alcon, but they had also been terrible snitches. Their reports had gotten slaves executed on more than one occasion. Runtha moved up towards the middle, motioning at him to follow. Colan reluctantly went with him. When Colan stopped moving, he got his first glimpse of the condemned.
They were a family of four mice, dressed in finery, now tattered and bloodstained. The backs of their clothes were almost gone, slashed to ribbons by the whip. One was missing an ear, another an eye, and a third his forepaw. All of them had their footpaws bound tightly together and their forepaws tied to a beam above their heads. They were covered from head to tail with bruises. Silently they hung, whiskers and tails drooping, in front of the jeering mob of vermin. Colan stirred with unease as he heard a few slaves shouting in the crowd as well.
“Th’ sunset’s supposed t’be beautiful tonight mousie. Too bad yew won’t live t’ see it!”
“Yah, th’ royal fishies are gonna ‘ave flayed mousie t’night.”
“Harr, harr, keep th’ cleanin’ crew ready, mates! They’ll be moppin’ up mousie soon!”
A shrill voice shouted out from behind Colan, “Now ye’ll pay for yer tattlin’! My Vertal well be avenged by yer death!”
Suddenly a beat of a drum rolled out over the crowd, its bass boom reverberating in Colan’s chest. The shouts and jeers of the crowd died down until only the low murmuring of whispers remained. The doors of the palace slowly opened and Captain Markul, the overseer of the palace slaves and the spokesbeast for the royal family, stepped out of the palace and walked forward to stand on a raised platform next to the trussed-up mice.
“Silence for King Alcon, Ruler of Aguinal, Terror of the Western Sea, countless riches fill his treasure chambers, grain overflows his storehouses, all the treasures of the sea belong to him, may his name outlast the seasons!”
Except for the one pearl Runtha stole from Father a few weeks back. Thought Colan, That ‘un’ll never make it to…wait. Oh yeah, Runtha gave the pearl to a soldier in exchange for extra rations for himself.
A hush fell over the crowd as four more figures emerged from the palace doors. The first was a large, heavy-set male ferret. He wore a shirt of chainmail, with plates of iron inlaid with gold on his shoulders and chest. A heavily-muscled paw rested of the hilt of the ornate broadsword at his side. The hilt was solid gold, inset with many types of precious stones. The scabbard was iron, heavily inlaid with gold, a line of gems set down the middle, sending the sunlight that hit it in a thousand different directions. An ornately crafted gold crown rested on the top of his head. Colan couldn’t see the designs, but he didn’t need to to know that it showed the royal house killing and enslaving otters, mice, shrews, moles, hedgehogs, squirrels, and all manner of woodlanders. As much as Colan hated the king, he couldn’t help admiring his strong figure. This wasn’t a beast that, just because he was king, he sat around getting fat. There was only muscle on his frame.
After King Alcon came Queen Laburnum. She was the opposite of her mate in body frame, almost a head shorter and of slight build. The Queen wore a wispy dress of a violent red color. Her small frame was weighted down by an assortment of necklaces, pawrings, tailrings, earrings, and jewelry of all sorts. Her crown was slimmer and lighter than the king’s, but every square inch was encrusted with jewels so it appeared that an exotic butterfly had landed on her head.
Behind her, walking side-by-side, came the princes. Prince Alspur was the eldest of the two, and at eighteen seasons of age he was an exact copy of his father, with the exception of any scars. Tall and thick-boned, he moved in deliberate motions, each pawstep falling heavily on the stone slabs of the courtyard. He wore a gold and silver-threaded tunic and a crimson cape fastened over one shoulder. An ornamental dagger hung at his belt in a sheath of solid gold. Alspur looked over the crowd, contempt evident of his face.
Prince Torrin was the youngest, at sixteen seasons. He wasn’t as heavily-built as his father, but he wasn’t slender like his mother either. His frame was somewhere in-between the two. He wore a tunic with the simplest of gold embroidery on one shoulder. As he moved, there was a spring in his step, as if there was stored energy hidden in his body and some escaped as he walked. He looked around the silent crowd, his face a blank mask. Colan, try as he might, couldn’t figure out what the prince was feeling.
Four ornately carved oak thrones were carried onto the raised platform by a number of slaves. Those can’t be comfortable. Colan thought as the royal family sat down. Queen Laburnum was at the King’s right paw, and the two princes were at his left. Alcon rose again and stepped forward to the edge of the platform. He raised his voice until its deep tones rolled to the furthest corners of the palace square, making sure everybeast could hear.
“I asked you to come here today to witness the demise of those who attempted to kill me.”
Maybe for the corsairs at the docks or the soldiers it was a choice. Thought Colan, then he noticed Alcon looking at the bound mice, and he felt his blood run cold. He had seen that expression on Ripfur’s face a few times, but never with the intensity that he saw it now. Flames…he’s anticipating it. He can’t wait to kill those mice.
Alcon signaled and Markul hurried forward with a large double-edged sword. Markul kneeled and held it out, then hastily backed away as the king took it. At first Colan couldn’t figure out what made the blade look so strange, then he realized it had no tip, its point was a flat edge. A blade made for executions. Realized Colan as Alcon turned back to the crowd.
“As they die,” he said, leaning on the sword, “they will realize what fools they were to think that they could kill me.” Then he addressed the slaves directly. “Slave, as their pleads for mercy go unanswered, let them remind you that the same will go for you if you attempt some foolish act.”
One of the mice spoke up, his voice cracked from pain. “You are a fool yourself if you think we would plead to you.”
Alcon merely smiled, a smile that sent chills down Colan’s spine. “We will see.” Turning his back on the crowd, he studied his two sons. Alspur looked at his father with eager expectation, glancing longingly at the sword. Torrin kept up his blank expression, keeping his eyes fixed straight ahead. “Torrin.” He said finally, “I grant you the duty of slaying these would-be assassins.”
For a second the blank mask faltered and began to fall, but Prince Torrin regained it so fast that Colan wasn’t sure if he had actually seen it. Alspur didn’t even try to mask the disappointment that he felt. Torrin stepped forward and grasped the outstretched pommel. Alcon released the blade and it dipped, nearly touching the ground before Torrin adjusted. He hefted it and swung experimentally a few times, then turned to his brother. Reversing his grip, he held out the pommel.
“It would be a pleasure to rid the world of these fools, Father, but I feel that because of my brother’s position as firstborn prince, and his expertise with heavier weapons, he should have the privilege.”
King Alcon looked slightly angry but said nothing as Alspur snatched the sword from his brother’s paws. Alspur stepped toward the first slave, and Alcon settled back on his throne, the same malicious anticipation on both their faces.
“Plead for mercy and maybe I’ll spare you.” Alspur said to the first mouse.
“If I thought pleading would save me, I’d have already started.” Shouted the mouse, obviously the spokesbeast. “You’ll hear no pleading from us!”
Alspur smiled maliciously, “All the better.” He said, then gripped the sword with both paws a swung, cleaving through the mouse’s midsection. Crimson liquid darkened the stones, running off the swordblade, soaking the fur of the dead mouse and running under the paws of the remaining trio. Alspur took a deep sniff and moved down the line. Next was an aged female mouse. She was shaking as Alspur swung the dripping sword near her muzzle. “Ready to grovel at my footpaws yet, scum?” He asked disdainfully.
The mouse looked at the corpse swinging beside her, either her mate or her son, Colan hadn’t thought to look and now he couldn’t tell. She took a deep breath. “No.” She calmed her shivering, “Never.”
“Come now.” Alspur taunted. “If you cry for mercy I may only lop off your paws.” The mousewife shook her head defiantly. “Good.” Alspur grinned and suddenly the heavy sword was a blur. The mouse fell screaming to the ground, her footpaws cut out from under her and her forepaws dangling all by themselves from the rope they were died to. The screaming stopped abruptly, and there was a splash as the mouse’s head fell into the crimson stream. The crowd, soldiers and slaves alike, were pressing together to make way for the river of blood that was winding its way out the palace gates and running into the river that split around the palace. The last two mice took a look at the two corpses and the bloody sword Alspur flourished as he stepped toward them and they began screaming for mercy.
Colan turned away and heaved the contents of his stomach onto the flagstones. He longed to leave, to knock himself out, anything to shut out the screams and pleads that came from the platform. Colan raised his gaze and looked at Runtha. His brother was staring at the stage, his mouth open in fascination. Colan was unable to bring himself to look at the raised platform as one of the voices ceased. The stench of blood filled his nostrils and his vision began to darken. He barely realized what he was doing as he staggered towards the spot from which he had entered this entrance to Hellgates. He slumped down against the wall, wishing it would all be over, that he hadn’t received the summons, that he was still living a relatively carefree day out in the sea…
Chapter 2
Colan shot up in bed, the rough cloth he used for a sheet soaked with sweat. He collapsed back down, breathing heavily. He groaned and turned over on the dry grass that served as his bed, striving to shut out the echoes of the bloodcurdling screams that had pierced his ears earlier that day. Colan closed his eyes and listened to the deep breathing of the other occupants of the room, his family. He furrowed his brows and sat up again, looking about the dark room.
His father wasn’t there. Colan wasn’t worried though, he knew where his father was. Rising silently, Colan tippawed to the door, careful not to wake his mother or Runtha. Peering around the doorway, Colan looked around in the darkness. Stars filled the sky, dotting the heavens with a billion tiny pinpoints of light. The moon was absent from the sky tonight, but that only meant there would be more darkness to hide in. The only guard in sight was peering over the palisade, holding a flaming torch. The salt tang of the breeze was lessened, but still noticeable. It must be still early in the night. Decided Colan.
Slipping out of the doorway but keeping to the shadows, Colan crept toward the center of the slave compound. There was a clink of metal and Colan dropped to the ground and pressed himself against the base of one of the mud houses. A weasel marched around the corner and past him, cutlass at his side. Poking his head into the doorways as he passed, he checked to see that the slaves were sleeping. Colan exhaled a breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding as the sentry disappeared around the next corner. Pushing himself up, he continued on. Passing along the walls of a rather nondescript hut, he slipped into a gap between it and the next hut. The passage was narrow, but Colan had ample room. Arriving at a small gap head height, he stopped.
“I wish I was a fish.” He murmured. It was a line from an old otter poem, it used to be longer, but much had been forgotten. The only known word were two lines:
I wish I was a fish, to swim in the sea. Freedom the fish, oh aye, that’s me!
Movement came from within the hut, and a shrew’s face appeared in the dark gap momentarily. Then a paw appeared, waving him on. Colan followed the small alley, reaching a low door at the end. As far as Colan knew, this was the only door in the slave compound that didn’t have vermin guarding it. He turned the knob and stepped into the smoky room beyond.
Heads snapped toward him as he stepped into the room, then the occupants relaxed and turned back to Colan’s father, Athuran, who was sitting on a chair in front of a semicircle of more wooden chairs assembled around a small fire. Most of the chairs were occupied by fellow slaves. Many were sprinkled with grey fur, but a few, like Colan, had weaseled permission from the elder group to attend. Colan took a seat on the packed earth floor next to an empty chair he knew to be his father’s.
Athuran finished the tale he had been telling and stood up. Most of the group touched their snouts with their paws in approval. Colan remembered his confusion the first time he had come to the dark moon gathering. Athuran had explained that because slaves weren’t supposed to gather, loud noises such as clapping were too dangerous. So they had adopted the mole gesture of tugging the snout instead. Nodding gratefully to the listeners, Athuran returned to the semicircle of chairs, taking a seat next to Colan.
Smiling sadly, he whispered to his son, “Couldn’t sleep?”
Colan shook his head.
“I don’t blame you. It was a rough day for everybeast.” Athuran’s face brightened slightly, “Oh, Sanem’s up next. He may be a little cheeky, but he knows more good tales than any two beasts here despite his age.”
Sanem sat down in the storyteller’s chair. He was a squirrel of about twenty seasons of age, small and nimble-looking. His red fur glowed even redder in the firelight. Looking around the room at the numerous expectant faces, he frowned. “Don’t get too excited, my extremely esteemed grey-furs, you haven’t heard my story yet. Time is short, so you’ll have to make do with a condensed version of my story.” He cleared his throat and began.
“As you all know, I’ve only been here a few seasons. I was taken captive off the coast of the Green Isle by a crew of corsairs, the only beast worth keeping after they finally captured our vessel. I had been visiting a friend of mine on the isle, but that’s beside the point.”
“Before that, I lived at Redwall Abbey. It is a place that knows the hardships of war well, but it also knows the joys of peace. Many of its inhabitants through countless seasons have been former slaves, and even its founder, a mouse by the name of Martin, was a slave for part of his life.”
“My tale begins before Redwall abbey was built, about the time Martin arrived in Mossflower. At that time, the area was held under the tyrannical rule of a wildcat named Verdauga Greeneyes. He commanded a formidable army, each soldier wearing the livery of a Thousand Eyes. He had two children, Tsarmina and Gingivere. Martin was captured and brought before Verdauga guilty of carrying a weapon in the Greeneye’s domain. Martin argued that he couldn’t be held accountable because he was only a traveler passing through, and couldn’t know the laws of the land. Verdauga admired the courage he saw in Martin and asked each of his offspring what Martin’s punishment should be. Tsarmina was quick to way that Martin should be killed, even if he claimed to have no knowledge of the law. Gingivere thought that Martin should be escorted to the borders and given back his sword, not to come back under pain of death. Verdauga compromised the two sentences and ordered that Martin should be locked in the dungeons for the winter, then set free. Tsarmina, furious that her suggestion had not be taken, broke Martin’s sword. Martin vowed to slay her for breaking his sword, which had been his father’s.”
“Later that night, Verdauga Greeneyes died. At the time, Tsarmina accused Gingivere of poisoning their father and locked him away in the dungeons, his name never to be spoken again. Gingivere was blamed, but everybeast knew Tsarmina was the poisoner, nobeast would admit it though.”
“Spring came, and a new prisoner by the name of Gonff joined Martin in his cell. Within a day, the two had escaped. They were picked up by the Corim, which was made up of those who fought against the Greeneyes’ rule. Martin soon left for the mountain of Salamandastron, home of the Badger Lords, to request the aid of Boar the Fighter.”
“Meanwhile, two young hedgehogs were captured by Tsarmina and held as hostages. They were kept in separate cells, Gingivere’s cell between them. The cat broke holes in the walls of his cell and brought the young hogs into his own cell, reuniting them. When the guards found them gone from their cells, it was assumed they escaped. After much maneuvering and planning on the Corim’s part, they did escape along with Gingivere, although their rescuer, a brave otter if there ever was one, died in the escape.”
“Much more occurred, but for expediency’s sake I will shorten it. The Greeneyes’ stronghold was flooded and sank, Tsarmina was slain by martin as he vowed he would, and Gingivere settled down with his mate and lived a peacefully as a farmer.”
Sanem stood, “Now, not to sound like a mother, but we should all go to bed. I at least want some rest before I go back to pruning trees.” As he made his way to the door Colan stopped him. “Is there more to the story?”
Sanem smiled, “Oh yes, much more. I’ll tell you sometime.”
“I’ll look forward to when we have the time.” Colan cocked his head. “Another question, why that story?”
Sanem shrugged, “Martin told me.”
Before Colan could ask him what he meant, the red-furred squirrel was gone.
The slaves snuck home warily, a few at a time. It was getting towards morning when Colan finally crawled back into his bed, still pondering what Sanem meant. He had heard enough stories of the redstone abbey to know that when Martin spoke, it was for a reason. What was the meaning of the story then? Would somebeast from the abbey come to save them? Some wanderer from a distant shore? Colan pondered the possibilities until he fell asleep. Then he slept like a log for the little remained of the night.
Chapter 3
Colan was jolted awake by the boom of a drum. Pushing his dreams of an hour of daytime rest away, he sat up, squinting in the early morning light. Dawn. He thought. Even after yesterday, we still need to get up at dawn. Rising slowly, he smoothed the wrinkles out of his slept-in tunic. Exiting the hut, he made his way to the clearing near the gate.
When Colan arrived, he was surprised to find a large number of slaves milling around near the gate. Usually the overseers hurried the slaves out as fast as possible, but the gates were tightly shut and more slaves were arriving at every moment. The only normal thing was the bins of food that sat at the sides of the clearing. Colan hopped into a line and grabbed his morning and lunch ration, a fish for the morning and a hunk of dry bread and some half-rotted fruit for lunch. Colan sat down in a clear spot and wolfed down his fish, barely breathing. He hadn’t had dinner, as hungry as he usually was at suppertime he couldn’t eat after the execution. He considered eating his lunch too, but he knew he would want it later so he held off.
Standing up and moving over to a well, he leaned over the low stone wall that encircled the dark hole in the ground. Grabbing the rough rope that descended into the depths, he began pulling. Soon a wooden bucket rose out of the darkness, water sloshing about inside. Water. He thought as he heaved the bucket over the side. It’s the only thing we have enough of. Food’s barely enough, our home—huts are drafty and doorless, even during the fierce storms of winter, and the only off days we have are when the King is feeling especially happy, and that’s mostly on his seasonday. They know they can give us less food if we have plenty of water. Colan took a long drink. Well, he thought as he finished, I guess it’s better to have enough of one thing than not enough of anything.
The drum boomed again, and the fur on the back of Colan’s neck rose as he remembered what that drum had signaled yesterday. Immediately thoughts of possible death approaching invaded his mind. Is that why the gates are closed? So they can thin us out at the leisure with their bows?
The thick gates creaked open to admit Markul and a score of guards. All activity in the slave compound ceased. Mothers checked that their young ones were near, and drew them closer. Fathers unconsciously moved between their families and the menacing guards.
“This week will be a lucky week for one family.” Captain Markul began. “With the execution of the traitors yesterday, the royal family needs new personal slaves. Traditionally, the king selects a family that will serve his purposes, however, King Alcon has decided to allow the princes to select the family of their choice.”
“Throughout the week, the princes will be touring the fields, mines, orchards, waterways, and other places so if you want to be picked be on your best behavior. If your family is picked, you’ll be eating from the King’s table, even if it is only the scraps.” With that, the fox turned and swept out the gate.
The clearing erupted into confusion at the announcement. Of course the idea of actually having enough to eat as well as proper clothing and housing appealed to everybeast, but for most it was overruled by the hate of the tyrant king. There were very few among the slaves that wanted to be in close contact with the murderous ruler day in and day out.
“Alright yew lazy slaves, git to work!” Shouted Captain Nargath, the gigantic ferret overseer of the mines.
Colan walked through the now-open gates and approached the checkpoint for the slaves that worked under Ripfur. The bored weasel guard took one look at him and marked him off on the list tacked to the board in front of him.
“Git down t’ the oyster beds.” The guard muttered, stroking and ink-black paw, “Cap’n Ripfur wants t’ make up fer th’ time we lost yesterday.”
Colan rolled his eyes as soon as the weasel was at his back. Huh, really? I didn’t think relentless Ripfur would want to work us double-time today.
“Where do ya think the Princes will go today?”
Colan turned and looked at his elder brother, “I dunno, and I don’t care either.” He paused, then looked at his brother face, stepping back in disgust. “You want t’ be at their beck an’ call day an’ night?”
“Well, it’d be better than starvin’ an’ workin’ me paws off trawlin’ all day.” Runtha replied heatedly.
“I’m not gonna be at th’ back an call of th’ beast that orders my friends killed, no matter how much I need to work.” Colan retorted.
“Still sore over the death of Derick?” Runtha asked scathingly. “I’ll tell you, the fool deserved it, shooting his mouth off like that.”
Colan stopped, his face a mask of shock. Runtha continued on, a swagger in his step as he realized he had touched a sore spot. Rage quickly overcame Colan’s shock, a white-hot inferno that nearly blinded him. Colan wanted nothing more than to punch Runtha, to beat him until he took back what he had said. Nobeast deserved to be tied to a rock and dumped off the side of a boat into the ocean. Colan still had nightmares of it, Derick screaming for mercy as Ripfur pushed him off the boat, Colan frantically struggling in the grasp of two ferret guards, trying to come to his friend’s aid.
Colan took a step toward his brother, paw clenched, then caught the eye of a fox standing on the side of the road, looking on a amusement. Colan’s fury evaporated like dew in the summer sun. Whatever anybeast did to him, he would not amuse vermin.
Colan retreated into his mind and set his paws on the path to the shoreline. Raising the mental walls he had conditioned over the seasons for times like this, he locked his emotions behind them, hiding them from the outside world. Some beasts said he had gone cold after Derick’s death, incapable or making another friend. They were partially correct. He had one friend, an ottermaid named Cetyl, but she was an exception. Colan didn’t make or maintain any friendships, not because he couldn’t, but because he didn’t want to fail a friend again. What was the point of making a friend that might die just because the overseer wasn’t feeling well today and wanted to cheer up?
Colan turned off the main path onto the short one that led to the landing beach for the oyster beds. He could see the crystalline blue sea across the fields, with barely a ripple on the surface. The blue of the sea stretched out to blend seamlessly with the blue of the sky, making it impossible to tell where the sea ended and the sky began.
As he neared the end of the path, Colan broke into a jog, consciously making himself pant. It always went well for him if he arrived breathing hard rather than looking like he took it easy on the way over. When he stepped onto the shoreline, a few otterslaves were already there, pushing their coracles off into the surf.
Ripfur’s whip cracked over his head as the burly rat shouted out threats. “Sleepin’ in, eh? Jump to it an’ git out there or yer gonna feel my whip across yer back!”
“‘M goin’, ‘m goin.” Muttered Colan as he ran over to his coracle. Pulling off his tunic hastily, he quickly stowed it in the small craft. Pushing it into the surf, he began to propel it toward his region of the oyster bed. Ripfur’s edgy today. Colan thought. We can’t be behind, in fact, we’re probably ahead, so why… Colan’s thought trailed off as he noticed a larger boat approaching from the southwest. Oh.
It was a small sailing vessel, large enough for only four or five bests. Its sleek sides cut through the water smoothly, making barely a whisper as it slid through the waves. The royal emblem was stamped on the prow, a pair of crossed swords over a spear, emblazoned inside a circle.
Only three beasts occupied the boat, and only one seemed to be doing anything in particular. Two, a fox and a weasel, crouched in the bow of the vessel, looking thoroughly bored, while the third beast sat in the stern, tending to the sail and rudder. So this is why Ripfur’s so edgy. Colan thought as the ferret steered the vessel to shore. One of the princes decided to come here today.
“Captain Ripfur!” Shouted the ferret, catching the rat’s attention.
“Prince Torrin!” Ripfur called as he left off berating another slave and hurried over to where the prince was beaching his boat.
Colan eyed the prince apprehensively. He hadn’t been the executioner, but he had say by and watched. Admittedly, Colan had done the same for awhile, before he turned away, but he was only a slave, nothing he could do would help. The only thing he could’ve accomplished would be getting himself killed. But Prince Torrin was, well, a prince. He should have the power to at least make the deaths quicker.
“Climb aboard Captain. I want you to tell me about each of the slaves here.”
“Pardon my asking, my prince, but where is your royal brother?”
Torrin waved his paw vaguely. “Oh, he took the larger boat and said to the fishing grounds, well, he more of got rowed than sailed.”
Colan grabbed the ground oyster shell knife out of the coracle and took a deep breath to dive, but paused and looked at the prince one more time. Despite himself, Colan couldn’t help but like the ferret. He pulled a face, disgusted, but cold not deny the fact that he liked the young prince. Perhaps it was something in his bearing, or in the fact that his clothing was very plain, for a prince. In fact, for today the prince had abstained from all types of adornments, wearing only a thin circled of gold as a prince’s crown atop his head. His clothing was even less decorative than yesterday, being only a plain combat suit, black as night. His emerald eyes shone startlingly against the dark suit.
Torrin’s guards pushed the boat out into the sea, and the prince turned it skillfully, scanning the water ahead for obstacles. Colan’s blue eyes met those emeralds ones, and for a moment there they stayed, Colan glaring resentfully, Torrin studying casually. Then Ripfur began to turn to see what the prince was staring at and Colan dived, disappearing underneath the surface with barely a ripple.
“What are you looking at, my lord?”
“Nothing, which one will you show me first?”
~~***~~
Colan broke the surface of the water and swam over to his coracle. Removing the pouch from his belt, he emptied its contents into the vessel, hearing them rustle against the others in the coracle. Colan peered over the side of the coracle taking stock of his progress. Halfway full, not bad for the time I’ve been out ‘ere.
Voices drifted over to Colan, and the young otter looked around, raising his eyebrows in surprise at how close the prince’s boat was. Only a score or so paces away, there it sat, riding the waves with ease. An old grey-furred otter stood on the boat along with its four other occupants, keeping his eyes fixed on the planks beneath his feet. Ripfur was telling Prince Torrin about the old otter’s personality, grossly exaggerating a rebellious streak in the otter, who was the most docile slave of the whole group.
“I don’t think he wants any of us to leave.” Muttered Colan as Ripfur wrapped up his discussion on the slave’s rebelliousness.
“See? ‘E’s keepin’ ‘is eyes down so yew can’t see the rebellion in those glims of ‘is. Away with yew, slave, the prince doesn’t want yer type!”
As the otter splashed into the water, Torrin remarked drily, “Aye, he wouldn’t have worked, he has no family. I need four beasts for the slaves. There is one left I assume?”
“Yes, yer lordship.”
Colan dove, thinking desperately on how to present himself so he wouldn’t get picked as a personal slave of the royal house. Ripfur said that a slave looking at the ground was hiding rebellion in his eyes, but Colan knew that the slave was more likely afraid to meet the eyes of his master, and vermin liked it when slaves looked at the ground instead of them, it made them feel superior. I’ll do the opposite then. Colan decided, feeling confident. I’ll look the prince straight in the eyes.
Colan reached for the nearest oyster and sliced it off with his knife. Sheathing the shell in his belt, he pushed off the seafloor and shot towards the surface. As his head pushed into clear air, Colan began to swim towards his coracle when Ripfur’s shout stopped him.
“Over here, slave!”
Colan turned and swam over to the boat, stopping to float beside it. Ripfur gritted his teeth with impatience. “Git. Up. Here.”
Colan dove, partially to hide the grin on his face, and partially so he had enough momentum to leap onto the boat. Turning, he shot up out of the water and landed on the vessel, drenching the nearby Ripfur with a spray of seawater. The rat, his face tight with rage, gestured to the fox and the weasel, who stepped up and grabbed Colan by the wrists. Bracing themselves, they drew apart, stretching Colan between them. The young otter found himself facing the prince, who had replaced the blank mask that he had worn during the execution. Colan stared into those eyes, searching for any emotion, but finding none. He heard Ripfur’s whip unravel and slither to the deck.
The Captain’s voice hissed in his ear, “Ye did that on purpose.” Colan didn’t answer. He heard a swish, then a lancing pain shot across his back. Another swish and another lash landed on his back. Tears sprang into Colan’s eyes, but he didn’t make a sound, and who could tell that the tears were running down his cheeks on the fifth and sixth blows when they were already wet from the sea? Finally, on the tenth blow, Ripfur halted. The fox and weasel released Colan and he fell to his knees, striving to hold off the darkness that infringed on his vision. He heard a swishing noise and arched his back in pain as a pail of seawater splashed into the cuts across his back.
Ripfur kicked him in the side savagely, “Git up, yer prince wants to know some stuff about yew.”
Colan rose unsteadily to his feet, but soon re regained his balance. Ripfur stood next to the Prince, grinning maliciously at the pain he had caused.
“What is your name and family status, slave? Speak truthfully, I’ll find out if you aren’t, and it won’t go well for you.”
True to his plan, Colan looked the prince in the eyes, his chin uplifted, the very image of a rebellious slave. “My name is Colan and I’m the youngest of my family. I have an older brother, as well as my mother and father.”
“Eyes on the ground, slave!” Ripfur barked. Colan’s gaze flicked over to Ripfur and rested on the rat for a moment, then returned to Torrin. Ripfur growled and began to reach for his whip again, but Torrin’s voice stopped him.
“Captain, I don’t want to have to wait while you punish this slave every few minutes. Now tell me about him.”
Ripfur let go of his whip bad-temperedly and began to pace between Colan and the prince. “As you must ‘ave noticed by now, my prince, this slave is th’ most insolent wretch of ‘em all. He disrespects yew by lookin’ at yer face instead of at the ground where he belongs. I admit, the only reason I have kept him this long is the fact that he is my best diver, and returns with the most, and best, produce. If it wasn’t for that, the fish would’ve eaten him long ago.”
Ripfur threw his paws in the air. “I don’t know how he does it, but nine times out of ten his oysters have a pearl in them.” Snatching up the oyster that lay on the deck where Clan had dropped it, Ripfur drew his dagger and sliced it open. Plucking the pearl from the inside, he tossed it to Torrin. “That’s what’s keepin’ him alive. Her Majesty wouldn’t be happy wid me if she was getting a greatly reduced amount of pearls all of a sudden.”
Prince Torrin tucked the cloud-white pearl into his belt. “I’m finished here. Slave get back in the water and get to work. The sting of saltwater in those cuts should teach you to keep your eyes where they belong.”
Colan ducked as Ripfur’s whip hissed out at him and dove into the water, wincing as the seawater covered his cuts.
Torrin raised the sail and pushed on the tiller, pointing the prow of the boat landward. As the boat cut through the water, Torrin though back over the day. Besides for the last slave, Colan, they had all been the same, answering questions directly and never making eye contact, leaving as soon as possible. But that last otter…he was the only one with enough courage to look him in the eye. He knew he’d probably get whipped for it, but he went ahead anyway. He wanted to look rebellious; he wants to be my last pick as my own slave. Torrin laughed silently. He’d probably be distressed to find out that he’s become my top pick. Personal slaves get their opinions asked a lot, and I want somebeast that will answer what they think, not what I think.
A fresh breeze had sprung up and after Ripfur had disembarked Torrin rode it swiftly down the coast. Soon arriving at the river, he turned and sailed up it, grateful for the southerly breeze. Coasting up to the palace docks, Torrin was surprised another boat must have docked recently, for Prince Alspur was still hanging about the docks, honing his heavy greatsword with a pleased look on his face. Leavin the fox and the weasel that had accompanied him to finish tying up the boat, Torrin walked over to Alspur.
“I assume you found somebeast?”
Alspur looked up. “Aye, I only had to go through a few wimps before I found one that suited me. I ran him through a test, which he passed with flying colors.”
“What was the test?” Torrin asked, intrigued.
Alspur smiled wolfishly, “None o’ yore business.”
Torrin eyed him for a moment, then shrugged, “What did you find out about him?”
Alspur leaned back, looking bored. “He has a father that works as a fisherbeast as well, I saw him too. He isn’t very big, but strong enough to suit father’s purposes. He also has a mother and a younger brother. The brother’s name is Colan, he works as a diver, so you’ve met him. I haven’t seen the mother, but she’s likely to fit all of mother’s needs. That family is going t’ be my choice.” He grinned teasingly, “Which means it’ll be the one we get.”
Torrin nodded, “Colan would’ve been my choice anyways. Let’s go tell Father that we’ve made our decisions. He can act on them tonight.”
Alspur sheathed his sword and dropped the stone he had been honing it with into his pocket. “Aye, let’s go.”
~~***~~
An hour after Prince Torrin left, Ripfur called all the slaves in from diving. The sun was low on the horizon, and the guards looked it light when all the slaves were traveling back to quarters.
Colan pulled his packed coracle towards shore, confidant for the first time in many a day that he had dived enough to get out of even a verbal berating. As he pulled it beyond the tideline, he looked around. Usually there would be some guard Ripfur had sent to search him approaching, but all the guards seemed to by busy checking other slaves. Confused, Colan looked for Ripfur, and his heart sank as he saw the sadistic overseer approaching, anticipation gleaming in his eyes.
“Disrespectful spawn of a viper!” Ripfur hissed, “Did you really think yew’d git off easy today after ignoring me in front of the Prince like that? Oh, no, waterdog, yer gonna git a thorough inspection today, I know yew ‘ave somethin’ hidden on yew.”
Ripfur gave Colan a wicked smile as he emphasized the word “know”. Colan had a sinking feeling that he wouldn’t be getting off the beach without a beating.
Colan didn’t have to wait long for Ripfur to make his move. Digging his claws underneath Colan’s belt, Ripfur withdrew them and held up a soft pink pearl under Colan’s nose. “Thief!” he hissed in the young otter’s ear. “Did you think yew could get away with this? Garr! Vaylor! Come hold this sticky-pawed slave while I teach him a lesson.”
Colan sputtered as two stocky rats grabbed his arms and immobilized him. He stared at the gleaming pearl in Ripfur’s paw, not willing to believe that Ripfur had just planted it on him as an excuse for a beating. Ripfur moved out of his vision, and Colan clenched his teeth, glad that he hadn’t had time to dry off, Ripfur wouldn’t have the satisfaction of seeing his tears. There was a swishing sound, and for the second time today, the beating began.
Ripfur drew the whip back, feeling his muscles flex as he snapped his arm forward, sending the thin rope slashing against the lithe back in front of him. The blood rushed through his head, hot from the rage against this slave that had accumulated over the seasons. He bared his teeth in cruel joy as the slave in front of him slumped down, lost in a pain-filled daze. And still he swung. What was he on now? Twenty? Thirty? He had long ago lost count. The two rats looked strained with the effort of holding the slave up, wining as some of the wilder lashes landed on them. They were far too afraid of him to let the slave drop though.
Finally Ripfur stayed his paw, breathing heavily. “Clean this off.” He growled, tossing the whip to Garr. The rat nodded fearfully and rushed off towards the water’s edge. Ripfur grabbed a nearby pail and tossed it to Vaylor, who filled it with seawater wordlessly. Ripfur surveyed the results of the whipping with an air of detached satisfaction. The young otter’s back was covered in red welts, and many of the slashes had actually broken through the skin, opening angry red slices in Colan’s back. At a nod from Ripfur, Vaylor threw the pail of seawater on Colan’s bleeding back, bringing him back to consciousness with a cry of pain.
“up on yer paws an’ git goin!” Ripfur barked at him. “Yew better git back t’ the compound b’fore sundown or yer gonn git a whippin’.”
Colan rose to his paws, swaying and uttering a small moan of pain, then staggered over to his coracle and grabbed his tunic. Noticing grimly that all the other slaves had left, he began staggering up the path to the road. Halfway there, he stopped and began to put his tunic on, letting out a yell of pain as it came in contact with his back. Deciding not to wear it, he continued on to the road. As he stepped onto the wider path, he saw Runtha sitting on the opposite edge of it waiting for him. Colan paused in surprise as he noticed the bloodstains on his brother’s tunic.
“What happened to you?” he asked, barely mustering the strength to say those few words.
“Nothing.” Replied Runtha quickly. “You look like you’ve had a rough time though. Yore not even dressed. What happened?”
Colan turned and wordlessly showed him the lacerations that covered his back. Runtha took a sharp breath. “Did Ripfur get demoted or somethin’?” he asked quietly. “You look like a flayed fish.” Colan replied with the smallest of shrugs, wincing as it flexed his back muscles. Colan began limping down the road, knowing he had to go as fast as he could if he wanted to reach the slave compound before sunset. How much worse could this day get? he thought wearily.
~~***~~
Colan gritted his teeth and tried to keep from screaming as his mother, Azure, wrapped his back with the bandage made from excess cloth she and the rest of the females in the compound had scrounged up for occasions such as this. Azure tucked the last fold in, then stepped back to survey her nursing skill.
“Aye, that should do it Colan, but try to take the next few days as easily as you can, yore back need as much rest as it can get.”
Colan nodded and gingerly lay on his bed, careful to remain on his stomach. Pawsteps at the door made him look up as Athuran entered, his face grave.
“I have bad news.” He began. “Cetyl’s body was found behind the tavern. Sanem found her, and he says that the corpse had been moved there from a different location. He also said that she was killed by somebeast wielding a large, heavy sword. She’s to be buried early tomorrow morning.”
Colan froze in shock. It had happened again. Just as he was beginning to open up to her…she died. He looked around at the other two faces in the room. Azure looked stricken, the roll of cloth in her paws forgotten, while Runtha had his head down, fiddling with a stone. Darkness began to creep in on him, and Colan couldn’t help thinking that Runtha looked as if he had know Cetyl was dead, that his only friend was dead…
The darkness swallowed everything.
Chapter 4
Colan moaned, his back was one all-consuming mass of pain. His paws clenched the soft covers as he strove to block out the pain. He froze suddenly. Soft covers? Oh great, I must be delirious. Forcing his eyes open a crack, he quickly shut them against the bright sunlight that assaulted them. The his mind clicked. Sunlight! He shot up on the cot, yelping in pain as the new scabs on his back split. Flames, I’m late! Ripfur’ll have my rudder in addition to a hundred new lashes. Rolling out of bed, he yelped in surprise as he dropped to the cold stone floor.
Picking himself up, he rubbed his sore elbows and stood up. Nervously glancing about the room, he took in his surroundings. He was in a stone room larger than the hut he had lived in his entire life. The one window in the room was crossed with thick iron bars. He stumbled over and looked outside. A quick glance confirmed what he already knew. He was at the palace in a ground floor room. Looking out over the nearly-deserted courtyard, he saw the gate that led out over the moat and to the village. A couple of ratguards stood at the gate, leaning on their spears and chatting as a young mouse swept the flagstones near them. When the mouse got to where they were, she swept around them as if they were statues, which they could’ve been for all the distance they moved out of the way. Besides for a few guards on the walltop, nobeast else was about.
Turning back to the chamber he was in, he noticed a clean tunic lying folded next to his bed, along with a flask and a small loaf of bread. Picking up the tunic, he noted the softer material it had been bade from. Noticing a piece of barkpaper set next to the loaf of bread, he leaned down and stared at it. Picking it up, he laughed and threw it out the window. Idiots, they’ve already forgotten that I can’t read.
Taking a wild guess at what the note had said, he removed his old tunic and put the new one on, felling uncomfortable with the unaccustomed softness. Picking up the flask, he uncorked it and sniffed it suspiciously. Deciding that it was aright he took a sip. When nothing happened he downed the lot, sighing as the cool water rushed down his throat. Doing the same for the loaf of bread, he ate that as well, eyes widening in surprise as he tasted fresh bread for the first time. After making sure he had eaten every last crumb, he looked around wondering what he was supposed to do now. Deciding to try the door, he was surprised to find that it opened easily. He was equally surprised to find Captain Markul on the other side, frozen in the motion of putting a ring of keys back on his belt.
Quickly recovering himself, the fox glared at him. “Good, you’re awake and dressed. Did you get the note?”
“No.” Colan replied, which was true, he didn’t “get” any of the note, he couldn’t read.
“Well it told you to eat and get dressed and you seem to have done those things.” The fox beckoned impatiently as he strode off down the hall. “Follow me, his Majesty is up now and it’s time to present you to your new masters.”
“Masters?” Colan caught up to him, dropping a step behind. “I thought each slave was assigned to one of the royal family.”
Markul rounded on him, slamming Colan against the stone wall of the hallway. “Yore very inquisitive aren’t you?” His voice had a dangerous edge to it. “Well, I don’t have the time, nor patience for the questions of a slave. I will answer this last question, because I don’t want you looking like a absolute fool like the last batch, it reflects badly on me.”
Markul released him, and Colan pulled away from the wall, fighting to keep the pain he was in from showing. He knew his back must be bleeding by now, and he desperately hoped that the bandages would staunch the flow. The fox continued on without looking back. “Your masters will be the King and one of the Princes. The King is your master because he is King, but you will mainly be answerable to one of the Princes.” They stopped by a large wooden door, intricately engraved. Gold doorhandles gleamed in the flickering light thrown by the torches on either side of the door. Captain Markul placed a paw on the doorhandle, then paused. “One more thing. If you value your life, always obey the king first, then your other master.” He read the though unspoken in Colan’s eyes. “I’m not trying to be nice.” He snarled, “I’m trying to save my hide and put off going through this again for as long as possible.” With that, he opened the doors.
Sunlight blazed in through the high eastern window, throwing the figures on the four thrones in front of it into shadow. Colan squinted and raised a paw to shield his eyes, suddenly realizing that the time had been set on purpose to blind him. Walking forward, they passed out of the brilliance and Colan was able to recognize the figures on the thrones. Noticing the three other creatures standing before the thrones, he took his place with his family.
As Colan came to a stop, the King waved a paw, dismissing everybeast except the four slaves. King Alcon surveyed them, pondering his son’s choice. Sizing up each of them, he said. “My sons have both chosen you and your family to be our servants. You would do well to prove their choices valid.” Then he launched into an explanation of their duties. “You will be assigned to one of us as your master. From now on, your sole duty will be to wait on your master. You will attend him wherever he goes and wait on him during mealtimes. Do this well, and you will live in luxury for the rest of your life. Fail…” He grinned at Alspur, who returned the smile, fingering the greatsword at his side. “and we can always arrange an execution or sparring accident.”
“Now.” He said, turning his attention back to the slave before him. “I still don’t know your names, which isn’t a good thing when you’ll be in the constant attendance of my family. You,” he said, pointing at Athuran. “Tell me your name, what your duties were before I selected you, and then introduce the rest of your family.”
The older otter nodded and began. “Yore Majesty, my name is Athuran, and I have been a fisherbeast all my life.” Gesturing to Azure, he continued. “This is my wife, Azure. She was mainly assigned to make clothes for other slaves, but every once in awhile she would be pulled to make clothes for your majesty’s soldiers.” Moving down the line, he continued on. ‘this is my eldest son, Runtha. He worked beside me as a fisherbeast and always brought in a good haul.” Lastly, he finished with Colan. “This is my other son, Colan. He was a diver until today. He worked out of the rim, and, as far as I know, retrieves a good haul regularly.” Athuran finished and fell silent, waiting for the King to continue.
After a moment’s pause, the King resumed. “Athuran, you will attend to me. Azure you will attend to her Majesty.” Azure nodded in recognition to both the King and Queen. “Runtha, you will attend to Prince Alspur.” Runtha straightened up slightly and nodded his acknowledgement. “Colan, you will attend to Prince Torrin.”
As soon as the last word had passed his father’s lips, Alspur sprang from his seat. “Well, that’s over with. I’m late for practice as it is.” With that he strode toward the door. Runtha took a step forward, then halted, glancing uncertainly at the King. Alspur stopped at the door and looked back; paw tapping impatiently on the hilt of his sword as he stared at Runtha. The otter was frozen halfway between the Prince and the King, unsure if he was supposed to leave or not.
Alcon nodded thoughtfully, “Aye, we’d better lay down the rule here and now.” Addressing all the slaves, he continued. “You are assigned one of us, and when I tell you not to leave your master, I mean it. If he throws himself off the battlements of the palace, I expect you to follow him.”
Runtha nodded and hurried over to Prince Alspur, who turned and left. Torrin rose and, motioning for Colan to follow, he left as well. As Colan passed his mother, she brushed his paw. His head swiveled to catch her eyes as he continued to walk forward. A lump rose in his throat as he saw the fear and concern in her eyes, mirroring the fear in his own heart. How long could they last in constant attendance with their rulers, where one wrong word could spell death? “Be careful.” She mouthed. Colan nodded slightly, then hurried off to catch up to Torrin, who was nearly at the door.
They walked in silence, Prince Torrin leading the way, but Colan didn’t mind the silence. It gave him the opportunity to look around the gigantic hallways and corridors that they passed through, memorizing the twists and turns of the Palace that prince Torrin so effortlessly navigated. The excess wealth of generation of mining and cheap labor were evident here, from the gilded carvings on the walls to the intricately woven rugs laid across the polished stone floor. A few rooms were lit by large windows, some closed, others open to let in the fresh sea breezes. But as they ventured farther into the palace, the windows became non-existent, and torches provided the main source of light.
Coming to a door, Torrin opened it and entered. Colan followed him, finding himself on a spiral staircase made of stone, winding both up and down. He followed the prince up, his footpaws padding on the rough stone. Exiting at the next door, they re-entered the maze of rooms and corridors on the second floor. There were slaves cleaning a few of the rooms they passed through, who looked up as they entered, glared at Colan, then dropped back to their work of scrubbing the floors or polishing woodwork. Soon Torrin’s twisting and turning brought them to another staircase, this one broad and straight, and as they ascended, Colan began to wonder if all these twists and turns were needed, or if the Prince was just trying to get him lost.
As they entered anther gigantic room, an old mousewife entered from the opposite side of the room. She began cleaning, and Colan looked around. A large fireplace dominated one wall, cold now, but with the ashes of its last fire still scattered over the hearth. There was enough seating for a score of beasts, but only four chairs were pulled close to the hearth. Colan guessed that the King occupied this room with his family during the winter, but it was only a guess. I’ll find out if I’m right when winter comes around, if I’m still around that is.
A sudden movement caught his eyes. A sculpture of a ferret with a drawn sword, inlaid with countless tiny gems, was teetering on the edge of an oak table. The old mouse was scrubbing the floor dangerously close to the table, her back to it. As she scooted back to get a spot, she bumped into the table leg, sending the sculpture tumbling towards the floor. Prince Torrin made a leap for it, but it smashed to the floor just beyond his outstretched paws, breaking into a thousand pieces.
As Torrin picked himself up off the stone, the mousewife attached herself to his leg. “Oh please, your Lordship!” She sobbed in terror, “Forgive my clumsiness! Forgive me, I beg you!”
Prince Torrin crouched down and gently disengaged himself from the old mouse. Staring into her panic-stricken eyes, he patted her soothingly. “Stay calm; you might bring guards running withy all that shouting. Clean it up and nobeast will notice the difference. If they do, tell them that I bumped into the table and broke it. If they don’t believe you, tell them to come talk to me.” She opened her mouth to pour out a torrent of thanks, but the Prince held a paw to his lips. “Shh,” he said, “I’m the one that knocked it over remember? It had nothing to do with you.”
She nodded furiously and began to pick up the pieces as Torrin rose and walked passed her. Colan followed, noticing the tears of relief that fell from the old mouse’s eyes. Soon she was hidden behind the door she had come from. After padding down a few more corridors, they came to a locked door. Torrin pulled a key out of his pocket and inserted it in the lock. With a soft click the door opened, leading to a spacious room behind. Torrin motioned Colan through and shut the door, the lock clicking into place. The Prince turned and looked him straight in the eyes. Colan took a step backwards, those emerald eyes were blazing with the truth of the words being spoken.
“If you are like that last slave and run to tell my father every little thing I do, I swear to you on the stars in the sky and the sea on the horizon that I will make you scream long and loud for your tale-telling.”
Colan looked into those blazing emerald orbs and knew with a certainty that he had never felt before that Torrin would keep his oath. “I won’t tell.” He replied, “Why would I?”
Torrin walked over and stared out the window at the distant blue of the sparkling sea. “The last slave did. Anything to get an extra loaf of bread or a drop of beer. They enjoyed it here; they got me in trouble a lot.”
Colan ventured a question, wondering if he was pushing his liberties too far. “if they like it here so much, why did they try to kill his Majesty?”
Torrin gave a mirthless laugh, “They didn’t. Alspur wasn’t happy with his slave, a thin mouse more suited for cartography than carrying swords. In fact, he drew the map my father uses to plan out crops and patrol routes.” Bringing himself back to the subject, he continued. “Anyway, as I said, Alspur wasn’t happy with the slave he had, so he planted a poisoned dagger underneath Father’s slave’s bed. A guard found it just before his Majesty retired and accused the entire family of a plot to kill the King. Alspur no doubt bribed him.”
Colan’s jaw dropped and his heart sank. So this is how easy you can die. He thought. You displease me, now die, simple as that.
Torrin turned from the window. “Well, I suppose I should show you around my quarters.” He gestured around the room they were currently in. “This is basically where I sit when I’m in here. The only way out of my quarters is by that door.” He pointed to the door they had entered by. “Well,” he said as an afterthought, “you could go through the food shaft over there.” He said, pointing through a door in an adjacent room. “But it’d be cramped.”
For the next few minutes Colan was led through a flurry of rooms, most of which, Torrin admitted, were just for show and had no particular purpose. A few had a purpose, such as a bare room containing a handful of wooden practice dummies, notched from use. There was even a special one where somebeast could control it and block the opponent’s attacks. In another locked room was the Prince’s armory. Weapons of all kinds hung along the walls and on racks scattered throughout the room. Bows of all types, from maple shorbows to yew longbows hung on one wall, barrels of arrows lining the base of the wall. On another hung a suit of plate mail and another of lighter chain mail.
“You have enough weapons here to outfit an army.” Commented Colan. He was quickly learning that, unlike Markul, Prince Torrin didn’t mind his numerous question and comments. “They look well-made too.” He added, running a paw over a deadly-looking axehead.
Torrin grinned, he was beginning to feel at ease with the otter. “Alspur has twice as much.” Walking over to a rack of swords, he selected a saber in a plain sheath. Gripping the hilt, he drew it swiftly, the ring of steel sounding clear and true in the spacious armory. Even with his untrained eyes, Colan could tell that this saber was of superior craftsmanship, better than any other blade present. Torrin swung, the double-edged saber thrumming as it cut through the air. “This is the blade I usually use.” Torrin said, looking at his reflection on the flat of the blade. My uncle gave two of these to me, and he also gave Alspur his greatsword. He looted them from a patrol of hares he killed at the mouth of the river Moss in the east. He said that during the middle of the battle he doubted he’d win, but his crew pulled through. The weapons made the battle worth the trouble. Badger-made they are, light, strong, and not easily notched or broken.” Sliding it back into the sheath, he turned to leave. “C’mon, we’re almost finished.”
Opening the last door, they entered a circular room. To the left, a spiral staircase began and curved to the right, upwards and out of sight. A window looked out on the sea at the horizon, and Colan realized that the Prince’s entire set of rooms must be on the south corner of the palace.
“This is where you will sleep.” Said Torrin, indicating a cot under the window. “There’s a cord I can pull if I need you, it’ll ring this bell.” He indicated a bell over the doorway. “now for upstairs.” He turned and sprinted up the stairs, Colan struggling to keep up, he wasn’t used to navigating staircases. It seemed to him that the longer Prince Torrin stayed separate from other kin, guards, and slaves, the “Prince” part of him faded and he became more like the other slaves he knew during a free day. Colan found himself regretting that the difference of birth had separated them. Then a thought came to him: Does it? Does the fact that he is a Prince and I am a slave matter when we spend so much time together? He’d have to think on that one.
“This is my room.” Torrin said as they emerged from the stairwell. The bare stone floor was clean and uncluttered, and a large bed stood against the wall. The room was large, curving in a circle. Colan, curious why the room was shaped strangely, looked out one of the many windows, pulling his head back at the dizzying drop. So we’re at the top on one of the towers. He thought, looking out again. Glancing around the room, he noticed a desk and a stack of books beside it. Torrin followed his gaze.
“Those were found in a cave on the mountain situated at the north end of the island.” He picked on up and carefully paged through it, the stiff pages crinkling as they bent. “Alspur doesn’t believe it, but there is power in writing and reading. Same goes for history, everybeast is told that my family had ruled here since the beginning of time, but these books say differently. Records, they are, of those who lived here before we arrived. My father ordered these books burned, but I replaced them with some other books.” He laughed, “They couldn’t tell the difference.” Torrin shook his head. “We’ve only been royalty for a few generations according to these records. It’s amazing what this place was before we came. The mines dug by moles supplied many creatures with iron and other metals for their forges, mainly Salamandastron and a place called the Green Isle. Mice and other beasts from a place called Redwall traveled here, bringing with them great tales, recipes, and kindness. Many of their stories are written in these books. The more I read them, the more I realize what we’ve destroyed, more than just the lives of those living here.”
“Then why don’t you do something about it?” Asked Colan. “Surely as a Prince there is something you can do.”
Torrin shook his head. “No, I am the only beast, apart from the slaves, who thinks like this. If I tried to do something, the King wouldn’t hesitate to order me killed, and if he did, either the queen would poison me or Alspur would kill me in a training accident. What good would it do me anyway, even if I set the slaves free and destroyed the army’s stranglehold on this island? I am the son of the tyrant, nobeast would accept me, I would be an outcast, hunted by both vermin and former slaves. No.” He shook his head. “It is better for me to remain quiet about my ideas and live my life in peace.”
Colan pushed on his master’s walls of how for he would go. “But shouldn’t you do what is right”
“Right?” Torrin laughed, “What is right? What is wrong? I haven’t heard of anybeast with the authority to say what is good or bad. No, it’s left up to everybeast to decide for themselves isn’t it? But that leads to creatures doing good in their own eyes and bad in the eyes of somebeast else. Somebeast decides killing is fine to do, and who can say with any authority that he’s wrong?”
“I don’t think you believe what you’re saying.” Colan placed his paws on his belt, and touched something with a familiar feel. His knife. Somehow everybeast had missed it in his belt, the only think from his old life that he still possessed. Turning his back to Torrin, he pulled off his tunic, exposing the bandages. Drawing his knife, he sliced through them, freeing them to fall away from his wounds. In a chocked voice he asked the Prince. “How can this be good? Whipped, beaten nearly to death, I was lucky. I came here the next day instead of having to go back to work. Others don’t have that break. Back they go the next day, possibly receiving another whipping to break the scabs of the previous one, and the half-healed welts of the one before that. You may not live or live well, but wouldn’t you feel better as you walk toward the gates of the dark forest knowing that you tried?”
Torrin stared at the cracked scabs covering the otter’s back, blood oozing from some. Shame washed over him. As much as he tried to deny it, he knew what was right. It just wasn’t the comfortable, or logical thing to do. “I’ll think on it.” He said, “but first you need something on that back.”
Colan followed the prince mutely, wondering if he had gone too far. But the direction the prince was traveling reassured him. Heading into one of the smallest rooms, Torrin looked around at the rows of shelves thoughtfully. “Uh-huh.” He said, lifting a jar from the top shelf. “This should help.” Grabbing a roll of bandages, he pointed to a stool. “Sit.”
As Colan sat down he opened the jar. Immediately the small room filled with an overpowering stench. “What’s in that?” Asked Colan, coughing.
Torrin wrinkled his nose as well. “Yarrow, but the stuff that stinks is whatever the mouse in charge of medicines used to make it into a cream, smells like rotten fish though.”
Colan sat while Torrin smeared the evil-smelling cream on. “You get good at putting this stuff on when you practice with swords.” He commented as he finished up. He reached for the roll of bandages, then paused. “No, better let the wounds air as long as we can. I’ll put the bandages on before we go down for dinner.” Colan reached for his tunic, but Torrin caught his paw. “Like I said, let it air. C’mon, I know where we can sit and talk.”
“Really?” Muttered Colan as they exited the room. “With all these chairs, I can’t imagine where we can sit.”
Torrin lounged in a large chair while Colan sat on a footstool, careful to keep his back from touching anything. “I like you.” Said Torrin, studying Colan. “You’re not like the other slaves I’ve known, they always call me “Prince”, “Lordship”, or “Sir” even when we’re alone. You speak your mind, and you’ve already cracked a joke. You should know though, outside my rooms you’ll have to address me with all the titles I’ve mentioned. The King wouldn’t be happy if he thought you were getting too familiar with me.”
“Yeah,” said Colan, “Markul didn’t seem to like me being familiar enough to ask any questions at all.”
Torrin waggled a paw at him. “Don’t let him intimidate you. The only creatures that can order you about now are me and my father.” Torrin clapped a paw to his head. “With our debate upstairs I completely forgot. We missed the top of the tower.”
So one again they went up to Torrin’s bedroom, the ferret slowing his pace now that he knew of Colan’s injuries. The otter moved as fast as he could comfortably, he wasn’t sure how long this kindness could last. As he stepped onto the level floor of the tower room Colan looked around for another staircase, but saw none. Prince Torrin strode across the room and, to Colan’s amazement, began climbing up the wall. Of course, he thought, a trapdoor. Mentally berating himself for now thinking of this, he began to climb the ladder that stuck out of the stone.
The view from the top of the tower was magnificent. Colan felt he knew now what a bird must see, winging its way high above the heads of everybeast else. The guards in the courtyard below resembled ants to Colan. Beyond the walls, the vast fields rolled off in all directions, only bordered by the sea to the south and west, and the forest to the north. In the east, Colan could see the smoke from the port, lifting up and dispersing in the cloudless blue sky.
“Sometimes I sleep up here at night.” Torrin said. “Mostly when I wanted to be away from the prying eyes of my last slave. It’s peaceful up here some nights, although when the wind blows right I can hear the drunken brawling of the soldiers in the streets of the town below.” Torrin started as he glanced at the sun. “It’s nearly dinnertime; soon we’ll have to put that bandage and your tunic on. You’ll have to wait on me at the table, and I’ll have to order you, to keep up appearances. Maybe I’ll slip a few in as requests later so they’ll get used to it slowly.”
Colan nodded, not quite sure what the Prince was talking about, and looked at the sparking sea for a moment. Squaring his shoulders, he followed Torrin down the ladder.
Chapter 5
Runtha reeled back, his head throbbing from this last blow. Alspur followed his attack up, knocking Runtha over with a kick to the chest. Thrusting his heavy wooden greatsword into the grass beside the otter’s head, he looked at Runtha contemptuously.
“Yew better get good quick, riverdog. I’m not gonna practice with these toys forever, and when we switch over ya better be ready. They’ll be dulled, but yew’ll get some broken bones if yer not quick enough.
“Yes, yore Lordship.” Said Runtha as he struggled to his feet, already beginning to wince from the bruise forming on his head, along with the scores of others he had acquired over the past few hours.
Alspur shoved him down again, placing a footpaw on the otter’s chest to keep him down. Drawing a sword at his waist—his real one—he rested the tip lightly against Runtha’s throat. “Lordship…” he mused. “No, the soldiers call me that, and you’re a slave, even if you’re my personal one.” He thought for a moment more, watching with malicious pleasure as Runtha shifted uneasily underneath his footpaw, eyeing the blade. “You may call me master, but nothing else.” He tickled Runtha’s throat, “Understood?”
Runtha’s throat bobbed as he swallowed. “Yes, Master.”
“Good.” The Prince let him get up. “Now Barzkul, I think it’s time for our mock battle. You may use Runtha as you wish, but I almost think he might be a hindrance.”
“Very good, Lord. Slave, over here!” Runtha jogged over to the weapons master, eyeing him cautiously. Barzkul gestured impatiently, “Come on, I’m not going to beat you.” Runtha came closer. “Yet.” Barzkul muttered, annoyed that the prince had given him such incompetent help. Usually he selected a guard from his post at the gate, put now he had a useless slave. A rock would’ve been better; at least he could throw it. “This is what yer gonna do.” He growled at Runtha. “You obviously can’t handle a sword, so go to the armory and get a bow an’ a quiver of practice arrows.” He grabbed Runtha’s shoulder as e turned to leave. “Mind they’re practice arrows, riverdog. You wouldn’t want to shoot tipped ones at his Lordship.”
Runtha nodded and raced off. He wondered if this position was worth the pain, then the thought of the warm bread came back to him. Bruises were a small price to pay for such food, and he’d eventually learn to block his master’s attacks so he wouldn’t have as many of them.
Against the north wall of the palace was the armory. It wasn’t the full armory—that was in the courtyard of the palace—it was the practice armory. Mostly used by the princes for their weapons training, it was adjacent to the practice field.
A guard stood at the door. He leered as Runtha approached. Even though the guard was a full two heads shorter than him, his armor and arrogant confidence made Runtha feel small in comparison.
“Git back to yer job.” Snarled the rat as Runtha approached.
“I am doing my job.” Runtha replied.
“Ha.” The guard put a paw on his sword. “Slaves aren’t allowed in the armory, or any weapon storage area for that matter.”
Runtha glanced over his shoulder. He could see Alspur and Barzkul getting impatient. He turned back to the guard. “Weapons master Barzkul gave me permission.”
The guard laughed. “Yer a stubborn one. Well get this into yet thick ‘ead. Yew aren’t gonna git in ‘ere. So you can leave now.”
Runtha turned away. “I’ll get my Master, the Prince, and the weapons master, I’m sure they’ll be glad to change yore mind.”
The rat started. “Yer the Prince’s slave?” He hurriedly opened the door. “Get what yew need, and that argument didn’t ‘appen, right?”
Runtha walked past him. “It may slip my mind, but ya never know.” He selected a bow and a quiver of arrows, their tips swathed in cloth. As he passed out the door, the guard passed him a flagon, “Will that help you forget.”
Runtha tucked it inside his tunic. “It will.”
“What took you so long?” demanded Alspur.
Runtha bowed his head. “Forgive me Master, I couldn’t find the practice arrows.”
Alspur rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Take up starting positions!”
As Barzkul faced the Prince, broadsword at ready, Runtha circled around behind him. At a signal from Alspur, they began. Runtha knocked an arrow, patiently waiting for them to separate so he could get a shot in. Only then did he notice that they had swapped out their wooden swords for real ones, albeit blunted. Barzkul locked hilts with Alspur, then pushed the Prince away, stepping back as he did so. Realizing that he wouldn’t get a chance like this again very soon, Runtha drew hastily and let fly.
As soon as the arrow left the bow, Runtha could see that he was off target. He opened his mouth to shout a warning, but the arrow was too fast. It struck the weapons master in the chest, winding him. Alspur, seeing that his one adversary had been “killed” turned and rushed Runtha. The otter fumbled frantically with the next arrow, but he never got it knocked. Alspur bowled into him, knocking him back a full five feet and sending the bow flying, no easy feat as Runtha was heavy-built.
“It seems that I have set a new record for beating you, Barzkul.” Said Alspur, leaning on his sword and watching Runtha roll over and push himself up. “Thanks to Runtha here.”
Barzkul was furious. Not only had he lost, he had been expecting to, but he had been beaten by a slave. Ripping a whip from his belt, he stormed forward and slashed viciously across Runtha’s back. The otter yelled, more in surprise than pain, and began to move away as fast a possible as Barzkul drew back for another blow.
Alspur was quicker though. He knocked Barzkul down and knelt on his chest, dagger drawn, toying with the fox’s whiskers. “Have we forgotten already?” hissed the ferret. “The only beast allowed to damage my property is me. No matter what he does to yew, yew have no right to harm ‘im. Only I may do that. Next time yew violate my right it will cost yew part of yer ear.” He stood up. “Practice is over for today, time for dinner.” He made his way towards the palace, Runtha following close behind, storing the memory safely away. That information would come in handy.
~~***~~
Athuran surveyed his sons from where he stood, slightly behind the king’s left paw. They looked well, but for Colan that wouldn’t have been hard. In his eyes Athuran could see a wary nervousness, as if Colan was unwilling to trust himself. Runtha seemed more at ease, or at least resigned. It occurred to him that Runtha hadn’t seemed startled when the guards swept into the hut last night. It was like he knew they were coming…he’d have to think on that.
The King drained his goblet, motioning to him after he set it down. Athuran stepped forward, filling the goblet with fresh, dark wine. Well, he thought as he stepped back, resuming his position, it’ll do Azure good to see our children at mealtimes at least.
He glanced over his sons again. Runtha looked like he had already become accustomed to his position, his back straight and head up, but quickly transferring his gaze to the floor when any of the royal family looked at him. Colan seemed more unsure, sometimes meeting Prince Torrin’s eyes, and at other times looking at the floor. Torrin finished his goblet and set it down, motioning for Colan, but the otter was busy surveying the table and didn’t notice. Torrin made a pretext of looking down the side of the table to glance at Colan. Seeing the otter lost in wonder at the various dishes, he slid a paw below the rim of the table. A sharp snap sounded, and Colan looked at the prince, startled. The ferret motioned him forward and whispered something to him. Colan whispered back, and Torrin rolled his eyes. Turning, he pointed at a row of barrels against the wall, whispering something else. Colan nodded, took the goblet from the prince’s paw, and filled it from one of the casks. After bringing it back to his master, he returned to his original position.
I really have to talk to him. Athuran thought, This job isn’t any different from what he’s been doing his whole life, obey your master.
Colan stared in wonder at the food. It wasn’t so much the quantity that stunned him—it took a lot to feed the hundreds of slaves in the compound—it was the quality. Meats, pies, soups, stews, salads, rolls, turnovers, and baskets of various fruits and berries. None of the food was the least bit moldy or spoiled. Besides that, they ate on plates with forks. Colan had never seen a fork used before, none of the slaves owned any, the guards had said they could be used as weapons. And the plates they used…they were either made from gold or were gold-plated, along with the forks and other utensils and the goblets as well. They sat at a long table that could accommodate a score, but only the royal family was eating, with Colan’s family attending. King Alcon sat at one end of the table, his wife occupying the other. The princes sat halfway down each side, Alspur on the King’s right and Torrin on his left. Torrin had told him that this table was used for family-only dinners, and that they had a banquet hall for larger gatherings and such.
A snap startled him out of his amazement, and he started forward sheepishly as he saw Prince Torrin beckoning to him. Stepping forward he bent over to catch Torrin’s whisper.
“Get me some cider, they’re labeled. And pay attention or I’ll have to have you whipped.”
Colan hesitated. “I can’t read.” He whispered.
Torrin sighed and rolled his eyes. “Good thing my teacher is coming tomorrow.” He muttered. Turning in his seat, he pointed to the row of barrels on the wall. “It’s the second one down from the King’s side of the table.”
Colan nodded and completed his task. As he waited for the goblet to fill he took a look at the label. It looked like random scratches to him, but maybe somebeast who was very smart could teach him.
After the King had finished eating, he and his family retired to another room while their personal slaves ate their fill of the leftovers. Azure delayed their starting as she insisted on asking how they all were. Runtha brushed her off, groaning that he was hungry and she had just seen him that morning. Then they tucked in, indulging in food they had never tasted before, and quality that they had hardly dreamed of. After they had eaten their fill, Athuran drew Colan aside.
“Listen, Colan.” He said. “They may go easy on us for the first few days, but don’t expect it to last. They’ll clamp down and they may be worse than anybeast we’ve had to deal with before. Y’ never know.”
Colan nodded as Torrin came in. “I’ll remember, Father.”
After dinner was finished, while they were walking back to their rooms, Colan asked. “Are your dinners always so quiet?”
“Sometimes.” Torrin replied. “One of the rules is that the king must start the conversation, so if Father doesn’t feel like talking, we don’t talk.”
“Oh.” Said Colan, and nothing else was said through the rest of their walk.
As they entered the Prince’s quarters, Torrin began speaking again, more to himself than Colan. “I usually read after dinner but that would leave you with nothing to do on your first evening.” He paused as a though came to him. “Should I?” he shrugged. “Why not? You’ll probably be included eventually, come on.” It took Colan a moment to realize that this last sentence was directed at him. Hurrying after Torrin, he followed the Prince to the armory.
Colan watched, mystified, as Torrin walked to the sword wall and took down the two Salamandastron sabers. Drawing both of them, he swung them experimentally.
“I tried to learn to wield both of them, but not much luck.” He admitted. “I think I’m one-of-a kind. My right paw is my writing paw, but I use my left for swordplay.” He smiled, “Strange, isn’t it?”
Colan shrugged “I dunno, I haven’t talked to many swordbeasts.” Torrin raised an eyebrow. “Oh, I speak to swordbeasts.” Colan assured him. “But I don’t talk. It’s really just “yes sir” or “no sir.” And that can’t be called talking.”
“Oh.” Said Torrin as he sheathed his left-paw sword. Reversing his grip on the remaining blade, he held the hilt out to Colan.
Colan’s gaze darted between the swordhilt and the ferret warily. Slowly he stretched out his paw and grasped the leather-bound hilt. Torrin released the blade, and the tip dipped momentarily as Colan adjusted to the weight. It was heavy, but balanced so expertly that the weight was more a joy than a burden. He looked from the blade to the prince, confused.
“Why are you giving me this?” He raised the blade and pointed it at the prince. “I could kill you, and though I would die, in the eyes of every slave I would die a martyr. I might even be able to bluff my way out of the palace, since you died in a room only you are allowed in. Tell me, why do you think that I won’t take advantage of the situation and kill you?”
Torrin held his ground, his emerald eyes searching Colan’s with their piercing gaze. “I don’t think you’ll kill me,” he said slowly, “because you’re not sure what to make of me. All your life you’ve been beaten, questions were forbidden, and your mind was not your own. Then you are plucked from the ranks and you land here. All of a sudden you have somebeast that is, by rule, your master, but asking you questions and letting you think with your own mind. And frankly,” he leaned back against the wall, “you don’t trust me. You’re every right not to. Outside of woodlanders, nobeast has bothered to have an extended conversation with you.”
Torrin sighed, “Truth is, I don’t want another slave. I don’t want somebeast whose life I can extinguish with a single word. What I want,” he said suddenly, looking up, “is a friend, somebeast I can count on to tell me what they really think, not what I think.”
Colan lowered the saber and turned away. “Bad things happen to my friends.” He muttered. “First it was Derick, then it was Cetyl.”
“What happened?” asked Torrin.
“They died.” Said Colan flatly, obviously ending the subject.
“Oh…” Torrin looked out the window, he hadn’t thought of that. It hadn’t occurred to him that the slaves that were whipped were the friends of others. He knew slaves died, but he never really realized that the family and friends of the victim would feel something. Changing topics, he said, “It’s getting late and I’m going bed. It’s gonna be a tiring day tomorrow for you, ‘cause I have sword practice with the weapons master and my teacher comes after that, but I’ll postpone my own studies so we can teach you to read.” He began walking towards his room. “You can keep the saber by your bed if you want, it’s yours now.”
Later, Colan lay on his cot and stared at the ceiling, thinking. It had been one of the most confusing days of his life, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was on the edge of something as great as one of the tales Sanem told of the abbey he came from.
He only hoped that he wouldn’t end up like the otter in the last full tale he had heard, the one by the name of Shogg.
Chapter 6
The seas were rough, rougher than Colan had ever experienced. The sky was black as pitch, Colan couldn’t see a thing. He could only feel the water shaking him back and forth violently. Colan moaned, he was starting to feel scrambled.
“Colan! Wake up lazybeast! I don’t sleep in like the King.”
Colan opened his eyes and realized that is wasn’t the water that was shaking him, it was Torrin. The ferret sat back and wiped his brow. “Phew, and here I thought slaves were light sleepers, having to wake up to that drum every day.”
Colan sat up and reached for his tunic, which he had left crumpled on the floor. “It was a tiring day for me yesterday.” He muttered.
Torrin snatched the tunic away from him. “Uh-uh. Now that you’re my personal…friend, you get a change of clothes. Somebeast delivered them early this morning, take a new one.” He said, gesturing to a stack of fresh tunics next to him.
Colan started at them, wide-eyed. It wasn’t just the fact that he had more than one tunic; they were different colors. Red, blue, green, brown, or tan, he could choose whatever color he liked. Torrin looked at him for a moment, confused, the his confusion turned into shock as he realized the reason for Colan’s amazement, but he quickly covered it up.
After Colan had chosen the green one and donned it, Torrin led the way into the small eating area. Opening one of the cupboards, he exposed a dark shaft in the wall. Pulling a thin cord that hung from the ceiling, he waited a couple of seconds. “Porridge for two, with honey and walnuts!” he called down the shaft. In a moment there was a squeaking and a tray rose out of the darkness, bearing two steaming bowls. Torrin pulled the cord twice more, than closed the doors to the shaft, sliding a bolt across them. “That’s one advantage of being over the kitchens.” He said as he placed the tray on the table. “The food comes fast.”
Colan looked at the grey mass in his bowl dubiously, but when Torrin began to eat the stuff he picked up his spoon tentatively and mimicked Torrin, scooping the stuff with the wide end of the utensil and placing it in his mouth that way. He couldn’t eat as fast as he could’ve if he had just slurped it, but he realized as he realized that Torrin was in no hurry. He scooped a bit of the yellow liquid that was drizzled liberally across the top of the porridge and tasted it. His eyes shop open wide as the warm sweetness engulfed his tongue. So the was honey. He had heard of it, but had never seen it before. Walnuts he had tasted though, sometimes they were smuggled into the slave compound, but not often.
“Well.” Said Torrin as he pushed his empty bowl away. Colan started and set his spoon down in his half-full bowl, looking at it glumly. Torrin rolled his eyes and waved a paw at him. “Don’t stop eating! You’re not done yet.” Colan picked up the spoon gratefully as Torrin continued. “Usually sword practice wouldn’t start for another hour or so, but I want to get down there early so I can teach you a few basics before Barzkul starts knocking you around.”
Colan pushed his now-empty bowl away. “Oh, er…thanks?”
Torrin laughed, “You won’t be thanking me by the end of today, you’ll have bruises all over.”
“Sounds like a normal day t’ me.”
Torrin looked uncomfortable. “Umm, so why don’t you get your saber and we’ll head over to the practice field?”
Colan stood up and grabbed his empty bowl, along with Torrin’s. “Where do these go?”
“Oh, those go back down the shaft.” He said, pointing. “Then get your sword, I’ll meet you in the front room.”
A few minutes later, Colan stumbled into the front room, desperately trying to figure out how to buckle the swordbelt on. Torrin laughed and helped Colan sling it over his shoulder and buckled the attached belt around his waist. Motioning for him to wait, Torrin disappeared into the armory and soon after came back with a dagger, which he handed to the otter. Colan was surprised at how front-heavy it was.
“It’s always a good idea to have a throwing knife in your belt.” Explained Torrin as he opened the door.
The training field was flat and grassy in most places, although the grass had been worn away in some spots. Across the river Colan could see the slave compound. Its wooden walls was a dismal sight. Colan turned away, distracted by the sudden sound of wood on wood, then wood on flesh, followed by a yelp.
Torrin winced. “Sounds like my brother is intent on getting yours trained.” He shook his head. “I don’t envy him. Alspur thinks that the best way to train somebeast is to beat them until they learn how to block.”
“Huh.” Muttered Colan. “He’d have a lot of very good blockers if slaves were allowed to try to block.”
Torrin grinned, “Alspur believes that offense is more important than defense. He counts on heavy strokes to batter away his foe’s defenses and leave him helpless. Master Barzkul thinks the same.” In one swift movement Torrin unsheathed his saber and held if in front of himself. “I believe in quite the opposite. I think that if you can block your opponent’s attacks, you can wear them down, thus defeating them easier.” Gesturing to Colan’s blade, he said. “C’mon, take the saber out. I’ll teach you the basics before Barzkul gets here.”
For the next hour Colan learned how to hold a sword, correct defensive stance while holding a sword, and the rudiments of blocking. Colan found that blocking a swinging sword was much harder than it first looked, and Torrin had to pull his sword away more than once to stop from injuring the otter.
Torrin swung with exaggerated slowness, and Colan blocked the blow. Torrin gave a swift flick of his wrist and Colan’s saber flew out of his grasp. Colan stood stunned, blankly staring at his empty paw. Nodding behind Colan, Torrin sheathed his sword. “Weapons Master.”
Colan turned and saw a good-sized fox watching him thoughtfully. The fox turned to Torrin. “I assume you want him trained to be your practice partner?”
Torrin nodded, “Aye.”
Barzkul grunted. “Pick up your sword.” He ordered Colan. The otter hastened to obey, and as he touched the sword, something hard and heavy crashed into his back. Colan yelped as he rolled with the blow, picking up the sword as he did so.
He turned to face Barzkul, who was standing a few paces away, looking a little surprised that the otter had managed to pick up the saber. He lifted his heavy wooden replica of a broadsword, holding it high and to the side, ready for a powerful swing. “Your brother has no grasp of technique at all, but he’s quite good at hitting his teammates with arrows. Are you any better?”
Then Barzkul charged in a series of slashes and blows. Colan tried to stand like Torrin had shown him, but had to retreat under the battery of blows. Torrin had gone easy on him, Barzkul had no such thought. Colan tried to block the blows stiffly, as Torrin had blocked his, but the shock of his blade colliding with the wooden one shortly numbed his paws. He began to dodge the blows and dance out of Barzkul’s reach, leaving the fox swinging at air some of the time. When he couldn’t dodge, he clocked, but he slanted the blade so much of the power was diffused. With both of these tactics he was able to keep half the blows from landing on him.
Barzkul pressed him mercilessly, trying to back him up against the wall, but Colan continued to dodge in circles. His strikes came fast and strong, and Colan stumbled many times at the pain of the blows. “It’s over when you drop your sword.” Barzkul hissed to him as he swung at Colan’s head.
Colan ducked under the wooden blade. “Yes sir.”
The fox, who had expected that the otter would gladly throw down his sword by now, was surprised. He could see the perspiration running through the otter’s wet fur, and he was scoring more blows. The otter was slowing down, but he showed no signs of surrendering. Barzkul played with him for a few more minutes, then charges with a flurry of bows, most of which Colan wasn’t able to block. He stepped back a moment, watching the otter teeter back and forth for a moment, dazed by the blows, then he put all his weight behind his shoulder and slammed into him. Colan fell back on the grass, his saber skittering far out of reach. After tapping Colan’s chest none to gently with the sword, he turned to Torrin, who had been watching.
“He’s trainable.” The fox commented. “Stubborn, but some hard knocks will take care of that.” He grinned somewhat maliciously, “Since I won, I would like to give him an order, m’lord.”
Suddenly he felt something cold and thin press against his throat, along with a paw placed at the back of his neck. “I don’t think you’re won.” A voice whispered in his ear. Barzkul was stunned, he hadn’t though the otter would get up, much less pull a knife on him. “Drop your weapon.” Colan hissed.
Barzkul looked at the Prince, but he was hidden behind that infuriating mask of his. “You wouldn’t.”
The knife tightened, “I’ve been beaten all my life, why wouldn’t I kill you, now that I have the chance?”
The wooden sword dropped to the ground as Barzkul decided not to take his chances. His ears burned with shame as the slave released the pressure on the knife, walking away to get his saber. “Training’s ended.” Barzkul snapped, spinning on his heel and stalking away from Prince and slave. Defeated by two amateurs in as many days…he could sense the summons for his firing coming now.
“He’s not going to show any mercy to you next practice.” Torrin murmured to Colan as they left the field. He glanced at the otter. “You sure you haven’t pick up a sword before today?”
“Aye.” Said Colan. “Did I really do that well? I don’t feel like it.”
Torrin laughed, “I’m not surprised. I’m still amazed that you had the strength and nerve to pull out that throwing knife I gave you.” He glanced at the sun. “C’mon, we can clean you up a bit before my tutor comes.”
~~***~~
Colan groaned with relief as Torrin smoothed a poultice over the wilts Barzkul’s practice sword had made. He began to re-dress Colan’s back but thought better of it. “Those scabs can air for awhile. They need it.”
A loud thock made Colan jump. Torrin straightened and looked toward the door. “That must be him.” He said as he strode out of the room.
Colan was hard on his heels. “Who is this “teacher” of yours? I never heard you mention him by name, or even tell me what he looks like!”
Torrin shrugged, “He likes to keep his job as my teacher a secret, and you can hardly blame him.”
Colan groaned, “There y’ go again, he! I’m gonna meet him anyway, so who is he?
Torrin opened the door with a grin, “He’s himself, of course.”
Chapter 7
“You!”
Sanem smiled sheepishly. “Yeah.”
Colan sputtered, “You…You’ve lied to us all those times you told us you work in the orchard?”
The squirrel stepped in and closed the door behind him. “Not really, I work there most days, then every few days the guards drag me off and I come here.” He shrugged, “Can you blame me for not telling you?”
Colan relaxed his tensed shoulders. “I guess not, everyone in the compound would kill you if they found out.” Colan chewed on his lip. “Which brings me to ask…what do they think about us now?”
Sanem shifted his paws. “Wow, you get down to the difficult stuff fast don’cha?” He sat down on one of the chairs, sighing. “Beasts that knew your family don’t hold what’s happened against you, though that might change if you and Torrin act anything like friends. The beasts that don’t know you though…you’re not very popular among them.”
Colan sighed, “I suppose they would feel that way. It’s not like they’re gonna pity me at all.” He looked down, “It’s not like I have any friends anyway.”
Torrin stepped forward and put a paw on Colan’s shoulder. “I’m your friend now, aren’t I?”
Colan shrugged his paw off. “You’d be better off if you weren’t.”
Torrin drew back, looking hurt. “Wha? Why?”
The otter looked away and took a deep, shuddering breath. “I-I’ve had two real friend in my life, okay? And both of them have died.” Colan closed his eyes. “I’m afraid that if we become close, you’ll die too.”
Torrin stepped forward again. Placing his paws on Colan’s shoulders, he spun the otter around until Colan was facing him. “Colan,” he said quietly, “Colan, even if I did die, I’d rather die knowing that I’ve had a friend.”
Colan looked at him through tear-filled eyes. “T-Thanks, i-it’s not often somebeast is willing to by my friend, especially since Ripfur hates me.”
Sanem smiled at the new friendship. “So Torrin, have you laid down the ground orders for Colan?”
The otter looked up in confusion and apprehension. Torrin grinned, “No.” Walking to the center of the room he turned to Colan. “Now listen up, I don’t want to have to repeat this.” Colan looked from Torrin to Sanem in confusion. The squirrel was only grinning widely, like he had been given a basket of nuts. “First,” Torrin continued, “You take orders from me and only me. And that means you need to hear it from my lips. Anything else you can decide whether or not to follow.” Colan’s brows furrowed as he became even more confused. Torrin went on. “Secondly, you are not to call me by anything other than Torrin while we are alone. Of course, you’ll have to pretend in public, but even then I won’t ask any more of you then is necessary.” Colan’s confused stare turned into a smile as he realized that the orders were actually granting him freedom. “Thirdly, I give you permission to carry weapons, and use then to defend yourself. And lastly, don’t hesitate to say anything to me. To you, I’m just Torrin.”
Colan grinned, “I can follow those orders…Master.”
Torrin laughed, “You broke one already!”
Sanem stepped in. “Okay you two, stop it. Torrin, you have your studies, I’ll begin Colan with his reading.
~~***~~
“Okay, so that’s an N, and that there’s a U, and that…that’s a T. So that spells…” Colan furrowed his brow, lips moving as he mumbled out the different sounds and fit them together. Then he laughed, “Ha, you would pick ‘nut’, typical squirrel.”
A knock on the door interrupted their studying. Torrin motioned for Colan to open the door, turning back to his studies as Sanem moved to stand before him, head bowed and paws clasped behind his back.
Colan opened the door and found two guards standing there. “It is time for the slave to return to the compound.” One said, rubbing a black-furred thumb over the pommel of his sword.
Colan nodded and turned back inside. “Master, guards are here to return the slave to the compound.” Torrin looked up and waved a paw dismissively. Sanem bowed and shuffled out of the room, head down.
As the door closed, Colan turned and slumped into a nearby chair. “Do you get nervous every time the guards come?”
Torrin shrugged, “You get used to it after awhile I guess. The guards think of me as absent-minded because I don’t pay attention to what others do around me.” The ferret put his books away and pulled Colan up off the couch. “So, how did your first lesson go?”
The otter smiled, “It was confusing at first, but if you really concentrate, it makes sense. Though,” his face fell, “I’m still not very good.”
Torrin clapped him on the back, “You’ll get better, I know you will!” He noticed Colan’s face screw up in pain and suddenly remembered the otter’s wounds. “Oh, I’m sorry! Are you alright?”
Colan nodded weakly, and swallowed before replying. “Yeah, I’m just a little sore.”
Torrin took the otter’s wrist and pulled him towards the tower stairs. Once inside the tower, he pushed Colan down on his cot. “Lay there on your stomach. I’m gonna get some more salve.” The ferret walked off grumbling. “A little sore my footpaw! He’s gonna take it easy these next few day if I need to tie him down!”
Colan smiled softly as he lay on his stomach, muzzle in the pillow. The ferret really did seem to care, and Sanem sure liked him. Colan really wanted to trust Torrin, but his past experiences with any of the “vermin” types had been filled only with pain. It was hard to get past that view of them now. Mentally reviewing his choices, Colan came to a decision. He would trust Torrin with his life, the ferret had control over it anyway, and he would do his best to keep Torrin out of harm’s way. He chuckled slightly; nobeast would expect a slave to act as a guard.
A soft touch startled him, and he realized that he had dozed off. His body tensed for a moment, then relaxed as he recognized the feeling as Torrin rubbing a salve onto his back. He sighed at the cool sensation and Torrin chuckled.
“You like that, don’t you?”
Colan’s answer came as a pleased moan. “Yess…”
Torrin’s voice soothed him. “Now sleep, I’ll take care of myself, you rest and heal.”
Colan’s eyes drifted shut as he fell into a deep slumber.
Torrin lounged on the stone stairs and watched the sleeping form of his slave, his charge, his friend. In some ways the otter seemed to have maturity far beyond what he should, and in others he seemed to be just a cub.
Colan began shifting, whimpering and moaning in his sleep. Torrin hurried over and placed a paw on the otter’s head. “Shh, Colan, you’re safe here.” At his murmurings the otter quieted and relaxed. Torrin bit his lip as he looked at Colan. He’d do his best to keep him from harm from now on, the otter deserved that.
Torrin sat on the stars for a long time, sometimes reading, sometimes watching Colan. He wondered how much the otter trusted him. However much (or little) it was, he’d strive to make sure that trust was well-placed.
~~***~~
The sun shining through the tower window was what finally woke Colan. After a momentary wave of alarm he remembered what Torrin had said and relaxed. Swinging off the bed, he noticed a piece of paper lying on the ground. Picking it up, he studied the writing. After a few minutes of intense concentration, he managed to make out the note.
Colan,”
I had some things I needed to do. Food is on the table.
Torrin
Colan walked to the dining area and found a bowl of porridge. It was cold, but that was his fault for sleeping in.
He had just finished eating when a knock came at the door. Hurrying over, he unlocked it and swung it open to reveal a burly rat on the other side.
“Can I help you, sir?” Colan asked politely, hoping that the rat would leave, his looks made him nervous.
The rat smirked at him. “Is your master here?”
Colan shook his head. “No, but he should be back later, can I-”
“Good.” The rat shoved Colan back and strode into the room. Colan yelped as he landed on his back. The rat drew a wickedly curved dagger. “The cap’n isn’t pleased that you left his diving crew, especially since you two were on such good terms.”
Colan gulped as he scooted backwards across the floor. He slid his paw along his belt for the dagger Torrin had given him and whimpered when he remembered that he had taken it off when he went to bed.
The rat grinned and picked Colan up by the front of his tunic, muscles rippling under his fur as he held the otter at arm’s length, paws off the ground. Colan wrapped his paws around the arm that was holding him like a playtoy, wondering why he hadn’t had the sense to keep the door shut. Torrin had a key, why in the world did he think it was the ferret knocking?
The blade inched toward him. “The cap’n wants yew t’ have one final lesson.”
In a last-ditch effort Colan spun, his heavy rudder slamming into the back of the rat’s locked elbow. The burly guard howled in pain and dropped him, clutching his arm close to his chest. Colan sprang to his footpaws and sprinted off, the rat’s enraged shouts lending speed to his footpaws.
Colan slid into his room, pausing only for a moment to grab his saber and dagger before taking the steps two at a time up to Torrin’s room. Bursting through the door, he looked around frantically for a place to hide. Spying the ladder set into the wall, he darted up it with a speed he didn’t know he had. Rushing across the top of the tower he skidded to a stop and looked over the side, gulping at the long drop to the ground below. The strip of brown below looked tiny, sandwiched between the river and the castle walls, and there was no way to get down without pulverizing the bones in his legs. Sighing, he turned back to the trapdoor. He’d have to make his stand here.
The rat growled as he rushed through the rooms, indiscriminately knocking things over. He didn’t have time for this! The Prince would come back at any moment and then where would he be? This was supposed to be an easy task, go in when the Prince wasn’t around, stab the whelp, and get out. No problem, right? He grunted. “Easy? I didn’t know he’d be so flamin’ fast!”
A rustling made him grin and turn, so the whelp had gone up the tower, had he? Well, that made cornering him all the easier. He walked in and grinned at the cot beneath the window. The Prince liked this one a lot already. Confident that the otter wasn’t in this area of the tower, he mounted the stairs. The rat’s eyes widened as he pushed open the door to the Prince’s room. He had never seen anything so extravagant in his life. A soft noise made him turn just in time to see a shadow move away from the square of light cast from a hole in the ceiling. The rat gave a snarling grin as he clamped his dagger between his teeth and pulled himself up the ladder.
Colan felt his heart beat faster as the rat hauled himself through the trapdoor. As he stood and took the knife from between his teeth Colan felt all delusions of grandeur desert him. He couldn’t take this rat on with only one lesson under his belt. The only reason he had beaten Barzkul was because the weapons master hadn’t expected him to continue and wasn’t actually trying to kill him. Against somebeast who was actually trying to kill him, he stood no chance.
Sheathing his saber and knife, he sprinted across the tower. Planting a footpaw on the top of the low wall he pushed off, spreading his arms wide as he sailed away from the tower, the rat’s dagger passing harmlessly beneath him as he soared out over empty space.
Colan was surprised at how calm he felt. Diving from this height into a river he hadn’t ever swum in before was a stupid thing to do, but he hadn’t had much choice. He felt the wind start to cut through his fur as he gathered speed, angling for the water. Taking a deep breath, he brought his paws forward over his head just in time to cut into the water.
The impact left him dazed, with barely enough presence of mind to swim back to the surface. Taking a deep breath he lay back and rested, not registering the current or the bank passing by slowly. His eyes drifted shut as the adrenaline left his body.
~~***~~
I wonder if Colan’s still asleep. Torrin thought as he neared his rooms. He felt great, although a little tired from the free practice day he had had that morning. Lunch had been quiet and after he had deflected a few questions on the whereabouts of Colan not a lot of fuss was made about it.
Torrin grabbed the handle of the door to insert the key but, to his surprise, the door was already open. That’s odd… He though as he pushed it open, calling out. “Colan, I’m…Whoa.”
The ferret looked in on his room in a state of shocked awe. Furniture lay overturned, the doors to the other rooms swung crookedly on their hinges. Torrin unsheathed his saber, the ring of the blade gibing him a small measure of comfort. Gripping the hilt tightly, he moved into the room cautiously, eyes darting to every corner, every shadow.
“Colan? You here?”
A noise from the tower made him turn. Moving slowly, he leaned against the wall next to the door. A rat soon slunk out of the tower, putting a dagger away. Torrin was slightly relieved not to see any blood on it. He couldn’t banish the thoughts of other ways to die though. The rat began to make his way to the door, muttering.
“I hope the fall killed him, Cap’n’s not gonna be happy if he gets away.”
Torrin’s blood ran cold, what had this rat done to Colan? In four swift strokes, the rat was disarmed and pressed against the wall with the tip of the Prince’s saber pressed against his throat. The rat’s eyes grew wide with fear at the sight of the furious ferret in front of him.
“Talk fast and truthfully rat, and you may yet live.” Torrin pressed the blade harder against the rat’s throat. “What did you do to my slave?”
“I didn’t harm him.”
“Then where is he?”
The rat looked away. “I…I don’t know.”
Torrin sighed as he pressed the blade against the rat’s neck even harder. He said the next few words slowly, as though speaking to a babe. “What happened to him the last time you saw him?”
The rat bit his lip and whimpered before replying. “He jumped off the tower.”
Torrin’s jaw tightened, “If he is dead, you will become Runtha’s new tester, he discarded the last one. If he is alive though, I’ll let min decide what to do with you.”
A look of terror came over the rat’s face a second before he lunged forward, slitting his own throat. Torrin stepped back in revulsion as the rat fell to his knees, blood gushing from his sliced arteries and wind whistling through the opening in his slashed windpipe. With one final rattle, the air left his body and he slumped sideways, dead.
Torrin stared at the body for only a moment before sprinting out of his rooms. Dashing down the hallways he spotted a couple of guards. “Remove the corpse of the intruder from my room.” He shouted as he rushed past. He had no doubt that Colan had meant to land in the river, the only question was, did he make it and, if so, where was he now?
Chapter 8
Torrin breathed a sigh of relief as he looked over the bank below the tower. He had been afraid of what he might find on the bank. Well, spread out on the bank really, but he didn’t have to think about that now.
His momentary relief faded away as worry crept in. Sure, Colan hadn’t hit the bank, but had the impact with the water hurt him? Had he hit the bottom the river and broken something? Or, even worse, gotten stuck in the mud of the riverbed?
Banishing these thoughts from his mind, he focused on the task at hand, finding Colan. If the otter wasn’t splattered all over the bank, he must’ve landed in the water, which meant…Torrin began running south along the riverbank, he needed to get a boat.
He continued scanning the river as he ran south towards the docks, he didn’t want to miss the otter if he had dragged himself out of the river and passed out on one of the banks. Besides that, there was always the chance he could be taken as an escaped slave, they hadn’t gone out in public together yet, so only the other slaves would know that the otter was his, and most of them wouldn’t bother speaking up. Torrin’s mind was slightly eased as he recalled the clothes he had given Colan, those should clue a few of the brighter guards in that he wasn’t a normal slave. A few wouldn’t care though…Torrin shook his head, was he always this pessimistic when he was worried? Perhaps he hadn’t really had anyone to worry about before.
He soon reached the docks and he was soon weaving through groups of more privileged citizens to get to his boat. Few were allowed to moor their boats near the royal docks, most had to either go further downiver or go all the way to the port.
Torrin dashed down the dock and leapt onto his craft, swiftly untying the lines and pushing away from the rough wooden planks of the dock. Speedily hoisting the sail, he sat next to the tiller as the wind caught the triangle of fabric, pushing the craft out onto the river. Torrin sailed down the river, zig-zagging back and forth as the river widened. Torrin’s tail drooped as he neared the river’s exit into the ocean, he was loosing hope.
~~***~~
A wave washed over Colan’s face, dragging him sputtering from his sleep. He flipped upright, looking frantically around for his coracle, how could he have been so stupid as to have dozed off? Ripfur was going to kill him this time for sure! Colan froze as he realized something was different, he hadn’t ever swum here before. Then the memory of the last few days crashed down on him and he almost sank under the water with relief. He wasn’t under Captain Ripfur’s jurisdiction anymore. Colan inhaled seawater as he remembered how he got to be in the water in the first place.
What would Torrin think when he got back? To him it probably looked like he had taken off first chance. How could Torrin trust him now? Even worse, the rat probably got away so Torrin wouldn’t believe his ridiculous story. Colan winced, how could he call the Prince by his name now? He had let a stranger into his Master’s chambers, had caused the destruction of Master’s property, and then he had run away. If the Prince gave him another chance, he’d practice swordsmanship hard and make sure that he’d be ready next time.
Colan treaded water with his footpaws as he checked that the dagger and saber were still on him. It wouldn’t do to compound his problems by loosing his Master’s possessions.
A large shadow fell across him and the otter turned around, taking a few strokes back in surprise as a large, sleek vessel slipped up behind him. Water splashed him in the face as he flinched back, a rope slapping the water next to him. A voice called down to him. “Now, I may have been gone a long time, but I know that yer not supposed to be here. Climb up ‘ere so I can get a good look at yew.”
Colan reluctantly grabbed the rope and began to pull himself up, gritting his teeth as his back throbbed in protest. He wasn’t sure if these beasts (corsairs, or so he assumed by the look of the ship) would take him back to Torrin or to some other port to sell him. Colan narrowed his eyes, they wouldn’t keep him from getting back to To—Master.
Clambering over the side of the ship, he looked nervously around at the group of corsairs that ringed him. A ferret stalked toward him, paw on the hilt of a cutlass at his side. His grey shirt billowed slightly on the incoming sea breeze. The twin tails of the red cloth tied around his head sailed out beside him, reaching toward the island. The smile of smug superiority faded from his muzzle when he saw the hilt sticking over Colan’s shoulder. Whipping out his cutlass, he pointed the gleaming weapon at the slightly shivering otter. “Where did you get that saber?”
Colan reached up and grabbed the hilt reflexively. “My Master gave it to me.”
The ferret gritted his teeth, “Liar, the royal slaves are mice.”
“That was true, sir.” Colan agreed, “But three days ago Prince Alspur cut them to pieces for a charge of treason.”
The ferret took a step forward. “Are you calling me a liar?”
Colan held up his paws, “No sir! I’m just saying that you haven’t heard about what’s gone on over the past few days.”
The ferret nodded, appeased, “Perhaps.” He held out his paw, “But I’ll hold on to it until I clear this with my nephew.”
Colan clutched the hilt again and backed up, bumping against the railing of the deck behind him. “No.”
The ferret raised an eyebrow. “No?”
Colan shook his head. “My Master gave it to me and I’m gonna keep it safe for him.”
The ferret’s mouth dropped open for a moment before snapping shut. “Why you insolent…” he gestured to his crew. “Grab him.”
Colan spun and leapt for water for the second time that day, although for a much shorter distance this time.
Torrin looked up at the side of the vessel he had pulled alongside. “Well, what d’ya know? I didn’t know Uncle Zayin and the Darkwind were comin’ in.” There was a shout from the vessel and a figure shot over the side and angled toward the water. As the figure hit the water, two more followed it over the side.
“Don’t kill him!” A voice that Torrin vaguely recognized shouted. A rowboat began to be filled with more beasts to go after the three who had already gone overboard.
Torrin tied his boat to the side of the ship and stood up, cupping his paws around his muzzle. “Ahoy, Captain Zayin!”
The ferret peered over the edge, “Torrin, you scalawag, git up ‘ere.”
Torrin grinned and grabbed the rope that came snaking down, yelping when he was jerked up as the rowboat began to be lowered. Laughing, he leapt over the side and the rope was unhooked from the rowboat below. Zayin swiped his cutlass through the air.
“Let’s see how well you’ve learned t’ use that saber I gave ya.”
Torrin grinned and swiftly drew his saber, bringing it down just in time to block Zayin’s first strike. Setting his stance, he fended off Zayin’s first few testing strikes, then settled in as the strikes grew more aggressive.
Zayin’s eyes narrowed as time passed and he couldn’t find a hole in Torrin’s defense. Torrin stood his ground, deflecting all of Zayin’s attacks. He felt a pause in Zayin’s attacks and went on the offensive, twisting his saber around Zayin’s cutlass and whipping the weapon out of his Uncle’s grip. As the cutlass flew by him, however, it got tangled with his own saber and pulled it from his grasp. Zayin laughed and clapped his paws.
“Very good Torrin, you’ve learned to use that blade well. How’s the family?”
Torrin shrugged, “They’re all healthy, and the same as ever, really. Except for Alspur perhaps, he’s grown more cruel and overbearing to everyone, I even think he’s starting to chafe against Father.” He glanced at the side of the ship as one of the crew returned his blade. “What’s goin’ on here?”
Zayin glanced over the side, “You’ll see, they’re comin’ back now.”
Torrin turned and watched with mild interest as the boat began to be raised. A rat was first over the rail, obviously climbing the rope ahead of the boat.
“We got ‘im cap’n.” The rat said, “Well, sorta. He could’ve gotten away, he reached land a good distance ahead of us, then he turned to see how much of a start he had on us. ‘E shouted somthin’, then jumped back in the water and and actually swam to the boat.”
Zayin glanced at Torrin, “Interesting.”
Torrin was looking back at him suspiciously. “What’s going on here, Uncle?”
Zayin smiled, “You’ll see…ah, here they are.”
Torrin watched as three figures disembarked from the medium-sized rowboat. A ferret and a weasel flanked Colan, all three dripping wet. Colan’s eyes lit up when he saw Torrin, and he grinned with joy. Uncertainty flickered through his eyes and his smile faded, replaced with an expression of doubt, then shame. The two corsairs on either side of him let go as he walked forward slowly, head hung.
When he got within a few feet of Torrin, he stopped. “I-I’m sorry Master. I-I shouldn’t have opened the door, a-and even when he came in, I should’ve stayed in the rooms and kept him from damaging your possessions.”
Torrin ignored his stammered apologies. “Colan, the rat is dead. Nothing is broken that can’t be replaced. The important thing is, are you alright?”
Colan glanced nervously at the corsairs around him. “A little sore, Master.”
The ferret sighed. “Well, I suppose that a restful day is out of the question. Now,” he smiled at Colan, “tomorrow we will rest, both of us.”
A small smile reappeared on Colan’s face, but behind it the unease was evident. He had decided to trust Torrin, but his mind was still reluctant to comply.
“Let’s go back to my rooms.” Torrin said. Turning to Zayin, he asked, “Would you like to come?”
~~***~~
Colan winced when he saw the destruction the rat had caused. “Sorry Master…I should’ve—”
Torrin spun around and grabbed the otter by the shoulders. “Colan. You. Did. Nothing. Wrong. Stop all this subservient slave scrapings, it’s driving me nuts. You’re my…” He glanced at Zayin, who was watching the duo with interest. Torrin shrugged and continued, “You’re my friend, Colan.”
The uncertainty fled from Colan’s eyes. “So you’re not angry with me?”
Torrin shook his head. “No, the only thing I am upset about is that you thought my friendship could be so easily shattered, but I forgive you for that.”
Zayin pushed them both into the room and shut the door. Motioning to the chairs, he ordered them to sit. “After that little scene, it’s obvious that you two don’t have a typical Master/Slave relationship.” He turned to Torrin, “I always knew you were different than the rest of your family. Turned out more like me, you did.”
Colan cut in. “But you’re a corsair.”
Zayin smiled at Colan’s nerve and shook his head. “Sort of. Sure I take on some vessels, but hardly anyone ever dies. My crew is proficient in knocking anybeast out.” He chuckled, “Very proficient.” He winked at Colan, “Besides, who said we stole all our stuff? We work as traders between islands a lot as well. Don’t tell my sister though, she wouldn’t like it.” He turned his attention back to Torrin and Colan. “So, back to you two, what are you to each other?”
“Colan’s slave status is purely political.” Torrin said. “Inside this room, and when we’re alone, he’s Colan and I’m Torrin. Nothing more, nothing less. We’ve only known each other for a few days, so we still need to learn to trust each other, but that will come eventually.”
Zayin motioned to Colan. “I can see you’ve already started by giving him one of your most valuable weapons.”
Torrin smiled, “I may not trust him fully yet, but I trust him enough to give him a weapon and not lock him up away from me. I can’t say the same for Alspur though. I think he locks Runtha up in a cage at night.”
Zayin nodded. Glancing outside, he sighed. “My sister probably knows I’m here by now. I should go talk to her.” So saying, he left.
Colan sat down after closing the door behind the ferret. “So you trust him?”
Torrin nodded, “He’s always been my favorite beast to be around. You don’t need to watch what you say around him so much. Some of the richer youngbeasts around here…” he shuddered. “You can say your favorite color, and they’ll boast that they know something the other’s don’t so much they’ll all know it before the week is out.” Torrin sighed, “Time for dinner, at least Uncle Zayin will be there.” He grinned at Colan. “Get out of those wet clothes and into some dry ones, slave.”
Colan chucked. “Yes, Master.”
~~***~~
A few minutes later the two were walking down the hall, Colan patting his leg every once in awhile, as if to reassure himself. Walking into the dining room, Torrin took his seat, Colan taking up his place behind him. King Alcon was already seated, and he spoke as soon as Torrin was seated.
“Would you care to explain what went on in your room today and why you killed one of my soldiers?”
Colan noticed Zayin enter and wince slightly at the King’s tone, then sit at the end of the table. Alspur followed shortly after, Runtha trailing behind in a rough brown tunic.
Torrin’s voice was hard. “A rat broke into my rooms and destroyed my property, then chased my slave until he was forced to throw himself from the tower to escape.”
The King pointed to Colan. “Slave, come here.”
Colan hesitated and glanced at Torrin. The ferret twitched his paw in the King’s direction, and Colan took that as a signal that he should follow directions. He stopped a few feet to the King’s right.
“Is it true that you left your Master’s rooms when you were told not to?”
Colan took a deep breath. “No sir.”
Alcon raised an eyebrow. “No?”
The otter shifted nervously, “He…Master never told me to stay in the rooms.”
The light brown-furred ferret looked surprised. “Did he give you orders?”
Colan nodded, “Yessir.”
“And what were they?”
“He told me to rest today, sir.”
Alcon grinned, “And if you were supposed to be resting, why did you open the door to your Master’s rooms?”
He’s trying to get me in trouble. Colan realized. He sighed mentally, I hope Torrin won’t be angry with me for putting some words in his mouth. “Master told me when I first came that I would be answering the door when somebeast knocked.”
Alcon swiftly switched tactics. “You ran when Zayin captured you. That deserves a whipping, don’t you think?”
Colan shook his head. “No sir. I didn’t know who Lord Zayin was, I though he one of the scores of Corsairs that sail by your shores every day. Also, he tried to take Master’s possessions.”
A look of anger crossed King Alcon’s face momentarily, and he growled out his next words. “What were these possessions?”
Colan struggled to keep his nervousness out of his voice. “Master’s saber and its swordbelt.”
Alcon’s amber eyes gleamed in triumph. “Slaves may not carry a weapon, it is against the law.”
Colan bit his lip and looked back at Torrin, pleading for aid. The ferret quickly stepped in. “Father, I gave him that weapon, to use in protecting himself and me once he has been trained. I am pleased with his actions today and, as he is my property, I will deal with him as I see fit. There is no further need for this interrogation. Slave, back to your spot.” Colan nodded and began to move back to his original position.
Alcon narrowed his eyes. “Slave, I am not finished with you yet.”
Torrin growled, “Yes you have. You gave him to me and specifically handed all control over him to me. A decree like that cannot be changed for two fortnights.”
King Alcon’s knuckles whitened as he gripped the arms of his chair. “Very well.” He said, and the rest of the meal was eaten in silence. After a dessert of raspberry cheesecake, the sight of which made Colan’s mouth water, Alspur spoke up.
“Father,” he said, “Why don’t we send the slaves away so we can be alone while we catch up with Uncle Zayin?”
King Alcon nodded, “Very well. Slaves, leave us.”
Colan decided not to push his luck and followed the order, exiting into a small sidechamber. The otter weighed his options as he waited for the rest of his family. He could tell them all about his friendship with Torrin, or he could keep it a secret. Runtha entered and smiled at him, and something in his eyes made Colan shiver. He didn’t trust Runtha, and he still couldn’t shake the feeling that he had something to do with Cetyl’s death. Colan decided that it would be best if his friendship between him and Torrin stayed between them.
Azure rushed over to them as soon as the door closed. “Runtha! Colan! Are you alright? Did they hurt you?”
Colan chuckled, “Mom, I’m fine. Master Torrin isn’t the type who lets his property be damaged for no reason.”
Runtha sat down near a chair. Not on it, Colan noticed, near it. “So Colan, what orders has your master given you?”
Colan was immediately on guard. He didn’t like the tone of Runtha’s voice. It had a…sneaky quality to it, like he was trying to be sly. “My orders are between me and my Master.” He smiled at his parents. “I’ll be fine, trust me. Master’s no Ripfur.” He grunted and muttered, “If I can survive that, I can survive anybeast.”
~~***~~
“Well, what did you find out?”
“Nothing, Master. He wouldn’t speak of it.”
“My brother is up to something, I know it. I just need to foil his plans before he can foil mine.”
Chapter 9
“Keep going Colan!” Torrin shouted as the otter rolled, dodging yet another chunk of falling wood. Batting two more out of the way with his saber, he dropped it and took off down a hallway, blocks of wood detaching themselves from the wall to fly at him as he raced past. Planting a footpaw on the right-paw wall, he began bouncing from wall to wall as the floor fell out from below, exposing a ten foot drop into a pit of water. Landing on a thin beam, he launched himself out flat, barely clearing a chunk of flying wood. Flipping, he landed in a crouch, one paw on the ground while the other whipped out his dagger to hold reversed in front of him.
Three guardbeasts approached him, and Colan went on the offensive, hooking one blade out of the way to land a punch on the rat’s face before sweeping his legs out from under him. The otter dropped and swept the legs of an approaching weasel before using the fox behind him as a vaulting block to get behind the beast. Grabbing the fox’s shoulders, he bent him over backwards and pressed the flat of his blade on the guard’s neck before dropping him.
Stepping back, he tried to calm his ragged breathing before walking over to where Torrin had observed the whole thing.
“You did great, Colan.” He said, handing the panting otter a flask of water. “It’s amazing how far you’ve come in just over a month. I think you’re better than most of the swordsbeasts in Father’s army now.”
Colan grinned as he retrieved his saber from Torrin and sheathed it. “I had the strength and balance, I just needed instruction. This training compound sure helped though. I know what’s going to happen now, but it’s still a workout every time. It’s amazing what that fox from Rinunda could do with some iron, wood, and rope.”
Torrin wagged a finger at him, “Don’t think I don’t hear you practicing at night as well, mister.” He laughed at Colan’s sheepish expression. “Oh, and guess what? I was walking by the barracks while you were warming up and I discovered that you’ve earned a name for yourself among them already.”
Colan pricked his ears. “Really?”
Torrin nodded, “They call you Princeblade now. They say that you’re loyal to be ‘till death and nobeast can get to me before going through you.”
Colan chuckled, “They’re pretty close.”
Barzkul narrowed his eyes as he watched from a distance. Those two didn’t act like Master and slave unless they were around other royalty. The slave had gained a reputation as Torrin’s bodyguard and indeed, the Prince never took any guards when he went out anymore, not that he had taken more than one in the first place. Barzkul decided to see if Colan deserved his reputation. Picking up a bow, he loaded a practice arrow on (he didn’t want to actually hurt the Prince, that would be disaster for him) and launched it.
Torrin was talking: “I’m surprised that none of the nobles have come by yet, they’d usually be all over the news that my “slave” carries his own weapon. Shouldn’t be too long now befor—” He yelped as Colan pushed him down, making him hit the ground hard. He rolled over to ask why in the world had Colan pushed him when he noticed Colan’s saber out and a practice arrow lying in two clean pieces at his feet. Barzkul stood some distance away, an amazed look on his face and a bow in paw. Colan began to stalk towards the fox, eyes glinting dangerously.
Torrin was quick to calm him. “Colan, it was a test, get back here!”
Colan gave the fox one last evil glare before turning back to Torrin and smoothly sheathing his saber. The two continued toward their rooms for lunch, leaving a stunned weapons Master behind.
It looks like I have underestimated the otter’s protective instincts. The fox thought. It would be wise for the King to get him to swear fealty to him, the Prince could tell him to do anything, and he would do it.
With this thought in mind, he left to go find King Alcon.
~~***~~
Colan wiped his eyes as he floated in the pool of warm water below the Castle. For some reason, unknown to anybeast, despite the river flowing on both sides of the Castle, a warm spring bubbled up from underneath. A bathing area had been built around it for the convenience of the King and his family a few generations ago, and it had turned out to be a good spot to relax after their training. Normally slaves weren’t allowed in, and for their first few trips Colan abstained from entering to keep up the pretense. Over the month he had been in the palace however, they had gradually grown lax until the only time they acted like Master and slave was when Torrin was around his family. Initially Colan was met with hostility from the palace staff for his friendship with “one of them”, including some poorly cooked food. But he never showed resentment to them for their actions, although he let the hurt show when he was alone with Torrin. More than once he had used the ferret’s shoulder to cry on after a particularly nasty trick, although he never allowed Torrin to retaliate in any form. After one particularly charred meal was delivered, he told Torrin that he was going to the kitchen. The ferret warned him not to do anything rash, and let him go. He covered the burned food with a cloth and carried it downstairs to the kitchens. Walking in, he got barely ten strides before he was stopped by the head chef, a mouse, who demanded to know what he was doing there.
Colan smiled and held up the covered plate and said that it seemed that they had been preoccupied in making his Master’s food and accidentally burned his a little. While the chef stood stunned, he dumped the burned mess in the waste bin and washed the plate. Drying it and asking where it was put, the chef pointed at the correct cupboard as the otter put it away and then began to make a fish stew; using common ingredients that even slaves had access to. He instructed the chef on how to make the soup as he proceeded, commenting on how his mother used to make this when she had time. Finishing the soup, which was surprisingly good for such simple ingredients, he ladled himself and Torrin a bowlful, told the kitchen crew to help themselves, then told the guards who objected that the Prince was fine with the arrangement, and also that they could have a bowl after the entire kitchen crew had had one. After washing his dishes, he took his two bowls and left.
His next meal came perfectly cooked and when Torrin asked what he had said, Colan replied that when shown kindness, most slaves felt honor-bound to return the kindness.
As the month went by little gestures of kindness gained both Colan and Torrin friends among the slaves of the palace. Soon bows were offered more because they thought Torrin deserved them than because it was required. Shortly after that the bows were replaced with smiles, unless more royalty was present. The first beast to neglect the obligatory bow was an elderly mousewife who greeted the Prince with a huge smile when he entered the room. A ratguard had been following the Prince and, when he noticed the negligence, he pulled out his sword to beat her. Torrin stopped him, saying that that one genuine smile showed him more respect that all the bowing in the world could. The trend spread, and soon Torrin and Colan were greeted with grins throughout the palace.
A splash of water jerked Colan from his memories. Torrin was talking to him. “Earth to Colan! Where were you?”
Colan shook his head and dunked himself before answering the question. “I was just thinking about how much has changed in just the past month. If the slaves had any say in who’d be the next king you’d have the position, paws down. Half the palace guards would agree too, I shouldn’t wonder.”
Torrin chuckled, “Yes, but Alspur is next in line and I’m not going to kill him just to be king.”
Colan frowned, “You’re the only beast who will ever by my King.”
Torrin smiled regally, “And you’ll always be my most loyal vassal.”
Colan splashed him, “Don’t get too high and mighty now or I’ll have to take you down a notch or two. I can still beat you at anything in the water.”
Torrin climbed out and began to dry himself as a young squirrel entered the room, bouncing with excitement to be able to deliver a message to Torrin.
“Master Torrin, Sir Colan, there’s a visitor for Master Torrin. Anna showed him up to your rooms.” He leaned close to Torrin, angling his muzzle to speak into the Prince’s ear. “If you don’t mind me saying Master, he’s very full of himself; I don’t think Anna will be staying any longer than she has to.”
Torrin nodded as Colan began to dry off as well. “OK Gabe, I’ll get up there. And didn’t I tell you that “Sir” is enough?”
Gabe nodded, “Yes sir, but between you an’ me, you’re th’ most deserving of the title “Master” around here.”
Torrin sighed, “All right, but for goodness sake, don’t let anybeast hear you say that!”
Gabe grinned and waved as they walked out. “It’s nice to know you care, Master.” He whispered.
~~***~~
“So, do you know who this is?” Colan asked as they neared their rooms.
“I have some good guesses.” Torrin replied.
A young squirrel came marching around the corner her paws balled into fists. Spying Colan, she marched over and grabbed the front of his tunic with both fists, pulling him down to her level. “Colan,” she hissed at him, “he asked me if I wanted to come back to his room tonight. Would you believe it? The nerve! Of course I said no, but he only winked and told me he’d see me tonight. Winked at me! If he tried to do anything with me I’m going to make sure he can’t to anything with anybeast.”
Torrin reached over and patted her tense shoulders. “Woah, Anna, calm down! You’re not going anywhere tonight. Tell you what.” Torrin pulled a pad of paper from his pocket and the writing stick he had asked the mechanic from Rinunda for before he left a fortnight ago. Scribbling a note, he handed it to her. “Find you brother and tell Gabe to give that to the compound officer when he reports in for the night. After you give that to him, come back and wait in one of the rooms adjacent to mine. I have a spare room you can use tonight.”
Anna looked relieved, “Thank you Master Torrin.”
Colan looked after her retreating figure. “Do you know who it is now?”
Torrin turned the corner, his face grim, “Yes.”
The otter followed close behind. “So, how am I acting this time?”
Torrin pondered this for a moment. “I’d say that you should address me as “sir” and have free reign over the furniture, although you’ll need to follow all orders.” Torrin winced, “Some may be demeaning, but he’ll ask me to order you to do them to see if you can have that many privileges and still follow orders. I won’t ask anything too bad, but I’ll apologize in advance for some.”
Colan glanced at Torrin. “Like what?”
Torrin winced, “He’ll probably want you to lick my footpaws, and then his. The first one I can’t deny him without looking like I have no control over you, but the second one will be easy to evade. Hopefully I can distract him enough that he forgets about that one.”
Colan sighed, “Well, we just washed.”
Torrin’s pain at what his friend had to do was evident in his eyes. “Colan, I’m really sorry. I really am.”
The otter half-smiled at him. “I don’t mind Torrin, really. It’s not as bad as what I used to have to do.”
Torrin was still uncomfortable. “But you shouldn’t have to do it in the first place.”
Colan ignored him and grabbed the doorhandle. Winking at Torrin, he grinned. “Here we are, sir.”
He pulled the door open to allow Torrin to enter. The Prince stepped through the door, sighting a young fox dressed in expensive fabric lounging on the couch. A young, tattered-looking mouse kneeled at his footpaws in a rough grey tunic.
Torrin smiled politely. “Lord Fytch, I would have expected somebeast to visit me before now.” Turning to Colan he motioned toward the door, “Slaves, leave us. Colan, order refreshments for me and my guest. But for now I would like some alone time with Lord Fytch.”
Colan nodded, “Yes sir.” Turning, he exited into the dining room, Fytch’s slave following close behind him. Moving over to the chute, he called down. “Master has a guest and his attendant! Master wants refreshments for himself and his guest!” Behind this was the unspoken request that the kitchen had come to understand. Unless he specifically asked them not to, they doubled what he asked for and sent him the extras.
A minute later four trays rose into view, two of them Colan quickly whisked outside to Torrin and his guest, while the others Colan left behind for the two of them. He set the trays near the two beasts and stood near Torrin, awaiting further orders. He could feel Fytch’s eyes on him, mentally calculating his worth. Colan almost growled as he realized that he was probably the object of the visit, now that the slave has settled in, how much is he worth?
Torrin waved his paw dismissively. “That will be all for now, Colan. I will summon you later.”
As Colan walked toward the door, Fytch spoke up. “You call your slave by name?”
Colan paused just beyond the door, wondering what the politically correct response would be. “Don’t you find it rather annoying when you call out ‘Slave’ and every one of them within earshot looks at you?”
Fytch’s voice was slightly puzzled. “No, I find it makes me feel powerful to know that they’re all hanging on my every word.”
Colan nearly choked as he quickly moved into the kitchen. Fytch’s slave was sitting in front of an untouched plate. Colan hurried over and sat down. “Oh, were you waiting for me? Sorry I didn’t know.”
The mouse smiled. “You and Prince Torrin don’t have the most normal of relationships, do you?”
Colan did his best to look confused. “What do you mean? And what is your name?”
The mouse flicked one ripped ear. “For now, my name is Slave. As for what I mean, it’s obvious all this slave stuff is just to save both your skins. Also, the way you look at each other gives it away. The domineering gleam that slave owners seem to have is absent from Prince Torrin’s eyes and, frankly, your eyes have a possessive glint that says ‘This is mine, and don’t you dare try to harm him.”
Colan smiled sheepishly, “Ok, you got me; he’s my friend more than my master.”
‘Slave’ polished off the last of the refreshments. “I thought so.”
The otter’s rudder dropped limply against the floor as he heard Torrin calling from the other room. “Here we go.” He muttered.
‘Slave’ chuckled. “I think he enjoys it even less than you.” Colan turned to leave, but he called again. “Oh, and Colan?” Colan turned back around and a change seemed to come over the mouse. He straightened and threw back his shoulders, an aura of experience and confidence radiating from him. The scars and marks crisscrossing his face took on a look that bespoke more of a tried and true warrior than a battered slave. When he spoke, his quiet voice seemed to shake the room with its intensity.
“Remember, the forest creates the shadows in which the fugitives hide.”
Then the moment passed and the bruised and battered slave was back, pointing at the door urgently. “Hurry, didn’t you hear your Master call you?”
Colan stumbled towards the door, regaining enough of his composure to put up some semblance of an obedient slave by the time he walked into the main living area.
“Ah, there you are, Colan.” Torrin said as he entered. “Lord Fytch would like a demonstration of both your abilities and your obedience.” He turned to Fytch. “How should we do this?”
The fox seemed to grin in anticipation. “Start small and get larger.”
Torrin nodded. “Very well. Colan, sit.”
Colan dropped to the floor, crossing his lags in front of him and wrapping his rudder tightly against his midriff. Folding his paws in his lap, he looked at Torrin (or his Master, as the ferret was at the moment). He didn’t look at Torrin’s face as he normally would, because no slave would do that. Instead, he fixed his eyes on the ferret’s chest, keeping the pretense of a slightly daring, but still obedient, slave.
The first set of orders was fast and simple:
“Lay down.”
“Roll.”
“Kneel.”
“Jump.”
“Fetch my saber.”
Fytch finally gave his next request. “Have ‘im do pushups.”
Torrin nodded to Colan, and the otter dropped and began the pushups. Around thirty he purposely began to lag. He could do much more than that, but he didn’t want to show this fox his true potential. He didn’t like the way Fytch kept looking at him as if he were at the market. As he approached fifty, he began shuddering, his body inching up and down with painful slowness.
As he reached the top of his forty-eighth, gasped out, “M-Master!” hoping that Torrin would realize that he didn’t want to show off.
Fortunately, he got the hint. “That’s enough, Colan.” The otter collapsed on the floor, fake-panting heavily.
Fytch smiled mockingly, “I’m disappointed, my Lord. I’d have thought from what I’ve heard that he’d be much stronger.
Torrin tightened his jaw; the thought that anyone would think his friend inadequate irked him. He gave Fytch a challenging grin. “Oh, so you want to see what he is truly good at?” He motioned to Colan. “Go get your saber and meet us in the training room.”
Colan had to admit that it would be fun to spar against this high-and-mighty fox, but he was still nervous about him getting ideas. Maybe I’m a little paranoid. He thought to himself as he exited the room.
Torrin ushered Fytch into his armory. “I hope you’ve been practicing, Lord Fytch.” He said, grinning. “Colan’s been training with me since he came here a month ago. He’s done well.”
Fytch smiled back, somewhat patronizingly. “Surely your highness, you can’t expect a slave that’s been training for a month to beat a Lord that’s been training his entire life?”
Torrin inclined his head, “So he should give you all he’s got?”
Fytch nodded, “I’d be insulted with anything less.”
After the fox selected a longsword from the array of weapons in the armory the two made for the training room. Colan was already there, the sheath of his saber strapped across his back and the sword itself lying across his knees as he polished it. He stood and grinned as they entered. “Sir.”
Torrin’s voice was cool. “Colan, I want you to give Lord Fytch all you’ve got. All of it.”
Colan nodded, “Yessir.” He moved to the back of the training room and took up a defensive stance, it wasn’t the most practical position for an attack, but then again, that was the point. Fytch took up a neutral stance on the other side of the room, knees bent, longsword drawing small circles in the air in front of him.
Torrin held up a small bag of sand. “When this hits the ground you may begin.” He said. “Lord Fytch, are you ready?”
The fox tightened his grip on the sword. “Yes.”
Torrin glanced at Colan, who nodded. The ferret spun the bag in his paw before tossing it into the air. Both beasts watched as the bag arched through the air, barely brushing the high ceiling of the stone room before falling and landing with a dull thud.
Fytch jumped forward, pulling his sword back for a swipe as Colan shifted his balance and sprinted forward. The look on the fox’s face changed from confidence to surprise, then fear. As their paths intersected, Colan spun low, his heavy rudder slamming into Fytch’s ankles. The fox completed a full cartwheel midair before crashing to the ground, losing his sword in the process. Colan tapped the sunned fox’s neck with the flat of his saber before turning and walking over to take his place beside Torrin.
Fytch staggered to his footpaws, wincing as he felt his swiftly-developing bruises. Picking up the longsword, he handed it to Torrin. “How much?”
Torrin looked startled. “What?”
Fytch gestured to Colan. “How much do you want for him?”
The ferret took the longsword and handed it to Colan, “He’s not for sale.”
The young noble snorted. “There is always a price a beast will take, so how much? Three Kings?”
Torrin raised his eyebrows, “You would pay half your family’s fortune for a single slave?” He shook his head, “And you are wrong. I will part with him for no amount of money you, or anybeast else, can give me.”
Fytch narrowed his eyes, “Very well. I will take my leave of you now, your highness. Slave, come.” ‘Slave’ stood from where he had watched the events unfold and followed Fytch out the door.
After the door closed, Torrin shook his head. “I feel bad for that mouse.”
Colan was checking the longsword for scratches. “Call me crazy, but I think he only stays with Fytch because he’s decided to. I think he could leave at any time if he wanted to.” Colan frowned, “He said the strangest thing when we were back in the dining room. First, that image of a slave you saw on him dropped like worn out cloths and he seemed to radiate authority. Then he said ‘The forest creates the shadows in which the fugitives hide’.”
Torrin looked at the closed door. “Interesting…I wonder…” He trailed off. “We should get Anna settled in.”
Chapter 10
“What’s this for, Master Torrin?” Anna asked the following morning, holding up a blue ribbon emblazoned with the royal crest.
Torrin shifted uncomfortably. “Well, you see, in order to get you to stay here, I sent a note saying that I “had need of you”. The guards are going to take that to mean that I had the same “needs” as Fytch yesterday. Tie that ribbon on your arm, under your sleeve, and if anybeast has “need” of you, show them that. They’ll leave you alone, and if they don’t…” Torrin grinned, “I can punish them for “violating my personal property” however I want.”
Anna sighed, “Well, I suppose I’ll wear it, if only to keep the wolves off.”
Torrin smiled sadly, “I wish I didn’t have to take up the pretense of having used you in order to keep you safe.”
Anna smiled at him. “I have no hard feeling against you, Master Torrin. Someone in your position who refrains from taking advantage of other is nigh-impossible to find.” Another thought she spoke mentally. I’ll miss you, Master Torrin. You don’t realize it, but while most of us slave call you Master, over the last month since Colan came, we’ve come to think of you as a friend.
~~***~~
Torrin and Colan sat on the dock, fishing. They had landed a few keepers, but mostly they just sat there, talking and joking. Colan spoke up after a pause. “You know, I think Sanem gave me the right mindset to meet you and see you as more than just another oppressor.”
Torrin twitched his fishing rod. “How so?”
The otter cocked his head and tilted it back, thinking. “I think it was the night before I met you. Sanem told a story about the place he came from, Redwall. It was a heroic story of a mouse arriving to defeat a tyrannical wildcat and free the oppressed woodlanders. He said he was told to tell that story by the spirit of that mouse. At first, I thought he told it because we were supposed to watch for a hero to come to set us free, but the story of one of the characters stood out to me. Gingivere, one of the wildcats, wasn’t cruel of oppressive like the rest of his family. He ended up becoming a farmer with his wife. So when I saw you, I thought of that wildcat and didn’t automatically tag you as evil. Your brother is another matter, after some of the thing I’ve seen him do, I can’t see any good in him.”
“I’ll have to get Sanem to tell me that story sometime.” Torrin said, “It sounds like a good tale.”
Colan looked thoughtful. “You know, I’ve heard you talk coins more than once. Could you explain them to me?”
Torrin nodded. “Sure.” Pulling four coins from a pouch on his belt, he laid them out on the dock between them. “These are the four coins. This one,” he pointed to a copper-colored one, “Is called a slave. Yes, I know, they didn’t think very hard when they came up with names. It’s the most common coin, then of them will buy you a small fish. This next one,” He pointed to a silver coin, “Is called a warrior. With it you can buy moderately expensive items. A large fist or well made knife will cost you one of these. A hundred slaves equals one Warrior.” He looked up. “Follow so far?”
Colan nodded, “Yeah.”
Torrin continued, picking up the gold coin. “This is a Noble. These are used to buy expensive items. A master-crafted sword is worth one of these.” He grinned and winked at Colan. “Your saber is worth ten.”
Colan returned the grin. “And I take care of it as if it were worth twenty.”
Torrin laughed. “I think you’re getting this!” He picked up the last one, a coin made out of a grayish-white metal Colan couldn’t identify. Seeing Colan examining it, Torrin supplied the information. “It’s made of platinum.” He said. “Unlike the other three, while a Noble is worth a Hundred Warriors and a Warrior is worth a hundred Salves, this coin, called a King, is worth a thousand Nobles. If you had been asking anybeast else, they couldn’t have shown you one of these, but one of my Father’s “requirements” is that we carry at least one, to “remind us of our importance. These are rarely used, because there is hardly any times somebeast needs such a grandiose amount of coin. There is only a couple hundred of these coins in the entire royal treasury.”
Colan narrowed his eyes. “So the price Fytch offered you yesterday…”
Torrin smirked, “Was enough to build myself my own armada.”
Colan was stunned, “I’m worth that much?”
Torrin tapped his nose. “You, my friend, are not going anywhere.”
He smiled, “I know that.”
A comfortable silence ensued as they sat, watching their lines bob in the current of the river, the water sparkling as it reflected the sun in a thousand different directions. The sun shone down on them and they would’ve been too hot but for the light breeze that blew through their fur.
“Your Highness!”
Torrin looked over his shoulder. “Yes, Markul?”
The steward strode down the docks toward them. “The King wishes to see you in the throne room.” Markul pointed at Colan. “And the slave as well.”
Colan cast a worried glance at Torrin, who could only shrug in confusion. Neither had any clue why the King would specifically call them to the throne room. In the month he had been there, the only time he had been in the throne room was his first day when he was first given to Torrin. He had discovered that the royal family wasn’t incredibly close-knit, if fact, they hardly ever spoke to each other, each electing to go their separate ways. Besides for a smile and wave, he hadn’t talked to his mother or father in a month. The only time he saw Runtha besides for dinner was on the practice fields, sparring against either guards or Alspur.
It seemed to Colan at times that there was a competition between the two princes over who could train the better swordsbeast. While Runtha was being instructed in Alspur’s form of full-on attack, Colan had developed a style that was highly defensive, yet more agile than Torrin’s defensive wall. Colan’s style also afforded him a stronger offense than Torrin.
They had followed the fox and were now walking through the halls of the palace. The sheer extravagance displayed throughout the palace never ceased to amaze Colan. It didn’t seem to affect Torrin, but then the ferret had grown up in the palace and spent most of his time there. When he did leave, he only went to the more expensive areas of the city. Colan decided that someday he was going to get Torrin to disguise himself and they’d have some fun in the less fortunate parts of town.
They stopped outside the throne room, the intricately carved doors bringing back memories of his fist day in the palace, a turning point in his life. He had gone from being beaten nearly to death on day to being the slave of one of the most powerful beasts around.
Markul pushed open the door, nodding to the pike-wielding guards stationed on either side. “Your Majesty, Prince Torrin and his slave, as you ordered.”
King Alcon nodded. “You may leave up now, Markul. The light-brown furred ferret sat in silence as Torrin approached, Colan two paces behind and slightly to his right. Torrin stopped a respectful distance from the throne and Colan stopped as soon as Torrin did, falling to one knee and bowing his head as was expected.
Torrin bowed, “Father.”
“It has come to my attention,” Alcon said, “That this slave has acquired a skill with the saber sufficient to pose a threat to myself. To combat this threat, I have been advised to remove him from under your sole authority and bind him to my service.”
Torrin’s jaw tightened, “You specifically game him to me.”
Alcon’s voice hardened, “The month is up, I can change that decree if I wish.”
Torrin’s paw clenched as he growled softly. Half-turning, he looked at Colan, fear lurking in his eyes. At first Colan thought that the ferret was afraid of him, but he pushed past that irrational thought and realized that the ferret was afraid of loosing him. Colan gave him a quick glance trying to assure Torrin with his eyes.
“Slave, come here.”
Colan rose and walked forward, kneeling at the King’s feet. He listened intently to Alcon as he instructed him on what to say. After a few minutes this the king deemed him ready.
The oath was short and to the point. Colan took a deep breath and began. “I vow on my life to obey my king and never to harm him. I will protect my king with my life.”
Alcon nodded, “Very good. You are still under Prince Torrin’s authority. You are dismissed.”
As soon as they were out of earshot of the guards outside the throne room Torrin began apologizing. “I’m sorry Colan; we should’ve practiced more in secret. You don’t need to follow his orders.”
Colan smiled. “I said I would. If I vow I’ll do something, I do it.”
Torrin resisted the urge to grab the otter. “What if he makes you do something horrible?”
The otter’s grin widened. “He won’t.”
This time Torrin did grab him. Turning him, he looked Colan straight in the face. “How do you know?”
Colan grabbed his wrists and looked into the ferret’s eyes. “I made that vow to my king, think about what I said yesterday.”
Torrin went silent for a moment, thinking. His jaw dropped open and he punched Colan in the shoulder. “You’re cruel, Colan. You actually let my worry for that long?”
The otter’s smile widened, then faltered, and his rudder drooped as his eyes dropped to the floor. “I’m sorry…”
Torrin gave his shoulders a comforting squeeze before letting go. “I’m just glad that you don’t feel obligated to obey him.”
Colan perked up. “So what’re we gonna do now?”
Torrin altered his course slightly. “I think it’s time to get away from here for awhile. Let’s go to the city.”
The otter brushed the sleeve of his tunic before answering, “Okay, let’s go.”
~~***~~
“The first two targets should be easy, the last one will be the most difficult…we will have to separate him and his guard.”
“That Lord that came yesterday seemed to take some interest in him, master. Do you think he would like a new slave?”
“Slave, sometimes you surprise me.”
Chapter 11
Colan grinned as he watched Torrin walk a short distance in front of him. The ferret had dropped much of his public image and he came across more laid-back than even some of the nobles. Some would consider the distance between Torrin and him to be improperly small, but Torrin didn’t care.
This part of the city was full of movement, beasts walking back and forth to their various destinations, some of the wealthier ones with slaves trailing behind them. Torrin's mode of dress fit the role of a minor noble better than a prince, his tunic had little ornamentation and he wore no gold or silver at all. Only the quality of his clothes and the saber on his back hinted at who he was.
Colan, as was proper, did not carry his saber. It wasn’t because he couldn’t, but more because they didn’t want to draw much attention.
Torrin had hinted that he had something planned, but Colan couldn’t figure out what it was. Unable to get any clues out of Torrin, he had let the matter drop and enjoyed the sights.
He had never been in this part of the city before, only traveling along the roads that took him to the oyster beds and back. Because the wealthy didn’t want grimy slaves running around under their feet, those roads were regulated to the poorer sections of the city. Now he was walking in the higher-end of the city. Mansions rose on either side of them as they made their way through a residential part of the city before emerging in the market.
Colan gawked at the sight before him. Sure, he had left the castle before, but they had never gone to anyplace like this! The large square had countless stalls covering the open space, the alleys between them crowded with a sea of beasts, the bright colors of their garments shifting like the sun shining through the crystal chandelier in one of the palace’s ballrooms.
Blinking, he rushed forward to catch up to Torrin, who had forged ahead of him, not noticing Colan’s astonishment. When he caught up to the ferret, he slowed down and looked over the wares. For the first time in his life, he saw beasts picking through the wares before selecting what they wanted. Torrin stopped at one stand and Colan stepped up next to him and picked up an apple from among the scores of similar fruits. Turning it over, he was amazed at its ruby color, its firmness, its unbroken skin. Of course, he had seen such apples in the palace, but he had assumed that they were grown specifically for the palace. To see that such quality was commonly available…it made him realize just how low slaves were thought of.
“Hoy, you! Git yer grimy paws off my wares, whelp!”
The otter stepped back in surprise at the sudden shouting, still clutching the apple.
“Hoy! Don’t yew even think ‘bout stealin’ it yew filthy waterdog or I’ll git yer master t’ give ya a hidin’ yew won’t fergit!”
Torrin glanced over at Colan and then turned back to the shopkeeper, his face cold. Rummaging around in his beltpouch he pulled out six copper coins and laid them on the counter of the stall. Grabbing a second apple, he leaned forward as the stallkeeper moved forward to take payment. Lowering his voice, he whispered dangerously. “A Prince’s slaves are never dirty.”
Colan grinned as Torrin swept past him, leaving behind a stunned and shaking stallkeeper. Still smirking, he took a bite of the apple, enjoying the fresh crunch, before turning away as well. Caching up to Torrin, he whispered in the ferret’s ear. “Is it always this busy?”
Torrin shook his head. “No, today is the weekly market day. Many of these vendors also have more permanent shops inside buildings, but a market is held once a week so beasts can get all their shopping done in one spot.”
The otter nodded, looking over the rolls of brightly-colored fabric that was being sold at one stall, and the needles and thread sold at another a short distance away. A fox was arguing with the rat selling the cloth, gesticulating wildly as a squirrel stood a short distance behind him, arms laden with the fox’s purchases.
Colan jerked as he head his name being called. Looking around, he noticed Torrin some distance ahead in the crowd, waving at him. Hurrying forward, he quickly caught up to the ferret, scolding himself for not paying attention.
They wandered around the market a little longer before Torrin led them out of the square and down a street lined with different shops. Each shop had its own unique sign above the door, even if they were the same kind. Most of the signs also had words along the bottom, informing the passerby what might be found inside. Colan saw many stores he had never thought of before, even one that sold merchandise specifically for slave owners. Colan shuddered as he thought about what must be inside.
Torrin eventually entered one of the last few shops of the street. Colan glanced up at the sign and wondered why Torrin was going into a jeweler’s. Shrugging, he entered and came to a dead stop just inside the door. It wasn’t the amount of precious metals inside the shop that startled him, no, he had gotten used to them at the palace. What really made him stop and stare was the intricate ornateness of the pieces on display. Only a few pieces displayed any kind of simplicity, most were made with such complex designs that one could look at a single inch and find new details after hours of looking.
Torrin walked over to where a nimble-fingered rat was working behind the counter, weaving thin silver and gold wire to make a veil, threading jeweled beads on here and there. Torrin tapped his paw on the countertop. “Did you finish my order?”
The rat didn’t look up. “How long ago was it placed?”
“A week ago today.”
Torrin watched as the rat’s fingers paused in their work, the rat looking up. Recognizing the Prince, he immediately sprang from his seat. “My apologies, Prince Torrin. I should have recognized your voice. Your order is complete, just as you asked.” Turning, he pulled a box from the shelf beside him before returning his attention to Torrin. “Here is your order, sir.”
Torrin took the box. “Do I owe you anything?”
The rat shook his head. “No, sir.”
Torrin nodded, “Thank you.” The ferret turned and exited the store, Colan close behind.
Once outside, Torrin turned to Colan. Opening the box, he pulled out a silver four-pointed star. The center of the star was a circle of gold, and it was hung on a gold chain from the topmost point. Torrin looked at the necklace. “I heard a story once of two friends who were like us, one was an otter, the other a “vermin”, a fox. The otter gave the fox a necklace as a visual reminder of a promise he made to the fox. These necklaces are replicas of the ones in the story, and the promise is the same. Your problems are mine, and anything you go through I’ll be right beside you every step of the way.”
Tears filled the otter’s eyes as the cold metal star settled against his chest. He reached up and gently rubbed his thumb across the tips of the points. He sniffed and quickly brought his paw up to wipe away the tears that had escaped his eyes.
“Thanks Torrin, I-” Colan’s voice failed him and he could only smile weakly as tears leaked from his eyes. Looking down, he lifted the medallion in his palm and stared at it. Taking a deep shuddering breath, he looked up. “Thanks.” He whispered.
Torrin smiled gently. The emotion in Colan’s eyes said more than words ever could. He lifted up the second identical medallion and hung it around his own neck. He turned, beckoning as he did so. “Come on Colan, let’s go back to the palace.”
Colan followed the ferret, still looking at the star in his palm. Torrin turned a corner but Colan, still absorbed in the medallion, continued straight. When he finally did look up, the medallion fell from his paw as it went rigid from shock. His head whipped around frantically as he tried to catch a glimpse of the ferret. Spotting a fox leaning against a wall ahead, he rushed over.
“Sir, have you seen my Master? He’s a ferret, about my height…” Colan paused as the fox pointed down the street beside him. “Thanks you, sir.” Colan blurted before darting down the street. He paused as he heard the rustle of cloth from one of the alleyways. His eyes caught a flash of black fur, and then he saw stars, and everything went black.
A large figure knelt beside the downed otter. A paw reached down and felt the otter’s pulse at his neck, completely dwarfing the smaller figure. The fox slid up next to the larger canine, placing a paw on his shoulder. The wolf looked down at the fox, then back at the otter. “He shouldn’t have run away from his master.” He rumbled. “Destroys all the trust they have in each other.” He glanced at the fox. “Now maybe we’ll have enough money to get off this island Saiir.” He picked Colan up. “Time to take him back to his master.”
Chapter 12
Colan groaned as he began to wake up. His head was pounding, and he was cold and stiff. He reached up to feel his head, hissing as he touched a large welt. Forcing his eyes open, he looked around the room he was in. It was just like the one he had woken up in a month ago, stone ceilings, stone walls, stone floors, the whole bit. The room was decorated with Spartan-like efficiency, a small dresser being the only furnishing aside from the cot he was lying on. Colan looked over as the wooden door to his cell-like room opened. A fox stepped through the opening, followed by another fox and a black-furred wolf. Colan recognized the two foxes and quickly guessed where the wolf came in.
“You!” he exclaimed, pointing at the wolf. “Why did you attack me?”
The wolf shrugged. “You ran away from your master.”
Colan nearly choked, “I did not! And even if I did, why didn’t you bring me back to him?”
The wolf frowned in confusion. “I did…Fytch, are you this otter’s master?”
Fytch smiled, “Of course.”
Colan shot up from his bed, seething. “You are not my master. My master is Prince Torrin, and no one else.”
The wolf turned to the first fox. “Fytch, you told me you were his master.”
Fytch smiled widely, “You’re going to take his word over mine?”
In a blur of movement, the fox was slammed up against the wall by the wolf. “I don’t like to be lied to, Fytch.”
“I-I had a royal order.” Stammered Fytch, wiggling uselessly against the strength of the wolf. “From Prince Alspur.”
Colan felt uneasy, why would Alspur want him away from Torrin?
“Why?” Growled the wolf, pressing in on Fytch harder.
“I don’t know!” Fytch whined, “Something about ‘getting rid of opposition’, or something.”
“That’s not what I meant, you fool.” The wolf thundered, “I meant, why did you lie to me?”
Fytch smiled weakly. “Jax, we can work this out…”
Colan couldn’t stand there and listen any longer. He took off, darting around the wolf and the two foxes and down the hallway. He felt an object bumping against his chest and reached down to feel it. A thrill of joy ran through him when he realized that it was the medallion Torrin had given him. A newfound strength ran through his body; he would protect Torrin and keep his promise to him.
Colan ran through the halls, looking for a way out. Darting around a corner, he spotted a window. Running up to it he looked out. The ground was only a couple feet below the window, so he backed up, looking for something to break the window with. Grabbing a nearby lampstand, he swung it at the window, the glass shattering into a thousand pieces.
Jumping out, he grabbed the wall of stone that the window was set into and used it to swing sideways, away from the shards of glass that had scattered across the ground. Hitting the ground, he rolled, sprang up, and made for the gate a short distance away. The wall the gate was set in wasn’t very high, ten feet at the most, but it was a sufficient deterrent for most beasts. Colan heard a shout behind him, and two ratguards emerged from the gatehouse, blinking away their own sleep. They both fumbled for their weapons when the saw Colan running at them, a weasel close behind, sword drawn.
Colan slid to a stop in front of the first guard, leaping back as the guard’s sword hissed through the air in front of him. Bounding forward, he bounced off the guard’s head. Grabbing the edge of the wall, he hauled himself up and dropped over on the other side. Grunting on impact, he straightened and took off down the streets.
Judging by the sun, he had only been out for an hour or less, so there was a good chance Torrin would be looking for him in the city, probably around where he lost him. He had seen Fytch’s mansion when they had gone to the market, so he could probably find his way back from where he was now.
It didn’t take him too long before he turned the corner into the marketplace. Barreling through the crowd, he quickly made his way to the other side, despite the indignation of the vermin in the large square. He was about to run past a side street when he heard the ring of swords clashing. Skidding to a stop, be backtracked and looked down the narrow street. His eyes widened when he saw Torrin surrounded by three other beasts, hard-pressed to hold his own.
Colan rushed forward, reaching up his shirtsleeve to yank out the dagger he had hidden there as he drew near. Leaping forward, he landed on the back of one of the assailants, a ferret, and stabbed him in the neck. The other two were now aware of his presence and they circled away, placing Torrin between them.
The otter rushed over to Torrin. “Torrin, are you alright?”
Torrin looked as if he wanted to hug him. “You’re alright! Where were you?”
Colan glanced at the two assassins. “Simple version: Fytch told a wolf mercenary that I ran away from him. The wolf didn’t seem to like being lied to.”
Torrin yelped as he blocked an attack. “I’ll kill Fytch after we get out of this.”
Colan jumped forward to engage one of the assassins, dodging back as the rat’s whip-like tail snaked out. Leaping forward, he lashed out, his smaller blade falling short of the rat. The rat swung his sword and Colan ducked, knocking the blade up and over his head with the flat of his dagger. The sword’s momentum carried it wide, leaving the rat open. Colan stepped forward and slid the dagger between the rat’s ribs. The rat’s breath caught and his eyes widened as he felt the cold blade pierce his heart. He blinked a couple times before sinking slowly to the ground. Colan turned as Torrin stepped over the body of the third assassin, pulling his saber from the white-furred weasel’s stomach.
Torrin cocked his head. “Is that one of my daggers?”
Colan went red. “Y-Yes, it’s the one you gave me the first day I came to the palace.”
“I didn’t think you were carrying any weapons.”
Colan wiped the blade on the dead rat’s tunic and slipped it up his sleeve, hearing it click into place. “I-I’ve been carrying one ever since that rat entered your rooms.” He said, still blushing.
Torrin sheathed his saber. “They’re our rooms, Colan, and I’m glad I have such a good friend.”
Colan started walking, then froze. “Uhh, Torrin?”
“Yeah?”
“You might want to be careful around your brother. Fytch said he had a royal order from your brother naming him my master.”
~~***~~
What?
Torrin stood in front of Alspur in the throne room, slack-jawed as he took in what his brother told him. Runtha stood behind the throne in full body armor, a greatsword point down between his footpaws. Alspur looked smug.
“Yes, unfortunately two assassins made it past our security and murdered our King and Queen. I was able to defeat my attackers with the help of my slave, but our parents were not so lucky.” He paused. “Both they and their slaves died.”
Colan’s breath left him as he sank to his knees. He couldn’t believe that his parents were dead. Killed! Life as a personal slave was supposed to be peaceful and easy, as long as you did what you were told. Now he could only trust Torrin. He felt something inside of him harden into a diamond core of determination. He would never let anything happen to Torrin. He couldn’t let the ferret die and leave him alone.
Alspur opened his mouth to say something else when a guard rushed into the room. “Prince Alspu-…I mean King Alspur! Two slaves have disappeared. They’re both squirrels and they go by the names of Gabe and Anna. We’re also told that they are brother and sister.”
Torrin cocked his head. Gabe and Anna? They did seem a little more affectionate than usual. Maybe they were saying that they were leaving.
Colan was still kneeling in shock, his eyes glued to the impassive stance of his brother he wanted to hit him, shake him, scream at him, anything to get a reaction out of him. Didn’t he feel anything? Wasn’t he feeling this same pain, this ache in his heart and this knot in his throat? Shouldn’t their reactions be the same? This shortness of breath, the world swimming before his burning eyes, stomach churning as he struggled not to gag? The only beasts that had been there to catch him as he took his first tentative steps, the ones that took the lash on their own backs instead of letting it fall on his? Didn’t he care that they were gone?
He heard Torrin speaking, but his mind failed to comprehend what was being said. He felt Torrin kneel next to him.
“Come on Colan, let’s get back.”
Colan nodded through his clouded mind and stood, stumbling along behind Torrin as they exited.
“Oh, Torrin?”
Colan didn’t notice the ferret stop until he collided with him, stumbling to the side as his nose smarted from striking the back of Torrin’s head. The ferret hadn’t bothered to turn around, one paw on the doorframe of the throne room. “Yeah?”
Alspur’s voice had a cold edge to it. “I am king now, right?”
Torrin continued walking, “I never planned on challenging you.”
~~***~~
Torrin laid Colan on his cot, the otter not responding to anything he did. The ferret left Colan staring blankly at the ceiling and moved to the main room. Sitting down on a couch, he thought over the day. There were too many coincidences for him to be comfortable. First, Colan gets kidnapped by Fytch, apparently under orders from Alspur, then he gets attacked. Both his parents and Colan’s are killed, and Alspur takes the throne. All this happened in less than two hours.
Torrin didn’t trust his brother, he moved for the throne far too quickly. Alspur knew about the attack, there was no doubt about that. Torrin stood up. He and Colan had to leave. Alspur would want to get rid of him to tie up loose ends, and he wasn’t about to stand around and wait for another attack.
Walking to his room, he put on his light leather armor and slung his saber over his back. Walking down to the armory, he took a bow and a quiver of arrows along with a couple daggers. Grabbing Colan’s saber, he picked up a suit of leather armor that he had ordered made for Colan and walked back to the main room.
He paused. Where would they go? Looking over at a map on the wall, he frowned. They would have to steal a boat from the harbor. Then his eyes fell on the forest and he remembered what Colan had been told. “The forest creates the shadows in which the fugitives hide.” He murmured, tracing his paw over the trees on the map. “I wonder how many beasts live in there, beneath the sight of the house of Aguinal?”
That would be where they would go. To the forest, and then they would go from there. Torrin headed to his room after barring the door. Alspur wouldn’t come tonight, and they needed all the rest they could get.
Chapter 13
TBA
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