Frustrated Band of Hot Youngbloods

*You are right here in your story. Don't skip ahead.*
Massie Burnson, *The Wreck and Rise of Whitson Mariner*, p. 32
**WARNING: SPOILERS FOR *PRINCE LANDER & THE DRAGON WAR* ARE AHEAD; CAUTION IS ADVISED.**

## Association information

### Purpose

To remove Whitson Mariner from his place as king

### Members

Filmun Derkson
Riley Nocks

## Book information

### Appears

*Prince Lander & the Dragon War*

The **"**F**rustrated Band of Hot Youngbloods"** were a faction within Lener's Crossroads that sought to remove Whitson Mariner from power due to dissatisfaction with his leadership. It is unknown if the group had an actual name for themselves, their moniker having been coined by Winnie Drekker.

## History

### *Prince Lander & the Dragon War*

Towards the latter end of the Dragon War, a sizeable portion of the rabbits of Lener's Crossroads—primarily young, unmarried soldiers—ost their faith in Whitson Mariner's ability to serve as king. In part, this came from Whitson's insistence on a defensive strategy as he hoped to build an alliance capable of overcoming the dragons. Unfortunately, this did not spare his army peril and loss against the forces of Namoz Dragonking and the Grimble faction. Lacking insight into the king's carefully considered tactics, many of the young soldiers became frustrated.

Things came to a head after a party of dragons was spotted west of Lener's Crossroads, and King Whitson sent Prince Grant Whitson in that direction while leading a larger force to the east himself. A messenger returning from Whitson's party soon began disparaging what he deemed the senility of the king among his comrades. Having been overheard by Lander Whitson and Brindle Cove, the messenger was arrested, with the prince warning him and all his comrades that they could be considered traitors for this behavior. Angry, the messenger once again disparaged the king before insisting, with his comrades joining in, that Lander or one of his brothers should take their father's place as king.

Before the confrontation could turn violent, rabbits from Grant's party returned bearing the badly injured prince. Grant, in defiance of his father's orders, had attacked the dragons, resulting in death and injury among his bucks. The agitators, many of whom respected and loved Prince Grant and shared his loathing of inaction, were both saddened and angered. Unfortunately, some of them came to suspect that Whitson had purposefully sent Grant into known danger with less protection in hopes of eliminating Grant as a threat to his rule.

Gathered outside the royal residence, the crowd of young rabbits confronted the Natalia royal guard. At the behest of Captain Walters, Lander came out to speak to them in his father's place and asked for them to put forward a representative with assurances of his safe conduct. Filmun Derkson came forward and spoke to Lander regarding the bucks' feelings and what they wished to see happen. He further warned that, if Grant died, his comrades would seek to achieve their aims by force. At the sound of a cry from Queen Lillie, that eventuality seemed upon them, and the young bucks prepared to attack.

Fortunately, all out civil war was averted by the arrival of not only King Whitson, but a conscious if still terribly wounded Grant. The prince, using what strength remained to him, stood before his comrades and explained to them what had actually taken place. In addition to noting his own foolishness, he explained that Whitson had led a larger force east as a precaution against the dragon party in the west being a distraction from an attack coming from that direction. Having achieved this, Grant fell into a coma, and Whitson pronounced a blanket pardon for the agitators in order to maintain the fragile restored peace.

Lander would later encounter several of the group on guard duty at one of the gates but restrained himself from reminding them of Whitson Mariner's heroics. He and his brother Lemual later discussed the potential rebels with Mother Saramack, and on her advice sought to gain support in the ongoing division of Lener's Crossroads by approaching the Drekkers. Chief Heckle, the Drekker leader, initially declined to offer any support, preferring to wait until the king's supporters and the agitators settled the issue between themselves. Winnie Drekker would also note that, though Lander and his father might be in the right, they still had to persuade both the Grimble faction and the agitators of that.

During an ensuing attack by the Grimbles on the camp, Lander found several of the malcontents in a unit with no officer on hand to lead them. Taking charge of the group, he dubbed them—with the addition of Nickel Drekker—the Tricky Reds. This action helped to cement the bucks' preexisting respect for Lander. As such, when Whitson was killed by Grimble Halfdragon and Lander proposed taking the fight to Namoz Dragonking himself, Riley Nocks of the Trickey Reds was the first to volunteer to join Lander's "new" army. With Lander's accession to the kingship and his bold strategy, the malcontents lost their reasons for rebellion and swiftly resumed their loyalty to the royal family.