Thread:Riftgard Princess/@comment-1719793-20120301062907/@comment-4482397-20120312220845

“Miss Juni!” Kenroy attempted to run to the vixen’s side as she let out a screech of pain but Risk grabbed him and pulled him back.

“Ah no ya don’t. yer comin’ with me.” Risk slung the little rat under his arm and walked towards the woods. “I’ll keep him occupied while you guys work.”

“Miss Juni’s dying!! Lemme go!!” Kenroy struggled violently, his face wet with tears. “I wanna help!”

“Ya can’t help.” They heard Risk snap as he disappeared in the tree line.

Elonwyn felt herself shaking uncontrollably as Juni cried out in agony. She could smell blood and Alya was shouting at her but the words were not making themselves clear. Terror gripped her like a vice and she shook like a leaf in November, and the smell of blood got even stronger. Unable to control her terror and anxiety, she hunched over and vomited.

“Lonny!” Aqua grabbed her cousins’ shoulders and clutched her, her eyes wide with concern. “Alya-

“I can’t do anything for her!” Alya snapped as she supported a gasping Juni. “Get her away from here!”

“Won’t you need help- Tailwart started but Alya shook her head fiercely. “Malwyze can help me. Elonwyn isn’t in any state.”

Malwyze nodded. “I’ll find a stick for Juni to bite on.”

“Come on.” Aqua pulled her paralyzed and trembling cousin after Risk, and Tailwart hefted his spear and walked after them. Elonwyn shuddered her eyes wide and glassy with fright.

Sia crouched on a rock a few feet from Juni and the others, keeping guard. Findo walked through the tree lines, three large fish slung over his shoulder. He felt a wave of uneasiness and bit his lip, his ears pricked for any alarming sounds.

There was a loud rustling and Findo raised his spear even though it had his fish tied to it and held it out expectantly.

He relaxed as Aqua and Tailwart came into view and Aqua jumped. “Findo! Those things stink!”

“Sorry.” Findo grinned and rested the spear on his shoulder, the fish swinging back and forth. “I was the best. Ralken can’t even bait a hook.”

Tailwart grinned. “So he can give orders but he can’t catch his own meals? And here I thought he was perfect at everything. When he gets back with nothing can we gloat?”

“You guys are horrible!” Aqua laughed, flinging her arms around Tailwarts neck and nuzzling him. Tailwarts face turned crimson but he smiled happily.

Aqua thought she saw a flicker of jealousy in Findo’s eyes and she perked her ears at him and released Tailwart, but Findo suddenly gave an evil grin.

“Hey! Save it for when no one’s around you two! Have you no shame?!” Findo poked Tailwart in the chest with the butt of his spear playfully and the fish tied to it swung and slapped Tail in the face.

“Watch it!” Tailwart batted them away angrily.

“Where’s Elonwyn?” Findo embedded his fishy spear in the ground. “She usually isn’t far from the two of you.”

Aqua and Tail glanced t each other with Identical faces of embarrassment, and shrugged. “Ehhh. Well about that.”

“She’s kind of… Ill,” Aqua rubbed the back of her neck. “We left her by a nice bush… you know… to vomit.”

“You left her when she’s sick?” Findo made a face. “What kind of cousin are you?”

“A sympathetic but squeamish one.” Aqua grinned. “She’ll be fine. It’s Juni we’re worried about.”

“What’s wrong with Juni?” Findo stiffened. A loud scream rang through the woods and all three beasts went rigid.

“She’s going into-

“JUNI!!!!!!!!” Findo yelled and raced off towards the sound, his eyes wide with panic, but aqua grabbed his tail. “Wait!!! You’ll just get in the way!”

“I have to go to her!!! “ Findo whirled around to face them, his blue eyes sharp with dread. “Skalrag is dead and she needs someone with her!”

“Alya will have your hide.” Tailwart rested a paw firmly on the young weasel’s shoulder. “You know how she gets when she’s concentrating. We’re all scared for Juni. But we have to leave nature to work its course.”

Findo bared his teeth and started to protest, but a small voice called from behind. “Findo?”

Findo turned and gave an attempt at a wolfish grin as he saw Elonwyn wandering over to them. “Hey! It’s the invalid!”

Elonwyn blushed. “I feel really bad about leaving Juni like that. I’m supposed to be Alya’s assistant…”

She gasped as Findo suddenly scooped her up in his arms. Lonny went red all over and stiffened as he stared in her eyes, his face full of mischief.

“How about you and I walk through the threshold to make you feel better?” he grinned at her and Elonwyn felt a little thrill seeing him acting like his old self. “You’d make an adorable bride.”

“FINDO YOU JERK!!!” Aqua started punching him. “LET GO OF MY COUSIN THIS INSTANT!!!!”

“Aqua!” Tailwart raised his paws in alarm as though uncertain whether to stop her or not.

Findo raised an eyebrow as he stood un-phased by Aqua’s furious attacks. “Oh look. A flea is attacking me. Should I squish it Lonny?”

Lonny opened her mouth but her face burned as she locked her green eyes with his blue ones and her mouth opened and closed wordlessly. “I-I-I”

“Stop harassing my girl Finny.” Risk’s cold voice snarled from behind.

Findo simply turned his head to stare at the silver weasel and smirked. “But she and I are already married.”

“Don’t be an idiot.” Risk carefully picked up Kenroy from his shoulder and set the little rat on the ground. “She doesn’t like you, and I don’t blame her.”

“Who are you to say how she feels and doesn’t feel risk?” Findo snarled, putting a still stuttering Lonny down by Aqua and Tailwart, who were staring at the two in wide eyed apprehension. Kenroy clung to the hem of Risk’s tunic nervously, gazing up at the two weasels.

“We all know she’s terrified of you.” Risk curled his lip. “You were always such a playboy around Marshank.”

Findo narrowed his eyes. The stress caused by Juni’s screams in the distance was building up inside him and he needed a suitable vent. If only Kenroy would move.

“That’s enough!” Tailwart stepped between the two. “We’re not enemies anymore, remember?”

“Speak for yourself.” Findo and Risk growled in unison.

“You guys will have plenty of time to beat each other up later.” Aqua gripped Lonny’s shoulder. “Now is not the time. Alya certainly doesn’t need any more to worry about.”

“I don’t give a- Risk began but Findo turned away.

“fine.” The mahogany colored weasel smiled. “We’ll finish this later. Come on Lonny, I need some help cleaning these fish.”

“I don’t think thats a good idea.” Aqua smiled nervously as Elonwyn went slightly green.

“Oh yeah. I forgot. Well I can do it myself.” Findo picked up his spear and gave the little stoat a slight smirk.

As he walked away, he heard Kenroy squeak. “You could take that big weasel couldn’t you mista Risk?”

“Shut up kid.” Risk growled.

Juni gasped as the last convulsion began to fade. The stick they had given her to bite on to distract her from the pain had splintered so much it pricked her tongue and she could taste her own blood.

Another wave of agony shot up her body and she cried out, clamping onto the stick and she could feel Malwyze clutching her shoulders.

The pain was like a giant hand was crushing her. She really hoped Alya was wrong about twins. Her mind was beginning to fade to when she had been little. Skalrag had been alive; he had always been there for her. Why did he have to go? Why?

“You’ve just had a cub.” Malwyze crooned in her ear. “A boy. Hold on, it will be over soon young one.”

Please!!! Juni thought as another spasm of pain rippled through her.

“Keep pushing!” Alya’s voice was tight with stress. “Don’t give up!”

Juni could hear the wailing of her new born cub and she let out a sob of terror as she saw through her blurry vision that Alya’s paws were soaked with blood.

My mother died giving mirth to me… Juni clamped her eyes shut. What if I share that same fate?

“It’s alright little one.” Malwyze’s voice was supposed to be comforting but it was more like a dagger stabbing her continuously. It was as though he knew she was going to die and he was only trying to calm her. Like that horrible healer of her and Skalrag’s clan, she could still remember how he had comforted Juni’s older sister after she’d been bitten by that adder. His voice had been as sickeningly soothing.

“Another boy cub.” Alya let out a relieved laugh. “One more, come on Juni!”

Juni sunk her teeth into the stick. She hadn’t the strength to keep pushing…

Stumptooth sat up beside Tara, who was lying on her back in the sand beside him. Ignoring Ralken’s cursing as his hook got embedded in his fingers, Stumptooth shouted.

“I can remember!!! I can remember the entire map poem!”