User blog:Amesco/The Night Wanderer

Chapter 1: The Rat

He strode boldly through the knee-high grass, eyes set on the target before him; a tall, well-muscled ferret holing a falchion. The ferret launched an overhead hack, and it was countered by two wide bladed dirks, crossed in an x. He threw the ferret's sword back, and stepped back, making the ferret seem more skilled than it was with a blade. The ferret yelled and threw the falchion, missing by a wide margin. The ferret tried to run, but he was to late. His throat was expertly slit, instantly killing the beast. A cheer rose from the side, about twenty feet away, mixed with several groans. "He's done it again, beating a larger 'east with ease. Gold and cheers for Cluny de mighty!" exclaimed a very large rat named Redtooth.

Cluny, hardly sweating, was mobbed by the audience, five score rats, eight weasels, and three ferrets, who were still grumbling as they poured their poorly gambled money into the leather sack Redtooth held open for their gold. One rat, who'd bet on the ferret, whined, "I ain't got the money, I'm two pieces s'ort."

Redtooth smiled. "Then you shouldn't 'ave bet so much." The smaller rat gave a groan as he sank to the ground, run through by Redtooth's broad bladed cutlass. "He deserved it, am I right?" He asked the group.

"Aye," Cluny replied. "Both for overbetting and for betting against me, Cunly the mighty!"

"You're a born fightah Cluny, but where're you and your posse off to now?" asked a rather fat weasel who'd officiated the gambling.

"I hear there's a village growing south of here, think we'll raze it." Cluny replied, then marched South, along with Redtooth and four score of the rats.