User blog:Hollyfire53/The Shieldmaiden

Prologue
A shadow fell across the fields as the sun sank lower and lower under the horizon. A young otter stood in the last remaining strand of sunlight, a shield on her back. On the trail to the north, Thorn the Fearless had met the odds. The summer had been long and good, though it had been eventful. Turning back to look at the setting sun, Thorn saw the two pairs of gleaming eyes.  “Come on out, you silly beasts! Come and meet the Shieldmaiden!” Thorn laughed. A squirrel and a badger flew out at her, laughing and joking. The trio wrestled together, before Thorn stood up, triumphant, the squirrel on her shoulder, the badger at her side. The badger stood at attention. For a badger, she was small. Named Dawnsky, she and Thorn were great friends. The squirrel, though she tried hard to look serious, she ended up bursting into laughter. When Thorn passed, the squirrel got a withering look that said, Do you think I ended up as Shieldmaiden by laughing and joking? Lady Blossom, for that was who she was, lowered her eyes down to the ground. “Okay, what do you want to be tested on today, Dawnsky?” Thorn the Fearless asked. The badger replied readily, “The art of swords, ma'am the Thorn! Then, please test me so as I become the Swordmaiden!” Blossom laughed. “It's marm, Thorn!” Dawnsky lightly cuffed the squirrel. “That's what I meant, marm, Blossom.”  Laughing too, Thorn cuffed them both. “Go ahead and add your courses as a title. We start with titles. Pretend I've never met either one of you. Start with introducing yourselves.” Dawnsky stepped forward. “I am Dawnsky the Swordmaiden, enemy of all vermin.” “And I am Lady Blossom the Arrowmaiden, slayer of enemies. Kindly, marm, identify yourself!” Courtesying, Thorn replied, “I am Thorn the Fearless, the Shieldmaiden, the illusionist!” Dawnsky and Blossom turned like they had been taught. Thorn jumped on them in a mock attempt to fight them. “And the warrior's honor code we agreed on?” Thorn asked.  Calling out in one voice, the trio called into the dusk, “An enemy's friend betrays him once! An enemy betrays their friends thrice! Beware the fighter you cannot trust, and always uphold our code! Always fight for the common good, not personal gain. Slay only if mandatory, if not, let lives be saved! Stun, do not kill! Two wrongs do not make a right! Defend the good at heart, fight against the evil. Life cannot flourish if there are vermin! Our purposes are written, do not try to change them! Remember the First Warriors and their examples, Felldoh the Furious, Martin the Warrior! They had their code, we have ours! Follow it, and you are a friend. Go against it, and you are an enemy!” And, to the night, badger, otter and squirrel called, “Daaaaawwwwwwnnnnnnnssssskkkkkkkkyyyyyy!!!Blllllllllloooooooosssssssssssssssssssssooooooommmmmmmmmm!!!!!!  Thhhhhhhhhoooooooooooorrrrrrrrrnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!!!!!!!!!!” 