User blog:Thrush the Bard/High Crimes

Chapter 1
Kinjay looked down the cliff face, his cloak billowing in the wind. The fox looked over his shoulder at an otter and said, "Dan. You ready?"

Dan, in his gruff voice, replied, "Since the day I was born."

Kinjay smiled. He turned back to the cliff face. Five vermin were ascending the face, two with knives gleaming in the bright sunlight. Their paws padded softly as they maintained a steady climb. One locked eyes with Kinjay and glared.

"It's time." Kinjay and Dan made their way past the small plateau towards a rocky outcrop. Behind the rocks sat piles of pebbles - perfect for a fight.

"Glintar is with them. Let's get him first, then pick off his weaker mates."

Dan frowned. "Glintar?"

Kinjay grabbed a stone and rubbed his chin slowly with a paw.

A few moments passed, yet no vermin heads peeked up. Dan sighed and threw a stone out towards the cliff face.

"I'm getting impatient."

"Just a little - ow!"

A stone hit Kinjay in the shoulder. He looked at Dan and blinked. "Since when did stones -"

Another stone came from his left. Then, three vermin emerged out of nowhere, armed with rusty scimitars.

"They must've crabbed it an' gone around us!" Dan unsheathed his sword and growled.

Prophetically, three vermin appeared from the opposite side. Kinjay stood and backed up against Dan. "Run!"

The two shot off like arrows across the high plateau. Silent pine trees began popping up across the landscape. The smell of clear water wallowed sweetly through the air, all a disturbing contrast to the two pounding footsteps echoing off boulders. A stone flew past Dan's ear. He turned back and looked, but did not see Glintar. Dan barely let a stone fly, missing its target by a few arm's lengths.

"...Not used to this! Not in my training!"

Kinjay, on the other hand, had a more steady paw. One vermin fell under his stone; however, the other vermin were a little more ready than their compatriot and ducked in time. Dan aimed low and knocked one out.

"Ha ha ha!" Cried Dan.

"Dan! On the count of three, follow my lead. We need to get rid of these vermin so we can focus on Glintar."

"Well, hokay if y'say matey!"

"OK. Ever done a dive-tribe?"

"Er... Ah... No."

"OK. I'm going for the one with the earing. You go for the one on the left."

"An' do what?"

"Dan, think of something."

"... OK!"

Kinjay grimaced. "Three... two... one..."

The two skidded to a stop. Kinjay immediately somersaulted and performed a slicing maneuver with his dagger. The vermin fell to the ground instantly. Dan, on the other hand, chose less than fancy means. He simply extended his leg outward so that the other vermin ran into it. The vermin keeled over from the wind being knocked out of his chest, and coughed loudly. Dan whipped his sword out and the third vermin smartly avoided the sword. The third, forth, and fifth vermin stopped next to their smart cousin and withdrew their swords. They eyed Kinjay's daggers.

Kinjay threw one and downed a vermin, while Dan slashed towards another. The vermin parleyed his blow, and swung around towards Dan's shoulder. Dan quickly raised the butt of the hilt into the air so the two blades collided, in a defensive move. Dan then kicked out at the vermin's knee and he fell. Dan hesitated, and Kinjay finished the job.

Five vermin lay scattered around Kinjay and Dan. Dan frowned and spat, "I was gonna get 'im!"

Kinjay said, "No you weren't and you know you were not going to."

Dan sighed. "Jay, so tell me why you can keep doing that."

"My life and the life of my friend was at stake."