User blog:Emerlis Ligamenta/Veil's Legacy

Prologue

 * ''The young squirrel entered the Recorder's room. Her eyes roved around the room and rested on a much older squirrel.
 * ''"I have the book here, Brother Sagil. Tales of Green Isle." Brother Sagil smiled.
 * ''"I knew you could do it, Emerlis," He said. "Let me have a look."
 * ''The tome was thick, with burgundy covers. On the front there was the words: Tails of Green Arls. Sagil looked up, a question in his eyes.
 * ''"Recorder Ish, who compiled this book, came from a far-off place called Lowmoon. At Lowmoon, all words are spelt as they are pronounced." Sagil raised his brows. "You'll make a good librarian, Emerlis. You know more than I do. Shall we begin?"
 * ''"Yes," said Emerlis, and began to read.

Chapter 1: The Invasion

 * Tiria Wildlough glanced at Leatho Shellhound. Around them, their son Jonte ran through their legs. "Please, Jonte!" Said Tiria. "I'm trying to think... whoa, look through this window, Leath."


 * Leatho jumped up and looked through the window, and glared at the sight that met him. "A vermin ship. And I thought I could live me life without seein' another evil beast again!"


 * Little Jonte leapt up and down. "Where bad beastie?" He asked. "I wanna see bad beastie."


 * Both his parents ignored him. "This is bad. Very bad." Leatho turned to Kolun Galedeep. "Warn the otters. Tell Brantalis to tell others to store up. Go on, you two guards, you're dismissed!"


 * Captain Harrinda was a female weasel with a reputation of fighting. She carried a cutlass and a dagger, and she had two gold earrings dangling from her right ear. She was intelligent, too, and everybeast feared her. She had killed her mate because he mutineered.


 * "Harrharr, me buckoes," she said. "Land! Let's prepare an invasion, shall we?" Her crew cheered heartily, not daring to do otherwise. Harrinda smiled. "Then all together now!" They started singing a corsair song, Harrinda included.


 * "Ooooh, knick-knack bric-a-brac blood an' thunder,
 * Let's go piratin' and get some plunder,
 * We're the wickedest corsairs all aboard,
 * Each armed wid a rusty ole sword!


 * Our Cap'n enjoys seein' us in tears,
 * Why, she's the mistress o' our fears,
 * So howl ricketty-picketty tinteree,
 * Please take her away from me me me!


 * Ooooh, rigg-a-bigg mig-a-lig Cap'n Rogg,
 * We bashed down some gates wid a big fat log,
 * We kick ye down on yer rear,
 * Harr, the crew o' the Seabug it's us you feaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrr!"


 * Each of the Seabug's crew finished off with a gesture, trying to outdo the others by singing the last word for as long as they could. Thornslash, the weasel composer of the song, won easily. "Ya see," said Harrinda, "when Cap'n Harrinda Rogg asks ye ter do sumthink, ye enjoys it! Now, let's git focused on that land ahead."


 * Two days later, both Tiria and Leatho were discussing plans, Jonte eager to help.


 * "Why not we rush out an' kill da baddies?"


 * "Be quiet, Jonte! There's vermin out there, and they'll arrive in, say, two hours' time. Please, Jonte!"


 * Leatho smiled. "He's got a point there, Rhulie, let 'im be. There can't be more vermin than our able-bodied otters. I asked Banya, she's a marvel at estimatin'. Kolun!"


 * The big otter straightened. "Yeah? Wot do ye want, Shellhound me old matey?"


 * "Weren't you lissenin'? Clean the wax outta yore lugs and go tell the otters that we'll just fight. Aye fight, g'wan!"

Harrinda had a satisfied grin on her face. Night had nearly fallen. She knew the otters were watching her camp. Or so they thought. When the fire burned low, the otters would strike. This she knew.

She also knew that the otters, after massacreing her 'army', would return back to their holt, exulting in their victory.

And be ambushed themselves. While they were massacreing her most rebellious, incompetent, and stupidest soldiers, she would circle around and capture the fort AND thier old and young ones. Talk about a stroke of brilliance.

True, she would lose some of her force, but otters, being strong, made excellent slaves. She was sure she could make up for it.

Leatho was rather jubilant about the whole thing. "Haha, look at the blithering idiots! Didn't even bother to post a sentry! This will be easy as pie, eh, Tiria!"

The High Rhulain was unsure. "It looks way to easy to me. Maybe it's a trap of sorts . . ."

One of the previously stationary rats around the fire yawned and fell over, directly into the flames. He screamed, having had the unfortunate business of having his bottom set on fire. He screamed and ran around comically, waving his arms and yammering bloody murder.

Kolun had to bite his lip through to kep from giving his position away with laughter.

"Now, while they're distracted." Tiria's order was not above a whisper, yet all the otters under her command heard it. They raced forward, weapons drawn, cries mingling in the still air.

"Shellhouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuund!"

"Redwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaall!"

"Gaaaaaaalledeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!"

The vermin were quickly massacred, without a single casualty on Tiria's side. Leatho laughed as he wiped the blood off his blade. "Huh, now THAT was easy!"

Harrinda was highly pleased with herself. There had been no resistance at all when she had gone to take the otter holt. Even better, the cellars, once you rolled the barrels out, made an excellant slave compound. Victory was almost in her paws. ..

Leatho and Tiria had no idea that anything was wrong. They saw the shapes of theotters they'd left on sentry duty, standing straight. Strange, they did not call out to them. ..

As they got closer, it was Kolun who put the pieces together first. "They'd dead!" he cried. With shock, Tiria and Leatho realized that he was right. Their throats had been cut, a look of dark surprise on their faces. Kolun knelt by his brother's body, his face wearing a similar expression to that of the stricken guards.

The attack soon followed. Arrows scythed into them. The otters had no choice but to relatiate, but they were disorganized. Tiria was separated from Leatho in the struggle. She was hit over the head from behind. The half stunned female otter was pulled to her feet by her ears and a deadly sharp blade was placed against her throat.

The corsair's voice was cool. "If you want your queen to die, by all means, keep fighting."

Leatho was unsure of what to do. If they fought, they'd lose her for sure. . . but if they surrendered, the vermin would probably kill them anyway. Oh, everything had been so much simpler when he hadn't been in love!

With a roar of rage, Kolun decided things. He attacked Harrinda from behind. she knew enough not to kill Tiria- she was a valuable prisoner. So she dropped the female otter and turned her wrath on Kolun, who was pummeling her with the pommels of his swords, unable to use them at such close range. She drove her dagger into his ribs and twisted it, reveling in his cry of pain.

She dropped the badly wounded sea otter and turned her attention to the battle- but the otters were gone. They had taken the oppertunity to escape. She cursed. "Shades!"

Knowing that it was the only chance for freedom, the otters ran, looking to Leatho to lead them now that Tiria was out of action. Leatho was raging inside. Tiria and all the Dibbuns and old ones were prisoners, and Kolun, his best friend, was dead.

It was far worse then the situation with Riggu Felis.