Thread:Selound/@comment-4482397-20111110032622/@comment-4482397-20111112230013

righto, here tis the title is called Animal I Have Become

Findo watched Hisk romp about giving orders from the battlements. Stumptooth kept his gaze on the gates, though Findo could sense his new friends’ shoulders shaking with silent mirth.

“Hisk certainly knows how to be important and make a fool out of himself all at the same time.” Findo yawned, crumpling his headfur with a paw. He had had nightmares all of last night and he was surly and exhausted that morning. His paw kept sliding from his head fur to his cheek and back again.

“Aye. That he do.” Stumptooth snickered. He turned slightly and raised an eyebrow. “Findo, ye look like the walkin dead. Wutsa matter wit ya?”

Findo crumpled his headfur again. Those scars... a constant reminder of his past, of that vile jezebel. He bared his teeth. He had sworn to himself that he would tell no one of how he had come to live at Marshank, and how those scars had been placed on his face.

“Aw, just Skalrags death, that’s all.” Findo turned with a smile on his face.

Stumptooth took a step back. “By me stumps that’s scarier than Badrang without his clothes on! quit smilin’, Ye look like a piranha!”

Findo put on a mock mournful expression. “But I’m told my smile’s quite charming!”

“Yeah, when it’s real.” Stumptooth sniffed. “Ye don’t have to act cheerful today, yer in morning dangit.”

Findo couldn’t help himself. He burst out laughing.

“You there!” Hisk’s voice boomed from below the battlements. “Quite yore chattin and get on with yore watchin!”

“We are watching!” Findo called down cheerfully. “We’re watching a dumb weasel yell orders while he does the conga! Why don’t you come see?”

“If ye weren’t up a flight of steps I’d flog ye!” Hisk snapped and marched off.

“Keep on walking! Your tail’s so cute when it bobs like that!” Findo called down, grinning.

Stumptooth was writhing on the ground, trying to keep himself from screaming with laughter.

“Findo!” an annoyed voice called from behind him. Findo jumped and turned.

Ralken stood with his arms crossed. Badrang was standing beside him. Stumptooth let out a slight cough and stood to attention. Findo felt his face grow warm.

“I hope, for your sake Ralken.” Badrang said darkly. “That this is not the beast you wanted me to promote.”

Ralken let out an exasperated sigh. “Unfortunately… yes.” He glanced at his father. “He acts like an idiot every other day. But he is very reliable in a crisis.”

Findo glowered at Ralken. “I don’t remember you mentioning you were going to have me promoted ‘’sir’’. I could have been better prepared to meet Lord Badrang.”

“I promise.” Ralken said coldly. “I won’t surprise you anymore.”

If Badrang had not been present, Findo would have swatted him. But he just bowed formerly.

Badrang rolled his eyes, and Findo’s hackles raised. That son of a seagull! Skalrag would be avenged if it killed him. ‘’I’ll show you. MY LORD.’’ He smirked to himself.

“I’ll give you a chance to prove your worth, Findo.” Badrang let out a sigh. “Clogg has insisted to letting some performers in the fortress. If you can keep everyone in check tonight, I’ll allow you to be a captain.”

“In check?” Findo cocked his head. “I’m not quite sure what you mean, Lord Badrang.” It was taking every ounce of his strength not to leap on Badrang and rip his head off.

“There’s going to be booze drinking.” Badrang ran a paw across his sword hilt. “Which will cause fights and other such things. I don’t want these visitors, whether they are just performers, to think we’re barbarians.”

Findo felt his blood boil. Barbarians, was it? You murderer.

“Understood. Lord Badrang.” Findo watched as Badrang walked down the ladder. Only when Badrang had entered his cabin did Findo let loose the rage that had been boiling inside him.

He slammed his fist against the railing, causing it to splinter. He ignored the piercing pains shooting up his arm, but instead let a low growl rumble from his throat.

“Findo.” Stumptooth’s voice was calm, but shaky.

“Let him be.” Ralken said darkly.

“Who does he think he is?!” Findo turned to both of them, his face plastered with a grimace of hatred. “Barbarians?! My worth?! He’s the one who had Skalrag killed! He’s the one imprisoning innocents in this fortress!!!! He’s the one who left Juni without a husband!!! He’s the one who made a child fatherless!!!!!”

His voice was unrecognizable, a low roar that made the fur on the back of Ralken and Stumptooth’s neck stand up.

“Findo, that’s enough.” Ralken said, grabbing Findo’s hood and pulling him forward. “I have to talk to you about something important.” He lowered his voice. “Just the two of us.”

Findo shoved Ralken away. “Later.” He climbed down the ladder and walked away.

“I’ll get Tara to take his place.” Ralken said, exasperated. “He needs time to cool off.”

“I’ve never seen him like that. He’s always so easy and good natured.” Stumptooth shuddered.

“Yes, well.” Ralken sighed. “He gets like that some time. You don’t want to be on his bad side, that’s for sure.” He glanced at Stumptooth. Should he trust him with the plan to escape Marshank, or their aid to the slaves? No… not just yet.

“Did you know Findo’s the one who taught me how to duel?” Ralken asked, trying to change the subject.

“He did?” Stumptooth’s eyes grew wide. “But you’re so much better than him!”

“Aye.” Ralken let out a forced laugh. “And I won’t let him live it down.”

Findo wandered aimlessly, fuming. Badrang was nothing but a worm that needed to be cut in half with a hoe. That murdering scum!

There weren’t any words nasty enough that he could place on Badrang’s head. Just like the wench who had murdered his entire tribe. The one who had mutilated his face.

“Findo? What are you doing in here?” Alya’s voice woke him from his burning thoughts.

Alya was sorting herbs while Elonwyn sat beside a still weak and wounded Aquastar. The two of them were playing a go fish game with leaf cards.

Findo’s eyes rested on Elonwyn and he let out a groan. She looked just like his mother and his little sister all at the same time.

“Findo?” Alya repeated. Findo shook his head to clear it and rested his paw on a chair.

Unfortunately it was his bad paw.

“Ow!” he yelped, drawing back.

“What happened?” Alya leapt to her feet. Elonwyn and Aquastar watched with raised eyebrows and tiny grins.

“I smashed my paw.” He muttered.

“Well, why did you do that?” Elonwyn piped up without thinking.

“Just sit down.” Alya stifled a smile.

Findo sat on a chair and folded his arms. Alya grabbed a handful herbs and a ribbon of bandage cloth. “So, what’s going on out there?”

“Why do you care?” Findo growled sulkily.

“Because, we need to know everything that’s going on if we’re going to try and escape this place.” Aquastar snapped.

“Well, it seems that Clogg’s managed to get some performers to come tonight.” Findo grumbled.

“Performers?!” Elonwyn suddenly squealed, leaping to her feet. Alya gave a start jerking Findo’s paw causing him to let out a hiss of pain.

“Sorry.” Elonwyn squeaked. “But what kind of performers are they?”

“Why the hellgates do you want to know?” Findo said, wriggling into his chair, sucking on his paw. Alya pulled his paw away from his mouth and wrapped the herbs around it. Then she untied the bandages and grabbed a pair of tweezers.

“You’ve got splinters all over your paw, I didn’t realize that earlier.” Alya muttered.

“I just wanted to know.” Elonwyn shuffled her footpaws awkwardly.

“Well how in the world should I know?” Findo sighed. “All I know is they’re performers.”

“I really really, really, really, really hope they’re magicians!!!” Elonwyn danced around the tent. “I haven’t seen any magic tricks since my mom died!”

“That’d be fun.” Aquastar said cheerfully. “It’d be nice for something uplifting to happen after all the stuff that’s been going on.”

“Ow!” Findo tugged his paw away from Alya’s grip. “You’re supposed to be fixing my paw not ripping all the skin off!”

“Quit squirming you big baby.” Alya sighed. “Let’s just hope everything will go smoothly tonight.”