User blog:Dawnrose/Marshank

Chapter 1
It was a hot midsummer morning, but inside the forest it was cool and dark, tinged soft green by the sunlight filtering through the leaves like stained glass. Flowers of every color grew bountiful amid the mosses and underbrush. Bees droned lazily from flower to flower, and small birds perched and sang wherever a twig would hold their weight. A small chuckling stream flowed through, rushing on its course from the mountains to the sea. A tribe of otters dwelt happily in a series of caves along the streambank, living off the bounty of the surrounding land. They lazed around on the banks and frolicked in the water. Some of the adults fished, and some mothers were cooking or washing while young ones ran up and down the banks or slid down the slippery parts into the water.

Linwood was a healer and mother of two. Her mate had died when a fever had swept through the tribe eight seasons ago, decimating the otters before Linwood and the elders had found a cure. The sickness still cast a shadow over the tribe, but the otters acted as a close-knit family and every creature was more than willing to help any creature in need, so the widows and orphans were well cared for. Being the best healer in the tribe, Linwood was often called on to help care for the sick and injured. She kept a well-stocked supply of herbs and various plants in her cave and checked it often to ensure she would never be out of a vital ingredient should a sudden cure be needed. In this way she intended to prevent any horrible incident like the fever from ever happening in her tribe again.

The ottermum checked her store one more time before heading out to join the other mothers on the bank, muttering to herself, “Sweet cicely, thyme, basil…hmmm, I’m running low on sage…”

She took a stem with a few leaves and flowers attached and went outside, calling, “Tullgrew!”

A pretty young ottermaid wearing a long yellowish dress and red cap came bounding out of the water and onto the bank. Tullgrew was the older of Linwood’s daughters by several seasons. “Yes, mum?”

Linwood gave the plant to her daughter. “I’m almost out of sage. Could you get some more for me, please? Take Teagan – I think she knows where to find some.”

Tullgrew nodded and trotted off down the bank. She found her younger sister sitting in the shade of a weeping willow tree, apart from the other otters. Her eyes were closed and her face was lifted to a warm ray of sunlight that had slipped between the leaves. She wore a dark red hood and a long yellowish-brown tunic. A small barkcloth pouch hung from her cord belt. She opened her pale grayish-blue eyes and turned her face towards Tullgrew as her older sister approached. Teagan had been a perfectly normal ottermaid for the first few seasons of her life. She had been one of the last of the tribe to get the fever before Linwood and the elders discovered the cure. The cure came in time to save the ottermaid’s life, but the fever left her totally blind. Over the next few seasons, she learned to see with her paws, ears, and nose, becoming quite adept at functioning without her eyes. Before she lost her sight, she has studied under her mother to become a healer, but she did not let her blindness hinder her. She learned by touch and smell and proved to be an excellent student. Her memory aided her greatly – she had the uncanny ability to remember nearly everything she heard, felt, or smelled. Her finely tuned ears picked up her sister’s approaching pawsteps, and her sensitive nose detected the plant she carried. “Hello, Tullgrew. Is that sage you’ve got?”

“Aye,” Tullgrew replied. “Mum’s almost out, and she told us t’ go get more.”

Teagan picked up the stick laying next to her, which she referred to as her “seeing stick”. It was about three-quarters of her height and made of sturdy, polished oak wood. The creature who had given it to her was a skilled craftsbeast. Ornate details graced the upper portion of the stick, turning a simple piece of wood into a masterpiece. Above the part where Teagan held it, flowering vines carved into the wood twined around and up, ending in a beautifully carved otter’s head with very lifelike features. Teagan carried the stick everywhere with pride and used it to feel around in front of her so she would not trip, although she had fairly memorized every stick and stone in the area. The ottermaid stood up. “I know where the best stuff grows, but it’s a good half-day’s walk.”

Tullgrew took her sister by the paw. “We can pack a lunch an’ have a picnic!”

A short while later the sisters were leaving the forest, heading East across the surrounding meadows. Teagan tipped her head back and closed her eyes, breathing in the sweet summer air. “Mmm, smell those flowers, Tullgrew! And the warm grass! And hear the birds sing!”

Her sister shifted the bulging haversack of food higher up on her shoulders and smiled. “Aye, it’s a beautiful day. I hope we aren’t anywhere near that spot yet. I could walk forever!”

Midafternoon found the sisters sitting in the grass at the foot of a knoll, enjoying a lunch of soft white cheese speckled with herbs and nuts, hearty brown bread, a few pawfulls of fresh blackberries, and a flagon of dandelion and burdock cordial. It was a simple meal, but delicious and filling. Tullgrew split her half of the loaf in half and packed blackberries and cheese in it. Teagan wrinkled her nose. “Blackberries on bread’n’cheese?”

Tullgrew bit into it, spraying berry juice, and replied with her mouth full. “Mmmm, mmm-hmmm, ‘s vrry gnn!”

Teagan wiped blackberry juice from her cheek. “Very good, eh? Well, try an’ keep it to yourself. You just gave me a bath of blackberry juice.”

Her sister swallowed and scoffed. “Tcha, you got a drop or two on you. That’s a far cry from a bath!”

Teagan took a sip of cordial and leaned back against the knoll. “Ahh, this is the life, isn’t it? Good food, a beautiful day…how could anybeast ask for more?”

Tullgrew swiped a few of Teagan’s blackberries and chewed them reflectively, agreeing after swallowing. “You’re right. It doesn’t get any better than this!”

She reached for more blackberries. Teagan rapped her paw with the end of her stick. “Stoppit, you had your own berries and you chose to spray me with ‘em. Those are mine!”

Tullgrew had long ago given up being surprised by her sister’s keen senses. She sniffed with mock indignance. “Selfish!”

Teagan threw a berry at her. “Robber!”

The berry bounced off Tullgrew’s nose. She promptly picked it up and ate it. “Mmm, good shot!”

Her sister settled back down. “Thank y –”

Suddenly she sat bolt upright. “Did you hear that?”

Tullgrew froze, startled by the urgency in her sister’s face and voice. “No. What is it?”

Teagan gripped her stick and sat up. “Somebeast’s coming from the other side of the hill!”

“I’ll go see who it is,” Tullgrew said, jumping up.

Teagan listened to her sister’s pawsteps as she climbed the knoll. Suddenly she heard Tullgrew gasp, followed by harsh laughter. Vermin!

Teagan charged over the knoll, swinging her stick wildly. She was rewarded with a dull whunk as her stick struck what she guessed was somebeast’s arm. A male voice grunted in pain. The ottermaid heard her sister struggling and the foebeasts turning around in surprise. She held her stick like a club, ready to lash out again as she listened to the vermin circling her, their leader calling out, “Get her!”

She swung out again, but one of the vermin grabbed her stick as another jumped on her from behind, pinning her arms to her sides as he squeezed her, forcing her to let go of the stick. Teagan promptly tried to bite him, only to find he was wearing thick gloves. He shook her, snarling in a nasally voice, “Yew liddle snake! She bit me!”

Teagan kicked and struggled. “Snake yourself! Let us go!”

One of the vermin struck the ottermaid sharply over her head with her stick, just hard enough to make it sting. “Stop squirmin’ if ye know what’s good for ye!”

The vermin leader swaggered up. He had the haughty, sneering voice of one accustomed to bullying others into obedience. “What d’ we got here? Hold ‘em next to each other so I can get a good look at ‘em.”

Teagan heard Tullgrew squirming as another vermin half-dragged, half-carried the older ottermaid over to stand beside her and her captor. Tullgrew glared at the leader, a big red weasel in a green tartan kilt, as he looked her up and down. “Ho ho! Won’t Lord Badrang be pleased when ‘is patrol returns with plenny o’ vittles an’ a couple o’ strong young otters t’ serve ‘im!”

He swaggered over to Teagan. She stared straight ahead. The weasel followed her gaze and saw nothing. “What’s wrong with this one?”

Tullgrew drew in a nervous breath as the weasel waved a paw in front of her sister’s sightless eyes. Getting no response, he snorted disgustedly. “She’s blind, stone blind!”

The weasel holding Teagan moved slightly. The ottermaid felt something lightly bump the back of her head and heard the dull thud as it bumped against her captor’s chest. She guessed it was some sort of charm or talisman. The weasel sniffed, then spoke. “What do we do with ‘er?”

The leader waved a paw dismissively. “Lord Badrang has no use for blind slaves. Kill ‘er.”

Teagan let out a soft cry of fear. Tullgrew struggled hard against her captor’s unyielding grip. “Wait! She can still do most things! She sees with her paws! A-and she’s a healer!”

The weasel holding Teagan tightened his grip on her and sniffed nervously. “It’s bad luck to kill a healer!”

Tullgrew watched the weasel leader. He stroked his chin reflectively. “Lord Badrang doesn’t have a healer…”

Tullgrew interrupted. “He might not be too happy if he finds out you slew a good healer.”

The vermin leader glared at her. “Silence! We can always kill ‘er later. Tie ‘em up, and let’s get ‘em back to Marshank.”

The two otters’ paws were bound painfully behind them as the weasel leader barked more orders. “Rotnose, you take the blind one. Bluehide, take the other one. Come one, double time! Move it, move it!”

Teagan felt a heavy gloved paw on her shoulder. So, the one with the gloves, talisman, and nasally voice was called Rotnose. He pushed her roughly. “Come on, otter, you heard ‘im! Move it!”

I sure hope I did this right... please let me know if there's anything I can improve, either about the Wiki style or anything in my story! Constructive criticism is more than welcome!