[Vfw-times] MK Winter assault part 15

[COkane8116 at aol.com]

12/24 - 9:30pm 

When Ryuo finally arrived at the doors to the Duke's chambers, he noticed the 
doors were ajar.  Attentive to any possible threats, Ryuo threw open the door 
and looked into the room. 

It was a mess.  There had obviously been fighting here, earlier; there were 
bodies all over the place, most of them Lutins.  Their bodies seemed to have 
been left where they had fallen, and pools of tepid blood covered what could 
be seen of the floor, drawing a morbid mosaic upon the slate gray stone 
floor.  Lifeless eyes stared at Ryuo from a myriad of faces, but the Duke's 
was not among them.  This did nothing to assuage Ryuo's fears, however, as to 
the Duke's well-being. 

Turning to leave and continue his search for the Duke, a stir caught Ryuo's 
attention, accompanied by a pained groan.  It came from a limp form in the 
corner, which Ryuo had not noticed before.  As it sluffed off the dead weight 
of a Lutin corpse, Ryuo recognized the gold-furred pelt of Gil, one of the 
Keep's Regulars. 

Another groan escaped Gil's lips as Ryuo propped him up, slowly bringing the 
groggy lion back to consciousness.  Slowly, the great cat opened his amber 
eyes and looked up at the fox's concerned face.  "Ae-Aeryl?"  He asked, 
squinting his eyes.  Ryuo looked blank for a second and then glanced around. 
  
Lying behind an overturned desk was a human male-another one of the regular 
guardsmen of the Keep Ryuo had come to know.  A broken short spear was 
protruding from his blood-soaked doublet.  Ryuo turned back to the lion and 
shook his head. 

Closing his eyes, Gil sighed--which brought forth a sharp gasp as pain 
flooded his leg.  Gritting his teeth, Gil grabbed at the offending appendage, 
drawing Ryuo's attention to the blood-soaked limb.  The lion's pants were 
soaked in blood, but beyond that he could not tell what was wrong. 

Grabbing the fabric of Gil's trousers on either side of the leg, Ryuo tore 
the blood-soaked cloth open, exposing the limb beneath.  With the obscuring 
cloth removed, Ryuo could easily tell that the limb had been broken.  Gil 
hissed with a sharp intake of breath as Ryuo tried to clear the wound, but he 
refrained from crying out. 

Ryuo worked quickly, stripping off his belt-like sash and removing his swords 
from their scabbards.  Carefully he placed his scabbards alongside the leg, 
and gingerly lifted it up, using his silk sash to create a temporary splint 
for the injured lion.  As he worked, he put his own questions to Gil. 

"Where is Duke?" Ryuo managed to ask in his broken speech. 

"Back at feast hall... I think." Gil said between gasps, "The others took 
him... they're... keeping him safe." 

Finishing the knot, Ryuo contemplated what Gil said.  Apparently, the Duke 
was at the Great Hall -- where the nobles and dignitaries were having a feast 
-- and probably safe.  "Where is Ko?" Ryuo asked next, turning his thoughts 
back to Gil's injury. 

"I don't know," Gil said, still panting, "Probably with the Duke."  Ryuo 
nodded at this, then looked down at Gil.  The lion morph was too large and 
heavy for Ryuo to move anywhere, and if they were caught in the hallway they 
would both be sitting ducks.  He needed a second person to help move the 
injured lion. 

Holding up the short tanto, Ryuo handed it to Gil.  "I go and come." He said, 
"Wait.  I go and come."  Ryuo looked around the room, examining the layout.   
Carefully he moved some of the furniture around, obscuring the lion.  Nobody 
entering the room would think twice that there might be someone in back, 
perhaps keeping Gil safe from the Lutins loose in the Keep.  If they did find 
him, well, he had the tanto.  At least he could kill himself before they 
could get to him. 

Taking one last look at the room, Ryuo took off for the Cathedral.  There, he 
hoped, would be someone who could help. 

*** 

When the woman and her small group of soldiers had left the four Sondeckis 
alone in that intersection, the bodies of Lutins strewn about their feet, 
their minds began a new journey, despite the exhaustion that they all felt 
deep in their bones.  After facing what had become of Wessex and the 
Shrieker, finding this new threat, one that promised to swallow them all and 
destroy everything they cared about, they discovered that they each possessed 
reserves of will that had heretofore been untapped. 

"Well," Charles said, retracting the Sondeshike into its compact form, "we're 
going to have to do something about this.  If Nasoj is moving his troops into 
the city, then we will have to hold the Keep." 

"We can certainly help kill these Lutins," Jerome said, nudging a green head 
with his foot. "But we don't even know what's going on out there.  We need 
some specific goal to rally around, not just killing random groups of Lutins. 
 We need a plan of action, and others to follow it through with." 

Zagrosek rubbed his chin thoughtfully, tapping the ferrules of his Sondeshike 
upon one foot.  He then cleared his throat and looked to his friends. "I 
would say our best bet is to find some safe haven that we can defend and 
launch counter-attacks from for now, and then, once we are sure of the 
situation, make more elaborate plans.  I'm sure there are places in Metamor 
that would be fitting for such, assuming that they haven't been overrun 
already." 

The rat nodded, rubbing one paw through the fur of his bare chest.  The tips 
of his brown fur had been singed in the fight with the Shrieker, though most 
of it was undamaged, for which he was grateful.  "I know a good place for 
that.  Though, I want you two to know, that by staying here you risk ending 
up like myself.  We can not know how long this siege will last." 

Zagrosek shrugged, as did Jerome after a moment. "We are Sondeckis, and we 
are friends. If we must become animals, then so be it." 

Charles grinned, his two large incisors prominently displayed at the front of 
that smile. "Then let's go, there's no time to waste." 

Garigan shook his head though, his eyes very uncertain. "I'm not going there, 
Charles." The ferret declared quietly as a slow trickle of blood crept down 
from one corner of his muzzle.  The damage to his teeth lent an odd lisp to 
his voice that in another circumstance may have been humorous. 

"What?" Matthias asked, turning to face his student in surprise. 
"I'm not going to the Long House, I know that is what you have thought of.   
It would be the best place to hold, you are right, but there is something 
else that I am thinking of.  I want to go back to Glen Avery.  If Nasoj is 
attacking, then his forces had to pass by my home.  I have to know if it is 
still there." 

"Glen Avery?" Jerome asked, looking between the two Keepers, neither of which 
paid much attention to him at the moment. 

"Garigan, that is a five hour carriage ride to the North.  Even in the 
summer, with Nasoj's army out there, it would be extremely dangerous.  There 
is a blizzard all around us right now, and the temperature is too cold to go 
walking around in.  We have to go to the Long House.  The Glenners can take 
care of themselves." 

Obstinate, The ferret glared back at the rat, the expression exaggerated by 
the blood smearing his chin,  "When I came here to Metamor, it was under your 
promise that I could leave at any time I choose once I became a green; once I 
could control my emotions.  I choose now to leave Metamor, and to leave your 
service.  I will go to Glen Avery, no matter what snowstorm is out there, and 
no matter how many Lutins Nasoj has stacked in my way.  Nothing will keep me 
from my people.  Nothing!" 

Charles looked at the face of determination his student wore, and remembered 
well his words to Garigan when he'd first taken him on as his pupil in the 
Sondeck.  Never had he thought they would come back to haunt him like this.   
Unable to look into the drown eyes of the ferret, he turned instead to Jerome 
and Zagrosek, who stood quietly, watching them both with a curious gleam in 
his dark eyes, waiting to see whose will would come to fruition. 

"Well, you both can find your way to the Long House.  Just head back to the 
Sondeckis Shrine. The other door leads into the Long House where you will 
find a fox named Misha.  You can help with the defence there." 

Zagrosek peered curiously. "What are you going to do, Charles?" 

"I'm going with Garigan to Glen Avery." The rat declared, looking to his 
student.  Garigan started at that, his stubborn eyes giving way to both 
surprise and delight. "I do not believe he could make it on his own, and so I 
will go with him to see to it that he makes it safely home to his people.   
We'll help with whatever needs to be done there to repel this invasion." 

Jerome shook his head. "If you are going to this Glen, then I am too." 

"And me," Zagrosek crossed his arms. "After seven years, we're finally 
together once again, you aren't getting rid of us that easily!  Besides, four 
have a better chance of making it through this than two." 

Charles and Garigan exchanged glances, both of them filling with their 
new-found unity.  The rat then peered back at the two human Sondeckis and 
nodded. "All right, the first thin g we need to do is head back to my 
quarters.  It's awfully cold out there, and we'll need warmer clothes." 

Jerome laughed slightly. "Do you really think you'll have anything in our 
size?" 

"You managed to get here in this storm didn't you?" Matthias replied, 
smirking, even as he set out down one of the passageways, scanning up and 
down the lamp lit corridor for signs of passage or ambuscade. "Come on, let's 
not waste time.  We have to get past Nasoj's forces too, remember!  That's 
not going to be easy either!" 

The other three were quick on the rat's heels, Jerome at the back, casting 
his eyes down the passageway behind them, and at the bodies still piled 
unceremoniously in the hallway.  They would eventually be cleaned up he knew, 
but for now they were a testament to the battle that had begun all around 
them.  Already they could hear the distant, muffled din of other battles 
coming from all directions, none of them close enough to let the four 
intervene.  Zagrosek and Garigan were between the rat and hulking human, both 
eager and prepared for whatever lay ahead as Charles forged the path.  Their 
hearts were stirring, the apparent ceaseless energy of the Sondeckis quite 
discernible in each.  These were the moments that they trained for, and even 
that they lived for. 

When they reached a wide staircase, Charles peered down the smooth steps, 
noting the way the shadows moved along either wall as the torches flickered 
in a small breeze.  It was cold, so they knew that somebody had opened a door 
or a window nearby.  Yet only the dry scent of snow rose to them on that 
wind, nothing else.  Uncertain, the rat descended the steps anyway, taking 
them one at a time, clutching the compact cylinder that was his Sondeshike, 
running his claws across its smooth surface.  It was cold, like the wind, but 
when he extended it, his own energy would warm it. 

Halfway down the steps, he thought he heard a noise from below, some muffled 
voice.  Holding up his paw to the others following after him, he peered 
closer into the subtle light.  No other sound came to him as he waited, is 
breath held in check within his chest.  All that he could hear was his heart 
thumping in his chest, threatening to break through his rib cage and spill 
out onto the floor.  His tail drew in close to his legs, the scalded section 
stinging slightly as it ran across the fabric of his breeches.  Finally, he 
slowly lifted one foot-paw, and began to measure his way down the steps again 

Before he had set that paw back upon the granite steps though, a sudden 
muffled clanging rose to him from the other side of the hallway.  Drawing his 
claws back from the stone, he quickly and silently darted to the other side 
of the staircase, pressing his back to the wall, feeling its chill touch 
reach through his fur and send a shiver down his spine. 

Doing his best to ignore the discomfort he signalled to the others to wait, 
but be prepared.  He found himself unconsciously using the Long Scout 
signals, but apparently, his meaning was made clear, as Zagrosek nodded, 
holding out his extended staff in both hands.  Charles did not dare extend 
his own though, at least not yet, for it would ring like a man drawing a 
sword, and alert whoever waited behind that wall of his coming.   

Finally, standing upon the last step before the wall turned, he heard that 
muffled slap yet again.  The cold wind blew past his face, disturbing the fur 
on his muzzle, and making his whiskers twitch in annoyance.  It was nearly 
enough to make him sneeze, but he held his breath in check still. Pressing 
his teeth tightly together, he spun about the corner, extending the 
Sondeshike as he did so, and drove it home into a large bundle of cloth that 
was swaying in the wind.   

Blinking, he scanned up the curtain to see white plumes of snow filling the 
space behind it, and an unlatched window opening and swinging on the wind, 
banging against a crude steel grapnel and broken length of  hemp rope that 
had caught in the hinges.  A small smile broke out onto his muzzle as watched 
the snow settle about his feet.  Reaching forward, he freed the drapery, and 
pushed it aside, then pulled the forgotten climbing aid into the stairwell 
and set it quietly against the wall.  He grabbed the window latch and sealed 
it, closing out the chill wind. 

Turning back up the staircase, he motioned for the rest to come down, trying 
not to laugh at his foolishness. "It was just a window.  You can breathe 
again." 

Zagrosek grabbed the curtain and drew it across the snowy pane. "Are you 
crazy standing in front of this thing?  How did you know a Lutin wasn't 
watching?" 

Matthias peered at the thick hemp and shook his head. "I doubt anybody could 
see through the blizzard.  However, you are right, that was foolish of me.   
I'm thrice a fool in fact.  Lutins could very well have been standing behind 
that other wall and left this open to trap any unsuspecting Keepers." Curling 
his paws about the extended Sondeshike he sighed. "Well, my room is just down 
the hall.  Let's keep moving." 

It did not take them long to reach the familiar wide oak door that led to the 
rat's chambers.  Garigan rushed into his own chambers just inside, and 
disappeared around the corner.  Jerome was quick to follow him, but nodded as 
he saw things were in order.  The ferret was peering into his mirror and 
looking at the cut along his gums where his front two teeth had been.  He 
blanched in distaste before looking away. 

Charles reached into his closet and drew out some of his thickest clothes and 
began to slip them on. "I have to let Misha know where we've gone, that way 
they won't worry about us too much.  Can you hit the bottom of my ink bottle 
a few times, Krenek?  It was getting a bit dry the last time I used it." 

Zagrosek picked up the small black bottle form Matthias's desk and began to 
shake it, tapping the flat bottom with two fingers.  He watched the rat pull 
on two tunics and another pair of breeches, this one reaching down to his 
ankles. "Do you have boots?" 

Charles shook his head forlornly. "No, with paws like these, nothing fits 
comfortably or effectively. " The rat lifted one leg and splayed his long 
toes out to demonstrate. "I do have some thick socks I sometimes wear, but on 
ice I would have trouble standing in them.  No, it is best that I go 
barefoot."  Luckily enough his rodentine paws were better able to withstand 
the cold than human feet, the blood circulation in them reduced to the merest 
of warming trickles when he was about in cold weather. 

Grunting, Zagrosek set the ink bottle down, and pulled his black cloak from 
inside his tunic. "Well, I just hope this wind dies down some, otherwise 
we're going to freeze to death before we make it halfway." He drew the black 
cloak over his shoulders, until the robe was dangling at his shins, the 
symbol of the Sondeckis proudly gazing back at the right from the man's 
breast. 

"I've been thinking about that," Charles said, even as he pulled his own 
black cloak overtop of the double layered clothes. "There might be a way to 
reach Glen Avery without spending much time outside.  I just hope they're 
okay.  We'll need their help to find it!" 

"Who?" Jerome asked as he climbed into his robe, drawing it tightly about 
him.  The soot from the fire in Wessex's quarters still clung to the thick 
wool. "Who's help do we need?" 

"Some of my fellow rats," Charles said, a grin crossing his muzzle that he 
was not aware of. "The cellars here at Metamor are quite extensive, nobody 
has explored them fully.  I have some friends that have lived down there for 
several years now.  They know them pretty well, and if there is a way out 
under the walls of the Keep heading towards Glen Avery, they would know about 
it." 

Garigan came back out of his room, his green robe drawn tightly about his 
chest.  His tongue was licking absently at the cut, cleaning up the blood on 
his muzzle. "We might be able to get past Nasoj's army that way." 

"True," Charles said, nodding, even as he moved over to his desk. "But then 
again, Nasoj might be using those tunnels as well to move his troops in." 

Jerome looked to Zagrosek and then back to their furry companions. "We'll 
need hooded lanterns then, so that they won't see us coming.  Do you know 
where we can find some?" 

"No, it is too dangerous to go look for a pair.  I have two lanterns myself 
here, the one on my table and another beneath the desk.  We're just going to 
have to do the best we can with those." 

Zagrosek picked one of the brass lanterns up in his hands, turning it over 
and peering at the wick inside. "How much oil are in these?" 

The rat shrugged, peering at them curiously. "I'm not really sure.  I filled 
them up a month ago, but you best fill them up again.  My oil flask is in 
that cupboard by my bed." 

While Zagrosek was searching the cupboard for the aforementioned oil, Jerome 
was reaching into the desk to find the other lantern.  It was sitting inside 
the drawer as Charles had promised, and soon the two of them were one again 
brimming with the slightly aromatic fluid.  The Sondeckis pondered the oil 
container for a few seconds before setting it aside.  There was too little 
left in the container to warrant carrying it.  The rat of course was 
scribbling out a short message on a single scrap of parchment.  The ink had 
dried a bit, and he hit the bottle a few times himself before he was able to 
finish. 

Once finished, he gazed about the room and grimaced. "I put the message in 
code, Misha will know what it means, but even so, I don't want the Lutins 
finding it first.  Garigan, can you hand me my sword?" 

"Since when did you use a sword?" Jerome asked, even as the ferret grabbed 
the short blade from behind the basket of chewsticks in one corner. 

"Since I became a Long Scout.  Misha insisted.  I'm not that bad apparently." 
Charles hefted the weapon a few times in his paws, and then gazed at his 
desk, his scent turning melancholic.  Then, muttering a short apology to the 
piece of furniture, he brought his sword down into the frame, splintering the 
hickory. He raised his blade again and slashed at the wood, destroying his 
dresser once again. 

*** 

  End part 15 
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