Story for Leatho

[BrookSkimmer]

I don't write too much... my writing sounds like a role play. But that's ok, it's fun for me.

Here's some writing for Leatho, I hope he likes it.

Feel free to leave comments below:

The water boiled as the young otter pit his strength against the pike. Vicious snapping jaws and sinuous muscle collided under the water as the combatants thrashed around the river. The otter's head broke the surface and he gulped air, his arms twisted in a hold about the huge fish's bony head. Knife like teeth glistened in the late afternoon light as the pike rolled its lidless eye back, sizing up the otter. Then the fish began to sweep his huge tail back and forth. The otter held on with all his might, bringing his rudder down with lethal force onto the fish's back. The waterdog winced as the dorsal fin cut deep into his rudder, causing blood to flow freely into the river.

"Do you think he can do it?" A tiny otter-babe squeaked from her perch in the branches of a tree that had fallen into the river.

Another little otter established a firmer grip on the branches as he responded. "Leatho? Oh yes, we'll be eatin' pike tonight, you kin bet yer whiskers on it!"

The little female otter shook her head fervently. "Oh no, no, no! Not bettin' my whiskers. I likes me whiskers!"

The battle for life continued in the river with the little otter babes watching as if it was all some sort of show put on for their entertainment.

"You two hold tight to those branches!" The otter was up again, keeping a tight hold on the fish. "I don't want to go chasin' you downstream when I'm done with this pike!" He grunted as the fish began to struggle again. "That would be too much for me to handle in one day!"

"But we're on a holiday uncle Leatho!"  "Yes! Enjoy yerself!" The little otters piped up.

"What kind of holiday involves saving little otters all day long!" Leatho puffed out a response, blowing river water through his whiskers.

"Only the best kind!" The little otters laughed and joked as Leatho finished the fight with the pike.

He didn't wish to kill the brute, but something had to be done to teach it a lesson. If he had come to the water meadow a few moments later his little niece and nephew would have been a pike's lunch.

WHUNK!

One more blow from Leatho's rudder ended the pike's struggling. The fish wasn't dead, just stunned.  The otter wiped his paws free from scales as he waded over to the half submerged tree. He picked the otters out of the branches like apples and hoisted them onto his shoulders. Leatho was young and strong. Though he was still breathing hard from his fight with the pike, he carried the otters on his shoulders back towards the shore as if they weighed no more than two fallen leaves.

"Come on you two! No pike on the menu tonight but I bet yer mother's got food on for us!"

"Wait'll we tell em' whot you did Leatho!" Bubbled the female otter.

"Aye, cost that pike his lunch didn't he?" The male giggled.

The little female leaned over and pointed to Leatho's tail. "Looks like he got yer rudder uncle Leatho."

Leatho laughed and picked up his pace. "No, he never did. It's still attached ain't it? He'd 'ave got it if it weren't there."

The little otters nodded sagely as their uncle carried them home.

Leatho trotted into the Shellhound encampment. All around otters prepared for feasting. It was late summer, almost the end of the holiday season. The Shellhound clan had made their homes in a set of sea caves. After plunking the young otters down to dry off near a warm fire Leatho made his way to his family cave.

"Son! We were wonderin' when you'd be back." Telmar Shellhound spoke as he sharpened a knife.

"If you'd been any later you'd have missed out on the feastin'. It starts soon you know. What have you been up to?" Seamar Shellhound bustled around her son, noting his obvious unkempt appearance and the gash on his rudder.

Leatho winked at her and took a bite out of a small crab apple before speaking. "Well mother, if you must know, I was busy savin' Wulli and Jukki's lives again. Those two were almost a pikes lunch!"

"You'd have us believe you were out wrestlin' fish while there's work to be done at home?" Telmar stopped working on the blade and met eyes with his son.

"Aye father, tis the truth."

The two older otters eyed each other for a moment. Then Telmar's eyes sparkled and he chucked his son on the shoulder. "Lookin' forward to hearin' that story around the fire tonight Leatho." He spied Leatho's injury and nodded to his mother. "Seamar will fix up yer rudder fer you son."

The otters continued conversing as Seamar bandaged Leatho's injury.

"Well, maybe you don't believe me but I know two little otters that have quite the story to tell!" Leatho chuckled and snatched the blade from his father. He cut off a bite of apple and tossed it and the blade back to Telmar. The older otter chewed reflectively. "My son, the pike wrestler. You know why we named you Leatho don't you?"

"Aye, because Goldenwhiskers was taken!" Leatho jested with his father.
Seamar snatched the apple from Leatho and finished it. "Don't toy with yer father Leatho. You know yer named Leatho because we saw you sling yer first stone as an infant. Best shot anywhere."

Telmar finished the story. "Aye, you were a good shot. Lethal with yer sling you were. Yer mother said "Oh, he's Lethal. Aye, Lethal oh! Leatho!"
The young otter ducked outside, bound to join in with the feasting. "You two better stop telling stories and get out here before all the food's gone!"

Evening came over the otters as they feasted on the warm shore line. The Shellhounds were a crew full of  joy with much to celebrate. Sadly, times of happiness cannot last forever.  The black sails of a vermin vessel appeared over the horizon. No otter otter guards had been stationed so that all could feast together.   The Thousand Eyes drifted towards the otter clan, baring a horde of wildcats bent on conquest.

[Leatho Shellhound]

Super!!!!! More please!!

[winifred]

I do n't think your writing is like a RP at all!!!! It's great!!!

[Tam and Martin]

Cool!

[WarriorOfMossflower]

great job!

[BrookSkimmer]

Thank ya for the nice comments!

[Shadowed One]

Love your story! Can`t wait to find out what happens next!

[Icefire]

I know you're really busy and the contest is over, but I really hope you'll come back and finish this sometime.

[AnnaofRedwall]

don't stop!!! keep writing!

[Brinty]

really cool!