Rapshade vs. EVERYONE! Part 2

[Hickory]

Spoiler

Rapshade yanked his broken leg out from under the fallen mast, coughing and feeling both in pain and angrier than he ever had been.
The ferret pulled himself up, and balancing on one footpaw he approached One-Ear from the back. He aimed to chop One-Ear's remaining ear off with a swipe of his sabre, yowling maniacally.

"How DARE ye destroy my ship jus' t' get at good-fer-nothing Saltooth! I'm gonna chop yer head off, piece by piece...Filthy fox!"

One-Ear turned swiftly, Martin's Sword flashing through the air. Steel clashed with steel as Rapshade's sabre went clattering to the deck in broken pieces.
"Shouldn't have let me know you were comin,' ferret."
The fox ignored Saltooth clinging to the wheel and kicked Rapshade roughly down the stairs. He saw Duncan and Bracklew on the deck below and threw Martin's sword.

"DUNCAN! CATCH!"

And Duncan did catch. He knocked Sandpaw unconscious with the sword's hilt and then took off after Rapshade, whom he witnessed get kicked down the stairs.
The hare practically flew over the steps and landed beside Rapshade, who lay limp on the ground next to Bracklew.
He prodded him with the tip of Martin's sword, staring coldly down at him.
"You killed my wife, and recently you killed my daughter. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you."

Rapshade didn't answer.
Though he was bloody and broken his eyes still held that dangerous glimmer that they always had. He got up and pounced on Duncan, causing them both to fall back against the benches where the slaves had once sat. The ferret grabbed his last spare dagger and held the blade over Duncan's head, snickering to himself. The wounded ferret looked crazed in every way possible.

"I'd bet you miss 'em, Duncan. I can put you outta yer misery..."

"You're sick!" Duncan exclaimed. Rapshade grabbed Duncan by the tunic collar and shook him roughly, trying to get the hare to drop Martin's sword.

One-Ear broke off from battling Saltooth to take a shot at Rapshade. Aiming his crossbow, the fox sighted on the ferret's unprotected back. Twang!



"You're dead, hare...And I'm not sick," he spat, "I'm perfectly healthy...Aah!"  Luckily for the ferret, because they were so far away from One-Ear, the arrow only embedded itself in his other leg and not his back. Still, he let out a scream of pain and lost whatever grip he had on Duncan, who scrambled out from underneath him, growling.

"Had enough yet?" Duncan inquired, lifting Rapshade's chin with the blade of his sword. The hare's voice sounded so filled with anger and grief that it sent a shiver up Rapshade's spine.

"Give the word and I'll run you through," Duncan said, hoisting the ferret to his paws and forcing him to walk backwards.

"It'll be a favor, really, judging by the pain you're in. I mean, listen to yourself! Whining and whimpering with every step...Tsk tsk. 'Tis truly a sad thing that you can't take the same pain you've put others in."
Rapshade did have enough. Enough of that hare, that is!
Duncan being distracted gave him the perfect opportunity to yank Martin's sword out of the hare's paws and give him a whack that sent him stumbling backwards into the wall.

The ferret had to lean on the wall to keep himself standing, but he grinned down at Duncan and struck down with the sword, loping off one of the hare's ears.
"Both yer ears 'n' then yer head... Unless you've 'ad annough 'n' y' just want me t' run ya through? Just give the word..."
"Never," Duncan spat.

Sandpaw struggled to rise, a throbbing pain in his head. The trident lay a fair distance away, the closest weapon an axe left on the deck. The weasel stood up, stumbling over to the weapon and picking it up one-pawed. Looking around, he sighted on One-Ear and Saltooth, and Rapshade and Duncan. Should he save his captain, or the steers rat?

"Was that the word?" Rapshade sneered, adjusting Martin's sword in his paws. The red pommel stone glinted in the early sunlight, a good counter to the fire in the ferret's eyes.
Duncan grinned widely. "No..."
"No?" Rapshade echoed.
He bared his teeth and came down with the sword and at that moment Duncan struck him in the face with the whip. The ferret reeled back with one paw over the wound, yowling.
He looked up, laughing sullenly under his breath. Blood dripped in a streak down one side of his face.
"Ohh, yer dead now, Duncan," the ferret rasped. "Deader 'n' yer daughter...deader 'n' yer wife...Deader, than dead can be...'Cause I'm gonna kill y'."

Duncan's eyes went wide with rage, and he raised the whip again. If Rapshade should've known one thing, it was not to bring up his family's' deaths. Alas, he did not know.
As the hare brought the whip down, Rapshade brought the sword up, severing the thing in half.
Duncan yelped and tumbled into the wall.

A dull ache in the side of Bracklew's head as he woke up. His legs quivered in protest as he stood, his fur torn in some places where blood had dried, caking the hair together. He was still blinded, though he could now see slightly though his left eye. Looking around, Bracklew saw what had woken him up. Water swirled around his footpaws and Jetfur's body, turning a sickeningly dark red. Covering his mouth Bracklew stumbled up the stairs onto the main deck, something flashed in his peripheral vision and Bracklew saw the sword of Martin being flourished by Rapshade.

"No!" In a burst of energy born from desperation Bracklew charged over the deck space his paws closing around Rapshade's as he tried to wrench away the sword.

Rapshade hadn't taken in the scene around him until Bracklew darted over and attempted to pry his paws off the sword. Jetfur's dead?
He shook his head and growled in Bracklew's face. "Get yer paws off my sword, y' bloody squirrel!"
Being so focused on Bracklew, he didn't notice that Duncan had crept around behind him and was about to sink his teeth into the ferret's not-broken leg until it actually happened.
He released the sword at once and lost balance with a yelp of pain.
Duncan seized him by the arms and nodded at Bracklew.
"I'm so glad you're alive...Come on, let's get out of here." He marched Rapshade up the stairs and called to One-Ear. Most of the vermin were either dead or subdued, so he wasn't worried.
"One-Ear, look who we have! He's all yours and Bracklew's. Personally, I don't want to deal with this ferret anymore."

Rapshade felt blood rise in his throat and he knew he'd lost. He was tired and couldn't fight anymore, but he wasn't one to just sit there and accept the inevitable.
Quickly the ferret started thinking of an escape plan.

Seeing that most of his mates had been slain by the murderous woodlanders, Sandpaw quickly dropped to the ground, playing dead. Loosely gripping the axe, he watched Rapshade being captured by Duncan. He racked his mind for a way to get the captain's attention. An idea flashed into his head, and Sandpaw gripped the axehead, angling it so the sun glared off of the shining blade. Turning it, he managed to shine it towards Rapshade. Hopefully the ferret would notice, and Sandpaw could find a way to free him and get away.

Rapshade hissed and turned his head to the side, trying to blink the light away.
"Agh! It's bright..."
Duncan caught sight of Sandpaw with the axe. "That's right it is," he said sternly. "Your dead mate there has a shiny weapon; it's reflecting the sunlight. Now keep quiet while we wait for One-Ear."

One-Ear pawed his sword and spat out a tooth from the ship's wheel. He glanced at Rapshade's Cabin, and Saltooth's still form within.
"He needs to die, but I shouldn't be the one to do it. You and Bracklew lost friends to him, I dealt with mine. Bracklew. He's all yours."

Duncan glanced expectantly at Bracklew, grunting when Rapshade let out a wail and dropped to his knees.

"Aaawh, please don't stick me!" The ferret cried. "I-I know I might deserve it...But please don't, n-not yet...not now... I don't want t' die!"

Fang gasped and darted over there, tapping Bracklew gingerly on the shoulder. "Er, er, Bracklew. 'Kin I ask 'im something afore you...um, y'know....?"

"Yeah, go ahead Fang. I wanna hear this too," said One-Ear, pausing from his search for his mother.

Fangfang glanced at One-Ear.
"You do? Alright." He turned to Rapshade. "Cap'n..."
Rapshade stiffened. He looked like he pretty much knew what was coming.

"What is it you've been hidin' from me?" Fang asked, narrowing his eyes. "An' you'd better talk...Cause if'n ya don't, they'll run you through."

Rapshade's amber eyes dulled a shade or two as he glanced back at One-Ear, shaking miserably. "No way...You can't make me tell 'im."

He sounded guilty beyond belief.

One-Ear growled. He forced the katana against Rapshade's neck.

"Do you want to die? Tell 'im, or so help me, you can speak yer piece at the Dark Forest! However bad it is, we already hate you enough! Think about it, what do you have to lose?"

Having recovered the sword Bracklew held it up. The blade now streaked with blood looked less magnificent then it had before. Its black bound hilt and red pommel stone look less enchanting. Bracklew grimaced in a odd satisfaction remember Brandon's words when asked how he felt about holding and wielding the sword.

"Young squirrel, once you have used this blade as I have. Once you have seen it stained, and the pain and suffering it creates you will understand. I hope for your sake, you shall never understand."

Bracklew felt one last tear of remembrance slip down his muzzle. Brandon had been avenged, his sacrifice hadn't been for nothing.

"One-ear, what are you doing? That is a captured, helpless prisoner." Bracklew thrust the sword into his belt and limped over to where One-ear was threatening Rapshade. The squirrel pulled out the healers satchel Rayne had given him and began wrapping up his own torn stomach. The bruises and scratches would be fine, but the wound in his stomach was still seeping blood.
"Kill him, I don't care, but don't torture him. I want nothing to do with that ferret's fate. Maybe one of the shrews will deal with him. I'm going to go help the wounded." Limping off Bracklew knelt next to a dying shrew checking the creature's pulse.

Slowly Bracklew moved from one creature to another wrapping up wounds, and doing his best to stop them from bleeding to death.

Rapshade paled beneath his black fur as he tried to recall the memories that he'd shut out for so long, meanwhile squirming uncomfortably as he stared down at the katana that was being held at his neck. He didn't pay much heed to Bracklew. The sword was still at his neck, after all.
"On th' day I tried t' take over Salamandastron, I...I..."

--
The vermin were failing miserably. Rapshade was trying to ward off about four hares, looking like he couldn't take it by himself much longer.
"Cap'n, let me help you!" Fang said, pushing in beside his friend.
Rapshade stole a quick glance at Fangfang and frowned, trying to nudge him out of the way a little as he attempted to hold his ground.
"No, Fang," he said through gritted teeth, parrying with one of the hares. The young rat frowned and tried to shove through to help again.
"Lissen, Shady, I'm skilled enough t' fight now, you've said it yourself. I can help you."
"Ouch! An' what if'n y' got killed?"
"I won't!"
Rapshade bared his teeth. "Fangfang! You're like a brother to me and if you die--"
"I'm not going to die!"
"I said no, Fang!"
"Let me help you!"
"Why're you being so stubborn?!" Rapshade's anger boiled over and without thinking much about it he dealt the rat a rough slap to the face with the flat of his sword.
Fang screeched and crashed down on some hard stones, hitting his head and going unconscious.
Rapshade nearly gagged in horror.
What have I done? His friend's blood pooled at his footpaws. Had he killed him? With a strangled sounding sob, the ferret launched himself back into battle with the hares.

--

"I killed Fang!" Rapshade blurted, bursting out in tears.

"Hit 'im so hard on the head he forgot most everything!"

"...Cap'n, I'm not dead, I'm right here..." Fangfang reached out a paw, only to have it slapped away by Rapshade.

"..I...I ruined you. You're nothing like y' used to be."

The fox released Rapshade.
"You did WHAT? Why? I don't want a part in this, let Fang deal with him."

The weasel pirate Sandpaw heard all. Still concealed as one of the dead, his brain raced. He had to act fast. Shoving aside the story he had heard, the weasel leapt out of hiding. Not bothering to say anything he picked the closest target and threw. The axe flew towards One-Ear...

One-Ear turned away in disgust, just in time to see the axe hurtling towards him. He ducked, and the axe took a small chunk out of his good ear. The fox quivered with rage.
"REALLY, WEASEL?!?! My one good ear, and you RUINED IT!"
He took the stairs two at a time and lashed at Sandpaw with the katana. Once, twice, thrice. Blood spattered across the deck as the weasel was ripped to shreds by the fox's vengeance. One-Ear breathed heavily as he kicked Sandpaw off the deck. The corpse was quickly sucked under the ship out of view. One-Ear peered down side of the deck. He couldn't see anything but water. Turning his head slightly to the side, the fox descended to the slave deck.

"What? One-Ear? Why me?" Fang inched towards Rapshade and shook his head, wincing when the ferret flinched away.
"I'm not mad," the rat murmured. "I'd jus' like t' know why..."

Suddenly Rapshade's fur fluffed up in terror and his eyes went wide. He could feel the ground subtley shift underneath all four of his paws.
"Th-the Shadowcaster! She's sinking!"

[close]

The End. I know, another cliffhanger, but I'll get to that later. Thanks for reading. Questions and comments are greatly appreciated.

[Ashleg]

"The Shadowcaster!
She's sinking and I just told my life story t' you lot! And guess what? We're all gonna die now, so I don't know why I even bothered!"

-Rapshade's true thoughts on the matter.