Red Waters, Almond Eyes (Sandpaw vs Ashleg)

[Ashleg]

"Y'ain't allowed back here 'till yer finished with yer task," snapped the weasel, flicking his eyes around Redpaw as if searching for ghosts. "Why've I got a feelin' I'm bein' watched? Wot're yew up t'?"

"Nothing!" Redpaw exclaimed, paws akimbo. "I have t' talk 't Vilu 'r else 'e might be in danger, I knows something, I does! Let me in!" he babbled.

"Well, I suppose, fer yew, cully..."

"What exactly do you suppose?"

Both rat and weasel jumped and whirled, staring straight into the angular face of Vilu Daskar.

The stoat grinned cooly. "I think that you, Weasel, should join him on the other side of the gate."

[LT Sandpaw]

"That'll work just as well." Ublaz mused from his hiding place. The pine marten dubiously flicked sand from his garments, wanting to look his best when he slew the filthy pirate Vilu. The slight flaw in his plan meant that he had to lay down to remain concealed, and on the tiny island that meant getting sand and dirt on one's outfit.

"Wait for my signal," Ublaz raised his paw sensing the trident rats around him tense. The monitor lizards thanks to their natural scale color were the closest, and their unnatural speed meant they were more fleetclawed as well. So they would be the first ones in, keeping the gates open until everybeast else arrived.

[Ashleg]

Vilu opened the gate a crack and shoved the guard out, and the weasel fell awkwardly onto Redpaw.

The rat stood up, snarling. "No, Vilu, what's this! What are you thinking?!" he yowled. "I need to be let in, not him out!"

[LT Sandpaw]

"Kill them," Ublaz hissed anger shining in his eyes. The moment had come and three things happened all at once. The ferret Deadeye stood, drew, and released and arrow towards his target in one smooth motion. Further away the monitor lizards launched upright as the arrow buzzed over their concealed spots wielding a collection of cutlasses, hatchets, and knives they charged headlong for the unsecured gate. Meanwhile Ublaz and the pirate crew and trident rats sprang into action, preforming a silent charge in the wake of the lizards and Deadeye's shaft.

[Ashleg]

Both rat and weasel fell dead, skewered by arrows.
Vilu Daskar stared on in chilling coldness as Ublaz's army poured down the hill, and he ushered Calcabba up to him with a flick of the paw.
"What are you waiting for?!" he demanded, shaking the rat by the shirt collar. "My creatures are every bit as numerable. So meet them head on! Gather the army--have not a begging coward left standing in our wake!"

The stoat chuckled bitterly and hop-skipped inside, shutting and locking the sturdy fortress doors behind him.

[LT Sandpaw]

His plan had failed. Just as Lask and his lizards reached the gate Vilu secured it. The reptiles pummeled the great wooden portal to no avail, their hissing voices throwing unspeakable curses at the sturdy timbers.

"You Guja, get your pirates!" Ublaz turned to the seafarer portion of his army, rallying them with his elegant saber. "Use your ropes and grapples, scale the walls and open the gates! Move your carcasses you worthless-toe fungi! hurry up and get to climbing you opened-ocean scabs. Sagitar, Deadeye gather your archers here and pin their defenders' heads down. Cover for the pirates with the grapples. Lask, hack at that gate. Bust it open with your axes! We're taking this fortress the hard way!"


~*~

The sounds of battle grew and Calcabba scrambled after his pirate lord wringing his paws in agitation. "M-meet them head on? Me lord, I am no commander, I cannot rally troops I'm just a Steward." The rat winced as the monitors began their assault on the gate. "Our defenses are strong m'lord. Perhaps instead of meeting 'em in battle we could just, stay inside where tis safe."

[Ashleg]

"Ah, yes, Calcabba. Thank you for suggesting that. Now that I think about it," Vilu paused, clicking his tongue disapprovingly when an axe came flying over the fence and landed with a Twang! in the grass. The stoat shook his head and then eyed the rat again. "It--by this I mean yours--is a much smarter idea than mine. To stand around inside and get cornered and possibly burned out or starved is just such a thrilling prospect. Is it not to you, Calcabba? Because I think that is what I will make you do while me and my creatures fight them off."