Redwall Isn't Safe Anymore! (Is Redwall as Safe as they Say it is? Part Two)

[Ashleg]

"I will die for him." Rapshade snarled, stalking up to Grenlik and yanking his arm away from Fang's throat. "Alfhild can come and do whatever to me, but be warned. Touch the rat and I'll make your life a living night terror."

Alfhild cut down with her sword across Duncan's chest and scampered forward when she was called, making her way easily to the cabin and up behind Rapshade.
"Grenlik, Hon?"

[Groddil]

Grenlik tossed the dagger to his other paw and kicked Rapshade away from him. Once more, the dagger was pushed against Fangfang.
"I caught this rat, marm. 'Ee knows you an' Rapshade some'ow. An' speakin' o' Rapshade, e's gotten loose. D'ye want 'im alive, or should I slit this one's throat."

[Ashleg]

"That's Fangfang." Alfhild said, grinning coldly as she held Rapshade up by the arms so he couldn't do much but try and fail to wriggle free.
"My, as this ferret's mother called him, 'second nephew'." She murmured, glancing at Fangfang through slitted eyes. "If anybeast was weaker than Rapshade, it was him. He could've passed for a mouse because of how he acted--slit his throat."

"No!" Cried Rapshade and Fang in unison.

OOC-
Your choice, I mean Grenlik's, it will impact the plot either way.

[Groddil]

"Ah, Chief, yer too kind, lettin' me make this rat stop 'is whinin'."
Grenlik grinned and gave a slight chuckle, before he flipped the dagger in his paw and plunged it deep into Fangfang's neck. Blood spurted from the wound, covering Grenlik's paw as he ripped the weapon roughly from the rat's flesh.
"Done, Chief. I didn't mess up this time."

[Ashleg]

"NO!!!" Rapshade shrieked, sounding like he'd been murdered instead of Fangfang.
"...No, no-ohh..."

Alfhild smirked and nodded at Grenlik.
"It always feels good to get rid of the weak, doesn't it? Ah." She purred, shoving Rapshade toward him.
"Guard that ferret, Grenlik. I'm going to go back and make sure we win this little battle."

[Groddil]

Grenlik nodded, gripping his spear in one paw and the dagger in the other. He sat on the ground and leaned against The wall.
"I wouldn't try a thing, ferret. Ye raise a claw against me, an' this spear'll end ye the same way the dagger did th' rat."
For good measure, he prodded Fangfang's corpse with the spear.

[Ashleg]

Alfhild slunk back outside, leaving Rapshade with Grenlik.
The ferret just stood there, wide-eyed and yet tired looking at the same time.
He stepped back and leaned against the wall, staring sadly at Fang.
And he couldn't help but blame himself.
He'd known, all his life, how it felt to lose someone. Losing Fang didn't suddenly make him feel regret for his crimes or any of that, but...simply recreated that thick cloak of bitterness that he'd been trying to get away.
Rapshade eyed Grenlik for a minute and then switched his attention to the fight, which didn't seem like it was going anywhere.
"You'll never know what it feels like to have anything."

[LT Sandpaw]

Seeing Duncan fall Petu darted forward and dragged the hare out of harms way looking around for some chance of salvation. His eyes landed on two of the squirrels, one was named Brush, he wasn't sure about the other.
"C'mon help me carry him, Duncan's wounded." He called to them, his voice breaking as the awful realization of battle came over him. "We got to get out of here, and back to Redwall fast."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Having made good his escape Bracklew continued to hobble along through the snow covered forest, his breath coming out and misting in the early morning cold. Exhaustion weighed down on him and it was everything he could do to just put one paw in front of the other.
The eternal agonizing pain in his left arm had become more a fact of life, and he bore it stubbornly. It oozed, leaking out of the makeshift bandage, before freezing. Bracklew didn't notice, but his pawsteps were like those of a drunk, and he lurched about fighting just to remain standing.

The sound of battle reached his ears and he stalled, leaning against a tree and listening hard. There was only a few reasons why there would be beasts battling in Mossflower. Shakily drawing his sword Bracklew stumbled towards the sounds, his eyes narrowed to cold slits.

[Hickory]

Finishing off a fox, Ava noticed Bracklew edging towards the battle from the forest. Stepping away from the fight she hurried to intercept the injured squirrel. "Bracklew, I thought you were captured? How did you es- what happened to your paw!?" she exclaimed. "Nevermind. The fight's far too dangerous for someone in your state to enter... come with me and we can head back to the Abbey."

<O>

Brush beaconed to Harnam and they both hurried over to Duncan. They took a large plank of wood from the derelict cabin and put the hare on it. Lifting either end they grunted under Duncan's weight. "Let's go," said Asher. "Those vermin will be back with more numbers soon."

As the others started heading away from the battle Asher spotted Ava with Bracklew. "I'll go get Ava," he said to Petu.

[Ashleg]

"Ugh," Duncan groaned, blinking tiredly at his friends.
"That blinkin' ferret...got me right in the chest. We shouldn't come back." He glanced around, feeling his eyes start to close from blood loss.
"Where's Fang...?"

[Groddil]

Grenlik nodded solemnly.
"Yer right, ferret. I won't. I never have, an' I never will. I'm a hordebeast. If I leave, I get hunted down. Even if somethin' happened to the chiefs, th' new chief'd just do th' same. I can't win, mate. I jus' have t'keep killin', or be killed. In th' end, life is jus' a battle. An' you 'n' th' rat were on th' wrong side. Ya know what they says, don't ya? When ye play th' game, ye win...or ye die."

[Ashleg]

"Fang couldn't even fight." Said Rapshade bluntly, reminding himself over and over that now was not his time and that he'd get his chance for revenge later.
Stealthily, the ferret slunk over and dragged his friend closer to the wall. The ferret's ears twitched but otherwise he didn't look surprised.
He's not cold. Oh my stars, I think that's a pulse.

[Groddil]

"Aye, that 'ee couldn't. So, in a way, 'tis his own fault that 'ee died. If 'ee couldn't be bothered ta learn ta defend 'imself, 'ee 'ad no place on this savage world. 'EY! Whaddaya think yer doin'? Stop touchin' th' corpse. Ye'll spoil th' meat fer Grah. An' she don't like it when the meat's spoiled..."
Grenlik cackled, pointing the spear at Rapshade menacingly.

[Ashleg]

"Oh?" Rapshade glared fire at Grenlik. "Run me through. Alfhild will kill you!" He snapped, then whirled around and tried putting pressure on Fang's wound. He made an effort for it to seem as unintentional as possible.
"Grah could starve for all I care. Savage bird!"

[Groddil]

"Who says I have t'kill ye? I couldn't care less 'bout Grah's lunch. But if'n she doesn't get fed, I don't wanna end up bein' 'er next meal. 'Sides, what's ta stop me from maimin' ya like Fardan did ta that squirrel? I'll cut of both yer paws. Then yer footpaws. See 'ow swift ye are then!"