Stoneslide - Prologue Part 2

“Juniper!” Ketani shouted. He swung around to face Bansen and Rozalin. “The hawk, did it get her?”

Bansen shook his head, jaw set grimly. “No. Lucky mouse though.” He turned back to the army, and Ketani could make out moonlit figures readying their bows.

Rozalin shook her head. “Good for you, Ketani, but the army is getting closer. Get everybody with a weapon.” She ran down the rock, wasting no time.

Ketani shot a glance at the rock to see Juniper watching him. He felt a tug of pain. Not because of an arrow, but because of worry for Juniper and quite frankly all the mice below the surface. “It’s alright, Juniper! You’ve got Flekkanos, right?”

The reply was prompt; a quick nod of a silhouette. “Good. Then run before any Frozenmoon mice get you. Wolf Plains will be safest now!” He looked around him, and he was the last mouse on the boulder.

The first arrows were beginning to be shot. The slivers of bark dipped in metal began whizzing by him, and Bansen himself was nearly missed.

“Get down here, Ketani,” Bansen called. “Now!”

Still, with the arrows whizzing by, Ketani Highfeather checked to see if Juniper was out of harm’s way. She wasn’t visible on the stone.

The hawk that went for Juniper just circled the air, and then started to fly back to the army. Ketani immediately started to run for the tunnel’s end, and back beneath the ground.

“Holy Hawk, Ketani.” Ketani was grabbed by Brightwhisker, the old mouse glaring at him fiercely. “What’s going on up there?”

It only took one worried look from Ketani before Brightwhisker must’ve clued in. His face fell.

“Bansen didn’t tell you?”

Brightwhisker shook his head.

“So they aren’t involving us in the battle, eh? It’s Frozenmoon. Grab all the mice and get to the forges.”

Brightwhisker nodded and started dashing towards the bunks, at least that was what the Hoof Spots squirrels called the dorms. “You aren’t the ‘Whisker yet, Ketani.”

Yet? Ketani nodded, following his leader. He was now running on all fours, turning at the tunnels behind the old mouse.

Brightwhisker stopped at the bunks, where most of the mice were, fur bristled in shock. “Where were you guys?”

Highfeather shook his head. “Frozenmoon’s up there. Who cares?”

The mice seemed to take the hint, all getting out of their bedrolls with a start. There were murmurs, and then Morlyle stood up. He murmured something under his breath that even Ketani couldn’t hear. Then the guard tuned to the rest of the Wolf Plains mice. “What would they say now, with us sleeping away the battle? Let’s get those Frozen mice out!” Morlyle shouted, pointing to the door.

Mice immediately started moving out, swinging a weapon from the hooks above their moss beds to their paws. They all kept their weapons in close to their body, as they were told to. The hoppers stood still in the giant burrow, only moving to get out of the ways of the older mice. Morlyle was the last of the mice out, besides Brightwhisker and Ketani. “Are Flekkanos and Juniper safe? Juniper wasn’t at training.”

Ketani Highfeather nodded. “I told them to start running back for Wolf Plains, alright? There’s a battle going on and we’ll need all paws with their weapons.”

Morlyle smiled half-heartedly, black eyes shining. “Let’s get rid of this army once and for all.” With a javelin in his paws, he started running down the tunnels.

Ketani nodded, and after Brightwhisker, started to run for the forges. He left training to look for Juniper before he was given a weapon. That would need to be remedied.

He remembered the distinctive soft, orange light that Juniper had shown him before, on one of their many outings together. He hoped she was safe. In the tunnel, any light was easily seen, be it from a skylight or from the forges. Ketani stopped and in amazement stood stock-still. How Juniper would have loved to see this forge. It blazed bright and fiery, weapons glowing bright orange as they were cooled in water that just got hotter with each blade being made. Around fifty ground squirrels stood in there, blasting swords in and out at full fury. And in the giant clearing of dirt and stone, those were only the squirrels that were at the forges. Ground squirrel after ground squirrel grabbed swords, javelins, spears, anything that they could get their paws on and ran out to the skylight shrouded by heavy moss.

“Ketani, stop dawdling and get a damned weapon!” a ground squirrel shouted. Ketani nodded, realizing that it was Bansen’s voice. Highfeather looked around frantically until he saw a glass spear. He grabbed it, wading through the ground squirrels running out in a mostly neat line. He started running with the Ground squirrels but as soon as Ketani got by, Bansen stepped in front of the other Ground squirrels. “You’re all fantastic fighters, but we need to have half our forces above ground and half of them below. Go into all the skylights you can and keep watch at them. If the Frozenmoon mice don’t fall into the traps, then pull them down and stab them. If they do fall though, we don’t want them alerting the others. Put them out of their misery quickly.”

The ground squirrels nodded.

Bansen shook his head, and started clapping his hands. “Then get on the move on. This is the battle that we’ve all been waiting for!” There were no words. The ground squirrels all seemed to nod simultaneously, and then started running back. An older squirrel nodded. “General Kane,” Bansen said. “I thought you had the…” He paused, eyes wider than a lake. "The chokers."

“Still do. But if I’m going to die, I’m going to die fighting. Ungh!” he grunted, collapsing onto his knees. He had a coughing fit that lasted only a few seconds. “Alright, Bansen. I’m not going to pull down Frozenmoon warriors like a coward. I’m going up there and fighting this battle to the death.”

Ketani started running up, looking at what was happening before him. Warriors were now fighting left and right, and arrows were no longer being flung. Behind him, Ketani saw Edvard letting as many of his own arrows fly to the Frozenmoon mice.

Ketani deflected a blow with his glass spear, and then twisted it around. It was almost instinctive. He kicked forwards to stop the blow of the nearly black mouse’s sword and then pushed his glass spear forwards. It stabbed her through the chest, and as the mouse choked with blood sputtering out of her mouth, Ketani wondered what it really meant to fight. Finally, the mouse’s yellow eyes dimmed and glazed over.

It was to kill. All of these mice still had thoughts. Their own families… But Highfeather had his own family to worry about too.

Ketani ran into the battle. He was doing this to protect Wolf Plains, and never again be taken over by this scourge. With every mouse he would kill, he was saving the life of other good mice. He struck once more, instinctively ducking his head at another mouse. He glared, dark blue eyes shining. The black-headed mouse didn’t choke. In fact, he wasn’t even hit.

“So what’s that, old mouse?” he teased, curling his lip up. “Is Sandil too much for you? You can’t handle true power? The power of purity?”

Ketani breathed in, trying to let himself stay mostly calm. Anger in a battle was dangerous, the eagle circling your head. “No,” he said. He turned around, swinging his spear to hit him on the head.

This warrior was far more trained than the other one. He ducked and swung his sword at Ketani. It slashed at his leg and he cried in pain. Ketani glared at the young mouse, who looked as if he were no older than fifteen seasons. He kicked Ketani, throwing the older mouse to the ground. “Don’t act like I don’t know who you are,” he said. “Ketani Highfeather, the mouse who sucks up to Brightwhisker. Maybe you’ll be leader of your oh-so-precious Wolf Plains some day. Course, if I let you live.” He kicked Ketani in the stomach, and the mouse on the ground writhed. His spear lay inches away from him. Too far to be grabbed.

Ketani widened his eyes, wondering what else this mouse knew. The young mouse’s sword was touching Ketani’s chest, the long straight blade glittering in the moonlight. “How’d you know this?” he asked, shuffling closer to his spear. If he could just grab it, then his life would maybe be saved.

“I have my informants, Burrower,” he spat. “Living right in your city.”

Highfeather nodded, trying to keep the distraction going. He felt the blade clipping his fur by every little bit he moved. He looked over at the spear. Without a second word, he rolled over, wincing as the sword ran down his side. He jolted out of the way just in time for the young mouse to thrust his sword down, and Ketani grabbed the spear. While the young mouse was unbalanced, he got to his feet quickly, holding his sword out. Just before the black and white mouse could get his full balance Ketani mustered the will to kick him to the ground. He held the spear close, the tables now turned on this young warrior.

It made the mouse look even more intimidating. Ice blue eyes glowing and some inner instinct burning, he kicked the mouse down. The warrior grunted, and the looked straight into Ketani. The eyes weren’t like a soldiers. They blazed in fear, and the young mouse started grabbing for his sword. Ketani kicked them away. He was not going to be killed by this mouse. He wouldn’t be killed by any of them.

Ketani looked up and around him, checking that no mouse would stab him from behind or was charging at him right now. “You, young mouse…” He shook his head. The dark blue eyes were like a hopper. No, they were those of a hopper, a child even. “You can leave, but if you come back… If you come back, there won’t be any mercy from me or the rest of Wolf Plains.”

He reminded her of Juniper. The same dark blue eyes, though not near as warm as hers. They were strange, scared, but still angry.

Angry like a bitter mouse, envious of something.

The young mouse glared, brushed his paws, and didn’t even bother picking his sword up. He just ran through the turmoil, the Frozenmoon mouse in his red ochre paint, pretending to swing wildly as though he were fighting. Maybe he was, Ketani realized.

Rozalin had a rapier that she was using well, stabbing into opponents and running on. She seemed to have no emotion as she did it, but then Highfeather saw the gang of mice that started to surround Rozalin. Ketani’s eyes widened. The young mouse glared and started spinning around, but the Frozenmoon mice jumped away at the first hint of Roz’s blade. Then they started advancing.

Rozalin started looking around wildly, looking for any break in the wall of warriors. Ketani started advancing from behind the circle, hoping no mice could see him. Rozalin shut her eyes, preparing for death, it seemed. Ketani Bit his lip. He narrowed his eyes. Nobody would kill his student, fiance, or son. Flekkanos was his son, and that would be what he would call Flekkanos. Ketani leaped up as soon as the first mouse was about to swing at Rozalin, who looked as though she realized her only defense was swinging around wildly. He brought his spear down immediately, blocking out the sounds of the battle. The dying mice, ground squirrels, even the Hoof Spots prisoners were too much.

Dying, death, pain, and horror. That was war. He blocked out the choking sounds of the mouse whose lung had been stabbed through. Ketani saw Rozalin’s surprised face, bright green eyes blazing. He saw the mice change formation immediately.

Now they were surrounded. Ketani breathed in, hoping Rozalin could hear what he would have to say next. He pulled his spear from the dark gray mouse, watching her cough away her last breaths. He narrowed his eyes. If it could be over. He, nor any creature, should have to endure this. “Roz,” he whispered, hoping the rosy-blond mouse could hear it.

She flicked her ears, a Burrowing technique that was passed from trainer to trainee since even Amberwhisker’s time. She was listening.

“Good,” he whispered. Hoping nobody was listening, he continued. “Now. When the time comes, stab forward. If we can lower their numbers, we’ll be able to fight them.”

“Kay,” Rozalin whispered. Ketani knew he couldn’t fight well. It was why he was a burrower, not a guard. “Give me the signal.” The signal was always code for whiskers, ears, and the tail twitching all at once.

Ketani twitched his tail, whiskers and ears. Rozalin nodded, and then they stabbed outwards. Two mice were impaled on their weapons, and in a fleeting moment, Ketani felt… Different. He shook his head from the cloudy feeling. He was in training for less than an hour, but remembered to keep a clear head. One of the constant cries from Captain Bansen. He grabbed Rozalin’s paw, and the argente mouse looked up at him in surprise. “You’re my student Roz, one of the best that I’ve ever had. Let’s fight this battle, and if by some hawk-forsaken reason we die, then so be it.”

***

Captain Bansen leaped into the air, striking down a mouse with a swipe of his claws. He didn’t even bother to use his barbed wire whip.

Highfeather had run a small distance and struck his spear into a mouse about to attack Rozalin, but seemed to have a considerable less amount of enthusiasm. He hadn't ever killed a creature for anything, even if the creature honoured Sandil, god of Frozenmoon, mouse hell.

Bansen had no way with words, but managed to say, "It's okay Ketani. These mice are monsters. Be glad you killed them."

Ketani nodded grimly, and barely missed a Frozen mouse's attack with his dagger. He stabbed harder, and the mouse choked and died, as this was a more dangerous hit to his heart. Ketani threw him off his spear and grunted, but the mouse made his way to the ground.

A pure black mouse with chilly blue eyes glared at him, and bared her teeth. She was small, and by her facial features she could be barely older than four seasons old. She ran, and with her over-sized dirk, leaped with so much power as to reach his height. She thrust her dagger down, narrowly missing Bansen. This little mouse was dangerous. She lifted again, and was now over Bansen's head. If she succeeded her blade would hit his brain. He swung his paw over, and flung the mouse out to the side. She sprawled over the ground, but dusted herself off. He heard her leap again from behind, and than a small cry of pain from the little mouse.

"I've got this little brat, Sarth. You need to find Tandrai," Rozalin growled, and the rosy-blonde's fur bristled to make the stocky mouse look twice as large. It worked.

He ran towards a mouse aiming to get the mouse called Edvard from behind, but Edvard turned around and looked in fear at what was above the captain before he struck the Frozen mouse with his elbow, staggering him to the ground.

Bansen turned his head up, and his blood went cold. In a silent swoop, a bright red hawk had him in its talons, and he felt the sharp claws pierce his back fur. He cried out in pain, but couldn't help but stare as with each hefty, wind filled flap of the red tailed hawk's wings, he was lifted exponentially higher into the sky. It chilled his blood more than the war cry of Frozenmoon's army.

He could see the carnage from his view up there, but he still had his whip in his paw. He grunted, and threw it into the sky, trying to hit the hawk in its hypnotizing amber eyes.

He saw the black metal hit its mark, and even captain Sarth had to cringe when he saw the ungodly amount of blood that can fall out of a hawk's eye. It shreed again, and his ears rang. He heard a sharp cry, and the crack of a whip, completely different from his barbed wire one.

"This is our battle, Sklar. You will not fall. If you do, it will be your undoing." A voice came from above, a sweet silky voice disguising that of pure psychopathy. "But meanwhile, bird... I have to deal with this squirrel here." She whipped once more, and it sounded like the hawk swore, however gravelly its voice was.

The mouse carrying the voice crawled down, a lithe and slender mouse, with a pelt of the blackest night, just like the young mouse down there's. Her face was painted ochre, a sign of royalty among Frozen mice apparently. She was the only one to be wearing it. She shuffled around in her leather belt, and pulled out two double-sided daggers. She put them into her mouth, and then climbed down the hawk's body.

She managed a perch on the hawk's scaly talons and drove the double-sided knives into his starboard hind leg. He cried out in pain as she twisted them into his leg, slowly and methodically.

"Right into the bone," she seethed, bright blue eyes twinkling psychotically, "For whenever you walk, you'll limp, provided you survive my army's wrath at all. But I want to leave a mark on you, much more painful that way. Nice and slowly," she said, thick fur swaying wildly in the cool air from their altitude. "Why?" she laughed. "You attacked my daugh-" She was cut off as a glass rod pierced through her body and she coughed. Blood sputtered out of her mouth, and then she slid off the slender, twisted spear. He looked up, and there was more blood coming from the hawk's stomach. It choked itself, and flapped weakly for moments.

The hawk lost altitude. With a thought as quickly as he could, he climbed the side of the hawk, and one of the daggers fell out of his legs. It flailed to the ground helplessly.

He was on top of it, and the hawk, with its ochre-painted head feathers, died after the stomach acid was draining out over his feathery underside. It dropped immediately, and he was thankful that he had the spear in his hands so that he wouldn't accidentally impale himself once the hawk landed. He looked at it closely, while taking a grip onto the leather reins that the dead mouse had used before what could only be imminent death.

It landed with a sickening crunch, and Bansen had to cringe as the bones shattered from the fall. The momentum hit him in his legs, and he had to grind his teeth together to hold himself together.

Highfeather breathed in deeply, chestnut fur still bristling. "You've got the spear?" He said jokingly. A grim joke, but a joke nonetheless.

Captain Sarth Bansen breathed. "You killed her, Ketani." He dropped his whip onto the feathery back of the hawk, and tossed the glass spear to Ketani. "Take it, it's yours."

Ketani picked the glass spear up, and inspected the blood-soaked spear. He plunged it into the ground, and took a glance to his port. "That's her. Queen Tandrai."

Bansen could barely contain his triumph. "We've done it."

Ketani turned back to him. "The war is won."

Sarth nodded, and turned around, grunting as he pulled the remaining dagger out of his haunch. He struggled to stand up on top of the dead hawk, and raised what must have been queen Tandrai’s dagger. "Do you see this?" he shouted. "This is the dagger of your queen. You will leave and never fight again." He took in a deep breath. "Or Hoof Spots, Wolf Plains, and all the cities down to even Saldiro will fight. We will track you down and destroy you all."

There were murmurs in the crowd of Frozen mice, and he climbed down the hawk with difficulty, as the mouse that looked barely four seasons old walked up and stopped at the pitch black body of the queen. A tear rolled down her cheek. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

He just killed this mouse's mother. Bansen breathed in. It was bad enough to kill a creature, but killing a mother to now orphaned young ones was worse. He stepped towards her tentatively. "Little mouse, what's your name?" He asked, stroking her fur in sympathy.

A larger mouse, pure white with flaming amber eyes, stepped forwards. He bared his teeth, and Bansen realized how young the both were. "Her name is-"

He was cut off as the young mouse shoved him away, yet managed to be gentle about it. "M-My name is Tulun."

Highfeather, a tower over even a ground squirrel, shrunk and took the tiny mouse in his paws. "I can't leave her to the wild, Sarth. I'll take her in, and the other one."

"What? They're Frozenmoon mice. It's one thing to let ‘em live, but to take two in to live in your city. What if the big white one becomes 'Whisker? Will he take Wolf Plains and turn it into the next Frozenmoon?"

Highfeather lowered his ears, and then patted Tulun's head. "It's a risk I'm willing to take." To the rest of the Wolf Plains mice, he breathed in. “Wolf Plains mice. Back home we go!”

Out of the corner of Bansen’s vision, a mouse slipped out of the ranks of Wolf Plains.

***

Juniper looked across the field, breathing in hopefully. All the screaming of battle had stopped. It had been only a short time since the first cry had started. What caused the battle to end so quickly? The death of Highfeather or Bansen? She hoped not. Biting her lip, she continued trekking down the cow-stomped field.

She then flicked her ears. She heard something, and it wasn’t Flekkanos. Flekkanos had worn himself out, even though he didn’t do any of the walking.

“Hello?” she whispered. She tried looking for a weapon, just in case a Frozenmoon mouse tried to follow her. There wasn’t even a thorn on the ground. She tensed up, hoping to see someone. She looked back, noticing the grove of trees she was close to. The circle of birch, pussy willow, and spruce was a landmark she remembered. Maybe there’d be some sort of weapon in there. The black-and-grey mouse started backing away to the trees.

The creature following her didn’t reply.She started turning back, ready to run for the woods. She was barrelled over by some creature she didn’t know about. She rolled over to the ground. She looked around from the ground. Thank the Great Hawk her satchel with Flekkanos in it was tossed to the side in the right moment. He’d probably be less hurt than her.

Juniper choked as she felt a strong paw on her neck. She felt a warm breath on her neck, and then a chuckle in her ear. “This one’s for Carin. Maybe Ketani will see you there, lying dead and lifeless on the ground. Then he will feel my pain. And only then.” He growled. She felt the pain lessen from her neck as he lifted off. At least it sounded like a male mouse. She felt a kick on her stomach that shot a pang of agony through her. “Maybe,” He began. “You’ll see good ol’ Brightwhisker in Eversun. Or Frozenmoon. Whichever,” He said, kicking her to the side again. She closed her eyes and rolled over in pain. Let it be over. “Fits you.”

He kicked her again, and as she rolled over for the third time, she was stopped by him putting his hind paw in front of her. She caught a glimpse of brown fur hanging from the leg in front of her. “And don’t think, miss, that you’ll get a choice.” She felt a stabbing pain in her chest, and she opened her eyes wide. She couldn’t even scream as the weapon was pulled out of her and stabbed back into her from all angles, like killing a weasel that dared enter Wolf Plains. She only mustered the strength to cough out blood and cry quietly.

Then the stabbing stopped. She coughed out blood,and without the energy to even see if Flekkanos was safe, she closed her eyes. For the last time, she didn’t know.

She then heard the mouse again, whispering in her ears. “Don’t think I’ll leave you to die slowly either, Juniper. Maybe your hopper will get caught by a hawk crawling around. Looking for the mother that abandoned him. Or maybe I’ll take him in myself,” he chuckled. “See you later, Juniper.” One more swift kick to the side, and then everything went black.

(I apologize for the length of this work. I just wanted the prologue to be 2 parts. That's it. XD)