Birth of a Hatred

        I am Riala Goldentail.
        I got the name because my tail is a shimmering gold color. My father, Rilar Battlecry, gave it to me. I never received the pleasure of meeting my mother. She died having me.
        My father raised me. We were very close. He trained me in the way of the warrior. He had a very powerful enemy, Nightdeath Longclaws, the Black Wolverine. My father never told me why Longclaws was his enemy. I suppose that is the way it has always been with us squirrels.   The wolverine is our worst enemy. Longclaws, though, seemed to have a personal grudge against my father, and my father against Nightdeath. They were bound to fight sometime, my father with his mighty sword, the Longclaws with his scimitar.
        Longclaws! That is a name I despise. Longclaws fought my father, aye, and my father was winning. As I watched, hidden by a thick branch of leaves, the Longclaws growled three short times. A weasel from his band shot an arrow through my father's back.
        Did I ever tell you that vermin are not to be trusted? Well, they aren't. They are without honor, lying, thieving, stealing, murdering vermin. Never turn your back on vermin.
        After my father was killed I raced home. There I packed a knife and food in a satchel. I set fire to the place: I could live there no more. Then, after the flames had died down, I began my journey. After the Longclaws.
        As I walked along the dirt road, traveling south, after Nightdeath Longclaws, I became aware of something following me. I turned a bend, hid in the foliage and cast about for something to use as a weapon. My eyes fell upon a slightly curved, short, thick stick. I picked it up. It was of good weight and balance. My grip on the stick tightened, and I waited for the vermin to come. A weasel in a red jerkin turned the corner and glanced around. Too late, he saw me. I brought my stick down heavily on his skull. He collapsed without a sound. I heard more noise in the trees, and caught a glimpse of a shadow. Without hesitating I threw the stick. It tumbled end over end to its shadowy victim. The crack of it hitting the thing's head resounded through the forest. I retrieved the stick and noticed I had
killed another weasel. Robbers, I thought. There would probably be more, so I hurried on my way once again.
        Over the seasons I traveled south, always south. Down from the frigid mountains of the north, where I had once lived. Always on the trail of the Longclaws. I named my stick weapon roce, meaning short mace. I also tied a leather cord to it, which I wound about my paw before throwing my
roce. Then I could easily and quickly retrieve the weapon. It confused foebeasts, too, because a creature would fall down dead beside them, but there would be no arrow, javelin, or stone, or anything else, because I had already retrieved my roce.
        I helped many goodbeasts who were in trouble from vermin, and my name was known throughout a good area: feared by vermin, but cheered by goodbeasts. My warcry- RIIILLLAAARRRR!!!, the name of my father- has been the last thing many rats, weasels, foxes, and other vermin have heard. I have slain many vermin throughout my travels- even gotten close enough to Longclaws' band to slay some of his creatures. Ever still I travel, on Nightdeath Longclaws' trail. Longclaws! The very name sends me on the verge of bloodwrath! Longclaws! I will slay you, Longclaws! Do not rest, Nightdeath Longclaws! I will slay you! RIIILLLAAARRRR!

The North Caves

        It has been a season since I'd left the North Mountains. I had entered a cold, thin forest when I stopped short at the sound of a mole's voice.
        "Gur 'way from yurr, vurmen!"
        "Give me that food, blinkeye!"
        A ferret's nasal voice drifted through the trees to my ears. I readied my roce and crept forward to a small clearing in the woods. A well- made hut stood by the brook that trickled through the meadow. The voices were coming from inside the hut. I stepped noiselessly up to the door, then
waited. I needed to find out how many vermin were in there!
        "All right, mole, come on! You and your family are coming along with us! Right, Rawfur?" the same ferret who'd spoken before said.
        Just two, but a slaving pair! My grip tightened on the roce, and I wondered where their other slaves were, if they had any. I stopped and wondered what would happen if I just wandered in there, and pretended to be a harmless squirrelmaid. No, my golden tail was too well- known. I would have to charge.
        I burst through the doorway and brought my roce down- not hard enough to kill, but enough to knock him unconscious- on the ferret's head. He slumped to the ground. The other one, probably Rawfur, drew his sword and rushed me. I dodged away and threw my stick. It hit his head with a
loud thud, and I winced. I had thrown too hard. It had killed him.
        I turned to the mole, his wife, and their two molebabes.
        "Are any of you hurt?" I asked. The four were staring at me. The male mole gathered his wits and answered.
        "Burr, no, furtunantley. Tho them thurr vurmen wud've made moi farmly an' oi slaves. Thankee… whats yurr namer?"
        "Riala," I introduced myself, "Riala Goldentail."
        "Yurr, oi thoughted it moight me you, tho oi weren't shurr. Thankee koindly, mizz Riala," the molewife said. "Oi'm Soilfree, and thart thur is moi husband, Durtfloyer. The two liddle 'uns are Soilfloyer an' Durtclaw" Suddenly the half- conscious ferret groaned. I turned toward the vermin and tied him with his own rope. Finally he came fully unconscious and attempted to rise. I pricked his throat with my dagger.
        "All right, vermin! Tell me what I want to know or I'll kill you like I did your friend over there!" I growled, motioning to the other ferret. The bound vermin's eyes widened.
        "Yes… yes ma'am!" he stuttered.
        "And don't call me 'ma'am'!" I barked. "It's Riala Goldentail!" The ferret swallowed nervously and he glanced from my dagger, to my roce, to my golden tail.
        "G- goldentail?" he squeaked. I nodded.
        "Yes, that's my name! Now, where are your slaves?" I asked threateningly. The ferret gulped.
        "F- foller me… G- Goldentail," he stammered. I sliced his footpaw bonds and pushed him forward.
        "Tell me, vermin. Is there any more in your slaving band?" I asked once ferret had calmed down somewhat.
        "Yes… two left… we left 'em to guard the slaves," he answered. I nodded.
        "I see. Who is the leader?"
        "I- I am…"
        "If you play me false, I'll kill you!" I warned. The weasel nodded shakily.
        "I speak the t- truth."
        "Good." I pricked the ferret's back with my dagger. "You will tell them to surrender their weapons and obey me, is that understood?"
        "Y-yes, G-goldentail."

        We finally left the forest and found ourselves on a small ridge, overlooking a cliff in which were many caves. I had heard tales of these caves… once they were known as the Caves of Luke, as that was the mouse leader at one time. As the story went, Luke the Warrior had gone in a ship with many other warriors from the Caves to wipe out searats. It was a brave but unrealistic idea. Luke and the other warriors were never heard from again.
        I turned my attention to the sleeping slaves and one weasel lookout. He didn't see us. Yet. I nudged my ferret captive.
        "D- don't shoot!" the ferret stammered. The lookout whirled around and relaxed his bowstring, but kept his arrow ready.
        "Who's with you, Darkeye, sir?" he asked. I pricked the ferret's back with my dagger. He winced.
        "Ragear… you and Thintail… throw your weapons here… quick!" Darkeye hissed. Ragear was confused.
        "But sir…!"
        "Do it! All of the weapons! That's an order! And… do whatever the squirrel says." Ragear nodded to a rat, and they tossed their weapons to the ground beside me.
        "Who's the squirrel, Darkeye?" Thintail asked.
        "Riala Goldentail." Thintail and Ragear's eyes widened in fear.
        "Goldentail!"
        "Yes, and she's ready to stab me, so obey her!" The weasel and rat nodded dumbly. I took over.
        "Okay! You, Ragear, unlock those slaves' chains and send them here! Thintail, give me half of your food," I ordered. The two vermin scurried to obey. Soon the ten miserable slaves were at my side. I picked up the haversack of food and tied the three slavers to a tree.
        "With some cooperation, you three can escape," I told the moaning vermin. "Quiet! You can survive with your knife and some food, don't worry! But if you follow me, you will die. I promise this." I turned away.
        "You ten, follow me. We're going to pay these hopefully friendly mice a visit."
        At the cliff's base I gave each ex-slave equal shares of the food and a weapon. Then I stepped forward, roce at the ready.
        "Are there any goodbeasts around? I am a friend, Riala Goldentail!" No answer. "If you are vermin, prepare to fight! But if you are a goodbeast, then come out like an honest one!" A strongly built mouse, perhaps a couple seasons older than me, stepped out of the shadows. He laid a paw on the sword at his side.
        "Welcome to the North Caves, Riala Goldentail. I am the leader here, Mark the Warrior."
        Dinner was a leisurely affair, and during it I told my story to Mark. When I had finished, he leaned back.
        "The wolverine you seek has passed by here, but as he did not interfere with us, we did not bother him. He went south." I nodded thoughtfully.
        "South, yes, that's the way he has been going," I commented. "I must ask one thing of you- could you take in the freed slaves? I cannot take them with me."
        "That would be no problem," Mark replied. Suddenly a scout burst in.
        "Searats! It's the Blacktooth, sir! They're comin' to attack!" Mark leapt up.
        "The Blacktooth! Captain Deathclaw's ship?"
        "Yes sir! I recognized the black sails at once," the scout replied. Mark slammed his fist down on the table's wood.
        "I knew this would happen! Which direction is it coming from?"
        "West, sir."
        "West, by the fur! Most likely he came from Teffar's palace, so he'll have double the army! Catapult, Isran, Reysa, Nifu, Fildo, Cellot!" Five mice raced into the room.
        "Yes, sir?"
        "Fildo, take the women and children along with the beasts Riala brought, and go to the cliff top. Cellot, take a fourth of the army, half missile beasts, half paw to paw combaters, to Deathclaw's left flank. Nifu, take another fourth, half missile beasts, half paw to paw combaters, to Deathclaw's right flank. Reysa, take one fourth, again half missile beasts and half close combaters, around to their back. When I blow my trumpet, fire as many times as you can. When I blow it again, stop firing and send in your paw to paw fighters. Go!" The four mice ran off. "Catapult, take one of your catapults and three fighters to the ridge. Destroy the Blacktooth as soon as possible. Wait till the oarslaves are out. Isran, free the oarslaves with ten other mice and get out fast. Do this as soon as you can. I'll guard the caves." The two mice left hurriedly.
        "I'll fight, too," I offered. Mark shook his head.
        "No, Riala, this is my fight. You go on your way."
        "I must repay you," I said firmly. Mark sighed.
        "I can see you will fight no matter what I say. Very well, do what you wish, but Deathclaw is mine!" With that he strode out of his cave and gathered his section of warrior mice. I readied my roce and stepped outside to join Mark the Warrior.
        The army was silent as they waited for the Blacktooth to land. One could feel the tension in the air as the ship lowered anchor and more than two hundred vermin boated ashore, unaware of the hidden army.
        From their hiding spot in the brush, Isran and his crew punted out silently to the ship. Nobeast noticed them. They killed the two lookouts and went below deck. Minutes later they returned with the
thirty-odd oarslaves. Quickly they loaded the boat and escaped undetected.
        With a wild yell the catapult crew cut the seige weapon's arm loose, and its humongous boulder hit the Blacktooth amidships. A second stone completely sank the black sailed ship. A big, burly searat- the largest I'd ever seen- stood and cracked his tail, then drew a wicked- looking scimitar. He waved it angrily in the air, fury showing plainly on his evil, battered features as he yelled at Mark's small group in front of the cave.
        "Mark the Warrior, you may think you're smart, but you'll pay for wrecking my ship!" With a yell, the vermin waded ashore and charged us. The Warrior raised a trumpet- made of a ram's discarded horn- to his lips and blew. The first several ranks were cut down by arrows on three sides. Then Reysa's group cut them off from the sea. The wave vermin were trapped- they were being slain by arrows on all sides. Deatheye, who was the large rat, snarled and charged Mark's group. Mark blew a hasty note on his trumpet and swordsmice, macemice, pikers, spearmice, and others charged, myself with them. Small two- beast battles were being fought everywhere. I used my versatile roce as a mace, swinging it down on heads, up on jaws, slaying and stunning. Five sneering wavescum closed in on me at once, and I decided it was a little too crowded. I let out a couple lengths of cord and swung around in a circle. Most of the vermin backed off. A few were too slow, and were given a blow to the
side of their head by my weapon. I glanced around to see how the other mice were doing. Mark and Deatheye were engaged in fierce combat, as were Cellot, Nifu, and Reysa. I noticed three vermin had broken out of the box of warriors and were headed toward the cliff. I raced after them.
        I suppose after a life on the sea you get strong, but not a speedy runner. Being a squirrel, I easily caught up to the searats and took one out with a hard throw. I retrieved my stick and threw again. One more. I reached the rat and swung my roce at him, letting out an arm's length of cord. He struck out a paw and the centrifugal force caused the weapon to wind around his arm. He must have forgotten that I was a squirrel. I leapt onto him and bowled him over. Whipping out my dagger, I dodged a blow from his cutlass and threw the knife. He fell heavily.
        I retrieved my dagger and my roce and ran back to the battle. There were no vermin left alive. Mark's mice had done their job well.
        "Where did you go to?" the Warrior asked.
        "Three rats had escaped. They were headed toward the cliff. I took care of them," I explained. Then I noticed blood staining Mark's tunic near his leg. "You're hurt."
        "Oh, it's nothing," the Warrior said, shrugging it off. "Just a scratch." He turned to the army.
        "Good job. Deatheye nor any of his rats will never slay another creature. Go home now and rest. We will bury our dead at dusk. First we must care for the living," Mark told them. Quietly the mice left for their caves. Mark paused, then started off toward his cave. Halfway there he tripped and fell heavily. I bounded over to the Warrior.
        "Mark! Listen!" I hissed. "You are hurt badly. Don't shrug it off, you're wounded! You need medical treatment before you get an infection!" The Warrior sighed.
        "All right, Goldentail. You win. Help me up." I extended a paw and pulled the mouse warrior up. He leaned on me as we made our way to his cave.
        The next day I said my good-byes.
        "Thank you for your hospitality, Mark, but I must continue after Nightdeath Longclaws," I said. Mark nodded.
        "I understand. Farewell, and good luck!"
        "Farewell!" I waved good-bye as I continued on my journey.
        After the Longclaws!

Salamandastron

        I had been on the trail for some time since my adventure at the North Caves. Now I had entered the Badlands- dry, desert dunes, too quiet for my liking. Suddenly I heard a croak and wheeled around to see a warty toad, armed with a trident. I readied my roce and waited, ducking behind a dune. He hadn't seen me- yet. The toad croaked again, and several more toads appeared, all armed with tridents like the first.
        "Lookahere! Bushytail caughtnow!" I wheeled around to see a toad about to throw a net over me. I leapt onto the dune and caught the net in midair, sweeping it over and around the toad, rendering him helpless. Another toad directed a stab at me with his trident. I grabbed the weapon and brained him with my roce. Three more came at me at once, and I let out a few lengths of cord and spun around, laying all three out. More toads converged on me, and every time I took one out, another popped up in its place.
        "Nowget bushytail! Hurrynow! King Croakweb saythis!" I looked for the one who had said that, bringing my roce down on another toad. The "King Croakweb" was an extremely warty toad, and very fat. I jumped up on a dune, then gave a gigantic leap over the heads of several astonished
amphibians to land on one's head. I killed another with a downswing from my stick and leapt again, this time reaching the leader. I disarmed him with a flick and picked up his trident. He froze when I pricked his throat with the weapon.
        "Tell your scurvy toads to lay off!" I hissed.
        "Nobeast touch bushytail! Croakweb saythis!" the toad king croaked. All the toads backed away. But the toad had another order. "If bushytail killme, kill bushytail!"
        It was a standstill. Nobeast moved. I was about to kill the toad and then just do a spin around with my roce when I heard a strange warcry.
        "Eulaliaaa! S'death on the wind!"
        Five sand colored hares, armed with lances, leapt into the crowd of toads. They laid out toads left and right with their lance butts. I kept the trident at the toad king's throat.
        One of the hares, a large one with one black ear, popped up beside me.
        "Hello squirrel, d'ya mind tellin' ol' king Croakwotsit t'call off 'is froggies?" I nodded and turned to Croakweb.
        "Tell your toads to stay at least four lengths away from the hares and me at all times!" I commanded. The toad's throat pulsated rapidly.
        "Don'touch bushytail or harebeasts! Stayaway fourlengths alltime!" he croaked.
        "Right, let's get out of 'ere, wot?" the large hare said. We began backing away. On the fringes of the dunes I let Croakweb go. As he waddled off, the black eared hare called after him:
        "And don't bother us again, or I jolly well say we won't use the ol' blunt ends of our lances!" The only female hare in the group, lighter colored than the rest, laughed.
        "Sarrock, don't think they'll listen t'ya! Those warty frogs never do, wot?" The black eared hare shook his head.
        "No, Lera, don't think they bally well will obey, but it's worth a try, doncher know." I stepped forward.
        "May I ask who you are?" I questioned. The black eared hare glanced over at me.
        "Oh, it's the squirellymaid," he said. "Right, as you may have figured out, I'm Sergeant Sarrock. Th' friendly gel there is Lera, th' small chap here is Recar, that bally ol' warrior is Tion, an' th' only one left's gotter be Nuron! Wot's your name, missy?"
        "I'm Riala Goldentail, a traveling warrior from the north. This" I held up my weapon "is my roce." Nuron waggled his long ears.
        "North, eh? How come you don't have an accent?"
        "My… my father brought me up well," I replied.
        "Father? Who's he?" Recar asked.
        "Dead," I said flatly. "Killed"
        "Hold hard, chaps," Lera intervened. "We'd better get back to th' jolly ol' fire mountain afore we get attacked by those bally toads!" Sarrock nodded.
        "Right, then we can 'ear your story, Riala," Tion suggested. I shrugged.
        "Fine with me."
        "All righty then!" Sarrock said. "Let's get t'Salamandastron!"

        The "mountain of the fire lizards" was indeed impressive. We entered Salamandastron and I was taken to meet the Badger Lord. He was a huge badger, armed with an immense broadsword. When I came into the forge, he put down his hammer and greeted me.
        "Hello…" He trailed off, waiting for my name.
        "Riala Goldentail," I introduced myself.
        "Riala. I am Firesight, Badger Lord of Salamandastron. Welcome to my mountain."
        "Thank you, sir," I said. Suddenly we heard a loud bell. The badger hurried out of the room.
        "Better hurry if you want supper!" he called over his shoulder. "Those hares'll eat it all, and then some, the walking stomachs!" I laughed and jogged after him.

        After the meal Firesight, the hares and myself went into a room and sat down.
        "We always enjoy a new story," Firesight said. "Perhaps you'd like to tell us yours."
        I began from where the Longclaws had killed my father, and ended where Sergeant Sarrock and the rest had helped me with the toads. Firesight's eyes were ablaze.
        "Vermin!" he growled. "They are filthy, murderous, treacherous scum, nothing more!"
        Just then a young Runner burst in, breathing hard.
        "Sir! Zarok and his horde are coming this way!" Firesight sprang up.
        "Zarok!"
        "Yes sir! They're coming from the north!" The badger turned to me.
        "Zarok is a black fox, and my sworn enemy. He leads a great horde of all kinds of vermin."
        "If he attacks, I defend this mountain with you," I said. Firesight was about to disagree, but the battle light in my eyes and the remembrance of my story stopped him.
        "Very well, Riala." Firesight turned to the hare leaders.
        "Sarrock, Nolar, Orin, Lonif! I'm holding a council of war!"

        The horde was immense. They marched in front of Salamandastron and Zarok called a halt.
        "Firesight!" he called up to the mountain. "You will die before the sun sets!"
        Firesight pushed his way through the hares and I near the crater of the mountain and climbed out.
        "It is you who will die, Zarok!" he thundered. Then he added, and I could barely hear him. I was sure Zarok couldn't.
        "And I also."
        I glanced quizzically at Lera, who's normally cheerful face was pained.
        "He'll die? How does he know?"
        "It was written on a wall in the very heart of Salamandastron," she told me. "He told us that a badger chap called Bladeleaf will take 'is place."

        Suddenly a score of the vermin fell, javelins protruding from their carcasses. Lera grinned.
        "That's Sarrock fer you," she said. "'im an' 'is score o' spiffin' hares!"
        "Eulaliaaaa!"
        The cry came from the lungs of Sarrock's hares as they lit into the vermin. A score of hares on the other side of the horde charged also.
        "Eulaliaaa! Chaaarrrge!" Firesight bellowed, and he, the two score remaining hares, and myself attacked from the mountain, each with their preferred weapon. Firesight was well named. Lera told me he was constantly on the verge of Bloodwrath, a trait inherited from his grandmother, Cregga Rose Eyes. Now he was berserk, cleaving his way to his enemy, Zarok, with his great sword.
        "Eulaliaaa!"
        "Riiilllaaarrrr!"
         I used my roce as a club, smashing heads and crushing jaws. A sneering weasel sliced my footpaw. I winced, then brought my weapon down on his head. Five vermin converged on me at once, but I couldn't do my spin attack of letting out a few lengths of cord and spinning so everybeast
within range is hit, as a young Runner called Sandfur was in the way. I did the best I could, but I was being overwhelmed by the numbers of vermin!
        "Eulaliaaaa!"
        Lera, Tion, and Recar came leaping in over the heads of the horde. We formed a ring.
        "Thanks!" I panted. Lera winked at me as she spit a ferret with her rapier.
        "No problem! Can y'fight on that bally hoof?" she asked. I sent a stoat to Dark Forest gates before replying.
        "More or less. We're pretty badly outnumbered, aren't we." Tion nodded.
        "Yup, but you know th' drill- do th' best y'can an' take as many as possible with ya!"
        "Logalogalogalog!"
        "What's that?" I asked. Recar laughed in relief.
        "Log-a-Log! Thank th' seasons he's 'ere! With him an' his shrews we might stand a bally chance!"
        At least three score of shrews landed several canoes from the sea and joined in the battle with their rapiers. Soon we could see the battle was going our way.   At long last there wasn't a trace of living vermin anywhere.
        "Where's Firesight?" I asked anxiously. Lera glanced around, then stopped.
        "'Fraid he's at Dark Forest, Riala. Look."
        In the center of the battlefield was the form of a badger and a black fox. Both were dead.
        "The day a squirrel with golden tail
        "Into the mountain comes
        "The fox will find the end of the badger's trail
        "They both shall perish under the setting sun," Lera recited sadly.
        "What's that from?" I asked.
        "The prophecy on the wall," Lera replied softly.
        "A squirrel with a golden tail. That's me," I murmured. Lera nodded.
        "Lets go."

The next day, after I'd paid my respects to Firesight, I slipped away. Another friend lost, another reason to hate vermin. I picked up Nightdeath Longclaws' trail going northeast and followed it, bent on destroying my sworn enemy, even if I had to die to reach my goal.