High Rhulain

Tiria bounded up beside Cuthbert. “Yes we are, and I’m one of the chaps. A queen’s place is with her warriors. Much as I like playing with babes, that’ll have to wait awhile. Raise the clans, Shellhound!”

Cuthbert was about to object when Kolun cautioned him, “Ye don’t argue with a queen, Major, especially one that sounds like my missus when she’s dancin’ on her rudder!”

The hare took one look at the tall ottermaid unwinding her sling and coughed. “Harrumph! Very good, point taken old lad, wot!”

Balur crouched on the rimtop, holding a long pike axe by his side. Shielding his eyes against the noontide sun, he squinted down the steep, rocky, brushstrewn slope of the crater. Everything seemed unusually quiet; even the grasshoppers had stopped chirruping among the heather, and the humming of bees visiting gorseflowers was absent. He raised himself slightly higher, thinking he had detected a movement amid some rocks.

He had time for only one strangled yelp as the slingstone split his skull. Then he toppled downhill, with a few loose rocks falling behind him.

“Eulaliiiiaaaa! Ee aye eeeeeeeee!”

Slingstones whipped uphill, most of them bouncing off the barricade which stood across the path, a few finding their way over the rough stone wall but not causing much damage to the enemy.

Pitru was up and at the barricade, snapping out orders. “Archers, stand by! Spears and pikes, drop back! Slingers and boulder throwers, up front here!”

Sergeant O’Cragg shook his head at Leatho and Tiria. “Ye needs t’be further h’up to be doin’ h’any good with those slings!”

Cuthbert whispered to Captain Granden, “It looks like we’ll have to try a charge!”

Before Granden could reply, there was a clatter and a rumble from above. The steep crater side shook as an avalanche of rock and rubble pounded down from above.

Tiria yelled, “Find cover, quick! Get your heads down!”

She and Kolun crouched behind a rocky outcrop as boulders bounced by overhead, followed by a hurtling mass of soil, vegetation and scree. Big Kolun covered Tiria, shielding her with his powerful back. She felt the thud as several missiles rebounded from him. Then there was silence, soon broken by a cheer from the cats on the rim.

Kolun straightened up, spitting out dust and groaning as he rubbed his back. “Phew! They nearly had us that time, Lady!”

The ottermaid wiped debris from her eyes anxiously. “Are you hurt, Kolun? Did any big rocks hit you?”

The big fellow managed a rueful grin. “Oh, I think I’ll live, marm. Banya, wot’s goin’ on?”

Banya Streamdog came scurrying on all fours, a large gash over one eye. “We lost two clanbeasts an’ a hare.... Look out!”

The three huddled together as another load of boulders thundered down the slope. This was smaller than the first lot, and soon petered out.

Now the catguards were chanting. “Pitru! Pitru! Death to his foes!”

In the relative safety of the rocky outcrop, Cuthbert, Granden and O’Cragg joined Kolun, Leatho, Banya and Tiria for a hasty Council of War. Granden glanced grimly up at the crater top.

“Bad show all round, chaps, wot?”

Kolun looked up from pressing some dried moss to Banya’s wound. “I told ye they could pin us down here, Major. There ain’t no way we can get at the scum, that’s a fact!”

Cuthbert polished dust from his monocle nonchalantly. “Pish-tush, old lad! I’ve thought of a solution already. Sarn’t O’Cragg, see if y’can’t get the Patrol an’ a few stout otter types away off to the left flank. Quietly now, don’t let the cats see what we’re up to, wot! Cap’n Granden, I’ll leave you in charge here. Begin advancin’ slowly in ranks of three, slingin’ fusillades.”

The captain drew his long rapier. “I’m with ye, Major Frunk. We keep the blighters busy while you work a flanker on’em. Hah, we’ve played that game before. Remember when we whacked those vermin at the south cliffs?”

Cuthbert nodded. “Precisely! But remember, don’t give the order to charge ’til ye hear me give the old war whoop.”

Captain Rafe Granden threw a curt salute. “Aye, sir. The moment ye yell, we’ll come runnin’ like death on the wind. There’ll be a lot o’ cats linin’ up at Hellgates by sunset!”

Major Cuthbert Blanedale Frunk began to smile. “By thunder there will, I’ll see to that. G’bye, chaps!”

He stole off to the left. Tiria made as if to follow him, but Captain Granden placed a restraining paw on her. “You stay with us, Lady. The Major ain’t a beast to be around today. Did ye see how wild his eyes were? Right! Kolun, Banya an’ you, too, miss, follow me. I’ll show ye the ropes, ’tis quite simple. You’ll each be in charge of a rank. Don’t worry, you’ll soon pick it up!”

Pitru peered over the top of his wall, then ducked down to Hinso at his side. “Well, that soon stopped them. We’ll give them another shower of rocks in a bit. Huh, they won’t be so eager to charge us then, eh?”

Hinso glanced back over her shoulder. “Lord, we’ve used up all the stones we collected.”

The young warlord replied scathingly, “Then don’t argue with me! Get some more, and get them fast. Move yourself!”