Burrows and Badgers: The Pi-Rats of the Carvery Inn

"So, let me get this straight," Sir Dereck mused from a log next to the campfire, "We went up against four other gangs, and no one is injured?"
"I took a crossbow bolt to the arm," Neddy interjected.
"It scratched you bruvva!" Eddy dug him in the ribs.
"Even Matilda was still standing!" Ron the Weasel added, "Oi!" A hazelnut shell landed firmly on his nose.
"Moss Port, who would have thought that flea scratch town would stand up to Pi-Rats." Teddy scratched his whiskers. "Impounding their ship while they were in a pub having a meal was a bold move."


"Yeah," the White Monk looked over from his text, "offloading their booty and auctioning it on the market sqaure was bound to cause issues".
Smalls leaned over, took a peak at the holy book, wrinkled his nose and added "Especially without arresting the rats first."
Matilda looked up from her hazelnut "Rats reclaming a ship, don't they usually leave them?"
"Only when they're sinking! Four neighbouring gangs had heard what was going on and were after that loot too. Plus I bet there was extra treasure hidden on that boat, we could have got on board and searched it. We got lucky I guess," Sir Dereck stroked his moustaches. "Two bands of freebeasts, the Pi-rats, a gang of badgers, and us. Tough! Plus the town guard moving the booty off the ship to the market, had the making of a massive dust-up!"


"It was quite a busy quayside. Those rats had been rather successful." Smalls laughed. "four cart loads of goods being move, each one needing two guards, quite a task."


"The rats were straight towards the town centre." Neddy added, "They weren't waiting around were they?"
"

"Bit off that that badger started shooting at us!" Neddy grinned, "Our bolts could hardly hurt them, being so tough and fully-armoured."


"The hill was a bit of a pain, it slowed us right down," Ron moaned.
"Well, that and vollying crossbow bolts at badgers!" Matilda laughed.


"Having a badger charge you is rather worrying," Sir Dereck uttered, "Glad of the magical assist Neddy, could not have taken that fiend down without your rage!"
"Taking down a badger, very impressive!" Smalls grinned.


"Loved the way you just casually sneaked through the bell-tower of the church your holiness!" Eddy grinned.
"Better than you trying to find a needle in that haystack!" The monk stuck a tongue out at the stoat.


"The rats were making a bee-line for the market, as were Rufus Hound's gang. They were treating each other with a lot more respect than those badgers were treating us!" Smalls noted.
"Not everyone is a raving pshycopath," Neddy laughed.
"Only becasue your brother keeps casting spells on us!" Smalls groaned.


"You know, mice as town guards, always so hard to take on, they kept parrying everyone's blows, even the hardest warriors!" Matilda smiled. "Bless them, they deserve a raise, or at least to be bought a shield each!"


"Quite a few ran off though," Matilda added. "But I was more concerned with the Pi-Rats who were legging it past us, before we could get to any treasure!"


"One of the Freebeast gangs, the Barbaric Pedestrians, was clearing out the guard on the quay and were making off with at least two chests of treasure, they're going to be loaded!" Neddy laughed.
"Rufus the Hound's gang was making off the other two from the market square. It was really impressive how they took down a raptor to do that!" Eddy added.


"Nice work Matilda, not getting taken down by two rats!" Teddy grinned. "Got to be a record for you."


"I felt sorry for the town guards facing the badger from the Barbaric Pedestrians, a mouse who managed to fight her off for ages, and that rabbit who was hit by at least three lightning bolts, it kept dodging the squirrel's arrows, otherwise he would be in a ditch somewhere!" Neddy added.
Smalls laughed, "No wonder that rabbit hightailed it out of there!"


The White Monk lent back, looking at the gang, "We did well, maybe we should have let the rats onto their ship, but they had given up retreaving their loot, and we had little chance of getting to search their ship before they got back... "
"I blame the hill!" Ron interjected.
The White Monk continued, "It was worth it for the fight, bringing the light to the unholy!"
"Or in one of our cases, the dark to the holy!" Sir Dereck looked at the triplets and winked.
 

"Here's to many more encounters without Matilda or Sir Dereck taking a dive!" Smalls smiled as many hazelnut shells flew at him.