Burrows and Badgers - "Free D'Owl!" A four sided scrap

The Big Yin sat on a stool sewing a new buckle on to a leather belt. Doing little jobs like this gave him time to listen, think and plan. Right now he was listening to Wild Robbie Barratt who had just returned from a scouting mission with the news of this new warband and it’s latest fight.

‘This new gang the ‘Barbaric Pedestrians’. Gods they sound like a right bunch of posh boys.’ said the Big Yin.

‘Girls.Their leader is a Border Collie called Honey. All blond hair and fancy clothes,’ said Wild Robbie, ‘They took on Bowie and L’Otter and didn’t do so well.’

Those names bought a snarl to the lips of the Big Yin. He carried a dozen or more scars from battles with that warband.

‘Why should we get involved?’ He asked, to the other member of the warband.

‘We’re never going to side with Bowie, are we,’ said Lucy, the warbands Mage. This was a statement not a question.

The Big Yin nodded, that would NEVER happen - far too much blood spilt between their two warbands for that.

‘And as they say, our enemy’s enemy is our friend.’ she carried on. ‘Helping them could weaken Bowie and his gang.’

‘It would cost them, but the posh girl Collie should have the cash,’ the Big Yin said as he finished his work.

Wild Robbie carried on, ‘Bowie took a prisoner and the posh girl has vowed to get him back.’

The Big Yin looked at Lucy as she asked, ‘We could go along, maybe lend a paw?’

‘Better let them know we’re going to be around and are not a threat. Well… not much of a threat.’

‘What are you going to do with the money?’ Asked Lucy looking hard at the Big Yin.

‘Well,’ he said ‘there’s this wild cat BLB met on his travels. A bit down on his luck. Needs a new home and some new friends…’ There was gleam in the ferret’s eye as he said this, which made all the members of the warband smile.

‘Wild Robbie, you go with Her Ladyship and offer Honey our support, for 30 pennies.’ said the Big Yin packing up his tools. Looking round at the rest of his gang he carried on, ‘but we’ll go along anyway, just to watch the fun. Ok.’

Later that evening, elsewhere in the forest, The Freebeasts of the Well of Ashes sat in the rain and dark, next to a barely lit fire, water dripping down the backs of their necks or soaking into cloaks. Berry the Shrew felt the drips come off his helmet as he sat up. He ached everywhere from the fight. "What did I miss?" He groaned as he came round.

"Next time, we just agree, we slit the captive's throat, rather than spend a week arguing about what to do with it and then getting kicked about by two warbands!" L'Ouseux span a knife on his fingertip.

"Not really our way though, is it?" Red the mouse winked from under his floppy roadmans hat as a few drops cascaded from its brim.

L'Otter shook her fur, she had come out of this unscathed, this time, but it had been close "My apologies all, I thought the old fort in the river was a good place to hold up. Maybe a little too over confident." The rain eased a little as she spoke. "Sneaker and Snappy were deployed out to secure the bridge, but they saw both Big Yin's mob and  the Barbaric Pedestrians approaching from the far side of the woods."

"Glad Batty and L'Ouseux flitted out to join them as they pulled back." Abi grinned, "Nice guys bringing their friend back safely." 

"Don't, you'll spoil my reputation!" grinned the scared Sparrow.

"Copped a blast of lightning on the way too!" Moaned the bat, rubbing its wing membrane.

Sneaker  rubbed water off a fresh scar on his arm, "I got a shot off at their mage, but it missed."

Lady Door looked about the group, pulling his cape around him tighter, "DId I imagine it, or was there a band of badgers that wandered past?"

Bowie laughed, adjusted his broad brimmed hat , and grinned a toothy grin. One eye glowed red, the other yellow in the reflected light, "Oh yes, L'Otter had been in contact with the Brocktown Militia. If the Barbaric Pedestrians can have friends, so could we!"

"Big Yin's lot swarmed that bridge pretty quickly," Snappy the squirrel ranger added as he wrang out his cloak. Above, a few stars broke through the clouds, "Good thing I spotted that rascal Archie the mouse, allowed a good blast from you, plus a fair few arrows and daggers, but not enough to finish him" the squirrel pointed one finger at the Otter and winked. "They heal quicker than you!"

Batty squeaked in, "I did not like the idea of the Barbaric Pedestrians closing on us so quickly. They kept repeating their cry of 'Give us back D'Owl!"

"On our own we knew we could deal with them, but with Big Yin's mob attached, that's was a hard task." The Shrew, Berry added.

"Red and I headed across the stream line to try and close them down on the left." Bowie fiddled with his hat brim.

"Just like us on the right," Snappy added, weaving a new bow string, "but there were so many of them. It just was not safe, we pulled back, sharp like!"

"It was only just enough, that monstrous kite, Kyle, nearly caught me on a charge, he was so tough I could not get my arrows through his armour. Glad I hid, freezing into the shadows" Snappy added, testing the string between his fingers.

"It felt like the whole of Big Yin's mob was waiting on that parapet, armed with all sorts of nastiness! The badgers just wander past them at full speed, heading for the Barbarics, polite as anything." Red grinned, poking the fire trying to get some life into it.

"At least you had a nice bridge to cross, I tried wading the ford to head off the Barbarics from the fort, and the damned thing came up to my nose. I was stuck in their!" Berry the Shrew shrugged, damply, pouring his boots out. "I'll never get this water out of my boots!"

Bowie laughed at his friend the shrew, "I can see you taking in three massive monsters by yourself, you're the mad type who would do that!" A mud pie arced though the air, which Bowie only just ducked. "OI!!!"

"Milady was moving around to flank us, so I went after her." Bowie sat back, "I could see Bovva trying to track down Sneaker, so I came forwards again."

"Honey the hound tried to cross the right hand ford, but from the depths, I launched an ambitious ambush on her," Berry grinned through his scars. "Landed a couple of good hits on her too."

"I could see the situation developing quickly," Snappy mused, flicking a few drops of water off his bow case, "Berry and L'Ouseux having to hold the ford to the right. Not an easy task when two small beasts are being attacked by three massive creatures."

L'Ouseux grinned, "I'm above average height you know!"

"On the left Bovva had found Sneaker, Bowie found M'lady, Red was coming up fast, but the badgers were being targeted by Rocket's lightning from the Barbarics."

"Not a strong mage though," L'Otter added, "Kept failing to call in any power."

L'Otter continued "The badgers were heading back to the bridge, one with the crossbow went hunting,  crossing the river too to deal with  Rocket . We also noted Bovva'd Little Brova moving towards Sneaker." She leaned back, contemplating the gangs reaction.

Berry groaned, "That was the point I went out cold, felled by that hound "

L'Ouseux patted his shoulder with a wing, "Taking on a kite, a badger and a hound, we were always in trouble. We only have two or three medium sized characters, compared to all those massive fighters "

Bowie looked up, eyes glowing again, "The Brocktown Militia sergeant was coming our way, while the rest headed for the Pedestrians."

"They were definitely trying to find something in those woods." Red grinned, "anyway, I was having issues with BLB."

"Not as many as I was with Bovva!" Sneaker groaned 

"Humph, at least you weren't having to fight the Barbarics!" L'Ouseux laughed at the mouse.

"Being outnumbered that badger looming over the hedge was a certain relief for me " Bowie's grin was infectious, "however, they were dazzled by my good looks."

A mud pie flew across the fire, plus many cries from the gang, then another, and another, Bowie was soon filthy. 

"Sorry all, I was taken down by an awesome strike from Honey, even my mighty shield could not stop a berserk and perfect attack." L'Ouseux shook his head.

"It was almost as exciting as the Brocktown Sergeant taking out Little Yin on one hit on a charge, he's almost as good as me!" Bowie knew better this time, rolling out the way of the mud flying towards him 

L'Otter sighed, "Pity the game was up, Kyle was through to release D'Owl. Batty, are you alright, you were taking a lot of arrow and lighting hits that took you down?"

"All healed up boss, I fear nothing now!" The bat flexed his wings like a weight lifter.

Red looked over at his fellow mouse, "You okay Sneaker mate? Bovva took you down hard " 

Sneaker looked over the fire at the other mouse, "Yeah, all good, a scratch and scar, not much to worry about."

"I know how you feel Berry and L'Ouseux, Honey ran over me too!" The otter shuddered, "Can't blame you lot for breaking off then."

"Five wounded, but four of us recovered straight away, it's all good!" Abi grinned.

"Note your spell book is looking fuller, two extra spells?" L'Otter asked 

"Don't worry, only one was dark!" The other Mage winked. 

"Anyone for dancing?" Bowie laughed, "Loads of us added to our nimbleness."

SPLAT

"If you are that nimble, how come you can't dodge mud!"