Finally, the young Jir led the charge to take back their home, Amora-Tae and Rasa taking up their rightful place at the front. Though they would have to wait for the senior warriors before they could rush in swinging and yelling, it was clearly a race to get there first, and Senres-Hal refused to lose. She pumped her legs faster, closing the distance between herself and Amora-Tae. She gradually moved closer to Amora-Tae's side before cutting in front of her and stopping for a second before peeling off again, snickering as she went.
Amora-Tae stumbled and fell hard, a growl coming from both herself and Rasa. The cat helped her Jir up before the two took off after Senres-Hal again. This time, it was harder for Amora-Tae to catch up, the feeling of blood trickling down her shin trying to push its way to the forefront of her mind. She gritted her teeth in frustration, forcing herself to stop and sit. She made quick work of plucking wooden splinters from the gash across her knee, listening as the Fen brothers caught up to her. The taller, Lero-Fen, helped Amora-Tae up quickly, eyes flitting over her in concern. She rolled her eyes before patting them both on the chest to get their attention.
"Toss me. It's a straight line. Don't throw me into a tree." She turned to face forward, holding her arms out, as the brother obliged. They lifted her first by her arms, before turning her belly-down and winding up twice, launching her forward through the trees. She let herself fly through the forest, Rasa's paws thudding behind her. When Amora-Tae felt herself start to slow and drop, she brought her feet quickly under her, landing in a run.
Finally, she could see Senres-Hal only a few yards in front of her, and the garrison just past her, growing by the second. Amora-Tae shot herself up one of the massive trees, bounding forward from branch to branch. Here, Rasa overtook her with glee, shooting forward through the treetop. Despite the cat's massive weight, the branches bore her weight securely and quietly.
When Amora-Tae was nearing the garrison, and pulling in front of Senres-Hal, she dove out of the trees, landing past Senres-Hal, just in front of the garrison wall. Rasa dropped down beside her, purring like a kitten with a leaf and waving her tail lazily.
Senres-Hal came to a stop in front of Amora-Tae, jaw hanging loose and eyebrows furrowed in anger. "That's cheating!" A deep growl tore from her throat and her hands balled into tight, practiced fists. "Just because you spend all your time playing in the trees like a monkey!"
Amora-Tae and Rasa snarled, both baring sharpened fangs. What I wouldn't give to bloody her stupid, pretty face. Swell it till nobody can see her stupid green eyes. "Try me then, Senres-Hal, and tell me I'm the one who needs fighting practice." Amora-Tae pulled her axes off her back, handing them off to Lamruk-Ral and Kamdul-Ral as they and the brothers arrived to the scene.
Senres-Hal scoffed, setting her spiked and gleaming mace aside. "Call off you treestalker, Amora-Tae. Have a shred of honor." When the cat stalked off behind the four Jir watching, Senres-Hal lowered herself to a crouch, taking a few steps back.
Amora-Tae dropped as well, readying herself. If this heda thinks she- Amora-Tae's thoughts were interrupted when Senres-Hal charged her. Amora-Tae moved to sidestep her, but caught a foot to the stomach. Instinctively, she grabbed Senres-Hal's ankle, yanking her to the side and landing a punch to her stomach as she passed.
Senres-Hal barely steadied herself as she fell before launching herself and Amora-Tae, wrapping her arms around her waist. The impact carried them backward, Amora-Tae sliding on her back with Senres-Hal on top of her. As soon as they stopped moving, Senres-Hal started aiming blows at Amora-Tae's head, left hand pressing into her shoulder while Amora-Tae used her arms to deflect punches and shove at the girl on top of her.
Amora-Tae winced as Senres-Hal landed another hit on the right side of her face. That's going to be an ugly bruise. Using her forearms to cover her head, she worked one leg loose before swiftly hooking it around Senres-Hal and using it to throw them both sideways. When Senres-Hal hit the dirt, Amora-Tae was on her in an instant, left shin holding down one arm, the rest of her weight settled onto Senres-Hal's midsection. When Senres-Hal kept trying to hit her, Amora-Tae leaned back for a second before coming in with a hard, well-placed punch to her jaw, settling the fight simply.
When Senres-Hal stopped struggling, Amora-Tae rose and stepped back, brushing dirt from her legs. She touched the bruises blooming across her face gingerly, turning to face her friends as she spoke. "Maybe now I'll have some pea- What?" When Kamdul-Ral cleared her throat and nodded to something behind Amora-Tae, she felt her stomach drop to her knees. She turned to find her parents, as well as the other senior warriors, standing and watching.
Her mother had one hand on her mate's shoulder, likely for balance, another over the modified buckler strapped across her stomach, and a scowl across her face. Her father, however, had his massive arms crossed across his broad chest, one eyebrow raised, and the faintest hint of a smile playing at his lips. Amora-Tae saw Senres-Hal rise out of the corner of her eye, and she could tell the girl's pride was more bruised than anything else. Kamdul-Ral and Lamruk-Ral handed Amora-Tae her axes as her father crossed the short distance between them. He clapped a hand on her shoulder before leading the rest of the party past the teenagers toward the large wooden gates.
Amora-Tae let out a deep exhale, following at the back of the pack with the pairs of siblings on either side of her, Senres-Hal sulking behind them. They went on quietly as Gaul-Tae led them through the wooden gates and into the main yard. The garrison was quiet as well, but when they listened harder, they could all make out the slight scratching coming from inside the stone walls of the main hall.
Gaul-Tae raised his fist, bringing his warriors to a halt. He turned to face them, setting the point of his blade against the dirt. "Thagorn-Ral, you will lead half of the group through the eastern door and kill any ragals you find. Do not let yourselves be overrun. They're small but vicious." He thudded his fist against his chest, half the warriors mimicking his gesture before following the massive Jir off toward the eastern side. "The rest of you, with me." Gaul-Tae and his wife led the way to the massive double doors, nodding to each other before raising their weapons, letting out a battle cry, and leading the charge into the main hall.
Amora-Tae bounced from foot to foot, the Clan's frenzy overtaking her. When it was her turn, she burst into the massive room, blood already spattered across the stone walls. She looked to Rasa, who stood beside her scenting the air, and gave a quick click to the cat. The treestalker finally let out a growl before loping off toward the kitchens, down a short hall just left of her father's massive throne.
She followed the treestalker into the wide room, gray stone just like the rest of the hold. At first, she couldn't tell why Rasa had led her here; no ragals lunged at them from beneath tables, nor had any shot out when they entered. Yet Rasa led the way straight to the meat closet, standing on two feet to paw at the latch.
Amora-Tae came forward, undoing the latch and stepping back as the big cat pulled the door open. A weak growl came from the dark room, and she squatted low to peer under the shelf that used to be filled with salted and dried meats. Meeting her brown gaze were three gray, furry heads with blue eyes like lightning. Amora-Tae reached in slowly pulling the little bodies out one by one. "Stormwolf pups? Since when do ragals take prisoners?" At her voice two of the pups seemed to calm, though one continued to growl, struggling against the vines that bound his paws together.
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"They're runts, all of them." Senres-Hal's voice sent Amora-Tae jumping to her feet, hands on her axe handles. "Put them down." The girl strode forward, already wielding her mace.
"No! You're crazy, Senres-Hal! That's why you aren't bonded yet, not even a river gator would have you." Amora-Tae pulled her axes from her back, ready to send the other Jir packing.
"Yes, because you're so comforting. Is that how you silenced that dying boy? Because he certainly stopped his incessant wailing right around when you must've gotten there." She let a sly grin spread across her lips, siiral glinting in the light drifting through the window. "Or is there something else, something the Clan should know?"
Amora-Tae felt her face grow warm under her green gaze. Fighting to maintain composure, she forced her voice steady and her spine straight. Amora-Tae drew herself to her full height, just shy of six and a half feet tall, towering over Senres-Hal at six feet even. "Piss off, Senres-Hal. I don't answer to you. Now go pull your damn weight or I'll have you pulled from the Hunts this year and put on guard duty this moon and the next."
Senres-Hal bared her teeth at the taller girl, turning away to leave the way they had come, hunting for blood. It wasn't until the sound of her footsteps on the stone floor faded away that Amora-Tae recognized the telltale scratching all around her. From the walls, from the floor it seemed, she just couldn't tell where they were.
At least, not until they came flooding through a door that should've been latched. Dozens of the wiry-haired, pointy-eared creatures came pouring out of the grain store. Amora-Tae and Rasa both planted themselves in front of the pups, prayers and curses alike rushing through the girl's mind.
The ragals fanned out in front of her, thirty pairs of eyes, thirty sets of razor claws and teeth, all fixated on her and the little lives tied up behind her. The big cat bared her fangs, snarling a challenge to the two foot tall invaders bouncing from foot to foot across the room.
"Now would be a great time for backup, eh Rasa?" She paused, hoping, praying. "No? Nothing? Well, we'll see what the All-Mother has written for us, then!" She brandished her axes in front of her, as though fancy axework would settle the dispute. Finally, the ragals seemed to grow brave. Six of them, three from each end, shot forward, beady eyes glinting and short tails whipping side to side as they charged the pair.
Amora-Tae let the first one get close before bringing a foot up to meet its chest and shoving it backward, dispatching a second quickly with an axe. She glanced over her shoulder, making sure Rasa was doing well, before turning to slash at the third ragal. Its bloody body had barely hit the stone before two more took its place. No matter how swiftly she hacked and swung at the little gray creatures, they kept coming, threatening to overwhelm the pair. Finally considering simply tossing herself into their midst to buy Rasa time to save the pups, Amora-Tae imagined she heard someone shout her name.
Taking advantage of the brief distraction, a handful of ragals flung themselves at her, digging nails and teeth into her legs. She let out a hiss of shock and pain, lopping off two heads and ripping the other two from her legs by their ears, throwing them across the room. Why did I kick out Senres-Hal? Amora-Tae risked a quick glance behind her, down at the cowering canines. Right, because you would be dead, I would be back off with my parents, and also I hate that heda. She looked over to Rasa, who bowled ragals over in twos, swatting massive paws with hooked and deadly claws unsheathed. "Save the pups, Rasa." Her voice cracked and her heart shattered at the thought of leaving her treestalker behind in this mess, but she stepped forward regardless.
The cat nudged Amora-Tae, mewling like a newborn kitten, but she pushed the animal's head away gently, steeling herself for the pain to come. But, before she could fling herself into the mass of intruders, Kamdul-Ral came tearing into the room, screaming as she went and daggers slashing through ragals left and right. Lamruk-Ral followed close behind his sister, quickly cutting a path to Amora-Tae.
He looked over her quickly before turning quickly to the vermin in the room, lashing out with both of his swords. Amora-Tae breathed for a moment before jumping in alongside Rasa to help finish off the remaining ragals. When they had slain them all, Kamdul-Ral grinned at her friend, covered in blood.
"Didn't your father tell you not to let yourself be overwhelmed?" Kamdul-Ral snagged a rag from a wood table, running it over her face. Most of the blood came off, some smeared across her jawline.
"And how many times have I told him to pave the grain store?" Amora-Tae set her head against Lamruk-Ral, leaning against his frame for a second before remembering the pups. "I'd bet they have tunnels in there, but I don't know where they got these." She squatted down, pulling the furry bodies to her. The loud one growled until it was brought to her, eyes glued to her fangs.
"Stormwolf pups?" Lamruk-Ral was thoroughly surprised; the Stormwolf clan prized their wolves above anything, and no Jir went unbonded. Perhaps these pups would set that off. "how would the ragals have gotten them? Storm Rock is too far away, no?"
"Not to mention small, and stupid," Kamdul-Ral added, "are we sure Senres-Hal isn't an overgrown ragal queen or something?" She snickered at her own comment before continuing, "Amora-Tae, we have to get back to the Great Hall. Our father made quick work through the eastern door, and Gaul-Tae wants to check everyone over before he sees to that mother you found. He asked me to make sure you're okay."
Amora-Tae laughed, drawing the pups into her arms and standing straight. "Yes, well, I suppose we had better get these to him first then." She made her way to the door, stepping over broken bodies and pooling blood.
"Finally, there she is!" Gaul-Tae's voice boomed through the room as soon as his eyes fell on his daughter. Then, his voice left him as his eyes fell further to the gray fur bundles wriggling in her and her friends' arms. "Ra-Tae, what does she have?" He rubbed at his left eye before squinting at his daughter walking gingerly through the room.
His mate didn't answer, already on her feet and pushing warriors out of her way, going as fast as she could to her daughter. The two came together quickly, Ra-Tae turning her daughter's face side to side as she examined her. "What's wrong Amora-Tae? Where are you hurt? And is that really..." her voice trailed off as her gaze flew past the pup to Amora-Tae's bloody legs. "What happened? Are you hurt anywhere else? Are those things dead? I swear if they aren't yet I'll hang them from their tails myself!" Her voice rose in fervor the more she spoke, finally getting behind her daughter and nudging her forward towards the end of the room, fussing over her hair and her skin as they went.
When they finally reached the steps in front of the throne, Amora-Tae gave her father a sheepish grin. "I found these," she said simply, shifting the pup in her arms. She had taken the rowdiest one, now soothed in her arms, while the other two lay with the twins standing behind her. "We should really pave the grain stores."
Gaul-Tae sighed, shaking his head. "Thank you for bringing her back, Lamruk-Ral." His dipped his head to the Jir, who brought his fist to his chest in salute. Gaul-Tae pushed himself from his bone-and-wooden throne, descending the half-dozen steps to meet his daughter. "Let me see it," he muttered as he reached for the pup. As soon as it left contact with Amora-Tae, it began fussing and nipping at the Jir, held aloft by the scruff of its neck. "Are the other two this feisty?" He chuckled, passing the bundle back to his daughter. "I suppose for now you should watch them, Amora-Tae. Rasa can help you care for them until I hold council tonight. Then the Clan can decide what to do with them." He turned back up the steps, standing before his throne before addressing his warriors. "Thagorn-Ral and his son will lead the rest of the Clan here. We will mop up this mess, then, we feast!" The men and women around him cheered, and when they quieted, he continued, "tonight, I will hold an open council. All may speak. Now go, do your duties." He came back down the stairs, drawing his wife into an embrace as he passed.
Amora-Tae nodded quickly to Kamdul-Ral and Lamruk-Ral, leading them quickly up the stairs behind the throne and off toward her room. Once they had all hurried in and the door was shut and latched, she set the stormwolf pup carefully on the tiger pelt on the floor, letting it pile together with its siblings. "I suppose it's in the All-Mother's hands," she sighed, watching the pups sniff and nuzzle each other, drawing close together for comfort.