High Rhulain

Riggu Felis, an able general and a cunning tactician, deserved the title of warlord. He sent six scouts out, ahead of his main body of catguards, to comb the woodlands and hills for traces of his enemy. It was midnoon when they picked up the trail, pursuing it to the bank of a wide stream. Being cats, and not overly fond of water, they waited by the shallows for the wildcat and his command to catch up with them.

In the bushes on the opposite bank, the otters lay hidden, watching the catguards. Big Kolun Galedeep and Banya Streamdog crouched alongside the outlaw Leatho Shellhound. After grasping the oar, which was now his favourite weapon, Kolun nudged his friend.

“You were right, mate. They’ve arrived, though there ain’t many of ’em. Wot d’ye think their next move’ll be?”

Leatho never took his eyes off the scouts. “Let’s wait an’ see, Kolun. I wager Felis’ll be along with the rest soon enough. I want to count how many he has with him.”

Banya volunteered her services. “I’ll do that, Shellhound, but wot d’ye want ’em counted for?”

The outlaw explained his strategy. He was the wildcat’s equal when it came to planning ahead. “I know that Felis has two hundred or more catguards in his army. If they’re all with him, then we’ll make this place our battlefield. We could chop’em to ribbons afore they cross the water. Now durin’ the fight, I’ve got a job for you, Kolun. When I gives the word, take yore clan an’ all the Streambattle clan out of here in secret. I’ll hold the cats off with what I’ve got left. You circle round the back, get clear away, then march for the fortress. The slaves’ll be unguarded if Felis has all his guards with him. You can hit the place hard an’ free all our friends.”

Big Kolun grinned. “Good idea, matey, but wot if’n Felis don’t have a full force along with him?”

Leatho nodded. “I’ve thought o’ that. If Banya counts less than the full number, then we’ll decoy ’em. We’ll pull out an’ make a lot o’ noise, so they can follow us easily. I know a good hill, it’s inland, an’ any beast on the high slope can give a good account of themselves there.... Stow it, mates, here comes Felis an’ the rest!”

The catguards gathered in four ranks on the opposite bank; their warlord stood to one side, sheltered by a large willow tree. Weilmark Scaut took the tracker’s report before joining his master.

“Lord, the tracks ended at this stream. The otters ’ave a far greater force than ours.”

A satisfied hiss came from behind the chain mail mask. “Good, just as I had hoped, Scaut. Send six of your guards to cross the stream. Take a score of archers back into the brush. I know they’re waiting for us on the other side of this water, I can feel it. Listen now, they’ll send lances and slingstones at the six in the stream. Check what direction the weapons come from and send your arrows over that way. Then we’ll see what happens.”

The six guards were not too happy to enter the stream, but they had their orders. Immediately as they entered the shallows, a fusillade of slingstones and light javelins dropped four of them.

Big Kolun brandished his oar. “Well, ’ow many of the scum did ye count, Banya?”

The tough Galedeep maid flung off a slingstone. “About fivescore, give or take a few. . . . Look out!”

A volley of arrows hummed viciously down among the otters. Leatho saw two clanbeasts fall, and another injured. “Kolun, give the order to fall back, but keep slingin’. Don’t retreat too far, then cut off into the trees to yore left. Make sure they know we’re runnin’ away.”

A scorecat named Fleng hurried to Riggu Felis and Scaut beneath the willow. “Lord, the otters are beaten, they’re abandonin’ their position!”

Abandoning the cover of the willow, the warlord watched intently as the undergrowth and bushes swayed. He heard the shouts of the fleeing otters. “They’re travelling inland. What do you make of that, Scaut?”

The weilmark’s voice was heavy with scorn. “We’ve got’em beaten, Lord. Otters can’t stand up to yer catguards. Look, they’re well on the run!”

Chain mail chinked as the wildcat shook his head. “It’s just as well that I’m in command and not you!”

Ignoring Scaut, he turned to Scorecat Fleng and issued his commands. “Take your squad and pursue them from this side until you can find somewhere easy to cross the stream. Keep after them, and make as much noise as you can to let the otters know they’re being pursued. Go now, we’ll follow up before dark.”

Fleng saluted smartly with his spear. A moment later, he and his twenty guards were dashing along the bankside, shouting aloud.

Riggu Felis shouldered his war axe. “Get the rest of our force and follow me, Scaut.” He strode off in the opposite direction, to the right.

Issuing orders to his scorecats, the weilmark got everybeast under way. He trotted forward to the warlord’s side, obviously bewildered. “Lord, twenty guards aren’t enough to defeat all those otters. Aren’t we going to follow an’ defeat’em, like you said you would?”