LEGACY OF SHADOWS

CHAPTER SEVEN: SNOW

Black Tip opened her eyes. There were flames burning in front of her, the light bright enough to hurt. Closing her eyes again, she tried to think; the last thing she remembered was the snow and the wind. Fire didn't seem to fit anywhere. Maybe she was dead, then; it was possible. But if she was dead, why did she hurt all over, aching and feeling almost bruised as feeling crept back into her paws?

Opening her eyes again and blinking rapidly, she looked around her drowsily and noticed Kayto sitting to one side with his ragged cloak pulled about his shoulders, carefully turning some wood drying to one side of the flames. She watched him for a while; every so often he put one of the dry sticks into the fire and picked a damp stick from a pile beside him to dry.

Her mouth felt dry and cracked, but she managed to clear her throat and croaked, "Kayto?"

He looked around, relieved. "You're awake. Thought you were gone for a while there," he offered with a crooked grin.

"Well, I guess I'm not," she replied hoarsely.

Given the general vermin mentality, that was more or less the end of the conversation at that point. Silently the pair broke camp and continued trekking through the snow, setting the pattern for the next few days, by which time they were in the proper mountains and frequently had to climb rock faces and steep slopes, always going higher and never seeing another living beast.

Until finally Kayto, plodding stoically through the snow, announced almost idly, "There are fresh pawprints off to our left."

A minute later the snow to the left exploded as a pair of white ermine dressed in pale silver/grey uniforms burst out of a drift, leaping on the pair. The one who pounced on Black Tip was more fortunate than his comrade who'd had the misfortune to encounter Kayto; he only suffered a blow to the ribs and a set of claws lightly digging into the back of his neck. His partner was almost decapitated and lay lifeless in the trampled snow.

The surviving sentry rolled over and examined the claws now an inch from his chest. His pale blue eyes travelled upwards to regard the dark emerald ones glaring at him, and he made a swift decision. Carefully extending both paws out and laying them flat in the snow on either side of his body, he said urbanely, "Or we could start again. Good day to you, and what brings you to this region… sir?"

Kayto reluctantly smiled slightly. "Wise decision, stoat."

"Beg pardon, sir, but I'm a ferret," the guard replied, risking lifting his head a fraction. The wildcat examined him closely and saw that this was true; he was merely a white ferret with those odd pale eyes and black tipping not only his tail but his paws as well. The other, dead sentry was just an ermine and unworthy of consideration.

"Well, whatever," he conceded. "Do you know the name of Greeneyes?"

The ferret considered his options, realised he had none and replied in the same urbane and civilised manner. "I do indeed, sir, and would I be right in thinking that you're related to our very own Lord Lisk? You have the look of him about you, and of course there is that trinket about your neck…"

Kayto relaxed slightly, intrigued by the sentry's unconventional yet easygoing manner and apparent lack of fear. "That is not your concern, ferret. What's your name, anyway?"

Unabashed by the reproof, the vermin attempted a salute whilst lying flat on his back in the snow. "Razorfang, sir, or Raze for short…"

"Well, Raze, you are going to tell me everything you know about Lisk Greeneyes."

Pale blue-grey eyes met brilliant dark emerald green. Raze swallowed and concluded that yes, he was going to do just that. Clearing his throat, he started talking.

(Inspiration has just died painfully, so I shall end this not-very-good very short chapter here. The next chapter will have some actual plot and action in it, I promise. This fic is dragging… Has anyone seen my muse?)