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Slaughter At Stringybark Creek

Chapter Thirteen,

1. Cederwyn Whitefurr

4th September, 2017

All Rights Reserved.

Constable Kelsie woke the next morning, then tried to drag her mind out of what felt like the deepest layers of hell as it pounded like the legions of hell were rallying for war. With a weak gurgle, she pressed a paw to her head, as the room spun around, as she pushed herself up off the wooden floor, then even that effort made her nauseous and she collapsed on to the floor again.

“Urrgh - “ Constable Kelsie gurgled, her tongue feeling thickly furred and her head aching.

A sudden hammering at her door felt like the crash of thunder in her ears, making her squeal in agony, as she clutched her paws to her ears and whimpered.

“Constable – are you in there?" Come a frantic, panicked feminine voice.

Coughing and retching, Constable Kelsie dragged herself to the table, then clung to it as a drowning person might a piece of driftwood, as she panted, even this simple movement, leaving her feeling like she had run to Melbourne.

“Constable?" Come the voice again, then the hinges creaked as her cabin door was opened cautiously, a shadow falling over the floorboards.

“Here..." Constable Kelsie moaned piteously, as her hooflets scraped against the table leg as she pulled herself upwards, then clinging to the edge of the table, she stood on shaking hooves and pressed a paw to her forehead.

“Constable, I - “ Spoke the young Whitetail, before she blinked and looked around the corner of the door, feeling guilty and frightened, then seen Kelsie standing and swaying, almost as if she were drugged.

Kelsie coughed and winced, then nodded and gestured feebly, before she slithered into the single wooden chair which creaked under her weight, making her squeeze her eyes tight and shudder.

“Constable...are you alright?" Asked the Doe, as she timidly crept closer. “Do you need me to go get the Doctor?"

“Water...please - “ Come the feeble response.

Her hooves sounding like a herd of wild horses on the wooden boards, the filly whimpered, before a bowl of cold water was pressed into her shaking paws. Barely able to hold it to her lips, the Doe assisted her and helped Kelsie drink some of the water, before setting the bowl down.

“Are you sure you're okay?" Inquired the Doe, her eyes widening. “You look deathly sick...I can go get the Doctor, he's not too far away and - “

“I'm...fine, thank you - “ Kelsie murmured, as she moaned and buried her head in her paws.

“You don't smell fine – forgive me for saying so!" Snorted the Doe, as she delicately held a paw to her nostrils.

Kelsie had been oblivious, then as her senses cleared a little, she shuddered and wrinkled her own nostrils, smelling the scent of the spilled alcohol and her sweaty uniform and body beneath it.

“I need a bath..." Kelsie muttered, as she rose, her knees trembling.

Gently, the Doe slipped her hands under Kelsie and helped her to stand, before nodding and guiding the weak kneed and very hungover Filly towards the small room in her one bedroom cottage, where Kelsie paused, as her quivering fingers fumbled with the buttons on her uniform.

“Angelica, could you please - “ Kelsie blushed, her ears flattening.

Happily, the Doe turned Kelsie around, then undid the tight buttons and eased the heavy uniform off, then held it at arms length, her muzzle curling as her sensitive nostrils tried to block the stink of sweat, alcohol and other strong scents. Dressed in her undergarments, Kelsie paused, then looked at Angelica, who blushed and turned away, then sat at the table, whilst Kelsie began bathing in cold water, using rough soap to clean her fur.

“You wanted me?" Kelsie mumbled, as she shivered in the cold water, scrubbing at her mane.

“Yes, I – there's a problem - “ Angelica sighed. “A young Vixen, about six years old, was found on the outskirts of town. I – don't know where to take her, she's with my daughter now, but the poor thing was crying and so frightened she said that...bad men...had murdered her family and - “

With a shocked gasp, Kelsie lashed out verbally, making Angelica squeal in fright.

“Don't EVER repeat that – ever..." Kelsie growled.

“I'm - “ Angelica whispered fearfully.

“Angelica – I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap your head off - “ Kelsie shuddered and stepped from the shower, turning the tap off. “I...you promise you'll never speak a word of what I am about to tell you?"

Angelica settled her nerves, then she frowned and looked at the filly, as if she thought Kelsie was mad.

“It's about...what happened - “ Kelsie stammered, then her own emotions overwhelmed her, and she burst into tears.

Without thinking, Angelica leapt from where she was sitting, then wrapped her arms around the filly's back and held her, hearing the heart breaking sobs from Kelsie.

“Promise me!" Kelsie sobbed. “Your life, the life of your daughter, and that vixen child...depend on your silence!"

“I...promise, I swear it..." Angelica murmured, as she frowned and cuddled the crying Filly.

For nearly fifteen minutes, Kelsie struggled with her emotions, until she finally began to talk...and tell Angelica exactly what she had seen....

*

Sgt. MacGoven flew into a rage, the likes had never been seen, as he gripped the shaking man by the collar then slammed him back against the wall of the police station, hard enough to knock the air from his lungs and leave him gasping.

“HOW did this happen? Where, when? Tell me you miserable wretch, or I'll make you wish that stallion killed BOTH of you!"

Gasping and panting, the man told the Sargent everything he could remember, but he left out the fact he and his companion were going to rape and murder the young Pretty Faced Wallaby – not that he thought, the Sargent would have cared...

“We need to form a militia, hunt this damn murderous bastard and bring him back to be hung...or just kill him, I don't care which! How dare he start murdering innocents, I bet he was responsible for the murders of the driver and guard on the stage..." Sgt. MacGoven snarled, as he began pacing back and forth. “I'd love to see him hanging from the gallows and..."

Whilst the Sargent ranted, the man who had delivered Ironclad's warning, made to leave the police station.

“YOU!" Sgt. MacGoven snarled. “Find that Filly whore, I don't care if you got to drag her here by her tail! Go round up the other men, you hear me? Everyone of my people...we're going to flush this stallion out, and by God, we'll make him pay for his crimes..."

*

Ironclad stood beside his mare, looking down at the sobbing Pretty Faced Wallaby Doe, who dropped to her knees and cried helplessly, the poor girl was so stressed and sickened, having witnessed Ironclad murder the human, yet he stood resolute before her, the rifle slung over his shoulder in its harness, his hands by his sides and his body language held neutrally, so as not to frighten this poor girl anymore than she already was.

“Why did you...he - “ She stammered, her voice wracked with sobs and raw unbridled emotion.

“He was going to rape you – they both were," Ironclad growled, his hatred for what they were about to do, colouring his voice and making it sound harsher than he meant.

“No, they just wanted too - “ She wept, then rose and beat her fists against his armoured chest, until her anger drained away, then Ironclad gently wrapped his arms around her and held her close, letting her cry all over again.

“Trust me..." Ironclad whispered, his voice more soothing and gentle, as he comforted her. “I know these types of men...they'd have...done unspeakable things to you, hurt you terribly, then killed you and left you here...what would your parents have done? What would your friends say, when one day, you never came back to Stringybark? Think lass, how would YOU feel, being helpless, crying out in pain and fear and..."

Fresh tears welled up within her, and he sighed quietly, then crouched down and picked her up, holding her close as he walked away, his mare obediently following. He found her donkey, who bared her teeth at him and flattened her ears, but he ignored that and set the young Wallaby down and handed her a fresh bandanna to dry her tears and nose. Whilst she was distracted, he slipped a small wad of money from his saddlebag, then put it in hers, all before she seen him do it.

“Go on, you're safe now – I promise you, they'll never hurt you again, because as I told the one I let go, if I ever get a hint – they're trying to hurt my people...I'll hunt them down and make them suffer. For too long, the Anthropomorphic people of Stringybark Creek have suffered under the tyrannical yoke of that Sargent! Well, now there's a new Bushranger in the forests! Let them come, let them try to find me, whilst I stalk them and show them the errors of their ways, they're leaving our kind alone – and for that, I am willing to pay any price, even, if it costs me my life, now, little doe...go home, I'm sure your parents are worried about you, dry those pretty eyes and never, ever, be afraid again...because I swear, I'll be watching, and protecting our people..." Ironclad told her, then gently lifted her up and sat her astride her cantankerous Jenny.

“Thank...you..." She sniffed, then reached out and placed her small paw on his, giving a gentle squeeze.

“You're welcome, you're safe...I swear it..." Ironclad smiled, as he lightly stroked her cheek with the back of his paw.

With that, he took the reigns of his mare, then disappeared back into the bush-land, as she Doe sniffled, dried her eyes, then gently clucked at her Jenny and rode off home.

*

Angelica sat stunned, her muzzle hanging open, as Constable Kelsie finished her tale, telling Angelica how she had murdered Sebastian in self-defence, as he was going to turn on her, rape her and probably murder her the same way he had Feredwyn.

“I think I'm going to be sick - “ Angelica moaned softly. “I had no idea - “

“Sgt. MacGoven is behind it...I know it, Sebastian was many things...cruel, violent...but he'd never do such a thing on his own accord. I know he was also at the murder of that Palomino mare...I can't prove anything, as nothing was logged... How many of our people just...supposedly...left? How many do you really think, were murdered in cold blood, their lands taken for whatever reason – and buried – if they're lucky – in unmarked graves?" Constable Kelsie snarled, as she beat her left paw against the table with a sickening smack. “I am certain he is behind it...but he...he couldn't do it alone, who is pulling his strings? Why? What do they want? Do they want the anthropomorphic people to leave? Why? There are so many questions...and I do not have the answers!"

“Sargent MacGoven - “ Angelica whispered, as she blinked, then suddenly things started to make a lot more sense. “I know he hates and despises our people, but – he is the lawmaker! How dare we even think of going against him? He could get the soldiers down on us in weeks...we'd all be in the stockade, or worse!"

“I know he's responsible..." Constable Kelsie sighed, as she began pacing, then her ear flicked and she held up a paw, mere seconds before there come a heavy knocking on the door to her cottage.

“Constable Kelsie, Sgt,MacGoven wants you, front and centre!" Come a stern voice, that made Kelsie wince and rub her heard.

“Fuck off!" Kelsie snarled back. “If you don't have the decency to ask nicely, tell your master, don't send his dog, to do what he wouldn't do himself!"

Angelica stared, her muzzle falling open again, before she stifled her giggles.

“How dare you speak to me in such a tone!" Come the enraged voice.

“How dare you Sir!" Constable Kelsie shot back, her fists clenching, as she started towards the door, but Angelica grabbed her and shook her head violently. “Tell him I will be there when it is my shift, not before – I am not his personal servant, to order around! I don't care if he's the Sargent, and I'm only a Constable..."

“Oh, he's going to love that..." Angelica whispered, her voice faint, right beside Constable Kelsie's ear.

Kelsie stood, shaking with anger and hatred, before she slowly un-clenched her paws and shuddered, before walking to the crude trunk in which she kept her clean uniforms, then pulled one out and started dressing.

“You remember Constable Clanton?" Kelsie asked Angelica.

“Wasn't he that Kangaroo who - “ Angelica began, then her words trailed off. “I heard he quit the Police force..."

“No," Kelsie sighed, as she began buttoning the heavy tunic, then strapped her belt on and double checked her holster. “He didn't...he is being held in the Stockade, I saw him – he's sick, half-starved and a shadow of his former self...I didn't let on, that I knew him, when he was dragged in in irons – rumour has it, he is to be executed within the week, but the way he looked? He won't last two days in the stockade...I'm going to go see the Doctor, see if he can't at least make Clanton's last days – well, if he can't, I won't allow the Sargent the satisfaction of hanging an innocent Kangaroo – on some fabricated charges of desertion and others! I've seen the log, I don't believe a word of it, Clanton is a kind, gentle soul – he'd never do what he's charged with, its all lies – but I don't know how I can exonerate him, when the Sargent will undoubtedly, bring in a Magistrate in the employ, of whoever is pulling the Sargents strings, to put it bluntly – it'll be a Kangaroo Court..."

To Be Continued...