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Forging Rust

Chapter Fourteen

by Reserved Rodent

co-authored with AJH

He says: 'Fuck you, vermin'

Rust picked up the last chest of his lord's belongings and looked around the empty tent. He had not been with the lynx that long, but the tent had started to feel like a safe place. Packing it all up in the early hours of the morning had his tail twitching nervously.

"Rusty? How are things?" Sid peeked around the tent flap, sniffing the air and smiling.

The rat grinned as he walked out of the tent, carrying the heavy chest. Rust could smell Lord Gunner's musk on the smaller male, heavy and mixed in with the fox's own scent. His smile grew.

"It's good to see you, Squire Sid." Rusty looked up and down his friend, taking in the new suit of light armor. "I see you've got the House Tavik sigil proudly displayed today. Congratulations! You look good wearing it."

"Thanks. While I still have a lot of ground to cover, I am actually hopeful that I might manage to make some progress now that I'm not being trained to be a large steel-plated brute."

"I had always wondered about it myself, but your time wearing the heavy suits probably bulked you up, at least a little. You do have some good muscles. I know mine get a work out whenever I have to practice in the heavier stuff."

"Stronger, yes, but never strong enough to be like my lord. So it's good my training has become more like yours. The lighter scout-style stuff like you usually wear works much better for me."

"That's a fine reason for you to be out of sight the past few days, I guess." Rust noticed that the rhino's tent had already been taken down, as had the tents of over half the other Knights in the row. "Meanwhile... I feel like I'm not keeping up. I still have to take Lord Chase's tent down. How are you done already? It didn't sound like you were packing when I started earlier. More like you were being pounded with 'special training'." The rodent Squire winked at his friend

Sid blushed, but kept his eyes on the rat as the last chest was stacked in the cart. "My lord travels light. Armor and axe - that's it."

"That's fortunate. While I'm happy he had all of his personal effects packed, books get heavy when you've got a lot of them in one container." Rust looked over at the empty spot where Gunner's tent had previously stood. "Though does your lord have heavier furniture?"

"Not really. I mean, his bunk is sturdy, but it breaks down. I had a light mat for when I stayed in his tent. Is there anything I can do to help you?"

The rat walked over and gave the fox a quick hug. "Thanks for coming over. While I got everything loaded by myself okay, the tent was up when I got here and I'm not sure how to take it down and pack it up for transport."

Sid folded his arms, studying the tent. "I'll be happy to help you, Squire Rust. We start by pulling the pegs and rolling up the ropes."

The two of them got started, and under the fox's instructions quickly had the tent packed away on the cart. Rust let the soldiers in charge of the convoy wagons move it into position while the Squires went to locate their mounts.

"Thanks for the help, Squire Sid," the rat said as they walked to the stables. "I might have gotten it all figured out, but it might have been after the third wave was on the move."

"Well, if you hadn't spent so much time messing around with ... smells like two other feline Squires - though I thought there was another scent when I poked my head into the tent."

Rust looked over at the grinning fox. "... I'm not sure who was with Lord Chase, but I do know who has been with Lord Gunner the last two days. I'm glad to see you in such a good mood and able to walk with only a little bit of soreness showing." the rat paused, thoughtful. "So what exactly changed his mind on how to train you?"

Sid smiled. "We had a good talk after the battle. Lord Gunner realized I can't be trained to be a half ton monster of a rhino in heavy armor. Unfortunately, I think now that we're both seeing some good results, he's gotten harder on me - he expects more now that I'm actually seeing progress. But don't think I didn't notice you changed the topic. I remember you and Squire Denil flirting, but I didn't think you and Squire Jousi had much contact. You just trying to bed as many felines as you can?"

"It wasn't like that." Rust said as the two Squires finally located their mounts and moved to find where they would be placed within the caravan. "Sure, Denil and I hooked up because we were both interested in messing around. He's traveling with the second wave, so who knows when we'd have another chance. That wasn't what happened with Jousi."

"So you had a convenient excuse of not seeing each other for a day to use to be with the ocelot." Sid grinned. "He's following us tomorrow, not going to another front for a season."

"It may not be a large time difference, but we're going into land where we don't know for sure where the threats will be - or how powerful. The barbarians ran from the pass, but they've been in the lands on the other side for enough time that we have no idea what forces they have. You'll forgive me if I am only now coming to realize what was meant by the advice to enjoy what you can when you can because you never know what will happen as a warrior."

"I did not mean to upset you," the fox said softly. "It is easy for me to forget that you are still new to this lifestyle. You've progressed so well, so fast. You've already got some of the soldiers respecting you."

"You didn't do anything wrong, friend. I appreciate having you around to tell me when my ignorance is showing. I'm just... doing my best to catch up and be where the rest of you are."

"And you're doing a fine job of it. You're training harder than most of the squires because you feel like you have to, but it's impressing the Knights and soldiers - and even inspiring more than one Squire." The fox paused for a moment, thoughtfully. "I heard you went and got training with soldiers in two-handed weaponry when there wasn't anything going on in the Squire's training circle. That kind of initiative wouldn't have crossed the minds of us raised in the system. There's a level of distance that is taught that extends a little more than perhaps it should between the soldiers and the Knights and Squires. So, you are certainly catching up, and are actually threatening to pass by most - if not all - of us who have been here for years."

The rat looked around as the slow-moving caravan reached the pass where the battle had occurred a few days ago. The fortifications were manned by Brotherhood soldiers and the bodies had been taken away, but the rat remembered the carnage still. He flinched a little when the fox playfully thumped his shoulder.

"So," The fox said, pulling the rat's attention back to the present,"you have an excuse for the ocelot, what about the snow leopard?"

The rat shook his head, riding in silence as the convoy started down the other side of the rocky hilltop. "I didn't go looking to be intimate with Jousi... I... I found him when he was needing a friend to comfort him while he grieved. We shared our pain at his loss. I held him so he would not feel alone against his dreams as he slept. That's all it was... until this morning when we woke up and decided to remember Lord Garren like Jousi thought he'd like to be remembered."

"There may be details of the lifestyle that you don't understand, Rusty," The fox said, resting his paw on the rat's leg as he urged his mount a little closer, "but you seem to have a greater understanding of the heart of the Brotherhood than many."

As morning slowly turned to afternoon, the caravan of wagons continued to plod slowly down the dusty road. A light breeze barely moved the dust raised by the numerous wooden wheels and horses hooves off to the side before it reached the ground again. A few light clouds occasionally gave relief from the sun, but the armored Knights, Squires and soldiers of the Brotherhood were all sweating a little in the heat.

While the nearing forest would give some relief, it would also slow their progress. Already the lead forces had been called on to clear the road of debris left by the fleeing barbarians on the rocky slope down from the pass, and no one expected things to get easier.

Keeping their eyes and ears alert to the caravan's surroundings, Rusty and Sid continued to ride next to each other and chat in low voices.

"I've still no firm idea of how many barbarians there are. I mean, I saw their numbers at the pass, and how many of them didn't make it out of that combat alive. I don't doubt that they can still be a threat if we aren't careful, but the others make it sound like we've not even really done more than shift where the next battle will happen," The rat said quietly, brow furrowed.

The fox nodded. "Yeah, I've heard there's still thousands of them, burning and pillaging the lands on the borders. The pass was just one force sent to try and slow the Brotherhood's response down."

The line of Knights leading the caravan came into view as the road turned to enter into the forest. Their standards, held aloft on lances, snapped in the weak wind. Rust looked for his lord's banner ahead and sighted the familiar sigil. "So, since you grew up with all the heraldry stuff, you're used to it and can help me decipher what different things mean, right?"

"I did, and I can. Is Lord Chase having you learn this now?" The fox looked to the rat with a wry smile.

"Not really. Since I was in the last battle, I'm supposed to be thinking of what to add to my lord's sigil for my own Squire banner. I know it should have meaning, but... I'm not sure what to use or even what meaning to add. I was thinking maybe something to symbolize supporting my brothers."

Sid took a flask from his saddlebag and sipped brackish water before handing it to the rat. "Perhaps a shield? Or a sword, breaking another sword? The tricky bit is including it on your lord's standard. You're not allowed your own yet."

Accepting the flask, Rust took a drink before handing it back. "Thanks. And I am aware of that. It's kind of a hang-up on my ideas. Lord Chase's previous Squire had the fist holding an axe. I had not considered the broken sword idea, but a shield would probably cover the gauntlet up too much." The rat let out an exasperated sigh. "I imagine most Squires my age have known what they will do for years."

Sid looked around before he took the flask back and took another swig. "I can't speak for every Squire, but I know I'll add a crown."

The rat looked over at the fox. "Oh?"

Nodding, the orange-furred Squire smiled softly. "My bloodline is of royal decent."

"Oh," Rust blushed. "I apologize for being ignorant of that fact. I also can't claim to have anything noteworthy in my bloodline." The rodent smiled at to his friend, catching the fox rubbing his neckline, fur and fingers parting just enough to reveal a glint of metal.

"Don't worry, Rust, I won't ask you to bow. I don't want you to treat me differently than you have, but... I'm a Prince. I've... I've not told anyone else this. Only one other knows, and it needs to stay a secret. But I trust you. Just treat me normally here in the Brotherhood. Help me, fight with me, fuck me, but treat me no different."

The rat nodded and smiled. "Thank you, Sid. I will do my best to live up to your trust and expectations."

"I'll... I'll tell you the whole story of what happened some day."

Rust's ears flicked as he smiled at the fox. "Sure thing. Whenever and whatever you feel up to sharing, I'll listen to. I'll always be here for you, my good friend."

"Mmh," Sid grunted, smiling softly, but otherwise remaining silent as the caravan moved on.

The rat let the silence settle around them comfortably for a while. Both of them resided in their own thoughts, though Rust's ears and eyes were wary and alert to their surroundings as the road moved deeper into the forest.

After a while, the rat turned to his friend, speaking as if they'd not paused at all. "So, I'd also pondered maybe something because of my... unusual style of fighting. Like a swift or something."

His frown melting away as he chuckled at the rodent's grin, the fox turned back to his companion. "Interesting, Squire. Why is your style 'unusual'?"

"While I do a lot of the traditional stuff too," Rust smiled over at Sid, "because generations of Knights know what works well, I am only just now learning 'proper ways'. The problem is, my automatic reactions, for better or worse, comes from stuff I learned before Lord Chase brought me into this lifestyle. I fought a long time on the streets. I didn't have good armor, even the light stuff. I was lucky if I had something not too threadbare to wear. So, I had to rely on my speed and agility and cunning. I still want to move fast and dodge, roll, jump or flip out of the way of incoming attacks. The heavier the armor I wear, the less flips and jumps I can manage, but... I still try and push what those I fight expect from a Knight - or even a Squire - kind of like I did when dueling Nix. I suppose it's not a style in and of its own, but it is 'unconventional'."

Sid scratched his jaw in thought. "A swift would be a good choice. Where will it go on the sigil?"

"That's where I'm not sure about this idea. Best place I can think of is over the fist, under the laurel. In flight, of course."

The fox leaned forward to ruffle his mount's mane. "Well, as the laurel surrounds the fist, I think you could put it up there no problem."

Frowning, the rat flicked his ears as they reddened a little. "I worry that it might look like the first would be punching the flying swift."

"The fist is breaking the chain. I wouldn't worry about confusion." Sid leaned back, and yawned. "You're really over-thinking this, you know."

Rust let out a short chuckle. "So I worry too much and you're not getting enough sleep?"

The fox laughed. "I think the swift at the top would be perfect, Squire Rusty. And yes, kinda. My Lord... He kept me up..."

"You know my sense of smell is as good as, if not better than yours. I'm well aware that you were busy last night."

Shifting his weight in the saddle, Sid laughed again. "You're one to talk, vermin. I'll just say that when my lord gets his horn on, he can go again and again. While I've proven I can take him, I'm a little sore."

The rat's ears flattened. "I'm sorry to hear you're hurting in the saddle because of that."

Urging his mount closer to Rust. Sid smiled. "Totally worth it. Trust me... he's... a big chap."

"Oh, I have no doubt." The rodent grinned back at the fox. "It's good to hear you so happy about things with him." Rust's ears flicked and his head jerked to point his nose out towards the woods on his side of the road. "I..." The Squire abruptly slowed his horse, sniffing the air and closing his eyes as his ears twitched.

Sid slowed with the rat, sniffing the air with him. "What's wrong?"

Pulling his horse to a stop, Rust shook his head slightly, ears twitching. "I'm not sure... This large a force disrupts the wildlife. I'm trying to figure out of the sound I'm hearing is something bolting or..."

Sid notched an arrow on his longbow, pulling it tight as he scanned the woods.

Rust made hand signals to alert passing Squires and soldiers that he had heard something in the woods. The rat then slid off his horse, bow at the ready, eyes, ears and nose scanning as he approached the treeline.

Dismounting as well, Sid whistled low, bringing the convoy to a halt.

The rat moved silently into the trees, followed by Sid, Kyle and Raskal. The four Squires moved slowly and silently, making a careful progression through the underbrush.

Fifteen yards in, Rust paused, ears flicking. He gestured to a clump of brush around a fallen tree another ten yards ahead, signaling the group to split and surround it - 'something is inside,' his hand signals indicated.

Sid knelt, giving cover to the other Squires, while Rust went right. The arctic fox and wolf moved left into flanking positions.

Rust waited until the others had reached their positions before creeping into the underbrush, bow ready. Sid narrowed his eyes, keeping his arrow drawn as he approached. Kyle and Raskal drew swords as they entered the underbrush.

Climbing silently on one of the fallen tree's thick branches, the rat crept up behind two barbarians watching the foxes and wolf silently. The enemy scouts - a thin stoat and a heavyset alligator - were well hidden, and preparing to ambush the other Squires, so Rust moved quickly.

Darting forward, the rodent landed a solid kick to the back of the stoat's head, stunning him as his face slammed into the log before him. Rust pointed his drawn arrow down at the gator and snarled, "Surrender!"

Sid remained still, aiming, while Kyle and Raskal advanced, swords up.

The gator remained still, growling something in his own language.

"Do we have someone here who can translate?" Rust asked, eyes fixed on the reptile.

Sid approached and barked something in a guttural language.

The barbarian barked back.

The fox grinned. "He says: 'Fuck you, vermin'."

Rust grunted and stepped off the branch to ground level. "Is that saying he's going to fight? I'm sure if his friend wakes up he'll be able to be interrogated, so we can kill the reptile if we have to. Seems a waste, but..."

The gator growled. "Okay! Okay... No kill... No kill!"

The rat nodded. "Thank you. Drop your weapons and walk out to let the wolf check you for hidden blades. Just to make sure you didn't forget anything," the rat added glibly.

Before the gator could reply, Kyle and Raskal both let out pained gasps, grabbing their necks where arrow shafts suddenly protruded. Blood jetted from the wounds, the droplets seeming to fall in slow motion to the stunned rodent.

As the two Squires fell, a war cry sounded from the east. The bushes that direction parted as two dozen or more barbarians charged from cover.

Sid started firing immediately.

"RESTHADLES!" The gator roared, pulling a dagger from his belt and thrusting it at Rust. The rat narrowly moved back in time to dodge the first swing, but recovered quickly and moved forward to thrust his knee into the reptile's groin, before jumping up onto the fallen trunk. An arrow passed through the air where the rodent had been standing only a moment before.

The reptile, winded, fell to the stony ground, moaning.

Sid stood, firing arrows as he began to fall back, gaining cover from the fallen tree.

Rust remained in the open on top of the trunk as his friend moved into cover. Before him, the charging barbarians emitted a howl of anger. "Get ready, Sid. I'll try to give you a chance to make a break and warn the convoy." The rat stepped back and forth on the rough surface as arrows whistled past his head. His agility was a wonder to behold - or perhaps the enemy archers were just bad shots. He didn't have time to consider his actions.

Using another incoming arrow's trajectory, the rodent's return shot found another barbarian archer.

The fox's next volley took down the closest charging barbarian, but the space between the tree and charging enemies was rapidly disappearing.

"Reptile," the rodent growled down to the moaning gator, "if you want to live, stay down. I don't want to waste an arrow on ending you, but if you try anything again, I will."

The barbarians were almost upon the pair, and Rust reached for the sword at his waist - he would not die without a blade in his paw. He drew the steel, bared his teeth and howled.

Behind him, his howl was joined by the war cries of a hundred Brotherhood warriors as the Squires and Knights of the caravan charged into the clearing in a tide of blades and banners.

Grinning, Rust crouched as three more arrows zipped past him. He sheathed his blade - the glorious death he would one day face evaded for now - and drew his bow again, returning fire and dropping another enemy archer.

The rat's ears flicked back upon hearing his lord roar a battle cry. The rodent turned his head and caught sight of the lynx, gloriously brutal in aspect as he charged the enemy line, spear in his paw and death in his eye.

Lord Chase was at the fore, far ahead of the main counter attack. He thrust his spear into the chest of a screaming stoat before drawing his broadsword and starting the duelist's dance.

Firing his last arrow at a boar charging their position, Sid caught sight of two wolves, both taking aim at his fellow Squire. "Get down, Rusty!"

The rat released an arrow, hitting one of the wolves in the gut and dropping the archer, but then his muzzle jerked up. Rust's eyes were wide as his paw automatically grabbed an arrow from his quiver. Instead of dodging or firing at the enemy - who loosed his own arrow - the rat turned to fire through the throat of a mountain lion, before the barbarian could take advantage of the flank he had just gained on a hard-pressed Lord Chase.

The rodent Squire squeaked in pain as the wolf's arrow tore a hole through his left ear, barely missing his head.

With more Knights surging into the area and beginning to push back the foe, the lynx was in full flow, blade quickly taking down one of the two hulking barbarian warriors still dueling him.

Quiver empty, Sid drew a dagger in each paw and stepped to intercept a panther wielding an axe trying to reach the rat.

Rust's last arrow pierced the shoulder of the final archer, dropping the wolf with a strangled cry of pain. The rodent drew his sword and dropped down from the top of the fallen trunk, pulling the panther's attention away from the fox, who was holding off the larger male with the paired daggers. Thinking the larger warrior is the bigger threat, the barbarian shifted his attention to the rodent.

Sid stepped inside the distracted panther's guard, jabbing into the base of his spine, before hurling his second dagger into a weasel charging at Rust.

The barbarian fell, clutching at the hilt suddenly protruding from his throat, leaving the clearing empty of foes as the Knights ran down the retreating enemy.

"Well done, Sid." Rust panted softly, and knelt to check the two enemy scouts they had captured. The gator lay dead, a barbarian arrow lodged in his gullet. The stoat was unconscious.

The rat then moved over to check Kyle and Raskal.

Lord Chase's voice cut through the shock the Squire felt at seeing the lifeless bodies of the fox and wolf he had brought with him to scout. "Clear up! We move out in five!"

Rust shook his head sadly and moved to start removing weapons from the unconscious stoat. He securely bound the thin male's paws and legs before slinging the unconscious foe over his shoulder and padding back towards the caravan.

Once back, the Squire made sure his prisoner was secured and guarded on a wagon before looking for his mount.

Locating the horse quickly, Rust began checking the straps of his saddle. The rat flinched in surprise as his lord rested a paw on his shoulder.

"Well done."

The big lynx Knight squeezed his Squire's shoulder before taking his own horse and remounting. "Brothers! Ride on! Stay alert! We make camp at Coyote Pass! Move it!"

The rat pulled a bandage out of his saddle-bag before clambering up on to his horse. He squeezed his legs to let the horse know to keep with the caravan and began trying to figure out how to bandage the hole in his bloody left ear.

Sid rode up close beside the rat, both their eyes a little glazed as the adrenaline of the fight wore off. Streaks of blood, mostly the panther's, covered the fox's fur and armor. "F... fuck..."

With a shake of his head, the rodent finally tied a sloppy knot to keep his ear pinned and padded by the bandage. He looked over at his friend. "You okay?"

"I..." the fox started, though didn't finish.

Lord Gunner rode up and rested a huge, mailed paw on the fox's shoulder. The rhino's thick armor was plastered with gore, and his musk was thick in the air.

"Welcome to the brotherhood, Squire." The rhino grunted, before riding on.

Sid looked over to Rust again. He stammered for a moment, then a new resolve lit his eyes. "I'm... a Squire. And proud." Sid smiled weakly and tucked away his medallion once again as the caravan pressed on.

The rat gave a soft smile back. "Good. You should be. I meant it when I said you did well. You had my back... better than... I..." Rust looked down, frowning at his horse's mane.

Sid reached out and rested a paw on the rat's armored thigh. "There was nothing to be done, my friend."

"I thought those two we found were the only ones. I led the four of us into... If I'd just had them killed quietly... It's my fault Kyle and Raskal are dead..."

"No. It isn't, Rust." Lord Chase had ridden up behind the two Squires. Gently urging his horse on, his voice was soft and quiet. "You encountered and neutralized a foe. You stopped the ambush. You fought with honor. Cast out shame - you are a Squire of House Lynx, and I am proud of you."

Rust took a deep breath, letting it out shakily and ending it with a grunt. "Thank you, my lord. You were right about it not being easier the next time. Seems being in charge makes it harder too."

The lynx said nothing, but rode silently behind the Squires as the Brotherhood caravan pressed onwards.