The guard spotted Brokin, just before the small badger hit him headlong in the flank. Gasping for breath, the guard span around, bellowing in surprise.
Brokin grabbed the guard's ear, biting down hard, twisting his head from side to side, causing the guard to roar in pain when his ear was ripped off. The guard leaped backwards, shaking his head wildly, splattering Brokin with his blood.
The guard quickly recovered his composure and backed further into the tunnel, favouring his damaged ear. Brokin sensed a movement and side-stepped as one of the other guards ran in to attack him from the rear.
Warily circling this new attacker, Brokin cursed his luck in having lost the element of surprise. This had to be ended quickly, before the guard on the ledge above was able to release the keystone.
He continued moving to his left, searching for an opening, gasping in surprise when another badger landed on his back, but before he could react, the badger had jumped off again.
Using Brokin as a springboard, one of his fighters had managed to jump clear over his head, landing squarely on top of the boar in the tunnel. With a blood-curdling yell, Brokin's fighter took on an opponent twice his size with no thought for his own safety. The pair rolled over and over in the entrance of the air vent, teeth and claws flashing as they grappled for a hold.
Brokin swiftly turned his attention to the guard circling cautiously in front of him, but his mind was still half-occupied with the badger guarding the keystone.
The guard sensed Brokin's distraction and lunged forward, catching him a stunning blow above his eye. Twisting to one side, Brokin used the guard's own momentum to toss him aside. The boar roared, turning back to attack again. Brokin darted to one side, snapping at his adversary.
Locking his jaws around the badger's leg, Brokin threw his weight forward, twisting his head savagely, breaking the bone in the guard's leg, as though it was a twig.
As the boar fell onto his side, exposing his stomach, Brokin took full advantage, ripping the badger's abdomen from flank to flank. Then dodging the steaming entrails sliding from the fatal wound, he thrust one sharp claw through the badger's eye and into his brain, cutting short the terrible screams.
Turning away from the dead boar, Brokin threw a glance upwards, spotting two badgers locked in a fierce battle on the narrow ledge by the rock pile. One of his fighters had managed to reach the keystone before the sentry had been able to fully release it, but Brokin could see that it had been a close thing.
Even from where he stood at the base of the rock face, Brokin could clearly make out the dislodged keystone trembling under the weight of the rocks bearing down on it. At any moment the whole edifice would come crashing down.
There was no time left, it was now or never!
Dodging around the two badgers still fighting in the vent entrance, Brokin threw himself into the narrow opening, just as a long drawn-out rumble signalled the final collapse of the rock pile above.
Covering his head, Brokin cowered down, trying to make himself as small as possible.
The crashing of falling rocks seemed to go on forever, the air becoming so full of choking dust that he could scarcely breathe, but finally the terrible noise subsided and Brokin was able to stand, spitting dust from his mouth.
Catching a movement from the corner of his eye, he glanced upwards, just in time to see a large rock bearing down on top of him.
*
"Hold fast badgers. Think of your families and home."
Thesa's steady voice rang out above the triumphant shouts of his enemies as he readied his fighters for the attack that was gathering about them like a thunderstorm.
The Preceptor's forces suddenly charged, screaming at the tops of their voices– one group from the front, closely followed by Cherva's group from the rear.
Thesa and his remaining fighters were caught between the two groups, with nowhere left to run. Hurriedly ordering his boars to form a ring with the strongest fighters on the outside, Thesa waited. The attacking badgers thundered across the ground towards them and he continued to steady his small group with quiet words of encouragement.
And there, in front of the largest sett ever built, the final Great Battle commenced as the two forces clashed in mortal combat, with only the Prime Mover knowing what the outcome would be.
Thesa's badgers were attacked with such hatred and ferocity, that for a moment, he thought they would be overrun straight away, but the black badger's bravery was a spur to those around him, and they managed to repel the first charge.
Beneath the brightest of moons the air rang with the screams and shouts of the struggling boars as they swayed back and forth across the clearing, their changing fortunes marked by the growing bloodstains on the soil.
The heady scent of fear hung heavy in the air, and Thesa's courageous group continued to fight off the attacking hoard as best they could, but eventually the enemy's superior numbers began to tell.
One by one Thesa's fighters were being isolated and cold-bloodedly butchered.
Thesa's black form continued to flit in and out of the enemy's lines, gouging here, slashing there, hard to see in the shadows cast by the tall walls of the labyrinth, but he could do little to stop his comrades from falling around him with horrifying regularity.
*
After fighting for most of the moon, as the first shards of sunlight touched the sky, Thesa's remaining badgers found themselves pushed further and further back, until they felt the solid wall of the labyrinth behind their backs.
They were surrounded by a multitude of baying enemies, forced to stand their ground, bunched tightly together, waiting for the final onslaught. Badly beaten and with what little spirit they had left fading fast, they could only hope for a quick end.
But as the triumphant victors were about to land their final blows, Grindel's voice cut across the melee.
"Hold! Stand back from them. Let me through."
The bellowing crowd quietened and parted, and Grindel moved across the blood soaked ground towards them.
Thesa could see how self-confident the badger was– his sleek coat shining in the fading moonlight, his eyes sparkling with triumph.
Casting a downward glance at his own torn and bloody coat, Thesa wrinkled his snout in disgust. Unlike the Preceptor, he was covered in gore. This boar had done little fighting, that much was certain.
Grindel hadn't needed to fight, his minions having done that for him, undertaking their task with a zealousness that had gone far beyond mere duty.
Thesa growled low in his throat, every muscle tense, every thought aimed at killing this evil badger.
Grindel stopped a short distance away from Thesa, feeling the utter contempt radiating from the badger standing before him.
Cherva stood to one side, his eyes narrowing as he studied the black apparition.
"Badger," Grindel said, nodding his head slightly, "you have proved yourself a worthy opponent." Indicating the dead bodies strewn around the small group with a flick of his paw and an acknowledging smile, he continued. "A great fighter indeed. You have killed many of my guards." Glancing to one side, Grindel wrinkled his snout at the badgers pressed around him. "But you can't hope to win against such a force as this. Why fight to the death, when I can offer you an honourable solution?"
"I want no offers from you," Thesa growled.
"That may be true badger, but what about your fighters? Does such valiant defiance hold true for them as well?" Grindel's dark eyes bored into Thesa's. "Go ahead," Grindel continued. "Ask them. Ask them if they want to die right here, right now, knowing that they'll be throwing their lives away for nothing. Go on badger, ask them."
Grindel shook his head and sighed gently, almost inaudibly, when Thesa did not respond.
"See sense, my friend," he advised softly. "It's over. Your work here is finished. You've done all that you can. All that could be expected of you."
Thesa looked around at his remaining fighters, seeing the weariness in their eyes, the defeat in thei
r stance. They had fought well, had suffered heavy losses. They had given everything they had, and now had nothing left to give. Was it really fair to ask more of them? The tired badger turned back to face his enemy.
"You will let us go?" he asked.
The Preceptor nodded and Thesa stared hard at him.
"How do I know that you're telling the truth?" he asked.
"Why should I lie?" Grindel countered. "Your fighters are no threat to me now. Look at them. No, they can go on their way, and as long as they don't return to Badachro Sett I won't trouble them further."
"And me? Am I to be included in this generous offer?" Thesa's disdain suggested that he already knew the answer.
Grindel laughed lightly, wrinkling his snout. "Well friend, you're a little different," he admitted. "You'll always be a threat to me, won't you? Badgers like you don't easily forget. No, if I let you go, you'd eventually grow dissatisfied and try to change things again." The forthright statement was followed by a meaningful pause. Then, "At least, as you are now you would."
"As I am now?" Thesa's stomach churned as he tried to guess the Preceptor's meaning.
Grindel nodded slowly as he held out his paw and slowly extended his claws. The moonlight reflected from their burnished surfaces as he flexed them.
"You're too good with these, my friend," he whispered throatily. "Far too good. However, should you agree—"
Allowing the sentence to hang, Grindel watched Thesa's reaction closely. Would the black badger accept his offer, or would he choose a hero's death? He hoped the former because to lose more of his guards now would mean delaying his follow-up attack on Badachro Sett.
But it was also true that there had been no declawing in Brockenhurst Sett for generations and Grindel wasn't sure how his badgers would react if he carried out his threat.
Another problem for Cherva to solve, he thought.
Whatever the reaction, it would be worth the gamble, it would make an impressive affair. The badger who had the courage to restore such a magnificent punishment would be held in high esteem indeed. It would be a suitable mark of his new authority over Boddaert's Realm, and it would give him the respect that he deserved.
Thesa's mind was a maelstrom of emotion as he considered the Preceptor's offer. If he allowed this depraved badger to de-claw him, his remaining fighters would live. If he didn't, they would surely die right here.
Doing his best to push aside the feeling of utter hopelessness that had suddenly swept over him, Thesa held out a trembling paw.
The pain would be good, he told himself. Its brightness would cleanse him.
His friends had fought valiantly at his side, they had done far more than he could have possibly hoped for. This would be his tribute to them. He would pay homage to their bravery with his pain.
Staring the Preceptor defiantly in the eyes, Thesa slowly nodded his head.
Grindel threw the defeated boar a look of utter disdain and turned away to signalled Cherva forward. Then without looking back, he headed for his chambers.
Seeing the look of contempt in the giant badger's eyes as Cherva stalked forward and made ready to carry out the Preceptor's orders, Thesa's heart beat faster.
The badger's sneer bit deep into Thesa's pride, rattling his self-esteem. He looked around at his remaining fighters, seeing them lower their heads to avoid his eyes.
Suddenly a new determination flared in his mind and he struck out.
Chapter 27
Brightness lay on her side beneath the canopy of the slender ash tree that had been her only companion throughout the long lonely moons since Darkburst had left. She smiled a soft, secretive smile and touched her swollen belly lightly, aware that now, no matter where her love went, there would always be a small part of him with her.
Rising slowly, Brightness made her way into the sett, negotiating the short tunnel into the sleeping chamber slowly, for she was heavy with cub. Crossing to the pile of fresh leaves she'd dried over the past few moons, she lay down with a contented sigh. She was tired and closed her eyes, letting her thoughts lull her into a comforting sleep.
Soon the rhythmic sound of her breathing filled the cosy chamber.
As Brightness slept, she began to toss and turn in a restless way, causing the keepsake Darkburst had hung about her neck to sway back and forth across her chest. Then she flicked her head sharply, as though trying to dislodge some annoying insect, and this movement caused the Talisman to swing outwards in a shallow arc, landing on her head with a soft thump. This did not waken her, she merely fluttered her eyelids, then turned her head slightly and fell into a deeper sleep.
As she slumbered, Brightness began dreaming, moaning softly as vivid scenes filled her mind– Darkburst trapped by his leg, fighting off an attacking pack of rats, shrieking in agony as a large yellow-eyed beast tore his flesh. Other rats circling warily in the background, saliva drooling from their leering mouths.
Brightness whickered urgently, her paws quivering and trembling as she ran to help him, throwing herself bodily onto the creatures. But the phantoms were as insubstantial as any mist, and she fell right through them, landing awkwardly on the hard ground, her leg twisting beneath her.
A sharp pain filled her mind and she awoke instantly, heart pounding in her chest, breath pumping through her open mouth.
The images persisted for some time after Brightness woke and it took her a moment to realise that it had been a dream.
Standing up, she gasped as her leg almost collapsed beneath her weight, sending a lancing pain down to the tips of her claws. When she examined her leg she could see nothing wrong, no reason for it to hurt like it did, and in the end, decided that it must be cramp.
Taking a moment to allow the last vestiges of her dream to slip away, she tested her leg once more, and finding that the cramp had subsided, headed for the surface.
Brightness decided to hunt up some food, hoping that it would take her mind off the disturbing dream that still circled at the edges of her mind.
*
Darkburst collapsed to the ground, unable to run any further.
He breathed a little easier when he realised that the rats were not pursuing him. They were obviously still too busy devouring their unexpected meal to bother with him for the moment.
As he rested, thoughts of Brightness teased the edges of his consciousness but he pushed them aside. There was still too much danger around for him to let his mind wander this way.
Lying on his side, he examined his injured leg carefully and what he found horrified him. The loop that had trapped him so painfully had stripped the skin and muscle from the lower part of his leg, leaving the bone beneath exposed. It now shone through the mangled flesh like some obscene smile.
Breath hissing through his teeth, he studied the terrible wound, realising just how badly he'd been injured. Feeling a little light-headed, he closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths to steady his churning stomach.
Next he tried licking the encrusted surface but that proved much too painful. If only his mother were here, she would know what to do, how to treat the mangled flesh.
The unexpected thought distressed Darkburst and he quickly pushed it from his mind, laying quietly, eyes unfocussed, trying to come to terms with what had happened to him.
After a long rest and a few mouthfuls of grass, Darkburst decided his only choice was to press on back to Brockenhurst Sett, so gathering his strength he struggled to his feet and resumed his journey, hobbling along on three legs as best he could.
He made slow progress and cursed frequently, knowing he had to get back to Grindel and the safety of Brockenhurst Forest as quickly as he could if he was to stand any chance of surviving the dreadful injury he'd received.
Taking his direction from the stars, Darkburst limped through the remainder of the moon and half of the next sun without stopping, and when he finally collapsed beneath a thicket, unable to stagger one more step, he felt as though he was about to die. His leg throbbed with such intensity
that he could scarcely think of anything else.
Darkburst rested where he lay for two more moons before struggling onwards once again, stopping often to assuage his growing thirst.
On the third moon he tried eating a shiny fat worm, but vomited so violently that his abused senses made the stars spin wildly about his head.
As the infection raged through Darkburst's body, he became ever more delirious, his thoughts wandering off in all directions. Twice he became convinced that he had backtracked in his delirium and retraced his footsteps, only to lose himself again.
It was becoming more and more difficult for him to keep his mind on the task of getting back to Brockenhurst Valley, and in his rare moments of lucidity, he began to wonder if he would reach it before he died.
Another moon passed, and another sun– another moon– and on and on, until he fell down the side of a small rise, screaming in agony as he landed on his injured leg.
Rolling over, he staggered to his feet, laughing aloud when he looked down and saw the ridiculous appendage that had attached itself to his body.
Twice the size of a normal leg, the bare skin stretched to bursting point and tinted a soft green, it appeared to share in his mirth with its bloody grin.
He poked at it with a claw, chuckling when the skin split even further open, aware, somewhere in the back of his mind, that he was not acting rationally but not really caring.
Darkburst was extremely weak now and just about able to keep on his feet. A small memory encroached upon his mind and he grabbed at it frantically, urging it to grow, to replace the constant nagging pain of his injury.
And suddenly there it was, full and grand in its splendour– an image of Brightness as he'd last seen her, standing by her sett beneath the slender ash tree.
Darkburst shook his head, realising that he had to haul himself back from the edge of this madness. He needed food, something he could keep down.
Then another memory came, this one more powerful. It was of his mother and how she had used a special fungus when badgers came to her complaining of weakness. He wondered if something similar might sit more easily in his stomach.