Chapter 6 - Sea Rats

“All right, time for a basic plan of action,” Sabrepaw said in a most military voice.



“She's the daughter of Colonal Windpaw Warwind and Lady Layna. Offisahs yah know, wot wot,” Fwirdle whispered to the two otters.



“Fwirdle, you'll stay close to me. So if you trip on your bloomin' feet again, I can save you, wot. Barky, you will scout ahead to see what's up there. Yell if yah get into trouble. Strike, you'll stay here with me `n' Fwirdle,” Sabrepaw ordered.



Barkwater nodded and crept forward.



The trio had barely been resting when Barky ran up.



Gasping for breath, Barkwater told what had happened. “I went ahead like ye said Sabrepaw. I snuck around a dune and I saw a bunch of sea rats.” Strike stiffened up. “They looked like they had been walking for awhile. They might be the crew that had Strike. I ran as soon as a rat that looked in charge turned around. I don't know if they saw me.”



Sabrepaw nodded her approval, “Well done Barky.” Sabrepaw paced back and forth thinking. The hare and two otters waited patiently. Sabrepaw then spoke up, “I will try to get help some where. Until then, Fwirdle, you're in charge, sah. You two chaps follow his lead. Try not to fight the vermin and stay out of sight. If the vermin spot you, run for Salamandastron. If nothing else works out, then you may fight. But I wouldn't. You'd be outnumbered three to one.” Sabrepaw rose to tip toe and glared at Fwirdle. “Unless you want to be a dead beast, and not by the vermin, I would suggest stay away from the vermin. Am I clear?”



“Yes, Miss,” chorused the three.



“Good.” And with that, Sabrepaw raced toward the mountain.



Under his breath, Fwirdle mumbled, “Always count on Sabrepaw to threaten death if you don't obey her orders, wot wot.” In a normal voice he said, “Lets just start walking to the jolly ole mountain.”



“`Least we'll be getting closer,” Strike said.



They started to head in the direction Sabrepaw had gone, but were stopped by a high-pitched whistle.



They turned around to see the band of sea rats. Out of the corner of her eye, Barkwater saw Strike freeze.



“What's wrong, mate?” she asked.



Strike uttered one word, “ Flogtail.”



Barky remembered that Strike had mentioned that name before. Who it was had escaped her memory. It all flooded back to her. Flogtail was the sea rat captain who had taken Strike!



Her thoughts were interrupted by, “RUN!” She followed after Fwirdle, who had yelled, but stopped. Strike was still back there frozen with fear.



Men, she thought. She ran back and shook Strike. It didn't work.



The rats were getting closer.



There was only one solution. He is gonna kill me.



Barkwater grabbed her javaline and jabbed Strike's rudder so hard he jumped up yelling, “I'm gonna kill you Barkwater Streamtail!”



“Maybe I can get him to chase me after Fwirdle,” Barky mumbled to herself. The plan worked fine. As she raced toward Fwirdle, Strike followed close behind.



Barkwater and Strike bumped right into Fwirdle.



Currently forgetting his anger at Barky, Strike asked, “Why'd ye stop, mate?”



“We're cut off!” Fwirdle wailed.



As he said it, another group of sea rats inched forward. They were surrounded. The numbers of sea rats ranged to about fifty. There would no possible way to fight them off.



The three beasts grouped together.



The vermin came closer by the second, slowly, but surely, they came.



Strike turned Barkwater around and said, “If we don't survive this, I have one thing to say.”



“Now's not the time for chitter chatter, Matey,” Barkwater said with a bit of nervousness in her voice.



“I'm awfully fond of you,” Strike said with a gleam in his hazel eyes.



Anything else was cut off from Fwirdle yelling, “Sabrepaw, I'm sorry I didn't get to say goodbye! You were the best friend a hare could have had! Please send some miracle to save us so I can see you one more time!”



Not to far off was the unmistakable voice of Sabrepaw Minksey Warwind yelling, “Eulaliiiiiaaaaa! `S death on the wind!”



Barkwater turned back to Strike, “You were saying.”

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