Walk of a Warrior - Chapter 3

Walk of a Warrior - Chapter 3

Kinan smirked with a deadly sense of satisfaction as his glassy eyes passed through an open clearing and met with their destination; all to his watchful gaze appeared within perfect management. “Remember to keep low, you fools; don’t attract any attention to yourselves!” he barked at his troops as they peered silently over the hilltop, scanning along the quaint orchard resting at its feet. Silently overjoyed, Kinan quickly gathered around him his motley horde to reveal their grim goal.

Kinan assessed the barely visible clearing and urgently began formulating a strategy within his crafty head; “Gunryo, take with you five others around to the rear of the house and secure any doors or windows they could escape from.” Gunryo nodded at Kinan with a grunt and ribbed a few in the surrounding pack with the nape of his enrobed elbow; they responded with a leer while nodding affirmably.

Kinan briefly flicked a glance back at the modest edifice and twirled his forepaw in circles around the perimeter of the distant structure, “Touki, lead four others around the sides of the house and block any windows—make yourselves smart and keep an eye out for any subtle movement—we needn’t have them slipping out.” The morose wolf saluted smartly before twisting around and pressing backwards through the thick gather of malevolence to carefully select his crew.

Kinan paused briefly as he watched the newly selected teams separate from the cluster encasing him; upon the return of silence from the assembly, he resumed stating his instructions to the remainder of his clan. Pointing first at a section of the crew, then out at the settlement, he bore his fangs and snarled, “Gachan, take five and climb atop the roof to scan for activity—keep your arrows notched and your eyes open; you’ll stop any whom try to escape.” Kinan whirled around and glared into each of his archer’s eyes; “Make no vital mark—Takai has made it clear the boy be kept alive,” he snarled as a bit of foam pressed its way through the corners of his snapping muzzle; he could almost taste the glorious victory of his sacred mission and little did he want any meddling in his organized plans.

“Have I made myself quite clear on each assignment?” Kinan barked, glaring violently into each team’s eyes.

“Sir.” “Indeed.” “Yessir,” the horde replied in a jumble as they fell swiftly down the hill and into their newly assigned positions using the cover of brush, trees and darkness to hide themselves around and about the calm home. All awaited Kinan’s final order, standing ready for the faintest of movement. The assembly was complete, and Kinan patiently awaited the moment the last light faded to a ghostly smolder.

* * * * *

Lilly lazily tumbled into her silk-sheeted bed, her aching body delicately rolling into her feathery, over-stuffed pillow. She sighed in long awaited relief as her weary body became instantly relaxed on the plush mattress. Amos entered from the side bathroom with an exhausted smile, a dripping towel spinning and floundering about in his ever-tipping paw; he beamed at the beauty in bed with a sigh as he watched her purr blissfully into the sheets.

Lilly turned her eyes wearily over to her observing husband and half-whispered, “Do you think our little Ryu will be surprised?” She slowly withdrew her face from the pillow and turned toward the shadowy figure standing in the dimly lit entryway.

Amos whimsically tossed the rag up and onto his head as he tapped against the doorsill repetitively with his newly freed paw; “I believe so, my dear,” he purred through the damp cloth as it slid sluggishly down over his face. Lilly giggled silently to herself before Amos returned the towel to his perked ears. After a moment, he stepped backward into the bathroom with a smile to complete his nightly cleaning ritual. “He hasn’t seen any of his family lately,” his voice came from around the doorway, “it’s been so hard to travel with these foolish cult wars dancing around the cities.”

He revisited the bedroom after dousing the bathroom lamps with a small bell-snuff, and casually strutted toward the far side of the soft, dim room; as he passed around the foot of the low, swish bed, he meandered closer to the large window that looked into the room like a darkened mirror. He peered out into the darkness and at the faintly glowing scenery that surrounded them. “I wish times were as safe as they used to be…I fear our family is becoming split up.” He stepped backward awkwardly through the dark until he reached the bed, sat back and tumbled into his awaiting mate.

Lilly weaved her fingers through his rough hair, sighing a little, “Oh, don’t talk like that; our family will be alright. Besides, the Arms Administration just passed a new law that puts more sentries out at watch.” She gently continued to run her paws through Amos’s headfur as she laid back into her pillow a little bit more.

Amos grinned warmly at her, sitting up to lie back into his own pillow. “You’re right, Lilly; I’m sure things will be alright.” He gently placed the brass cap back onto the lit candle that doused it for the night; little did he know that this action did not go unnoticed.

* * * * *

“Is he gone yet?” A hooded figure peeked around the pale windowsill cautiously, shaking as though he’d just seen a ghost.

Touki affirmed, “The lights are out.” He leaned over and smacked the first across the back of the head; “You fool! You almost cost us our stealth, standing full in front of the window! One more slip like that and you’ll lose your head for sure!” he ended with a snap of his muzzle, “Go and tell Kinan it is time to move!” he barked at Manji as he jumped a bit in nervous displeasure.

Manji quickly scurried off on all fours, stumbling over a fallen tree branch and sliding into his commander, Kinan. Upon the unsuspecting entry of his affiliate, Kinan swiftly drew the collar of Manji’s cloak and pulled him up near to his face, “You had better bring good news, you bungling moron!” The mangled and dirt-ridden wolf swallowed hard before finally spurting out his message between short gasps of breath.

“Good,” Kinan spat to the side as he tossed Manji effortlessly to the ground. ‘Fool; he’ll not even last the return to Takai’ Kinan thought to himself as he strode gallantly up to the front door. As Manji left to return to his post, Kinan knocked fiercely on the hard oak door, motioning to his nearby followers to stand, two on each side of him, completely against the wall. The five on the roof laid close to the ground, their ears to the roof, listening for any signs of movement; upon hearing a shuffle in the main bedroom, Gachan motioned down to Kinan that the occupants were approaching the door. He nodded and placed his hood snugly over his head, shadows overtaking his face and hiding it behind a thick cloak of blackness. He returned a nod at the five peeking over the roof and they quickly went to work spreading the news that they were to initiate their orders. As the heavy, front door slowly began to creak open, the wolves standing on the sides of the house quickly went to work boarding the windows up tightly, concealing even the faintest traces of moonlight from entering the house. Kinan now stood face-to-face with a rather old and dull-colored feline.

A tiny voice escaped from the confines of the darkened room, “It’s dreadfully late…what business do you have here?” The voice came wearily, as if just awoken from slumber.

“We have much business to discuss,” Kinan snarled, as four more hooded figures appeared from around the sides of the door, “I suggest you let me and my associates inside.”

With a burst of energy, Amos immediately tried to close the door, sensing the dangerous presence of the creatures. “We have no business!” he shouted, pressing all of his weight forward, but his attempt to keep the door closed was to no avail; the wolf already had a firm grasp on the edge of the door and needed simply give a firm shove to push the old cat flat on his back. After letting himself in, stepping lightly around the fallen feline, he nodded and the four other followed around his sides.

“Amos, are you alright? What’s going on out there?” The turmoil had awoken Lilly, and she sat up in bed preparing to tiptoe into the man den.

In a moment of alarm, Amos quickly responded, “Everything’s fine dear; just a misguided guest.”

Kinan bore his fangs next to Amos’s ear; “Who is that?” he questioned.

“You leave my Lilly out of this!” he swiftly replied in a mad panic; sweat beaded along the sides of his brow.

Kinan’s face curled smugly, “Ahh, Lilly is it?” He smiled in heated delight, glancing up and catching the eyes of two henchmen, “Bring her here.” They quickly complied, nearly dashing around the hallway and into the bedroom; a moment later, the sound of struggling arose accompanied by a series of screams and hisses. The two, wolves rounded the corner and threw her to the floor on her knees.

Kinan grinned with satisfaction, stepping closer to Lilly; he placed his paw under her chin and lifted her head, bringing their eyes level with each other, “My dear, please tell me where you keep your child.”

Lilly’s heart skipped a beat; “Wh-what? What do you want with my Ryoushin?” She was on the verge of tears as Amos was forced to kneel next to her.

Kinan tried as best he could to stay calm and soothing, “Please make this simple and tell me where you keep him, dear,” he quietly whispered.

Tears began silently caressing her cheeks as she whimpered, “What…what do you want with—”

*SMACK*

Kinan cut her off short, beating his pommel against her left temple; she fell dizzily into Amos, whose fervor had begun to rise. Before he could make a move, however, Kinan brandished the flat of his sword against Amos’s chin, “Perhaps then you could assist me, old man!” He pressed the cold steel hard underneath Amos’s chin, causing him to choke.

Kinan pointed down the hallway, glaring, “Well, don’t just stand there, you idiots; search the house!” No sooner had they left did they return empty-pawed, much to Kinan’s displeasure.

“Sir,” one had stepped forward, “There is no-one else in the house, and nowhere to hide, but there are other beds warm.”

Kinan was beginning to lose his patience; he withdrew his blade from under Amos’s neck and smacked the side of his face with the flat of the blade, causing a small slice on his upper cheekbone.

“Where have they gone off to, old man? Tell me now, or you will pay with your life!”

Amos shuddered on the ground, curled in a ball. He took a moment to regain his courage before he replied; “I tell you the truth: I do not know where he is.”

“Liar!” Kinan brought his sword down in a wide sweep, opening a deep gash across the cat’s torso. Amos moaned in pain, keeling over and holding his chest; a crimson stream was spurting from his shoulder and side. “Then perhaps the miss know where he lays?”

Lilly dizzily slid backwards across the ground on her back until she ran flat up against the wall. She quaked with fear at the horror. Her head slowly crept from one side to the other in a nod, much to Kinan’s dissatisfaction. “I…I…I…” she stuttered; the harder she tried to speak, the more jumbled the words came out. Kinan snarled and raised his scarlet-tinged blade high above his head…

* * * * *

“Damn impossible to hit that pest,” Gachan hissed as he notched another arrow on his bowstring, “it’s like trying to grab smoke with your bare paw!” The wolves were having a great deal of trouble trying to pin down a most curious fox that had appeared seemingly from nowhere. In but a moment again, he disappeared from sight, leaving the five on the rooftop unwilling to fire a single shot. “Now where in Takai’s kingdom has he gone to?”

Touki decided now was the time to take matters into his own paw; he huddled the ground-group closely around him, preparing to give them his own set of orders. He pointed off in odd directions around the grove in a fan, silently whispering where to meet and where to check.

Unaware of the plans being made below, the five on the roof began assembling along the far edge of the house, all watching for the slightest twitch on the ground below; they needed not wait long before one spotted a slow-moving figure on the ground. After but only a moment, a shrill yelp could be heard after the wisp of a loosed arrow.
The shadow danced around in the dirt, grasping its tail between its paws, “Watch where you’re shooting those things!” Touki angrily yapped as he painfully began removing the arrow from the tip of his tail.

“Watch yourself or I’ll send another one through that over-sized muzzle of yours!” came the voice from the roof before another arrow was launched into the ground just next to where Touki was previously standing.

* * * * *

Boris breathed heavily from behind a large oak tree not too far from the house; he was out of options with nowhere to run. Unbeknownst to him, the small cat in his arms beginning to come to its senses.

“Un-uncle Boris? What are you doing here—and where are we?” Ryoushin rubbed his eyes with his paws in small circles as he began to wake up from his disturbed slumber.
“Shh…be quiet!” Boris whispered in response, putting his paw over Ryoushin’s muzzle, “We need to leave quickly; there’re wolves after you!”

As Ryoushin came more to his senses, he began squirming and struggling against Boris’s grip; “Wha? Wolves? What’s happening—where are mom an’ pop?” He flailed in desperate confusion, when finally he broke free from Boris’s grip, “Mom! Dad!”

Boris’s heart skipped a beat, “NO!” he screamed as he jumped out and grabbed him by the waist, tackling him to the ground.

Atop the house, a keen eye had spotted the movement near the distant tree; others had heard the screams. “There, by that big oak!” Gachan announced, “They’re over there! Get them!” Commotion broke out as the wolves on the hut jumped to the ground to get a closer shot; the wolves at the base of the house began to tear after them; and Boris clumsily snatched the kit up into his arms and briskly dashed off toward the woods. Things were calmer inside, but not for long…

* * * * *

“Sir, we’ve found something,” called a voice from around the hallway, “come quickly!” As the captain dashed into the room to see what was of interest, the wolf stood pointing at the floor in Ryoushin’s bedroom where a ruffle in the carpeting stood out. Kinan stood perplexed a moment trying to figure the importance of this, when one grabbed the corner of the ornate rug and tore it towards himself. Kinan’s eyes lit with fury as a trap door leading to a tunnel was abruptly revealed.

“So that’s where our little rogue has taken to,” Kinan snorted, “Hurry; you two take through that tunnel, and you two follow me!” he barked as he stormed out to the main den. ‘How could one boy be so much trouble?’ Kinan thought to himself. ‘He had better be as important as Takai made him out to be.’

He stepped outside in time to see the uproar begin, backing his head in time to narrowly dodge an arrow. He stormed over to the wolf responsible for the stray shot. “Give me that, you insolent fool!” he snapped as he snatched the bow from his paws, “If you're going to use a weapon, use it correctly!” Kinan dashed toward the action as he notched an arrow, scanning the scene to find his target. He spotted the fox and cat together and quickly permitted the shaft freedom of the air. There was a brief yelp before a figure went limp.

Kinan snorted air through his snout, “Fool.” In a rush to make his own shot, Manji had unknowingly jumped into the path of the arrow in his own attempt for glory. Kinan rushed past the fresh corpse, snatching what arrows were left in the quiver. He stood ready this time, an arrow properly notched and aimed—this time he wasn’t going to let anyone get in its path. At a moment before the fox left his range, he loosed the arrow, letting it slice through the air and soar straight past his remaining troops. He listened intently for his accuracy, and was not disappointed; a yelp of pain resounded, and the once galloping figure fell to the ground with a resounding thud.

Kinan danced with glee briefly before issuing his next commands. “Follow me! Grab the boy, and rid me of that fox!” As quickly as he has ordered, his horde had made it atop the moonlit hill. Kinan pushed himself through the gathered horde slowly; as he neared the center, he heard sounds of struggling and screaming.

One wolf stood forward and addressed Kinan with the situation; “Sir, we’ve found the boy, but there was no fox here when we got here; he must have escaped.” Behind Kinan, they crew started binding Ryoushin’s ankles and wrists together with ropes after gagging him.

“No matter, we have what we’ve come here for. Let’s hurry now and return to Takai—he doesn’t like to be kept waiting.” As soon as the kitten was properly bound, he was tossed into a large, burlap bag and hoisted over a couple wolves’ shoulders. As quickly as they had come, the party left, leaving nothing but arrows and a few casualties.