Besides the three that were with him and the wounded one who limped behind, at least six other weasels lay asleep around a large fire. "Aser, we found this one here sleeping and thought we should bring him back with us since he tried to kill Whalen."
With a growl, a very big weasel arose and looked Rippler up and down with cold eyes.
"I-I didn't mean to." the young otter stammered. "They just startled me."
"Quite!" Aser shouted.
Then he turned to the other weasels. "What did you bring him here for? What if his tribe fallows you? Ever think of that?"
Whalen limped forward, trying to hide his injury. "We're not afraid to fight, Aser." he said quietly.
"No? You're fools, all of you. Remember the squirrels? Did you forget them already? Who's idea was it to use their daughter for target practice? Who got half my gang killed? You, you and you!"
By now, all of the weasels were awake and an uncomfortable silents fallowed Aser's words.
With a snarl, he returned to his place by the fire.
"Er, what should we do with the otter?" One of the weasels asked.
"Just tie him up and I'll deal with him in the mourning. Can't you see that I'm trying to sleep?" Aser growled.
It was a cool and foggy morning as the six creatures walked along the riverbank.
"We have to hurry." Ozzy said, breaking the silents. "We have been gone far too long for my liking. It could already be too late. Maybe--"
"Look, a boat!" Barwick shouted, pointing excitedly across the river.
Lexi peered through the haze. She could barely make out the shape of a small boat in the distance. "We would get there quicker if we had a boat."
"A lot quicker." Cedric agreed, with a thoughtful look on his face. "And we might just be able to get it."
"Yall've must have lost your minds. I ain't swimming in that frigid water." Archie argued. "You won't have to. Come on."
The father down the bank they went, the narrower the river grew, until they came to a giant oak tree. It's branches almost reached across the river. There was only a small space separating one of it's larger branches and that of a pine tree on the other side.
"I ain't climbing that either." Archie said.
"Then stay behind." Cedric growled. "You should not have come if you can't keep up." "Stay with him, Barwick." Lexi said when she noticed that the mouse seemed hesitant about crossing.
"Okay," he answered happy. "But don't forget to come and get me."
"We won't." she promised.
They left their packs and food behind and continued on with only their weapons.
Ozzy was the first to cross. He climbed the tree and quickly ran along the branch with surprising balance, before jumping up to catch the other limb. He swung down from the pine and landed softly on the ground.
I can do better then that, Lexi thought.
Aldah was next.
Since she was not very accurate with the bow, she had chosen to leave it behind with the packs. She did not cross as fast as Ozzy had, but it was not long before she too was on the other side.
As soon the rat touched the ground, Lexi started up the tree. She had climbed numerous trees before, some many times taller then this one. Before her village was destroyed, when she and the other young creatures would climb the nearby trees to watch their parents working in the orchards, she had often fell asleep in the crooks of the branches, only to be awaken by her mother's call for dinner.
Now, as she walked along the overhanging branch, she paused to look down at the swirling water below. Something caught her eye and she peered closer as several fins broke the water's surface.
Fascinated, she watched them.
Lexi suddenly found herself unbalanced and teetered for a moment on the branch, before she lost her footing and plummeted down towards the dark water.
At the last moment, she reached out and caught the edge of the branch with one hand. Below, the river swirled as a fish leaped.
It was fallowed by several others as they snapped at the dangling vixen while she hung just out of their reach.
She looked up to see Cedric starring down at her.
"Need help?" he asked.
"No." she growled as she hulled herself back onto the branch and continued on, more hastily then before.
She jumped up, catching the pine branch and setting her feet on the branch below, then swung down to the ground, where Ozzy and Aldah stood waiting.
Lexi quietly crept closer to the boat.
It was a mid-size rowing craft with three oars on each side and it seemed to be perfect for them.
Lexi could see no guard and motioned for the others to join her.
"It's ours for the taking." Aldah whispered.
"Come on, then." Ozzy said.
The opossum led them to the tree where the boat was tied as it drifted about a meter out.
He and Cedric hulled on the rope and slowly pulled the boat up to the bank.
Lexi glance down into the boat and starred with surprise at a weasel, who lay fast asleep.
She motion to the others to be quite.
Suddenly, the weasel's eyes flickered open.
Upon seeing them, he staggered to his feet and jumped out of the boat, then disappeared into the forest.
"Stop him!" Ozzy shouted.
But there was no need, as Aldah was already racing after him.
Lexi quickly fallowed.
She could see Aldah up ahead, crashing through the bushes.
Stealth was not the rat's greatest skill. Suddenly, Aldah stopped.
As soon as she saw the weasels, Lexi slowed and ducked behind a bush.
When she peered out through the leaves, Aldah was surrounded.
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