Black Iron the Assassin Character List

Damon\Black Iron -- a black otter sent to assassinate Ragen

Athaliah --a pretty young squirrel maiden and Wave Warrior chief

Garcon -- a war-wise badger and Wave Warrior chief

Eban -- a kind, old sea otter and Wave Warrior chief

Redlark -- mouse warrior and Wave Warrior chief

Mickley -- a shrew, Garfin's younger brother

Garfin -- a shrew, Mickely's older brother

Aviso -- a cruel rat and high ranking guard

Maxson -- a old hare slave

Sinwell -- a squirrel slave

Twist -- a mouse slave, Carrol's husband

Carrol -- a mouse slave, Twist's wife

Rippler -- a baby otter, slave and Kelley's little brother

Kelley -- a otter maiden, slave and Rippler's older sister

Mika Sharpshooter -- a young raccoon that carries a bow and arrows

Swuro -- a fox and low ranking guard

Captain Ragen -- a stoat, captain of the guards 

The Prince's Dog #3

I expected the dungeon to be dark, but it was surprising well lit.
And the first prisoner  i saw was Loki. He had his arms folded across his chest as he watched us from his cell. It had only been about a month since he had tried to take over Earth or - as it was also known - Migard.
Everyone had heard that he failed and was not Odin's prisoner.
The front of each cell was clear, but glittered like gold.
Most housed around four prisoners, but some as many as ten. They appeared to be from several different nations and planets. Some I had never seen before.
The guards took us to a couple empty cells and ordered half of the men into one.
They then closed it, by somehow causing a gold sparkly force to appear across the entrance.
The rest of us were herded to the next cell.
I turned to one of the guards. "Kind sir-" I begin, but he cut me off.
 "Get inside, dog!"
 "But you don't know these men. They hate me." I protested.
"Why would I care? Inside." He pointed a sharp spear at me.
I had no choice but to obey. I stalked past the men and sat down in the far corner.
I thought that if I stayed away from the men, maybe they would leave me alone.
The hours passed by slowly. I was almost asleep when I heard them whispering.
 I raised my head to see them looking at me.
One of them, a middle aged man with broad shoulders, started towards me.
"Go away!" I said angrily, but the man continued his approach.
Two more joined him. They were not as large; one had a scar across his face and the other walked with a limp.
"Leave me alone." I said as I rose to my feet.
"We know what you really are." the first one said.
 "Really?" i asked sarcastically. "If you are so sure about that, why don't you announce it to the world?"
"You have harassed us long enough." the one with the scar sneered.
Now I was cornered.
Just then a song that I had heard long ago on Earth came to my mind and with a snarl, I was once again a coyote.
  Never underestimate a girl
She's always got a plan
The world is in her hands
Well, maybe I did'nt have a plan and the world was clearly not in my hands (at least not at that moment), but they should not have underestimated me.

The Guardian of Zamari #10: The Divide

Lexi could feel herself drifting off to sleep and she struggled to stay awake. Across the room, the others were dozing peacefully, but Aldah has still not returned. Lexi felt her pack and feeling that it was warm and dry, she begin to refill it. As she was folding a small blanket, Cedric appeared beside her. She glanced at him questionly. "I thought the fire might need a bit more wood, but it seems fine." he explained.
"Yes, I have been keeping an eye on it." she answered.
 "Are you waiting for your friend to return?" he asked.
She nodded. "I'm fixing to go look for her, but I don't know why she left like that."
 "Maybe the subject bothered her." he suggested.
"Maybe," she answered thoughtfully. "But I don't know why. She loves fighting and war and battles and all that other stuff." Lexi had finished packing most of her belongings; only a few items remained closer to the hearth. "Can you hand me my stone over there?" she asked Cedric.
 "Of course." answered the silver-furred fox.
He passed her the sharpening stone and several unfinished arrow points, which she stuffed into her pack.
"This is nice. 'Alexandra Quickpaws'." She looked up to see him holding a beautifully carved wooden apple.
 "Give that here!" she snapped.
"Where did you get it?" he ashed suspiciously as he set it in her hand.
"It was given to me by someone very dear." she answered as she gently rapped it in a cloth and placed it into her pocket. "Someone who was murdered by that evil waste of air."
"Your family?" he asked.
"Is Alexandra Quickpaws your given name?"
Lexi had had enough of his questions. "If it is or if it isn't, why should I tell you?" she growled. "It won't change anything! You can't bring them back."
Leaving Cedric with a hurt look on his face, she slung her pack over her shoulder and quickly left the room.

The cold night breeze greeted Lexi as she left the inn and headed towards the river. She could hear the waves gently rippling against the bank and the leaves rustling in the trees, but no insects filled the darkness with songs. Above, the moon shone brightly and the star twinkled in the sky.
She heard footsteps behind her and turned to see Aldah.
"Where have you been?" she demanded.
"I was feeling a little dizzy, like I was coming down with something." she answered. "I think that I just needed some fresh air."
"For two hours?" Lexi asked.
The rat looked at her in disbelief. "It has not been that long, surely."  
 Lexi shrugged. "Close to it."
 "Well, did I miss anything?" she asked. "Nothing much. Just battle planing and all."
"Are you still gonna kill him?" Aldah asked.
"Kill who, the searat?"
Aldah nodded.
"Of course. I have to."
"Don't do it, Lexi. Please." her friend pleaded. "If you die, how will that help anyone? You're supposed to forgive, remember?"
"Some things can never be forgiven." Lexi hissed. "And since when did you care so much about my safety?"
"It's not that!" she bared her teeth. "But you stand no chance against the searat."
"I'm not gonna challenge him to a duel. All it will take is a well aimed shot or a little poison and he's dead." Lexi scoffed. "You really underestimate me!"
"Well, when something happens to you, it will be your very own fault. Don't say I didn't warn you!" With a hiss, Aldah staled away from the angry vixen. Lexi watched the rat's retreating form until she disappeared inside the inn.

Lexi stood on the edge of the dock as she gazed up at the night sky. Many stars shone in the darkness, and every now and then one would twinkle and die. But after a moment, it was impossible to notice that one was missing. Shivering from the cold, she pulled the hood of her cloak over her head and buried her hands in her pockets. She was surprised to feel the wooden apple, as she had already forgotten that she had put it there. After unwrapping it, she held it in her hand.
He mother, who had loved to carve, had made it from a tree that her father had cut down. She had planned to make Lexi's younger brother one also. But that was before tragedy struck.
Now, it was all that she had to remind her of her past life.
"Lexi, I want to talk to you."
Startled, she looked up to see Cedric striding towards her. "What do you want?" she demanded.
 "Can I ask you a question? Without you getting mad?" he asked hesitantly as he stopped beside her.
"Go ahead." she said with a sigh.
"Is your name Alexandra Quickpaws?"
"Not anymore."
 "But it was?"
"Yes, it was. What's with all the questions about my name?"
"Because," he said with a grin. "I know your parents."
Lexi tilted her head, not sure if she had heard him correct. "Pardon me?"
"Your parents, Hiden and Catherine, are alive." he continued as she starred at him, her eyes wide and her heart pounding. "Hiden is our harvest overseer and your mother is a good friend of my mother."
Lexi could not say anything. She just looked at him in shock.
Finally, she choked out, "And Ocran ... is he alive?"
The silver fox nodded his head. "They are staying in Zamari for as long as they can to help prepare for battle."
"Oh, thank you! Thank you!" she exclaimed as she throw her arms around Cedric.
"So, you're not still mad at me?" he asked.
"No, of'course not!" she exclaimed as she stepped back with a grin on her face. "How could I ever be mad at you? My family are alive! Thank you so much!"

Although she slept little that night, Lexi awoke early the next morning.
Before they left the inn, she approached Aldah to speak to her, but was ignored by the rat.
It seemed to the vixen that Aldah was always angry nowadays. In no time at all, the seven creatures were rowing down the river. Lexi, eager to see her family again, rowed as best as she could.


Lexi pricked her ears. She could hear a roar in the distance, gradually growing louder.
"What's that sound?" Barwick asked.
"That," Ozzy said, "is the Falls."
 As they rounder a bend in the river, the river seemed to disappeared from sight. All the wile, the roar grew louder and the river's current became swifter. "Head for land!" Ozzy shouted.
Together, they rowed towards the bank.

When they reached the land, Ozzy and Cedric dragged the boat to higher ground.
"I'd help too." Rippler said as he and the others backed out of the way. "But my shoulder is still healing. Don't want to mess it up." Leaving the boat well above the tide-line, they headed into the woods. Although the trees were nearly leafless, little sunlight reached the forest floor.
Soon they stood at the edge of the dark woods. Ahead was a short strip of windswept brush and grass, which ended in a deep ravine that stretched as far as Lexi could see.
"Careful." Cedric warned as they neared the edge. Down below, the river rushed along the canyon floor. Rippler gave a low whistle. "Has anyone ever been down there?" he asked.
Cedris shook his head. "Not willingly." he answered. "But a few careless fools have fallen to their death by straying to close to the edge."
"How did this get here?" Barwick asked in amazement.
"It was made by an earthquake very long ago."Ozzy answered as he led them along a safe distance from the edge. "The king of Gildan at that time was very superstitious and feared the canyon, so he would not allow any of his subjects to cross. Zamari was founded by a tribe of nomad foxes who settled in the deserted land. Once the new king of Gildan decided to reclaim it, Zamari was already established, and however small the kingdom was, they were willing to fight back. After several battles and many losses on both sides, a truce was put in place. And except for a few skirmishes with neighboring tribes, we have remained at peace."
"There has only been one battle that we have suffered losses in my lifetime, " Cedric added, "And that was when a gang of bandits broke into the treasury."
"I can't wait to get there!" Barwick exclaimed. "I have never seen a real castle before."
 By now they had reached the crossing. Lexi starred at it doubtfully. The wooden bridge was narrow and held in place by ropes.
"Is it safe?" Archie asked.
"Yep." Ozzy answered. "And the only way to reach the other side."
When the others hesitated, he clapped his hands. "All right, come on. One at a time. Slowly."
Lexi took a deep breath and stepped out onto the bridge. Although she was not normally bother by heights, the thought of falling to her death below made her dizzy. The bridge swayed as she slowly made her way across. After what seemed like forever, she reached the other side.
"Come on!" she called to Aldah. "It ain't so bad."
Soon the rat, who had been unusually quiet that day, joined Lexi on the other side.
"Lexi," she begain as they waited for the others to cross. "Are you still gonna try to kill Aviso?"
"I don't understand why you care so much." Lexi answered with a sigh. "But that was what I was trying to tell you this morning. Cedric said--"
"That worthless fox." Aldah hissed angrily. "He is going to get us killed!"
"Don't you dare say that!" Lexi exclaimed. "Going to Zamari is our choice and my idea. I never asked you to come along."
Aldah stepped closer, forcing the vixen backwards.
"And you were all happy when you heard that money was involved." Lexi continued.
"Gold won't help you when you're dead." Aldah answered.
"Oh, is that it?" Lexi countered. "You're scared?"
"There is no since in fighting when you have no chance of winning!"
"If you think like that then of course you will loose! Where is you courage?"
"There is no chance against my father!"
"Your father?" Lexi questioned.
"Yes, you fool!" the rat snarled. "My father, King Aviso!"
Stunned, Lexi starred at her. "I-I didn't know-" she stammered.
"And you will not slay him!"
Before Lexi had time to react, Aldah shoved her. Unbalanced, she stumbled back.
The rat's cold eyes was the last thing she saw before she fell into the ravine.

The Guardian of Zamari #9 My Father, A Monster?

The rest of the day pasted uneventfully for Lexi.
She, along with the others, rowed for a while, then let the river's current carry the boat as they rested, then rowed some more.
They pasted several other boats on their way down river, most going in the opposite direction.
The sun was beginning to set when Ozzy called a halt.
"We should spend the night here." he said.
They were floating towards a dock, to which was tethered several boats.
A well lit building stood a few meters from the tide line. Merry voices and laughter came from within the riverside inn and Lexi could fell her hunger increasing.
"Good idea." she stated.
The boat bumped against the dock and rocked as she stepped out, followed by the others.
Barwick tossed then their packs. As Lexi reached out to catch hers, the boat swayed, causing Barwick to loose his balance. Her pack flew through the air and landed with a splash. Lexi pulled the pack from the river and held it up as water poured from it.
"I-I'm sorry." the mouse stammered with a look of fear on his face.
"It's fine." Lexi reassured him. "This is not the first time it has gotten wet."
After Ozzy secured the boat, they started towards the inn.
Lexi, looking forward to a warm meal and a good nights sleep, was happy to be on dry land again.

After a warm and refreshing meal, the seven travelers gathered in a room upstairs.
Lexi finished laying the contents of her sodden pack around the hearth  and joined the others at the table.
Ozzy cleared his throat. "Okay, here's the situation. We are about a good day's march from Zamari. To get there we'll have to cross the Great Divide. Now, last time we were there the bridge was fine, but if Mirrikh has taken the city it will be destroyed as it is the fastest way for reinforcements to arrive. The chasm is impossible to cross without the bridge, so in that case we would have to go around and by then it will be far too late. Our only hope is that the bridge is in-tacked."
"It will be." Cedric said softly.
"Once we reach the castle," Ozzy continued. "We will face the wildcat's army, which is said to contain around five hundred soldiers. We only have tow hundred warriors, all trained in swords and bows. If we can hold the castle long enough, they will have to give up. So, does anyone know something else about Mirrikh or have any idea about how to defeat him?"
"I don't know about Mirrikh, but I do know a little about his second in command." Lexi stated.
"Aviso the searat." Cedric growled. "From the stories I have heard, he is worse then Mirrikh himself."
"The stories might not all be true." Ozzy said.
Scowling, Rippler shook his head. "Oh, I'll bet they are. There is no cruelty he is not capable of."
Lexi listened closely as the otter explained.
"Several years ago, when I was just a little one, me and my family were captured by searats and taken to a far away island to be sold as slaves. Aviso was the one in charge of keeping us. If we did any little thing that he did not like, he would punish or sometimes kill us. If Damon - he's my mentor and the one who freed us from the searats- knew that Aviso was here, he would never of let me come."
As Rippler spoke, Lexi's hate for the rat increased.
 "He is evil! He killed my family and destroyed the entire village, all because my uncle refused to feed him and his gang! That is way I was traveling towards Zamari to start with. I have swore to kill him." she exclaimed.
Aldah's chair clattered to the floor as the rat hurriedly arose.
"Something wrong?"Lexi questioned when she saw the look on her friend's face.
Aldah slightly shook her head and stumbled towards the door.
"You sure?" the vixen asked.
There was no reply as the rat left the room, closing the door behind her.

"Worse then Mirrikh?" "Evil?" "Killed my family?" "Swore to kill him?" 
Alone, Aldah sank to the ground at the river's edge and berried her face in her hands.
As tears steamed down her face, she asked herself again and again if it was possible that there were two searats with the same name.
But that was very unlikely since Aviso was a very rare name. Did he really kill Lexi's family? Perhaps it was a mistake. Maybe there really were two searats with the same name.
But deep down inside she knew that it was him. He whom she had longed to see since the day he left. It was him!
She wiped the tear from her face and squared her shoulders.
She had made her choice, and it would cost her either her best friend or her long lost father.

The Guardian of Zamari #8: Death's Silence

Lexi notched an arrow to her bow and stepped out from behind the cover of the bush.
As the weasel behind Aldah prepared to strike, Lexi shot.
The arrow flew through the air  and penetrated deep into the weasel's shoulder. With a scream, he dropped his sword and fell to the ground, clutching his arm in agony. The other weasels looked around frantically, but the vixen had already ducked behind the bush.

From the far side of the camp, Rippler watched as a opossum and a fox joined the fray.
Together with the rat, they drove the weasels back into the woods. Several fell with arrows embedded in them, including Aser, who was dead before he hit the ground.
"I see your tribe has come for you."
Startled, Rippler looked behind him, as much as he could being ties to the tree.
Whalen, his face dark with anger, limped into view."Perhaps the old fool was right. We should had killed you on the spot, not drugged your worthless self back here." he growled as he pointed a knife at the otter. "But your tribe won't reach you in time."
"The're not my tribe! I don't even know them." Rippler exclaimed.
Whalen sneered. "Do you really expect me to believe --" That was the last words the weasel would ever utter.

Lexi fired one more shot, then lowered her bow.
Silents filled the clearing. Several weasels lay dead, but most had fled into the forest.
Walking past their still forms, Lexi kept her gaze fixed ahead.
How she hated death. She stopped beside Aldah, who was busy removing a gold chine from around a weasel's neck. "Leave it, Aldah." Lexi said.
Her friend looked up. "You have to be joking. This is real gold."
Lexi looked away. "It won't help you anymore then it did him." she muttered.
Aldah smirked. "Still don't like death, do you?" she asked.
"No,it is horrible." Lexi answered. "Yet, you don't seem to mind it."
 "It is useful to thieves like us." She said as she triumphantly held up the gold chain.
"Not like me." Lexi whispered bitterly, too low for anyone to hear. "I'm going ti check the boat." She said to the rat.
"Suit yourself." Aldah answered.
 Before the vixen left the clearing, she paused to look back at the others. Cedric and Ozzy were busy talking to the captive otter, who was now free. She knew that by the time the weasels returned, if the ever did, that they would be long gone. She slung her bow over her shoulder and headed for the river. The forest was unusually quiet. No leaves rustled, no birds sung and no insects chirped. The only sound was from the waves lapping against the shore. She stood under a overhanging tree at the river's edge, watching dark shadows of fish as they swam by.
The sun was hid in the overcast sky. The heat of battle had wore off and now Lexi could feel a slight breeze blowing though the cold air. She shivered as she pulled her cloak tighter and gazed across the river.

Aldah removed a brass band from around a dead weasel's wrist and tossed it into a pile. She felt no guilt nor remorse at having killed the creature. After all, he would have killed her.
Long ago, her father had left her, her brother and her mother behind when he joined a searat crew, she had to lean to fend for herself. Her mother had died shortly after from sickness and her brother had mysteriously disappeared, leaving her all alone in the world. Aldah had killed and stole many times since then. No guilt, no mercy, just survival.
Living out in the streets had been a struggle for the young rat, until she had met Lexi.
Together, they helped each other to stay alive and had become best friends. Aldah loved the life of the thief, but she still head the hope that her father would return.
She never spoke to Lexi about her past or her wish to see her father again, fearing that the vixen would see it as weakness. Lexi also rarely mentioned anything from before the time they had met and Aldah never asked. Now, as she scavenged among the dead, she hummed a merry tune to herself.
"Where's Lexi?"
She looked up at Cedric. "She ran off. To the river, I think. These weasels scare her." the rat replied. "Really?" Cedric said, twitching his ears. "I didn't see her hesitate when she shot them down."
"No." Aldah agreed. "It is just the dead ones that bother her."
He looked at her for a moment, as if trying to decide whether to say something or not. Finally, he shook his head with a sigh of annoyance and said, "Hurry up and meet us at the boat. And the otter is coming too."
Aldah watched them through narrowed eyes as the three creatures left the clearing. "It just keeps getting better and better." she muttered.

Lexi heard someone approaching and turned to see Cedric, Ozzy and the otter. "Time to go?" she asked.
"Yep." Ozzy answered as he hulled the boat in.
Lexi looked questioningly at the otter. Dressed in a brown jerkin and trousers , he carried his sword by his side and had a smile on his handsome face.
 "This is Rippler." Cedric said. "He was captured by the weasels last night and he will be coming with us."
"I'm Lexi." the vixen said, extending her hand.
The otter shook it. "Pleased to meet you." he said.
At that moment, Aldah came hurrying towards them, carrying her hat, which was heavy with scavenged goods. "Are we going or not?" she snapped.
"Yes," Ozzy growled, "Get in the boat. We are waiting on you, rat!"
 Lexi and others climbed into the boat. Aldah and Ozzy took the first set of oars, Lixi and Rippler had the next two and Cedric was left with the rear.
Lexi had never rowed a boat before, but she soon got the hang of it.
The boat glided smoothly down the river, aided by the swift current. In no time at all, they neared the overhanging tree where Barwick and Archie were waiting.
"It is about time you got here." Archie said as they rowed the boat closer to the bank.
 "He thought you had left us." Barwick said, handing Ozzy and the Rippler their packs, which were then given to Cedric to stack into the back of the boat. After they had finished, the mouse and the stoat climbed in and took the last oar across from Cedric.
Together, the seven creatures rowed the boat down the river, towards their destination.

Dog Pictures

The Prince's Dog #2

When I opened my eyes, I saw that the men had surrendered. 

Their fallen weapons littered the ground and they were being herded into a group by the Asgardians. Lightheaded and with my chest aching, I stumbled to my paws. 

"You won't take me alive!" I growled softly as I tried to slip out of there quietly, but I was still dizzy and unable to walk silently. 

One of the Asgardian warriors noticed me.
"Hey, you! Stop where you are!" he shouted. 

I bared my teeth and kept going. 

Another blocked my path and pointed a strange gun-like weapon at me.

" That thing attacked Thor. It must be some sort of trained war dog. Just kill it." he said. 

"That 'thing' is not a dog." I snarled, then I turned into a girl again. 

The look of surprise on the Asgardians' faces was shocking. 

As warriors, I wouldn't think that a little shape shifting would be anything new. 

Of course, I had never seen anyone like myself, but I could not be the only one, could I? 

With the strange weapon still pointed at my back, I was forced to join the other prisoners. 

There was at least twenty of us. Those who noticed me looked at me with contempt. 

I was not well liked on that planet, nor any other planet for that matter. 

And I was sure that, at the chance, anyone of them would kill me. 

I kept my eyes fixed downward and avoided their gaze. 

Then we were transported to Asgard. It was very strange. 

One moment I was standing on soiled ground, the next I was flying through the air, faster then I ever thought possible. I had never experienced anything like it before. 

When we landed, the Gatekeeper looked at us with strange eyes. I glared right back. 

We were pushed and shoved every time we slowed down or got out of line as we were led across the Rainbow Bridge. 

I could see how the bridge got it's name. It was beautiful. The many colors sparkled under our feet and I almost ran into the man in front of me as I looked down. But, of course, I had no time to enjoy it. After we crossed the bridge, we were taken through the golden city of Asguard and then down to the dungeon.