FSE

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The Llwycrau Company

By MetroFox

Blaith panted hard, his hind-paws beating the sand, kicking up clumps of the stuff. The bronze short sword on his back rattled against the oval wooden shield. Wet sand stuck to his red and white fur, and got under his blue and white plaid, sheepskin trousers. The fox could almost feel every grain of sand under his unbooted hind-paws. The wind weaved its way through each strand of fur on his body and face. The scents of sea salt and woodsmoke filled his nose.

His blue eyes looked to his left, out to sea. The water reflected a vibrant sun in a cloudless afternoon sky. He breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that the ship had not yet made it around the cliffs. He looked to his right, following the grey, jagged cliffs along until he spied a thin, wispy column of smoke rising into the sky. It came from a small cave entrance, nestled in the cliffs, outside of which sat a bored looking weasel, Fithyn. She sat in the shade of the cave, fiddling with the string on her crossbow.

"Fithyn, quick! Get everything together, there's a ship coming!" Blaith howled joyfully. The fox began jumping and throwing his paws up in the air as he barreled toward the cave. Fithyn jumped to her hind-paws and waved to the fox as he buried his hind-paws in the sand to stop himself. Blaith trips over a stone, falling muzzle-first into the sand before Fithyn. The weasel laughed, watching Blaith get to his hind-paws, spitting out mawfuls of sand.

"Are you okay?" She asks, revealing a waterskin from under her grey, woolen cloak. She reaches out and offers it to Blaith, who grabs it from her and greedily begins gulping down the water within, clearing his mouth of sand.

"Don't worry about it, there's a ship coming." Blaith pants, wiping his muzzle with his arm. He hands the now nearly empty waterskin back to Fithyn, who tucks it back under her cloak. They turn and walk into the cave, greeted by the warmth of the fire.

Blaith immediately set about gathering up everything of value, while Fithyn walked over to a dark corner of the cave. She rounded a small rock formation to find the rat, Raddan, curled up in his sleeping sack. She gave him a gentle kick, and the rat stirred. His beady amber eyes fluttered, trying to clear away the gunk.

"What is it?" Raddan groaned. The rat lifts his head up to see Blaith rummaging through their things. He then turns to Fithyn with a confused look. The weasel smiled at his, and reached a paw out, offering to help him up. Raddan tookthe paw, and Fithyn hauled him up.

"Blaith's seen a ship coming around the cliffs." She said, turning and walking over to her own sleeping spot. She kneels down and begins searching her own things for anything valuable. Raddan slips out of his sleeping sack and walks over to Blaith.

"A ship, eh? Know who it is?" Raddan asks, kneeling down to help Blaith. The fox reaches into a pouch and pulls out a pawful of amber, a wide smile forming on his muzzle.

"No idea, but we need to flag them down, or we go hungry again," Blaith replies. He gets up and turns to Fithyn, waving the amber around to show her. She nods, and goes back to her things. Raddan goes over to help her, and eventually they both return clutching three sheepskins.

As Raddan and Fithyn head outside, Blaith runs over to the fire, taking a huge, burning stick from it, and running back to join the others. As the sunlight washed over him, and his eyes adjusted, he could see it, rounding the edge of the cliffs. The hull was long, and the masts rose high into air. A ram was fixed to the bow, and she was covered in a coat of black paint, that somehow hadn't been washed off. Its design was more elegant than what they were used to. Without hesitation, Blaith began to jump up and down wildly, waving the burning stick about like a madman. Fithyn and Raddan watched their friend, smirking, barely holding back their laughter.

For several minutes Blaith flailed and howled, feeling as though he was going to collapse. Thankfully, the ship, finally in full view, lit a signal fire in reply, and eventually slowed to a halt. Blaith panted hard, throwing the burning stick into the sea and dropping to his haunches. His chest heaved, and he felt as though he was going to throw up, but feeling a paw on his shoulder made him feel better. He turned to see Raddan, looking down at him, ears pinned back, a look of concern on his face. They all sat and got comfortable on the sand.

"Quick thinking, Fish Breath, hopefully we can get a good deal out of them." Fithyn said. The weasel thumbed Blaith on the back, causing him to turn and stare at her, annoyed.

"Stop calling me that, it's not that bad." He groaned. Fithyn smiled, and put her arm around him.

"Oh, stop teasing him and kiss already." Raddan joked, staring at the two of them.

"Raddan, please, I have standards." Fithyn laughed, giving Blaith a nudge. The fox stared at her again.

"Hey!" He barked. Raddan turned again, to see what was happening. Fithyn laughed, hugging Blaith tight, causing the fox to calm down a little.

"Don't act so hurt, you know I'm just havin' a poke," she said, her smile wide, caring. She cocked her head to the side, asking if he was okay with that. Blaith sighed.

"Aye, but-" He began, but Raddan jumped to his hind-paws and cut him off.

"Enough of that, they're here." He said, pointing to a small rowboat approaching the beach. The little craft was made up of dark oak boards, and carried three creatures in brightly coloured silks and linens, looking very exotic. In the back lay a pile of goods, in which stood a banner, on a dark blue background stood a golden circle, hanging over the simplified image of a ship. In this golden circle was a strange black letter, similar to a 'K'. They were from Thalsidaea, though, if not for the banner, their species would have told Blaith that. A feline, with small ears and yellow fur dotted with black. The other two were shorthaired wolves, their fur bleached an unusually light grey by the fierce Thalsidaean sun. As they hit the shallows, they all jumped out, splashing down into the cold water, and began dragging their little craft ashore.

"Please, I just... Can't keep hearing that." Blaith whispered, turning back to Fithyn. She smiled at him.

"Okay, I'll stop, but only if I can keep calling you Fish Breath." She said, getting up out of the sand, followed by Raddan, who walked down to greet the Thalsidaeans.

"Yeah, guess I can live with that." Blaith sighed. The fox turned his attention back to the traders, getting up and walking down to greet them with Fithyn.

"Love you, Fish Breath." She whispered in his ear, as they strolled toward the traders. Raddan turned to them, waving them over.

"C'mon, you've 'ad three years to do this!" He shouted, before turning back to the traders, who had now made it safely onto the beach.

As the feline approached, they shared a look, one of intimidation. It was no surprise, Thalsidaeans were a modest sort, dressed in clean silk tunics that flowed down to their ankles, trimmed with bronze. They wore a noble, but snobby, look on their faces.

Thought the three of them, while taller and more hardened, wore traditional plaid clothes. Clothes that didn't do much to cover them. Raddan was in his long, red and black skirt, Blaith in his blue and white sheepskins, and Fithyn in a pair of sheepskin trousers and a woolen shepherd's cloak, her breasts wrapped in cloth rags. The feeling only got worse when one of the felines gave them a disappointed look.

"Is this all we should expect?" He asked, scowling at Raddan. The feline stared, a look on his faces like that of a hungry vulture. Raddan stuttered, the words getting caught in his throat. Blaith stepped forward, placing a paw on the rat's shoulder.

"We don't care for your expectations, we care to trade." Blaith said. The fox extended a pawful of amber. By now, the other traders had begun unloading their goods, while the feline cocked his head, taking an interest in the amber. Noticing this, Raddan and Fithyn caught their breath, gulped, and came forward, offering up the few sheepskins they had.

"Hmph, I hear you Low Bolkan sort piss yourselves in battle, you sure stink like it." The feline said, crossing his eyes, a cocky grin on his face. Fithyn scowled back, spitting.

"Please, we just need some food." Blaith said, catching himself, managing to keep from getting angry. The feline raised an eyebrow, before turning to the other traders.

"Ruoka!" The feline shouted. The ears of the two wolves perked, turning to the feline. The feline scowled and waved his paw around, the wolves saw this and went back to work. Blaith watched as they lifted a small box out of the back of the boat, revealing a pretty bronze object, covered in beautifully made patterns.

"Ruoka? That's a northern tongue, isn't it?" Raddan asked. The feline turned back to them, laughing.

"Hah! The rat's a smart one, though clearly not smart enough to know a slave when he sees one." The feline growled. Raddan gulped; talk of slavery always got under the rat's skin.

"That's a nice helmet there." Blaith butted in, pointing at the decorated bronze object. The feline turned to see what he meant, walking over and picking out the object. He showed it to Blaith, who nodded.

"Not much of a helmet, more a fancy bronze soup-bowl, nothing special, gods, I'd give it to ya for a discount." The feline said, a suspicious look on his face. He inspected the helmet, Blaith assumed the feline thought he'd seen something special. When he could find nothing, he turned back to Blaith, and gestured for him to hand-over the amber.

"Alright then, throw in some food and let's make a deal out of it." Blaith said, a smile stretching across his muzzle. The feline sighed, gesturing for the wolf slaves to bring the box over. They did, laying it down between the feline and Blaith, before retreating behind their master. It was simple in design, little more than a small, wooden crate, about the size of a hare. Blaith and feline came together and opened the box. Inside lay a tiny bag of grain, and a few perch.

"I'd give you this, and the helm, for what you got." The feline offered, pointing to the small crate of food. Fithyn and Raddan both turned to Blaith, staring at him with an unwavering ferocity.

"What are you doing, Blaith? We don't need the helmet." Fithyn growled at him. Blaith ears shot back, he was surprised by this, instinctively tucking his tail between his legs. Though he felt intimidated too, he did not waver.

"Guys, we could sell it on, make a little extra out of this." He whispered back to them, not wanting the feline to hear. Fithyn's stare softened, and she turned to Raddan. The rat, too, had softened his gaze. After a moment, Raddan nodded, as did Fithyn. With the three of them now agreeing, Blaith turned back to the feline.

"That'll do." Blaith said, nodding at the feline. Raddan sighed, but kept his silence. The feline noticed this, raising an eyebrow, letting a few moments pass. Fithyn cleared her throat impatiently.

"No bartering? You lot really are no fun." The feline finally spoke. Then he sighed, gesturing for one of the wolf slaves to come forward. As the wolf walked over, the feline turned back to Blaith and held out a paw. Blaith put on a confident look, reaching out and handing the feline his amber. The wolf walked past him, revealing layer upon layer of crimson, deep cuts. The wolf held his paws out, silent. Fithyn and Raddan handed him the sheepskins. Fithyn couldn't help put pin her ears back and give the wolf a concerned look. The wolf nearly cracked a smile at this, his lips twitching, but he seemingly repressed it, taking the sheepskins and returning to the feline's side.

"Loocary mor," Blaith wished the feline. He watched the other wolf bring the bronze helmet over. As the other wolf handed it over, Fithyn and Raddan collected the box of food at the felines hind-paws. He stared at the two of them, scrabbling at his hind-paws.

"Nast mazisas." The feline replied, a low growl emanating from deep within his throat. Blaith did not understand the tongue he spoke, but took at as a warning. He tied the helmet to his belt and helped his friends haul the food away. He kept looking back, seeing the feline stand there, watching as they scurried away, the two wolves packing everything into the rowboat.

#

Blaith stared out into the black sea, seeing the light of great Llekuu above, caught in the churning ocean water. The ship had long since left, leaving only darkness around their cave. The cliff-dwelling sea birds had gone quiet, replaced by the gentle lapping of the waves as they rolled over each other, and the quiet crackle of the fire. The reek of sea salt was overpowered by that of the choking smoke, underlined by roasting fish. The bare rock underneath him was cold, the fires warmth repressed by the wind. Grains of sand, carried on the wind, stuck to his fur, causing him to scratch and bite at his arms to stop the irritation.

"Fish Breath, come eat!" Fithyn shouted, evoking a hearty laugh from Raddan. The rat seemed to be in good spirits, with food finally in his bowl. Blaith sighed, getting to his hind-paws and stretching out his arms. He turned and walked back into the warmth of the cave, the heat felt like a soft blanket washing over him. The light from the fire cast hard shadows against the jagged walls. Shadows that danced with the flickering of the flames. Fithyn and Raddan sat on opposite sides of the fire, with Raddan spit-polishing his tiny fish-gutting blade. Fithyn sat on her haunches, stirring the contents of a clay pot that was suspended over the fire.

Blaith sat down on a woolen mat led out before him. He leant back, turning and smiling at Fithyn. She smiled back, stopping her stirring and grabbing three bowls from a pack at her side. Using the wooden ladle she used to stir the broth, she dolled soup into the bowls until they brimmed with the thick, hot meal.

"Give us the bread." Fithyn said, reaching around the fire. Raddan looked up from the blade, picking up something from by the fire and handing it over to the weasel. Fithyn took three bits of flat, brown bread. She put a piece in each bowl, letting the soup soak in. Then she handed a bowl to each of them, followed by a small wooden spoon. Blaith had to pass the bowl from paw to paw so it didn't burn him.

"Just put it down." Raddan snickered, picking the bread out of the broth and tearing it to pieces in no time at all. Blaith watched the rat, his stomach grumbling. Suddenly it did not matter how hot it was, and he tucked in. As he held the bread to his muzzle, the smell hit him. Warm, steamy, fish soup, the best meal all month. He tore a dripping chunk from the bread. The bread was good, fresh, and the soup softening it for him. In his maw was a flurry of flavour, a hint of salt under a tang of fish. What species, he could not tell.

"We're not actually selling that helmet, are we?" Fithyn mumbled through a mawful of bread. Raddan's ears perked, though his eyes remained fixed on the soup he shoveled into his mouth. Blaith looked over to the helm, sitting on his sleeping mat. His ears dropped flat to his skull, and he turned back to Fithyn.

"No" He muttered under his breath, but it wasn't quiet enough. Fithyn sighed, going back to her meal. Blaith sat there, looking down at his bowl. He went to stuff more bread in his mouth when Raddan spat.

"Look at us, spendin' all we can on one meal, then we go hungry 'cause no creature dare come to this barren edge of the world, nor do any ships pass by for weeks. And you don't help one bit, little soldier!" Raddan glared at the fox, his friend, with a look that was alien to Blaith. The rat did not break his gaze, not even to blink. Blaith couldn't help but fidget and try to ignore it, but it scratched at his skull.

"I just... I, uh, I-" The words escaped Blaith's mind, further annoying Raddan. The fox turned to Fithyn, who now paid full attention to what was going on before her.

"Did you see the wolves, Blaith? Their fat n' psychopathic masters have been thrashin 'em within inches of death! And we just gave them our things, what next? Do we sell ourselves away!?" Raddam's voice rose higher. Blaith felt a tightness in his chest, and his head dropped, his gaze falling to the floor.

"Raddan, that's enough! So Blaith didn't think back there, it's not his fault there are shitty people in the world." Fithyn snapped, her muzzle wrinkling into a snarl. Raddan turned his gaze on her. Blaith sighed, his heart sinking, drowning. This was his fault.

"Damn waste of money, how about you put that helm to use and go do some mercenary work? Maybe then we could afford to eat." Raddan snarked, going back to his soup. Blaiths ears perked, and he looked to the rat.

"That's... Not a terrible idea, Raddan." Blaith let the words escape from his throat. Immediately he regretted it, he should've thought about it more. Too late now. His own tail wrapped around him, and he braced himself, ears pinned back. He looked to Raddan, and then to Fithyn, the bot sat there, staring at him, maws hanging open. The moments stretched out, the silence suffocating.

"Fuck off!" Raddan spat, followed by a maddened laugh. Fithyn starred as the rat piped down, anger in her narrowed gaze. Blaith began to panic, he needed to explain.

"No, really, we got weapons, and... Well, what else do you need?" Blaith shrugged, forcing a smile, in an attempt to charm Fithyn. She continued to stare, unphased by her lovers futile attempt at charming.

"Medicine, armour, a reputation, lots of things." She listed, then stopping to think, before opening her mouth to continue. Raddan cleared his throat and cut her off.

"Aye, but... Okay, maybe we should, it'd be better than this, right? Killin' bandits and nasty folk like that." Raddan suggested, suddenly a lot calmer, and for some reason, more open to the idea. Both Blaith and Fithyn turned to the rat, their heads cocked to one side, an eyebrow raised.

"You've both gone completely mad." Fithyn gasped, her head turning from one to the other, and back again. Blaith, too, continued to stare at Raddan, dumbfounded by the sudden change of mind. He sighed, caught his breath and continued.

"How about we go to, say, Ynys Cestyllyr, and just try one contract? Things go wrong, or we don't like it, we come back here." Blaith explained. Raddan looked at the fox, and nodded in agreement. Fithyn still looked to each of them, her maw still open.

"I-" She began, but the words would not come to her. Blaith got up and went to sit next to her, putting his arm around her shoulders.

"I'll go, but I think Fithyn best sleep on it." Raddan suggested, looking to the weasel. She turned her gaze on him, infuriated now.

"You'd both get yourselves killed without me!" She growled. Blaith turned to her and cocked his head.

"So you'll come?" He asked in a hopeful voice. The fox forced another smile, widening his eyes. Fithyn gave him a quick glance, then turned back to Raddan.

"If I have to. No point letting Blaith die 'cause you encouraged him to do a stupid thing." Fithyn growled. With that, she downed the last of her soup, and stormed off. She picked up her sleeping sack and disappeared into the back of the cave with it.

Blaith and Raddan exchanged one last stare, before finishing off their meals and heading to bed themselves. Blaith still felt awful, because of his stupid decision, he'd be sleeping alone tonight. Not to worry, he thought, it'll be a long trek tomorrow, best rest for that.

The fox climbed into his sleeping sack. He turned and watched the rat disappear into his corner. Blaith sighed, closed his eyes, and let the otherworld of dreams and nightmares wash over him.