Ætharr of Calador
I don't own Redwall, or Gangs of New York
Book 2: Temptation of Power PrologueOorlog woke to a sunny morning, and a delight in his soul.
Two triumphs had awaited him on his arrival to Klinus' stronghold the previous night. One had pleased him so much it took all his self-restraint not to dance and sing in front of everyone.
Ætharr of Calador, Ealdor in Exile, and leader of the allied forces in opposition to him, was captured, and being held in the prison.
Such news was so pleasing that he had wanted immediately to humiliate the young weasel, but personal advice persuaded against it.
So he was content to watch Klinus deny the prisoners food. Then he had a grand feast, and went to bed.
The next morning he went to Klinus' hall.
Klinus was seated on the throne at the far end of the hall. Beside him on a smaller throne sat his eighth and latest wife, Theta, a pretty, but terrified creature half his age and size. Klinus had many children, most of them bastard born.
Oorlog personally detested Klinus, considering him only a pawn in his clever scheme of domination. Klinus was a brute that only knew how to oppress and kill, which made him useful for now, but easily disposable without too much harm. The thing that made him so useful, though, was the fact that he led almost eleven hundred beasts, a full third of his forces. If it weren't for that, Klinus would already be dead.
But for now, Oorlog put on a smile as he greeted Klinus, "A good day to you my friend."
Klinus grunted, "I be grateful that I'm one o' yer friends."
The polecats greeted each other, the latter bowing clumsily to the former.
Oorlog suddenly caught Theta's eye. Theca blanched, and pretended to straighten her robes. Oorlog smiled evilly, thinking that he could do away with Klinus sooner than he thought.
Gazing back down to Klinus, he said in a honeyed voice, "I would like to see the Calador bastard. Bring him here, please."
Klinus nodded like a wild bear, roared for the nearest guards, and scrambled upright to appear dignified.
Oorlog suddenly looked at Klinus, "What did you do with the captive I sent you some time back?"
Klinus smiled crookedly, and was about to speak when the guards returned, holding a struggling weasel between them.
Ætharr was snarling at the beasts dragging him, calling them cowards, daring them to find twenty others to fight him.
Oorlog could not resist a hearty guffaw. It got Ætharr's attention, and he roared a stream of insults about the polecat.
Klinus shrieked in anger, and ran towards the guards.
"Hold him up!" He yelled.
The guards grinned, and held Ætharr as Klinus rained kicks and punches on the young weasel.
After Ætharr was clearly unconscious, Klinus yelled for ice-cold water. When it was brought, Ætharr was thrown into it.
He spluttered awake, refusing to admit his pain. Oorlog raised an eyebrow, "So, are you as mighty as you once thought you were?"
Ætharr stared balefully up at the warlord, "No might in the world will prise my claws from your throat. Nothing but death: yours or mine, either one."
Oorlog smiled down on him, and kicked him hard in the ribs. Ætharr's jaw tightened, but that was the only reaction he gave.
Oorlog laughed, "I suppose this your answer. It is to be your death, not mine."
Ætharr gave a truly frightening look, "Fate will confirm that, for it is unavoidable. As is your death if I have the chance."
Oorlog sighed at the stubbornness of Ætharr, and gave a last kick to Ætharr's rump.
Oorlog looked at Klinus, "We'll leave those blows as a taste for what's coming up."
Klinus laughed, and ordered Ætharr put back in the cage.
Oorlog, while Klinus had his back turned, glanced at Theta again, making sure she saw it. Theta looked at the floor, neither wanting Oorlog to look at her like that, or her husband to intervene.
Oorlog began to think of how he could eliminate Klinus, and still finish on top. And truly, what was there to stop him? He had the power of the other Hunan warlords behind him, and Ætharr was locked in a cage. True, there was Ædall to lead the Caladors alongside Ibos and Blackaxe, but surely they wouldn't be as quick to listen to him as they would listen to Ætharr.
Oorlog smiled to himself as he patted the new sword on his belt. It was the greatest weapon he had ever seen. Although slightly small on him, it was nevertheless a deadly sword; the red pommel, the black hilt, the ice-cold blade… flawless.
Oorlog thought of the two creatures that his soldiers had taken it from. A shrew and an otter. He laughed, trying to think of how two scrawny youths had possession of such an incredible sword.
"Something I said, lord?" Klinus had heard Oorlog laugh.
Oorlog looked at the big and clumsy Klinus. 'Soon,' he thought, 'you will be eating out of my paw if you're lucky. No, it would be much better to kill you. And when I do, it will be so that your soldiers will follow me without a doubt that I am innocent of your death.'
That was what Oorlog thought, but what he said was, "I was just thinking of how we could best torture Ætharr."
Klinus sniggered, "He won't break easily. I've seen such creatures before."
Oorlog smiled, "He will break hard. I'm going to make sure of it."