The next few days were the best Aeturnis had experienced in a long time. Since her mother had been attacked, in fact - the attack that had resulted in her contracting the deadly illness which had claimed her life. Chaz taught her much about survival on the road - how to light fire, how to trap prey, but most of all, he taught her how to smile again. Life in the Orphanage had not been cheery, and Aeturnis had forgotten the last furson that had treated her like a normal Furrae instead of a hybrid-freak. Here, Chaz and Madame Zufraia treated her with nothing but respect, compassion and encouragement. Farleigh, of course, still acted with disdain, but she expected that. Farleigh rarely had a kind word for anyone and was brash and rude to all and sundry, including the other travellers they met on the road.
It was on the fourth day of travel that things took a turn for the negative.
Aeturnis and Chaz were sitting in the back of the carriage, playing a fairly enthused game of Speed. Aeturnis's mother had taught her the card game years ago, and she had become quite a dab hand at it. Poor Chaz was not faring very well at all. Despite the motion, the table, and indeed the entire carriage, remained perfectly calm, thanks to the enchantments weaved into the wood. Yet suddenly it jerked and Farleigh's loud booming voice came from outside.
"Chaz, get out here!"
Chaz sighed, slamming his cards down onto the table. "I'll be right back," he said, "there's prollly been some sort of accident that's blockin' up the road."
Aeturnis did not like the way he always jumped to the Sable-taur's commands, as though he were some sort of slave. It was not as though Farleigh ever asked nicely. Then again, she was not really one to speak - being that she would never have the courage to stand up to Farleigh either. She followed him out and saw what the hold-up was herself.
An enormous tree had been chopped down so that it lay cross-wise across the road. It looked to Aeturnis like it had been done intentionally, for whilst there was no sign of any life, the tree had "chosen" a bottle-neck to collapse across. The Deadlands encroached close on both sides.
Farleigh was looking most disgruntled, glaring at the fallen tree as though accusing it could make it move. It was not a successful ploy. Chaz looked somewhat frightened.
"You don't think it could be… bandits?" He asked.
Farleigh sniggered, "maybe, but no bandits would dare attack Farleigh D'Mont. Nah, 'tis just an inconvenience."
The Warrah, however, did not look convinced.
Rose materialised at Aeturnis's shoulder. She had a habit of doing that - she was so small and quiet that she often went completely unnoticed until suddenly she spoke.
"Do you think Keerah and I should scout out the area?"
"I'm sure Farleigh knows what he's talking about," Aeturnis replied, but she was not convinced. The Sable Antelope was a hard one to love, or even to like. He was too stubborn and single-minded.
Rose merely smiled and whistled. For such a small creature, it was a surprisingly loud noise. Keerah, who had been perching on the railing, leapt into the air and circled Aeturnis's head.
"She wants to perch on you," Rose pointed out. Aeturnis looked at the bird's powerful talons a little nervously, but then stretched out her arm. Keerah called in appreciation, and alighted gently on the wrist. Her claws scratched a little, but did not hurt. The kestrel quirked her head at Aeturnis and opened her beak in what might have been a smile.
"She likes you," Rose added. "And Keerah doesn't like just anyone. She likes having her head scratched."
Aeturnis stared at the bird's bullet-shaped head. She was only a small bird, 'twas true, but that did not change the fact that she was a raptor and as such had a wickedly curved bill. The Aardwolf girl reached tentatively forward. Keerah tilted her neck forward, rising her neck feathers in encouragement. Fighting back mild nervousness of being bitten, Aeturnis scratched her neck. She seemed to appreciate it.
And whilst her steed was thus distracted, little Rose clambered up Aeturnis's hand and onto her bird. A moment later Keerah nuzzled the girl's hand and flung herself into the air, winging her way upwards and outwards.
Aeturnis watched her lazily circle and then bank sharply, wings flapping as she made her return with much haste.
"Ambush!" She shouted, just as the bandits made their attack.
An Otter sprang onto the falling tree. He was splendid in a burgundy tunic, laced about with a satin band from which hung two guns. His head was topped with a ridiculous plumed hat.
"Stand and deliver!" He declared, "your money or your life!"
"Out of my way!" Farleigh snapped, unable to take this ridiculous creature seriously. "My swords, Chaz."
Chaz took one look at the Otter in his peculiar clothing and darted back towards the carriage - or attempted to.
Leaping from the tree branches came a hoard of Stoats, some of them in the winter white coat of the Ermine. All of them wielding scimitars or pistols. Before Chaz could move a foot, two of them had him lined up in their sights.
"Move and they'll shoot," the Otter said, almost politely.
Farleigh held up his hands in surrender. "What do you want then? We don't have any money nor much in the way of wealth." He nudged his head slightly at Aeturnis, as though indicating that perhaps she should fetch his weapons. No guns were angled at her, after all, and she was closer to the security of the carriage then Chaz.
However, she was frozen with terror. She was not used to conflict of this kind, not being an adventurer. And where was Madame Zufraia? It was not uncommon for the Secretary Bird to wander off on exploits of her own, but she had been gone almost an hour and the path ahead was blocked. Where else could she be? A terrible thought occurred to Aeturnis - what if the bandits had already captured her?
That thought was enough to spur Aeturnis into moving - she slid slowly up the back of the seat, easing herself towards the carriage entry.
"We don't want money," the Otter said, "although we would like a share of your occult possessions. No. We want the little lass there." Aeturnis found the rest of their guns aimed in her direction. She froze.
"What do ye want Ae for?" Chaz asked, confuzzled. "She's only a wee lass!"
"Don't ask questions," the Otter commanded. "Seize him!" And the Stoats pounced on Chaz before he could make a move - not that he could make a move, with the guns were still directed at his head and body.
Chaz was thus seized, and dragged towards the Otter. One of the Ermine helpfully pressed the gun barrel against his temple.
"Right then lass, try anything funny and we're blow your friend here to kingdom come, understand?"
Aeturnis nodded mutely, too petrified to speak. What were they going to do to Chaz? What did they want with her? She was noone special! But her biggest fears were for Chaz. She liked him, a lot, and she didn't want him to get hurt because someone, for reasons known only to them, wanted her.
"Alrighty then, I want you to go into the carriage and bring out all the treasures you bunch of freaks have collected and dump them on the ground here, understand?"
Despite her fear, Aeturnis did not like being treated as though she were stupid. Of course she understood, she wasn't some sort of imbecile. Her annoyance, however, was far outweighed by fear. "Yes," she whispered, "I understand."
"Good lass," the Otter patronised her. "Go to it, or we'll knock you're friend's brains from his cute little head."
"You won't get away with this." Farleigh raged, stomping one foot in the dirt. "I'll tear you to pieces, don't think I can't."
"I'm sure you could," the Otter responded, "but only if you fancied seeing your friend's head splattered all over the Deadlands. And not even a 'taur would be stupid enough for that."
Farleigh stomped his feet and raged, but could do little. Rose, however, was still unnoticed, astride her circling kestrel.
Aeturnis gathered up an armload of Madame Zufraia's treasures and carried them outside, shedding bits and pieces en route. She was shaking so hard that she could barely walk down the narrow steps and place the goods on the ground. Immediately a couple of Stoats ran forward and began greedily fossicking through them.
"Junk," one muttered, "useless trinkets."
The Aardwolf girl hurried inside for another armload, shaking with fear and anger. How dare they insult Madame Zufraia's life work! But where was Madame Zufraia? Why wasn't she here to defend it herself? Something about that niggled at Aeturnis. Farleigh's swords lay just inside the entrance. To a normal Furrae they were two-handed weapons, but not to the Ungutaur. He wielded the two of them together. Without conscious thought, she found one hand gripping about the handle.
It was at that moment a shrill shriek came from outside - the shriek of Keerah.
Aeturnis glanced out the curtains to see Rose, screaming like a banshee dive-bombing the Ermine that held Chaz captive. Immediately he swung his gun up and fired.
The sound echoed eerily. Keerah shot backwards, thrown by the bullet, then curled her wings up and plummeted earthwards.
Chaz threw himself to the ground, just as another of the bandits fired at the place where his head had been. He grasped the Ermine nearest him about the feet and bit him on the leg, dragging him down. The gun fell from his hands as the two wrestled madly on the ground.
Farleigh stamped one final time, lowered his head and most of his torso, and charged the Otter in his ridiculous hat. The Otter squeaked in alarm, firing wildly but inaccurately, and fell backwards off the log as Farleigh, misinterpreting his thrust, impaled the hat and not the bandit. The Otter shrieked, almost as though he were physically in pain, and barely rolled out of the way as Farleigh's hooves came crashing down towards him, striking the wood in a shower of splinters.
And the Stoats fell upon him, like a pack of wolves. Some had ropes, others produced knives and as valiantly as the strong Sable fought, he was brought to his knees. And his wrists bound to the tree trunk. Even thus bound he continued to fight, grabbing an Ermine in his hands and flinging him into the Deadlands, kicking and bucking against his bindings…
But it was all to no avail. He fell forward, his torso striking the ground, bleeding freely.
Chaz scrambled free, dragging himself forward, but was quickly pulled back by the Ermine. The gun lay forgotten in the dust.
In the excitement of restraining the fiercesome 'Taur, they had completely forgotten about Aeturnis.
She stared for a moment at the heavy sword - but she could not hope to wield such a thing, even with both hands. Then her eyes alighted on something in the dust.
The Stoat had dropped his gun, and she could almost reach it…
Aeturnis sought deep within herself, seeking courage she hoped she would find. Taking a deep breath, she scurried across the ground and towards the firearm. Kneeling, she took it up in both hands and…
"Stop." The voice was calm and concise, Madame Zufraia, somehow unnoticed by the fray, stepped into view. She was holding a small crossbow.
And it was pointed straight at Aeturnis.
What manner of treachery was this? The gun fell from the girl's limp fingers, tumbling into the dirt. Chaz knelt before her, a knife at his throat as the Stoat held him down. He stared up at Madame Zufraia, his eyes filled with horror and betrayal.
At least Aeturnis could be save in the knowledge that it was not he that betrayed her.
"You're after the girl." The Secretary Bird said, "but I hold her life in the balance. If I chose to, I could shoot this bolt straight through her eye and into her brain. And you have been told to collect her alive - have you not?"
The Otter brushed himself down, having regained his composure now the dangerous Ungutaur had been pacified. His hat sat crookedly on his head, torn asunder it looked even more ridiculous. "Perhaps we have," he said. "But we are going to take this Ungutaur too. He will fetch a fine price in the slave markets of Ti'Ryn."
"The Ungutaur and the boy are no concern of yours," Madame Zufraia declared, narrowing her eyes dangerously. "They are mine and will remain mine if you wish to take your precious prize home alive." For a fleeting moment, her eyes met Aeturnis's, and much to the girl's amazement, they were filled not with anger or rage, but a deep sadness.
"Agreed," the Otter declared. "Hand over the girl."
Madame Zufraia shook her head, "not until you untie the 'Taur and step away from the boy."
The Otter mumbled to himself, then gave the commands. "Let them go - it is only the girl we're after."
The Mustelids slowly went about his order, scuttling back swiftly as Farleigh came back to his feet. Chaz also was left lying in the dirt.
"Here she is," said Madame Zufraia. "She is yours now. Look after her." And the Mustelids came forward and dragged Aeturnis away. The girl was too distressed and frightened to fight. She could not look Chaz in the eyes, but kept hers downcast, unwilling to meet the faces of those she had trusted and whom had betrayed her.
Chains, magical bindings, were slapped about her wrists, and she was dragged past the deadfall and away.