Eritopia

Battle Lines

'Martin!' exclaimed Jod and Not-Bear, as they recognised the young man who had saved them from the King's trap.

'Van!' exclaimed the others at the sight of their guide.

This day of surprises was ending with the greatest so far. Emotion was high for all there, but especially for Bear, Anya and the monkey, because they had grown to love Van.

Calypso ran right across to the old fox and hugged him tight, for once his voice silenced by tears. The deer walked over and touched his nose with hers, bowing as she did so. Bear didn't move but twitched, head down, and announced to the others. 'This is Van, our leader, who brought us here from the Inside.'

'Now, now,' Van said, and in his voice, they could hear the strain and hurt of injury. 'It was more a question of you leading me, with your wild hopes and faith in friends.'

Not-Bear looked across at Bear. Did he mean him? He was standing next to Martin, who placed a hand on his head. Jod shook Martin's other hand in greeting, but all three were aware the moment belonged to the fox.

Van sat near the fire, the badger beside him as the others settled around.

'Now,' he said when he was comfortable, 'I understand you are all heroes?'

A modest chorus rose from the others.

'A few of us were at the Battle,' Calypso squealed. 'Oh Van, it was so exciting.'

'And dangerous?' Van asked.

'Very,' the monkey said. 'We didn't see much of each other though. Bear was too busy knocking heads together and clawing men into submission.'

'He fought alongside the Riders,' Anya added.

'As I did myself.' Van winced as he spoke. Bear wondered what could be wrong.

'Are you hurt?' He asked for them all.

'I am,' Van replied, 'and grievously it seems, according to those who are attending me.' The badger was nodding. 'Old bones are more brittle than young ones,' Van continued, coughing as he finished.

'When...?' Bear faltered as he spoke.

'It was in the flurry of fighting that saw victory. I was close to you Bear, although you could not see me. But I observed your bravery, and felt proud that you had come all this way to achieve what was in you.' He grimaced, as if recalling some horror. 'A metal stake caught me, thrown from the other side. One of the Riders brought me back to the edge of the fighting.'

'So you were with the Riders!' Now Bear knew where their inspiration had come from.

'My dear Bear,' Van said, 'I brought them. Remember how I left you during that last dark night together? At least, I hope you noticed me gone.'

'We were lost without you,' Bear told him. 'Then the fog came down and we stumbled into disaster,' he recalled.

'Many days ago I knew our journey would end in conflict,' Van told them. 'The Elders had already guessed that from sources on the Outside. Exactly where and when, and with what possible outcome was unknown. We had to gain time to get the animals out from the Inside.

'Is that why you let Not-Bear leave the Occasion?' Bear asked.

'Yes, Van said, 'but the decision was still his,' he added.

'I was going to anyway,' Not-Bear declared.

'Perhaps, Van continued, ' but we tipped the balance in our favour.'

Van continued with the attention of all gathered there. 'By splitting into two groups, we sought to divert the attention of the King and his informants in the Forest. It worked well up to a point.