The Ten Clans Chronicles

Chapter 15: Ambush

Kero and Ritters had slowed to a heavy walk; both were completely exhausted despite the previous night's rest. By now, the heat on the gold-white sand had passed its zenith. Indeed, the sky was already being tinged red near the horizon. The heat, though waning, was getting to the pair. It had been getting to them since before midday. They were used to the challenges sea goers faced; neither could ever get used to the desert terrains or the stifling heat that lingered even into the night. Hardly a breeze stirred the dust. The air was still, the sand just now below scorching.

For most of the day, the sun had glared down with a fierce exuberance on its domain. Even the desert creatures rested the hours away in the shady relief of their dens. None but a few dared to stir out of the shadows.

When Kero gazed into the short distance ahead of them, shading his eyes from the sunlight with one paw, he wished he were not stirring. The desert was too big, its terrains stretching on too far in every direction. Now, it was nearly evening, and still there had not been much change, besides the fact that the sun had dimmed a little. He watched the still unfazed antics of the two tiny figures as they pranced ahead of them.

Their charges seemed to be unaffected by the stifling heat still lingering in the air and in the sand beneath their hindpaws, except to kick the latter up behind them in little clouds. The ever vociferous, bouncy little imps still skipped happily in the lead.

"They're still at it," Kero muttered disbelievingly under his breath. One little fact had apparently gotten past him. Jesse and Ivy were perfectly at home here in this place—the very place the picarats could not wait to put behind them. "At least the'r not 'angin' on me." The rat shuddered at the thought.

On hearing his companion's muttered statement, Ritters complained bitterly, despite his earlier show of calm.

"I thought you said them liddle terrors was gonna be flat on their faces yesterday!"

Though all he could do was to stare blindly ahead with his sightless eyes, the shorter picarat was weary of Kero pushing him onward at this unearthly pace to keep up with their energetic charges. "Well, they ain't. They're still runnin' far ahead like skeert rabbits wid us huffin' an' puffin' back 'ere."

Kero seized him by the ears with growing intolerance. "Oh, quit yer moanin'!" He snapped. "It won't 'elp us none."

Ritters grudgingly fell silent. However, it was not long before he piped up again. "'Ow c'n they goes that fast?" he whined. "It's still blisterin' hot! Couldn't we've tied 'em up?"

This merited just one response. "Shuddap!"

From the cover of a low patch on the edge of the moist savannas, a rat twice the size of Kero watched them from his vantage point. Indeed, Kero, Ritters, and their charges were getting ever nearer their goal. The big rat smiled with cruel satisfaction and motioned behind him with one large paw.

Four more rats appeared beside him.

"Wot issit, sir?" one of them whispered into his heavily dyed ear. It did not even twitch in acknowledgement, nor did the big rat's features stir from their impassive hold. His only movement was to nod his head towards the distant figures.

"Look, o'er yonder. There's them two deserters, Kero 'n' Ritters, methinks their names were."

The other four rats knew exactly what their head forager had in mind even before he issued his orders.

"Circle 'round 'em once we're close 'nuff. Stay hidden 'til then so's they don' 'ave a chance t' run like the cowards they are. Take 'em alive. Spare 'em fer Cap'n Rama's wrath!"