Chapter 4 - Lunch and Company

They stopped by the river, and Barkwater got out cheese, fruit, and bread, all of which Mrs. McNale had packed for them.



“There! A nice liddle meal,” Barkwater exclaimed. She looked over to see Strike looking at the water. “Well don't sit there like a frog wid no pond. Come on and eat.”



“The sea rats aren't dead. If, a half starved ship boy can stand a crash like that, then they sure can,” Strike said aloud.



“Wut's that gotta do wid eaten' this lovely looking food?” she licked her lips at the mention.



Strike stood up, his eyes blazing with hatred at the thought of the sea rats, and Barkwater's cheek. “It means, Miss Streamtail, that we might meet up with `em on our way. It'd be two again' a crew of `em.”



Barkwater quivered at the look of him. She then stood up and looked right into his blazing eyes. “Just call me Barkwater, or Barky if ya prefer. And I can handle sea rats. I've made it this far. If I wasn't good wid a weapon, well, I'd be in tha grave right now. My javline can be just as deadly as that liddle dagger ye have.”



Strike looked at his `liddle' dagger, then back at Barkwater. She saw tears streaming down his face. “It may be liddle, but it has served me well, as it did my sister Edider before me. If you ever criticize my `liddle' dagger again, you will see just how deadly it cin be.”



“You wouldn't dare,” said Barky in a most sure voice.



“Ho yes I would!”



“Ye wouldn't cause ye need a guide. And wid out me, you'd prolly be dead right now. Plus, wid out me, it would be one, instead of two, against a crew.”

“I'm not afraid to show you a liddle thing this liddle dagger cin do!” He lunged at the ottermaid, and nicked her on the arm. Barkwater looked at the bloody cut on her arm.



“yer gonna wish ye never did that.” She grabbed her javline and tried to get at Strike, but an unfamiliar voice stopped her right in her tracks,” Shouldn't be fightin', wot wot.”



Barkwater turned to see a female hare, with chestnut fur, looking at her. The hare had a sabre strapped to her belt.



Strike took the moment to lung at Barkwater again. He was in mid air, when a pair of paws caught him and squeezed him close.



“Not very manly, wot wot.”

Strike struggled against the grip, which belonged to a large male hare. His little dagger fell from his paw. “Not very manly ye say? Huh! Yer the one who caught me wid out me knowin'!”



“Well, she's a lady, yer not. Unless ya put on a dress and prance around, wot,” said the large hare. He then turned to the female hare.” No offense Miss Sabrepaw,” he said.



The chestnut colored hare, obviously Sabrepaw, waved her hand and said, “No offense taken Fwirdle. Now put `im down and if he tries to hurt her again, bind him. Lets see him try and hurt this lady otter.”



Strike glared hatred at Sabrepaw and Fwirdle. He glared at Barkwater. “Lady my rudder! She don't know a bit of decency. And she better quit cheeken wid me, or else she will know how me liddle dagger feels.”



Barkwater glared back at Strike, her green eyes lit with fire. “You dare call me anythin' of tha sort, and ye'll feel my javaline!”



While the two otters bickered, the two hares whispered to each other. “I think the boy should be bally well tied up. And maybe both of their weapons taken away, wot, till we get to tha mountain, o' course.”



“Yah. He seems a bit dangerous when he's bally mad. Lord Oakstripe will want to see `em, that's fer sure, wot wot.”



“Sshh! They stopped arguen' and ther lookin' at us, wot.”



“Ah… is yew Salamandastron hares?” Barkwater said.



Sabepaw laughed, “Course we are! An' we're gonna bally take ya there!”

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