Loafless Nibbler
Rita had joined Yuri and Robin on their journey to find a new home. Rita visons had shown them a way through the the Corona-mountains. So the three had travelled through a suposedely haunted cave. They had reached the other and had found themselves at the ocean. There they had met the flirty Amsel who had decided to join the group.
Yuri yawned. It was an exhausting journey. The whole ordeal through that dark and seemingly endless cave was hard enough. Now there was Amsel. Yuri could only sigh. That annoying Casanova of a Kukuri had joined because of his flooded home. Now he was constantly flirting the ladies, which was annoying as hell.
Yuri looked at the sea. The area was still rocky but more even than before. There was also more vegetation here. Some dry grass a few bushes and ferns and a tree every now and then.
The amber rook looked at his companions who walked slightly behind him. Amsel was talking to Robin. He at least didn't flirt. Rita talked to Muni. Or that was what Yuri thought. He couldn't see the spiritual being like Rita did.
Suddenly there was a strange sounds. Small rocks were falling down from above. The amber rook could hear steps. There was someone.
"Stay right there!"
Yuri looked up to see an amber Kukuri on a rock. He jumped down right in front of them.
Yuri recognized the hooded rook immediately. It was Teal from Valu loaf.
The rook looked at them with angry eyes. "So I found you." He was looking at Yuri who gulped. That was not good. Teal was probably not here for some small talk.
"Give me back that object you stole!" Teal orders with bared teeth. Definetely not small talk. Now Yuri was in trouble. How had Teal gotten here? They had past the corona mountains and that warrior was still after him.
"You again!" Rita snarled. “At first you give me an explanation for destroying my home!” Ritas fur was all ruffled up.
"Get out of the way, dove!" Teal said pushing Rita aside. He was now standing about two tail lengths away from Yuri.
"Hey watch it. That's no way to treat a dove!" Amsel Interfered. "I will protect my ladies." The crimson rook yelled. He ran towads Teal in a supposedly cool pose.
The amber rook had no problem defending himself. Without effort he threw Amsel against a rock. The rook was knocked out.
"Don't interfere!" Teal snorted.
Yuri growled. He was ready to defend himself.
“Now I am scared.” Teal said unimpressed.
“Teal, stop that. Why are you doing that?” Robin asked. Teal looked at her.
“He is a criminal. It’s my job to bring him back. Why are you following him?”
Yuri was confused. It seemed as if Robin and Teal knew each other.
“Well, Yuri is my friend. He is not a bad Kukuri. Maybe that is a misunderstanding.” Robin answered.
“No it’s not. Don’t get in my way, Robin.” The hooded rook turned towards Yuri. He jumped at Yuri. The later was so surprised by Teals sudden attack that he stumbled backwards. Yuri tried to dig his teeth into Teals shoulder but he missed it when Teal hit him with his paw. The bubbled rook was thrown back by the stroke. Teal didn’t wait for him to recover. The hooded rook bit in his scarf. He shook Yuri heavily. The young rook couldn’t fight back. He could hardly breathe.
Suddenly his scarf snapped. Yuri landed on his back.
“There you can see it.” Teal spoke still having Yuris scarf in his mouth.
“Hey that’s …” Yuri could hear Robin speak.
He knew exactly what she meant. On his chest there was large scar. It was the symbol of being a loafless. Teal gave him that when Yuri was banned from Valu Loaf.
“Yes he is a loafless.” Teal growled.
Yuri turned around. He looked at his travel companions. Robin and Amsel were shocked. Of course they were. No one wants to bother with a loafless. They would leave Yuri alone.
Rita didn’t seem impressed. She looked at Teal with an angry look.
“You better not stand on the side of this loafless.” Teal said. Robin and Amsel stood there still shocked.
“Just listen you ball of fur. At first you came to my former loaf, destroyed my home and now you attack us just like that. Who do you think you are?!” Rita hissed. Her ears were laid back and her teeth were bared.
“I will just take that loafless there.” Teal said.
“Like hell you will!”, Rita grunted. She attacked the amber rook giving him a nice scratch on his face.
“You little!” Teal snarled. He hit Rita until the young dove was lying in front of him. The amber rook put a paw on her head.
“Leave her alone!” Yuri shouted. He couldn’t let Teal hurt Rita.
“Make me!” Teal replied provocatively. He grinned slightly watching Yuri.
Yuri ducked down. He was scared. Teal would make short shrift of him. The amber Kukuri couldn’t do anything against Teal. His legs were shaking. He couldn’t even move.
“Just as I thought. You wouldn’t even dare to attack me, you loafless nibbler!” Teal made fun of Yuri.
Nibbler was a term used for the lowest ranked Kukuri in a loaf. Nibbler didn’t have a mate or any reputation. They were mostly servants and couldn’t fight for themselves.
Yuri wanted to object but he couldn’t. Teal was right. He couldn’t even safe Rita.
“You seem to care deeply for travelling companion. You don’t even do anything to help her. What a rook you are.” Teal mocked him.
“That’s enough, Teal. Stop this!” Robin interfered.
Teal looked at her and sighed. He took his paw away from Rita and went a step back.
Just when he was about to go to Yuri, Rita jumped up and kicked Teal with her foot. The amber rook stumbled backwards. He slipped and fell down the cliff.
“Oh no.” Robin screamed. She ran to the edge where she saw Teal a few tree length further down. The rook seemed unharmed but the cliff was too high so he couldn’t climb back up. Angrily he looked up at Rita who stood next to Robin.
“You’ll pay for that! And you nibbler, I will get you!” He shouted.
“We have no time to waste. Let’s get away from here before he comes back!” Rita said firmly. So the group hurried onwards.
After a while they stopped. Yuri was the last of them. He felt so ashamed. Not only that they all knew now that he was loafless. He couldn’t do anything against Teal even when Rita was in danger.
“So I guess you have some explaining to do!” Amsel said sourly. The crimson looked grimly at Yuri.
“I…” Yuri paused. He didn’t know what to say.
“When were you going to tell us that you were a loafless!” Amsel snorted.
“…”
“Say something! Why should we follow a loafless who couldn’t even defend his companions let alone himself. Besides I don’t wan’t to get on Valu Loafs bad side just because I travel with you!”
Yuri winced. He expected that. He could understand Amsels reaction. Yuri would just mean trouble to them.
“How could you say that, Amsel. Yuri is our friend.” Robin defended him. She was so sweet sometimes. That she would even defend after all that.
“Some friend he is. He probably wouldn’t hav fight for you either.” Amsel replied.
Yuri looked to the ground. Robin said something but Yuri wasn’t listening. He felt so hollow. Why was he such a coward? Why wasn’t his body moving when facing Teal? Yuri hated himself for that. He couldn’t lead them to a new home. He couldn’t lead anyone. He was such lousy rook. Nibbler fit him very well.
“How long are you going to sit there!” Rita had interrupted Yuris thoughts.
“I …I am sorry.” He said. She was probably angry at him. Of course she was. He didn’t even lift a claw to help her.
“Is that all you can do! Wallowing in self-pity! What will that help? If you have a problem then solve it. Just because that Teal dissed you, you sit here like small puppy crying or what?”
Yuri was shocked by her reaction.
“Put yourself together!”
“Rita, that’s not a way to cheer Yuri up.”, Robin said.
“I am not here to cheer him up. What good will nice words do anyway?!” Rita objected.
“I am sorry. I will try to change. I promise.” Yuri said. Rita was right. When he would always pity himself then it was no wonder that he could not fight against Teal. Ritas words encouraged him. He would never again be so cowardly in a fight.
“Thank you”
“Pff” Rita turned around. Yuri knew she didn’t mean it like that.
“I guess we should continue. I will get dark soon. We should find shelter.” Yuri said.
“Hey. We still haven’t decided to follow you.”, Amsel growled.
“You are free to go if you want.”, Rita hissed.
“Eh …well. I can’t just leave the ladies alone, can I? So I will come with you.” The rook said.
“Then it’s settled. Let’s go.” Rita said.
Yuri put his scarf back on. He led the way while the others were following him.