Blaggut walked along, searching for any logs that had been washed up on the
shore. He needed it for the new boat he was building, a fishing boat for a
nice shrew family. His search had been successful, he carried three small
logs in his arms, but he had been hoping for a nice big one instead. The
sun was slowly sinking in the horizon, in a display of orange, yellow,
pink, and purple. The colors reflected on the sparkling blue ocean. Blaggut
stopped to watch it, it was a very beautiful thing to behold, a sunset.
Then he looked lower, into the gently rolling waves and spotted something.
He couldn't make it out clearly, it was too far out, but it was dark and
floating. Blaggut dropped his logs and began wadding into the water. Maybe
it was the big log he needed. Blaggut wasn't the best swimmer, but he could
manage better than others. Being a searat for most of his life and getting
thrown overboard whether it be by a fierce storm or in one of his Captain's
tantrums, he had learnt quite well.
He doggy-paddled over to the thing being rocked about by the waves. The waves seemed to be taunting him, every time he reached to grab it, the waves pulled it out farther. Finally he lunged for it and dropped it in surprise. He had grabbed a paw. He rushed to grab it again before the waves got to it. He seized the arm of its clothes and pulled it towards him.
'Good lordy!' It was a rat. A female searat, to be more precise. He could tell by the tattered tunic, the belt with a cutlass shoved through it and the worn sea boots, also by the various tattoos up her arms and the many piercings on her ears. She had a nasty bruise of her forehead, a bleeding lip, a black eye, one ear had been ripped and a deep and long slash across her chest.
A wave crashed over them. The waves seemed to be getting rougher as if the sea had suddenly became angry. Rain started to splatter down. Wind whipped across Blaggut's face. From all his experiences at sea, he knew the one thing, this could mean. Gripping both of the unconscious rat's arms, he began pulling her to shore, fighting against the building waves. He reached the shore and dragged her over the sand. The rain was starting to pour down now. Blaggut picked the rat up in his arms and leaving the logs, after several unsuccessful attempts to carry both of them, made his way towards the cove and the safety of his wood cabin.
~
Rain and wind battered away at the door and windows. Blaggut had left the rat on his bed, she was still breathing but barely. But she would survive, he had a gut feeling she would, searats were tough by nature. Except for himself, he was a big softie, but he wasn't a searat any more. She just needed rest to regain her strength. Blaggut left her and went to his workshop but since he had no wood, he couldn't do anything more to the boat. He considered going back out to get them but looking out the window into the raging storm, he quickly thought against it. So he sat at his workbench, staring out the window, waiting for it to clear. But after watching the raindrops racing each other down the glass, he soon fell fast asleep.
~
Blaggut dreamt of many strange things, the dibbuns, Mousebabe and Furrtil, whom he missed so dearly. They had grown so much now. The Abbey with it's kind creatures and delicious vittles. He sat in the sun watching Mousebabe and Furrtil ferry the other Redwall dibbuns across the pond in the boats that he, himself, had built for them. Then the dream suddenly turned into a nightmare. He watched helplessly as his former Captain Slipp plunged the knife into the poor bagermum, Mellus's heart. Hearing the dibbun's screams as she fell to the ground. Then the fearsome figure of the black shadow rose out of the darkness. Wielding the same knife, Slipp had used to kill Mellus, the Black Shadow stabbed Blaggut through the chest. Blaggut fell to the ground next to Mellus, his life slipping slowly away and as his final scream joined the one's of his dibbuns, the ugly face of Slipp loomed over him, his terrible laughed echoing in Blaggut's ears.
~
Blaggut screamed as he woke. Followed by a loud bump on the floor. Blaggut looked around wildly and turning around he saw the searat and the chair he had been sitting on, laying on the floor at his feet. Blaggut noticed that he was standing, he had sent the chair flying as he had stood up. It had knocked the rat over. The rat had the cutlass in her paw, so it was quite obvious what she had been trying to do and it came as no surprise to Blaggut. She kicked the chair away and rose, her bright green eyes blazing. Blaggut held his paws,
'Now, now, Missy, calm yerself, I bring ye no 'arm.' He gave her a lopsided grin. She brought her cutlass up, scowling,
'Who the hell are yer?' She snarled. 'Where am I?'
'Me name is Blaggut an' this tis my 'umble 'ome.' Blaggut told her, still smiling but his eyes set warily on her cutlass. 'What's yer own name, miss?'
'Yer in no position to ask questions.' She snapped, 'An' it's none o' yer stinkin' business!'
'I ain't armed yer know. I don' wan' ter hurt yer. I saved yer from yon storm an' sea, you woulda been if it weren't fer me. So can I at least know yer name?' Blaggut said, his tone stronger but still friendly. But his words were met with a cutlass at his throat,
'I can take care o' meself ye hear?' She growled, 'An' maybe it woulda been better if yer'd left me fer dead anyways.' Her tone grew softer and a look of sadness replaced the contempt and hatred on her face.
Before he ever had time to stop himself, Blaggut found himself yelling, ' 'Ow could ye say that! Life tis a bootiful thing, it tis. Aye, beautiful an' precious, an' it shouldn't be thrown away!'
The cutlass point pressed into his neck and Blaggut winced as he felt a sharp pain as the cutlass cut slowly into his flesh. The rat was came up so close to his face, he could feel warm breath as she spoke,
'I have me reasons!' Her voice rising again, but it was sounded strained somehow. 'Yer don' know, ow it tis. Yew 'ave no idea!' Blaggut was shocked to see tears forming in her eyes, she quickly wiped them away on her sleeve but she couldn't stop from flowing. She began shaking and her lips trembled. She closed her eyes tight as if it would make the tears stop. Blaggut carefully pushed the cutlass tip aside and gently prized it from her grip. He placed it on the workbench amongst his tools.
'Now, now. Stop yer blubberin'. Everything tis all right. Let uncle Blaggut take care o' yer.' He took out a handkerchief and gave it to her. She wiped her eyes and blew her nose. Her face emerged with bloodshot eyes and shining wet fur. She sniffed and rubbed her eyes. Blaggut took her paw and lead her back to the bedroom, relieved that didn't protest. He put her back in his bed where she almost instantly fell asleep. Blaggut sat on the end on the bed, staying with her while she slept.
~
The rat woke up to the sound of Blaggut's loud snores. She crawled out of the sheets and sat on the edge of the bed, swinging her legs over the side. She stared out the window as the first rays of light streamed through. She got up and tiptoed over the window. Looking out at the white sand beach and the crystal blue waters. For the first time in ages, she was glad to be alive. She smiled slightly.
'Did yer sleep well?' Blaggut's voice startled her.
'Yes.' She said, rather gruffly.
'I told yer yew, yer jus' needed some rest.' Blaggut told her as he heaved himself, the bed creaking under his weight. 'I suppose yer hungry then?' He squinted at her, blinking furiously before rubbing his eyes and yawning. She nodded curtly, she was in fact starving. 'I'll go catch us some fish then.' Blaggut declared and after running a paw through his unkempt headfur and pulling on his boots, left the room to fetch his fishing spear.
~
The rat sat, sunning her on a rock, watching Blaggut fish in the stream. She was eating some berries from a bush nearby. The forest beyond the beach had a great source of vittles with a lot of fruit trees growing there. Blaggut was rather good at fishing and had caught enough for a large meal but he thought he would more just in case, the rat was all skin and bones. She was eating berries with such gusto, Blaggut thought she might choke. He finished fishing and they took the fish back to the cabin. While he prepared the fish, the rat went to forage for firewood and came with an armful of sticks.
She was a strange one, Blaggut thought as he cooked the fish over the fire. She sat on the beach, looking at the endless ocean as if looking for something. Blaggut shook his head at her, maybe it had something to do with the reason she had gotten so upset the night before. He was determined to find out.
'Yer still 'aven't tol' me yer name yet.' He said as they sat down to a meal of fish and fruit. The rat looked at him as she tore into her fish, her eyes becoming distant and lost.
'I don' 'member. I took a hit on tha noggin an' I can' recall it.'
'Wha' do yer remember, then?' Blaggut asked, taking a bite into an apple.
'I was a searat. Me father was a...' The rat bit her lip and patted her skull in an effort to remember, 'A first mate... no a Cap'n! Yea that's it! Cap'n! He was a Cap'n! He was killed... Twas a mutiny! I don't 'member nothing else except me getting hit on tha 'ead and it goin' all dark. Next thing I knows I'm 'ere.' She finished sadly.
'Yer don' remember anythin' else?'
'No!' She cried, frustratedly, 'That's it!' An awkward silence followed her angry outburst as they continued to eat.
'I know what we kin do!' Blaggut suddenly shouted, his face lighting up.
'What do yer mean?' She growled, still a bit cross with him.
'I knows 'ow yer kin get yer memory back.'
'Ow?' She asked, her anger fading away and hope coming forth.
'There's a place I knows. They 'elp beasts. Tis called Redwall Abbey. They might 'ave a way to 'elp yer remember.'
'Ow could they?'
'The leader mouse there, 'e once told me 'bout a mouse that'd lost 'er memory. They 'elped her get it back wid some kind o' medicine.'
'They'd 'elp a beast like me?' She asked, her face falling a bit. 'I am a searat after all.'
'It don' matter ter them if yer a good creature. An' ye are.' Blaggut grinned. 'I was jus' 'bout to go up there an' give me dibbuns a visit.
'Dribbles?' She asked.
'Dibbuns.' He corrected. 'There me best liddle mateys.' He grin grew wider at the prospect of seeing his two little pals again. 'Yer'll lurve 'em.'
'When can we leave then?' She said excitedly, grabbing his paw. Her eyes were shining brightly. Blaggut flinched for her strong grip was crushing his paw but it didn't affect his good mood.
'Tomorrow morn.' He replied, 'We 'ave to pack vittles fer the trip.'
'Yes, yes.' She couldn't seem to sit still, but it was a relief when she released his paw. 'Yer know yer can't keep calling me 'yer'. I need a name.' She said, changing the subject as she forced herself to calm down and try to sit still. Blaggut scratched his head,
'I ain't much good wid names. What do yer want to be called?' She screwed her face up in concentration then her eyes fell on her half-eaten fish on the ground. She brushed the sand off and chewed. Then she had a bright idea.
'Fish!' She cried. 'I likes fish.'
'Fish?' Blaggut repeated, confused.
'That kin be me name. Fish!' She laughed, spraying fish everywhere.
'Yeah, bless yer 'eart, that suits yer fine. Fish.' Blaggut said, shaking his head fondly at her. 'Fish.'
He doggy-paddled over to the thing being rocked about by the waves. The waves seemed to be taunting him, every time he reached to grab it, the waves pulled it out farther. Finally he lunged for it and dropped it in surprise. He had grabbed a paw. He rushed to grab it again before the waves got to it. He seized the arm of its clothes and pulled it towards him.
'Good lordy!' It was a rat. A female searat, to be more precise. He could tell by the tattered tunic, the belt with a cutlass shoved through it and the worn sea boots, also by the various tattoos up her arms and the many piercings on her ears. She had a nasty bruise of her forehead, a bleeding lip, a black eye, one ear had been ripped and a deep and long slash across her chest.
A wave crashed over them. The waves seemed to be getting rougher as if the sea had suddenly became angry. Rain started to splatter down. Wind whipped across Blaggut's face. From all his experiences at sea, he knew the one thing, this could mean. Gripping both of the unconscious rat's arms, he began pulling her to shore, fighting against the building waves. He reached the shore and dragged her over the sand. The rain was starting to pour down now. Blaggut picked the rat up in his arms and leaving the logs, after several unsuccessful attempts to carry both of them, made his way towards the cove and the safety of his wood cabin.
~
Rain and wind battered away at the door and windows. Blaggut had left the rat on his bed, she was still breathing but barely. But she would survive, he had a gut feeling she would, searats were tough by nature. Except for himself, he was a big softie, but he wasn't a searat any more. She just needed rest to regain her strength. Blaggut left her and went to his workshop but since he had no wood, he couldn't do anything more to the boat. He considered going back out to get them but looking out the window into the raging storm, he quickly thought against it. So he sat at his workbench, staring out the window, waiting for it to clear. But after watching the raindrops racing each other down the glass, he soon fell fast asleep.
~
Blaggut dreamt of many strange things, the dibbuns, Mousebabe and Furrtil, whom he missed so dearly. They had grown so much now. The Abbey with it's kind creatures and delicious vittles. He sat in the sun watching Mousebabe and Furrtil ferry the other Redwall dibbuns across the pond in the boats that he, himself, had built for them. Then the dream suddenly turned into a nightmare. He watched helplessly as his former Captain Slipp plunged the knife into the poor bagermum, Mellus's heart. Hearing the dibbun's screams as she fell to the ground. Then the fearsome figure of the black shadow rose out of the darkness. Wielding the same knife, Slipp had used to kill Mellus, the Black Shadow stabbed Blaggut through the chest. Blaggut fell to the ground next to Mellus, his life slipping slowly away and as his final scream joined the one's of his dibbuns, the ugly face of Slipp loomed over him, his terrible laughed echoing in Blaggut's ears.
~
Blaggut screamed as he woke. Followed by a loud bump on the floor. Blaggut looked around wildly and turning around he saw the searat and the chair he had been sitting on, laying on the floor at his feet. Blaggut noticed that he was standing, he had sent the chair flying as he had stood up. It had knocked the rat over. The rat had the cutlass in her paw, so it was quite obvious what she had been trying to do and it came as no surprise to Blaggut. She kicked the chair away and rose, her bright green eyes blazing. Blaggut held his paws,
'Now, now, Missy, calm yerself, I bring ye no 'arm.' He gave her a lopsided grin. She brought her cutlass up, scowling,
'Who the hell are yer?' She snarled. 'Where am I?'
'Me name is Blaggut an' this tis my 'umble 'ome.' Blaggut told her, still smiling but his eyes set warily on her cutlass. 'What's yer own name, miss?'
'Yer in no position to ask questions.' She snapped, 'An' it's none o' yer stinkin' business!'
'I ain't armed yer know. I don' wan' ter hurt yer. I saved yer from yon storm an' sea, you woulda been if it weren't fer me. So can I at least know yer name?' Blaggut said, his tone stronger but still friendly. But his words were met with a cutlass at his throat,
'I can take care o' meself ye hear?' She growled, 'An' maybe it woulda been better if yer'd left me fer dead anyways.' Her tone grew softer and a look of sadness replaced the contempt and hatred on her face.
Before he ever had time to stop himself, Blaggut found himself yelling, ' 'Ow could ye say that! Life tis a bootiful thing, it tis. Aye, beautiful an' precious, an' it shouldn't be thrown away!'
The cutlass point pressed into his neck and Blaggut winced as he felt a sharp pain as the cutlass cut slowly into his flesh. The rat was came up so close to his face, he could feel warm breath as she spoke,
'I have me reasons!' Her voice rising again, but it was sounded strained somehow. 'Yer don' know, ow it tis. Yew 'ave no idea!' Blaggut was shocked to see tears forming in her eyes, she quickly wiped them away on her sleeve but she couldn't stop from flowing. She began shaking and her lips trembled. She closed her eyes tight as if it would make the tears stop. Blaggut carefully pushed the cutlass tip aside and gently prized it from her grip. He placed it on the workbench amongst his tools.
'Now, now. Stop yer blubberin'. Everything tis all right. Let uncle Blaggut take care o' yer.' He took out a handkerchief and gave it to her. She wiped her eyes and blew her nose. Her face emerged with bloodshot eyes and shining wet fur. She sniffed and rubbed her eyes. Blaggut took her paw and lead her back to the bedroom, relieved that didn't protest. He put her back in his bed where she almost instantly fell asleep. Blaggut sat on the end on the bed, staying with her while she slept.
~
The rat woke up to the sound of Blaggut's loud snores. She crawled out of the sheets and sat on the edge of the bed, swinging her legs over the side. She stared out the window as the first rays of light streamed through. She got up and tiptoed over the window. Looking out at the white sand beach and the crystal blue waters. For the first time in ages, she was glad to be alive. She smiled slightly.
'Did yer sleep well?' Blaggut's voice startled her.
'Yes.' She said, rather gruffly.
'I told yer yew, yer jus' needed some rest.' Blaggut told her as he heaved himself, the bed creaking under his weight. 'I suppose yer hungry then?' He squinted at her, blinking furiously before rubbing his eyes and yawning. She nodded curtly, she was in fact starving. 'I'll go catch us some fish then.' Blaggut declared and after running a paw through his unkempt headfur and pulling on his boots, left the room to fetch his fishing spear.
~
The rat sat, sunning her on a rock, watching Blaggut fish in the stream. She was eating some berries from a bush nearby. The forest beyond the beach had a great source of vittles with a lot of fruit trees growing there. Blaggut was rather good at fishing and had caught enough for a large meal but he thought he would more just in case, the rat was all skin and bones. She was eating berries with such gusto, Blaggut thought she might choke. He finished fishing and they took the fish back to the cabin. While he prepared the fish, the rat went to forage for firewood and came with an armful of sticks.
She was a strange one, Blaggut thought as he cooked the fish over the fire. She sat on the beach, looking at the endless ocean as if looking for something. Blaggut shook his head at her, maybe it had something to do with the reason she had gotten so upset the night before. He was determined to find out.
'Yer still 'aven't tol' me yer name yet.' He said as they sat down to a meal of fish and fruit. The rat looked at him as she tore into her fish, her eyes becoming distant and lost.
'I don' 'member. I took a hit on tha noggin an' I can' recall it.'
'Wha' do yer remember, then?' Blaggut asked, taking a bite into an apple.
'I was a searat. Me father was a...' The rat bit her lip and patted her skull in an effort to remember, 'A first mate... no a Cap'n! Yea that's it! Cap'n! He was a Cap'n! He was killed... Twas a mutiny! I don't 'member nothing else except me getting hit on tha 'ead and it goin' all dark. Next thing I knows I'm 'ere.' She finished sadly.
'Yer don' remember anythin' else?'
'No!' She cried, frustratedly, 'That's it!' An awkward silence followed her angry outburst as they continued to eat.
'I know what we kin do!' Blaggut suddenly shouted, his face lighting up.
'What do yer mean?' She growled, still a bit cross with him.
'I knows 'ow yer kin get yer memory back.'
'Ow?' She asked, her anger fading away and hope coming forth.
'There's a place I knows. They 'elp beasts. Tis called Redwall Abbey. They might 'ave a way to 'elp yer remember.'
'Ow could they?'
'The leader mouse there, 'e once told me 'bout a mouse that'd lost 'er memory. They 'elped her get it back wid some kind o' medicine.'
'They'd 'elp a beast like me?' She asked, her face falling a bit. 'I am a searat after all.'
'It don' matter ter them if yer a good creature. An' ye are.' Blaggut grinned. 'I was jus' 'bout to go up there an' give me dibbuns a visit.
'Dribbles?' She asked.
'Dibbuns.' He corrected. 'There me best liddle mateys.' He grin grew wider at the prospect of seeing his two little pals again. 'Yer'll lurve 'em.'
'When can we leave then?' She said excitedly, grabbing his paw. Her eyes were shining brightly. Blaggut flinched for her strong grip was crushing his paw but it didn't affect his good mood.
'Tomorrow morn.' He replied, 'We 'ave to pack vittles fer the trip.'
'Yes, yes.' She couldn't seem to sit still, but it was a relief when she released his paw. 'Yer know yer can't keep calling me 'yer'. I need a name.' She said, changing the subject as she forced herself to calm down and try to sit still. Blaggut scratched his head,
'I ain't much good wid names. What do yer want to be called?' She screwed her face up in concentration then her eyes fell on her half-eaten fish on the ground. She brushed the sand off and chewed. Then she had a bright idea.
'Fish!' She cried. 'I likes fish.'
'Fish?' Blaggut repeated, confused.
'That kin be me name. Fish!' She laughed, spraying fish everywhere.
'Yeah, bless yer 'eart, that suits yer fine. Fish.' Blaggut said, shaking his head fondly at her. 'Fish.'