Disclaimer: Redwall and all of its respective properties are owned by Brain Jacques.
Flames of rage burned in the eyes of Lord Moonstripe as he stared at the corsair ship bobbing up and down in the waves. CrimsonTide was anchored a few hundred feet from the coast, its decks teething with vile, coldhearted rats. But none was more evil than Rasko Bloodtail.
The rat was far bigger than any rat Moonstripe had ever seen. He had one ear and was dressed in an elegant cloak that was covered in red stains, blood from the innocents whose lives he took. He had one ear, the other had been lost in battle, and his right cheek sported a long scar that ran from his one ear down to his mouth. His two fangs had been replaced with solid gold ones, ten times sharper and more deadly than the last. A long, wickedly curved cutlass was strapped to his side and his face and ears were ornamented with countless loops and earrings.
Tired of watching and waiting for Rasko to make his move, Moonstripe got up and stalked out of his private chambers and into the heart of Salamandastron, the mountain of the fire lizard, his mountain. The badger lord paid little attention to the numerous hairs running about, he headed straight to the chambers of his First Officer, an old, battle scarred hare named Polko. Without bothering to knock, he stormed into Polko's room. The hare jumped backward startled, before realizing that it was Moonstripe.
"Sire, yeh jolly well scared the pants off me!" Polko said, pulling up into a sharp salute.
"He's up to something." Moonstripe said coldly, taking a seat in a nearby chair.
"Who's up to wot? The hair asked, twisting his long ears around each other in a quizzical manner.
"Rasko, he's just waiting for something." Moonstripe said, inwardly going over the recent events. Less than half a season ago, Rasko came to the shores surrounding Salamandastron, whether on purpose or by accident, Moonstripe did not know. But, like most creatures, Rasko bought into all the lies about there being a huge treasure hidden in Salamandastron, and now he was determined to take it. There had been a few minor skirmishes, with none resulting in major casualties for either side. Rasko however, thought he was making progress and continued sending in more rats. Then a few days ago, he stopped, and hadn't made a move since.
"Well Sire, whatever he's planning, we'll jolly well be ready for the blaggard wot, wot?" The comical hair cut a small little jiggy, stabbing his paw out at the air. "Give em blood 'n vinegar, right milord?"
"No. I'm tired of these pathetic skirmishes. Were ending this. Send a message to Rasko, telling him that tomorrow night, were ending this."
"Sire, I'm in total bally agreement with you, but we can't exactly just jolly well swim out to his ship. We'd be pumped full of arrows before we even laid a paw on the bally deck!"
"Hmmm, your right old friend. Come with me." Moonstripe led the hare upstairs, though it was unnecessary Polko knew where they were going. Up in the very top of Salamandastron, there was a chamber that had been carved into the perfect echo chamber. Whenever a creature spoke inside the room, the sound would be magnified several times that could deafen a creature if they spoke too loud. Moonstripe stopped before the entrance, motioning for Polko to stay outside.
"Stay out here, and cover your ears." Polko nodded, folding his ears down and covering them with his paws. Moonstripe pressed his muscular back against the giant stone slab that served as the door, and pressing his footpaws into the floor for leverage the badger heaved on the huge door. Polko marveled at the strength of his Lord, it would take a score of hares to move the stone. With much creaking and scratching the door slid inward, revealing a near perfectly round chamber. A large gap at the far end faced directly towards CrimsonTide. Moonstripe repeated the same pushing process and shut the chamber off. He walked right up to the window, his great bulk shaking as his great voice boomed out.
"RASKO! DO YOU HEAR ME RAT?! THIS PATHETIC CHARADE ENDS TOMMOROW NIGHT! TOMMOROW NIGHT YOU WILL TASTE STEEL!"
Flames of rage burned in the eyes of Lord Moonstripe as he stared at the corsair ship bobbing up and down in the waves. CrimsonTide was anchored a few hundred feet from the coast, its decks teething with vile, coldhearted rats. But none was more evil than Rasko Bloodtail.
The rat was far bigger than any rat Moonstripe had ever seen. He had one ear and was dressed in an elegant cloak that was covered in red stains, blood from the innocents whose lives he took. He had one ear, the other had been lost in battle, and his right cheek sported a long scar that ran from his one ear down to his mouth. His two fangs had been replaced with solid gold ones, ten times sharper and more deadly than the last. A long, wickedly curved cutlass was strapped to his side and his face and ears were ornamented with countless loops and earrings.
Tired of watching and waiting for Rasko to make his move, Moonstripe got up and stalked out of his private chambers and into the heart of Salamandastron, the mountain of the fire lizard, his mountain. The badger lord paid little attention to the numerous hairs running about, he headed straight to the chambers of his First Officer, an old, battle scarred hare named Polko. Without bothering to knock, he stormed into Polko's room. The hare jumped backward startled, before realizing that it was Moonstripe.
"Sire, yeh jolly well scared the pants off me!" Polko said, pulling up into a sharp salute.
"He's up to something." Moonstripe said coldly, taking a seat in a nearby chair.
"Who's up to wot? The hair asked, twisting his long ears around each other in a quizzical manner.
"Rasko, he's just waiting for something." Moonstripe said, inwardly going over the recent events. Less than half a season ago, Rasko came to the shores surrounding Salamandastron, whether on purpose or by accident, Moonstripe did not know. But, like most creatures, Rasko bought into all the lies about there being a huge treasure hidden in Salamandastron, and now he was determined to take it. There had been a few minor skirmishes, with none resulting in major casualties for either side. Rasko however, thought he was making progress and continued sending in more rats. Then a few days ago, he stopped, and hadn't made a move since.
"Well Sire, whatever he's planning, we'll jolly well be ready for the blaggard wot, wot?" The comical hair cut a small little jiggy, stabbing his paw out at the air. "Give em blood 'n vinegar, right milord?"
"No. I'm tired of these pathetic skirmishes. Were ending this. Send a message to Rasko, telling him that tomorrow night, were ending this."
"Sire, I'm in total bally agreement with you, but we can't exactly just jolly well swim out to his ship. We'd be pumped full of arrows before we even laid a paw on the bally deck!"
"Hmmm, your right old friend. Come with me." Moonstripe led the hare upstairs, though it was unnecessary Polko knew where they were going. Up in the very top of Salamandastron, there was a chamber that had been carved into the perfect echo chamber. Whenever a creature spoke inside the room, the sound would be magnified several times that could deafen a creature if they spoke too loud. Moonstripe stopped before the entrance, motioning for Polko to stay outside.
"Stay out here, and cover your ears." Polko nodded, folding his ears down and covering them with his paws. Moonstripe pressed his muscular back against the giant stone slab that served as the door, and pressing his footpaws into the floor for leverage the badger heaved on the huge door. Polko marveled at the strength of his Lord, it would take a score of hares to move the stone. With much creaking and scratching the door slid inward, revealing a near perfectly round chamber. A large gap at the far end faced directly towards CrimsonTide. Moonstripe repeated the same pushing process and shut the chamber off. He walked right up to the window, his great bulk shaking as his great voice boomed out.
"RASKO! DO YOU HEAR ME RAT?! THIS PATHETIC CHARADE ENDS TOMMOROW NIGHT! TOMMOROW NIGHT YOU WILL TASTE STEEL!"