2. The Seer and the King.
Ewalt recovered so fast, that Rowanbloom, who saw many patients in her life, was astonished. She could do little besides applying compresses, and, of course, feeding her charge but three days of that were enough to make Ewalt well enough to walk. By the second day, the mouse warrior and the squirrel healer already were spending their time talking to each other. Ewalt still had headaches and wasn't exactly wordy even in his best days, so Rowanbloom was doing most of the talking. Unlike him, she was not a native of Ergaph. She told him about her long voyage by winding river and stormy sea, with shrews in their logboats and on a big sailing ship crewed by otters, all the way from the distant place called "Redwall Abbey". Ewalt heard that name maybe a couple of times before, in old legends about a mighty woodlander fortress on the faraway and wondrous mainland far to the east, and was quite disappointed to hear that it didn't house a mighty vermin-smiting army, but a gathering of peaceful beasts, far more concerned about their next harvest than about weapons and fighting.
When Ewalt said that, Rowanbloom only laughed. "Well, the reality of Redwall can be disappointing, next to the legend, yes. But as about fighting vermin, I assure you, the Redwallers got quite a knack for that. Should I tell you the story of… hmmmm… how about the story of the Sable Quean and her inglorious defeat?"
And so she did. Before she was too far into the tale, Marroch walked in to check on his unwilling guest and the squirrel paused, but the ferret only waved his paw. "Continue. I believe I haven't heard this one."
The squirrel continued, apparently undaunted by the fact that the subject and the tone of the story might offend the ferret warlord. But if they did, Marroch kept that well hidden.
"Your Redwall has Vulpuz' own luck." He said when deep in the evening Rowanbloom finished her narration. "Or your storytellers are good at boasting."
Rowanbloom smiled and shrugged. "A good story can only shine brighter from a small exaggeration, as they say. Who can tell now if the heroes of old were really so strong and brave, even if I've seen relics of their battles with my own eyes? But Redwall still stands, not sacked and not burned, after thousands of seasons."
"You have a point," responded Marroch. "Now, mouse, are you feeling well enough for a serious conversation?"
Rowanbloom clearly wanted to say that he didn't, but a stern warning glance from Marroch made her reconsider. Then Ewalt answered. "Tomorrow, ferret. I think tomorrow I'll be thinking clearly enough."
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About that time, on the other side of the island King Kunas was caught in the throes of fury. The stoat, who brought him ill news about the mercenary group hired to catch Ewalt the Ghost, was glad to escape with his life. Which happened mostly because the King was too enraged at first to remember about him specifically. Slaves and soldiers throughout the entire central tower of the Seacrag Castle shuddered, as they heard mad yells and loud crashes from the King's chamber. In the recent seasons, Kunas became prone to dark moods and terrible rages that claimed more than one life, but today's fit was especially bad.
When Ubel Fireeyes, the albino ferret Seer and the chief advisor of the King, walked in, he had to step over a mouseslave's body – the poor beast tried to escape alongside with guards and other slaves, but the King's axe caught him in the back. Before the ferret made another step, the pine marten himself confronted him.
"Fire and pestilence on you, Ubel!" Kunas punctuated his phrases by swinging in the air his long-hafted battleaxe, which he just used to made a mess out of the chamber, where he usually feasted with his officers and select guards. "Those were the best trackers on any island! They should have hauled the Ghost before me, dead or alive! And now they're carrion! You must have jinxed them with your doomsaying!"
The ferret remained unfazed. He bowed to the King ceremoniously. "I beg your pardon, O Mighty Beast, but I, Ubel, never used any curses on those mercenaries. Only my mind to evaluate their skills. And it seems, I was not in error, when I found those skills lacking. Yet, we have not really lost anything by sending them after Ewalt the Ghost. Dead mercenaries demand no payment."
"Payment?!" The King screamed, spit flying everywhere. "You bloody, blighted bastard! Who cares about silver and iron?! I want revenge for my brother! I want the Ghost's head on a spear! I want to make a rug out of his hide! Why can't all your witchery find him?!"
Kunas stopped for a second, breathing heavily. He was big, even for a pine marten, and although long seasons of indulging every vice known to beasts ruined the perfect build of his youth, there was still enough strength in him to wield his mighty battleaxe as if it was a feather. And in the far end of the chamber still stood the only creature the King never struck even when losing himself to anger, his inseparable bodyguard – Captain Yellowgang, a huge cat, infamous across Ergaph for lack of wit, abundance of ferocity and absolute loyalty to Kunas.
Ubel, on the other paw, was a ferret of average height, thin and lean as an old bone, not much of a warrior by any measure. So while he was not exactly afraid at the moment, he knew that if Kunas suddenly decides to find a more competent advisor, he won't live long enough to run out of the chamber, much less long enough for the King to regret such idea. Kunas had to be placated swiftly.
"Even catching even a glimpse of our destinies is not trivial, my King, and trying to tamper with them requires a tremendous effort and sacrifice. But let your wrath turn into joy, for tonight in my sleep I have seen a certain omen, one sent by Vulpuz himself – the thing that troubles my lord the most today will disappear before this season is over."
Kunas lowered his axe, eyeing the Seer suspiciously, and growled. "Promises, promises... You said I'll reign supreme, and yet my soldiers cannot catch some accursed mouse!"
Ubel bowed again, before the King managed to stir himself into further rage. "If my prediction proves false, please take my own head on the day of the first snow. But I am certain, that Ewalt, who is called the Ghost, will despoil your land no more before the turn of seasons."
"On the first day of winter, huh? We'll see about that." Kunas looked around in disgust, at chairs smashed against the walls, shards of bottles, precious wines spilled on the floor and mixing with blood. "Now, where are my cravenly servants? Where is that wench? The King needs more wine!"
"I will call them in a moment, O Frightening One."
When the dead body was dragged away, summoned slaves began their cleaning work, and the King was safely seated on his throne, with a cup of plum wine in hand and a young pine marten next to him, ready to refill that cup whenever needed, Ubel slipped away from the chamber. Calming down Kunas when he had tantrums was important, of course. Still, this was one of the most unpleasant among an advisor's duties.
"I wonder if you've really seen that omen." The beast who spoke that liked to scare fellow vermin, sneaking up on them, and suddenly saying something right over their shoulders, but although his step was very soft, Ubel, who had already seen him at the doors of the King's chamber, was not so easy to surprise.
"I wonder if you still really doubt that I, Ubel, have powers beyond the ken of mundane beasts, Rugger." The albino ferret walked from the central tower into the wide stone-cobbled courtyard of the Seacrag Castle as he spoke that.
Slaves and vermin soldiers alike tried to give him and his companion a wide berth, or at least as wide as was possible without drawing their attention by overt fear. Ubel was known not only as the King's long-time advisor and Seer, already not a figure to be trifled with, but as more than that, a sorcerer, who can peer into the dark forests beyond the world of living and consort with things that dwelt there. Few vermin doubted efficacy of his malefice, and, just as importantly, everybeast knew that he needed sacrifices for it. His unwanted companion, Rugger the Black, was almost as infamous – while hurting others was more or less the job description for a captain in Kunas' army, this fox enjoyed far too much for anybeast's comfort. Even the King didn't yet hang him from the highest wall of the Castle Seacrag only because there was no better swordsbeast in his army.
Even their appearances were ominous enough to match their reputation. Ubel, being an albino, had pale white fur and bright red eyes, and his cloak was a ghastly trophy – a fox hide, flayed wholesale, and turned into garment. It once belonged to Amber, the fox Seer renowned not only on the island, but on the whole seas, as far as searats roamed. In her pride, she refused to bow down before the upstart ferret and accept his superiority, so he made her into a reminder of his power and ruthlessness. Rugger had an even rarer and more uncanny coloration for his species – coal black, befitting his soubriquet, even if that was given because of Rugger's temper, rather than fur color, with eyes so pale yellow that they seemed white. His red cloak and the dark viperskin belt from which his long, curved sword hanged, made him look even more impressive.
"You know," answered Rugger after thinking a bit. "I've seen great many seers in my life. You may well be the smartest of them all. But if any of you ever had powers beyond fast-talking gullible muscleheads, why you always gnaw some warlord's scraps, instead of ruling on your own? Speaking of which, you've seemed awfully confident giving our beloved King that promise. I wonder if you really seen an omen so conveniently? Or do you not expect him to call you on it?"
Ubel was now walking up the weather-beaten mossy stone stairway, leading to the walltop on the seaside, Rugger right behind him. Their little conversation was obviously taking a dangerous direction, and the ferret wanted to continue it where they were least likely to be overheard.
"One thing I certainly expect is for you to go mad from boredom before this season is gone, Rugger, if you already know no better than to play these games with me. But do not worry. You may doubt my power as a Seer, but you should know that I, Ubel, have already seen how to give you your heart's desire."
The black fox licked his lips. Ubel didn't need to turn to feel his malice. "I wonder if you really can see what I desire?"
"Here and now you desire to gut me on the spot, because you think that I am toying with you. But what you truly crave is fighting an even bigger, more glorious, bloodier war and settling your score with that one foe you failed to beat." The ferret reached the top of the stairs and turned to face the fox. Now, that Rugger was forced to stand a step below, they were of the same height, and Ubel could stare right into his pale eyes without looking up. "And if you can muster a little patience, you will have both, as, thanks to my foresight and efforts, all the threads soon will be in their proper places."