Chapter 3
The Encounter
Matthias: So what happens in this chapter Ethias?
Ethias: I'm not telling you. Don't ever ask me again what the chapter is about before I even start it.
Matthias: Well sorry.
Ethias: It's ok.
Matthias: Can I get a hint?
Ethias: No!
Matthias: Tiny hint?
Ethias: No!!
Matthias: Porfavor?
Ethias: …No!
Matthias: Fine. Just start the chapter already.
Ethias: Glad to.
Ethias was on the floor of his room clutching his head. Somehow, Saihte was having fun putting Ethias in pain with so many mind messages. It stinks not having something to receive those messages and store them for later. Matthias and Cornflower rushed in and carried Ethias out. Cornflower quickly put a hot rag on Ethias' head.
"Ethias, stop moving!" Cornflower shouted. "I can't put the rag on if you keep rolling over."
"I'll make him stop rolling over," Matthias said.
"Don't you dare Matthias," Cornflower warned.
"I'm not going to kill him. I'm just going to knock him out with the sword handle," Matthias smiled.
"Oh fine, but he's going to have a bigger headache than now," Cornflower sighed.
Matthias brought the sword handle down on Ethias' head, knocking him out cold and a minor lump.
"I told you his head would be hurting even more," Cornflower scolded while wagging her paw at Matthias.
"I know," Matthias sighed.
They brought Ethias back to his bed, and Cornflower stayed with him. Matthias left the gatehouse, and went searching for the Abbot. The Abbot was just getting up when Matthias knocked lightly on the door.
"Please come in," the Abbot yawned.
"Father Abbot!" Matthias yelled. "We're in great danger!"
The Abbot fell out of bed and scrambled to his feet.
"How do you know?" the Abbot asked.
"Ethias told me that it's his brother, Saihte!" Matthias shouted.
"Oh heavens! We have to warn the whole abbey," the Abbot said.
"I think we should do it when breakfast comes," Matthias said.
"Good idea," the Abbot yawned.
Matthias left the Abbot's room and ran back to the gatehouse to check on Ethias and Cornflower. The door flew open as he entered the gatehouse. Cornflower came out of the room and smacked Matthias.
"Don't do that when Ethias is recovering!" Cornflower shouted. "What were you thinking?!"
"Sorry, I am still excited by all this news," Matthias said massaging his cheek. "That hurt."
"I'm sorry about smacking you," Cornflower cried.
"It's ok," Matthias said calmly. "How is Ethias anyway?"
"He just woke up, and when you opened the door his head was hurting again," Cornflower explained.
"Sorry," Matthias apologized.
"Hello. Is anyone there?" Ethias said weakly.
"It's just me and Cornflower," Matthias called over.
"Why is there a lump on my head?" Ethias asked. "Oh that's right, cause I was knocked out by a sword handle!"
"Sorry about that," Matthias apologized. "Are you feeling better?"
"Yes I am," Ethias called over. "Just come in the room and talk to me."
They came into the room, with Ethias trying to get out of bed.
"Are you going to be able to get out of bed?" Cornflower asked.
"I think so," Ethias answered.
Ethias got out of bed, and then fell to the floor.
"Or not," Ethias said through the floor.
"Then you have to stay in bed," Cornflower ordered.
Then Ethias got up like he was never hurt.
"I'm joking," Ethias laughed. "I'm not that injured.
Cornflower smacked him, making him twirl around in a full circle.
"Ow! What was that for?" Ethias asked holding his cheek.
"That wasn't nice!" Cornflower shouted.
"She slapped me too," Matthias laughed.
Ethias and Matthias laughed, and Cornflower looking angry at them both. They immediately stopped laughing under her stern glance.
"Both of you, Cavern Hole now!" she shouted.
They scrambled out of the room, and into Cavern Hole for breakfast.
"I don't know what I'm going to do to those two," Cornflower said smiling.
In Cavern Hole, everybeast was sitting at the tables. Ethias and Matthias joined them, gasping for air as they sat down. Skipper and Foremole laughed at them.
"Why are you gasping for air?" Skipper asked hysterically.
"You wouldn't want to know," Ethias said still trying to catch his breath.
"Boi okey. Ye two look loik ye could use arn angel," Foremole said through his mole speech.
"Foremole, that didn't make sense," Matthias said.
"I don't think it was supposed to," Ethias said while stretching.
"So how has your head been feeling matey?" Skipper asked.
"Feeling a little better, but not fully healed," Ethias said. Ethias looked over at Matthias with a stern gaze. Matthias looked away to avoid it.
"Why ye looking at Matthias then?" Skipper asked smiling.
"Well for one thing, he's gonna pay big time for what he did," Ethias said through clenched teeth.
"What did he do?" Skipper asked again.
"While my head was hurting, he decided to knock me out with the sword," Ethias glared.
"That must've hurt," Skipper said.
"Oh really?" Ethias asked.
Skipper turned away to avoid Ethias' gaze towards him. Then the Abbot tapped his cup to get everybeast's attention. A few creatures heard it, so Constance rapped the table with her paw, making Cavern Hole very quiet.
"Now that I have your undivided attention, I'd like to make an announcement," the Abbot said. "We're all going to die!"
Everybeast started to get up, but then the Abbot laughed.
"I'm joking everyone. We're not going to die," the Abbot laughed.
Everybeast sat back down, glaring at the Abbot in anger. Some of the creatures growled at him, but were silenced by Constance's growl.
"Matthias has just told me this morning that a big threat is coming to our Abbey," the Abbot said.
All of a sudden, a great hubbub broke out in Cavern Hole. They were soon silenced again.
"The threat is Ethias' evil brother, Saihte," the Abbot said.
Ethias glared at Matthias again.
"I was going to tell him. Since when do you get to inform the Abbot about one of my family members, even though I don't like Saihte being a family member," Ethias said angrily.
"Sorry," Matthias apologized.
"Oh now you're sorry," Ethias said.
"All I know about Saihte is that he is a rat with a horde!" the Abbot shouted. "We may eat now."
The food was brought out, and everybeast started eating. Ethias on the other hand, was just not hungry and left Cavern Hole quietly. He was almost to the stairs when Constance blocked his path.
"Where do you think you're going?" she asked.
"I'm not hungry," Ethias said.
"Well you need to get your energy, or you'll be weak," Constance said. She turned Ethias around and walked him back to where he was sitting.
Then Ethias felt a very slight pain in his head again. Suddenly he fell to the floor again with a scream that echoed throughout the Abbey. Every creature was soon surrounding him, but Constance issued them to continue eating. Then Constance told Matthias to follow her to the Infirmary. Soon, they were in the Infirmary with Ethias holding his head, waiting for the pain to stop. Then Ethias just let go of his head and sat up slowly.
"My brother is almost here," Ethias said urgently.
Matthias and Constance gasped at what he said next.
"He's just right outside the main gate," Ethias said weakly.
Constance picked up Ethias, and ran to the top of the wall with Matthias right behind her. Then they gazed in horror at what they saw. A great big horde that stretched onto the path, into and behind the ditch, and a big strong rat leading it. Constance issued Matthias to go get the Abbot and the other creatures. Matthias left the battlements to carry out the orders.
"Hello badger!" Saihte called up holding his paws wide.
"I don't speak to scum like you!" Constance called back down.
"Who's that you're holding in your paws?" Saihte asked. "Is that my brother, Ethias?"
"Who wants to know?" Constance growled.
"Saihte, Ethias' evil brother," Saihte bowed.
"Well go away!" Constance yelled.
"Make me!" Saihte yelled back.
Constance just growled down at him as the Redwallers arrived at the wall. Then the Abbot came forward and looked down at the horde. The Redwallers were awestruck at the sight of how big the horde was.
"Who comes to this Abbey?" the Abbot called down.
"Saihte comes to your Abbey, old one," Saihte said.
"I can offer you hospitality and some food," the Abbot said.
Then Ethias was strong enough to walk again.
"Father Abbot, don't say stuff like that," Ethias said.
"Why?" the Abbot asked confused.
"We are good, and he is evil. Once he is in our, I mean your Abbey he'll take this place and slay all of you," Ethias explained.
"I know that, but we must offer something," the Abbot said.
Ethias rolled his eyes and called down to Saihte.
"Well speak of the ugly devil," Ethias mocked.
"Speak of goody two shoes," Saihte said back.
"Touché," Ethias said.
"How have you been?" Saihte asked.
"I've been peaceful and good, not anything you would like," Ethias called down. "How have you been?"
"Evil now and then, but that's not why I came here," Saihte yelled.
"Why have you come?" Ethias asked. "To spread flowers around the Abbey?"
The Redwallers laughed at this.
"Not unless you have spread your blood around it first," Saihte laughed.
"Nope not an injury on me, but I'll send you something," Ethias smiled.
"Oh, and what's that?" Saihte asked.
Suddenly Saihte's head started hurting, and he fell to the ground holding his head.
"And that's how I plant one," Ethias laughed.
All the Redwallers laughed, and some even stuck their tongues out at the vermin. Then Saihte jumped up and did the same to Ethias, but this time Ethias only twitched to a bug that landed near his eye.
"Your messages can't penetrate me anymore," Ethias said.
"And why is this?" Saihte asked holding his head with one paw.
"It never did!" Ethias shouted. Then Ethias stuck his tongue out at his brother.
Suddenly, Saihte sent a glowing red ball straight up at Ethias. Ethias deflected it with a swipe of his paw, but suffered from losing some fur and blood. He quickly healed it. Then Ethias sent a blue glowing wall down at the vermin. This knocked them down, and possibly pushed them back a little.
"Enough of this talk!" Saihte shouted. "Come fight me now!"
"Fair enough," Ethias said shrugging his shoulders.
The gates opened, and Ethias walked out with his sword in paw. Saihte pulled out his sword, which was dark from all the evil spirits inside it. Both of them stood in a sword fighting stance, and then Ethias threw down his sword. Saihte threw down his sword as well, and knew that it was a paw-to-claw combat. They circled each other with paws raised in the air.
Saihte made the first move and swung at Ethias with an uppercut. Ethias dodged it and quickly dashed towards Saihte. Ethias punched upward, and caught Saihte right in the stomach. Saihte fell to the ground winded, but was only on the ground momentarily. Ethias could see by Saihte's structure that he couldn't be injured that easily. Then Saihte threw a red ball at Ethias, but Ethias jumped out of the way as it hit the ground.
"You'll never beat me brother," Saihte said.
"Maybe not in your next lifetime, if you can get another one," Ethias smiled.
Saihte threw many more red balls at Ethias, and Ethias was dodging all of them. Then Ethias twirled his paws around in the air to make a blue swirling tornado. Saihte dug his claws into the ground to stop himself from flying into the air. Suddenly, Saihte's horde was flying into the vortex, and couldn't get out. One of them collided with Saihte, making him leave the ground and entering the vortex. Then, once all the vermin were inside, Ethias looked in Saihte's camp direction and sent the horde flying there.
As they were flying out, Ethias was looking at each of them going by. Then he saw Cluny and Slager flying out of the tornado as well. Once all the vermin were flying away, Ethias headed back towards the abbey with his sword. Then he noticed Saihte's sword wasn't taken with the tornado, and threw it in the direction of Saihte's camp. He was just inside when an arrow came out of nowhere, and caught him in the back. Ethias fell to ground with blood coming from his back. He heard some little laughter, and then fainted.
Matthias: Wow! That was some battle. How come I couldn't battle too?
Ethias: Brother issues. It was brother vs. brother. Besides, I sent him and his horde back to camp.
Matthias: So what's coming up in the next chapter?
Ethias: I'm not a plot spoiler, so stop asking me!
Matthias: Just one hint?
Ethias: Oh fine. Saihte is in the next chapter. There ya happy?
Matthias: You're mean. Just send it in.
Ethias: Gladly!
