Chapter nine, intros the mercs from "Warrior of Redwall." As I recall, this is really the only time they get any speaking lines, but it was still fun to write for them again. :) After that, so more time passage is covered and starting to get into the details of "Warrior of Redwall." If you've already read it, then this chapter and several chapters after this are going to have a lot of familiar material start popping up.
9.
"Only The Messenger"
A few minutes later found her outside, in the forest having successfully gotten this far without being noticed by anyone else, wearing a heavy and oversized cloak that Methusael had provided (which Adah would've needed to borrow anyway, as Methusael still had her own cloak, the same cloak she had worn the day she had murdered Hax. As it was presumably still bloodstained, Methusael was probably using it still as leverage to keep Adah doing as he wanted, as it was evidence that would prove her guilt for the murder) that seemed to cover everything but her face, and even that was hidden fairly well in the darkness of the hood.
Gripped tightly in one paw was Methusael's message, which Adah had obediently not read as per his instructions. Seeing who she was taking it to, and assuming that Methusael hadn't been lying about the identity of these creatures, which she doubted as there was no motive to that, she was willing to believe what Methusael claimed to be on it. And anyway, the instructions that were on the parchment were actually to keep an eye out for the rebels and their activities, something these mercenaries might have better luck at than the rest of them. Adah was uneasy about the idea of any information gained coming through Methusael, who'd probably twist it to suit his personal needs as he saw fit, but even she had to admit that was probably better than no information at all. Like Kani, she was convinced that the rebels meant little harm, but these raids couldn't go on forever.
She smelled the vermin before she saw them, but inwardly she told herself that she shouldn't be surprised by this. Vermin were notorious for their stench, and it seemed vermin mercenaries were no exception. However, interestingly enough, the smell wasn't nearly as bad as what Adah had been expecting, and was tolerable, even to her sensitive snout. A few paces further, she found the vermin's camp in a small clearing, containing nothing more than a burned-out fire, a small smattering of possessions, and of course, the vermin themselves.
Methusael didn't tell her how many to expect, but there were fewer of them than she was expecting. She figured there wouldn't be many; having large numbers seemed a bit contrary to a gang of mercenaries. But she was expecting to find maybe five to six members in this group. Instead, there were only three. A male weasel, a male ferret, and, surprisingly for Adah, a female rat. The weasel appeared to be the eldest and probably the leader, the ferret was the youngest. The female rat fit somewhere in the middle in age.
Adah stopped at the edge of the encampment, looking into it. None of the three vermin seemed to have noticed her approach, and the vixen wasn't sure how to continue from here. She didn't just want to enter the camp unannounced, as that was not only rude and intruding, but she wasn't sure how the vermin would react to an unfamiliar creature just entering the camp willy-nilly. But Methusael had instructed her not to speak, and for a logical reason, so she was hesitant to speak up and announce her presence, too. It left her with a bit of a dilemma.
Fortunately, the weasel suddenly spoke up, his back turned to Adah so that he couldn't have possibly seen her coming, "Are you going to just stand there all day, or do you have a reason for being here?"
The comment was clearly directed to Adah. Somehow the weasel had found how she was there without looking up from the bowstring he was waxing, proving just how observant he was. Suddenly she was wondering if a cloak was really going to be enough to conceal her identity. Regardless, now that the weasel had drawn the attention of the other two vermin to her, who had not been so observant to notice her before now, she stepped into the middle of the camp silently.
The three vermin stopped whatever they were doing and gathered around the newcomer. Adah could feel their crafty eyes looking her over, particularly that of the weasel's, probably trying to envision what creature lay underneath the cloak.
"So who are you supposed to be?" the ferret asked hotly, folding his arms, "Some kind of spy?"
"Don't be so reckless, Sais, this creature is a messenger," the weasel remarked, scolding, and pointed at the parchment that was in Adah's paw, "Methusael has sent her."
Nodding silently, relieved that they figured it out so quickly, Adah surrendered the note to the weasel, who took it and unfolded it to read.
"So Methusael himself is no longer going to be coming to personally deliver instructions?" the female rat inquired.
"Can't say I'm surprised, that fox would rather let someone else do his dirty work than do it himself," the ferret, Sais, remarked.
Adah could certainly relate with that sentiment, but she didn't say anything.
By this point in time, the weasel had finished reading the message, "Ah yes, the rebels," he remarked as he did so, "Apparently we're now to keep an eye out for them as well, to make sure they do not cause trouble for our employer."
The female rat nodded in agreement. "Probably a wise idea," she agreed.
"What do we do if we catch 'em?" Sais inquired.
"We relay the news back to Methusael."
"But otherwise do nothing?" the ferret sounded disappointed, "What good will that do?"
"One must know his enemy in order to attack," the weasel pointed out wisely, "only one lacking in experience would think otherwise."
Then the threesome started talking tactics about the assignment, trying to work out an agreement between them. Adah, feeling awkward, out of place, and being ignored now, silently excused herself and left the encampment to head back to the castle. She didn't know if the vermin noticed her departure, but somehow figured they wouldn't care too much about it.
She was, after all, only the messenger.
After that, Methusael sent her on several quick trips to deliver messages to the mercenaries. After a couple trips, Adah started to learn more about them. The weasel was named Grim, and as she had already presumed, was the leader of the bunch. He was the eldest and most experienced of the three mercenaries, and to whom the others looked up to whether or not they actually acknowledged that they did. Adah feared him, because he was undeniably perceptive. Many times she wondered if the weasel had suspicions about Adah's identity.
The female rat was named Aurora, and was second-best in skill to Grim, a fact she didn't seem to mind. In fact she seemed more anxious to learn from the weasel than her ferret companion, and treated Grim with respect, listening and trusting his instructions. She never batted an eye when Adah arrived to deliver a message, so much so, she was virtually ignoring their messenger once the message was handed over to them. Adah didn't mind that so much as that meant it kept attention off her.
As for the ferret, Sais, he was the youngest and newest member to the bunch, and thereby the lest experienced, and it showed. He was very rash, reckless, and impatient. He didn't like to stop and think through plans like Grim and Aurora, and rather just act upon the first sensible idea that came to mind. He seemed to have a problem with tact, too. Nor did he seem to like Adah, not really trusting her, and was quick to shoo her away. Clearly, he was the creature Methusael was worried about causing trouble if he ever figured out who their messenger was. He didn't treat Grim with much respect, and it seemed clear that the two rarely got along. The rift wasn't so bad between him and Aurora, however, who seemed more tolerant of Sais, but only just.
Other than that, their business and Methusael's was fairly uneventful. Mostly, the messages simply consisted of changes in instructions that were brief and to the point. Sometimes the mercenaries had messages to send back, but usually just an uneventful status report. It seems that not even the mercenaries were having much luck in figuring out exactly who was behind the raids that were continuing still as before. But they did manage to uncover more evidence that the mice were behind it. This only urged Methusael on to trying to encourage Kani to take action.
Which, by the way, was happening in vain. Kani was adamantly determined to find the peaceful solution to the actions of the Angolian mice, and refused to succumb to what he termed as Methusael's "cries for war." Adah was pleased with this, as she felt she had seen enough bloodshed in Angola already. That, and the fact that there seemed to be a slow rift growing between him and Methusael.
Speaking of Kani, he had been doing fair, particularly as the spring season wore on, but he was still greatly depressed with Hax's murder, as there was still no leads towards the identity of his murderer, and greatly stressed with the more pressing issues of the rebels and their raids, as well as the continued illness of Lady Grinta. It was also clear that it was all starting to get to the poor fox. He was starting to get severe headaches from all the strain. At one point, he had been stressed to the point that he fell ill with a stomachache for most of the day until Bluejay finally gave him and gave him some kind of medicine for it. It's effects were reportedly unpleasant, but it had the desired effect.
Additionally, Adah had seen Kani visiting Hax's grave, and talking to him as if he was still alive. About what, Adah never knew, as she never got close enough to hear (not that she wanted to hear) but she had a few good ideas. It was clear that Kani dearly missed his dead brother, and it was at those times that Adah felt her most guilty for being the one responsible for that death.
But it was also at those times that Adah was at her closest with Kani. He knew he needed the support of someone who could understand, who could relate to his situation. He needed support from someone more than a friend. And Adah was both willing and able. She had come to develop a kind of sixth sense to know when Kani needed her cheering. She suspected it was usually around the same time she needed some cheering herself, Kani having the same effect on her, despite not knowing it. All he ever seemed to be aware of during these little meetings and eventual conversations was the fact that he always felt better during them. But he did notice that Adah always seemed to turn up at the right times.
"Adah Eventide, you have a certain knack of showing up just when I need cheering up," he remarked to her once on one occasion in early spring, just after Kani had sent off the royal guard on their usual patrols of the village, a practice that had become common in the wake of the raids.
"Well, I enjoy cheering you up," Adah replied with a grin, which was something along the lines of what she always said to those comments these days. It was one of the few things she could say to Kani these days without lying.
"Indeed," Kani remarked, as they both turned to walk off and around the castle. He pointed at his head. "My headache is already gone."
"That's a start."
And from there, their conversations would always wander off to a variety subjects as they wandered around, with no real destination in mind. On this particular occasion, however, they ended up wandering towards Lady Grinta's bedchambers, a fact that Adah pointed out when they were still four doors away from it.
Kani had seemed oblivious to this detail when Adah pointed it out, and blinked in surprise when he realized it was true. "So we are," he remarked, then continued for the door in question, "I hope she's doing all right."
Adah, following, felt obligated to ask the question. "How is she doing?"
"Not well. I mean, her condition hasn't gotten any worse, but it hasn't gotten any better, either," Kani paused for a moment, "I worry about how many days she has left."
Adah was silent for a moment herself, then tried to look at it optimistically. "Maybe that would be for the better," she reasoned, "She would be in a better place, I mean."
Kani shook his head, "I've already lost enough family members the past few seasons. I don't know if I could handle losing another."
Adah felt her heart go out to Kani at this, knowing that he was right. "I'm sorry, Kani," she apologized, for more things than Kani knew, "It's been a rough couple of seasons, hasn't it?"
Kani paused at the door to his mother's room. "More than rough, Adah," he said, "Last spring, father died of old age. Late last autumn, mother falls ill to the point that, being the next in line for the title, I take on her responsibilities as acting lord. Then this past winter Hax was murdered. Shortly thereafter this…rebellion…among the Angolians begins. These past few seasons haven't been rough. It's been a plaguing nightmare. I don't need mother dying to be added to that list. Furthermore, I don't know if I can handle being a lord for real just yet."
Adah doubted that, though. Kani seemed to have managed the duties of acting lord well enough. Knowing that Kani didn't believe that, though, she tried to find something about the matter to look forward to. "But there are upsides to becoming lord, you know," she gave Kani a grin, "I mean, for one thing, a lord would need a lady, right?"
The moment she said it, she regretted it. Now was not the time to point out things like that. As a result, Kani gave her a look that made her wince.
"I'm sorry," she apologized again, "That wasn't funny, was it?"
"No, it wasn't. Adah, you are a very good friend. More than a friend, even. But don't go talking about things you don't understand."
And with that cold comment, he let himself into Lady Grinta's bedchambers. Stung by the comment, Adah sighed, hesitated to follow the fox for a moment, but ultimately did. Inside, Lady Grinta lay in the same place as always, in her redwood four-poster bed. She was awake, but did not look well. Bluejay the healer was also in the room, standing out with her dark-greyish fur as always. She was talking with Kani as Adah entered, Kani inquiring about his mother's health. Grinta, overhearing, answered for Bluejay, pointing out that she could be better, but she could also be worse at the same time. The comments drew Kani over to kneel beside her bed. Bluejay turned back to the medicines she was working with. Adah stayed at the door, feeling like she was intruding, and shouldn't be here. The pit in her stomach told her that she already knew where the conversation was going to go between the mother and son.
"How are you today, Kani?"
"I could be better myself, mother. I might not be ill, but I might as well be. Things haven't exactly gotten better around here."
"I'm sorry Kani, I wish I could do more to help. Things just haven't been the same since your father died, hasn't it?"
"It's not just father. We all knew his time had come. It's...others...who I miss."
Lady Grinta nodded, tears welling up in her eyes, and it was here that Adah started to feel the grief and guilt of murdering Hax coming back to haunt her. "Hax died long before his time," her ladyship remarked, "And so brutally as well. Good seasons, if I could just get my claws on the creature responsible for murdering my son, my handsome young son…"
"I haven't given up looking for the killer, mother," Kani assured her, sounding very determined, that determination sending a chill of fear down Adah's back. What would Kani do if he knew the truth? "Someday I will find the creature responsible and obtain justice."
"Thank you, Kani," Lady Grinta said, running her claws through her son's fur. "But I fear you're wasting your time. The killer is probably long gone by now. I'm sure he didn't stick around once he had done what he had done."
Adah winced, knowing that the killer was closer to them both than either of them knew, and it was then that she decided she shouldn't stay any longer, and turned to leave, feeling very uncomfortable.
Grinta continued talking. "We both need to come to terms with what happened last winter. As much as it hurts to do so, we need to look past Hax's death and to the future."
"I miss him mother. I miss Hax so much. If any creature in this castle should've been lord, it was him. He would've known exactly what to do now. How to treat this rebellion, everything."
Lady Grinta nodded in agreement. "But clearly, it just wasn't meant to be."
Adah fought back tears as she quickly hurried out into the hall outside, unnoticed. "If Methusael and I hadn't interfered," she murmured to herself, "he would've."
That evening as the sun set, while passing a window, Adah caught a glimpse of Kani kneeling outside, before Hax's grave, no doubt conversing aloud with his lost brother as had become tradition. The sight saddened Adah terribly, and she had to look away. Several times she had thought she should've told Kani the truth by now, and knew that she probably eventually would have to…but she hadn't yet. She kept telling herself that part of the reason why she had held off was in protection of Kani. She knew now that if she told the truth and Methusael found out, he would be more than capable of carrying out his threats. That, and she knew that the truth would likely crush Kani.
But deep down, she also knew she had been doing it in self-defense.
To protect herself.
Now feeling maddingly guilty, Adah hurried away from the window with it's sad view, hoping that Hax's murder would be as bad as Methusael's plans would ever get.
But as always, that cunning fox had other plans.
