Author's note: I'm getting ready to end this one. I'm not happy with how it's going and all your reviews are showing me just how unlike my best writing this is, so it's going to be finished and hopefully forgotten about soon. I will write another Redwall fic - maybe more to do with Spike and Posy because I love the hedgehogs and I think those two need more writing about them. Thank you again for the reviews you're giving me - it's good to know where I'm going wrong, so next time I write a story I can iron out the creases!
This is a pretty boring one, I'm sorry. It's fast and not detailed, but I thought some of the conversations were worth being put up here.
It took a few days to convince Martin that he could try travelling to Salamandastron again. However, travel he did and the weeks drew on without any sign of the explorers returning.
Rose spent most of her time with Columbine. And when the opportunity to sneak into Kotir arose, the mousemaids were only too ready to go.
Bella had her doubts. "I don't want to be the one taking the blame if anything happens to… them while Martin and Gonff are away." She confided to Abbess Germaine the evening before the scheduled diversion. The otters and a few woodlanders had made some false trails leading towards and away from Camp Willow. Chibb the robin had informed them that the vermin were planning a blanket raid on the woodland as their storerooms were running low.
"No thanks to Gonff!" Columbine had muttered to herself, torn between a giggle and a sigh. She missed the jolly joker dearly.
All soldiers had been told to prepare to leave Kotir by dawn, Chibb had continued to tell them amongst many "ahem"ing and fluttering. He believed they would be safely hidden at Brockhall, but a handpicked squad of vermin were to be sent around the back of Camp Willow to try and capture any beast who could be used for slavery.
"The blame will be on my shoulders," Skipper reassured the badger. "Not that any blame need be laid – we'll 'ave 'em in and out in a jiffy!"
"Thank you, Skipper of otters. I know you'll look after them. I just can't help worrying…" Bella trailed off, wringing her large paws. Skipper laughed.
"You're worried about our young warrior having me fur as a new hat if anything happens to his Missy." Skip summarised, patting Bella on the back. "Never fear."
"I share Bella's concern, Skipper." Germaine added. "He's young and uncontrollably fierce at times – did you see the look on his face when he found out what had happened to her? He looked ready to slay a thousand beasts."
"Aye, bloodwrath." Bella nodded sadly. She explained to the two puzzled faces. "I saw it in my husband when he led our first army. Nothing can get through to a warrior when he's in that mindset."
"And I have a feeling young Rose may be a cause of this bloodwrath." Germaine said sadly, looking over to where the young mousemaid was sitting with the Stickle babes. "She must mean a lot to him."
"'Tis for that reason I promise to keep her save – I'd rather get skewered in her place than have to face Martin after letting her get hurt. Besides, we can't tie her down just because the warrior hasn't given his consent. She's a free beast and can make her own decisions." Skipper concluded, bowing as he walked away to tell Lady Amber of their plans.
The visit to Kotir went without a hitch, much to Skipper's relief. As soon as the soldiers left Kotir, the squirrels took Rose, Columbine, Old Dinny and Foremole into the castle through the same tree Martin and Gonff had escaped from. In order to keep his promise of protecting Rose, Skipper left his otter warriors in the capable paws of Rush – a young male who had a knack for strategies – and was let into the castle through the main gates by Beech. The same squirrel raced ahead of the vermin soldiers once the imminent battle was nearing an end to let the woodlanders out of Kotir, replacing the lock on the gate as if no one had ever been there.
What the mice and moles discovered was invaluable news to the ears of all woodlanders.
Old Dinny summarised it with one word. "Tunnels."
Rose and Columbine were pleased with themselves. Since morning, they'd broken into the enemy castle, discovered a giant underground lake that was the key to the new plan of attack, discovered that they were both fond of the same raspberry tarts and babysat for the Stickles. Columbine knew how fond Gonff was of the baby hedgehogs and she quickly understood why – the little bundles of energy would race around full-pelt for five minutes, then come back with sleepy eyes for cuddles and sticky handfuls of crystallised fruit. Though they were still young, the four hedgehogs already had particularly sharp spikes.
"Gosh, they aren't called Stickles for nothing!" Rose muttered out of the corner of her mouth as Posy tried to curl up on her lap. Columbine laughed.
"The spikes aren't too bad, as long as they don't wriggle about!" She squeaked as Ferdy backed into her footpaw, too busy sword fighting with his brother to see her until it was too late.
"Oops. Sorry Mizz C'lumbine." He shuffled on his feet apologetically, looking down. Columbine laughed and stroked his headspikes carefully.
"Never mind Ferdy. It's my fault for sitting in the battleground!" He bristled happily and went back to fighting with his brother – stick hitting off stick.
"Would you ever want little ones, Rose?" Columbine asked as she watched the two brothers run away.
"Only if they were as well behaved as Posy!" She joked, stroking the hedgehog's nose lovingly.
"I'm better behaved than Spike." She mumbled sleepily. She and her other brother had been playing hide and seek, but Spike had had to ask Columbine to help him as Posy was too well hidden for him. Rose laughed softly.
"Of course you are – you're a young lady." She sighed longingly. "My mother would love to meet this lot."
"Will she come and visit us?" Posy asked, sitting up and sliding onto the floor in front of Rose. The mousemaid held back cries of pain as the little hedgehog's spikes ran down her legs.
"I highly doubt it." Rose looked at Columbine who gave her an understanding look. "I have the feeling she'll be too busy looking after my little brother to come and find me."
Posy blinked up at Rose. "You have a little brother? I have brothers too."
"I know you do." Posy watched Rose's paw as it came slowly towards her nose and touched it softly. "And my little brother's as naughty as all of your brothers put together!"
Posy put a paw to her mouth in horror. "Your poor Mommy must be much worn out trying to look after him."
"Oh you have no idea." Rose smiled at the hedgehog. They shared a look for a moment before Posy stood up and announced she was going to go and find some strawberry cordial.
"Your brother? The one in Martin's story?" Columbine asked, now they were alone. Rose nodded.
"Though he can look after himself. I didn't want to tell her that I'd ran away other she might give me a lecture on how to be a good daughter."
The two mice laughed together, satisfied with the good days work and pleased with the friendships they'd began to build with the young hedgehogs.