Captain Greypaw and Corporal Sweetleaf returned to the prison area after their audience with the King. He expected to meet with the Prime Minister later, but meeting him down in the mountain fortress's lower level surprised him. Such secrecy and deceit might be considered normal by the aristocrats upstairs, but he was a soldier. Give him a clear objective and let him do his duty.
Once he assured himself all was in order, he retired to his quarters. Too many thing needed doing before their departure. He sent one member of his squad with a message to the Prime Minister. With no other duties demanding his attention, he decided to catch a quick nap.
The wall clock had advanced three hours when the guard on duty heard a hard rap on the outer prison door. The soldier moved over to the viewing slot and slid the wooden cover to one side.
A tall hare stood in the hallway leading to the prison. His deep brown fur showed evidence of recent grooming as it had an extra lustrous sheen to it. Just under his lower jaw, there hung a long beard that had undergone recent styling as it showed just a hint of curl at the very tips. A heavy sprinkling of silver-grey throughout the brown fur on his face and exposed arms caught the light and sparkled.
Attired in a neat suit of light blue, the hare projected a professional air. He might not wear a military uniform, but the sheathed sword resting on his side lacked the usual ornamentation favored by the nobility. Just in front of him sat three large satchels, one of which showed numerous scrolls straining the backpack's leather straps.
The brown-furred buck aimed his muzzle at the opening as if he held a crossbow. The two engaged in a silent staring contest. The soldier waited.
"Well blast it all, private, open the bloody door and let me through," the fellow commanded.
The guard kept his voice modulated as even as possible, refusing to lose control of the situation by shouting at this intruder. Instead, the hare tried a diplomatic approach. "I'm sorry, sir. Nobody has been authorized to enter this area. Perhaps you became disoriented and should be somewhere else. Tell me where you want to go and I'll give you directions."
Now the buck's initial note of authority carried a snarl behind it as the fellow raised his voice. "By all the demons of Hellsgate, open this bloody door right now, before I have my boot permanently affixed to your cottontail rump."
The private closed the spy-hole cover, which ended their discussion. Within a matter of seconds, the outer door shuddered under the fierce pounding of a fist. Stepping from the closed door, the guard smiled as he listened to the muffled cursing emanating from the flustered hare. The fellow continued his futile assault against the wooden barricade.
Captain Greypaw came rushing out of his nearby quarters. He tried smoothing his uniform as he ordered everyone to assemble. His irritation focused on the guard stationed at the main entrance.
"Didn't Private Kindrell tell you about our expected visitor?" Seeing the guard's blank look was sufficient explanation. "Next time I need everyone to know about a visitor, nobody sleeps." Captain Greypaw pushed the beam locking the door to one side. "Give me a paw with this door, soldier."
As the door opened, a very miffed hare stood there with his paw clenched and ready to batter the door once more. Captain Greypaw might have thought the other hare's expression comical, but realized things had progressed too far. He decided his best chance of defusing a tense situation was to take the offensive.
"Proper protocol requires you to present your authorization when challenged by a guard. As an officer of thirty years, that is something you should know. If you had, there would be no need for such theatrics."
"And a commanding officer is responsible for informing those under his command, Captain. I wouldn't resort to such an outburst if the bloody private had asked me for my papers." His voice continued verbally flaying Greypaw. "Now get this door opened and have that idiot of a guard move my gear inside."
"You'll have to surrender your weapon, sir, regulations."
"I was an officer for thirty years and served as commandant to a penal colony for seven of those years. Blast it all, I wrote the bloody regulations you're quoting."
"Then you'll have no objection to surrendering your weapon?" He extended his paw while barring the other hare's entry. "Since you are an officer, I'll return it to you while we are in transit, but until then, for the safety of my command and my prisoner, I will allow no outsider weapons within the confines of this jail. As you said, you wrote the procedure, so you know them better than me. No unaccounted for weapons allowed within the proximity of a prisoner while said prisoner is incarcerated and only trusted elders may have weapons if traveling with a prisoner detail."
Chuckling, the brown hare slipped off the sheathed sword and handed it to the Captain. "Word for word as the manual dictates. We'll get along smashingly."
Captain Greypaw spent a few moments introducing his command before offering his guest a private room. General Vindicarr surveyed his quarters and dropped his gear. One backpack went under the table. The satchel containing scrolls Vindicarr unpacked immediately.
Though his voice remained just above a whisper, Greypaw overheard Vindicarr mumble various legal terms while arranging the documents on his cot. Once the scrolls had been arranged according to its relevance to whatever legal issue he was studying, the former General ceased his one-sided conversation.
With the task completed, the former general asked a favor. Without hesitation, Greypaw turned on his heels and beckoned. In short order, four hares in uniform joined the Captain as they marched to the far end of the jail. The privates remained in line behind the two officers as they stared inside the only locked cell within the prison.
They watched the badger as she rested on her plank bed gazing at the stone ceiling. The general discretely cleared his throat, which had the prisoner's ears flick. She turned her head enough that she could view the hares.
In the quiet following their arrival, the badger's gravelly voice held an ominous intonation. "What's the matter, Captain? Getting bored under all this rock? Decided you would show off your latest catch?"
Her legs swung over the side and she rose to her full height, her restraints making a soft clinking sound. Then she leaned against the alcove, which housed her bed, examining the brown furred buck. Badger and hare remained locked in this contest of wills, neither wanting to blink first.
He knew Vindicarr's eyes missed nothing. Her muscular tone made her a most formidable foe in a paw to paw fight. That was true with any badger, but there were obvious physical characteristic setting her apart from all other badgers, such as her missing tail. While his guest and prisoner were locked in their silent duel, the badger turned her head to the side. Just enough to display the thin red scar that ran from the tip of the badger's nose to the back of her head.
"So this is the sow that has every noble's tongue wagging? She's an insignificant pup, not worth their interest. I'll have her head mounted on a spike within the hour and after another hour has passed, none will remember her name or what she looked like."
"Speaking of looks, General, you should see hers. Turn your face, badger."
The prisoner shuffled forward without exposing her other side. Having reached the furthest extension of her restraints, she leaned forward. "Stuff it, hare. I have no reason to dance to your commands."
Reaching into his vest pocket, Captain Greypaw removed a leather strap. He then raised his other paw straight up, which had the other four hares step forward. "Shall I give you a reason?"
Tassel turned her head. When the General saw the horror inducing face, he recoiled. His involuntary action had the badger chuckling as she returned to her plank bed. "You've seen the freak show; now go scamper off somewhere and let me rest." Her laughter followed them as they retreated in silence back to their living quarters.
Another three hours passed before Captain Greypaw knocked on the former General's door. The Captain stood outside wearing a full field pack. "I'm taking the unit on a long training hike through the caverns under Fiery Mountain. Care to join us?" The inflection behind the question let the General know he had no option but to join the others gracefully.
"My unit, as well as our prisoner, will be wearing backpacks filled with rocks. Although I'll not ask you to do the same, I'll offer you the opportunity. I'm sure you understand the need for such endurance training."
"Captain, anything that might knock that badger down a notch is worth the effort. Hand me a pack; I'm not that much out of shape."
Vindicarr slipped the proffered backpack over his shoulder and stepped into the common room. The brown furred hare almost blundered into the female badger. Her quick snarl had Vindicarr jump back several paces. The sow laughed until the private holding her leash gave the prisoner a light tap on her head with the shaft of his spear. With order restored, the Captain exited the prison compound.
Twenty minutes into the trip, the Captain led them down a dim passageway. At the end he made an unexpected turn. Everyone marched towards a well-lit area further along the dark hallway. Every private held their weapons at the ready, but none questioned why they broke such a well established training routine.
His squad entered an unfamiliar chamber. The light did not assuage the unexplainable tension. If not for military discipline, the unexpected appearance of a ferret might have led to bloodshed. Each of the soldiers assumed a defensive posture at the unexpected encounter. While his command stood at the ready, the Captain stepped forward, his weapon sheathed.
"You're late, Captain."
"Do you have everything in readiness, Prime Minister?"
"Supplies and gear for your unit, our prosecutor, and the prisoner, just as you requested. I've also mapped out an underground route that will take you as close to your destination as practical. "
Greypaw issued his orders. The hares shucked their rock-filled bags for a properly stocked backpack. Each soldier checked its contents and soon had their gear resting comfortably on their back.
Then it was the badger's turn. Getting her backpack into place was done with a minimum of effort and she did nothing offensive since four of the hares had their swords drawn and at the ready. The badger's eyes exposed her fear when the Captain retrieved a wooden yoke from an adjoining room and proceeded to fasten it.
"If I give you my word that I will cause you no trouble, will you leave that abomination behind? With my paws chained, I'll be helpless, unable to even feed myself."
Captain Greypaw's monotone delivery held no sympathy. "I consider the word of a prisoner worthless, and having you so helpless will make this a pleasant trip, for the rest us."
Prime Minister Resmallim remained silent. When the Captain indicated their readiness, the ferret revealed the rest of his preparations.
"At the end of this passageway, you will ascend a long stairway that will have you reach the surface halfway between the fortress of Salamandastron and the harbor. Proceed through town to the pier where a raft will ferry you east along the coast. They will drop you off at dawn, none should detect your presence as your destination is far from any known homestead. Once on land, avoid all travelers and make for Redwall Abbey."
Captain Greypaw gave the ferret a quick salute. In less than a minute, they marched beyond sight of the lit room. At the end of the stairway, they ascended a series of stone steps. They exited the underground tunnel in an old warehouse. A quick check of the street revealed no other resident within sight. They left the building and jogged towards the harbor.