Lord Kova looked upon the mound of dirt which housed the now deceased badger lord. Chuckling, the ferret remarked,
"Not A very royal bariel, eh?" Elbowing the two sea rats, who simply nodded. Laughing, the ferret walked over to Brekad who was currently getting caught up on the current events in mossflower. Lancepaw told the hare everything from when he met the rats, to his encounter with the warlord.
Brekad nodded as he heard the part about the warlord and his men hunting down the flitcheye, knowing very well how savage the little weasels can be.
"I understand. If you need anything, anything AT ALL, just tell me." Lancepaw was about to take him up on the offer when the ferret warlord butted in, walking up to the captain, pushing Lancepaw to the side, who growled at the warlord as he smiled at the hare captain.
"Alright then captain, we require food, water, equipment, and maybe some scouts for when you need to get some spying done!" The warlord peered past the hare, looking upon the captains soldiers, and called one of them to his side. "Ey! You there!" One of the hares, a white hare with brown speckles on his back, looked up from a platter of food, his ears perked up. He looked at the warlord, then at his commander, as if he was unsure who to answer to.
Brekad smiled and nodded to the soldier, who got up from his seat and weaved his way through his comrades and vermin, eventually reaching the two beasts.
"Y-y-yes sah?" He answered in a nervous tone as he looked up at the ferret, his snout nearly reaching the mustelids chest. The warlord clapped the hare on the back, chuckling at the hare as he let out a "eep" of fear.
"Now, now, what sort of Long Patrol hare are you eh? Come on now, chin up, suck in that gut of yours and stop yer shivering!" The hare stood straight up, sucking in his gut and trying his best not shake too much. "Good, now I need to ask you- are you holding yer breath?" The hare nodded in reply as his cheeks started swelling with air as his lungs tried to exhale. The ferret sighed to himself.
"I know I said suck in yer gut, but please don't kill yer self! At least wait until I'm done speaking to you? Then you can walk over to that tree and kill yer self!" He exhaled, the bad air finally escaping his lungs allowing fresh clean air to enter, which he gulped in greedily. "Good, now as I was saying- I need a few good scouts to come with me and my men, do you know any of yer comrades that are good at sneaking and spying?"
The ferret waited politely as the hare regained his breath, which was awkward for the captain and the ferret because most of Kova's and Brekads men were staring at the odd scene. When the hare did regain his breath, he stood up straight and pointed to three beasts, saying,
"Well sah, there's Wontill, Wonfrill, and Wonill! There the best trackers and spys that we have to offer, serving successfully in three wars I think, or was if four? No, it was three!"
The warlord nodded in acknowledgement as he looked upon the three selected hares, sitting together and chatting as they ate candied chestnuts. The soot black hare on the left, Wontill, was a tall, skinny looking fellow, seemed to be the youngest of the group. He would make a good scout and messenger. The white hare on the left was slightly larger, but not really muscular in the arms, and was the one who was doing most of the talking. Great, Kova thought, a talker. The last of the hares, another skinny looking fellow with grayish hare, seemed to be the oldest of the group, and had a wise attitude that, for some reason, Kova greatly respected.
"So... are these three..."
"Brothers? No, although it may seem that way, its just luck that their names sound the same." The scout answered, cutting the warlord off. The ferret glared at the hare who simply stood there with a straight, dutiful face. Sighing the ferret dismissed the hare back to the group, who gave a smartish solute, saying,
"Thank you sah!" And then jogged back to his comrades.
Meanwhile, back at the abbey, skipper Bardwin wasn't liking his companion on the wall tops very much, who was busy dancing around and singing off key, not really noticing the sheer anger that the otter had plastered on his face.
Oh Martin, The otter thought as he watched the squirrel twirl around in a circle, even when he's sober he acts like an idiot! What the otter said was, in fact, true. Bushbranch Treeleaper was one of the most annoying inhabitants of the abbey, and the main reason why no one has kicked him is that even though he was annoying, he was that kind of cheerfull annoyance that everyone put up with and come to like.
Except, of course, for skipper Bardwin. Being this year being only his second year at Redwall, he hasn't really gotten used to the squirrel parading about with his random slurrs and conversations, so far hes been able to keep himself from knocking the squirrels two front teeth out!
The otters ears flattened back and he growled as he peered at the squirrel. The squirrels voice got higher as he started to get to the end of his song, and the otter had finally had enough.
"HELLS TEETH BUSHLEAP-WHATEVER! SHUT UP!" The otter screamed, taking the squirrel by surprise, who went silent. The otter nodded in satisfaction. "There! you see? It's not so hard to shut up after all, now is it?"
The squirrel was about to say something that he would later regret in the infirmary if it weren't for abbot Tomasus walking up with a plate of pipping hot scones, the honey glaze shining in the sun light, for the two wall sentries.
The squirrel immediately squeaked in glee and ran for a scone, snatching one off the platter and gulping it down in a second, licking the honey of his lips and paws greedily.
"Mmmmm..." The abbot chuckled and shoved the squirrel away as he tried for another scone, scolding him rather playfully,
"Now, now! Wait till I get up the steps before you gorge yourself!" The squirrel did as he was told, waiting patiently and excitedly, jumping up and as the abbot got to the top and once again, shoved the squirrel aside, saying, "You can have another later, but I think are skipper needs to have one before you eat the rest!"
The squirrel grumbled to himself as the otter cheerfully grabbed a scone off the platter.
But unkown to the three beasts on top the walls, a sinister fox pulled back his bow and lined up the arrow with the massive otter, who was busy munching on scones and laughing at the squirrel, who was now begging and pouting for another pastry.
The fox snickered to himself and let the shaft fly through the air.