XXVIII.
THE WESTERN PLAINS
"Almost wish I was a bally brushtail for this assignment, wot?" Lesperance grumbled as the trio of Long Patrol picked their way across the dark Plains under a half-moon obscured by frequent clouds. "A little fox night vision might go a long way right about now."
"Muzzle your mutterin', Les," Lieutenant Traughber chided. "Can't risk bein' overheard by any of His Bloodiness's all-pervading pipsqueaks."
"Our Sparra've told us there aren't any left out this way," Brufford, the third member of their party, challenged the lieutenant. "No gulls about since they made off with Lattie, the Gawtrybe're all busy in the wooded areas, an' all the shrews've been withdrawn from the Plains too, an' who knows wot that's about. Which leaves these rollin' flatlands all to us."
"Unless some're lyin' about hid, just to trip us up," Traughber countered. "Urthblood's gulls may not exactly be nesting out here, but they still fly high 'nuff during their daytime surveillance to see wot's goin' on out this far. An' wot's t' say they've not got some shrews still assigned to these Plains hunkered down so our own fine feathered chaps've missed 'em? Can't take anything for granted, not where that bloody badger's concerned."
"Lieutenant's right," Lesperance said. "Even if there aren't any shrews or squirrels stationed out here at present, those gullfrighters've still gotta bed down somewhere for the night. With our luck, we'd trip right over a bloomin' gaggle of the slumberin' squabblers."
"Well, I'm countin' on our luck holdin', long as we keep our eyes wider'n our mouths, tough as it is to make out the terrain in front of our bally pawsteps at times." The lieutenant glanced about them, the Plains momentarily illuminated by a gap in the scudding clouds which allowed the partial moon to cast its ghostly glow over the landscape. The hares ducked and froze, in case any of Urthblood's owls might be patrolling this region - not that such a nightbird likely still wouldn't have spotted them when the moon was in, but it made them feel better to go into hiding mode when they'd most obviously stick out from their surroundings.
"Good thing th' Colonel went over this route with us so carefully during preparations," the lieutenant went on in a loud whisper, "'cos travellin' by night like this makes our mission a tougher nut to crack by half. Could've used Pledger or Buckalew or one o' the others who'd been out this route already to help guide us more accurately, but we work with wot we've got, wot?"
"Be a lot easier without these bloomin' packs too," Brufford added. "Tricky enuff marchin' only by night to a destination none of us has ever been before, but these loads weigh us down an' bulk us up, slowin' our stride an' giving us more to cover up while we're sleepin' away each day."
"Yeah," Lesperance added as the moon faded behind a cloudy veil once more and the threesome put on another forward push to take advantage of the renewed darkness. "We're already, wot, three days out from the Abbey? Would've thought we'd be there by now."
"This's our third night," Traughber clarified. "Only seems like it's taking longer than it is since we hafta travel by the shorter nights an' sit out the days, which are almost at their summer fullness. Wouldja rather be doin' this in th' dead of dreary winter, when we'd have nice long nights freezin' our scuts off, with hard frozen ground underpaw an' mebbe snow to contend with as well? Either way, regardless of the season, can't expect us to cover distance like the Colonel did when he was chasin' after Lattie at a good sprint."
"Hope we get there soon," Brufford said. "At this rate, the ratfaces we're supposed to be clearin' the way for'll reach that sanctuary 'fore we do!"
"That's largely up to Grayfoot too, an' Sergeant Twisher's group who're tryin' to get th' bally word out without raisin' any suspicions from th' wrong quarters. Also up to those rats themselves - hope they've got th' good sense 'n' discipline to travel only by night like we are. If not, I don't suspect we'll be seein' any of them makin' it even this far."
Another peek of intermittent moonlight sent the three hares down into their umpteenth stilled crouch of the night. This latest pause gave them an opportunity to scan the Plains around them. "Hey," Lesperance pointed out, "there's that group of four trees formin' a 'W' we were told to look out for, along with that slight hillock to the north. Must be almost there!"
"Just over th' next rise," Traughber agreed. "Or at least it should be, 'cordin' to our directions. Let's see if we can make it the rest of th' way during the next cloud cover; once we're there an' down in that valley, we might be able to move about a bit more freely even in the moonglow, least 'til we find what we're looking for. Then we'll not hafta worry 'bout bein' seen or heard by anybeast or anybird at all!"
Sure enough, the next period of cloud cover saw the intrepid trio all the way to their target and descending into the sunken, bowl-shaped dell, former lair of the now-exterminated Flitch-aye-aye. Picking their way down to the valley floor with great care to avoid the rocks, boulders, holes and tussocks which might trip them up, yield stubbed paws or even twist or break an ankle or leg, they at last assembled at the valley's low point, casting their gazes about in the darkness.
"I say," remarked Brufford, "how th' dampened blazes are we s'posed to locate a hidden entrance in this pitch, when it's not even that easy t' find in broad daylight?"
"Nobeast said this'd be an easy assignment, Bruff," Traughber shot back. "But the Colonel gave us a pretty good debriefin' 'fore we left, with a pretty clear picture on where we'll find that secret doorway. We'll just keep pushin' an' proddin' this terrain 'til it yields up its secrets to us."
And so they did, conducting their search even through the next break in the clouds, mindful now only of uncovering what they sought. It was Lesperance who finally discovered the moss-disguised hatch, as much by accident as anything, since they were all pretty much just tugging and pulling at every patch of moss which fit the description of what they'd been instructed to look for.
"Over here, chaps, over here!" Lesperance called out as he stood holding the secret hatch raised with one paw. Traughber and Brufford quickly converged on the spot, weighing what to do next.
"Guess it's down we go then," Traughber said, unshouldering his heavy pack as the others did likewise, the hidden downward-sloping passage now fully opened. "Can't risk lighting any lamps until we're off the surface, but consid'rin' how accustomed we've gotten to marchin' under cover of dark, shouldn't pose any hardship makin' this crawl unaided. 'Sides, s'posed to be a green glow easy t' see by in that sunken lair below, so we'll just make for th' green 'til we reach it, wot?"
Producing short lengths of rope from their supplies, they strung together the three packs by their straps, then Traughber and Lesperance headed down into the tunnel on all fours, taking with them a much longer rope tied to the packs behind them. Reaching the bottom some time later after an unpleasant, root-encumbered descent, the two hares dropped down onto the hard stone floor of the former home of the weasel cannibals.
"Well, they were right 'bout the green glow," Lesperance observed, looking around them. "Easy enuff to see by, 'specially after coming down from th' night above. Imagine it'd take some adjustin' for beasts enterin' this gloom outta broad daylight."
"That'll not be anybeast soon, since those movin' by daylight won't be makin' it this far." Traughber turned and took hold of the rope trailing behind them up the root-clogged incline, bidding Lesperance to do the same. "Let's get our belongings and our third member down here, an' then we'll see wot's wot."
Hauling on the rope, they pulled their provisions down the crude passage after them, with Brufford bringing up the rear to keep the line of packs straight, untangled and on course. At last all three hares and all three packs were down, and the Long Patrol burrowed into their supplies to pull out lamps they could light to better see their surroundings - the very first time such warm, yellow illumination had ever brightened this macabre subterranean world.
Taking stock of the Flitch-aye-aye corpses strewn about in various stages of dessicated decay, Traughber assessed, "Right, first order of business has got to be clearin' out these bodies an' gettin' 'em topside. Won't be a livable place with so much death around, wot?"
"Are we gonna bury 'em?" Brufford asked. "'Cos that'd be the jolly work of a few nights right there."
Traughber shook his head. "Too much else that needs doin'. We'll drag 'em up to the surface, scatter 'em widely about th' place so it's not too spankin' obvious to any high-flyin' bird scouts that the number of bodies has increased - mebbe even bear a few all th' way up outta the valley altogether - an' hope that takes care of the matter once an' for all."
"Will we hafta drag 'em all out the same way we just came in?" Lesperance almost groaned. "'Cos that'd be a clogger of a chore, workin' past all those cumbersome roots 'n' mosses."
"Can't be helped. Unless some easier way in an' out turns up durin' our initial surveys, that's wot we've got to work with."
"Mebbe we could spend some time clearin' out that passage first, so it's easier to get through?" Brufford suggested hopefully. "Make it a lot smoother haulin' stuff up an' down it - 'specially something as snaggly as a corpse with arms, legs, head an' tail stickin' out ev'ry which way."
"Oh, we'll be clearin' it out, no two ways about that. chum. But that'll hafta wait 'til after the bodies are moved out, I'm afraid. No tellin' when the new rat residents might be arrivin' - if they ever do - an' rendering their new abode free o' death takes top priority. Corpses first, then we'll worry 'bout cleanin' up an' doin' a little housekeepin' to make this place homier … " Traughber gazed about the stark, green-hued cavern. "Homey as it can get, at any rate."
The trio's underground survey, rapid and cursory as it was, nevertheless ended up being more complete and comprehensive than the one conducted by Alex, the Colonel and Log-a-Log during their chase after Latura, covering every passage and chamber of the warren, leaving one of the lit lamps back at their starting point so they could always orient themselves if they got to feeling lost. A couple more egresses were uncovered, but none any great deal more convenient than the one they'd already descended.
"Wish we'd brought along some moles," Lesperance lamented, "who coulda carved out a proper stairway in an' outta this place."
"Maybe we'll send for a small crew t' do just that, Les, if time an' circumstance permit. For now, we're workin' on the sly, an' that means the fewer the better. If rats do start comin', we'll see how many an' wot they need, but for now, we're both the refurbishment team an' welcomin' committee. So let's get to work, 'fore it's daylight again!"
FOXGUARD
When the high watch spotted Jaffox making his way back toward Foxguard - with a company several times the size of the fox brigade with whom he'd departed the fortress - Tolar made a point of being on the walltop to see them in. And when finally they did appear in the clearing beyond the perimeter wall and the Sword could at last fully take their measure, Tolar came around to the stronghold's sole entryway to meet the returning fox commander - his ostensible second-in-command who revelled in acting as anything but.
Halting the inbound fighters outside the tunnel-like entry with Sappakit, Haddican and several of the other senior and junior members of his swordfox brigade at his side, while additional swordsbeasts and a few Gawtrybe looked on from above, Tolar planted himself squarely before his larger counterpart. "What's the meaning of this, Jaffox?"
"The meaning of what, Sword?" the other replied with oily, mocking innocence.
"This … horde. Weasel, stoats, ferrets … and additional foxes who don't look to be yours. Why have you brought them to Foxguard? They've no business here."
"On th' contrary, they've ev'ry right t' be here if I say they do. I brought 'em in, Sword. I did my job. They're loyal fighters of Lord Urthblood's now, proven in th' field an' sworn to obey that badger - through me, o' course. That means they're free t' come an' go at any of 'is Lordship's garrisons, be it Salamandastron, Gawdrey … or here. An' right now, I deemed this a good time t' introduce 'em to Foxguard. With yer permission, o' course … tho', if ye're gonna bar 'em after I gave 'em the go-ahead, hope you've got very good grounds fer doin' so."
A ferret stood at Jaffox's side in apparent solidarity, intently following this confrontation; Tolar guessed this was either the former leader of the now-ratless horde from the valley to the northeast, or else the highest-ranking surviving officer left alive in the wake of being "brought in" by Jaffox. "There's no need for them to enter Foxguard. They can camp outside the walls."
"Now that's hardly hospitable, Sword, ner properly comradely either. Bryn here, he's heard all 'bout this wonderful place of ours, an' how he an' his beasts would be welcome here as our own. Why should we make 'em stay outside when we got plenny o' space inside?"
"We actually don't have plenty of space inside, as you well know due to most of your brigade having to sleep outdoors when you first arrived - a situation which has not changed, by the way. So what you were thinking by bringing them all here I can't imagine."
"Ain't you at least int'rested in debriefin' their top officers, gettin' to know 'em?"
"I was going to leave that to you."
"Aw, I know 'em already, Sword. But since ye're technically still my superior here, figgered wouldn't be proper keepin' 'em all to myself."
Tolar bristled at the implications of this. All to himself - meaning Jaffox had not only brought this horde in, but had done so in his own way, firmly establishing himself as the go-between linking them to Lord Urthblood's authority and imprinting upon them his own distinct brand of command … which meant that Jaffox now had a separate minor army of his own right here in Mossflower, above and beyond his Northland foxes and any support he'd receive from the Gawtrybe. If Tolar spurned them now, it would only solidify their acceptance of Jaffox as their immediate commander to be obeyed … but if he welcomed them into Foxguard at Jaffox's bidding, that too would only enhance his rival's appearance of authority. And if Lord Urthblood truly were so dissatisfied with Tolar's performance as master of Foxguard that he would resort to calling down this butcher of the Northlands to address the situation, then maybe that badger would also be content to stand back and grant his dreaded fixer a free paw to turn Foxguard upside down as Jaffox saw fit.
Jaffox had his own army now …
In the end, Tolar did the only thing he could. "Okay. The officers can come in - but only the officers. And yes, I will debrief them myself, to determine how best to coordinate their assets with ours here at Foxguard. Now, I notice none of your Gawtrybe seem to have returned with you … unless they're still in the woods, bringing up the rear and coming in behind you?"
"Naw, they decided to continue th' sweeps to th' north on their own. Got another whole swath o' Mossflower on the other side o' the main path t' clear out - prob'ly scores more rats infestin' those woods 'n' fields that we gotta get moved out. Oh, an' by th' way, my own operations to the northeast o' here went quite well, in case you were wond'rin."
"I … wasn't, actually. Foxguard only plays a support role in these campaigns - as I trust you've informed our newest recruits."
"Speak for yourself, Sword. As you might recall, Captain Custis also appointed me his special consultant fer acceleratin' this campaign - which grants me expanded latitude inside Foxguard an' out as I deem matters warrant, even if all your blackshirts're sittin' on yer tails about it."
"In that case, I suspect you'll soon be on your way again, to see to further field operations."
"All in good time, Sword, all in good time. Figgered I'd see t' business here first, 'fore headin' out again."
Looking past Jaffox and Bryn, Tolar's gaze came to rest on the next area of concern to address. "And these vixens … part of your 'business' too? They don't look like fighters to me."
"Well, that remains to be seen, don't it?" Jaffox replied with a smarmy grin. "Some dogfoxes like a liddle fight in their bedmates!"
Tolar's mouth turned downward in disdain. "You raided that horde's vixens and brought them here for your own recreation? I'm not sure Lord Urthblood would approve of that. I'm not sure he would approve at all."
"Oh, they ain't all fer my own foxes. Some o' my lads're quite content t' get by without, so we'll have vixens t'spare. An' from what I'm given t' unnerstand 'bout yer own situation, I gathered they might be 'preciated. Very much 'preciated, in fact."
Tolar scowled, forcing himself not to glance Sappakit's way. "I can't imagine where you got that idea. My brigade functions on dedicated discipline, without the indulgence of such … distractions."
Bryn leaned in toward Jaffox and muttered, "Is this brushtail fer real?"
Tolar stabbed a glare toward the ferret. "Was there something you wanted to say?"
Bryn straightened, only slightly chagrined in light of how Jaffox had stood up to the Sword. "Commander 'ere told us you might react this way to the offer o' vixens, but I didn't berlieve 'im, not wholly. See now I guess 'ee knows you better'n I woulda credited … sir."
"Thank you for adding that title, since I am your superior's superior. You may address me henceforth as 'Sword.'"
"Uh, yes sir … uh, Sword."
Tolar returned his attention to Jaffox. "I may have needed compelling reasons to exclude our newest officer recruits from Foxguard, but I need no such grounds for these vixens. If they are not soldiers bound to take our orders, then they are civilians, under neither your command or mine. As such, they will not be permitted within this fortress."
Many faces fell at this declaration, not all of them those of Jaffox's brigade, or the vixens themselves, some of whom had clearly hoped to advance their fortunes here amongst the powerful and influential swordsbeasts. "My Sword," Sappakit implored in a low voice, "I really think you should consider this more fully … "
Tolar remained obstinate. "Then I shall consider it while they remain outside our walls, where they will be free to while away their days as they will. We can't have them loitering amongst us, disrupting our drills and training, and the conduct of this stronghold."
Sappakit drew back on his heels in grudging acceptance. "As you say, sir."
"I hope you'll at least make an exception fer their head vixen," Jaffox said to Tolar. "Seems t' me you'd wanna hear her view on things as much as any of our new officers."
"Why would I? She'd still be a civilian, and not mundane to Foxguard affairs."
"Unless you do decide t' let 'em all in."
"That will be then, if I ever decide thus. This is now."
"Still, I would urge you t' let 'er in right away. In fact, I'd insist on it."
"Is she … spoken for by any member of your brigade?" Tolar asked, afraid he already knew the answer.
"Aye. Me."
And there it was … and Jaffox once again had the Sword over a barrel. As long as Tolar maintained Mona as his mate, he could not for the sake of appearances forbid his new and independent-minded second from enjoying such privilege as well, not when the vixen in question stood right here in the fur. Tolar's previous discussions on the matter with Sappakit had involved hypothetical vixens not even known or on-scene, and that had been one thing, but now, faced with vixens who were anything but hypothetical, brought here by Jaffox for precisely the purposes Tolar and Sappakit had debated on those prior occasions, things were very different.
Tempted as he was to deny Jaffox this concession, Tolar tactically relented. "Very well. She alone may enter, in order for me to, as you say, hear her views on matters. Perhaps she can persuade me to change my own views, if I am able to spend sufficient time with her."
"Aye, wise choice, Sword, wise choice," Jaffox said, in a tone jovially obsequious rather than mocking or challenging. "Shall we, then?"
Gritting his teeth, Tolar turned and led the way into the fortress, followed immediately by his fellow swordfoxes and then Jaffox and his mixed party of veteran Northland foxes, new Mossflower recruits and one very conflicted vixen.
Joska maneuvered herself to Jaffox's side as they passed under the wall; if the vixen was at all impressed by the dimensions and formidable layout of Foxguard's perimeter bulwark, she was too distracted to show or acknowledge it. Before she could speak, Jaffox hissed at her, "Chose yer words careful here - it's very easy t' be overheard."
"You made it sound like these bladedogs were hungerin' for what we got t' offer! That cold stiff all but sent us away! An' now he wants to study me t' find out what I'm all about! I agreed to come with you to share your privilege, not to be examined an' interrogated by a suspicious-minded war chief. This's worse than Krayne - worse than Bryn even!"
"Don't frazzle yer brush, wench," Jaffox softly growled back. "Ye'll have yer privilege, long as y' stick by me. As fer yer sisters an' all th' rest, give it a liddle time. Tolar's just one fox, an' not all th' rest o' his crew feel th' same as he does. They've been forced t' watch fer a long time while he enjoys what they're denied. Once they see me enjoyin' you as well, knowin' there's so many other eager an' willin' partners waitin' for 'em just beyond their walls, I wager the pressure on our good Sword'll build to where even he won't be able to deny 'em anymore!"
