The riddle is worked out further, Weylan continues spying, and Ardra's chasing after Weylan and co.
Chapter 35
Cornflower, Tess, and Violet all stood before one of the many landings to the spiral staircase.
"'Traverse up the staircase that turns against itself.'" Cornflower remarked to herself. "This has to be it. What other staircase in the abbey twist and turns in such a way that it 'turns against itself?'"
"It says we have to traverse up it, but doesn't say where to stop." Tess noted, re-reading the riddle. "Just to go up."
"Maybe it's sayin' t' go all the way up." Violet suggested, poking her head into the staircase and looking upwards.
"To the attics?" Cornflower asked. "I suppose that's possible. No one really goes up there very often. Hard to know what's up there, really."
"No, I don't think it means to head up to the attics." Tess said, still looking at the riddle. "Listen to the next line. 'Then go to the third left in the corridor past the bridge in the air.' Now how many corridors are there up in the attics?"
Cornflower frowned. "Not many, I must admit." she said. "Really just one big open space up there."
"Then we're jolly well supposed t' stop somewhere before there." Violet concluded. "But where?"
"Somewhere where there's a corridor." Tess reasoned.
"Not very good advice." Violet grumbled. "There are plenty of corridors in Redwall."
"I personally think it's this one, the one we're in right now." Tess said, holding her paws out to indicate to their surroundings. "It's the top most corridor before you reach the attics."
"You could be right Tess." Cornflower agreed, pulling at her whiskers in thought. "But we better find this 'bridge in the air' the riddle speaks of just to be sure."
"'Bridge in the air.'" Violet repeated, frowning. "I've heard of bridges over water and over land, but the air...?"
"I think it just means a bridge sitting someplace high up." Tess remarked.
"Must be very high then." Violet remarked. "Who ever heard of a bridge being so high up?"
"I have." Tess offered. "I've seen a bridge that scaled across a seemingly bottomless pit." she shuddered. "Scary, that was."
"But where would one find such a bridge here in Redwall?" Cornflower asked.
"Well, if the bally bridge is someplace high, maybe we could get the sparrows t' look around for it." Violet said.
"Yes, it could be outside." Cornflower reasoned. "That seems to me to be the most likely place to find it."
Tess had started to wander down the corridor. "I disagree." she said, looking through a doorway. "Because I believe we were just on our bridge in the air a few moments ago." she pointed out onto the balcony they were standing on just moments earlier.
"Oh, of course!" Cornflower said. "The balcony starts in this corridor, bridges across the roof of Great Hall, then reconnects with another corridor on the other side."
"A bridge in the air." Violet concluded decisively, placing her paws on her hips.
"But now where do we go?" Cornflower asked.
Tess pulled out the riddle. "According to this, we're supposed to go to 'the third left in the corridor past the bridge in the air.'"
"Oh, that's bloomin' easy." Violet remarked, standing in the entrance of the balcony before turning to face the wall opposite from where she stood, and started to count. "One...two..."
"Violet, what are you doing?" Tess asked, rolling up the riddle.
"Isn't it obvious?" the hare asked. When she got no immediate reply, she went on, "when you're directing a creature to a certain room down a hallway, what do you say?"
The two mousemaidens thought for a moment.
"I'm not sure I follow you, Violet." Cornflower finally announced.
"Let me put it this way then." Violet said, pointing a claw at a dormitory door not far from where they stood. "How would you direct a creature to go from here to there?"
Tess thought for a moment before answering. "Go to the door on the fourth left side of the corridor, I suppose." she said with a shrug.
"Exactly!" Violet said. "The fourth left past the bridge in the air!"
Both Cornflower and Tess became wide-eyed.
"Aye, that makes sense!" Cornflower remarked. "So we need to find the third left door then."
"And I've already found it." Violet said, stepping up to the door in question. "It's this one."
Cornflower and Tess joined the hare at the closed door.
"This is Swayner and Marigold's dormitory." Tess observed.
"Why would Martin want us to come here?" Cornflower asked.
"There's only one way to find out." Violet said, pushing open the door with one paw.
Kaon stood over his prisoner for a moment, thinking. Hood looked up at him, his face hidden under the hooded cloak he wore. No one spoke for a moment.
"Find Leesis, and bring him here." Kaon ordered Tay and Jay. "If anyone can work this out, it'd be him."
A moment later, the Marlfox entered the tent, most of his features hidden in his own cloak.
"Yes, Kaon?" Leesis asked in a cool-sounding voice. He seemed to be ignoring Hood for the moment. "You wanted my services?"
Kaon nodded, not breaking eye contact with Hood. "Tay and Jay found this creature wandering around camp." he explained, jerking a paw in Hood's direction. "I find his arrival to be suspicious. I felt I needed another opinion on the matter first, however."
Leesis glanced at Hood seemingly for the first time. He looked the prisoner up and down for a long moment. "What is your name, creature?" he finally asked.
"Hood." the prisoner replied simply.
"And what is your species?" Leesis asked.
"Weasel."
Leesis ran a claw over his grey-furred snout for a moment. "You claim you were wandering around when you came across our camp, correct?" he asked.
"Aye."
"Why?"
"No reason. 'Tis wot I always do."
Leesis stared at Hood for a very long moment. His nose twitched for a moment, sniffing the air. His expression remained neutral for a moment.
"Tay, take this creature and tie his paws to a tree." Leesis finally requested. "I will come back to him shortly."
Tay nodded, and took Hood away, leaving his brother, the Marlfox, and Kaon in the tent.
Kaon waited until Hood was gone to speak. "He's lying, isn't he?" he asked.
"Indeed he is, Kaon." Leesis confirmed. "His speech was very relaxed, but I could smell the sweat dampening his fur. 'Hood' is not who he claims to be."
"Then, if that's true, then why don't we strip that cloak of 'is off of 'im an' see who he really is?" Jay asked.
"Ah, my friend, where would the fun be in that?" the Marlfox asked, heading for the tent door. "No, let him sit and continue to sweat for a little while. Meanwhile, I will be watching."
Elsewhere, Ardra was hurrying along through the woodlands of Southsward. His fellow captain Trey and two others from the otter guard joined him.
"So th' message said they went t' th' shore t' make sure th' creature that brought 'em 'ere is all right." Trey summarized as they journeyed. "Wot's the 'arm in that?"
"They were headin' in th' last direction we know Kaon an' the others t' be travelin' last." Ardra said.
"But knowin' 'em, they probably 'ave long since started journeyin' in a completely different direction." Trey pointed out.
"We don't know that for sure." Ardra persisted. "No matter 'ow I look at it, Trey, I feel that they're in trouble, or soon will be. An', they 'ave yore daughter with 'em."
"Aye." Trey said with a slight glare. "An' is she ever gonna get a scoldin' when we catch up with 'er."
"But first, we 'ave t' find her, Weylan, and Mattimeo." Ardra said as they pressed on. "An' prey that we find 'em before anyone else does."
Weylan went along with the fox named Tay willingly. He tried to act calm, like he was completely unconcerned about his predicament, but deep down he was very terrified. He knew that there was no way he could maintain his alias as Hood for much longer. The sooner he figured out what this group was up to and get out of here, the better.
Tay seemed to select a tree at random to tie Weylans paws to, but for Weylan, it was a perfect choice for him. It was a tree on the edge of the camp, and was partly hidden by a nearby tent. He wouldn't be immediately in the view of others, which would work for him. Pulling out a rope, Tay turned Weylan so his back faced the tree, wrapped the rope around the tree before wrapping around it Weylan's wrists. Giving the knot one final tug, Tay then wordlessly left, leaving Weylan alone.
Weylan waited for a moment, then pressed his back against the tree, and slipped his tied paws under his cloak and wrapping around the hilt of his dagger. Moving carefully, so to not hurt himself, Weylan unsheathed the dagger, turned it around, then used it's blade to cut the rope. In a moment, Weylan was free again.
He knew he had to hurry now, so quickly, he slipped back into camp, looking around for anyone who might be watched. There was no one. It seemed everyone had gone back to Kaon's tent, probably to further discuss the appearance of their prisoner. Making note to stay away from that tent, Weylan ducked into a nearby tent, looking for clues.
Luck seemed to be on his side for the moment, for he found what he was looking for immediately. Battleplans, lying on a bedding of blankets, and portrayed Castle Floret. Surprised, Weylan took the plans and studied them, amazed that a gang of vermin so small was Kaon's even dared think they could attack Castle Floret. But the more he studied it, he saw that these plans were designed so well it could be done.
Gulping, Weylan rolled up the plans and tucked it into his belt, to take back to Floret. He then turned and exited the tent, with the intent of getting out of here. He froze when a creature appeared to his left, who he could've sworn wasn't there a moment ago.
"Liar, liar." Leesis remarked, raising his axe to strike at Weylan.
"Sink me rudder, YOW!" Weylan exclaimed as he quickly ducked the axeblade swinging at him, and ran for it, his cloak flapping around his legs.
He nearly ran into Jay as the fox raced out of Kaon's tent upon hearing the commotion. Seeing Weylan running for it, he drew his scimitar, and swung it at Weylan's head. Weylan ducked the blade, but in the process, his hood slipped from off his head, revealing what was underneath.
"He's an otter!" Jay exclaimed in amazement as Tay and Kaon suddenly appeared and chased after Weylan.
Seeing that the secret was out now, Weylan knew he had only one chance of escape. Quickly shedding the cloak and letting it fall to the ground as he ran, he made for the nearby creek and dove into it. He was just barely submerged into the shallow water when a dirk was stabbed down into the water, flashing in the light.
It missed Weylan by less than an inch, and it's tip became ensnared with Weylan's tunic. Weylan tried to pull free, but each moment he spent doing that and not getting away risked himself getting recaptured. Finally, he abandoned that tactic and instead slipped out of his tunic, freeing himself, and swam away as fast as he could...