Sleep did not come easy. Wobbles watched the sky darken and the stars brighten, but did not rest. She must have slept at some point. The deep black of night displayed more of an ashy grey and most of the constellations had faded. The sun remained below the horizon, but a noticeable glow marked the east. Dawn approached.
A twig snapped. She turned towards the noise. A mouse with a spear passed near her, unaware her eyes followed him. Wobbles had enough rest, she needed to move. Her paws acted without any thought as she folded the blanket given her. She had a moment of panic when she couldn't find the bedroll's bindings in their usual place, but relaxed when she realized she no longer slept in a Horde camp.
She rose. A quick scan confirmed that initial impression. The stakes marking the slave camp were missing. None of the sentries wore uniforms. When she moved, nobody challenged her. Wobbles wandered among the sleepers, not sure yet where her feet took her. It did not take her long finding what she sought.
The rebel leader slept, unaware she now sat so close to him. Wobbles still could not reconcile the mature squirrel with the frightened kit from so long ago. She reached out, stroking his fur. Such a soft feel. It brought back memories, both good and bad.
Chitter awoke when she again touched his arm. He rolled away from her, his face reflecting relief as he put more distance between them. Perhaps he remembered how it took three others to separate them. His voice remained friendly, but firm as he took another step back.
"I do hope you don't intend sharing my skin, Wobbles. That little dance we did last night felt like you wanted to crush every bone and rib I have."
Chitter made a fist and thumped his chest demonstrating his fitness. He pointed at the sleeping rebels creatures.
"No harm was done and there's no need for such a display of appreciation. Every fighter risked much for you and these other slaves. Your freedom is our reward."
Wobbles emotions rose and fell like a swooping eagle. One moment she reached the apex of happiness knowing she had found something she believed forever lost so many years ago. The next breath brought her to the nadir point as she sensed no real connection between them and feared that shortcoming defied correction.
Her tongue slid around her muzzle as Wobbles considered how best to broach the subject of their mutual past. Should I be direct or should I lead him down a path so he can discover my identity for himself? Wobbles rose to her full height and squared her shoulders. She stood at parade rest, as she had been trained, while composing her thoughts.
A huge paw settled on her shoulder and she pivoted on her foot wondering who interrupted her moment of truth. The massive form of the male badger stood next to her. Words so carefully considered now escaped her and she stood there in silence looking upon the warrior that once again moved between her and Chitter.
"Sorry to interrupt, missy, but I need to talk with Chitter about something important. You'll excuse us?"
Every fiber of her being wanted to scream. Tears threatened to fall as the badger lead her son several paces away from her. Wobbles shuddered in frustration as she debated the wisdom of challenging this intruder until she heard Avbron speak.
"Those two command the rebels and we command the slaves, Wobbles. Let them do what they must while we attend to our new duties."
"Duties? We follow these warriors. What else can we do?"
Avbron spoke as if her mind had regressed to that of a child. "Some mistrust these rebels. Others have a weapon in their paw for the first time and cannot decide if they can use it or if these rebels will demand we return them. Both prospects are frightening. A few consider returning to our masters. We need to keep them calm."
The tension from last night's battle had dissipated, but not the fear. Now she understood why sailors fretted more during the calm time before a storm. The unknown frightened them. These former slaves were hungry, armed, and without guidance. A dangerous mixture when combined with fear. She spoke with all, assuring them of their safety.
Chitter returned. He led two more of the caravan's slaves to them. As the two mice walked towards them, their expressions worried her. She expected exhaustion, maybe worry, but their eyes reflected something far worse. It kept the others quiet as the two mice approached. They sat by the dying embers of the fire, unresponsive to any inquiry.
She knew these two mice. One of the few sanctioned mated pairs that traveled from their old homeland. Instead of the wide smiles she expected, they reminded her of a soldier returning to camp after their first battle. She coaxed them into telling their story while the other liberated slaves drew nearer. The lady spoke as if she were some seer revealing a vision. Never did her eyes meet any who sat around her.
"The guards herded us into a corner of the parked wagons. We sensed something was wrong, so we crawled under one and kept quiet. The wagons sat so close to the ground none noticed us. We heard the guards blame us for the rebel's attack and the death of their friends. One guard drew his sword. It happened so fast." She sobbed.
Her mate faced the other slaves. "They killed everyone. Those that ran, they pursued. When they finished butchering every slave, they marched for Ferretville as if nothing happened. When the sun set, we crawled out and ran in the other direction. Two ferrets found us and I thought we were dead beasts for sure. Next thing we know, we're here with you."
Wobbles didn't move for several moments. The enormity of the massacre boggled her mind. The Horde didn't waste valuable assets, but evidence to the contrary sat before them in the shape of two exhausted and scared friends. If any thought about returning, they knew what awaited them.
"We don't go back," Wobbles said. "Like it or not, we must stand with the rebels."
Some of the raiding warriors relayed the command and everyone broke camp. They moved south, following the stream. As they did, the rebels kept telling them what to expect. Every mention of food had her drooling in anticipation and her stomach growling. After several such vivid descriptions, she thought them either exaggerations or outright lies.
The sun traveled across the sky and Wobbles never noticed. She missed the forest trail they followed until somebody called a halt to their march. Then, it appeared. Beasts of every species and sex surrounded cooking fires scattered along the edge of a forest clearing. She recognized some of the slaves missing from other raided convoys. They were safe, not dead like the Horde officers claimed.
A wandering mind has a way of finding its own path. Like a lightning bolt, it hit Wobbles. The prophecy, my son fulfilled Purrnella's prophecy. She tried suppressing the giggles that bubbled to the surface as she approached Chitter from behind. In another half dozen paces, Wobbles seized Chitter's shoulder.
"We must talk, son. There is so much I must explain."
"You may have the years, Wobbles, but my mother died long ago freeing me." He gave her his widest grin. "I appreciate the thought that you think me worthy of such an honor."
Chitter gave the stubby-tailed female a gentle push as he rejoined the badger on a tour of the forest campsite. Wobbles moved before Chitter, blocking his passage. She placed her arms across her chest, scowling at him.
"I never intended setting you free back then, son. All I wanted was to get you away from the clutches of that wildcat child. Don't you remember how sadistic Purrnella was to you? I hoped whatever master found you, would treat you like the valuable servant I knew you could be."
Chitter's eyes widened when she said the wildcat's name. It lasted but a second, then his face became unreadable.
"Purrnella is a common name for wildcats, or so I am told, Wobbles. You have said nothing that proves your claim on me."
Wobbles stamped her foot in exasperation. "Listen here, son. You were the fulfillment of her prophecy. The witch said fate has your life ending because of a plaything lost long ago. Captain Purrnella Slyclaw died back at that caravan just like the witch predicted. Don't you remember how she called you her favorite toy? A favorite toy is a plaything. Nobody on our ship knew about this land so when I left you hidden in that tree, you were lost to her."
"I told nobody that wildcat's full name," Chitter said. "Just thinking of her brought such vivid nightmares, even after all these years. But my mother's name wasn't Wobbles."
She licked her lips and stared into her son's eyes as she dredged up a memory of another life. She worried that if she said the wrong name, all was lost. But speaking that former name also had its risks and Wobbles drew her paw across her muzzle as she formulated her answer.
"You called me Duzzalls, because you had so much trouble saying my old name, Dusty Paws. I never corrected you, figured you would outgrow the wrong pronunciation."
Chitter's reaction caught her off guard. Wobbles found herself in a crushing embrace as he drew her against his chest. The powerful male's voice cracked with emotion. She struggled for control of her emotions as she realized the fulfillment of a dream discarded so long ago.
"It makes sense now. Ever since I had you drink of my scent, something has been tickling the back of my mind. Maybe I got enough of your odor that it brought back memories I thought long buried."
Wobbles now had her paws rubbing Chitter's back as she giggled. Her tears spent, her eyes kept glistening. As for Chitter, he had his muzzle pressed to her back, his snorting quite audible. The badger moved to a point where both could gaze at him.
"My mate believed your mother dead, Chitter. If we knew she lived, Redwall would have done everything possible reuniting you two."
Wobbles felt her legs giving way and with the help of the badger, the three moved to a nearby log. Chitter ran off to a nearby thatch hut and when he came out, he carried a fire damaged box. When he lifted the lid, she gasped in amazement.
"That shirt, you kept it? I remember making it for your third birthday because you asked me for something colorful. You wore it every day and cried whenever I washed it. It was getting too tight last time I saw you wearing it and I feared the day when you must discard it."
Chitter looked up at the badger. "It is her, Bruno. I never considered it a possibility since she doesn't resemble me, but it is her. Who else would know such things?"
Wobble experienced a moment of panic. Her one paw snagged the badger's belt while the other grasped her son's arm in a crushing vise. Such a stark change had both males rooted in place.
"Chitter, Bruno, when the witch gave her prophecies, she showed me the place where they would be fulfilled. According to the witch, everything will happen at that Abbey before the new moon, which is in six days."
Her son jumped to his feet, clapping his paws and whistling a shrill note. At every fire and from every hut, curious faces turned in his direction. When all gave their leader their undivided attention, Chitter made his proclamation.
"Get a good night's sleep, for tomorrow we begin a six-day quick-march for the liberation of Redwall."