A/N Book III! Sorry for the clumped title chapter, but it was too long to process... Hope you enjoyed the last few chapters! Onward!
Redwall (Beastcrusher Castle)
Dedmark Valldun watched as the burly stoat captain, Firak, floated lazily in the Abbey Pond. While most vermin feared water, the stoat was perfectly fine in it, and sneered when others cried in fear when they were forced to go in water. The big ferret watched him through yellow eyes, scheming. Griv would have to go. Too temperamental to manipulate, too stupid to lead himself. Firak was something else. With Griv dead, the stoat would of course be selected leader. Why not? The other captains and the horde respected him far more.
The horde... now less than two-score vermin. A weasel had been gruesomely executed by being flung from the bell tower top for lying (telling a truth Griv didn't like), that most of the horde was going east, saying Griv was an idiot madbeast that cared more for food than his own soldiers. They all agreed with him, but everybeast was wise enough to keep their mouths shut.
Dedmark tested his arrow's point with his paw. His yellow eyes glancing from Firak to Griv Beastcrusher, strutting around the walls as the ferret began planning a double murder.
ooooooooooooo
Mudgell and Borgy Wiltud, expecting praise, ran out to greet the returning shrews. They did not get what they expected.
"Blast you!"
"Idiots, both of 'em!"
"Curse their names!"
The shrews were furious, holding their rapiers high. One, a fat, tall for a Guosim named Pingo was holding his rapier hilt, his eyes in slits as he shouted at the Wiltuds.
"You two! I demand revenge in the name o' Guosim shrews! Ye killed me brother, and I wan' payback!"
Borgy stepped back. "Hey, hey, we don' wan' no trubble. From wot we saw, we saved yer hides, those vermints were winnin' there!"
"You killed yer own side! Me brother! Ye'll git wot ye deserve, now!" He charged forward, drawing his rapier, when Mudgell tripped him. The shrew flew a few feet, landing on a patch of soil next to a tree. Growling, he got up, his rapier fully drawn, and turned to Mudgell and charged again. "I'll make ye pay fer that!"
Log A Log Trog leaped between them. For his age and weight, he moved incredible nimble. His left footpaw flew through the air, kicking Pingo hard in the shins. His right forepaw moved just after, hitting Pingo's right arm hard. Yelling in pain, Pingo dropped his weapon and glared at his chief. "I must take my revenge! It is the way of the Guosim!"
The shrew chieftain scowled. "You may take your revenge later. They did save our lives, an' we have other enemies; behind the red walls. We will need to take Redwall, and now's our chance, with the vermin scattered."
Pingo growled and stalked away, picking up his rapier. "Lost over three-'undred. I'll git back at those vermin!"
Mudgell sighed. "Always have to have somebeast to take revenge on, doesn' he? Ah well. We better–"
"Brother Ruford! Sister Tennyl! Tench!" cried Abbess Fern, running through the shrews as a score and four beasts began walking out through the trees.
"Abbess!" shouted back Sister Tennyl, running to hug Fern.
"You escaped!" called Cellarhog Corbo, looking surprised.
Ruford chuckled. "Didn't even guard us! Simple!"
Tench frowned. "Oooh! We forgot Durglo! The poor dormouse!"
Tennyl slapped a paw to her head. "We're fools! How could we!"
Log a Log Trog was over to her, patting her back. "'Tis alright. Ye'll git 'im back soon enough. We were just about to start plannin'!"
ooooooooooooo
Friar Durglo walked entered into the great hall where Griv Beastcrusher and his captains were waiting for them. His black fur wild as his yellow eyes, Griv Beastcrusher sat at the end of the table, so was the last to be served as the dormouse walked down.
The meal was a roast sparrow shot from the rooftop. Griv greedily sunk his fangs into it, grinning. His mouth full, he shouted at his captains. "Well, my ca'ns, woz thuh p'an?"
Deciphering Griv's talk, Firak answered by pulling out a sheet of parchment and a quill, laying it on the table and drawing a square.
He pointed at one side and said, "This is the west wall." He wrote horde on top of it. "We'll position all our soldiers here. Their numbers would matter less, as we can defend all the gaps in the wall." He drew a strip in front of the west wall, and beyond it several trees.
"They'll have to cross the pass, so we'll notice a charge. And if they try to use our trebuchet, well, we'll probably see, we have clear view without the wall and the trees are a bit thinner on the other side of the path. We'll see the projectiles fly, and, though they probably have very little projectiles left, we'll be able to dodge a bit."
The other captains nodded approvingly, Ragsnout even clapped his paws, but (though this hardly came to a surprise) Dedmark frowned.
"An' if yer great plan fails? Wot'll we do then?"
Firak grinned, and drew a wickergate on the north wall. "Us captains, and any others we can get, will escape through here, which locked outwardly but not inwardly. We can get to the ditch and head–er, I mean plot our revenge." The stoat was about to say go east, but a warning glare from Griv changed his mind.
Suddenly, Skivo the rat entered the abbey in a hurry. "King Griv! Captains! They're positionin' the trebuchet!"
oooooooooooooo
Out in Mossflower Woods Borgy and Mudgell were aiming the trebuchet, laughing.
"Hoho! Those vermin won't know wot 'it 'em!"
Their plan was simple. They would aim the trebuchet and the vermin would think they were attacking from the broken west wall. They would not know that their soldiers were sneaking around to the east wall.
They would bring the projectiles with them and line them up against the east wall. Abbess Fern hated what they were doing, but could not find a better plan. One would throw a spear, hitting and exploding the projectiles, destroying the undefended east wall. Then they would simply run over and strike the outnumbered vermin in the backs. Tench had thought of it, and the rest were going with it.
Borgy smiled. The battle to get Redwall back was soon to begin!