Redwall/Beastcrusher Castle
BOOM! BOOMBOOMBOOM! BOOMBOOM! BOOM! BOOMBOOMBOOM! BOOM!
The explosion was vast and sudden, obliterating the east wall. Vermin guarding the east gave yells of shock that intensified when they heard the war-cries as Redwallers charged to get back what was theirs'.
"Redwaaaaaaaaaaaaaall!"
"Logalogalogalogalogalogalooooog!"
Griv Beastcrusher stood still for a moment, then, before Firak could tell them to retreat (their chances were dismal now), he shouted, "Get them! Charge!"
The vermin did as they were told, shouting, "Beeeeeeeeeaaaaaaastcrusher!"
Then Griv did what Firak least expected. His yellow eyes wide, he grabbed the stoats arm and said, "Get the other captains, and maybe a few others. We're fleeing.
Firak's frowned. "What? But what about the–"
The claws pierced his arm painfully. "Too easy to track. Those Redwallers'll want revenge, so only a few, now!," he roared.
Obediently, he ran to get the captains and as much vermin by telling them what was happening as he could before Griv shouted at him. "Enough! Come!"
Firak returned with most of the captains except Dedmark Valldun (Firak had caught onto the ferret's plans), Trizo, and the six that were there at the Castle when they returned: Scabs, Scarclaw, Scorpaw, Badtung, Warthide, and Slitear. Gorbac then ran out to them, dragging Durglo by his arm. "Now we gotta cook!" he called proudly.
Griv was secretly glad Gorbac had remembered Durglo. They quietly followed the wolverine through the destroyed west wall. Griv pointed a claw northward. "We go!"
ooooooooooooo
The vermin's charge had been ill-fated. Their spirits were less than high, two-score against two hundred. Worse, as they ran, the sparrows on the roof, who had been sick of providing food for the vermin, had gathered all their rubble and junk and heaved them over the roof toward the vermin. Though this really only slew three and injured one, it made them much more dispirited, and greater when they realized none of their leaders were in sight.
Log a Log Trog clearly saw that the vermin were defeated before any of their soldiers had done anything. Chuckling, he held up his sword and the shrews obediently stopped. Then he shouted to the vermin, "Oh, ye chaps are in a sorry state. No leaders, outnumbered... not nothin'!"
The vermin had already noticed this, and had virtually stopped their charge. They were just standing around, some of them pushing others forward. The shrews guffawed loudly at the state the vermin were in.
Dedmark scowled. He had just noticed the captains leaving, and was prepared to follow them, and make Firak pay. But first he was going to have some fun with these shrews. Raising his bow, he aimed at the one in front, his eyes squinted.
Swish!
The arrow flew through the air, hitting Log a Log Trog in the chest. The shrew chieftain gaped at it, then blood started pouring from his chest and mouth. He collapsed on the ground, the shocked shrews staring at him with wide, disbelieving eyes.
Pingo pointed his rapier at the ferret. "Are chieftain is slain! Make them all pay!"
The merciless shrews charged, faces full of fury. "For Trooooooog!" They shouted, "Logalogalogalogaloooooooooooooog!"
The vermin screamed and began running the opposite way, knowing only death awaited them if they attacked. A few in the back ran as swift as they could, breaking into the trees. Most were not as lucky. The shrews were nimble and deadly, their rapiers like scythes and the vermin like grain as they were slaughtered by the vengeful shrews. Vermin screams and shrew war-cries filled the air as the battle raged.
Dedmark Valldun grinned as he slipped past the ranks stealthily. Jumping across the path he vanished into the trees, careful not to leave tracks, but followed the unmistakeable pawprints of Griv Beastcrusher.
The ferret tested an arrow-point, a cruel smile growing on his face. Soon he would slay Griv and Firak, then grow his own army, and take back Redwall.
He laughed. Fort Valldun... it had a nice ring to it.
oooooooooooo
Firak glared in hatred at Griv Beastcrusher. Just leaving the whole horde like that... they could lose the shrews at the river, but no. Griv had left forty vermin to die.
He had always respected the wolverine for one thing. Despite his many flaws, the warlord had courage and power. A lot of it was stupidity and ignorance, but it was still courage. Now he realized Griv was a coward. Maybe it was the great explosions, or the final acceptance that they would not win that broke him. But Firak was still wise enough to keep his mouth shut.
Unfortunately, some were not. They had leaped down into the muddy ditch when the one of the vermin, Scabs, called out, "Wot're we doin'? Why are we desertin'?"
His companion, Slitear, nodded. "Aye! Yer right." He lowered his voice to a whisper, but not enough. "Hmm, appears the wolverine is a coward, too."
Griv Beastcrusher roared. His deadly claws were swift as they slashed the back of his neck, killing him. Scabs tried to duck, but the club swung hard, smashing him against the ditch wall.
"'Ey!" called Bludtail, taken aback Griv would slay his own in such a diminished force. "Wot was that fer? We need–"
The weasel got no further as the crude fangs of the wolverine brought down upon him, crushing his chest and neck with powerful jaws. Griv spat him out and laughed. "Nobeast speaks like that to Griv Beastcrusher! Ye've paid fer yer words! Firak, git these bodies outta– Firak?"
The wolverine looked around, but saw no one but the three bodies. "Firak? Rugfur? Ragsnout? Gorbac? Where are ye?"
He looked above the ditch to see Firak, Rugfur, Ragsnout, Gorbac, and the other vermin, along with Friar Durglo, being pulled by a rope in Rugfur's paws running through the woods. "Git back 'ere!" he barked.
Firak turned around. "Yer on yer own, Beastcrusher!"
"Turn 'round, or I'll kill ye all!"
Firak chuckled. "I'm already turned around, can't you see. You're a murderer, killed yer own fighters. And a coward too, left your troops to be kill by shrews. I tell you, we're not following you anymore, Beastcrusher!"
The stoat's eyes widened as he saw the wolverine, face full of fury, pull himself out of the ditch and begin running. Though the vermin had a head start, Griv moved incredibly fast despite his great size. Firak saw that he would be on them even if they bolted as fast as they could.
Giving a small yelp, he grabbed the weapon closest to him, Ragsnout's long pike. Closing his eyes he drove one end into the ground and held the other out, bracing for impact.
The stoat heard and felt a heavy thud as Griv crashed into the pike. Gasping as he stumbled back letting the weapon go, he slowly opened his eyes to see the pike holding the body of the wolverine up, one end in the Earth.
Then Firak relaxed, then he chuckled, then he laughed blissfully. "Haha! Oh, we did it! Here, Rag!"
Drawing upon his strength he yanked the pike from the body, causing the wolverine to collapse on the ground. Him jumping to the side as he gave the pike back saved his life.
Swish!
An arrow flew through the air, barely missing the burly stoat. It flew and struck Scarclaw through the chest, dropping him. Quick as a flash, Firak span around, muttering, "Dedmark."
Drawing his double-bladed axe, he charged forward to where the arrow had came from, jumping side to side as not to get hit himself. He hacked at some bushes, then snorted. "Gone. And I don't know anybody that can track Dedmark Valldun."
The vermin nodded. Then Gorbac asked, "So... Wot'll we do now?"
Firak smiled. "We'll steal one of the shrews' logboats and sail it upstream to Vafír and his vermin, tell them what happened. And–" He swung his axe, severing the rope holding Friar Durglo. The dormouse gave a squeak of relief and surprise, then scrambled back through the woods. Firak continued, "He'd slow us down. C'mon!"
As they walked through the woods, Scorpaw asked him, "But... Now the dormouse'll tell his friends. Those shrews are better waterbeasts than us, and have more to row. They'll catch us."
Firak smiled and patted his shoulder. "Clever. We're not actually doing that. How could we beat them in an upstream race? No, we'll steal one of their boats, but go downstream, to the east. Then we can join with the rest of the vermin, and the shrews will chase us the opposite way, following what the dormouse told them! Clever, eh!"
Scorpaw nodded vigorously. "Aye, Cap'n. Or are ye chief now, since ye killed Beastcrusher? An' I got somethin' to slow down any trackers." He pulled out a string with a bunch of fangs attached to it. "Poison," he said. He placed it on the ground, on to of a pawprint he had just made it, covering it with some leaves. "They lose their tracker this way, see? A trick me ole ma taught me."
Firak smiled. "We just lost Bludtail, so you're a captain now!"