Hello everyone. I know its been a few days since I last updated. Part of it is I'm finally out of quarantine (yay!) and able to go back to work. Which means this story's updates won't be as frequent due to my busy schedule. I hope you are enjoying it so far. Stay safe out there guys! ~ladyofthelake92
Chapter 12
The next morning promised another beautiful late spring day. Lezpa led the little party through the woods, staying within sight of the river. The water gleamed silver in the morning sunlight.
Laurel had to jog to keep up with Fleak's longer stride. It was even harder with the heavy manacle around her ankle. Marlo brought up the rear, looking back nervously behind her. Some beast had been watching them since last night. She didn't know who or what they were. The only other of the group that knew this was Lezpa. The white mink had been up most of the night, searching the tree line and bushes. She had found nothing. No traces of any creature being there. That's what unnerved Marlo the most.
The ferry was visible through the trees. A makeshift raft made from logs. It had a small hut in the middle and a railing at each end. The sides were open. It floated serenely in the calm flow of the river, tied to the dock. The place was deserted.
Lezpa led them on, signaling them to be silent. Laurel was relieved when Fleak slowed his step and she could walk at a more sedate pace. Her feet were sore and her lungs felt like they were on fire after jogging like that for most of the morning.
"I don't like it, Marlo. It's too quiet." Viscinia whispered. The vixen was looking about her and sniffing the air. Marlo didn't let her uneasiness show. She glared irately at Lezpa.
"I don't see any rats!" She spoke. Lezpa lifted a paw to stop them and turned to her mistress. "They weren't exactly the welcoming type. But they're here. I can feel it."
As if on cue, rats appeared from their hiding places in the foliage, bows and arrows at the ready. Many were disguised with dark berry juices and mud, complete with leaves, woven like hats and skirts around their wiry bodies. Marlo shoved Laurel into the middle to protect her before turning to challenge them.
Their ranks parted and a heavily tattooed rat came forward. He was blind in one eye that was covered in a nasty scar; it ran down the side of his face and neck. He held his bow at his side and looked them over for a few moments.
Finally, the rat spat on the ground, his good eye roving over them once more before turning to Lezpa. "You din't tell me 'bout the big feller." He pointed his free paw at Fleak.
Lezpa shrugged this off. "You offered us an easier way of travel and we aim to do it."
Laurel peeked from between Fleak and one of the martens. She could see that the rat wasn't happy. He spat again. "I suppose the old raft c'n hold 'is weight. Providin' he keeps his distance."
Lezpa pointed with a paw at Marlo. "This is my mistress, Madame Marlo. Mistress, this is Savitch, leader of the Mossflower River Rats."
Marlo held out a bejeweled paw and immediately regretted it. Savitch was staring at the jewels hungrily. "What you got for payment, vixen?"
Marlo pulled her paw away. Turning to her sister, she jerked her head and Viscinia brought the dagger over and gave it to Savitch. The rat unsheathed it and looked it over. "Nice blade. A little small, but it'll do." He handed the dagger to the rat next to him. "But because you 'ave this… whatever 'e is, its gonna cost ya more to ride my raft."
Savitch didn't like the bloodthirsty look in Fleak's obsidian eyes. He hated any creature larger than himself.
Marlo glared at her sister. Viscinia sighed and slipped off her own rings and handed them over. The rat's golden eyes gleamed greedily. "Looks like you got yerselves a ride." He put the jewels into his tunic and waved for them to follow him. The rats parted to let them through. Laurel could feel many eyes on her and she hated the way they looked at her. She kept her eyes straight ahead, ignoring them.
As they boarded the roughly-made raft, Savitch raised an eyebrow at the little mousemaid whose ankle was chained, trailing behind the large wolverine, but he didn't say anything. He guessed the two vixens were slave traders. Prosperous ones he guessed by the amount of jewelry and finery they wore.
Fleak allowed Laurel to sit on the edge and dabble her foot paws in the cool water. It felt good after that fast march through the woods.
Marlo stood at the front of the raft with Savitch, to get details on the trip. Around the little band of vermin, ten river rats, five on each side, steered the raft up stream. The other half stayed behind, watching them with expressionless faces. The raft rounded a bend and the watchers were obscured.
Savitch cut to the chase. "This river cuts through Mossflower Country and up into forbidden territory. Before we cross that border, we're droppin' ya off and yer on yer own."
"I thought you could take us all the way through Mossflower?" Marlo put her paws on her hips.
Savitch looked at her as if she'd sprouted wings. "Milady, I'd love to, you've been awfully generous in payment, but I ain't riskin' my neck cuttin' through that part of the woods."
Viscinia, who was leaning on the rail nearby, snickered. "Afraid the trees will snatch you up and eat you, rat?"
Savitch glared at her. "Somethin' much worse, vixen. 'Aven't you 'eard of the redstone buildin'?"
"No. And I don't plan on stopping for a visit. How much more will it take to get us through Mossflower Country without having to walk?" Marlo asked him.
The rat shook his graying head. "No number of jewels will get me over that border, fox. If those creatures from that place saw yer little captive over there," he pointed at Laurel. "They'd be on us in a 'eartbeat. Specially the mouse with the magic sword."
Marlo and Viscinia exchanged a glance and burst out laughing. Savitch shook his head sadly. "Tis true. I've seen him myself."
Viscinia held onto her aching stomach. "Yes, well, we can hide the wretch until we pass by." She snorted and the sisters laughed again.
Savitch turned away from them, and walked into the hut. The fearless avenger with the sword haunted his dreams ever since the defeat of the wildcats. He was carrying dangerous cargo and he knew, that if he didn't get rid of them soon, he and his crew would find themselves at the mouse warrior's mercy.
Silently, like shadows on a moonless night, the Guerrilla Union of Shrews in Mossflower, or Guosim for short, kept their eyes on the raft that floated lazily downstream from the cover of Mossflower's thick bushes and trees that grew up to the river's banks. Scouts had stumbled on the vixens' camp the night before and had caught sight of the small mouse chained by the foot. Logalog Iris, being a mother to twelve of her own, didn't ignore her maternal instincts. She wanted that little mouse freed and quickly. Iris knew Marlo from seasons ago and she was infuriated by the fact that the vixen was attempting another slave run.
She walked silently through the undergrowth, her keen eyes on the raft. Giving a silent signal, she gathered the shrews closest to her and they paused under a large elm.
"I need runners to head to Redwall. We'll need all the help we can get to rescue that little maid." Iris explained to them.
One of the shrews shook his head. "There's enough of us to take them on."
Iris glowered at him. There was only twenty of them. It would be suicide. "I'm not taking that risk, Philo. That wolverine will slaughter us. Take these two with you and hurry back."
Philo relented and nodded to his Logalog. "Yes, marm." With a wave of his paw, he and his two companions disappeared into the trees. Iris turned back to the remaining shrews and nodded her head. They kept moving, staying within sight of the raft.