Author's Note: Rukka seems to calm down when dunked in water. Did you readers notice that? Not that it's important…

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Chapter Seven

The creature, obviously an otter, stared hard at the group. Fangs bared, he staggered to his footpaws and grasped the handle of his cutlass. Instinctively, Nik drew his sword, which had been placed in its scabbard on his back immediately before the incident.

            "Oh, yeh don't 'ave t'be 'fraid, mateys," a familiar voice rang out from somewhere. "'Tis on'y Iceblade."

            Runn, soaked to the bone as well, appeared from the shadows next to the scarred otter, grinning nonchalantly.

            "Runn!" everybeast but the strange otter exclaimed happily.

            Still smiling, Runn placed a paw on his companion's shoulder. "Ev'rybeast, meet Iceblade. He lives 'ere an' created that pitfall fer wand'rin' travellers like usselves in case they need anythin', like food or drink, coz he doesn't like goin' 'bove ground. Don't git inter a fight with 'im, though—ye'll most likely end up dead!"

            "Why?" Verleaf asked, confused.

            Silence followed as Runn thought of an answer to that question. He didn't want to reveal the truth to the young ones.

            "Uh, well—"

            Iceblade held up a gnarled right paw in the air to signal silence. Filian gave an involuntary shudder, not only at the paw, but at the voice of the old otter.

            "Don't tell 'em lies, Runn," Iceblade said, harsh and surly. "Tell 'em th'truth."

            "Can they 'andle the truth?" Runn asked.

            "They're tough beasts t'survive that river. They're tough 'nough t'survive th'truth." Iceblade shot Runn a severe look. "Or are yeh too timid t'tell 'em?"

            "No," the younger otter said defensively. He turned to his friends, shot them a sad look, then stated, "Iceblade was raised by vermin aft'r 'is fam'ly was slain. Pore thing, he was raised t'kill 'eartlessly. Legend says he met 'nother otter, married, an' 'ad kids, but legend also says he killed 'em all."

            Ralar shook his head slowly. "What a pity. But legends aren't always true."

            "Lest th'legend 'imself wrote it," Iceblade growled. "Then agin, legends c'n lie, tho' I don't promote lyin'."

            Nik shrugged. "Forget lying. Are you a goodbeast or a bad one?"

            Iceblade grinned toothily. "Depends on yore point o' view, bushtail. I c'n be good or bad." The scarred otter waved a dismissive paw. "C'mon, yeh young rips an' ole un. Tigerlily'll be yellin' 'er 'ead off at me when she sees yeh all wet 'n' cold."

            As Iceblade disappeared into the shadows, Niklur watched him, glaring furiously. "Bushtail?!"

Kaleena sat carefully in a tree in the orchard. She looked around at the Abbey and its lawns, watching for any unusual behavior. It seemed no one was watching her, so she slunk off across the ramparts, keeping an eye out for anything.

            But quick-witted as she was, Kaleena could not see the old Badger Mother of the Abbey in front of her. She bumped into Mother Cregga, who was assisting Brother Lanno in delivering lunch to the east wallguards.

            "Oof!" Cregga exclaimed, almost dropping the plate of scones she had in her massive paw. "Who bumped into me?"

            Kaleena quickly dodged back into a nearby tree, but not before being seen. Dann, who had been one of the wallguards, quickly jumped into the same tree,

grabbed the newcomer's tail, and yanked hard. Kaleena gave a sharp cry.

            "Yaaaaaahhhh!"

            Dann forced the creature down onto the stone floor of the rampart. Snarling, he ordered, "What are you doing here, fox?"

            Kaleen whimpered. "Oh, please don't hurt me!" she wailed. "I-I'm only a poor traveller a-and I've been looking f-for a place to stay."

            Skipper lifted up the fox's chin with the point of his javelin. "Yeh say yer on'y a pore traveller, eh fox? Then wot d'ye call that?" He pointed to a dagger hidden expertly underneath the fox's cloak.

            Eyes darting everywhere, looking for a place to escape to, Kaleena replied, "Er, er, a traveller's got to protect herself, right?"

            Brother Lanno peered from behind Cregga. He pointed to a tattoo on the fox's left forearm. "Lookit, something's on her arm. It says 'Clawfist' with a fox skull underneath it."

            Kaleena whirled around, tugging free from Dann's grasp. She snapped at Brother Lanno, fangs bared. "Shuddap, mousey, or I'll shut your yapping mouth for you!"

            The fat mouse squeaked and once again hid behind Cregga. Though she was blind, the Bloodwrath could still possess the former Badger Lady of Salamandastron. Grabbing the fox roughly with one paw, Cregga pinned Kaleena against the parapet.

            "Nobeast talks like that within the walls of the Abbey!" the badger roared. "Especially when there's a badger mother as well! I may be blind, but I don't tolerate vermin like yourself within my Abbey walls!"

            Without warning, Cregga hurtled the fox out into Mossflower Woods. Kaleena's shrill shriek could be heard far and wide as she flung past tall trees of all sorts. Branches whipped at her face and body, scratching and stinging her, but fortunately for the fox, a thick one caught her in the stomach, saving her from death.

            I must get back to Queen Nerygia, Kaleena thought silently to herself as she hobbled along, heading south and west. She will want to know about these warriors.

Iceblade was right in telling the travellers that his wife, Tigerlily, would yell her head of at him for leaving visitors drenched in the river water.

            "Those young uns could've died in that freezin' water! Y'could've frightened 'em t'death as well!" Tigerlily chided Iceblade, alternating between cooking hotroot soup, baking scones, and making tea. "Time an' time agin I've told you t'wash those tattoos off, but nooo, you had t'keep 'em on jus' coz legend says you'll never take 'em off! If I had the time, I would take y'down to the river an' wash those off you, no matter how long it'd take me!"

            Tigerlily kept on scolding her husband. Kippit, Filian, Pinidap, and Iceblade's two otterbabes, Frostpaw and Thornrose, scampered about, playing tag, while Verleaf helped Ralar feel comfortable in the main chamber. Runn, Nik, and Painttail sat at the table in the kitchen, stifling their laughter as they drank their rosehip tea. Iceblade just sat with them, staring with a blank expression at the opposite wall.

            Tigerlily concluded her rant with: "An' for the last time, stop starin' at the wall when I'm talkin' t'you!"

            Silence, except for the scampering and delightful squealing of the babes in the other room, followed.

            "ICEBLADE!!"

            The scarred half-blind otter turned his head to see his wife clearly. "Hmm? I'm sorry, me pretty flow'r, I wasn't list'nin'. Wot did yer say?"

            As Tigerlily threw up her paws in exasperation, Nik, Painttail, and Runn burst out laughing.

            "Oh, good show, wot!" Painttail exclaimed, patting Iceblade on the shoulder. "Y'surely showed 'er why yer called Iceblade the bally Mercenary! Give 'er the cold should'r, wot."

            Iceblade cocked his head at the hare. "'Iceblade th'bally Mercenary?'"

            This caused more uproarious laughter among them. Tigerlily just rolled her eyes and continued tending to the food.

            When the laughter subsided, they all entered the main chamber and ate their meal. Painttail, being a hare, gobbled anything he could lay his paws on, whether it was the spicy hotroot soup or crisp summer salad. The otterbabes were amazed at how fast he could eat and were continuously offering him food.

            "'Ere ya go mista Paint. Can ya eat thatta 'otroot soup?"

            "Oh, I'll try, m'gel."

            "'Ow 'bout thissa st'awb'rry pie, mista Paint?"

            "'And it 'ere, m'laddie buck, wot!"

            As the male otterbabe, Frostpaw, reached for the pie to hand to Painttail, Tigerlily buffeted his paw with a fork. "Frostpaw, don't make the pore 'are eat t'death."

            The young otter pouted. "Bu' Muvva, he likes it."

            Thornrose sided with her brother. "Aye, Muvva, mista Paint likes eatin'. 'E's a nat'ral barrelbelly."

            Painttail sprayed rosehip tea from his nose at the comment. "Wheeze me! A barrelbelly, eh, liddle Thornrose? I'll show yeh barrelbelly!" The hare gestured to Filian, who was busy slurping up a large bowl of hotroot soup and scoffing a meadowcream-filled scone at the same time. Frostpaw and Thornrose giggled.

            Nik tasted some hotroot soup and made a face. "No offense, marm, but this soup tastes rather spicy."

            Tigerlily nodded. "Aye, 'tis 'otroot soup, Nik. It's s'posed t'be spicy!"

            Making another face, Nik handed his soup to Painttail. "Uh, then no thanks, marm, coz I'm not one who likes to drink spicy stuff."

            Once again nodding, the female otter handed Nik some summer salad to replace the soup. The squirrel was about to take a bite when, seemingly out of nowhere, something landed hard on his head and bounced onto the table.

            "Rukka?!" Nik, Painttail, and Runn exclaimed loudly.

            It was, in fact, the chipping sparrow, hopping about madly on the table top.

            "Kchakcha!" Rukka exclaimed. "Creekstar, Portred, an' Lurrana a-comin' t'helpa us'n's. Sal'man'stron norra farraway now. Rukka sees 'arebists onna mount'n."

            Painttail nodded. "Righto, ole chap, wot."

            "Rukka norra ole chap!" the bird snapped, lunging at Painttail. Rukkachun, flapping angrily, started pecking and tearing at the hare's head.

            "Yooowch! Y'wretched bird, wot, git offa me!" Painttail roared. "Yeergh! I'll show you, wot! Argh! Y'clipped me flippin' ear!"

            This resulted in a very angry hare chasing an equally angry sparrow around the main chamber. Rukka's talons and beak jabbed left and right, while Painttail skiphopped about, snatching the sparrow out of midair only to let go again due to the furiosity of the attacks.

            "That sparra 'minds me o' a shrike," Iceblade commented.

            Ralar shook his head. "Those two shouldn't fight at the table. It's a pity they're like this; they should be eating, not chasing each other in insane circles."

            Verleaf tugged at his grandfather's cloak. "Granpa, how did Rukka get here?"

            Iceblade pointed above Nik's head. "Lookit; an 'ole. 'Tis usu'ly fer lettin' light 'n' air inside th'main chamber. Looks like yer friend found a way in."

            Nik looked up. "I didn't know we weren't far underground."

            Meanwhile, Rukka had been dunked into some water, and the the bird was now calmly sitting on a rock ledge.

            "Anythin' else yeh gotta tell us, Rukka?" Runn asked the bird.

            Rukkachun nodded. "Yessa, Runn, morra tell. 'Arebists atta mount'n know o' danger an' headin' fer Redwall. Sto'paw met 'em. Instead o' Redwall, they 'elpin' 'er now. We musta go now. Norra time fer lunch. coz Sto'paw needa 'elp."

*                      *                      *

It was well into the afternoon of the next day, and the sun was starting to set. Sarrico hade made a bargain with Nerygia and had led half of his old crew through part of the woods. The stoat watched as his troops set up camp. The Xerogia foxes were camped by themselves, an approximate shiplength away.

            Nerygia was talking to Sarrico.

            "So, Rugval, finally got it in your brain that it's useless to repair a damaged vessel, hmm?" Nerygia jeered.

            Rugval growled menacingly. "Go back t'yer tribes, vixen. Yer useless; yew promised t'protect an' 'elp me crewbeasts an' me. An' wot are yew doin'? Watchin' us die!"

            Nerygia smiled craftily like the fox she was. "Well, I'm done watching you die, because now there's little of you left and one hundred ninety-four of us. If it hadn't been for your spasms, I would still have the other six. Anyhow, I'm ready to protect what's left of your miserable crew."

            The vixen tested the blade of her battleax on the jug of fresh water at Sarrico's footpaws. She reared her paws backwards and brought the battleax hurtling down at the clay carafe, slicing it cleanly in two from the top to bottom.

            She then continued, "So I hear you want to conquer Mossflower, hmm? Well, how's this—you and one of my scouting foxes will take a trek through the woods and show you the best things around. What do you say?"

            Rugval looked down at the split decanter on the sand. "I'm not stupid, vixen," he finally said. "I'll go, but I'm taking two of mine to come along with me as well."

            Nerygia nodded agreeably. "Do what you want. You can take your whole crew—or what's left of it, at least—and I will not care."

            The stoat corsair stood up, the hatred suddenly blazing in the dark amber eyes of the pirate. "I'll do wot I want, vixen, an' I won't take orders from yew, coz I'm Cap'n!"

            Sarrico sauntered off, picking a rat and a non-tribal fox to accompany him on his trek. Nerygia, on the other hand, turned to one of the other two foxes. The bigger, more brawny one with mottled fur of blue-gray stepped forward, bowed, and winked at the Queen.

            "Do well, Weregang, and your mother will reward you well," Nerygia said, placing the blade of her ax upon her son's head.

            "Oh, you know I will, Mother, oh High Queen," Weregang replied. Baring his fangs in a wide grin, he turned and led Sarrico, the rat, and the other fox farther into Mossflower.

            The other fox, the smaller and slimmer one, followed the tetrad with her eyes until they were out of sight. She then turned to the Queen.

            "Mother, why Weregang? He'll most likely kill them."

            "That's the point, Vulpes!" Xeroedge replied since Queen Nerygia was too busy watching the tribes while thinking. "Weregang'll kill them and then we will rule Mossflower!"

            Vulpes drooped her head and stared at the ground.

            Just at that moment, Kaleena arrived with the news about Redwall. But she looked completely different than she had when she left.