Lyght circled his opponent, his curved blade darting to and fro. Rakayah's whip cracked and caught his footpaws, and the rabbit tripped and stumbled. As the big fox advanced, he leapt to his feet and sliced at her throat. She jumped backwards and flailed her sinew whip, catching the rabbit on his shoulders. Lyght made as if to turn, then twisted suddenly and lunged at Rakayah, his sword digging deep into her thigh.
The battle raged on for many hours, but the other foxes were defeated by the tribe, either wounded or cowering. Rakayah cracked her whip once more, then sped off into the surrounding woodlands, calling over her shoulder. "We'll meet again, rabbit, but wi' a bigger army, more experienced too!"
Twyst sat down, exhausted. The autumn wind had frozen her paws to her blade; she could not let go. Sandsliver, who had been using her bow instead of her sword, ran over to help the frozen rabbit, rubbing life back into her paws. Twyst sheathed her sword and smiled. "Thankee, Sandsliver. Wot'll we be doin' now?"
Lyght overheard her question from his position untying Redoak. "We'll be a-goin' wi' our original plans, missie. But not only teh taste those splendid vittles those Redwall folk 'ave, but also teh alert 'em."
"Aye, that we will, I hope!" Redoak had awakened properly, shaking his limbs to get the feeling back into them. The young squirrel stood up, smiling. "D'ye, by any chance, have a blade on ye? I think I'll need it."
Sandsliver smiled, taking a Sajaiinn sword out of her large haversack. "I allus keep one fer any new members o' our tribe. Ye can have this 'un. Wait." She dipped the tip of a thin needle into a fire that she had built to warm up everybeast's paws. She then engraved Redoak's name into the wooden handle of the sword with the heated point. "Ye will allus be one o' us, Redoak."
"Thank ye, Sandsliver, for th' blade. An' thankee all, fer comin' to me rescue!" Redoak grinned and waved his new weapon. "SAJAAAAAAIINNN! REDWAAAAALL!"
Everbeast within ten leagues would have thought madbeasts were charging through the forest. The rest of the Sajaiinn took up the wild cry, making the very ground reverberate and the trunks of the trees quiver.
"SAJAAAAAAAAAAAAIINNN! REDWAAAAAAAAAAAAALLL!"
Suddenly, the call was answered, quite faintly. "EULALIAAAAA! EULALIAAAAAAAAAA!" A group of hares, a branch of the famous Long Patrol, came into view.
"Ah, th' Long Patrol, I knew they were around 'ere somewheres!" Sandsliver grinned widely and waved. "'Tis General Campionfleet! Hullo there!!"
The hare smiled back, his long sabre waving in a salute. "Sandsliver, ol' chappess! Nice ta see ye agin, wot wot!" General Campionfleet, or just Campion, as he liked to be called, turned to his troops. "Right! Order in th' ranks there! No talking, laddie buck, or back ta Salamandastron ye'll go, wot wot! Hoi, Shing, steady in th' ranks there, lassie! Now, march! Hup, two, three, four..." The patrol, who numbered a twenty, sped forth like a well-oiled machine. As they reached the Sajaiinn tribe, greetings were made cheerfully and introductions were being shouted out over the din.
"Hey, Raindance! 'S that ye? You've grown so bally much, wot wot!"
"Yes, I eat lots o' veggibles, Major Willow, marm!"
"Why, Campion, back teh yore ol' campaignin' business, I see!"
"Right y'are, Lyght!"
"Tarrane, ye say? I'm yore cousin, twice removed from yore granny's side!"
"Really, Clyff? That's absoballylutely fantabulous, wot wot!"
Both the Long Patrol and the Sajaiinn settled down and made camp, the moon shining bright in the sky like a gold medallion. Twyst tossed uncomfortably in her sleep, dreaming a jumbled-up mess including a great mountain, a red abbey and many hares, rabbits and strong-looking mice. She saw many things that would happen in the future, but did not recall it until later...
~*~
Randangza's horde was getting closer, not stopping for anything. The frenzied vermin could only see Mossflower, their goal, and the slaughter that they would inflict.
Randangza was getting closer!
The battle raged on for many hours, but the other foxes were defeated by the tribe, either wounded or cowering. Rakayah cracked her whip once more, then sped off into the surrounding woodlands, calling over her shoulder. "We'll meet again, rabbit, but wi' a bigger army, more experienced too!"
Twyst sat down, exhausted. The autumn wind had frozen her paws to her blade; she could not let go. Sandsliver, who had been using her bow instead of her sword, ran over to help the frozen rabbit, rubbing life back into her paws. Twyst sheathed her sword and smiled. "Thankee, Sandsliver. Wot'll we be doin' now?"
Lyght overheard her question from his position untying Redoak. "We'll be a-goin' wi' our original plans, missie. But not only teh taste those splendid vittles those Redwall folk 'ave, but also teh alert 'em."
"Aye, that we will, I hope!" Redoak had awakened properly, shaking his limbs to get the feeling back into them. The young squirrel stood up, smiling. "D'ye, by any chance, have a blade on ye? I think I'll need it."
Sandsliver smiled, taking a Sajaiinn sword out of her large haversack. "I allus keep one fer any new members o' our tribe. Ye can have this 'un. Wait." She dipped the tip of a thin needle into a fire that she had built to warm up everybeast's paws. She then engraved Redoak's name into the wooden handle of the sword with the heated point. "Ye will allus be one o' us, Redoak."
"Thank ye, Sandsliver, for th' blade. An' thankee all, fer comin' to me rescue!" Redoak grinned and waved his new weapon. "SAJAAAAAAIINNN! REDWAAAAALL!"
Everbeast within ten leagues would have thought madbeasts were charging through the forest. The rest of the Sajaiinn took up the wild cry, making the very ground reverberate and the trunks of the trees quiver.
"SAJAAAAAAAAAAAAIINNN! REDWAAAAAAAAAAAAALLL!"
Suddenly, the call was answered, quite faintly. "EULALIAAAAA! EULALIAAAAAAAAAA!" A group of hares, a branch of the famous Long Patrol, came into view.
"Ah, th' Long Patrol, I knew they were around 'ere somewheres!" Sandsliver grinned widely and waved. "'Tis General Campionfleet! Hullo there!!"
The hare smiled back, his long sabre waving in a salute. "Sandsliver, ol' chappess! Nice ta see ye agin, wot wot!" General Campionfleet, or just Campion, as he liked to be called, turned to his troops. "Right! Order in th' ranks there! No talking, laddie buck, or back ta Salamandastron ye'll go, wot wot! Hoi, Shing, steady in th' ranks there, lassie! Now, march! Hup, two, three, four..." The patrol, who numbered a twenty, sped forth like a well-oiled machine. As they reached the Sajaiinn tribe, greetings were made cheerfully and introductions were being shouted out over the din.
"Hey, Raindance! 'S that ye? You've grown so bally much, wot wot!"
"Yes, I eat lots o' veggibles, Major Willow, marm!"
"Why, Campion, back teh yore ol' campaignin' business, I see!"
"Right y'are, Lyght!"
"Tarrane, ye say? I'm yore cousin, twice removed from yore granny's side!"
"Really, Clyff? That's absoballylutely fantabulous, wot wot!"
Both the Long Patrol and the Sajaiinn settled down and made camp, the moon shining bright in the sky like a gold medallion. Twyst tossed uncomfortably in her sleep, dreaming a jumbled-up mess including a great mountain, a red abbey and many hares, rabbits and strong-looking mice. She saw many things that would happen in the future, but did not recall it until later...
~*~
Randangza's horde was getting closer, not stopping for anything. The frenzied vermin could only see Mossflower, their goal, and the slaughter that they would inflict.
Randangza was getting closer!