Chapter Six: Sunfluke, Master of the Chipmunks and Weird Noises
Sunfluke, Master of the Chipmunks, sat alone in his tent, waiting for his soldier to return.
I shall dig here. This looks close enough to the spot. The chipmunk thought to himself. It was late at night when he crept from the shadows to the spot to start digging. He took some digging tools from his pouch. He started to dig.
"You must come to save me, Riddum!" A dark figure on the hill called to Riddum as he ran towards it. Suddenly, the figure was gone, as if it was shot down by something. Riddum ran when he was nearly to the top of the hill, he stopped to see the body of the figure laying there, dead. Riddum knew who it was, but couldn't remember who. It was as if he was dreaming. He saw the bushes moving, he ran, and ran, and ran...
Riddum woke up in his bed, not on a hill. He was sweating. He looked at the clock. Six. He thought. He laid back down to sleep, but before he could close his eyes, he heard an unfamiliar noise. He sat bold upright. He heard no more for many moments. He went to lay back down, then heard it again.
Smidgum had started digging. Soon he was not to be seen above the ground. Then he was under the ground totally. He tunneled deeper, and deeper, and deeper.
He could sense that he coming near to an opening. He stopped before taking the final scoop. He wiped his forehead in relief for almost being done. He took one final scoop, and slipped through the hole.
Riddum thought it was very weird to hear noises in the night. The abbey was normally quiet on nights like these. He got out of bed, got his dagger off the table, and followed the smell of a trespasser to a hole outside the abbey building.
Smidgum had copied a poem on the wall to a piece of paper. Now I know why chief chose me. I'm the only one who can write. The chipmunk smiled to himself. He then heard pawsteps above ground. He frantically looked for a place to hide, when he remembered he could dig out. He started a new hole that left the chamber a little to the left of the first hole. He dug upwards as fast as he could.
Riddum skillfully slipped through the hole, landing with a thump at the bottom. He noticed dirt flying from a hole to the right of him. He tried to look up the hole, but dirt was flung in his face.
Whatever was digging noticed a presence with him. He froze, clumps of dirt still in his paws. He slowly turned around to see an angry looking otter right below him. He gave a yeep of terror. He was so scared that he fell from the hole. He landed in a clump on the ground, dirt and debris falling on top of him. The otter helped him up.
"What are you doing at the Redwall Abbey this late at night, squirrel?" The otter asked.
"I-I-I came on request of Sunfluke, Master of the Chipmunks, for that I am, a chipmunk. Not a squirrel." The chipmunk looked disgusted at being called a squirrel.
"I am sorry, Mr. Chipmunk. Now who is Sunfluke, Master of the Squirrels," the otter had a cruel smirk that showed he enjoyed mocking the chipmunk.
"I know no such name," the chipmunk replied boldly.
"OK, so, who is Sunfluke?"
"He is leader of the chipmunks. He will take revenge upon Redwall for banishing him to the darkness of Mossflower." The rodent looked surprised at himself. He had given away his leaders secrets.
"I will spare you if you leave now," the otter's hand was close to grabbing the dagger out of his tunic.
The chipmunk shook his head. "I will not leave, and suffer the fate the Lord will bring to me. He will make me suffer a hard long death if he finds out that I told his secrets. I mustn't go, and you must kill me now."
"I can not do that. I am not trained to kill, only to protect myself. If you wish to be killed, go to Leo Stripetail, the Redwall badger. He will surely kill you. Now go! Choose your fate." The chipmunk scrambled up the first hole, and into the darkness of the forest.
Riddum went back to bed at his pond-side cottage.
Sunfluke, Master of the Chipmunks, sat alone in his tent, waiting for his soldier to return.
I shall dig here. This looks close enough to the spot. The chipmunk thought to himself. It was late at night when he crept from the shadows to the spot to start digging. He took some digging tools from his pouch. He started to dig.
"You must come to save me, Riddum!" A dark figure on the hill called to Riddum as he ran towards it. Suddenly, the figure was gone, as if it was shot down by something. Riddum ran when he was nearly to the top of the hill, he stopped to see the body of the figure laying there, dead. Riddum knew who it was, but couldn't remember who. It was as if he was dreaming. He saw the bushes moving, he ran, and ran, and ran...
Riddum woke up in his bed, not on a hill. He was sweating. He looked at the clock. Six. He thought. He laid back down to sleep, but before he could close his eyes, he heard an unfamiliar noise. He sat bold upright. He heard no more for many moments. He went to lay back down, then heard it again.
Smidgum had started digging. Soon he was not to be seen above the ground. Then he was under the ground totally. He tunneled deeper, and deeper, and deeper.
He could sense that he coming near to an opening. He stopped before taking the final scoop. He wiped his forehead in relief for almost being done. He took one final scoop, and slipped through the hole.
Riddum thought it was very weird to hear noises in the night. The abbey was normally quiet on nights like these. He got out of bed, got his dagger off the table, and followed the smell of a trespasser to a hole outside the abbey building.
Smidgum had copied a poem on the wall to a piece of paper. Now I know why chief chose me. I'm the only one who can write. The chipmunk smiled to himself. He then heard pawsteps above ground. He frantically looked for a place to hide, when he remembered he could dig out. He started a new hole that left the chamber a little to the left of the first hole. He dug upwards as fast as he could.
Riddum skillfully slipped through the hole, landing with a thump at the bottom. He noticed dirt flying from a hole to the right of him. He tried to look up the hole, but dirt was flung in his face.
Whatever was digging noticed a presence with him. He froze, clumps of dirt still in his paws. He slowly turned around to see an angry looking otter right below him. He gave a yeep of terror. He was so scared that he fell from the hole. He landed in a clump on the ground, dirt and debris falling on top of him. The otter helped him up.
"What are you doing at the Redwall Abbey this late at night, squirrel?" The otter asked.
"I-I-I came on request of Sunfluke, Master of the Chipmunks, for that I am, a chipmunk. Not a squirrel." The chipmunk looked disgusted at being called a squirrel.
"I am sorry, Mr. Chipmunk. Now who is Sunfluke, Master of the Squirrels," the otter had a cruel smirk that showed he enjoyed mocking the chipmunk.
"I know no such name," the chipmunk replied boldly.
"OK, so, who is Sunfluke?"
"He is leader of the chipmunks. He will take revenge upon Redwall for banishing him to the darkness of Mossflower." The rodent looked surprised at himself. He had given away his leaders secrets.
"I will spare you if you leave now," the otter's hand was close to grabbing the dagger out of his tunic.
The chipmunk shook his head. "I will not leave, and suffer the fate the Lord will bring to me. He will make me suffer a hard long death if he finds out that I told his secrets. I mustn't go, and you must kill me now."
"I can not do that. I am not trained to kill, only to protect myself. If you wish to be killed, go to Leo Stripetail, the Redwall badger. He will surely kill you. Now go! Choose your fate." The chipmunk scrambled up the first hole, and into the darkness of the forest.
Riddum went back to bed at his pond-side cottage.