Chapter Eight: Down the Hole and Through the Forest
Abbes Zoe looked amazed at the information Riddum gave to the others. "So, Riddum, you really wouldn't mind going down the hole?" The Abbess asked when Riddum finished his story.
"Of coarse I would, Abbess. I would do anything for the goodness of our Abbey." Cheers went up for the young otter as he smiled merrily.
"Down the hole! Down the hole!" the woodlanders yelled as they urged Riddum down the hole. He slipped down the hole, a piece of bark and charcoal in his paws.
"Oh, no! I'm completely lost! Uh oh, what if they find me, I'll be dead for sure!" the run-away chipmunk said aloud to himself. He was in a part of Mossflower that he dreaded to be in. He was nearing the spot in the poem, which he held tight in his paws.
"We're nearing the traitor, troops!" Darknose yelled to his followers. They were hot on the trail of Smidgum.
Riddum fell with a thump at the bottom of the hole.
"Wow!" he exclaimed as he looked around at the vastness of the room. He slowly walked to the writing on the wall. It looked as if it was written yesterday, smooth and dust free. He could not read the writing, like it was in some kind of old manuscript, or code. He quickly wrote down the strange little symbols, and scurried back up the hole.
When he reached the top of the hole, everyone fell silent. Every set of eyes was on him. A young otter, much like himself, came tottering forwards. As if Riddum knew just what to do, he gave the other otter the bark with the writing on it. He took it and gave it to Abbess Zoe.
"Thank you, Dirmpu. Now, let us see what this says," the Abbess took the piece of bark from the young otter. She studied it for a moment. She shook her head in dismay. "I'm sorry, creatures of Mossflower and Redwall. I cannot decipher the writing of this poem." There was a groan from the crowd. A small smile appeared on her face, "But I know who can." She went through the crowd towards the abbey building.
"Gottcha, you little scum!" Darknose grabbed Smidgum by the scruff of the neck while he was napping in a small hole.
"What do you want with me?"
"I want nothing to do with you, Sunfluke does." Darknose had an evil smile on his face.
"Will he want to kill me?"
"Probably." Smidgum gave one last final whimper before Darknose knocked him out with his club. He dragged him off through the forest back to camp where Sunfluke waited.
Abbes Zoe looked amazed at the information Riddum gave to the others. "So, Riddum, you really wouldn't mind going down the hole?" The Abbess asked when Riddum finished his story.
"Of coarse I would, Abbess. I would do anything for the goodness of our Abbey." Cheers went up for the young otter as he smiled merrily.
"Down the hole! Down the hole!" the woodlanders yelled as they urged Riddum down the hole. He slipped down the hole, a piece of bark and charcoal in his paws.
"Oh, no! I'm completely lost! Uh oh, what if they find me, I'll be dead for sure!" the run-away chipmunk said aloud to himself. He was in a part of Mossflower that he dreaded to be in. He was nearing the spot in the poem, which he held tight in his paws.
"We're nearing the traitor, troops!" Darknose yelled to his followers. They were hot on the trail of Smidgum.
Riddum fell with a thump at the bottom of the hole.
"Wow!" he exclaimed as he looked around at the vastness of the room. He slowly walked to the writing on the wall. It looked as if it was written yesterday, smooth and dust free. He could not read the writing, like it was in some kind of old manuscript, or code. He quickly wrote down the strange little symbols, and scurried back up the hole.
When he reached the top of the hole, everyone fell silent. Every set of eyes was on him. A young otter, much like himself, came tottering forwards. As if Riddum knew just what to do, he gave the other otter the bark with the writing on it. He took it and gave it to Abbess Zoe.
"Thank you, Dirmpu. Now, let us see what this says," the Abbess took the piece of bark from the young otter. She studied it for a moment. She shook her head in dismay. "I'm sorry, creatures of Mossflower and Redwall. I cannot decipher the writing of this poem." There was a groan from the crowd. A small smile appeared on her face, "But I know who can." She went through the crowd towards the abbey building.
"Gottcha, you little scum!" Darknose grabbed Smidgum by the scruff of the neck while he was napping in a small hole.
"What do you want with me?"
"I want nothing to do with you, Sunfluke does." Darknose had an evil smile on his face.
"Will he want to kill me?"
"Probably." Smidgum gave one last final whimper before Darknose knocked him out with his club. He dragged him off through the forest back to camp where Sunfluke waited.