Chapter 11
Lord Brawnpeak the Bold stared silently out his chamber window, his deep, amber eyes fixed on Vermeng the weasel corsair's ship, which was deserted at the shores of Salamandastron. Vermeng and his seabeasts had set off just a day ago. There was a knock on the door, breaking the afternoon silence. Heaving a sigh, Brawnpeak swung open the door. There stood nervous Lance, the Seventh Spring Runner. The hare stood stiff and still, saluting smartly as he stared straight in front of him at no beast in particular. The Badger Lord hid a smile as he beckoned the Runner in, closing the door behind him.
"Lance. How did everything go? What was going on with Vermeng? Please, tell me everything."
Lance blinked in surprise as Brawnpeak handed him a beaker of strawberry cordial, not expecting him to do such a thing. After he had drunk his share willingly, the runner made his report hastily.
"Er, I followed the bally vermin as far as I could, sah, I mean, m'lud. I don't think the chaps are goin' to attack Salamandawotsit, so yore jolly self won't need to worry about that matter, lud. They're goin' north, in the direction o' Redwall Abbey. Major Starworthy's patrol is well ahead o'em, so if the vermin attack Redwall, the Long Patrol can help fight and defend, wot!"
The Badger Lord of Salamandastron nodded thoughtfully. "Lance, please get me Colonel Arrow, please. Thank you."
The Seventh Spring Runner didn't move an inch. He looked up at Brawnpeak expectantly, waiting for him, as if waiting for him to say something. Brawnpeak stared back at the hare in wonder, when he finally realized what he was waiting for.
"Lance, Seventh Spring Runner, dismissed!" Brawnpeak barked out sharply.
Lance bolted out the door in a flash, but before he exited the Badger Lord's chamber, Brawnpeak's deep baritone booked out, "Halt!" Whirling around and sweating tensely, the hare turned to face the Badger Lord once again. But instead of rough, stern features, Brawnpeak's face was creased into a soft smile, which relaxed Lance slightly. Still, he came to swift attention as the badger continued speaking. His voice was soft and sincere.
"Oh, and Lance, don't believe everything that rascal Bullet tells you. I'm not as mean as I look. Actually, Arrow says that my bark is much worse than my bite. That is, unless you are a vermin spy or something of such. Right then, dismissed Lance!"
Blushing deeply, Lance hurried out of the room, closing the door behind him. He rushed through the long corridor, headed toward Colonel Arrow's chamber.
It is said around the halls of Salamandastron that Colonel Arrow was the first female colonel ever. It was no wonder the Badger Lord had given her the position, though. Arrow was a veteran of many battles, she was a skilled weaponbeast, and she had served under Brawnpeak's command for quite some time. Colonel Arrow was in her room, polishing her saber with great care when she heard a slight, hesitant tap on the door. Sighing heavily and leaving her beloved weapon on the ground by the spot where she had been sitting, the officer opened the door quickly and opened her mouth to speak when Lance's words hit her like hailstones.
"Lord Brawnpeak wants to see you, sah, I mean marm, er.colonel! Told me to come get you, wot! Came as fast as me bally legs could take me. Sounded urgent, so you might want to get there fast! Oh, er, not that I'm givin' you any commands, sah, er.marm, colonel."
Arrow's face creased into a slight smile, but it soon faded away as she frowned sternly like she mostly always did. "Well now, young Runner, before I go, I need to speak with you, wot. Sah, eh? Do I look like a bally male to you? And marm? Who gave you permission to call me marm? No, Lance m'boy, you will call me wot I tell you to call me. Call me.Arrow."
Lance looked up from the floor in surprise as he stared at the officer in wonder. Arrow's expression still did not change.
"Well now, Lance, wot are you waitin' fer? Go on an' get yore breakfast. Dismissed!"
Lance gave a quick salute before he dashed off, calling out behind his shoulder, "Yes, Arrow!"
Arrow smiled once again as she headed off for Brawnpeak, preparing herself as she went. Suddenly, she turned back around, dashed back into her room and grabbed her saber. She rarely went anywhere without her special weapon.
"Brawnpeak sah?"
Brawnpeak the Bold turned his attention from the door. Arrow had arrived. She was one of the only ones that had the courage to call him by his name. The other hares stuck to m'lud, in fear of what he might do to them.
Colonel Arrow's head peaked out from behind the door. When she saw the Badger Lord staring at her, her grin grew broader. She jumped inside of his chamber, closed the door behind her carefully, and ran up to give her old friend a slight hug. Brawnpeak accepted the embrace, then let go of the hare and pointed a paw to the outside of the window, worry written plainly across his face. Arrow followed his gaze and her keen eyes rested upon the ship Carassan. Turning to her lord, she tried to make out what he was thinking.
"Brawnpeak?"
Brawnpeak the Bold, descendant of Russano the Wise, shook his head sadly and turned to the worried Colonel, his deep eyes burning into hers.
"My friend, I worry that even though they will not attack us, our friends at the Abbey and the hares with the Long Patrol are in great danger."
Colonel Arrow nodded her head slowly as she turned back to the abandoned vermin ship which had landed near the fire mountain Salamandastron, and used to hold the seabeasts of Vermeng the weasel corsair.
"Sah, I believe yore right. An' wote'er may happen, I can tell that it's not goin' to be good, wot."
Sighing sadly, the Badger Lord turned away from the window in the chamber and sat down in a chair. "Arrow, I cannot leave my mountain, yet I want so much to depart and find out what is happening. I do not like feeling so useless; you should know that. I am not like the other Badger Lords and Ladies. I do not tell of the future or past, I stay in the present. And I detest it!"
There was a loud crash, and Colonel Arrow immediately turned around. Lord Brawnpeak had smashed his fist onto the wall of his chamber, making it shake ever so slightly. Removing the badger's paw carefully, she found that he had made a dent in the wall. Shaking her head, she let go of the Badger Lord's paw.
"Brawnpeak, sah, you must learn to control your temper. We will try all we can to help our friends in Redwall, even leave the mountain if we have to, but at the moment, we know nothin' that is going on, chum, so we just have to hold on, wot."
Getting up silently, Arrow headed for the door. Turning around, she saw Brawnpeak lying on his bed, eyes closed. He murmured the words, 'I'm sorry,' and Arrow's grim face immediately brightened up a small amount. Once the hare had left the Badger Lord's chamber, she called out, "Bullet! Lance!"
The two runners came rushing up immediately, and they saluted even quicker.
"Colonel!"
"I want you two chaps to gather supplies, I don't care wot you take, jus' travel light, an' head out of Salamandastron tomorrow at dawn. Follow Vermeng an' his seabeasts an' go as far as you can. I want you to figure out why they are headed that way, wot the bally vermin plan to do, an' any other information that seems important. Do go too far and be gone too long, chums. Jus' get the answers to me questions and head back. Understood?"
As soon as Arrow had finished, Bullet and Lance had dashed off, calling out after them, "Yes Arrow!"
Lord Brawnpeak the Bold stared silently out his chamber window, his deep, amber eyes fixed on Vermeng the weasel corsair's ship, which was deserted at the shores of Salamandastron. Vermeng and his seabeasts had set off just a day ago. There was a knock on the door, breaking the afternoon silence. Heaving a sigh, Brawnpeak swung open the door. There stood nervous Lance, the Seventh Spring Runner. The hare stood stiff and still, saluting smartly as he stared straight in front of him at no beast in particular. The Badger Lord hid a smile as he beckoned the Runner in, closing the door behind him.
"Lance. How did everything go? What was going on with Vermeng? Please, tell me everything."
Lance blinked in surprise as Brawnpeak handed him a beaker of strawberry cordial, not expecting him to do such a thing. After he had drunk his share willingly, the runner made his report hastily.
"Er, I followed the bally vermin as far as I could, sah, I mean, m'lud. I don't think the chaps are goin' to attack Salamandawotsit, so yore jolly self won't need to worry about that matter, lud. They're goin' north, in the direction o' Redwall Abbey. Major Starworthy's patrol is well ahead o'em, so if the vermin attack Redwall, the Long Patrol can help fight and defend, wot!"
The Badger Lord of Salamandastron nodded thoughtfully. "Lance, please get me Colonel Arrow, please. Thank you."
The Seventh Spring Runner didn't move an inch. He looked up at Brawnpeak expectantly, waiting for him, as if waiting for him to say something. Brawnpeak stared back at the hare in wonder, when he finally realized what he was waiting for.
"Lance, Seventh Spring Runner, dismissed!" Brawnpeak barked out sharply.
Lance bolted out the door in a flash, but before he exited the Badger Lord's chamber, Brawnpeak's deep baritone booked out, "Halt!" Whirling around and sweating tensely, the hare turned to face the Badger Lord once again. But instead of rough, stern features, Brawnpeak's face was creased into a soft smile, which relaxed Lance slightly. Still, he came to swift attention as the badger continued speaking. His voice was soft and sincere.
"Oh, and Lance, don't believe everything that rascal Bullet tells you. I'm not as mean as I look. Actually, Arrow says that my bark is much worse than my bite. That is, unless you are a vermin spy or something of such. Right then, dismissed Lance!"
Blushing deeply, Lance hurried out of the room, closing the door behind him. He rushed through the long corridor, headed toward Colonel Arrow's chamber.
It is said around the halls of Salamandastron that Colonel Arrow was the first female colonel ever. It was no wonder the Badger Lord had given her the position, though. Arrow was a veteran of many battles, she was a skilled weaponbeast, and she had served under Brawnpeak's command for quite some time. Colonel Arrow was in her room, polishing her saber with great care when she heard a slight, hesitant tap on the door. Sighing heavily and leaving her beloved weapon on the ground by the spot where she had been sitting, the officer opened the door quickly and opened her mouth to speak when Lance's words hit her like hailstones.
"Lord Brawnpeak wants to see you, sah, I mean marm, er.colonel! Told me to come get you, wot! Came as fast as me bally legs could take me. Sounded urgent, so you might want to get there fast! Oh, er, not that I'm givin' you any commands, sah, er.marm, colonel."
Arrow's face creased into a slight smile, but it soon faded away as she frowned sternly like she mostly always did. "Well now, young Runner, before I go, I need to speak with you, wot. Sah, eh? Do I look like a bally male to you? And marm? Who gave you permission to call me marm? No, Lance m'boy, you will call me wot I tell you to call me. Call me.Arrow."
Lance looked up from the floor in surprise as he stared at the officer in wonder. Arrow's expression still did not change.
"Well now, Lance, wot are you waitin' fer? Go on an' get yore breakfast. Dismissed!"
Lance gave a quick salute before he dashed off, calling out behind his shoulder, "Yes, Arrow!"
Arrow smiled once again as she headed off for Brawnpeak, preparing herself as she went. Suddenly, she turned back around, dashed back into her room and grabbed her saber. She rarely went anywhere without her special weapon.
"Brawnpeak sah?"
Brawnpeak the Bold turned his attention from the door. Arrow had arrived. She was one of the only ones that had the courage to call him by his name. The other hares stuck to m'lud, in fear of what he might do to them.
Colonel Arrow's head peaked out from behind the door. When she saw the Badger Lord staring at her, her grin grew broader. She jumped inside of his chamber, closed the door behind her carefully, and ran up to give her old friend a slight hug. Brawnpeak accepted the embrace, then let go of the hare and pointed a paw to the outside of the window, worry written plainly across his face. Arrow followed his gaze and her keen eyes rested upon the ship Carassan. Turning to her lord, she tried to make out what he was thinking.
"Brawnpeak?"
Brawnpeak the Bold, descendant of Russano the Wise, shook his head sadly and turned to the worried Colonel, his deep eyes burning into hers.
"My friend, I worry that even though they will not attack us, our friends at the Abbey and the hares with the Long Patrol are in great danger."
Colonel Arrow nodded her head slowly as she turned back to the abandoned vermin ship which had landed near the fire mountain Salamandastron, and used to hold the seabeasts of Vermeng the weasel corsair.
"Sah, I believe yore right. An' wote'er may happen, I can tell that it's not goin' to be good, wot."
Sighing sadly, the Badger Lord turned away from the window in the chamber and sat down in a chair. "Arrow, I cannot leave my mountain, yet I want so much to depart and find out what is happening. I do not like feeling so useless; you should know that. I am not like the other Badger Lords and Ladies. I do not tell of the future or past, I stay in the present. And I detest it!"
There was a loud crash, and Colonel Arrow immediately turned around. Lord Brawnpeak had smashed his fist onto the wall of his chamber, making it shake ever so slightly. Removing the badger's paw carefully, she found that he had made a dent in the wall. Shaking her head, she let go of the Badger Lord's paw.
"Brawnpeak, sah, you must learn to control your temper. We will try all we can to help our friends in Redwall, even leave the mountain if we have to, but at the moment, we know nothin' that is going on, chum, so we just have to hold on, wot."
Getting up silently, Arrow headed for the door. Turning around, she saw Brawnpeak lying on his bed, eyes closed. He murmured the words, 'I'm sorry,' and Arrow's grim face immediately brightened up a small amount. Once the hare had left the Badger Lord's chamber, she called out, "Bullet! Lance!"
The two runners came rushing up immediately, and they saluted even quicker.
"Colonel!"
"I want you two chaps to gather supplies, I don't care wot you take, jus' travel light, an' head out of Salamandastron tomorrow at dawn. Follow Vermeng an' his seabeasts an' go as far as you can. I want you to figure out why they are headed that way, wot the bally vermin plan to do, an' any other information that seems important. Do go too far and be gone too long, chums. Jus' get the answers to me questions and head back. Understood?"
As soon as Arrow had finished, Bullet and Lance had dashed off, calling out after them, "Yes Arrow!"