Chapter Fifteen: New Enemy, or is it a Friend?
On the beach, three squirrels landed their little craft.
"Well, Neema, that was a lovely landing!" Kenji said as the boat hit a few rocks and bumped to a halt on the beach.
"Aye, it sure was, Kenji. I'm hungry. I haven't eaten since yesterday's lunch!" Neema replied as she stared down at her stomach as it growled like a hare's. For being such a small creature, she had quite an appetite.
"I feel sick!" Bailey said as she shuffled off the craft wiggly with her beloved clarinet.
"You're not much of a waterbeast, are you, Bailey?" She shot an angry glance in Kenji's direction at this statement.
"What about those vittles? I could sure use some good scoff!" Neema was getting impatient with her friends.
"I say we search over that way." Kenji pointed to a small patch of flowers.
"Sounds good to me, Kenji. We better get Bailey into the shade before she faints." The two dragged the silver-gray squirrel into the shade of the surrounding trees. It was a beautiful summer's day, without a single beast about, or so the three squirrels thought.
In the trees around the bushes, two blue-green eyes watched the three squirrels below. The three on the ground were oblivious to this creature in the trees. It watched with alert eyes. Bow at paw, the creature was ready to fire at the trespassers.
Bailey, who was lying on the ground, looked into the trees above. She saw the flash of an arrow coming down in her. Luckily, it landed right next to the tired squirrel. She saw two specks of blue-green, then they whirred away and disappeared in a flash of brown.
Neema plucked the arrow from the ground. "Whoa! That was a close one! It almost got you there, Bailey!" Bailey just looked at the arrow, then blacked out into unconsciousness.
"Hey, Neema, there's a piece of bark on there. Maybe it says something." He pulled the bark from the arrow. It had neat scribbles on it (if scribbles can be neatly done), and Kenji read what it said aloud, " 'Stay away from my home. You are trespassers on my land. I will allow you a day to get your little craft away from my forest. I advise that you leave now. If you decide to venture on, then stay away from Mossflower Woods. There are nasty vermin there. And you mustn't go anywhere near Redwall Abbey. Go far away. They will not give you what you are looking for. Head my warning and leave my home!' That's odd. Why don't they want use to go to Redwall." Another arrow flew down, and landed at Kenji's footpaws. This one again had a piece of bark on it. It was written in the same writing, " 'Don't go there, trust me.' How can we trust you if we don't know who you are, or what you are?" Yet another arrow flew down. This time, Neema picked it up.
" 'I have forgotten my manners. I'm Katt Starrbow; I'm a squirrel just like you. You are not welcome to stay here long. I sense that you will bring bad fortune to my home. By the way, who are you?' That's interesting. Anyway, I'm Neema Tallgrove Colorfur." Neema yelled up into the surrounding trees, not knowing where this mystery squirrel was.
"I'm Kenji Fluffnose." You could hear a sniggering from the trees. 'It's not funny! Stop laughing!" He picked up another arrow that flew down. " ' I'm not laughing at you, I'm laughing with you!' Yeah that's what they all say!"
"This is Bailey Silverfur. She would be delighted to see you, if she where awake. And, um, don't you think you're wasting arrows?" A whole rain of arrows came flying down. Only one had bark on it. It read one word: "No." "Alright then. Let's get a move on it."
On the beach, three squirrels landed their little craft.
"Well, Neema, that was a lovely landing!" Kenji said as the boat hit a few rocks and bumped to a halt on the beach.
"Aye, it sure was, Kenji. I'm hungry. I haven't eaten since yesterday's lunch!" Neema replied as she stared down at her stomach as it growled like a hare's. For being such a small creature, she had quite an appetite.
"I feel sick!" Bailey said as she shuffled off the craft wiggly with her beloved clarinet.
"You're not much of a waterbeast, are you, Bailey?" She shot an angry glance in Kenji's direction at this statement.
"What about those vittles? I could sure use some good scoff!" Neema was getting impatient with her friends.
"I say we search over that way." Kenji pointed to a small patch of flowers.
"Sounds good to me, Kenji. We better get Bailey into the shade before she faints." The two dragged the silver-gray squirrel into the shade of the surrounding trees. It was a beautiful summer's day, without a single beast about, or so the three squirrels thought.
In the trees around the bushes, two blue-green eyes watched the three squirrels below. The three on the ground were oblivious to this creature in the trees. It watched with alert eyes. Bow at paw, the creature was ready to fire at the trespassers.
Bailey, who was lying on the ground, looked into the trees above. She saw the flash of an arrow coming down in her. Luckily, it landed right next to the tired squirrel. She saw two specks of blue-green, then they whirred away and disappeared in a flash of brown.
Neema plucked the arrow from the ground. "Whoa! That was a close one! It almost got you there, Bailey!" Bailey just looked at the arrow, then blacked out into unconsciousness.
"Hey, Neema, there's a piece of bark on there. Maybe it says something." He pulled the bark from the arrow. It had neat scribbles on it (if scribbles can be neatly done), and Kenji read what it said aloud, " 'Stay away from my home. You are trespassers on my land. I will allow you a day to get your little craft away from my forest. I advise that you leave now. If you decide to venture on, then stay away from Mossflower Woods. There are nasty vermin there. And you mustn't go anywhere near Redwall Abbey. Go far away. They will not give you what you are looking for. Head my warning and leave my home!' That's odd. Why don't they want use to go to Redwall." Another arrow flew down, and landed at Kenji's footpaws. This one again had a piece of bark on it. It was written in the same writing, " 'Don't go there, trust me.' How can we trust you if we don't know who you are, or what you are?" Yet another arrow flew down. This time, Neema picked it up.
" 'I have forgotten my manners. I'm Katt Starrbow; I'm a squirrel just like you. You are not welcome to stay here long. I sense that you will bring bad fortune to my home. By the way, who are you?' That's interesting. Anyway, I'm Neema Tallgrove Colorfur." Neema yelled up into the surrounding trees, not knowing where this mystery squirrel was.
"I'm Kenji Fluffnose." You could hear a sniggering from the trees. 'It's not funny! Stop laughing!" He picked up another arrow that flew down. " ' I'm not laughing at you, I'm laughing with you!' Yeah that's what they all say!"
"This is Bailey Silverfur. She would be delighted to see you, if she where awake. And, um, don't you think you're wasting arrows?" A whole rain of arrows came flying down. Only one had bark on it. It read one word: "No." "Alright then. Let's get a move on it."