Chapter Nineteen: Left and Abandoned
It was a bright day on the coast as the three squirrels sat to eat breakfast. Kenji, Neema, and Bailey sat on the ground around a pile of burnt logs that had been their fire the night before. Katt, on the other hand, sat in the trees above. Katt and Kenji's minds were on the same topic: last night's events. The other two didn't know that Katt had a little conversation with the young squirrel, and they would never find out. soon. They sat in silence, waiting for another to speak. Neema spoke first.
"Well, enough dilly dallying, let's get going, we don't want get back to Omna too late, do we?" An arrow flew down from where Katt was sitting in the tree.
It read, "Where are you going anyway?"
"We're going to Redwall, whether you like it or not." Neema yelled at the trees where Katt was.
Another arrow flew down, this time from farther down the path, "I warned you. You go, I'll stay here, if I feel like it, I'll follow. I'm in for a good adventure every once in a while." There was the sound of rustling leaves, and Katt Starrbow was gone.
"Well, let's get goin'," Neema said plainly as she stared in the direction their friend had gone in.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
A/N- I thought I'd put this in here before I forget. I have no clue how far they are from Salamandastron of Redwall, so I'm just going to say that they are somewhere in Mossflower. Please don't be mad at me if that's wrong!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Deep within Mossflower, Katt leapt through the trees. She came upon a stream. Putting her paws into her mouth, she gave a shrill whistle. There was a rustling in the bushes below.
"What now, Katt?" a voice from the bush called, "I was in the middle of my nap!"
"I'm sorry, Tiona, I won't do it again, but this is an emergency! Get Miranda out here on the double!" Katt yelled as she jumped from the tall oak she was sitting in.
"Miranda! Get your lazy tail down here!" Tiona, the squirrel in the bush, yelled into a hole in the tree next to her. She came out from the bushes. She was a lean gray squirrel, equipped with a dirk that was attached to a belt draped over one shoulder and across her chest. The leaves on the tree above rustled, as if the wind blew them. No other tree rustled.
"Who dares disturb the sleep of Miranda, the Psychic Squirrel?" A voice came from the rustling leaves.
"Miranda! Quit playing with your dolls, and get down here now!" Tiona yelled.
"But mum-" she started.
"Now, Miranda, what have we told you about talkin' of other creatures' butts?" Katt said, sarcasm in her voice, and on her face.
"I'm sorry, Miz Starrbow. I won't talk about others' butts again," she said, playing along with the joke.
"Now come down here! Make it quick if you want to deserve your title, Miranda Swiftrunner!" her mother, Tiona Riverwatcher, bribed.
"Aye, oh great river guardian!" Suddenly, she was by her mother's side. She was truly a swift runner. She was wearing the same kind of belt as her mother, hers smaller and draping over the opposite shoulder. Where the dirk was on her mother's there was a sword, almost as big as her.
"What's the problem, Katt?" Tiona asked, urgency in her voice.
"We have company. Three squirrels. They're going to Redwall. They showed no sign of changing their minds. They said their names were Neema Tallgrove Colorfur, Bailey Silverfur, and Kenji Fluffnose." At the hearing of Kenji's name, they started laughing.
"What kind of name is that?" Miranda asked, holding back giggles for a few seconds.
"'Don't laugh! It's not funny!'" Katt said mockingly, then started laughing too.
Tiona forgot the happiness, and became serious again, "Did they see you?"
"No, of course not! I came from the trees to talk to Kenji, but I got back in the trees before he could see me."
"What about the others when you came down?"
"Oh, they were all asleep."
"You sure?"
"Yes. um. No."
"KATT!"
"What?"
It was a bright day on the coast as the three squirrels sat to eat breakfast. Kenji, Neema, and Bailey sat on the ground around a pile of burnt logs that had been their fire the night before. Katt, on the other hand, sat in the trees above. Katt and Kenji's minds were on the same topic: last night's events. The other two didn't know that Katt had a little conversation with the young squirrel, and they would never find out. soon. They sat in silence, waiting for another to speak. Neema spoke first.
"Well, enough dilly dallying, let's get going, we don't want get back to Omna too late, do we?" An arrow flew down from where Katt was sitting in the tree.
It read, "Where are you going anyway?"
"We're going to Redwall, whether you like it or not." Neema yelled at the trees where Katt was.
Another arrow flew down, this time from farther down the path, "I warned you. You go, I'll stay here, if I feel like it, I'll follow. I'm in for a good adventure every once in a while." There was the sound of rustling leaves, and Katt Starrbow was gone.
"Well, let's get goin'," Neema said plainly as she stared in the direction their friend had gone in.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
A/N- I thought I'd put this in here before I forget. I have no clue how far they are from Salamandastron of Redwall, so I'm just going to say that they are somewhere in Mossflower. Please don't be mad at me if that's wrong!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Deep within Mossflower, Katt leapt through the trees. She came upon a stream. Putting her paws into her mouth, she gave a shrill whistle. There was a rustling in the bushes below.
"What now, Katt?" a voice from the bush called, "I was in the middle of my nap!"
"I'm sorry, Tiona, I won't do it again, but this is an emergency! Get Miranda out here on the double!" Katt yelled as she jumped from the tall oak she was sitting in.
"Miranda! Get your lazy tail down here!" Tiona, the squirrel in the bush, yelled into a hole in the tree next to her. She came out from the bushes. She was a lean gray squirrel, equipped with a dirk that was attached to a belt draped over one shoulder and across her chest. The leaves on the tree above rustled, as if the wind blew them. No other tree rustled.
"Who dares disturb the sleep of Miranda, the Psychic Squirrel?" A voice came from the rustling leaves.
"Miranda! Quit playing with your dolls, and get down here now!" Tiona yelled.
"But mum-" she started.
"Now, Miranda, what have we told you about talkin' of other creatures' butts?" Katt said, sarcasm in her voice, and on her face.
"I'm sorry, Miz Starrbow. I won't talk about others' butts again," she said, playing along with the joke.
"Now come down here! Make it quick if you want to deserve your title, Miranda Swiftrunner!" her mother, Tiona Riverwatcher, bribed.
"Aye, oh great river guardian!" Suddenly, she was by her mother's side. She was truly a swift runner. She was wearing the same kind of belt as her mother, hers smaller and draping over the opposite shoulder. Where the dirk was on her mother's there was a sword, almost as big as her.
"What's the problem, Katt?" Tiona asked, urgency in her voice.
"We have company. Three squirrels. They're going to Redwall. They showed no sign of changing their minds. They said their names were Neema Tallgrove Colorfur, Bailey Silverfur, and Kenji Fluffnose." At the hearing of Kenji's name, they started laughing.
"What kind of name is that?" Miranda asked, holding back giggles for a few seconds.
"'Don't laugh! It's not funny!'" Katt said mockingly, then started laughing too.
Tiona forgot the happiness, and became serious again, "Did they see you?"
"No, of course not! I came from the trees to talk to Kenji, but I got back in the trees before he could see me."
"What about the others when you came down?"
"Oh, they were all asleep."
"You sure?"
"Yes. um. No."
"KATT!"
"What?"