Chapter Twenty-One: Salamandastron
After not too long, Kenji, Neema and Bailey arrived at the great mountain of Salamandastron. There was a large boulder protruding from the sand, there was a hare seated atop it.
"Well, if ain't Tibbs back from running, wot? Took ya long enough, ol' chap," the hare said.
"Oh, Killy, not in front o' me friends!" Tibbs exclaimed.
"You have friends? Don't make me laid, Tibbs," Killtell, the hare on the rock said.
"Hey, yer me friend ain't ya, Killtell?" Tibbs asked sadly.
"Well, I guess so, Tibbs. Where'd ya run to?" he asked.
"Thata way, sah," Tibbs said, pointing from where the four had come from.
"And who are these bally squirrelfolk ya brought along with ya?"
"These are me pals, Neema," he said, pointing to Bailey, "Kenji," he pointed to Neema, "And Bailey," he pointed to Kenji.
"Uh, sorry to interrupt you, Tibbs. But I'm Neema, she's Bailey, and he's Kenji," Neema pointed out.
"Oh. Well sorry 'bout that, wot."
"Some friends, ya can't even amember who's who! Ha! That's pretty sad, Tibbs, wot!" Killtell said from the rock.
"At least I got the names right!" The two hares started fighting. The squirrels watched them as the tumbled from the rock onto the sand.
"Ah, them two. They'll nevah learn, wot." The three jumped when they heard the voice. "I'm sorry, chap and chapesses. I didn't mean ta scare ya." They turned around to see a kindly looking haremaid.
"S'ok, marm. We were just watching them fight, not wanting to get in the way," Bailey said to the hare. "I'm Bailey Silverfur, and these are my friends Neema Tallgrove Colorfur and Kenji Fluffnose." The hare was trying to stifle giggles.
"Why does everybeast think my name's so darn funny!?" Kenji said, throwing up his paws.
"I'm sorry, young sah, but 'tis that fact that nose truly is fluffy, wot!"
"S'ok, Kenji. Mayhap you can change your last name?" Neema commented before bursting out laughing. Bailey and Kenji stood alone, there faces straight. Suddenly, Bailey started laughing too. Kenji's face was turning bright pink. Tibbs and Killy came over.
"What's all the hubbub 'bout, marm?" they asked the haremaid.
"O, nothing, young runnahs. Now, get back to your jobs, 'tis an order!" The two salute, and attempted to scamper off, but ran right into each other. Then, going their separate ways, ran off.
Bailey and Neema had picked them selves up, and were apologizing to Kenji. The hare came over.
"I'm sorry, I haven't introduced meself yet. I'm Lieutenant Cheroner Klipsy Sabersling. Pleased ta meet ya! Ya can call me Cher if ya like, though. Those two, Tibnetle and Killtell, they're just a couple of our runnahs that scout fer vermin. They are our best, and often fight. They really are best friends though, wot!"
"Well, Tibbs kind of persuaded us to come. We can't stay long, because we're kind of in a hurry. We come from the island of Kleetcha. Our tribe is suffering from a deadly disease, and we need to get to Redwall, but this squirrel, Katt Starrbow, told us not to go there. And we must get there soon, or else all those in our tribe will die," Neema explained. Cher shook her head knowingly.
"Well then, miss. We'll just have ta get ya some tucker, then you and yer friends can be on yer way. I don't know what young Tibbs was thinkin' when he brought ya here, wot!" She guided the two to the mountain's front door.
After not too long, Kenji, Neema and Bailey arrived at the great mountain of Salamandastron. There was a large boulder protruding from the sand, there was a hare seated atop it.
"Well, if ain't Tibbs back from running, wot? Took ya long enough, ol' chap," the hare said.
"Oh, Killy, not in front o' me friends!" Tibbs exclaimed.
"You have friends? Don't make me laid, Tibbs," Killtell, the hare on the rock said.
"Hey, yer me friend ain't ya, Killtell?" Tibbs asked sadly.
"Well, I guess so, Tibbs. Where'd ya run to?" he asked.
"Thata way, sah," Tibbs said, pointing from where the four had come from.
"And who are these bally squirrelfolk ya brought along with ya?"
"These are me pals, Neema," he said, pointing to Bailey, "Kenji," he pointed to Neema, "And Bailey," he pointed to Kenji.
"Uh, sorry to interrupt you, Tibbs. But I'm Neema, she's Bailey, and he's Kenji," Neema pointed out.
"Oh. Well sorry 'bout that, wot."
"Some friends, ya can't even amember who's who! Ha! That's pretty sad, Tibbs, wot!" Killtell said from the rock.
"At least I got the names right!" The two hares started fighting. The squirrels watched them as the tumbled from the rock onto the sand.
"Ah, them two. They'll nevah learn, wot." The three jumped when they heard the voice. "I'm sorry, chap and chapesses. I didn't mean ta scare ya." They turned around to see a kindly looking haremaid.
"S'ok, marm. We were just watching them fight, not wanting to get in the way," Bailey said to the hare. "I'm Bailey Silverfur, and these are my friends Neema Tallgrove Colorfur and Kenji Fluffnose." The hare was trying to stifle giggles.
"Why does everybeast think my name's so darn funny!?" Kenji said, throwing up his paws.
"I'm sorry, young sah, but 'tis that fact that nose truly is fluffy, wot!"
"S'ok, Kenji. Mayhap you can change your last name?" Neema commented before bursting out laughing. Bailey and Kenji stood alone, there faces straight. Suddenly, Bailey started laughing too. Kenji's face was turning bright pink. Tibbs and Killy came over.
"What's all the hubbub 'bout, marm?" they asked the haremaid.
"O, nothing, young runnahs. Now, get back to your jobs, 'tis an order!" The two salute, and attempted to scamper off, but ran right into each other. Then, going their separate ways, ran off.
Bailey and Neema had picked them selves up, and were apologizing to Kenji. The hare came over.
"I'm sorry, I haven't introduced meself yet. I'm Lieutenant Cheroner Klipsy Sabersling. Pleased ta meet ya! Ya can call me Cher if ya like, though. Those two, Tibnetle and Killtell, they're just a couple of our runnahs that scout fer vermin. They are our best, and often fight. They really are best friends though, wot!"
"Well, Tibbs kind of persuaded us to come. We can't stay long, because we're kind of in a hurry. We come from the island of Kleetcha. Our tribe is suffering from a deadly disease, and we need to get to Redwall, but this squirrel, Katt Starrbow, told us not to go there. And we must get there soon, or else all those in our tribe will die," Neema explained. Cher shook her head knowingly.
"Well then, miss. We'll just have ta get ya some tucker, then you and yer friends can be on yer way. I don't know what young Tibbs was thinkin' when he brought ya here, wot!" She guided the two to the mountain's front door.