Chapter Twenty-Four: Lord Ritachio
The trio of squirrels went into the huge dinning hall, led by Cher. At the top of the huge table, which was filled with hares, was a huge badger. Cher went up to him and bowed.
"Sire, I have some quests," Cher said, still bowing.
"I can see that," the badger said. He turned to Kenji, Neema, and Bailey, who were standing belittled in front of him, "Hello, there, young squirrels. My name is Lord Ritachio, ruler of the mountain stronghold of Salamandastron. I knew that you were to be brought here. Let me guess, Tibbs brought you?" he said with a friendly twinkle in his eye. All's the three could do was nod. "What are your names, squirrels?"
"I'm Neema Tallgrove Colorfur," Neema said confidently, "This is Bailey Silverfur," she pointed to Bailey, who bowed respectfully, "And Kenji Fluffnose." Kenji just stood there, waiting for Lord Ritachio to start laughing. Ritachio sat with a straight face, he leaned towards Kenji.
"Don't worry, young warrior. I won't laugh. I've heard of you before. Ah. Now I remember. You're the squirrel that helped my father, Lord Flintpaw, defeat those searats many seasons ago." Kenji nodded.
"How's ol' Flintpaw?" Kenji asked.
Ritachio adopted a sad look, "He's dreadfully ill. He got sick a few weeks ago, and keeps getting worse. That's why I came. I was sitting with my family a little ways from here, when a hare came knocking on our care. He said that my father was ill, and I'd better come, just to make sure that no searats would come while he was sick. You may go visit him, Kenji, he might like that. Don't get frustrated if he doesn't remember you, though." He turned back to Cher, "Would you take him to Lord Flintpaw's chambers, Cher?" Cher bowed again, and led Kenji off out of the room. The huge badger turned back to Neema and Bailey, "So, young squirrelmaids, what brings you to this country. If you are friends of Kenji's, you must have come from Kleetcha, right?"
"Well, Lord Ritachio-"
"Please, just Ritachio."
"OK, well, anyway, our tribe is getting this dreadful disease. They are dying like flies. We need to get to Redwall Abbey to get some herbs that only grow around that part of Mossflower. If we don't get back son, they might all die." Ritachio sat scratching his chin for a while.
"I may know somebeast who can help you. Follow me to my chambers," he said while he got up from the huge chair at the head of the table. They went through the winding passages of the mountain, and after a short while, they came to a big room. It looked like a normal room, just a bit super-sized to fit the huge badger. He walked over to his desk, and picked up a big conch shell. He out it to his lips, then took it away. "Cover your ears, this may be loud." The two squirrels covered their ears, but still heard the mighty blow from the shell. Like a flash of colors, something blew in the window. Neema and Bailey closed their eyes tight. The thing stopped on the end of the bed. It was a beautiful golden eagle. He was preening his feathers when Bailey and Neema opened their eyes.
"Wow! He's beautiful!" Bailey said as she patted the bird on the head. He enjoyed the pet, and silently asked for more.
"This is Anjack. He may not talk much, but he can be a great help sometimes, right, Anjy?" The bird nodded, and begged to be pet. Neema and Bailey laughed at the bird's antics as he strutted around the room. "He could take a message to Redwall telling them of your arrival, so you can get your herbs, and get out of there quickly." Neema and Bailey agreed to the idea. There was a knock on the door, and Cher and Kenji walked in.
"Hi, Cher! Hi, Kenji!" Neema said happily.
"Did I miss much?" Kenji asked, watching the bird.
"You missed meeting Anjack," Bailey said as she scratched the bird's chin lovingly. Kenji walked over, and patted him roughly on the head.
"Nope, I've already met this feather bag. Hey, Anjy, remember me?" Kenji asked as Anjack pecked him on the paw.
"I think that's a yes!" Neema exclaimed.
~ * * * * * * ~
That night, the trio plus Lord Ritachio and Cher, said their good-byes to Anjack. The great golden eagle waved as he hop-skipped across the beach, and took off towards Redwall.
"May you have a safe flight, Anjack, and may we see you soon," Bailey said under her breath.
That night, there was a great feast held in the squirrels' honor.
"How 'bout a tune, Bailey?" Kenji asked through sips of strawberry cordial.
Bailey placed her food aside, and took her clarinet out of its case. Playing a few test notes, she began to play happily.
Kenji sat for a moment, analyzing the tune. Soon he began to sing a soft ditty.
"Away from our island,
Which was home that we'd call,
Off of our island,
Straight to Redwall!
We stop at the shore,
And meet a nice lass,
But soon she realized,
We would not pass.
Away in the treetops,
The hidden one went,
I may never see her again,
Even when I'm double bent!
Then we did come,
Upon a lone hare,
Whose name we'll not mention,
But he's sitting right there!
And he took us to the mountain,
Where the fire lizard once lived,
Where we met Lord Ritachio,
Who's much like a kid!
And our journey will continue,
'Til we reach the place they call,
With no more interruptions,
The Abbey of Redwall!"
There was loud applause from the hares, which the trio didn't know too well. Bailey packed away her clarinet, satisfied that the hares enjoyed the sweet airy sound.
"That was beautiful, ol' chap!" Tibbs commented.
"Very, very, wot!" Killy agreed.
"You're all too kind," Kenji said.
Neema Kenji and Bailey enjoyed the feast immensely.
"Thank you for the lovely food, Ritachio," Neema said kindly as the dishes were whisked away from under their noses by the kitchen hares.
"No, no, thank you for coming!"
A/N- Yet another 1000+ word chapter.
Nim
The trio of squirrels went into the huge dinning hall, led by Cher. At the top of the huge table, which was filled with hares, was a huge badger. Cher went up to him and bowed.
"Sire, I have some quests," Cher said, still bowing.
"I can see that," the badger said. He turned to Kenji, Neema, and Bailey, who were standing belittled in front of him, "Hello, there, young squirrels. My name is Lord Ritachio, ruler of the mountain stronghold of Salamandastron. I knew that you were to be brought here. Let me guess, Tibbs brought you?" he said with a friendly twinkle in his eye. All's the three could do was nod. "What are your names, squirrels?"
"I'm Neema Tallgrove Colorfur," Neema said confidently, "This is Bailey Silverfur," she pointed to Bailey, who bowed respectfully, "And Kenji Fluffnose." Kenji just stood there, waiting for Lord Ritachio to start laughing. Ritachio sat with a straight face, he leaned towards Kenji.
"Don't worry, young warrior. I won't laugh. I've heard of you before. Ah. Now I remember. You're the squirrel that helped my father, Lord Flintpaw, defeat those searats many seasons ago." Kenji nodded.
"How's ol' Flintpaw?" Kenji asked.
Ritachio adopted a sad look, "He's dreadfully ill. He got sick a few weeks ago, and keeps getting worse. That's why I came. I was sitting with my family a little ways from here, when a hare came knocking on our care. He said that my father was ill, and I'd better come, just to make sure that no searats would come while he was sick. You may go visit him, Kenji, he might like that. Don't get frustrated if he doesn't remember you, though." He turned back to Cher, "Would you take him to Lord Flintpaw's chambers, Cher?" Cher bowed again, and led Kenji off out of the room. The huge badger turned back to Neema and Bailey, "So, young squirrelmaids, what brings you to this country. If you are friends of Kenji's, you must have come from Kleetcha, right?"
"Well, Lord Ritachio-"
"Please, just Ritachio."
"OK, well, anyway, our tribe is getting this dreadful disease. They are dying like flies. We need to get to Redwall Abbey to get some herbs that only grow around that part of Mossflower. If we don't get back son, they might all die." Ritachio sat scratching his chin for a while.
"I may know somebeast who can help you. Follow me to my chambers," he said while he got up from the huge chair at the head of the table. They went through the winding passages of the mountain, and after a short while, they came to a big room. It looked like a normal room, just a bit super-sized to fit the huge badger. He walked over to his desk, and picked up a big conch shell. He out it to his lips, then took it away. "Cover your ears, this may be loud." The two squirrels covered their ears, but still heard the mighty blow from the shell. Like a flash of colors, something blew in the window. Neema and Bailey closed their eyes tight. The thing stopped on the end of the bed. It was a beautiful golden eagle. He was preening his feathers when Bailey and Neema opened their eyes.
"Wow! He's beautiful!" Bailey said as she patted the bird on the head. He enjoyed the pet, and silently asked for more.
"This is Anjack. He may not talk much, but he can be a great help sometimes, right, Anjy?" The bird nodded, and begged to be pet. Neema and Bailey laughed at the bird's antics as he strutted around the room. "He could take a message to Redwall telling them of your arrival, so you can get your herbs, and get out of there quickly." Neema and Bailey agreed to the idea. There was a knock on the door, and Cher and Kenji walked in.
"Hi, Cher! Hi, Kenji!" Neema said happily.
"Did I miss much?" Kenji asked, watching the bird.
"You missed meeting Anjack," Bailey said as she scratched the bird's chin lovingly. Kenji walked over, and patted him roughly on the head.
"Nope, I've already met this feather bag. Hey, Anjy, remember me?" Kenji asked as Anjack pecked him on the paw.
"I think that's a yes!" Neema exclaimed.
~ * * * * * * ~
That night, the trio plus Lord Ritachio and Cher, said their good-byes to Anjack. The great golden eagle waved as he hop-skipped across the beach, and took off towards Redwall.
"May you have a safe flight, Anjack, and may we see you soon," Bailey said under her breath.
That night, there was a great feast held in the squirrels' honor.
"How 'bout a tune, Bailey?" Kenji asked through sips of strawberry cordial.
Bailey placed her food aside, and took her clarinet out of its case. Playing a few test notes, she began to play happily.
Kenji sat for a moment, analyzing the tune. Soon he began to sing a soft ditty.
"Away from our island,
Which was home that we'd call,
Off of our island,
Straight to Redwall!
We stop at the shore,
And meet a nice lass,
But soon she realized,
We would not pass.
Away in the treetops,
The hidden one went,
I may never see her again,
Even when I'm double bent!
Then we did come,
Upon a lone hare,
Whose name we'll not mention,
But he's sitting right there!
And he took us to the mountain,
Where the fire lizard once lived,
Where we met Lord Ritachio,
Who's much like a kid!
And our journey will continue,
'Til we reach the place they call,
With no more interruptions,
The Abbey of Redwall!"
There was loud applause from the hares, which the trio didn't know too well. Bailey packed away her clarinet, satisfied that the hares enjoyed the sweet airy sound.
"That was beautiful, ol' chap!" Tibbs commented.
"Very, very, wot!" Killy agreed.
"You're all too kind," Kenji said.
Neema Kenji and Bailey enjoyed the feast immensely.
"Thank you for the lovely food, Ritachio," Neema said kindly as the dishes were whisked away from under their noses by the kitchen hares.
"No, no, thank you for coming!"
A/N- Yet another 1000+ word chapter.
Nim