Note- I don't know how far Salamandastron is from Redwall, so please excuse
the distances I use.
Chapter Twenty-Six: Anjack's Kill
Anjack had been set off after the feast, and was flying silently through the night. He decided it was late enough, and stopped to rest. He perched on a low hanging oak branch, and folded his wing over his head in sleep. He didn't fall asleep straight away. He was listening to what was happening below.
"We will attack Redwall tomorrow night, when they are all sleeping. Now, and tomorrow, we get food and rest. Feast, train, sleep, do whatever you please. Be in your troops by sunset tomorrow. Dismissed!"
I must get to Redwall before they get there, Anjack thought as he unfolded his wings, and took flight.
"Scree! What are you doin' 'ere, eagle?" the falcon said as it swooped out from the trees below.
"Nothin' dat yoo wood care 'bout, falcon," Anjack said fearlessly.
"You be in mah territory, eagle. You tell me why yer 'ere, or you go down and be eated by mah queen. What be yer name?"
"Anjack, if it meen dat much to yew. Now, let me be on mah way."
"You no get past Finry, eagle. You must fight ta get past."
This falcon is definitely mad, Anjack thought as he swooped lower into the trees.
"Kreegah! You get back 'ere, eagle. You no escape Finry!" Finry swooped lower, right behind Anjack. Finry, being smaller, caught up to the diving eagle, and dug his talons into Anjack's back.
"Kraa! You wanna piece o me, falcon?"
"Yes!"
Anjack swung quickly around, and wrapped his strong, powerful talons around the falcon's small neck.
"Wut d'you want, falcon?" Finry gagged and coughed and wriggled. "Wut was dat, falcon?"
"Lemme. go."
"Why?" Finry's limp body dangled from Anjack's talons. Anjack would never know why he should have let go.
Anjack relaxed his talons, and let the slain falcon fall to the ground.
With lucky accuracy, Finry's limp and lifeless body fell right next to Zema with a thud.
"Eek! Finry? Finry! NO!"
Anjack flew on through the night, now knowing that vermin were in the area.
* * *
Dampear and Sluno sat silently with two hundred vermin behind them.
"When are we s'posed to attack again, mate?" Dampear asked.
"I dunno. Yer da one wid da good brain, Dampy. Yew said ye'd amember!"
"Well, I fergot, k? Creatures do that." He slumped down on a rock in the ditch.
"Wait a second, cully, wasn't it when Finry came?"
"'Ey, mate, I think yer right! Now alls we gotta do is wait!"
The ferret got up slowly, and called a vixen to his side.
"Vixen, I want yer to watch the sky fer that falcon of Zema's. When yer see 'im, get me quickly. But don' shout, gottit, fox?"
"Aye, Cap'n."
* * *
"We must get news to Dampear and Sluno. They must know that Finry won't be able to signal them. Arktail, go to the ditch and tell Dampear and Sluno about the tragedy. They must know. And tell them to start the attack."
"Yes, Milady. They will know."
The weasel, Arktail, scurried off towards Redwall.
* * *
Far from the red-dyed horde beasts and Salamandastron, a weary and tired oar slave was getting his first hint of freedom.
The dark of night brought out the evilness hidden by day, but the traveler walked slowly on.
The creature was half starved from his life on the slave ship Deathsail, and was weary from his travel from sea.
His normally bold, buff features were now damp and sulking.
Yet he still walked on.
Destined to find what he was looking for, he walked boldly on. Tariq Tristram, a young, black wolf, known by the other slaves as Tar or TT, staggered through the darkness. I am of night, he thought to himself as he walked through the sand, I will sleep by day. The young wolf had no idea how exhausted he really was, and collapsed among his pawprints.
"No. No. Get away.Away. I don't want to go. Freedom! Away! Get away!"
Tariq woke with a cloth full of water on his head, and sweat dripping down his face. He opened his eyes slowly, only to see a small fire and feel a fluffy bed beneath him. He wasn't sure where he was, but he could tell he was in a cave of some sort. He tried to push himself up on his elbows, but was pushed back down, and was forced to eat some soup.
"Ssh. Calm down, sah. Yer in good paws, wot!"
"Wh-where am I?" Tariq asked, his voice shaky and unfamiliar.
"Yer, my good chap, are at the good cave, Timtam, 'Home of Outcasts and Runaways!' That's our jolly ol' sayin' round here, sah. I'm Timtamo Klipsy Sabersling, son of Cheroner Klipsy Sabersling. Outcasted by choice. Please, call Timtam. Wot's yer name, wot?"
"Tariq Tristram, sir. What am I doing here?"
"Our scouts found ye on the coast. Brought ye in outta the rain."
"Oh," Tariq said, still a bit confused, "Please, Timtam, call me Tar, or TT if ye like."
"Pleasure, sah, wot!"
"And will you stop callin' me 'sah,' rabbit?"
"Rabbit? Wot an insult! A chap takin' ye in with barely enough food t'feed 'imself, and 'ere y'are, insultin' me! Hare, sah! H'I'm a hare! Wot wot wot!"
But Tariq didn't hear him, for he had drifted into a deep slumber.
"The nerve." Timtam muttered under his breath as he left the cave.
Chapter Twenty-Six: Anjack's Kill
Anjack had been set off after the feast, and was flying silently through the night. He decided it was late enough, and stopped to rest. He perched on a low hanging oak branch, and folded his wing over his head in sleep. He didn't fall asleep straight away. He was listening to what was happening below.
"We will attack Redwall tomorrow night, when they are all sleeping. Now, and tomorrow, we get food and rest. Feast, train, sleep, do whatever you please. Be in your troops by sunset tomorrow. Dismissed!"
I must get to Redwall before they get there, Anjack thought as he unfolded his wings, and took flight.
"Scree! What are you doin' 'ere, eagle?" the falcon said as it swooped out from the trees below.
"Nothin' dat yoo wood care 'bout, falcon," Anjack said fearlessly.
"You be in mah territory, eagle. You tell me why yer 'ere, or you go down and be eated by mah queen. What be yer name?"
"Anjack, if it meen dat much to yew. Now, let me be on mah way."
"You no get past Finry, eagle. You must fight ta get past."
This falcon is definitely mad, Anjack thought as he swooped lower into the trees.
"Kreegah! You get back 'ere, eagle. You no escape Finry!" Finry swooped lower, right behind Anjack. Finry, being smaller, caught up to the diving eagle, and dug his talons into Anjack's back.
"Kraa! You wanna piece o me, falcon?"
"Yes!"
Anjack swung quickly around, and wrapped his strong, powerful talons around the falcon's small neck.
"Wut d'you want, falcon?" Finry gagged and coughed and wriggled. "Wut was dat, falcon?"
"Lemme. go."
"Why?" Finry's limp body dangled from Anjack's talons. Anjack would never know why he should have let go.
Anjack relaxed his talons, and let the slain falcon fall to the ground.
With lucky accuracy, Finry's limp and lifeless body fell right next to Zema with a thud.
"Eek! Finry? Finry! NO!"
Anjack flew on through the night, now knowing that vermin were in the area.
* * *
Dampear and Sluno sat silently with two hundred vermin behind them.
"When are we s'posed to attack again, mate?" Dampear asked.
"I dunno. Yer da one wid da good brain, Dampy. Yew said ye'd amember!"
"Well, I fergot, k? Creatures do that." He slumped down on a rock in the ditch.
"Wait a second, cully, wasn't it when Finry came?"
"'Ey, mate, I think yer right! Now alls we gotta do is wait!"
The ferret got up slowly, and called a vixen to his side.
"Vixen, I want yer to watch the sky fer that falcon of Zema's. When yer see 'im, get me quickly. But don' shout, gottit, fox?"
"Aye, Cap'n."
* * *
"We must get news to Dampear and Sluno. They must know that Finry won't be able to signal them. Arktail, go to the ditch and tell Dampear and Sluno about the tragedy. They must know. And tell them to start the attack."
"Yes, Milady. They will know."
The weasel, Arktail, scurried off towards Redwall.
* * *
Far from the red-dyed horde beasts and Salamandastron, a weary and tired oar slave was getting his first hint of freedom.
The dark of night brought out the evilness hidden by day, but the traveler walked slowly on.
The creature was half starved from his life on the slave ship Deathsail, and was weary from his travel from sea.
His normally bold, buff features were now damp and sulking.
Yet he still walked on.
Destined to find what he was looking for, he walked boldly on. Tariq Tristram, a young, black wolf, known by the other slaves as Tar or TT, staggered through the darkness. I am of night, he thought to himself as he walked through the sand, I will sleep by day. The young wolf had no idea how exhausted he really was, and collapsed among his pawprints.
"No. No. Get away.Away. I don't want to go. Freedom! Away! Get away!"
Tariq woke with a cloth full of water on his head, and sweat dripping down his face. He opened his eyes slowly, only to see a small fire and feel a fluffy bed beneath him. He wasn't sure where he was, but he could tell he was in a cave of some sort. He tried to push himself up on his elbows, but was pushed back down, and was forced to eat some soup.
"Ssh. Calm down, sah. Yer in good paws, wot!"
"Wh-where am I?" Tariq asked, his voice shaky and unfamiliar.
"Yer, my good chap, are at the good cave, Timtam, 'Home of Outcasts and Runaways!' That's our jolly ol' sayin' round here, sah. I'm Timtamo Klipsy Sabersling, son of Cheroner Klipsy Sabersling. Outcasted by choice. Please, call Timtam. Wot's yer name, wot?"
"Tariq Tristram, sir. What am I doing here?"
"Our scouts found ye on the coast. Brought ye in outta the rain."
"Oh," Tariq said, still a bit confused, "Please, Timtam, call me Tar, or TT if ye like."
"Pleasure, sah, wot!"
"And will you stop callin' me 'sah,' rabbit?"
"Rabbit? Wot an insult! A chap takin' ye in with barely enough food t'feed 'imself, and 'ere y'are, insultin' me! Hare, sah! H'I'm a hare! Wot wot wot!"
But Tariq didn't hear him, for he had drifted into a deep slumber.
"The nerve." Timtam muttered under his breath as he left the cave.