Chapter 9

Breton and the moles headed out to the wall that the two catapults mainly focased on. He watched the moles start to dig the tunnel, and he played his part of the plan in his mind. Suddently, Martin the Warrior strolled into his daydreams.

Worry not for your kin

For they are in good hands

Breton, faithful one

Watch o'er my Redwall.

Breton blinked and Martin was gone. The moles beckoned him to the tunnel. It was time for the plan to go into action.

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Sassy, one of the four that was standing in the last chapter (that I forgot to mention) had collapsed from fatuge. Tuthine had thrown down his weapons for his sister Kessa. Tyra and Tulia remained surrounded by the searats, clenching weaponry.

"Give in, yous two," a rat that the other searats called Flatnose said, "give in unless you want those friends o' yourn killed."

"Tulia," Tyra said quietly, "give in. We have to for our friends' sakes."

"No," she quietly said back, "we don't. We can fight them and go down fighting. It would be better for us if we did, instead of have to--"

As Tulia said this, a rat behind them cracked a spear over Tyra's head, breaking the spear and causing Tyra to collapse in an unconsious heap. In shock, Tulia dropped her weapons.

Howling with the joy of the catch, the rats dragged the seven to the Bloodfarl.

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Predak called Akhal for a conference, and conferences with Predak were not pleasent if she was in a bad mood.

"Well, where is your patrol now? They should be back with those seven in chains!"

"Predak," Akhal threw a salute. "I sent some of my trackers out. They saw that the hare's friends' tracks mixed in a clearing beside two stone statues of two otters. They dashed off into the forest.

"A split second later, my patrol broke into the clearing, then crashed off, hot on the trail.

"Later, the trackers saw the patrol's tracks flurry, just beyond the Whispering Dunes. A pack of searats seemed to have later captured the seven, but the ship is gone. That is all we know at the time."

Chapter 10

The rat standing beside the catapult never knew what was happening.

He stood with one hand on the lever, ready to relese the stone. Suddently, Martin's Sword broke through the ground and sliced the lever strait off of the catapult and also gouging deep into the wood that was essential to the catapult's work. The rat screamed and lept back quickly, just avoiding his paw being sliced off.

Then, it was over.

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"WHAT?! THE TWO CATAPULTS RENDERED USELESS BY A SWORD!!"

"Ummmmmmm, yes, Predak," Ed said, staring at the ground as the Marlfox paced in front of him.

"We didn't know that the abbeybeasts would dare make a sneak attack against us, an' it happened so fast that two of ours almost had their paws sliced strait off. No real sword could have done all of that."

"REAL SWORD, OF COURSE IT'S A REAL SWORD YOU IDIOT! AND SURPRISE OR NOT YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN PREPARED FOR ALL OF THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"We will me ready next time, take my affidavit for it!"

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Very slowly the world stopped spinning. Groggily Tyra shook her head and opened her eyes. Standing before her and her friends was the searat cap'n Ubel Bicharia. He had a huge, sickled-scimitar at his side, and he seemed veeeeeeeeeeeery frightening from the seven's position on the deck. It was impossible to not notice the shaking of the others next to her.

Not losing any courage, Tyra said, "Wot do ye want, rat." The others looked at her in surprise and amazement.

"Now that you mention it, I might as well tell you." He looked around at them all, most likely to see their expressions. Tyra could tell that she was frowning.

"You have been luckily (cough) selected to be an oarslave on me ship."

Lovely words and a diplomatic way of talking could not fool Tyra and her friends. Vicy and Muddy had their eyes closed and were bleached white. Tulia was biting her lip to not make one of the smart replies that she was famous for. Tuthine and Kessa were shaking like seeds in the wind. Tyra seemed to be the only one who was white and still had her voice.

"Luckily selected? How in Pete's name can ye be luckily selected to be any type of slave?"

"That," he said, frowning, "Is for me to know and you to find out. I am done here, mates, and you know how to take care of them."

Once again, they were pulled off by the searats.