Tyra, obviously having nothing else to do, sat and watched the woodland slaves scurring about. They were older, a lot older, and seemed to have been working forever. A few kept glancing over at Tyra, then hurrying back to their work, as if afraid that they'll get killed for even wanting to help her. Tyra cast her gaze over to the clearing entrance...and gasped.
Her eyes met the dark eyes of a wolf. She recognized him.
He was Thelen, a member of Flatnose's crew! She dropped her eyes, and he entered Predak's tent, glancing a few times at her over his shoulder.
Tyra remembered him. He was the first one to carry out the order of the old captain of the SeaQueen, which was to take her and her friends to the oars. He was the first one to get in the escape boat when the vermin left, the one who killed the most of the former oarslaves.
************************************************************
Th elen looked around the tent. Predak was standing in front of him, her eyes narrow, looking up to see into his face.
"You wish to come join my army," she said.
"Aye," Thelen replied.
"It is agreed. Report to Scragg. He'll put you with a captain and a brigade. And if you do very well..." Her voice lowered, "You may be made into a captain. I already tried to give it to somebeast, yet she refused. You may take her spot if you do well in our conquest of Redwall."
"I have one question." His eyes narrowed.
"Yes?"
"Who is the hare out there?"
"Oh, her?" Predak laughed. "She's a captive of mine, one of the ones you undoubtedly passed on your way here. Don't worry about her now." Thelen turned, cast a glance back, and exited. Predak frowned.
"Yes, I know where you came from. I know who you are. You won't live to be a captain, I will see to it!"
Chapter 36
Lenny brought her the news that day. Katze and Nicole had managed to get their paws on the keys to their chains. They would be escaping later that day.
Tyra stared at the slaves, and after a few minutes managed to motion one over here.
"What is your name, old one?"
The squrriel frowned.
"I do not remember. It's been a long time since we have talked."
"You will not give away what I am about to tell you. Do you want the taste of freedom?"
"Yes," he said, his eyes lighting up.
"Well, later today, my friends are going to break out and begin an attack. Will you and the other slaves help?"
"Yes," he said, and went to tell the others.
Tyra grinned after him. There was force in even a small amount of numbers.
************************************************************
Katz e, around noon, began fumbling with the key and his chains. It was planned that he and Nicole would go after Predak and Tyra, and that the others would hold off the vermin. Katze finally got them unlocked, passed the key to Nicole, and dissappeared behind them. After Nicole had gotten out and began heading for the clearing after Katze, (both had gotten their swords back from the VRAE), a nervous guard looked over and his eyes widened in surprise.
"THEY'RE ESCAPING!" he shouted.
Nicole ran faster. Already the others had gotten out and the sounds of battle rang out behind her. Muddy and Vicy had begun to spin in circles, swords streached out in front of them, a whirling wheel of death. Katzey and Tulia had put their differences behind them and were back to back, holding the vermin off. Sassy, Tuthine and Kessa had formed a triangle, and the vermin couldn't get anywhere near them.
************************************************************
Katze strode into the clearing, sword unsheathed. Predak had just come out of her tent. Tyra winced and closed her eyes. That's when she heard the start of it.
"Predak! Let Tyra go immideatly!"
Tyra's eyes shot open, and she shouted, "KATZE! DON'T! SHE'S ONLY GOING TO KILL YOU!"
He totally ignored her. Tyra watched, wide-eyed. Katze brought his sword up and around Predak's, scoring a hit along her chest. But what he did was leave his own open. In what seemed like hours, but was only minutes, Predak brought the whip down and around his footpaw, bringing him onto the ground. Tyra winced and closed her eyes, but not before she saw the only key to the chains roll off into the underbrush. She heard him wrestle himself to his feet but then stagger back, and collide with her tree. She opened her eyes.
Katze lay on the ground beside her. With dimming eyes he looked at her.
"Tyra, forgive me for what I did. I'm really sorry. Tell Katzey I love her...and goodbye." His eyes closed for the last time.
Nicole then entered the clearing, her eyes on Tyra...and when she saw Katze's dead body she screamed and stared at Predak.
"How--dare you!" Nicole stepped forward. "Eat steel, fox!"
"I will remind you that I am not a fox. I am a Marlfox. It is the last thing you will ever hear!" Tyra closed her eyes again. She didn't want to see them die.
She heard a rustling behind her. Lenny undid the chains and cut the rope, then gave her her sword.
"Go get that leader o' ours, an' do 'er in. The VRAE'll join yer cause."
"NO, Lenny, get out of here." Tyra rubbed the circulation back into her paws.
He just snickered and dissappeared.
Nicole now lay across the clearing.
Predak stared at Tyra.
"So, the hare has finally gotten out." Tyra approached rapidly. "I'm so sorry, but I think that I'm going to just sorely injure you so I can make an example for your friends. But before that I'm going to torture you so much that you'll be screaming out the names of the VRAE." Predak swung up her sword. "Then again, maybe the pleasure of three against one is better. You'll die soon, Tyra, and no one can stop it."
Predak had seen Tyra's stroke, and with a thud she brought down her sword and kicked out, sending Tyra in one direction and her sword in the other. Tyra rammed into her tree and slid down it painfully. Her sword flew across the clearing, and broke against a particuarly large rock.
Her eyes met the dark eyes of a wolf. She recognized him.
He was Thelen, a member of Flatnose's crew! She dropped her eyes, and he entered Predak's tent, glancing a few times at her over his shoulder.
Tyra remembered him. He was the first one to carry out the order of the old captain of the SeaQueen, which was to take her and her friends to the oars. He was the first one to get in the escape boat when the vermin left, the one who killed the most of the former oarslaves.
************************************************************
Th elen looked around the tent. Predak was standing in front of him, her eyes narrow, looking up to see into his face.
"You wish to come join my army," she said.
"Aye," Thelen replied.
"It is agreed. Report to Scragg. He'll put you with a captain and a brigade. And if you do very well..." Her voice lowered, "You may be made into a captain. I already tried to give it to somebeast, yet she refused. You may take her spot if you do well in our conquest of Redwall."
"I have one question." His eyes narrowed.
"Yes?"
"Who is the hare out there?"
"Oh, her?" Predak laughed. "She's a captive of mine, one of the ones you undoubtedly passed on your way here. Don't worry about her now." Thelen turned, cast a glance back, and exited. Predak frowned.
"Yes, I know where you came from. I know who you are. You won't live to be a captain, I will see to it!"
Chapter 36
Lenny brought her the news that day. Katze and Nicole had managed to get their paws on the keys to their chains. They would be escaping later that day.
Tyra stared at the slaves, and after a few minutes managed to motion one over here.
"What is your name, old one?"
The squrriel frowned.
"I do not remember. It's been a long time since we have talked."
"You will not give away what I am about to tell you. Do you want the taste of freedom?"
"Yes," he said, his eyes lighting up.
"Well, later today, my friends are going to break out and begin an attack. Will you and the other slaves help?"
"Yes," he said, and went to tell the others.
Tyra grinned after him. There was force in even a small amount of numbers.
************************************************************
Katz e, around noon, began fumbling with the key and his chains. It was planned that he and Nicole would go after Predak and Tyra, and that the others would hold off the vermin. Katze finally got them unlocked, passed the key to Nicole, and dissappeared behind them. After Nicole had gotten out and began heading for the clearing after Katze, (both had gotten their swords back from the VRAE), a nervous guard looked over and his eyes widened in surprise.
"THEY'RE ESCAPING!" he shouted.
Nicole ran faster. Already the others had gotten out and the sounds of battle rang out behind her. Muddy and Vicy had begun to spin in circles, swords streached out in front of them, a whirling wheel of death. Katzey and Tulia had put their differences behind them and were back to back, holding the vermin off. Sassy, Tuthine and Kessa had formed a triangle, and the vermin couldn't get anywhere near them.
************************************************************
Katze strode into the clearing, sword unsheathed. Predak had just come out of her tent. Tyra winced and closed her eyes. That's when she heard the start of it.
"Predak! Let Tyra go immideatly!"
Tyra's eyes shot open, and she shouted, "KATZE! DON'T! SHE'S ONLY GOING TO KILL YOU!"
He totally ignored her. Tyra watched, wide-eyed. Katze brought his sword up and around Predak's, scoring a hit along her chest. But what he did was leave his own open. In what seemed like hours, but was only minutes, Predak brought the whip down and around his footpaw, bringing him onto the ground. Tyra winced and closed her eyes, but not before she saw the only key to the chains roll off into the underbrush. She heard him wrestle himself to his feet but then stagger back, and collide with her tree. She opened her eyes.
Katze lay on the ground beside her. With dimming eyes he looked at her.
"Tyra, forgive me for what I did. I'm really sorry. Tell Katzey I love her...and goodbye." His eyes closed for the last time.
Nicole then entered the clearing, her eyes on Tyra...and when she saw Katze's dead body she screamed and stared at Predak.
"How--dare you!" Nicole stepped forward. "Eat steel, fox!"
"I will remind you that I am not a fox. I am a Marlfox. It is the last thing you will ever hear!" Tyra closed her eyes again. She didn't want to see them die.
She heard a rustling behind her. Lenny undid the chains and cut the rope, then gave her her sword.
"Go get that leader o' ours, an' do 'er in. The VRAE'll join yer cause."
"NO, Lenny, get out of here." Tyra rubbed the circulation back into her paws.
He just snickered and dissappeared.
Nicole now lay across the clearing.
Predak stared at Tyra.
"So, the hare has finally gotten out." Tyra approached rapidly. "I'm so sorry, but I think that I'm going to just sorely injure you so I can make an example for your friends. But before that I'm going to torture you so much that you'll be screaming out the names of the VRAE." Predak swung up her sword. "Then again, maybe the pleasure of three against one is better. You'll die soon, Tyra, and no one can stop it."
Predak had seen Tyra's stroke, and with a thud she brought down her sword and kicked out, sending Tyra in one direction and her sword in the other. Tyra rammed into her tree and slid down it painfully. Her sword flew across the clearing, and broke against a particuarly large rock.
