Author Notes: Tah-dah! Chapter four. Before we begin, let me just say Blade
is NOT related to Cluny. . .at all. I just thought I'd make that little
fact clear. Please r/r. My over-inflated ego thanks you. ^__^
DISCLAIMER: Cluny, Redwall, etc. are copyright Brian Jacques. Vega, Blade, and the plot are mine.
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
Chapter IV: The Warmth of Compassion
*****
Blade shivered not only from the cold water numbing her body but from trepidation too. The three longboats were coming closer, and, of course, she would be re-captured. Blade knew she'd never be able to out-swim any boats, not in her current condition.
//I failed//, she thought miserably. //Not only myself but my friends too. They were counting on me, and I let them down. Dammit! I should've been more careful!//
Blade stayed where she was, treading water. There was no point in exhausting herself further by attempting to swim away. She was afraid. In fact, she'd never been more afraid in her life. Blade knew she was in over her head this time. She was dealing with Cluny the Scourge, one of the most fearsome creatures ever. She had heard all the stories about him. How he'd attacked Redwall. . .
Blade fiercely blinked away tears as memories of the great stone abbey surfaced in her mind. She should be more concerned with herself now. What terrible fate awaited her once she was caught? Blade had always thought of Baneclaw and the other slavers as cruel and heartless, but the Scourge had to be at least ten times worse. Right? The only creature who seemed un- frightened by the sea rat's wrath was the healer fox, Vega. Everyone else dove for cover when Cluny got angry.
Another shudder ran through the length of her body. This one was much worse than the others. Blade's vision blurred before her, and she shook her head roughly, trying to clear it.
~~~
Cluny kept his one yellow eye fixed on Blade's small body. She was staying in one spot now. If nothing else, the Scourge admired her common sense. After all, why should she continue to exert herself when escape was no longer an option? But no matter what his feelings of respect for her - confused as they were - Cluny had not hesitated to alert the rest of his crew about her departure. They had acted quickly with the training typical of the soldiers they were.
As soon as they reached their trembling quarry, Blade gave them all a defiant glare, but allowed a weasel and a stoat to pull her into one of the boats. Another weasel bound her hands with rope; chains would have been just extra, unnecessary weight. Blade sat in unusual silence as the longboats made their way back to the S.S. Firefang.
Once they were all back on the main ship, Baneclaw leered cruelly at the mouse-maid before saying to Cluny, "I'll take 'er down to the cargo bay, Chief."
The captain nodded, "Go ahead. I'll deal with her in the morning."
The weasel slaver nudged Blade none to gently with the butt of his lance. She took three faltering steps forward, and then fell, on her knees, to the deck. The mouse tried to get up, but she simply fell back down again and fainted.
The minute he saw this, Vega strode over, pushing the gathering crewbeasts aside. "Move, move. Get out of my way! Can't you see she's ILL?"
The healer fox knelt by the unconscious mouse. He placed his hand on her forehead to check her temperature, and then he took her pulse. After a few seconds more, Vega stood and addressed Cluny, "It's as I thought. She has hypothermia. If she is to survive, I'll have to treat her right away."
Cluny let out a frustrated growl. "Fine, I refuse to lose one of Carouss's slaves die. Baneclaw, Redeye, take this mouse to my room. Vega grab your herbs. . .the rest of you lot might as well go back to sleep."
"Aye, Cap'n," was the all around response.
This was far more than the sea rat had bargained for. //Now I remember why I don't like slave handling much//, the Scourge thought. //There's always that one creature you have to deal with who is braver and more reckless than the rest.//
The captain strode back to his room. Vega was already there preparing some herbs for Blade who was lying on Cluny's bed. "Hey, would you mind handin' me some of those blankets over there?" the fox requested. The Scourge shrugged and grabbed all four blankets, which Vega placed over Blade.
"Okay," Vega explained, "there really isn't much I can do for her. I did manage to get her to drink a mixture of plants to bring down her fever though. What do you think?"
"I think you had better go back to bed, Vega," Cluny advised. "There's no point in you staying. As you said, there's nothing more you can do. If her body temperature doesn't rise, no amount of herbs will do a damn thing. Besides," the sea rat added, mockingly, "unless you get some rest, you'll wind up looking worse than your patient."
Vega winked cheekily as he left. "That's not so bad, mate, long as I don't look worse than you."
The Scourge chuckled slightly as he shut the door behind the half-awake healer. If any other creature had said something that insolent to him, he probably would have personally ripped out the miscreant's tongue.
Cluny turned around and gazed down at the mouse lying in his bed as another violent shiver wracked her seemingly fragile body. Even with four blankets covering her, Blade didn't appear to be getting any warmer.
//Though Vega treated her//, Cluny thought, //she might still die if her condition continues to stay like this.//
The sea-rat knew how dangerous hypothermia could get if you were unable to bring the victim's body temperature up to an acceptable level. Cluny stood pensively before the bed for a few seconds. . .then he made his decision. The Scourge pulled back the blankets and climbed into the bed beside Blade. Cluny wrapped his arms around Blade and pulled her close, using his own body heat to restore hers. When the mouse-maid had finally stopped shivering, Cluny allowed himself to fall asleep.
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
More Notes: Hope you all liked it. In the next chapter the sailing part of the journey will end and the adventure will continue along the coast.
DISCLAIMER: Cluny, Redwall, etc. are copyright Brian Jacques. Vega, Blade, and the plot are mine.
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
Chapter IV: The Warmth of Compassion
*****
Blade shivered not only from the cold water numbing her body but from trepidation too. The three longboats were coming closer, and, of course, she would be re-captured. Blade knew she'd never be able to out-swim any boats, not in her current condition.
//I failed//, she thought miserably. //Not only myself but my friends too. They were counting on me, and I let them down. Dammit! I should've been more careful!//
Blade stayed where she was, treading water. There was no point in exhausting herself further by attempting to swim away. She was afraid. In fact, she'd never been more afraid in her life. Blade knew she was in over her head this time. She was dealing with Cluny the Scourge, one of the most fearsome creatures ever. She had heard all the stories about him. How he'd attacked Redwall. . .
Blade fiercely blinked away tears as memories of the great stone abbey surfaced in her mind. She should be more concerned with herself now. What terrible fate awaited her once she was caught? Blade had always thought of Baneclaw and the other slavers as cruel and heartless, but the Scourge had to be at least ten times worse. Right? The only creature who seemed un- frightened by the sea rat's wrath was the healer fox, Vega. Everyone else dove for cover when Cluny got angry.
Another shudder ran through the length of her body. This one was much worse than the others. Blade's vision blurred before her, and she shook her head roughly, trying to clear it.
~~~
Cluny kept his one yellow eye fixed on Blade's small body. She was staying in one spot now. If nothing else, the Scourge admired her common sense. After all, why should she continue to exert herself when escape was no longer an option? But no matter what his feelings of respect for her - confused as they were - Cluny had not hesitated to alert the rest of his crew about her departure. They had acted quickly with the training typical of the soldiers they were.
As soon as they reached their trembling quarry, Blade gave them all a defiant glare, but allowed a weasel and a stoat to pull her into one of the boats. Another weasel bound her hands with rope; chains would have been just extra, unnecessary weight. Blade sat in unusual silence as the longboats made their way back to the S.S. Firefang.
Once they were all back on the main ship, Baneclaw leered cruelly at the mouse-maid before saying to Cluny, "I'll take 'er down to the cargo bay, Chief."
The captain nodded, "Go ahead. I'll deal with her in the morning."
The weasel slaver nudged Blade none to gently with the butt of his lance. She took three faltering steps forward, and then fell, on her knees, to the deck. The mouse tried to get up, but she simply fell back down again and fainted.
The minute he saw this, Vega strode over, pushing the gathering crewbeasts aside. "Move, move. Get out of my way! Can't you see she's ILL?"
The healer fox knelt by the unconscious mouse. He placed his hand on her forehead to check her temperature, and then he took her pulse. After a few seconds more, Vega stood and addressed Cluny, "It's as I thought. She has hypothermia. If she is to survive, I'll have to treat her right away."
Cluny let out a frustrated growl. "Fine, I refuse to lose one of Carouss's slaves die. Baneclaw, Redeye, take this mouse to my room. Vega grab your herbs. . .the rest of you lot might as well go back to sleep."
"Aye, Cap'n," was the all around response.
This was far more than the sea rat had bargained for. //Now I remember why I don't like slave handling much//, the Scourge thought. //There's always that one creature you have to deal with who is braver and more reckless than the rest.//
The captain strode back to his room. Vega was already there preparing some herbs for Blade who was lying on Cluny's bed. "Hey, would you mind handin' me some of those blankets over there?" the fox requested. The Scourge shrugged and grabbed all four blankets, which Vega placed over Blade.
"Okay," Vega explained, "there really isn't much I can do for her. I did manage to get her to drink a mixture of plants to bring down her fever though. What do you think?"
"I think you had better go back to bed, Vega," Cluny advised. "There's no point in you staying. As you said, there's nothing more you can do. If her body temperature doesn't rise, no amount of herbs will do a damn thing. Besides," the sea rat added, mockingly, "unless you get some rest, you'll wind up looking worse than your patient."
Vega winked cheekily as he left. "That's not so bad, mate, long as I don't look worse than you."
The Scourge chuckled slightly as he shut the door behind the half-awake healer. If any other creature had said something that insolent to him, he probably would have personally ripped out the miscreant's tongue.
Cluny turned around and gazed down at the mouse lying in his bed as another violent shiver wracked her seemingly fragile body. Even with four blankets covering her, Blade didn't appear to be getting any warmer.
//Though Vega treated her//, Cluny thought, //she might still die if her condition continues to stay like this.//
The sea-rat knew how dangerous hypothermia could get if you were unable to bring the victim's body temperature up to an acceptable level. Cluny stood pensively before the bed for a few seconds. . .then he made his decision. The Scourge pulled back the blankets and climbed into the bed beside Blade. Cluny wrapped his arms around Blade and pulled her close, using his own body heat to restore hers. When the mouse-maid had finally stopped shivering, Cluny allowed himself to fall asleep.
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
More Notes: Hope you all liked it. In the next chapter the sailing part of the journey will end and the adventure will continue along the coast.