Author Notes: Finally, I got my lazy butt to write/post this. ^___^ I also
have another Redwall story up and going. PLEASE read & review it! Thanks in
advance. ;)
DISCLAIMER: Basically, everything is copyright Brian Jacques. . .`cept, for Vega, Blade, and the plot.
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
Chapter V: On the Coast
*****
The very first pale rays of dawn caressed the marvelous ship known as the S.S. Firefang. They crept across the still dark deck barely illuminating its sleeping occupants, but this small bit of light was enough to wake Blade from her slumber. The first thing the mouse-maid was aware of was someone lying beside her and the owner`s arm around her waist. Due to lack of light, however, Blade couldn`t tell who the sleeping form next to her belonged to.
Before she could take further action, a fresh wave of exhaustion washed over the mouse-maid, and she drifted back into unconsciousness.
~~~
Sharp light cut through Blade`s eyelids, beckoning her back to the waking world. She sat up in the bed she was lying in and stretched. Her mouth opened slightly in surprise as she saw Cluny standing over by the window looking out at the ocean. Cluny had been the one next to her last night. Surprisingly enough this did not bother Blade as much as one might think. As a slave, she slept practically back-to-back with the other captives. What puzzled her more was WHY? He couldn`t possibly care for her. . .
``I see you`re awake,`` the Scourge said. Blade jumped a little as his voice interrupted her thoughts, but Cluny continued as though he had already read her mind, ``I kept you warm last night so you wouldn`t die from hypothermia. I did that because I don`t want to lose one of Carouss`s slaves - from what I`ve heard he doesn`t take failure well. I did not help you for whatever affectionate reason you are most likely considering.``
The mouse-maid nodded and dismissed most of her ideas about Cluny sense of compassion. Then another more pressing thought occurred to her. ``What should I say. . .`` Blade trailed off gesturing at the bed she was seated upon.
The sea rat shrugged nonchalantly. ``Say what you will. It doesn`t matter to me one way or the other.``
Blade stood slowly on her shaky legs. . .Cluny made no move to help her. ``What will happen to me now?`` the mouse-maid asked.
At last her captor turned to face her. ``You will not be given food for the last three days of our journey. That is no easy sentence either for, as you may have noticed, the boat has stopped and we will be making the rest of the trip by land.``
Blade`s eyes widened in shock. That was all? No food for three days. Sure, that was bad, but she had expected much worse. By the fang, this was Cluny the Scourge! She had figured he would - literally - knock the living daylights out of her. However, before she could question him further two guards walked into the room and saluted their Captain who nodded in acknowledgement before speaking. ``Take this mouse and chain her with the other slaves.``
The ferret guards began to lead Blade out the door as Cluny called after them, ``Tell the rest of the crew to be ready to disembark.``
Both ferrets exchanged confused looks and muttered, ``Huh?``
``Disembark!`` the Scourge snarled and snapped his tail for effect. ``Get everyone ready to leave the bloody ship you brainless idiots!``
~~~
The first two days of traveling by land were hot, humid, and practically unbearable for both slaves and slavers. Only three creatures seemed undaunted by the intense heat, Cluny, Robin, and Ginger. Blade was also beginning to feel that the Scourge`s punishment wasn`t as gentle as she had first thought. Her stomach rumbled painfully, but at least night was starting to fall. . .now the slavers would make camp, and Blade and the others would be able to rest. Meera the otter sat down beside Ginger and Blade and wiped the sweat from her brow.
`` `Ow do you stand it Ginge?`` Meera asked. ``This `eat is gonna be the end o` me.``
Ginger grinned, ``Panthers have a natural tolerance. What can I say?``
Meera rolled her eyes. ``Cluny`s not a panther, and he seems to be doing just fine.``
``Yeah, well, you`ve heard the stories about him. And speaking of Cluny, did you know that he and Blade spent that last night on the ship together?`` the female panther grinned evilly. ``I mean, honestly, what were you two doing?``
``Ginger,`` Blade snapped, ``do us both a favor and pull your mind OUT of the gutter.``
``Oooh,`` Ginger purred, ``is this a touchy subject?``
That was the last thing that left Ginger`s mouth before Blade pounced.
~~~
Vega sat down next to Cluny and smiled. ``Redeye and that idiot, Baneclaw, are on guard duty so we can get some shut eye.``
``Good,`` the sea rat replied reclining on the ground and closing his eye. ``I need some sleep.``
Vega smirked. ``I bet you do. So tell me, is it harder to sleep without Blade next to you?``
The Scourge valiantly kept his eye shut against the verbal interrogation and said nothing so Vega continued unmercifully.
``If I didn`t know better, I`d almost think you cared for her,`` the fox retorted with a wicked smile.
Cluny let out an exasperated hiss. ``Well, then you thought wrong. Now shut up and go to sleep!``
Vega grinned slyly for a moment, unabashed by the sea rat`s abrupt rejection. ``Whatever,`` he mumbled before yawning and rolling over. The Scourge attempted to follow the healer`s lead, but the only thing he could do was listen to his and Vega`s conversation replay through his head. Cluny sighed softly and gazed up at the stars.
//It doesn`t matter//, he concluded. //As soon as I get to Fort Porsaira I can be rid of this wretched mouse and everything that has to do with her.//
Of course, Cluny doubted it would be THAT easy.
~~~
The next morning began as the last two had. The slavers cleared the campsite and got all the slaves moving again. Things continued in the usual fashion until about mid-afternoon.
Cluny dropped back a bit down the line of marching vermin and captives so that he was next to Vega. ``Something isn`t right. We`re being followed by a few dozen creatures dressed all in black.``
``So,`` Vega whispered, ``you see them too. At first I thought they were merely shadows, but they`re just too solid. . .``
Cluny suddenly let out a loud growl, alarming some of his crew. The sea rat held his tail in his paw like a whip before addressing the shadowed creatures creeping through the trees that obscured everything.
``Show yourselves you hapless cowards. Stop cowering behind plants and come out into the open, you lily-livered milksops.``
Baneclaw leered cruelly. ``Fear not, `Captain`,`` he sneered sarcastically. ``These are only some o` Lord Carouss`s elite fightin` soldiers come ta meet us.``
The shadowed figures crept closer, circling both slaves and crewmembers. //Crewmembers who are also Carouss`s soldiers//, Cluny remembered, grimly. The sea rat narrowed his yellow eye in suspicion and moved so that he was back-to-back with Vega.
The healer leaned in close to Cluny and muttered, ``I have a bad feeling about this.``
The Scourge nodded in agreement. . .something was about to happen.
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
More Notes: I decided not to give Cluny`s crew a big vocabulary. Makes for interesting dialogue, no? And thank you very much to all my faithful reviewers. You have no idea how happy you`ve made my ego. =)
DISCLAIMER: Basically, everything is copyright Brian Jacques. . .`cept, for Vega, Blade, and the plot.
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
Chapter V: On the Coast
*****
The very first pale rays of dawn caressed the marvelous ship known as the S.S. Firefang. They crept across the still dark deck barely illuminating its sleeping occupants, but this small bit of light was enough to wake Blade from her slumber. The first thing the mouse-maid was aware of was someone lying beside her and the owner`s arm around her waist. Due to lack of light, however, Blade couldn`t tell who the sleeping form next to her belonged to.
Before she could take further action, a fresh wave of exhaustion washed over the mouse-maid, and she drifted back into unconsciousness.
~~~
Sharp light cut through Blade`s eyelids, beckoning her back to the waking world. She sat up in the bed she was lying in and stretched. Her mouth opened slightly in surprise as she saw Cluny standing over by the window looking out at the ocean. Cluny had been the one next to her last night. Surprisingly enough this did not bother Blade as much as one might think. As a slave, she slept practically back-to-back with the other captives. What puzzled her more was WHY? He couldn`t possibly care for her. . .
``I see you`re awake,`` the Scourge said. Blade jumped a little as his voice interrupted her thoughts, but Cluny continued as though he had already read her mind, ``I kept you warm last night so you wouldn`t die from hypothermia. I did that because I don`t want to lose one of Carouss`s slaves - from what I`ve heard he doesn`t take failure well. I did not help you for whatever affectionate reason you are most likely considering.``
The mouse-maid nodded and dismissed most of her ideas about Cluny sense of compassion. Then another more pressing thought occurred to her. ``What should I say. . .`` Blade trailed off gesturing at the bed she was seated upon.
The sea rat shrugged nonchalantly. ``Say what you will. It doesn`t matter to me one way or the other.``
Blade stood slowly on her shaky legs. . .Cluny made no move to help her. ``What will happen to me now?`` the mouse-maid asked.
At last her captor turned to face her. ``You will not be given food for the last three days of our journey. That is no easy sentence either for, as you may have noticed, the boat has stopped and we will be making the rest of the trip by land.``
Blade`s eyes widened in shock. That was all? No food for three days. Sure, that was bad, but she had expected much worse. By the fang, this was Cluny the Scourge! She had figured he would - literally - knock the living daylights out of her. However, before she could question him further two guards walked into the room and saluted their Captain who nodded in acknowledgement before speaking. ``Take this mouse and chain her with the other slaves.``
The ferret guards began to lead Blade out the door as Cluny called after them, ``Tell the rest of the crew to be ready to disembark.``
Both ferrets exchanged confused looks and muttered, ``Huh?``
``Disembark!`` the Scourge snarled and snapped his tail for effect. ``Get everyone ready to leave the bloody ship you brainless idiots!``
~~~
The first two days of traveling by land were hot, humid, and practically unbearable for both slaves and slavers. Only three creatures seemed undaunted by the intense heat, Cluny, Robin, and Ginger. Blade was also beginning to feel that the Scourge`s punishment wasn`t as gentle as she had first thought. Her stomach rumbled painfully, but at least night was starting to fall. . .now the slavers would make camp, and Blade and the others would be able to rest. Meera the otter sat down beside Ginger and Blade and wiped the sweat from her brow.
`` `Ow do you stand it Ginge?`` Meera asked. ``This `eat is gonna be the end o` me.``
Ginger grinned, ``Panthers have a natural tolerance. What can I say?``
Meera rolled her eyes. ``Cluny`s not a panther, and he seems to be doing just fine.``
``Yeah, well, you`ve heard the stories about him. And speaking of Cluny, did you know that he and Blade spent that last night on the ship together?`` the female panther grinned evilly. ``I mean, honestly, what were you two doing?``
``Ginger,`` Blade snapped, ``do us both a favor and pull your mind OUT of the gutter.``
``Oooh,`` Ginger purred, ``is this a touchy subject?``
That was the last thing that left Ginger`s mouth before Blade pounced.
~~~
Vega sat down next to Cluny and smiled. ``Redeye and that idiot, Baneclaw, are on guard duty so we can get some shut eye.``
``Good,`` the sea rat replied reclining on the ground and closing his eye. ``I need some sleep.``
Vega smirked. ``I bet you do. So tell me, is it harder to sleep without Blade next to you?``
The Scourge valiantly kept his eye shut against the verbal interrogation and said nothing so Vega continued unmercifully.
``If I didn`t know better, I`d almost think you cared for her,`` the fox retorted with a wicked smile.
Cluny let out an exasperated hiss. ``Well, then you thought wrong. Now shut up and go to sleep!``
Vega grinned slyly for a moment, unabashed by the sea rat`s abrupt rejection. ``Whatever,`` he mumbled before yawning and rolling over. The Scourge attempted to follow the healer`s lead, but the only thing he could do was listen to his and Vega`s conversation replay through his head. Cluny sighed softly and gazed up at the stars.
//It doesn`t matter//, he concluded. //As soon as I get to Fort Porsaira I can be rid of this wretched mouse and everything that has to do with her.//
Of course, Cluny doubted it would be THAT easy.
~~~
The next morning began as the last two had. The slavers cleared the campsite and got all the slaves moving again. Things continued in the usual fashion until about mid-afternoon.
Cluny dropped back a bit down the line of marching vermin and captives so that he was next to Vega. ``Something isn`t right. We`re being followed by a few dozen creatures dressed all in black.``
``So,`` Vega whispered, ``you see them too. At first I thought they were merely shadows, but they`re just too solid. . .``
Cluny suddenly let out a loud growl, alarming some of his crew. The sea rat held his tail in his paw like a whip before addressing the shadowed creatures creeping through the trees that obscured everything.
``Show yourselves you hapless cowards. Stop cowering behind plants and come out into the open, you lily-livered milksops.``
Baneclaw leered cruelly. ``Fear not, `Captain`,`` he sneered sarcastically. ``These are only some o` Lord Carouss`s elite fightin` soldiers come ta meet us.``
The shadowed figures crept closer, circling both slaves and crewmembers. //Crewmembers who are also Carouss`s soldiers//, Cluny remembered, grimly. The sea rat narrowed his yellow eye in suspicion and moved so that he was back-to-back with Vega.
The healer leaned in close to Cluny and muttered, ``I have a bad feeling about this.``
The Scourge nodded in agreement. . .something was about to happen.
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
More Notes: I decided not to give Cluny`s crew a big vocabulary. Makes for interesting dialogue, no? And thank you very much to all my faithful reviewers. You have no idea how happy you`ve made my ego. =)