Author Notes: Here is chapter eight, and thank you again to all my
wonderful reviewers. All flames (especially for this chapter) will be used
to make smores. ^__^
DISCLAIMER: Basically, everything is copyright Brian Jacques. . .except, for Vega, Blade, and the plot. *eye roll* It's not fair. And another thing, the flashback was taken straight from Redwall.
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
Chapter VIII: Rose Revealed
*****
In three days, Cluny, Vega, and Blade arrived back at the S.S. Firefang. The trio had spoken little throughout this time. Blade was too morose and self-condemning to vocalize much while her companions couldn't think of anything to comfort her.
"Here we are," Vega announced half-heartedly as he gestured at the great ship before them. "One problem," the fox continued, "without the boarding plank we can't get on."
Cluny didn't even bother to answer. He simply scaled the ship's side, and a minute later, a rope was thrown down to Vega and Blade.
The healer turned to Blade and offered her the rope. "Ain't nothing better than a rat for climbing unless you've got a squirrel."
The mouse-maid nodded wordlessly and climbed the rope followed by Vega. Before they had a chance to do anything else, a voice called out to them mockingly, "Gee, I thought you'd never make it back."
"Robin?!" Blade gasped.
The black panther stepped forward. Behind him were all the other former slaves. A few of them were sporting bandages, but they were all alive.
Blade ran to Robin and threw her arms around him. "Oh, my dearest friend, you've always been like a brother to me. I don't know what I'd have done if you died."
Avrance smiled in relief before addressing the freed slaves as well as Cluny and Vega. "Now that everyone is accounted for, we must figure out what to do."
~~~
Cluny looked over the S.S. Firefang. It was a beautiful ship. . .HIS beautiful ship. The former slaves and himself had decided to sail the boat back to Nel Rocka. There most of the former captives would depart, but a few had expressed a sincere desire to stay with Cluny and Vega as crew to the S.S. Firefang.
"Hey, stranger," a voice called. It was Blade. She walked up and sat on crate beside Cluny.
After a few seconds of silence, the Scourge asked. "Do you have something to tell me, or are you simply trying to be annoying?"
"Fine," the mouse-maid replied frostily. "I only want to know why you've been so. . .nice. . .up until five seconds ago, that is."
"Didn't we already go over this at Fort Porsaira?"
"Yes," Blade said, "but not to my satisfaction. You are nowhere near as cruel and horrible as the stories make you out to be. Why? What changed?"
Cluny considered for a moment. "I suppose I'VE changed. Until I came to Nel Rocka, I hadn't done much fighting or any killing for two seasons. That might not seem like a whole lot, but it was enough. Enough time in a peaceful place like Mossflower wood. Enough time working beside a healer. Enough time not leading a horde. Enough time for me to decide I didn't like power as much as I'd first thought."
The mouse-maid smiled. "That's pretty deep. I never really thought people could change so much."
"Neither did I," the sea rat shrugged. "But I guess, maybe I have changed."
"One more thing, you also said I reminded you of someone. . .but you never told me who."
Cluny sighed and answered, "It's kind of difficult to explain. In this place called Mossflower Wood, there's an Abbey known as Redwall. I met a mouse there - not a real mouse though! He was picture on this tapestry and. . ." The Scourge trailed off, not quite sure what to say.
Blade grinned slyly, almost wickedly. "I know about this mouse you speak of. He is one of my great ancestors, Martin the Warrior."
The Scourge's one eye widened in realization. . .
***FLASHBACK***
Cluny was standing transfixed.
Oblivious to all about him, even Matthias and the Abbot who had followed him out, Cluny stood staring at the tapestry.
"Who is that mouse?" he gasped.
Matthias followed the direction of the rat's gaze. He walked to the tapestry with his paw outstretched.
"Do you mean this mouse?"
Cluny nodded dumbly.
Matthias, still with his paw outstretched, declared proudly, "This is Martin the Warrior. He founded our Order, and I'll tell you something else rat. Martin was the bravest mouse that ever lived. If he were here today he'd just take up his big sword and send you and all your bullies packing. Those of you he didn't chop up into crow meat."
Much to everyone's surprise, Cluny allowed himself to be shown out. He was like one in a daze all the way back to the gatehouse.
A hush fell over the mice on guard as Cluny and Redtoooth were let out on to the road. Swiftly, the horde gathered around the Warlord and his lieutenant. They awaited orders. Deputizing for Cluny, Redtooth called out, "Form up. Back to the church, everyone."
Cluny marched automatically, shaking his head in disbelief.
Martin the Warrior. The mouse who pursued him through his nightmares. What did it mean?
***END FLASHBACK***
//Of course!// Cluny thought. //How could I not have recognized her? She looks just like that Abbey warrior. By Hell's Teeth, if she wasn't a maid, I might have thought she'd walked right out of the bloody tapestry!//
The sea rat stared at the mouse before him. Cluny opened his mouth to speak and then closed it again. Blade smiled once more and stood up.
"I'm going to go extract Laurelyn from the galley. Goodnight, Cluny," she said.
The Scourge just nodded and watched her go.
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
More Notes: Yeah, yeah, I know what some of you are thinking. How could Martin and Rose have any descendants if Rose died? Well, first of all, I don't play by the rules. Second, this is what I wanted in my fic. . .a relative of Matthias was just too predictable. And third, I wrote a Martin/Rose fic ("For the Sake of a Rose") where Rose lives to kind of explain this little twist in "The Blade and the Scourge". So there.
DISCLAIMER: Basically, everything is copyright Brian Jacques. . .except, for Vega, Blade, and the plot. *eye roll* It's not fair. And another thing, the flashback was taken straight from Redwall.
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
Chapter VIII: Rose Revealed
*****
In three days, Cluny, Vega, and Blade arrived back at the S.S. Firefang. The trio had spoken little throughout this time. Blade was too morose and self-condemning to vocalize much while her companions couldn't think of anything to comfort her.
"Here we are," Vega announced half-heartedly as he gestured at the great ship before them. "One problem," the fox continued, "without the boarding plank we can't get on."
Cluny didn't even bother to answer. He simply scaled the ship's side, and a minute later, a rope was thrown down to Vega and Blade.
The healer turned to Blade and offered her the rope. "Ain't nothing better than a rat for climbing unless you've got a squirrel."
The mouse-maid nodded wordlessly and climbed the rope followed by Vega. Before they had a chance to do anything else, a voice called out to them mockingly, "Gee, I thought you'd never make it back."
"Robin?!" Blade gasped.
The black panther stepped forward. Behind him were all the other former slaves. A few of them were sporting bandages, but they were all alive.
Blade ran to Robin and threw her arms around him. "Oh, my dearest friend, you've always been like a brother to me. I don't know what I'd have done if you died."
Avrance smiled in relief before addressing the freed slaves as well as Cluny and Vega. "Now that everyone is accounted for, we must figure out what to do."
~~~
Cluny looked over the S.S. Firefang. It was a beautiful ship. . .HIS beautiful ship. The former slaves and himself had decided to sail the boat back to Nel Rocka. There most of the former captives would depart, but a few had expressed a sincere desire to stay with Cluny and Vega as crew to the S.S. Firefang.
"Hey, stranger," a voice called. It was Blade. She walked up and sat on crate beside Cluny.
After a few seconds of silence, the Scourge asked. "Do you have something to tell me, or are you simply trying to be annoying?"
"Fine," the mouse-maid replied frostily. "I only want to know why you've been so. . .nice. . .up until five seconds ago, that is."
"Didn't we already go over this at Fort Porsaira?"
"Yes," Blade said, "but not to my satisfaction. You are nowhere near as cruel and horrible as the stories make you out to be. Why? What changed?"
Cluny considered for a moment. "I suppose I'VE changed. Until I came to Nel Rocka, I hadn't done much fighting or any killing for two seasons. That might not seem like a whole lot, but it was enough. Enough time in a peaceful place like Mossflower wood. Enough time working beside a healer. Enough time not leading a horde. Enough time for me to decide I didn't like power as much as I'd first thought."
The mouse-maid smiled. "That's pretty deep. I never really thought people could change so much."
"Neither did I," the sea rat shrugged. "But I guess, maybe I have changed."
"One more thing, you also said I reminded you of someone. . .but you never told me who."
Cluny sighed and answered, "It's kind of difficult to explain. In this place called Mossflower Wood, there's an Abbey known as Redwall. I met a mouse there - not a real mouse though! He was picture on this tapestry and. . ." The Scourge trailed off, not quite sure what to say.
Blade grinned slyly, almost wickedly. "I know about this mouse you speak of. He is one of my great ancestors, Martin the Warrior."
The Scourge's one eye widened in realization. . .
***FLASHBACK***
Cluny was standing transfixed.
Oblivious to all about him, even Matthias and the Abbot who had followed him out, Cluny stood staring at the tapestry.
"Who is that mouse?" he gasped.
Matthias followed the direction of the rat's gaze. He walked to the tapestry with his paw outstretched.
"Do you mean this mouse?"
Cluny nodded dumbly.
Matthias, still with his paw outstretched, declared proudly, "This is Martin the Warrior. He founded our Order, and I'll tell you something else rat. Martin was the bravest mouse that ever lived. If he were here today he'd just take up his big sword and send you and all your bullies packing. Those of you he didn't chop up into crow meat."
Much to everyone's surprise, Cluny allowed himself to be shown out. He was like one in a daze all the way back to the gatehouse.
A hush fell over the mice on guard as Cluny and Redtoooth were let out on to the road. Swiftly, the horde gathered around the Warlord and his lieutenant. They awaited orders. Deputizing for Cluny, Redtooth called out, "Form up. Back to the church, everyone."
Cluny marched automatically, shaking his head in disbelief.
Martin the Warrior. The mouse who pursued him through his nightmares. What did it mean?
***END FLASHBACK***
//Of course!// Cluny thought. //How could I not have recognized her? She looks just like that Abbey warrior. By Hell's Teeth, if she wasn't a maid, I might have thought she'd walked right out of the bloody tapestry!//
The sea rat stared at the mouse before him. Cluny opened his mouth to speak and then closed it again. Blade smiled once more and stood up.
"I'm going to go extract Laurelyn from the galley. Goodnight, Cluny," she said.
The Scourge just nodded and watched her go.
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
More Notes: Yeah, yeah, I know what some of you are thinking. How could Martin and Rose have any descendants if Rose died? Well, first of all, I don't play by the rules. Second, this is what I wanted in my fic. . .a relative of Matthias was just too predictable. And third, I wrote a Martin/Rose fic ("For the Sake of a Rose") where Rose lives to kind of explain this little twist in "The Blade and the Scourge". So there.