Mascry stared at the great sandstone building. So this is Redwall. She
didn't see any warriors, or badgers even. She didn't yet know if that was
good or bad.
There was more whisperings in the ranks. She heard them all. Yet she paid no heed to them. All superstitious talk about magic beast and ghosts that guarded the gates. Fools! It was them who stalled. If they had marched faster they would have the badgers by now. They would have to face Redwall and its warriors now.
One of her captains, Firefletch, came up to report. Firefletch was her best archer and one of her most loyal beasts. He had a brain in his head too, which proved useful. But he could never match wits with Mascry. He saluted her and said, "You wished to see me?"
Mascry kept her eyes on Redwall. "Was their any stragglers today?"
Firefletch smiled coldly. "Only one, a rat complaining of a broken foot paw. I took care of him. He won't be complaining anymore today, or any other day"
Mascry took her eyes off Redwall and placed them on her horde. "Sloppy bunch, but what can you do? There has been talking of mutiny. I don't have to remind you of what to do to traitors. Do I?"
Firefletch shook his head. "No"
"Good, we will set camp a score of paces east of here. There will be no fires tonight. We will wait till the badgers show themselves. No sense in letting them know we are here. Tell Piketeeth and Killcrow know that no one leaves camp without checking with me first. Any one from the lower ranks dose not leave without a officer escort. You are dismissed"
Firefletch threw a salute before returning to the ranks. Once out of earshot of Mascry he pulled Piketeeth, a fellow ferret captain, to one side.
"Her orders are that we set camp a score of paces east of here. No one leaves camp with out a officer. No fires"
Piketeeth shifted. His necklaces of teeth, claws, and bones clacked together. "And?"
Firefletch flashed another cold smile "And she doesn't suspect a thing"
There was more whisperings in the ranks. She heard them all. Yet she paid no heed to them. All superstitious talk about magic beast and ghosts that guarded the gates. Fools! It was them who stalled. If they had marched faster they would have the badgers by now. They would have to face Redwall and its warriors now.
One of her captains, Firefletch, came up to report. Firefletch was her best archer and one of her most loyal beasts. He had a brain in his head too, which proved useful. But he could never match wits with Mascry. He saluted her and said, "You wished to see me?"
Mascry kept her eyes on Redwall. "Was their any stragglers today?"
Firefletch smiled coldly. "Only one, a rat complaining of a broken foot paw. I took care of him. He won't be complaining anymore today, or any other day"
Mascry took her eyes off Redwall and placed them on her horde. "Sloppy bunch, but what can you do? There has been talking of mutiny. I don't have to remind you of what to do to traitors. Do I?"
Firefletch shook his head. "No"
"Good, we will set camp a score of paces east of here. There will be no fires tonight. We will wait till the badgers show themselves. No sense in letting them know we are here. Tell Piketeeth and Killcrow know that no one leaves camp without checking with me first. Any one from the lower ranks dose not leave without a officer escort. You are dismissed"
Firefletch threw a salute before returning to the ranks. Once out of earshot of Mascry he pulled Piketeeth, a fellow ferret captain, to one side.
"Her orders are that we set camp a score of paces east of here. No one leaves camp with out a officer. No fires"
Piketeeth shifted. His necklaces of teeth, claws, and bones clacked together. "And?"
Firefletch flashed another cold smile "And she doesn't suspect a thing"