Ranku smiled as she walked the wet deck. Her scarred face burned from a
recent cut she had suffered from Sarreket before she escaped. She was happy
to be among friends again. She heard the badger rise and walk out on deck.
He smiled gruffly at the squirrel bathing her cut face. "Good morning to ya
Ranku" Mornin Tekker" she replied. Tekker walked off to the galley to whip
up some breakfast. That afternoon there was still no trace of the fox, or
his ships. They stopped and landed on the beach in a little cove. There was
just sand in the cove. It was a bleak sight. They sat in the shade of a
sand dune and ate their lunch. Soilloam poked his head over the dune and
returned to his friends, Pale faced. "Der be zailes on de watter" they
poked their heads up and saw a nice sized armada of ships, all painted
black. "Keep yer 'eads low mates" the urgent voice of the shrew made them
duck. They waited for a while to poke up their heads again and spy on the
ships.
The fox was in high good humor. He had not lost a single vessel over the huge storm. He was exited and didn't notice the ship in the far away cove. He had heard some of the slaves whisper of a place called Noonvale. He was curious. He had a mouse brought up. "tell me of this Noonvale" he commanded. The mouse looked about hesitantly. "Wills ye set me frees iffen I do?" the sly fox smiled graciously "Of course me matey, you just tell me where this place is and ya will be free as a bird. Later the slave told him the exact location. The fox smiled. And with one swift thrust of his sword he set the mouse free. That day they set course for Noonvale with high hopes of plunder.
The companions sat on the boat. They saw a beast go hurling over the ships side, clutching his side. They decided they would check it out as soon as the fox was gone. Later that day they set sale to the spot, and found nothing. "Maybee 'e wus swept ter shore by yon gurt wavers." They set course for the shore. The rest of they day the scoured the shore. They were about to give up when the shrews sharp yell caused them ro run to him. "I found a mouse 'ere e needs 'elp!" they rushed to the mouse. They reached him only to hear him croak his last words. "Fox...Ungg..headed to..Noon..val..." he never finished to sentence. Tears streamed openly down the young shrews face. "Poor ol mousey, never evin knew his name Ohhhawaa" the broke down crying. They pried a soaked piece of parchment from his dead paws. "Looket yon marp!" they looked at it strangely. There was Redwall..Salamandastron and Noonvale! "Lets go" shouted Ranku. "Not yet" the badger sighed. "We must burrie this one" they buried the old mouse in the shade of a sand dune with a plank sticking in the ground. They lashed the sails tight and set their path to Noonvale with a good wind at their backs.
The fox was in high good humor. He had not lost a single vessel over the huge storm. He was exited and didn't notice the ship in the far away cove. He had heard some of the slaves whisper of a place called Noonvale. He was curious. He had a mouse brought up. "tell me of this Noonvale" he commanded. The mouse looked about hesitantly. "Wills ye set me frees iffen I do?" the sly fox smiled graciously "Of course me matey, you just tell me where this place is and ya will be free as a bird. Later the slave told him the exact location. The fox smiled. And with one swift thrust of his sword he set the mouse free. That day they set course for Noonvale with high hopes of plunder.
The companions sat on the boat. They saw a beast go hurling over the ships side, clutching his side. They decided they would check it out as soon as the fox was gone. Later that day they set sale to the spot, and found nothing. "Maybee 'e wus swept ter shore by yon gurt wavers." They set course for the shore. The rest of they day the scoured the shore. They were about to give up when the shrews sharp yell caused them ro run to him. "I found a mouse 'ere e needs 'elp!" they rushed to the mouse. They reached him only to hear him croak his last words. "Fox...Ungg..headed to..Noon..val..." he never finished to sentence. Tears streamed openly down the young shrews face. "Poor ol mousey, never evin knew his name Ohhhawaa" the broke down crying. They pried a soaked piece of parchment from his dead paws. "Looket yon marp!" they looked at it strangely. There was Redwall..Salamandastron and Noonvale! "Lets go" shouted Ranku. "Not yet" the badger sighed. "We must burrie this one" they buried the old mouse in the shade of a sand dune with a plank sticking in the ground. They lashed the sails tight and set their path to Noonvale with a good wind at their backs.