~Theft Of The Sword~
~Chapter Three~
As Deyna began to track him, the thief was far ahead, running as fast as he could to put the abbey behind him, leaving an obvious trail of footprints in his rush that were, luckily for the thief, partially obscured by a cold night wind that had begun to pick up. By the time the sun had begun to rise the thief was far ahead of the otter warrior, who had by now cooled off enough that he could track the thief, but by now his prey had a considerable lead. Yet, even with his lead, the thief ran on as if the demons of hell were upon him, already he could see a plume of smoke rising lazily from where he knew his master's camp to be, but even the sight of his destination did not calm him. He did not slow his pace until he could see the edge of the camp and the two weasel sentries there guarding the southern side, waiting for him.
"So yer back, mate?" One of the weasels, the taller of the two, stepped forward sneering as he grabbed the thief by his arm so that he could not escape. Meanwhile the other, smaller weasel simply looked on, a slight look of disgust upon its face, both weasels dwarfed the thief.
"Aye." The thief answered monotonously, a hint of depression lining his voice as well as a more obvious angry tone. He knew that he could not resist even with the size difference aside he could not fight back.
"Don't worry, yer right on time, Kyin." The smaller weasel spoke, his voice much more friendly, but carrying a note of dread. All three knew what was to happen.
"Best get this scum ta Olin, he'll want ta see 'im." The first weasel stated, quickly pulling Kyin towards the camp, yanking the thief right off his foot paws. Unceremoniously the weasel dragged him through the dirt, a cruel smile upon the weasel's face, until they reached a large tent set up at the center of the camp.
"Ah . . .so my little thief is back." Kyin heard as he was tossed into the middle of the structure at the foot paw of the creature known as Olin, a medium sized pine martin with pitch black fur all over, who simply stared down at the thief from his makeshift throne, cold gray eyes boring into the beast who lay upon the ground.
"So I am." Kyin muttered, struggling to his foot paws, but before he could stand he was knocked back into the waiting arms of the two weasel sentries, throwing off the thief's hood to reveal a young ferret, blood streaming down his muzzle as he stared down, in a daze from the blow.
"Do not speak, slave. Not until I ask you a question." Olin sneered, lowering the small club he had just used, wiping a bit of blood from it as he did so. "Did you get it?" The pine martin asked, rising from his seat. Club in paw the martin tilted the ferret's head up so he could look into its eye, repeating his question once more. "Did you get the sword?"
"Answer him, scum." One of weasel sentries demanded, raising a paw to strike the young ferret.
"Yes." Kyin answered in a weak voice, spitting out a bit of blood. Immediately at the word the smaller weasel took the scabbard from the ferret's cloak, tossing it on the ground next to Olin.
"Ah, very good my little thief. Your talent has served you well." The martin smiled as he removed the sword from its sheath, admiring its keen edge, the fine craftsmanship and the brilliant ruby set into the hilt before showing it around to the beasts in the tent. "And here it is, Redwall's pride and joy, the sword of Martin." Olin smiled as he sheathed the sword once more, tossing it onto his makeshift throne before turning to address the two weasel sentries. "You . . ." He began, pointing to the taller weasel, " . . .go back and make sure that he was followed, cover his tracks. And you . . ." He continued, pointing to the other weasel sentry, " . . .take this, take the supplies and throw it back into the cage."
"Yes, sir." Both weasel answered in unison, saluting smartly. Still somewhat dazed, Kyin felt himself being pulled to his foot paws and helped out of the tent back into the camp.
"Did ye do it, mate?" The weasel whispered to the ferret as he began to shake off the blow from the pine martin's club.
"Yeah, somebeast will find that trail. Anybeast with eyes could the trail I left . . ." Kyin replied in a whisper as well, staring down at the ground to make sure that anybeast looking couldn't see that he was talking.
"How 'bout the other thing?" The weasel asked, his voice filled with anxiety as they moved through the busy camp, all the horde beasts going about their daily routines as always, ignoring both Kyin and his escort as they walked by.
"Yeah, I did it. He should be out for blood. He'll definitely follow . . ." Kyin replied with a soft sigh before he glanced up to look the weasel in the eye. " Do you really think this'll work?" He asked, a small glimmer of hope in the young ferret's eyes.
"I sure hope so. Don't worry; we'll all be out of here soon . . ." The weasel muttered in response, trying to reassure the young ferret, while at the same time trying to believe his own words.
"I hope your right." The ferret whispered as they finally reached the cages, a long row of them hidden by foliage, beaten and broken creatures locked inside the steel confines, guarded by a dozen or so armed horde beasts.
"Ye best give me your cloak an' daggers." At this the ferret nodded, removing the black cloaks that had camouflaged him at night, as well as the belt with his twin daggers, to reveal a slightly gaunt figure dressed in an old, torn tunic and a pair of pants. "Give my regards to our sisters, Kyin." The weasel whispered just before a guard walked over to them and they could not speak anymore.
"Olin want 'im back in his cage, Hallan?" One of the guards, a short rat armed with a rapier, asked the weasel as he approached the pair.
"Aye, that's why he's 'ere." Hallan nodded, turning Kyin over to the rat that immediately shoved the young ferret into a cage roughly, sending his into the back bars of the cage that had been opened by another guard behind him. Kyin hit the bars hard, slumping to the floor of the small cage, groaning as the guards outside merely laughed.
"Kyin?" A tiny voice asked, placing a comforting paw on Kyin's shoulder. Rolling over Kyin found himself staring up into a young ferret maid who looked nearly to him. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah don't worry 'bout your big bro. Ain't nothin' they can do ta me, Silver." He lied with a soft smile as another young beast came over to his side, a little weasel maid, barely out of her dibbunhood.
"How long will it be, Kyin?" The little weasel maid asked, her eyes red from crying.
"Don't worry, Shale. Your brother sends his love, we'll be out of here soon enough, he'll make sure of that." He whispered to the little weasel maid, wiping away a tear before turning his gaze to the camp and the retreating figure of Hallan. "At least, I hope so." He muttered, speaking far too softly for either maid to hear his words. Meanwhile, at Redwall Abbey, the abbey dwellers waited around anxiously for news of their abbesses' health, wondering where their warrior had gone.
~Chapter Three~
As Deyna began to track him, the thief was far ahead, running as fast as he could to put the abbey behind him, leaving an obvious trail of footprints in his rush that were, luckily for the thief, partially obscured by a cold night wind that had begun to pick up. By the time the sun had begun to rise the thief was far ahead of the otter warrior, who had by now cooled off enough that he could track the thief, but by now his prey had a considerable lead. Yet, even with his lead, the thief ran on as if the demons of hell were upon him, already he could see a plume of smoke rising lazily from where he knew his master's camp to be, but even the sight of his destination did not calm him. He did not slow his pace until he could see the edge of the camp and the two weasel sentries there guarding the southern side, waiting for him.
"So yer back, mate?" One of the weasels, the taller of the two, stepped forward sneering as he grabbed the thief by his arm so that he could not escape. Meanwhile the other, smaller weasel simply looked on, a slight look of disgust upon its face, both weasels dwarfed the thief.
"Aye." The thief answered monotonously, a hint of depression lining his voice as well as a more obvious angry tone. He knew that he could not resist even with the size difference aside he could not fight back.
"Don't worry, yer right on time, Kyin." The smaller weasel spoke, his voice much more friendly, but carrying a note of dread. All three knew what was to happen.
"Best get this scum ta Olin, he'll want ta see 'im." The first weasel stated, quickly pulling Kyin towards the camp, yanking the thief right off his foot paws. Unceremoniously the weasel dragged him through the dirt, a cruel smile upon the weasel's face, until they reached a large tent set up at the center of the camp.
"Ah . . .so my little thief is back." Kyin heard as he was tossed into the middle of the structure at the foot paw of the creature known as Olin, a medium sized pine martin with pitch black fur all over, who simply stared down at the thief from his makeshift throne, cold gray eyes boring into the beast who lay upon the ground.
"So I am." Kyin muttered, struggling to his foot paws, but before he could stand he was knocked back into the waiting arms of the two weasel sentries, throwing off the thief's hood to reveal a young ferret, blood streaming down his muzzle as he stared down, in a daze from the blow.
"Do not speak, slave. Not until I ask you a question." Olin sneered, lowering the small club he had just used, wiping a bit of blood from it as he did so. "Did you get it?" The pine martin asked, rising from his seat. Club in paw the martin tilted the ferret's head up so he could look into its eye, repeating his question once more. "Did you get the sword?"
"Answer him, scum." One of weasel sentries demanded, raising a paw to strike the young ferret.
"Yes." Kyin answered in a weak voice, spitting out a bit of blood. Immediately at the word the smaller weasel took the scabbard from the ferret's cloak, tossing it on the ground next to Olin.
"Ah, very good my little thief. Your talent has served you well." The martin smiled as he removed the sword from its sheath, admiring its keen edge, the fine craftsmanship and the brilliant ruby set into the hilt before showing it around to the beasts in the tent. "And here it is, Redwall's pride and joy, the sword of Martin." Olin smiled as he sheathed the sword once more, tossing it onto his makeshift throne before turning to address the two weasel sentries. "You . . ." He began, pointing to the taller weasel, " . . .go back and make sure that he was followed, cover his tracks. And you . . ." He continued, pointing to the other weasel sentry, " . . .take this, take the supplies and throw it back into the cage."
"Yes, sir." Both weasel answered in unison, saluting smartly. Still somewhat dazed, Kyin felt himself being pulled to his foot paws and helped out of the tent back into the camp.
"Did ye do it, mate?" The weasel whispered to the ferret as he began to shake off the blow from the pine martin's club.
"Yeah, somebeast will find that trail. Anybeast with eyes could the trail I left . . ." Kyin replied in a whisper as well, staring down at the ground to make sure that anybeast looking couldn't see that he was talking.
"How 'bout the other thing?" The weasel asked, his voice filled with anxiety as they moved through the busy camp, all the horde beasts going about their daily routines as always, ignoring both Kyin and his escort as they walked by.
"Yeah, I did it. He should be out for blood. He'll definitely follow . . ." Kyin replied with a soft sigh before he glanced up to look the weasel in the eye. " Do you really think this'll work?" He asked, a small glimmer of hope in the young ferret's eyes.
"I sure hope so. Don't worry; we'll all be out of here soon . . ." The weasel muttered in response, trying to reassure the young ferret, while at the same time trying to believe his own words.
"I hope your right." The ferret whispered as they finally reached the cages, a long row of them hidden by foliage, beaten and broken creatures locked inside the steel confines, guarded by a dozen or so armed horde beasts.
"Ye best give me your cloak an' daggers." At this the ferret nodded, removing the black cloaks that had camouflaged him at night, as well as the belt with his twin daggers, to reveal a slightly gaunt figure dressed in an old, torn tunic and a pair of pants. "Give my regards to our sisters, Kyin." The weasel whispered just before a guard walked over to them and they could not speak anymore.
"Olin want 'im back in his cage, Hallan?" One of the guards, a short rat armed with a rapier, asked the weasel as he approached the pair.
"Aye, that's why he's 'ere." Hallan nodded, turning Kyin over to the rat that immediately shoved the young ferret into a cage roughly, sending his into the back bars of the cage that had been opened by another guard behind him. Kyin hit the bars hard, slumping to the floor of the small cage, groaning as the guards outside merely laughed.
"Kyin?" A tiny voice asked, placing a comforting paw on Kyin's shoulder. Rolling over Kyin found himself staring up into a young ferret maid who looked nearly to him. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah don't worry 'bout your big bro. Ain't nothin' they can do ta me, Silver." He lied with a soft smile as another young beast came over to his side, a little weasel maid, barely out of her dibbunhood.
"How long will it be, Kyin?" The little weasel maid asked, her eyes red from crying.
"Don't worry, Shale. Your brother sends his love, we'll be out of here soon enough, he'll make sure of that." He whispered to the little weasel maid, wiping away a tear before turning his gaze to the camp and the retreating figure of Hallan. "At least, I hope so." He muttered, speaking far too softly for either maid to hear his words. Meanwhile, at Redwall Abbey, the abbey dwellers waited around anxiously for news of their abbesses' health, wondering where their warrior had gone.