~Theft Of The Sword~
~Chapter Eight~
Back at Redwall Abbey, Mhera had long since concluded the meeting between the Redwall elders and everybeast that had been involved in the recent theft. Most of the council and the beasts present simply wished for life to go on as usual until either Deyna or Nimbalo, who had recently been discovered missing from the abbey, returned with some news that they could act upon. Mhera sat up in her room, staring out the window at the treetops as the sun began to set behind them, hoping for some sign of brother and his friend. Suddenly, down below she heard and saw a commotion and then one of the wall guards burst into her room, plainly out of breath.
"Abbess Mhera, it's Nimbalo, 'e's at the gate." The otter spoke in between ragged gasps of air as Skipper stepped into the room behind the guard, an expression of confusion on his face. Mhera glanced out the window again at the gate to find it shut tightly, numerous guards near it, all of them armed.
"Skipper, why isn't the gate open?" Mhera asked, confused by the guards actions, wondering if the mouse had been followed or something worse.
"Come wit me if ye will." The otter chieftain answered, beckoning for her to follow, hopping to her foot paws the otter maid quickly followed the Skipper up onto the wall. "He's got a marten wit 'im an' I can't jus' let 'em in wit' out knowin' that this ain't some sort a vermin trick." The otter explained as he leaned over the wall, staring down at the mouse and his strange company, Mhera followed suite and glanced down to find Nimbalo standing there, a look of irritation on his face, a pine marten maid by his side, a look of worry and fear on her face.
"'Allo Mother Abbess!" Nimbalo called up cheerily, happy that the otter maid had showed up, hoping that she would let him in, but his cheery welcome was met with a demand.
"Where's Deyna?" Mhera called down, a look of absolute seriousness on her face, fear in her eyes.
"He heard somthin' back a ways an' went ta check it out. He should be back any moment." Nimbalo called back, but his response was met with silence so the mouse decided to push a little. "So, can we come in now?"
"Tis yore decision, Abbess." Skipper said as the maid looked to him, hoping for a bit of advice, unsure of the marten maid's intentions or even why she was there.
"Let them in." The abbess commanded and was quickly relayed to the otters standing behind the gates. With a gust of air, the doors to Redwall opened and quickly both Nimbalo and Pearl rushed in only to find half a dozen javelins pointed at her as Skipper and Mhera both descended to the Abbey grounds.
"Be still, marten." One of the otters growled, his disgust with her obvious as she gulped in fear, her paws up in surrender.
"'Ey, 'ey. Mateys, she's fine." Nimbalo said, trying to calm the overly anxious otters down as Skipper and Mhera came to their rescue.
"Put those weapons down. Is that how you treat a fellow abbey beast and a guest?" Mhera asked, her voice seeming disappointed at the otter's manners. Quickly all the otters brought the javelins to their sides before Skipper took over.
"Search 'er fer weapons an' the like." He ordered as the maid stood there, waiting for their decision on her as Mhera pulled Nimbalo aside.
"Is he alright?" She asked, an obvious note of worry in her voice.
"Aye, marm. He's plenty all right, but I think that ye best talk ta Pearl over there." The mouse motioned to the marten that had finished being searched thoroughly, Skipper's otters coming up with nothing, not even a knife and was now being held by the otter chieftain himself.
"Let her go, Skipper." Mhera ordered and the otter freed the marten, a look of mistrust on his face as Pearl walked slowly to the abbess' side.
"I've come here to warn you." She spoke in a low tone, her words only for the ottermaid's ears.
"Warn us?" The abbess wondered in a soft voice, a little confused.
"Your abbey is in grave danger." Pearl continued, her demeanor completely serious.
"Danger, from what?" Mhera asked, a bit of fright in her voice.
"A horde is coming to take this abbey, they far outnumber you, but I have a plan that could spare your abbey." The marten spoke in an even lower tone as Skipper drew nearer to them, his eyes watching Pearl closely, looking for any signs.
"What's in it for you?" The Abbess asked, eying the marten warily.
"My friends freedom and hopefully my husbands as well." Pearl replied, glancing at the ground for a moment, letting out a soft sigh.
"Your husbands a slave?" Mhera asked, wanting to know more.
"No, he is the leader of the horde, but . . ." Pearl glanced at the ottermaid for a moment, wondering if she would believe the truth. "He is under the influence of a vixen. I'm not sure of her motives, but she wishes to conquer this abbey." At these words, Mhera turned to Nimbalo.
"Do you trust her?" She asked the mouse, wanting to have some assurance.
"Aye, marm. That I do, an' so does Deyna." The mouse answered, completely serious, taking on a tone that was quite unlike his normally upbeat, almost hare-like demeanor.
"Okay, so what is this plan that you have?" Mhera asked, leading both Nimbalo and the pine marten maid over into the Great Hall, and upstairs to her private chambers. An hour or so later, as the sun began to dip below the horizon, the walls were lined with guards, the gates had been barricaded and everybeast's eyes were on the lookout for the vermin horde and their Abbey warrior, Deyna, who was still missing.
~Chapter Eight~
Back at Redwall Abbey, Mhera had long since concluded the meeting between the Redwall elders and everybeast that had been involved in the recent theft. Most of the council and the beasts present simply wished for life to go on as usual until either Deyna or Nimbalo, who had recently been discovered missing from the abbey, returned with some news that they could act upon. Mhera sat up in her room, staring out the window at the treetops as the sun began to set behind them, hoping for some sign of brother and his friend. Suddenly, down below she heard and saw a commotion and then one of the wall guards burst into her room, plainly out of breath.
"Abbess Mhera, it's Nimbalo, 'e's at the gate." The otter spoke in between ragged gasps of air as Skipper stepped into the room behind the guard, an expression of confusion on his face. Mhera glanced out the window again at the gate to find it shut tightly, numerous guards near it, all of them armed.
"Skipper, why isn't the gate open?" Mhera asked, confused by the guards actions, wondering if the mouse had been followed or something worse.
"Come wit me if ye will." The otter chieftain answered, beckoning for her to follow, hopping to her foot paws the otter maid quickly followed the Skipper up onto the wall. "He's got a marten wit 'im an' I can't jus' let 'em in wit' out knowin' that this ain't some sort a vermin trick." The otter explained as he leaned over the wall, staring down at the mouse and his strange company, Mhera followed suite and glanced down to find Nimbalo standing there, a look of irritation on his face, a pine marten maid by his side, a look of worry and fear on her face.
"'Allo Mother Abbess!" Nimbalo called up cheerily, happy that the otter maid had showed up, hoping that she would let him in, but his cheery welcome was met with a demand.
"Where's Deyna?" Mhera called down, a look of absolute seriousness on her face, fear in her eyes.
"He heard somthin' back a ways an' went ta check it out. He should be back any moment." Nimbalo called back, but his response was met with silence so the mouse decided to push a little. "So, can we come in now?"
"Tis yore decision, Abbess." Skipper said as the maid looked to him, hoping for a bit of advice, unsure of the marten maid's intentions or even why she was there.
"Let them in." The abbess commanded and was quickly relayed to the otters standing behind the gates. With a gust of air, the doors to Redwall opened and quickly both Nimbalo and Pearl rushed in only to find half a dozen javelins pointed at her as Skipper and Mhera both descended to the Abbey grounds.
"Be still, marten." One of the otters growled, his disgust with her obvious as she gulped in fear, her paws up in surrender.
"'Ey, 'ey. Mateys, she's fine." Nimbalo said, trying to calm the overly anxious otters down as Skipper and Mhera came to their rescue.
"Put those weapons down. Is that how you treat a fellow abbey beast and a guest?" Mhera asked, her voice seeming disappointed at the otter's manners. Quickly all the otters brought the javelins to their sides before Skipper took over.
"Search 'er fer weapons an' the like." He ordered as the maid stood there, waiting for their decision on her as Mhera pulled Nimbalo aside.
"Is he alright?" She asked, an obvious note of worry in her voice.
"Aye, marm. He's plenty all right, but I think that ye best talk ta Pearl over there." The mouse motioned to the marten that had finished being searched thoroughly, Skipper's otters coming up with nothing, not even a knife and was now being held by the otter chieftain himself.
"Let her go, Skipper." Mhera ordered and the otter freed the marten, a look of mistrust on his face as Pearl walked slowly to the abbess' side.
"I've come here to warn you." She spoke in a low tone, her words only for the ottermaid's ears.
"Warn us?" The abbess wondered in a soft voice, a little confused.
"Your abbey is in grave danger." Pearl continued, her demeanor completely serious.
"Danger, from what?" Mhera asked, a bit of fright in her voice.
"A horde is coming to take this abbey, they far outnumber you, but I have a plan that could spare your abbey." The marten spoke in an even lower tone as Skipper drew nearer to them, his eyes watching Pearl closely, looking for any signs.
"What's in it for you?" The Abbess asked, eying the marten warily.
"My friends freedom and hopefully my husbands as well." Pearl replied, glancing at the ground for a moment, letting out a soft sigh.
"Your husbands a slave?" Mhera asked, wanting to know more.
"No, he is the leader of the horde, but . . ." Pearl glanced at the ottermaid for a moment, wondering if she would believe the truth. "He is under the influence of a vixen. I'm not sure of her motives, but she wishes to conquer this abbey." At these words, Mhera turned to Nimbalo.
"Do you trust her?" She asked the mouse, wanting to have some assurance.
"Aye, marm. That I do, an' so does Deyna." The mouse answered, completely serious, taking on a tone that was quite unlike his normally upbeat, almost hare-like demeanor.
"Okay, so what is this plan that you have?" Mhera asked, leading both Nimbalo and the pine marten maid over into the Great Hall, and upstairs to her private chambers. An hour or so later, as the sun began to dip below the horizon, the walls were lined with guards, the gates had been barricaded and everybeast's eyes were on the lookout for the vermin horde and their Abbey warrior, Deyna, who was still missing.