~Theft Of The Sword~
~Chapter Ten~
Sensing that something was wrong, Olin turned just in time to see the spear coming down in a deadly arc towards his, leaving no time for escape as in a flash of the blade the marten found himself on the ground, blood pumping from a wound on his chest a cry of pain tearing from his throat, staring up at his assailant, a great otter. Olin's troops heard the cry and turned to see Deyna standing there over their fallen leader, raising his spear for the kill.
"Olin!" One of the horde beasts cried out, trying to make a move to save its leader, but in a flash a dagger sliced through the air with astonishing speed, much to the surprise of the horde beasts as well as Deyna, cleanly slicing the spear head from its handle. Out from the woods stepped a shadow, a black furred vixen in a flowing black cloak, holding a second dagger at the ready as she glared at Deyna with strange yellow eyes that pierced the darkness.
"Get him!" She ordered in a commanding voice. At this Deyna was tackled to ground and subdued by a half-dozen horde beasts, knocked unconscious by a blow from one of their spear butts. Then they all stood at attention before the vixen, staring at her strangely hypnotic eyes, glancing down at their fallen leader.
"Who are ye?" A heavily scarred fox asked the vixen, obviously mistrusting the mysterious beast, but not sure what to make of her. From up above on the wall, Mhera watched the scene unfold, lit up the full moon above. She was shocked by her brother's actions, wondering what would make him do something so obviously foolish.
"I am Arrikaj, vixen empress of the southern shores. I am your new leader." She replied simply, sheathing her dagger quickly, as the fox moved towards her, most likely to denounce her claim.
"You 'aven't got any claim to . . ." The fox fell backwards, silenced by a dagger through his throat.
"Anybeast else wish to question my claim." No beast replied to this challenge and a large rat stepped up to the vixen, saluting smartly.
"What're yore orders, milady?" He asked, keeping up the salute.
"Keep them under siege." She ordered before pointing to a pair of weasels that stood, saluting nervously. "You two, take the otter and Olin and chain them up at the back of the line. They shall serve well as leverage." With a grim smile the vixen took Olin's weapons from him, strapping the sword of martin across her back.
"Yes, Arrikaj." They saluted sharply, quickly going about their duty, chaining the two beast together and moving them to the back of their lines.
~~~~~~
Meanwhile, upon the ramparts of Redwall, Mhera crouched down below, frozen by shock at what she had seen transpire below. She couldn't understand it, but she knew that there was something else that they had to worry about more now, something much greater. Skipper slowly made his way towards the otter maid as sling stones flew overhead, falling to the earth in a light hail.
"Abbess, are you all right?" He asked with a look of concern on his face, worry in his tone as he placed a paw upon the younger otter maid's shoulder.
"They have Deyna." She whispered, still in shock, shaking her head slowly in disbelief.
"What? They've got Deyna? How?" Skipper cried out in surprise, turning the abbess so that they could look eye to eye.
"He tried to kill Olin for some reason, but a vixen appeared behind him and stopped it all." Mhera muttered in a soft voice, before she figured it out. "Quickly, where is Pearl?" Skipper motioned for her to follow as he slid along, beneath the wall, being careful to stay out of the 'danger zones' where the sling stones fell down in a constant barrage. Within a few minutes they were at the camp where Pearl's horde sat around, preparing for the war that was to come, they found the marten maid near the abbey wall, sharpening a dagger.
"Mhera?" Pearl stood as she saw the otter maid coming towards her, a look of anger on her face.
"The vixen, she has Deyna." Mhera's voice was low, but still her anger and frustration were plainly obvious in her tone as well as in her features.
"Deyna, how?" Pearl asked, setting the dagger down on a pack of supplies, facing the abbess directly, a look of concern upon her face.
"He tried to kill Olin . . ." Mhera began quickly, but paused for a moment to register Pearl's reaction. "He got your husband with a spear, it was the vixen." Pearl froze for a moment, a blank look on her face as she tried to comprehend the news, she seemed to lose her balance and fell to her knees, a look of utter shock on her face.
"What did she look like?" Pearl asked in a whisper, her voice cracking a bit as she glanced up at Mhera before suddenly she jumped up and seized the otter maid by her shoulders. "Did you see her?" A look of desperation washed over the marten's features.
"Yes, I did, she was black-furred, dressed all in black cloaks and such . . .seemed like she was trying to be a shadow. And she had strange eyes, but that was all." Mhera answered in a calm voice, placing a paw on Pearl's arm, trying to comfort the anxious maid.
"I swear, I will kill that scum . . ." Pearl hissed, releasing Mhera quickly and grabbing her dagger, moving towards the western path where the vixen awaited.
"No, Pearl. Now is not the time for rash action. We need to wait for dawn." Mhera seized the marten by the shoulder, stopping her in a surprisingly strong grip. "You can't do Olin any good if you're dead." Pearl sighed, no responding for a moment as she glanced at the sun as it set upon the western horizon.
"Very well, we shall wait for dawn. Then we will attack and send that scum straight the gates of hell . . . she will never do this again, a swear that." The marten shook with rage, a fire burning in her eyes as she made her proclamations.
~~~~~~
Meanwhile, through the forest that stood on the southern side of the path moved a figure, a pair of eyes glowing in the darkness as it neared the unconscious and bound bodies of both Deyna and Olin. The eyes flickered with recognition as it spotted the two motionless bodies and within a few moments they melted away into the darkness and vanished into the cold night air. Up the path a bit Arrikaj stood amidst her troops, driving them on as they kept up a constant barrage of arrows and sling stones. The flames of their torches had long since been extinguished as the battle raged on in the darkness, lit only by the pale rays of the moon that hung high above in the heavens.
"Keep it up, victory shall be ours!" The vixen shouted at the worn soldiers as they kept up the barrage, tired limbs and minds, wearied by the long day of marching and battle. Knowing this the vixen soon ordered a retreat, sending her troops away from Redwall for land where they would be safe to recuperate and prepare for the next day. Suddenly Arrikaj stopped short as she passed the blood stained ground where Olin had fallen into the dirt, even in the night it was obvious, she had been robbed of her hostages, both the otter and the marten had vanished like a wisp of smoke in the wind.
~~~~~~
Pearl and her troops as well as Mhera, Skipper and his otter crew had been standing around a low burning bonfire attempting to come up with a plan to rescue their comrades with a minimal risk of life when suddenly a succession of a dozen or so beasts ran into the camp from the southern edge. All of them bore stretchers, makeshift ones created from spear and belts, three beasts; all of them unconscious were rushed into the camp.
"Deyna!" Mhera cried out as she spotted her brother on one of the stretchers, his fur stained with blood as he laid there, head rolled to one side lifelessly. Glancing to the other two she saw a weasel and a pine marten, both in similar condition.
"Olin!" Pearl quickly rushed to her husband's side, seizing the unconscious marten's paw as tears stained her cheek fur. Olin's body was battered and twisted, his fur caked with blood and dirt, tunic nearly ripped in half, but Pearl gave out a small sigh of relief as she saw that his chest still rose and fell steadily with shallow breaths. "Oh . . ." Pearl nearly vomited as she saw the third stretcher and who was on it, the horrors of what was there
"Hallan . . ." Kyin had arrived just in time to see the weasel being carried in, just in time to see the full horror of what had happened to him. The entire lower half of the weasel's body had been blackened, all the fur had been singed off and much of the skin as well. Most of his fur had been burnt off and burns covered the weasel's entire body. It was a miracle that he was even alive, his chest still rising and falling in uneven, strained breaths, blood staining the weasel's mouth.
"Quickly, everybeast, we have to get them into the abbey." Mhera ordered and quickly they were rushed into Redwall, everybeast hoping that it would not be too late.
~Chapter Ten~
Sensing that something was wrong, Olin turned just in time to see the spear coming down in a deadly arc towards his, leaving no time for escape as in a flash of the blade the marten found himself on the ground, blood pumping from a wound on his chest a cry of pain tearing from his throat, staring up at his assailant, a great otter. Olin's troops heard the cry and turned to see Deyna standing there over their fallen leader, raising his spear for the kill.
"Olin!" One of the horde beasts cried out, trying to make a move to save its leader, but in a flash a dagger sliced through the air with astonishing speed, much to the surprise of the horde beasts as well as Deyna, cleanly slicing the spear head from its handle. Out from the woods stepped a shadow, a black furred vixen in a flowing black cloak, holding a second dagger at the ready as she glared at Deyna with strange yellow eyes that pierced the darkness.
"Get him!" She ordered in a commanding voice. At this Deyna was tackled to ground and subdued by a half-dozen horde beasts, knocked unconscious by a blow from one of their spear butts. Then they all stood at attention before the vixen, staring at her strangely hypnotic eyes, glancing down at their fallen leader.
"Who are ye?" A heavily scarred fox asked the vixen, obviously mistrusting the mysterious beast, but not sure what to make of her. From up above on the wall, Mhera watched the scene unfold, lit up the full moon above. She was shocked by her brother's actions, wondering what would make him do something so obviously foolish.
"I am Arrikaj, vixen empress of the southern shores. I am your new leader." She replied simply, sheathing her dagger quickly, as the fox moved towards her, most likely to denounce her claim.
"You 'aven't got any claim to . . ." The fox fell backwards, silenced by a dagger through his throat.
"Anybeast else wish to question my claim." No beast replied to this challenge and a large rat stepped up to the vixen, saluting smartly.
"What're yore orders, milady?" He asked, keeping up the salute.
"Keep them under siege." She ordered before pointing to a pair of weasels that stood, saluting nervously. "You two, take the otter and Olin and chain them up at the back of the line. They shall serve well as leverage." With a grim smile the vixen took Olin's weapons from him, strapping the sword of martin across her back.
"Yes, Arrikaj." They saluted sharply, quickly going about their duty, chaining the two beast together and moving them to the back of their lines.
~~~~~~
Meanwhile, upon the ramparts of Redwall, Mhera crouched down below, frozen by shock at what she had seen transpire below. She couldn't understand it, but she knew that there was something else that they had to worry about more now, something much greater. Skipper slowly made his way towards the otter maid as sling stones flew overhead, falling to the earth in a light hail.
"Abbess, are you all right?" He asked with a look of concern on his face, worry in his tone as he placed a paw upon the younger otter maid's shoulder.
"They have Deyna." She whispered, still in shock, shaking her head slowly in disbelief.
"What? They've got Deyna? How?" Skipper cried out in surprise, turning the abbess so that they could look eye to eye.
"He tried to kill Olin for some reason, but a vixen appeared behind him and stopped it all." Mhera muttered in a soft voice, before she figured it out. "Quickly, where is Pearl?" Skipper motioned for her to follow as he slid along, beneath the wall, being careful to stay out of the 'danger zones' where the sling stones fell down in a constant barrage. Within a few minutes they were at the camp where Pearl's horde sat around, preparing for the war that was to come, they found the marten maid near the abbey wall, sharpening a dagger.
"Mhera?" Pearl stood as she saw the otter maid coming towards her, a look of anger on her face.
"The vixen, she has Deyna." Mhera's voice was low, but still her anger and frustration were plainly obvious in her tone as well as in her features.
"Deyna, how?" Pearl asked, setting the dagger down on a pack of supplies, facing the abbess directly, a look of concern upon her face.
"He tried to kill Olin . . ." Mhera began quickly, but paused for a moment to register Pearl's reaction. "He got your husband with a spear, it was the vixen." Pearl froze for a moment, a blank look on her face as she tried to comprehend the news, she seemed to lose her balance and fell to her knees, a look of utter shock on her face.
"What did she look like?" Pearl asked in a whisper, her voice cracking a bit as she glanced up at Mhera before suddenly she jumped up and seized the otter maid by her shoulders. "Did you see her?" A look of desperation washed over the marten's features.
"Yes, I did, she was black-furred, dressed all in black cloaks and such . . .seemed like she was trying to be a shadow. And she had strange eyes, but that was all." Mhera answered in a calm voice, placing a paw on Pearl's arm, trying to comfort the anxious maid.
"I swear, I will kill that scum . . ." Pearl hissed, releasing Mhera quickly and grabbing her dagger, moving towards the western path where the vixen awaited.
"No, Pearl. Now is not the time for rash action. We need to wait for dawn." Mhera seized the marten by the shoulder, stopping her in a surprisingly strong grip. "You can't do Olin any good if you're dead." Pearl sighed, no responding for a moment as she glanced at the sun as it set upon the western horizon.
"Very well, we shall wait for dawn. Then we will attack and send that scum straight the gates of hell . . . she will never do this again, a swear that." The marten shook with rage, a fire burning in her eyes as she made her proclamations.
~~~~~~
Meanwhile, through the forest that stood on the southern side of the path moved a figure, a pair of eyes glowing in the darkness as it neared the unconscious and bound bodies of both Deyna and Olin. The eyes flickered with recognition as it spotted the two motionless bodies and within a few moments they melted away into the darkness and vanished into the cold night air. Up the path a bit Arrikaj stood amidst her troops, driving them on as they kept up a constant barrage of arrows and sling stones. The flames of their torches had long since been extinguished as the battle raged on in the darkness, lit only by the pale rays of the moon that hung high above in the heavens.
"Keep it up, victory shall be ours!" The vixen shouted at the worn soldiers as they kept up the barrage, tired limbs and minds, wearied by the long day of marching and battle. Knowing this the vixen soon ordered a retreat, sending her troops away from Redwall for land where they would be safe to recuperate and prepare for the next day. Suddenly Arrikaj stopped short as she passed the blood stained ground where Olin had fallen into the dirt, even in the night it was obvious, she had been robbed of her hostages, both the otter and the marten had vanished like a wisp of smoke in the wind.
~~~~~~
Pearl and her troops as well as Mhera, Skipper and his otter crew had been standing around a low burning bonfire attempting to come up with a plan to rescue their comrades with a minimal risk of life when suddenly a succession of a dozen or so beasts ran into the camp from the southern edge. All of them bore stretchers, makeshift ones created from spear and belts, three beasts; all of them unconscious were rushed into the camp.
"Deyna!" Mhera cried out as she spotted her brother on one of the stretchers, his fur stained with blood as he laid there, head rolled to one side lifelessly. Glancing to the other two she saw a weasel and a pine marten, both in similar condition.
"Olin!" Pearl quickly rushed to her husband's side, seizing the unconscious marten's paw as tears stained her cheek fur. Olin's body was battered and twisted, his fur caked with blood and dirt, tunic nearly ripped in half, but Pearl gave out a small sigh of relief as she saw that his chest still rose and fell steadily with shallow breaths. "Oh . . ." Pearl nearly vomited as she saw the third stretcher and who was on it, the horrors of what was there
"Hallan . . ." Kyin had arrived just in time to see the weasel being carried in, just in time to see the full horror of what had happened to him. The entire lower half of the weasel's body had been blackened, all the fur had been singed off and much of the skin as well. Most of his fur had been burnt off and burns covered the weasel's entire body. It was a miracle that he was even alive, his chest still rising and falling in uneven, strained breaths, blood staining the weasel's mouth.
"Quickly, everybeast, we have to get them into the abbey." Mhera ordered and quickly they were rushed into Redwall, everybeast hoping that it would not be too late.