~Theft Of The Sword~
~Chapter Eleven~
Against Sister Alkanet's will, the infirmary was packed wall-to-wall with abbey beasts and members of Pearl's troop, all of them standing in a eerie silence as the healer worked quickly upon her charges, enlisting the help of any beast close to her. Pearl, having been trained as a healer in her younger seasons, had set about cleaning the long chest wound of her husband, one eye always straying to glance at the shaking form of Hallan. The weasel lay on the bed, body shaking and shivering as if he were cold, short, ragged breaths escaping from his lungs; he was truly horrible to look at. At his side stood a very frightened looking Kyin, the ferret's eyes dulled in sorrow as he stared at the weasel, the form of what had been his friend.
"Sister, will he be all right?" Mhera asked the healer in a low voice, moving from her place at Deyna's side to look at Hallan, her eyes full of concern and sorrow as she glanced at the weasel's friend, his eyes dulled in shock and anguish.
"I don't know, Mother Abbess, I've never treated any beast with burns this severe. Only time can tell us if he will recover . . .I can only do so much for him . . ." Sister Alkanet slowly trailed off into silence, cursing herself on the inside, she hated the feelings that she had. She felt helpless to do anything, she had done all that she knew how to and all that was left was the wait. "All there is left to do is to hope."
~~~~~~
Outside of Redwall Abbey, by the western wall gate, the makeshift camp sat silent, a bonfire burning low in the very center of the tents, casting an eerie reddish glow across the darkened. A dozen or so guards stood around the perimeter, all eyes upon the darkened woods, each of them armed and ever at the ready for anything.
"Hello there!" Three guards standing at the western side of the camp tensed as a loud voice broke the silence of the night and out from the shadows of the trees came a rat bearing a small weasel maid on his back.
"Jon!" One of the guards, a dark furred ferret maid, recognized the rat immediately and rushed to his side.
"Hey Fina . . ." The rat smiled a little as he stumbled under the weight of the maid, falling to one knee.
"Are you okay?" Fina asked as she knelt beside the rat, taking the small weasel maid from him.
"Yeah, I'll be fine, jus' tired that's all." The rat answered as he slowly rose back to his foot paws, a look of worry upon his face. "Did Hallan get 'ere all right? I got 'is sis 'ere all right" Fina didn't respond for a moment, a look of pain washing over her face.
"He got 'ere, but . . ." Fina bit her lip as she tried to find a way to break the terrible news to the rat. ". . .He ain't doin' too well . . .last I saw of 'im he was bein' escorted to their infirmary. No beast is sure if he's goin' ta make it or not." Jon face fell as the news registered in his mind, he couldn't believe it and yet in the same moment he knew that it was the truth. He had seen the weasel just before he had escaped with the little weasel maid; he knew how badly the weasel must be doing.
"Where is he?" Jon asked, stumbling a little as he walked towards the abbey with Fina close behind him, carrying the slumbering weasel maid in her arms.
"He's in the infirmary. Here, I'll show ye the way." Fina grabbed the rat's paw, leading him slowly towards the abbey, Shale resting on her shoulder, snoring softly as the night breeze ruffled her fur slightly. Quickly the gate opened for the pair and they made their way through the halls of Redwall slowly, many of the abbey beasts getting out of their way, a mix of curiosity and fear upon their faces. When they finally reached the infirmary they found it to be half with worried creatures, most of them abbey beasts concerned for their warrior's safety.
"Jon, you made it." Pearl stood from where she had been kneeling at her husband's side.
"Aye, got Shale 'ere wit me too." The rat replied, blinking his eyes tiredly as Fina led him over to the bed where Hallan was, Sister Alkanet working on the weasel tirelessly. "How is he?"
"Not too good. The healer has done all that she can . . ." Pearl answered, sighing as she glanced up at the still slumbering Shale, head resting upon Fina's shoulder. "All we can do now is wait and see what happens . . ."
"She doesn't deserve this . . ." Some beast murmured in a soft voice that cracked slightly. Pearl turned to find Kyin standing against the wall, his eyes upon Hallan. "Shale doesn't deserve to lose Hallan . . .it just isn't right . . ."
"Don't worry, Kyin. Hallan is a tough beast, you just watch. He'll be back on his foot paws soon." Pearl lied, trying to comfort the young ferret. She knew that it was an outright lie, she didn't even believe herself, but she knew that she had to keep some sort of hope alive.
"None of this is right." Kyin continued on as if he hadn't heard the marten's words. "No beast deserves what that vixen has brought here." With an angry look upon his face the young ferret rose to his foot paws and quickly left the infirmary, dagger in paw.
"Aye . . ." Mhera concurred in a soft voice, stepping to Pearl's side. "He has a point there, but for now I believe that it would be best if you went to rest. Everything will be settled in the morning."
"Sounds good, best not fall asleep durin' a battle, eh?" Pearl smiled a fake smile, sighing as she took a last look at her husband before stepping towards the door. He had stabilized and was going to be all right. At least physically he would be, mentally was any beast's guess. Mhera watched the maid as she left before she turned to the other beasts that littered the infirmary.
"That goes for all of you as well, can't be sleeping here either." The abbey beasts nodded their consent and silently filed out of the infirmary at their abbesses' orders, only Nimbalo and a few other close friends of Deyna lingering behind as well as Jon, Fina and Hallan's little sister.
"Would it be all right if I left Shale to be with 'er brother?" Fina asked in a low voice, not wishing to wake the weasel maid.
"I'll make up the bed by the window, she'll be right next to him." Sister Alkanet smiled slightly.
"Here, I'll take her, you and Jon need to get some rest." Mhera smiled as she took the small maid from the ferret's arms, holding her carefully.
"Thank ye, marm." The ferret maid replied, bowing politely before she led a half conscious Jon out of the infirmary bound for their camp.
"Uggh . . ." Just as the infirmary door closed Mhera heard a sound, turning she found that Deyna had risen from his slumber and was holding his head in his paws, a look of pain n his face.
"Deyna!" Mhera cried excitedly, but quickly quieted herself as she remembered Shale.
"Mhera? Wot 'appened?" The otter warrior asked, blinking his eyes rapidly as they adjusted to the torch lit infirmary.
"The vixen. . .she was controlling you. . ." Mhera was quickly cut off as it all came back to the former Taggerung, all of it. The ambush by the vermin, the vixen's spell as well as his actions, he remembered the bloodshed, the flash of the spear blade.
"Oh no . . .what have I done. . ?" Deyna murmured as he stared as his own paws, there was new blood on them, a fresh crimson stain.
"It wasn't your fault . . ." Mhera whispered, trying to comfort her brother, but he could not be comforted, he remembered it all, it was his fault. He had been aware of it all, but he couldn't help, but go along with the vixen's demands. He felt sick.
"I swear . . ." Deyna began in a low voice, his paws balled into fists as a fire burned within him. "That vixen shall pay with blood." Teeth bared, the otter glanced over at the two other patients, he swore that he avenge them and make the vixen pay for her crimes.
"Do not worry, brother. Tomorrow holds your chance." Mhera whispered, placing a comforting paw upon the warrior's shoulder as outside in the darkness of nigh the storm clouds gathered.
~Chapter Eleven~
Against Sister Alkanet's will, the infirmary was packed wall-to-wall with abbey beasts and members of Pearl's troop, all of them standing in a eerie silence as the healer worked quickly upon her charges, enlisting the help of any beast close to her. Pearl, having been trained as a healer in her younger seasons, had set about cleaning the long chest wound of her husband, one eye always straying to glance at the shaking form of Hallan. The weasel lay on the bed, body shaking and shivering as if he were cold, short, ragged breaths escaping from his lungs; he was truly horrible to look at. At his side stood a very frightened looking Kyin, the ferret's eyes dulled in sorrow as he stared at the weasel, the form of what had been his friend.
"Sister, will he be all right?" Mhera asked the healer in a low voice, moving from her place at Deyna's side to look at Hallan, her eyes full of concern and sorrow as she glanced at the weasel's friend, his eyes dulled in shock and anguish.
"I don't know, Mother Abbess, I've never treated any beast with burns this severe. Only time can tell us if he will recover . . .I can only do so much for him . . ." Sister Alkanet slowly trailed off into silence, cursing herself on the inside, she hated the feelings that she had. She felt helpless to do anything, she had done all that she knew how to and all that was left was the wait. "All there is left to do is to hope."
~~~~~~
Outside of Redwall Abbey, by the western wall gate, the makeshift camp sat silent, a bonfire burning low in the very center of the tents, casting an eerie reddish glow across the darkened. A dozen or so guards stood around the perimeter, all eyes upon the darkened woods, each of them armed and ever at the ready for anything.
"Hello there!" Three guards standing at the western side of the camp tensed as a loud voice broke the silence of the night and out from the shadows of the trees came a rat bearing a small weasel maid on his back.
"Jon!" One of the guards, a dark furred ferret maid, recognized the rat immediately and rushed to his side.
"Hey Fina . . ." The rat smiled a little as he stumbled under the weight of the maid, falling to one knee.
"Are you okay?" Fina asked as she knelt beside the rat, taking the small weasel maid from him.
"Yeah, I'll be fine, jus' tired that's all." The rat answered as he slowly rose back to his foot paws, a look of worry upon his face. "Did Hallan get 'ere all right? I got 'is sis 'ere all right" Fina didn't respond for a moment, a look of pain washing over her face.
"He got 'ere, but . . ." Fina bit her lip as she tried to find a way to break the terrible news to the rat. ". . .He ain't doin' too well . . .last I saw of 'im he was bein' escorted to their infirmary. No beast is sure if he's goin' ta make it or not." Jon face fell as the news registered in his mind, he couldn't believe it and yet in the same moment he knew that it was the truth. He had seen the weasel just before he had escaped with the little weasel maid; he knew how badly the weasel must be doing.
"Where is he?" Jon asked, stumbling a little as he walked towards the abbey with Fina close behind him, carrying the slumbering weasel maid in her arms.
"He's in the infirmary. Here, I'll show ye the way." Fina grabbed the rat's paw, leading him slowly towards the abbey, Shale resting on her shoulder, snoring softly as the night breeze ruffled her fur slightly. Quickly the gate opened for the pair and they made their way through the halls of Redwall slowly, many of the abbey beasts getting out of their way, a mix of curiosity and fear upon their faces. When they finally reached the infirmary they found it to be half with worried creatures, most of them abbey beasts concerned for their warrior's safety.
"Jon, you made it." Pearl stood from where she had been kneeling at her husband's side.
"Aye, got Shale 'ere wit me too." The rat replied, blinking his eyes tiredly as Fina led him over to the bed where Hallan was, Sister Alkanet working on the weasel tirelessly. "How is he?"
"Not too good. The healer has done all that she can . . ." Pearl answered, sighing as she glanced up at the still slumbering Shale, head resting upon Fina's shoulder. "All we can do now is wait and see what happens . . ."
"She doesn't deserve this . . ." Some beast murmured in a soft voice that cracked slightly. Pearl turned to find Kyin standing against the wall, his eyes upon Hallan. "Shale doesn't deserve to lose Hallan . . .it just isn't right . . ."
"Don't worry, Kyin. Hallan is a tough beast, you just watch. He'll be back on his foot paws soon." Pearl lied, trying to comfort the young ferret. She knew that it was an outright lie, she didn't even believe herself, but she knew that she had to keep some sort of hope alive.
"None of this is right." Kyin continued on as if he hadn't heard the marten's words. "No beast deserves what that vixen has brought here." With an angry look upon his face the young ferret rose to his foot paws and quickly left the infirmary, dagger in paw.
"Aye . . ." Mhera concurred in a soft voice, stepping to Pearl's side. "He has a point there, but for now I believe that it would be best if you went to rest. Everything will be settled in the morning."
"Sounds good, best not fall asleep durin' a battle, eh?" Pearl smiled a fake smile, sighing as she took a last look at her husband before stepping towards the door. He had stabilized and was going to be all right. At least physically he would be, mentally was any beast's guess. Mhera watched the maid as she left before she turned to the other beasts that littered the infirmary.
"That goes for all of you as well, can't be sleeping here either." The abbey beasts nodded their consent and silently filed out of the infirmary at their abbesses' orders, only Nimbalo and a few other close friends of Deyna lingering behind as well as Jon, Fina and Hallan's little sister.
"Would it be all right if I left Shale to be with 'er brother?" Fina asked in a low voice, not wishing to wake the weasel maid.
"I'll make up the bed by the window, she'll be right next to him." Sister Alkanet smiled slightly.
"Here, I'll take her, you and Jon need to get some rest." Mhera smiled as she took the small maid from the ferret's arms, holding her carefully.
"Thank ye, marm." The ferret maid replied, bowing politely before she led a half conscious Jon out of the infirmary bound for their camp.
"Uggh . . ." Just as the infirmary door closed Mhera heard a sound, turning she found that Deyna had risen from his slumber and was holding his head in his paws, a look of pain n his face.
"Deyna!" Mhera cried excitedly, but quickly quieted herself as she remembered Shale.
"Mhera? Wot 'appened?" The otter warrior asked, blinking his eyes rapidly as they adjusted to the torch lit infirmary.
"The vixen. . .she was controlling you. . ." Mhera was quickly cut off as it all came back to the former Taggerung, all of it. The ambush by the vermin, the vixen's spell as well as his actions, he remembered the bloodshed, the flash of the spear blade.
"Oh no . . .what have I done. . ?" Deyna murmured as he stared as his own paws, there was new blood on them, a fresh crimson stain.
"It wasn't your fault . . ." Mhera whispered, trying to comfort her brother, but he could not be comforted, he remembered it all, it was his fault. He had been aware of it all, but he couldn't help, but go along with the vixen's demands. He felt sick.
"I swear . . ." Deyna began in a low voice, his paws balled into fists as a fire burned within him. "That vixen shall pay with blood." Teeth bared, the otter glanced over at the two other patients, he swore that he avenge them and make the vixen pay for her crimes.
"Do not worry, brother. Tomorrow holds your chance." Mhera whispered, placing a comforting paw upon the warrior's shoulder as outside in the darkness of nigh the storm clouds gathered.