~Theft Of The Sword~
~Chapter Twelve~
The moon hung high in the sky over Redwall casting a cold, blue light over the silent abbey. In the silence one heard little save for the occasional hoot of a woodland owl, all beasts were resting for the coming morning, save for a single beast that crept in shadowy forest of the night. Glancing up at the abbey it could just make out the figure of the roving sentries on the wall, their weapons just showing above the wall as the stalked along beneath the cover the wall. Moving quickly the figure made its way to the wall, scaling it with the aid of a rope and hook, landing silently on the wall just above the southern gate similarly to how Kyin had done it the night before.
"Hello, somebeast there?" A frightened voice asked, breaking the silence of the night as a lone mouse walked along, spear held out before him defensively, shaking with evident fear. Silently the figure threw itself back over the wall, hanging from the rope precariously as the mouse walked along the walls, a small lantern in his paw. "Anybeast there?"
"No, no beast at all." A sinister voice answered, whispering in the mouse's ear as it drew its blade across his throat before letting the lifeless corpse fall to the ground. "That is one." As the blood began to pool around the mouse the figure stepped away from its kill, turning towards the main abbey building.
~~~~~~
"Did ye hear that?" An otter asked, a nervous look upon his face as he sat beneath the western wall, a long bow clutched in his paws.
"Hear what, matey?" An otter maid by the name of Den asked, glancing down at the otter from where she crouched on the wall, watching for the enemy, a look of frustration on her face.
"Ain't too sure, came from over on the southern wall, though . . ." The otter paused for a moment as he remembered something. "Where Russ jus' went." At this Den immediately issued orders.
"You two cover this wall while we go an' check on things." The two beasts she had singled out saluted as Den and the otter disappeared into the darkness, both of them with their weapons at the ready.
"What exactly did ye hear?" Den asked in a low voice, her spear shaking slightly in the cool night air, the moon casting its glow over the walls as the walked along the wall, crouching beneath the battlements.
"Sounded like somebeast fallin', metal on stone or . . ." The otter cut himself off as they found the mouse lying in a puddle of his own blood with eyes wide open in fear, spear lying unused at his side.
"Redwaller down!" Den called out, shattering the silence of the night as the moon moved slowly through the sky and the abbey came alive.
~~~~~~
Quickly Redwall had lit up as patrols began to stalk the halls in search of the killer, but they found no traces of the beast, they only found his victims. About a half dozen or so had been found, killed where they stood as they had been going about their duties, all of them had died identical deaths, a clean slice across the neck, a quick kill. Den had been wandering the main halls of the abbey, flanked by several other otters, each of them skilled warriors, when she had spotted it, a cloaked beast sitting against the side of the hallway, just across from the door of the infirmary, a dagger in paw.
"You there! Toss away yer dagger!" Den commanded, raising her spear threateningly as she lifted a lantern so that she could see the figure better. It quickly complied with the otter's demands, tossing the dagger away down the hall before it rose, paws up in the air in a sign of defeat.
"What's goin' on?" The figure asked, confused as is lifted off its hood to reveal a young ferret.
"Oh, Kyin. It's jus' you. What're ye doin' out 'ere this time o' night?" Den demanded, still holding her spear tightly in her paws, not completely trusting of the ferret.
"Jus' waitin' on news for Hallan . . ." Kyin replied, gulping nervously as he slowly lowered his paws. "So, what is goin' on?"
"Seems that we got ourselves another thief stalkin' 'round the abbey killin' innocent beasts." Den paused for a moment to gauge the ferret's reaction, satisfied with it she lowered her spear before she continued on in a low voice. "We haven't spotted 'im yet so ye best be careful out . . ." The otter maid was cut off as the young ferret rushed past her, drawing a second dagger from his belt in the process before he slammed into a shadowy figure the stood just behind the otter maid and two of her guards, standing above the corpse of the third otter.
"What the?" Den stuttered as she was knocked to the ground in the surprise, watching as the figure was tackled to the floor, revealing a dark furred weasel holding a crimson stained dagger. The fox went down hard, surprised by the blow, but his momentary pause was short lived as he immediately hurled the ferret off of him, throwing his cloak off in the process.
"Bastard ferret." The fox cursed before diving at the fallen ferret with his dagger out, making it only half way before spear pierced his chest, sending the vulpine crashing to the floor, leaving a crimson stain on the abbey wall. Den and her two otters immediately rushed to their comrades sides just as the infirmary door swung open to reveal a very irate Sister Alkanet, dark circles beneath her eyes from a lack of sleep.
"What in the name of the dark forest is going on out here? My patients need their rest and. . ." The sister immediately silenced herself as she came upon the scene, the fox lying dead just a few feet from her foot paws.
"Well, now ye have quite a few more patients." Den replied in an equally irate tone, hefting an unconscious Kyin onto her shoulders as the pair of otter guards lifted their fallen comrade from the cold stone floor. Glancing down the hallway, the healer found other beasts coming towards them, all of them bearing makeshift stretchers.
"Come." Sister Alkanet said, not showing even a trace of emotion as the line of injured and dead wandered through the peaceful halls of Redwall Abbey.
~Chapter Twelve~
The moon hung high in the sky over Redwall casting a cold, blue light over the silent abbey. In the silence one heard little save for the occasional hoot of a woodland owl, all beasts were resting for the coming morning, save for a single beast that crept in shadowy forest of the night. Glancing up at the abbey it could just make out the figure of the roving sentries on the wall, their weapons just showing above the wall as the stalked along beneath the cover the wall. Moving quickly the figure made its way to the wall, scaling it with the aid of a rope and hook, landing silently on the wall just above the southern gate similarly to how Kyin had done it the night before.
"Hello, somebeast there?" A frightened voice asked, breaking the silence of the night as a lone mouse walked along, spear held out before him defensively, shaking with evident fear. Silently the figure threw itself back over the wall, hanging from the rope precariously as the mouse walked along the walls, a small lantern in his paw. "Anybeast there?"
"No, no beast at all." A sinister voice answered, whispering in the mouse's ear as it drew its blade across his throat before letting the lifeless corpse fall to the ground. "That is one." As the blood began to pool around the mouse the figure stepped away from its kill, turning towards the main abbey building.
~~~~~~
"Did ye hear that?" An otter asked, a nervous look upon his face as he sat beneath the western wall, a long bow clutched in his paws.
"Hear what, matey?" An otter maid by the name of Den asked, glancing down at the otter from where she crouched on the wall, watching for the enemy, a look of frustration on her face.
"Ain't too sure, came from over on the southern wall, though . . ." The otter paused for a moment as he remembered something. "Where Russ jus' went." At this Den immediately issued orders.
"You two cover this wall while we go an' check on things." The two beasts she had singled out saluted as Den and the otter disappeared into the darkness, both of them with their weapons at the ready.
"What exactly did ye hear?" Den asked in a low voice, her spear shaking slightly in the cool night air, the moon casting its glow over the walls as the walked along the wall, crouching beneath the battlements.
"Sounded like somebeast fallin', metal on stone or . . ." The otter cut himself off as they found the mouse lying in a puddle of his own blood with eyes wide open in fear, spear lying unused at his side.
"Redwaller down!" Den called out, shattering the silence of the night as the moon moved slowly through the sky and the abbey came alive.
~~~~~~
Quickly Redwall had lit up as patrols began to stalk the halls in search of the killer, but they found no traces of the beast, they only found his victims. About a half dozen or so had been found, killed where they stood as they had been going about their duties, all of them had died identical deaths, a clean slice across the neck, a quick kill. Den had been wandering the main halls of the abbey, flanked by several other otters, each of them skilled warriors, when she had spotted it, a cloaked beast sitting against the side of the hallway, just across from the door of the infirmary, a dagger in paw.
"You there! Toss away yer dagger!" Den commanded, raising her spear threateningly as she lifted a lantern so that she could see the figure better. It quickly complied with the otter's demands, tossing the dagger away down the hall before it rose, paws up in the air in a sign of defeat.
"What's goin' on?" The figure asked, confused as is lifted off its hood to reveal a young ferret.
"Oh, Kyin. It's jus' you. What're ye doin' out 'ere this time o' night?" Den demanded, still holding her spear tightly in her paws, not completely trusting of the ferret.
"Jus' waitin' on news for Hallan . . ." Kyin replied, gulping nervously as he slowly lowered his paws. "So, what is goin' on?"
"Seems that we got ourselves another thief stalkin' 'round the abbey killin' innocent beasts." Den paused for a moment to gauge the ferret's reaction, satisfied with it she lowered her spear before she continued on in a low voice. "We haven't spotted 'im yet so ye best be careful out . . ." The otter maid was cut off as the young ferret rushed past her, drawing a second dagger from his belt in the process before he slammed into a shadowy figure the stood just behind the otter maid and two of her guards, standing above the corpse of the third otter.
"What the?" Den stuttered as she was knocked to the ground in the surprise, watching as the figure was tackled to the floor, revealing a dark furred weasel holding a crimson stained dagger. The fox went down hard, surprised by the blow, but his momentary pause was short lived as he immediately hurled the ferret off of him, throwing his cloak off in the process.
"Bastard ferret." The fox cursed before diving at the fallen ferret with his dagger out, making it only half way before spear pierced his chest, sending the vulpine crashing to the floor, leaving a crimson stain on the abbey wall. Den and her two otters immediately rushed to their comrades sides just as the infirmary door swung open to reveal a very irate Sister Alkanet, dark circles beneath her eyes from a lack of sleep.
"What in the name of the dark forest is going on out here? My patients need their rest and. . ." The sister immediately silenced herself as she came upon the scene, the fox lying dead just a few feet from her foot paws.
"Well, now ye have quite a few more patients." Den replied in an equally irate tone, hefting an unconscious Kyin onto her shoulders as the pair of otter guards lifted their fallen comrade from the cold stone floor. Glancing down the hallway, the healer found other beasts coming towards them, all of them bearing makeshift stretchers.
"Come." Sister Alkanet said, not showing even a trace of emotion as the line of injured and dead wandered through the peaceful halls of Redwall Abbey.