ShadowSong gazed in wonder at the architectural achievments of Redwall
Abbey. She stared at the great beams and arches that supported the weight
and mass of Redwall. Softly hued pink sandstone rippled and wrinkled under
the tiny grains that made up a whole block of stone. She rubbed a paw
gently against the sandy oblong cubes of rock.
Deyna noticed her wonder. "Something bothering you, marm?"
ShadowSong scratched a little white mark in the cherry sandstone. "My den was made of sandstone, but it was a lighter shade, yellowish, like sulfur. And it's not marm. ShadowSong is fine."
The recorder Rosabel bounded into the hall nimbly, even for a squirrel. She nearly knocked over Mhera. Jumping in a vacent oak chair, she pulled a short scroll and a pair of reading glasses. "Sorry, Abbess. Look, everybeast, I found the records!"
ShadowSong smiled, a strange sight for a wolf. "Please do carry on."
Rosabel took a deep drink of elderberry cordial that was on the table for tea, put on the glasses, and started.
" 'It has been three days since Lord Russano came and shunned the Juskabor (here ShadowSong jerked slightly but did not speak) to the land of the Southern Coasts. Such a sight never was, three hundred vermin being whisked away by a single badger! But this was Russano the Wise, and not to be trifled with. With fighting hares at his back, the Lord was confident that the vermin would not fight. Redwall is still hosting a four day long feast, and I must go back and see that the hares have not eaten all the woodland trife.'" Rosabel took off the glasses and drained the flagon of any liquid left. "So the Southern Coasts is where they are."
ShadowSong unsheathed her rapier. "Then I must avenge my pack. I am sorry to leave so quickly, but they might move and I will lose the tracks of the Juskabor!"
Deyna held up a paw. "Now, ShadowSong, you can't win against three hundred."
She sheathed her rapier again, but with less heart than to draw it. "I need to slay them, or my pack will be angry at the Dark Forest."
Abbess Mhera looked at Deyna. "Could you contact Skipper? He might lend a few otters to help."
Deyna bowed. "Shore thing, marm, but Sister Fwirl might ring the bell better than me." He turned to Sister Fwirl, but nothing but a cloud of dust was there. She had sped off to the belltower.
Fwirl lithly sprang to the top of the giant belltower. Clinging to the ropes of Mathias and Methuselah, she rung the two bells with might.
Bong! Bang bong boongg!
A good population of the Redwallers came to see. Broggle, the spouse of Fwirl, beamed. "Isn't Fwirl marvelous?"
The cellerhog shook his spiky head. "I wouldn't do that for a cask of October Ale, ho no sir!"
One of the Dibbuns trundled off. The Abbess turned and picked him up. "Where are you going?"
He replied, pointing at the door. "There be ratters out dere, me wanna go see dem."
This caused chaos. The Abbey Sisters and Brothers ran, scooping up Dibbuns, racing to the saftey of the stone building. Abbess Mhera, with her Dibbun in hand, rushed in, catching a mousebabe with her strong rudder. "Everybeast inside!"
Fwirl jumped from the belltower to about halfway down when she spotted the beasts. "There's over. wait, there must a hundred of them!"
Broggle ,about to slam the door, called, "Hurry, Fwirl!"
Quickly, she jumped the rest the way down and ran inside, Broggle shutting the heavy oaken door after her.
Deyna noticed her wonder. "Something bothering you, marm?"
ShadowSong scratched a little white mark in the cherry sandstone. "My den was made of sandstone, but it was a lighter shade, yellowish, like sulfur. And it's not marm. ShadowSong is fine."
The recorder Rosabel bounded into the hall nimbly, even for a squirrel. She nearly knocked over Mhera. Jumping in a vacent oak chair, she pulled a short scroll and a pair of reading glasses. "Sorry, Abbess. Look, everybeast, I found the records!"
ShadowSong smiled, a strange sight for a wolf. "Please do carry on."
Rosabel took a deep drink of elderberry cordial that was on the table for tea, put on the glasses, and started.
" 'It has been three days since Lord Russano came and shunned the Juskabor (here ShadowSong jerked slightly but did not speak) to the land of the Southern Coasts. Such a sight never was, three hundred vermin being whisked away by a single badger! But this was Russano the Wise, and not to be trifled with. With fighting hares at his back, the Lord was confident that the vermin would not fight. Redwall is still hosting a four day long feast, and I must go back and see that the hares have not eaten all the woodland trife.'" Rosabel took off the glasses and drained the flagon of any liquid left. "So the Southern Coasts is where they are."
ShadowSong unsheathed her rapier. "Then I must avenge my pack. I am sorry to leave so quickly, but they might move and I will lose the tracks of the Juskabor!"
Deyna held up a paw. "Now, ShadowSong, you can't win against three hundred."
She sheathed her rapier again, but with less heart than to draw it. "I need to slay them, or my pack will be angry at the Dark Forest."
Abbess Mhera looked at Deyna. "Could you contact Skipper? He might lend a few otters to help."
Deyna bowed. "Shore thing, marm, but Sister Fwirl might ring the bell better than me." He turned to Sister Fwirl, but nothing but a cloud of dust was there. She had sped off to the belltower.
Fwirl lithly sprang to the top of the giant belltower. Clinging to the ropes of Mathias and Methuselah, she rung the two bells with might.
Bong! Bang bong boongg!
A good population of the Redwallers came to see. Broggle, the spouse of Fwirl, beamed. "Isn't Fwirl marvelous?"
The cellerhog shook his spiky head. "I wouldn't do that for a cask of October Ale, ho no sir!"
One of the Dibbuns trundled off. The Abbess turned and picked him up. "Where are you going?"
He replied, pointing at the door. "There be ratters out dere, me wanna go see dem."
This caused chaos. The Abbey Sisters and Brothers ran, scooping up Dibbuns, racing to the saftey of the stone building. Abbess Mhera, with her Dibbun in hand, rushed in, catching a mousebabe with her strong rudder. "Everybeast inside!"
Fwirl jumped from the belltower to about halfway down when she spotted the beasts. "There's over. wait, there must a hundred of them!"
Broggle ,about to slam the door, called, "Hurry, Fwirl!"
Quickly, she jumped the rest the way down and ran inside, Broggle shutting the heavy oaken door after her.