***
Mhera passed out food to the otters, while Friar Broggle served the shrew.
Skipper rubbed his sling absentmindly, as if he were in a trance. Speaking
slowly, he said, "Well, mates, we in deep- there are about five or four
score out there--"
Log-a-log banged her clenched paw on the sturdy wood table. "There was
fivescore! And their leader, that searat wearing a green tunic, 'e was
yelling to slay us. Aye, mates, we're in deep!"
Mhera shook her head. "Er, some beast have never seen war here. Can you
help, Log-a-log and Skipper?"
Skipper toyed with a barley scone. "Abbess, we have never given up a chance
to help Redwall. Right, me maties?"
The crew yelled their answer.
"Blood and viniger, mates!"
"We'll rudderwallop them!"
"Show 'em the streamdog way!"
Log-a-log nodded. "Yer clan can shout, but ours are better! Log-a-looog!"
The shrews heartily replied in loud baritone voices.
"Paddles to the vermin!"
"Guosim Guosim Guosim!"
"Log-a-looooooooooog!"
The Dibbuns, some with smocks wrapped around their heads, saw a chance to
speak.
"Budd and baffs!"
"Hurr, and choppa off them nosers, hurr aye!"
"Lorra gogga wrooogg!"
Deyna laughed at the babes, who were poking at the air with tails and
silverware. "Lookit them, like petals in a gale!"
Skipper caught a molebabe on his heavy and sturdy rudder. "I imagine that
they will slay a few in their day!"
ShadowSong smiled at a mouse Dibbun attempting to ride an otter tail of an
otter called Veystreak. Veystreak turned, and was seen with a squirrelbabe
hitched on his ears. "I tell you, missy, these beasts are savage!"
Mhera and Sicliy sheperded the babies up to the dorms, for night was
falling, and the sunset had passed without notice. Skipper looked out the
window at the camps and shuddered. "A hundred beasts. We can't fight that
much. How much do we have, Log-a-log?"
Log-a-log glanced over at her tribe. "We have about fifty, counting me.
Yore crew is about... oh say thirty, plus a few helping Redwallers, we have
about ninty beasts. That's the lot, Skipper."
Skipper stared at the glimmering campfires with solemness. "Ninty. From the
tops of the battlements we can snip with bows and slings, but hand to hand
combat--"
ShadowSong waved a black paw. "I'm joining in too. I can't avenge my family
and pack without vermin in every step."
Skipper looked at the wolf maid, really looking. She had a gray tunic on,
and carried many weapons. Skipper saw determined eyes and many fights under
her belt. The glaive she held at ease, though the blade was sharp and had
the impression of a battle worn weapon. He bowed. "Yore pack?"
"MoonSky wolf pack. They were slain, by the Juskabor."
Skipper nodded. "Juska. Me mate Deyna saw'em once, dincha?"
Deyna, instead of telling the story of capture and escape from the
Juskarath, he told her the whole story, from the fjord meeting to when
Russano came. She sat through the whole thing listening.
"You are the Taggerung? The one that slew a giant eel and defeated Vallug
Bowbeast?"
Deyna laughed. "Slew a giant eel? Hah, it was normal sized."
Nimbalo, sampling a mint potato and cheese sauce playfully thumped the
former Taggerung on the head then slumped down in a seat. "His matey
Nimbalo wore it out, it was really me who slew it!"
Deyna pushed him off the chair. "Nimbalo the Slayer, you are a dreadful
liar!"
Nimbalo popped up from underneath Deyna's chair. "Not really. I was a
horrible liar, but someone slayed me, and now I'm a dreadful liar."
***
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