For those who are at FanFiction.Net: If you are reading this, then PLEASE
REPLY and tell me what you think of this story. Thanks, A, I'm glad you
like it, because that's only one of the little things forcing me to finish
this story. This is my third attempt at writing a Redwall fan fic, and
luckily, it may be the first I finish.
For those at Lancepaws: *jumps and hugs them all* Thank you so much for all your comments! I love this story as much as you do, but the "great, high- and-mighty" authors at FF.net don't seem to like my story much. *sighs* Ah well, I'll try harder.
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Chapter fourteen: Like Icing from a Tube
Bane's horde of vermin were now drawing closer and closer to Kotir, and Mossflower Woods, only a couple stone throws away.
Too close, for Bella's liking.
The now large band of rebels lay in the bushes, waiting for the right moment. Martin, as he had said, was heading the north side, of about a hundred fighters. Skipper of Otters, and Lady Amber jointly led the east-to- south regiment. Bella was wringing her paws nervously by Skipper. "Oh, they've gotten so close now, why don't you attack them?"
Skipper just grinned and replied, "Yore right there marm, but Martin said specifically that the north band should scrap 'em first, then afore they properly kill the stinkin' vermin, we get to go in an' get our share."
Lady Amber nodded. "Skipper's right, Bella, if the north side goes first, then they'll be busy fighting those fighters, while we sneak up on their side and jab them there. Then after we drive them back a bit, we'll go down to the south side a-"
Bella cut her off. "I know, I know, I've heard the plan at least a thousand times. But why can't Skipper take his otters, or even you Amber, with your squirrels and help Martin and his friends follow the vermin."
Skipper shook his rough head, the otter javelin firmly in the ground. "Nope, we can't, because if that liddle pussycat plans somethin' while we're away, there's hardly any fighters here to 'elp you creatures."
The Squirrelqueen nodded again slowly, bow relaxed at her side. "Skipper has a point, Martin may have brought quite a lot of good fighters with him, but that's just not enough to cover Kotir's hordes. And besides, with Martin, who will dare to fight Gonff and Dinny?"
Bella was about to reply when a blood-curling shout rang out from the north. "ATTAAAAAAAACK!!!!"
Skipper winked at Bella as he gathered some javelins and set up a pile of stones for his sling. "Sorry Bella marm, time to skin some vermin."
Bella nodded absent-mindedly as she sat by Rowanoak, some good distance away from the fighting. "You have been in a war before, Rowanoak, haven't you?"
Bella's younger sister chuckled drily before answering. "Oh yes, many. None that I'd want to go through again."
The elder badger stretched out her footpaws, groaning as she did so. "War is not a thing to re-experience. I know if I had to go through a war again, I would not come out alive."
Rowanoak nodded sadly as she watched the battle. "So true, so true. I do hope this battle comes out right."
"So do I, sister, so do I."
Martin had been watching the vermin tramp closer and closer, and eyed the leader. He was a fox, as Chibb had said, and had the look of an experienced fighter on him. He was tall, and wore a curved sword at his side, well used. His face was like any other vermin's faces, cold and ruthless, but his eyes darted around the foliage, ready for any kind of ambush. Martin curled his lip derisively at the fox's band of plunderers: they were tough- looking, aye, that was true, but some were unbelievely skinny, and somewhat diminished from lack of food and hard labor and fighting.
The Warrior Mouse watched as Bane was now close enough for Martin to even prod him lightly with a spear. Then he gave the signal.
"ATTAAAAAAAAACK!!!!!!"
He rushed in and jumped on the leader, who had his back turned, sneering at the stragglers in his group. Martin slashed viciously with his sword, so fast all anybeast could see was a shining metal blur held tight in Martin's paws.
Bane was taken by surprise, he had to admit that, but one mouse with a fancy sword wasn't going to stop him. Swiftly he drew his saber and slashed out at the mouse. Martin blocked it and lunged in, swinging at Bane's leg. Bane jumped and smirked at his enemy, and yelled out. "KIIILLLLL!!!! KILL THEM ALL, LEAVE NONE ALIVE!!!!"
Skipper and Lady Amber were tense, waiting until the vermin were in the right spot to ambush. However, Bane's mercenary fighters were not stupid, and only fell back inch by tortuous inch.
Bane realized that the mouse he was fighting was no fool; he certainly knew how to fight. In his early years, Bane had met some matches, all of which he eventually had beaten and made examples of, but he was certain that he could beat anybeast in one-on-one combat. The fox now noticed that all of his ruthless band of fighters were fighting, and he also noticed that they were outnumbered, three to five. He knew a retreat was a big possibility, but his pride in being a fighter drove him to finish off this mouse once and for all... to show him the Bane the Fighter wasn't a coward. A new determination sprang up within him. He faked a thrust to Martin's left, and swept his saber under the Warrior's footpaws. Martin had unknowingly played into the trap, and his right footpaw began bleeding freely, sticky red liquid flowly onto the ground.
Martin the Warrior of Noonvale gritted his teeth and gripped his sword tightly, slashing a dozen times at Bane's neck, before thrusting his sword at Bane's chest. Bane just smiled sadisticly and stepped backwards, fending off Martin's attempts to slay him. The Warrior Mouse swung towards Bane's side, using all his strength. Bane feigned a yawn and slashes his saber downwards, actually slicing Martin's sword in half with a screechy sounding chop.
The mercenary fighter laughed hard in Martin's face, whose temper was building up at being humiliated, losing his only weapon in combat.
As Bane was busy laughing, Martin looked at the hilt of the sword, with the red pommel stone set at the top. This was his father's sword, the sword his father gave to him, the sword his father trusted him with, the sword Badrang had taken from him, the sword he had fought hard to regain. And now it useless. Martin grabbed the blade of the sword in one paw, and the hilt in the other, still not ready to back down before his sudden enemy. Bane noticed, and kept laughing, his saber out in front of him. He spoke mockingly to the Warrior. "You may be a good fighter, mouse, but you're nothing without your precious sword are you? Look around, my fighters will eventually win against your pitiful little army." Martin seethed inwardly, but stood his ground, threw back his head and yelled at the top of his lungs. "MOSSFLOWEEEEEERRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Skipper and Amber heard. It was the signal.
Bane stopped laughing and gazed dumbly at his paws, one pierced right through by an otter javelin, and the other embedded with a squirrel arrow. Martin yelled again, swinging the hilt of the sword at Bane's head. "NOOOOOOONVAAAAAAAAAALE!!!!!!"
Bane was dead from the blow before he hit the ground.
It took his band some time to realize they were leaderless as they still had their paws full fighting some four hundred warriors. Then one of them, a weasel, saw Martin stamping towards them, raising the broken hilt of his sword. The weasel's eyes moved downwards and saw Bane's pitiful dead figure. He screamed a high note in panic. "AAIEEEEEEE!!!! RETREEEEAATTT!!!!!" Martin nodded at Skipper and Amber, and their forces moved west at a southerly direction, and Martin's force at the north moved closer to the southern force, making a "U" shape around east side of the remnants of the mercenary band.
The Mossflower fighters made no move to kill, only kept their weapons out and dealt out warning arrow or the slap of a small pebble as a warning. It worked, and the vermin had no choice but to go straight west. None attempted to move north or south. Before long, they all had reached the end of the forest.
Gonff, who had been slinging stones with Dinny and the otters, winked cheerfully. "Time f'r us warriors t'go keep those rotters in line, eh matey?" He patted Martin heartily on the back.
The Warrior Mouse was shaking, holding the hilt of his father's trusty sword, the blade at his footpaws. "I-no.... all that war....for nothing at all..."
Skipper misunderstood, sharpening his javelin on a rock as he spoke. "What're ye talkin' 'bout, matey? We drove those vermin a fair distance away."
Martin stared miserably at what had once been his greatest possession. "No, not that... I haven't told you my life yet, have I?"
Dinny shook his furry black little head, a slingshot still in his digging claw. "No zurr, you'm nevurr tole us'ns yet, you'm were awf'ly quoit."
Martin of Noonvale sat down, and began the tale of his life. He skipped some parts, trying to shorten it down a bit, only telling the important bits.
"The day before Chibb came to Noonvale, Rose had a child, a daughter. Of course I'd hoped it would have been a son, but a daughter is just as good, I suppose. Rose named her Chrysanthemum, or Santhe, for short."
Dinny scratched his head with a blunt digging claw. "Kursamteemun? Boi 'eck, this pore mole'd 'ave twist'd tongue tryin' t'say that, burr aye."
Amber gently lifted the hilt of the sword. "So this was your father's sword, eh? A good 'un no doubt that, 'xcept for the rust 'twould make an excellent sword."
Gonff suddenly leaped up. "By the fur! We'd better catch up with those vermin, you lot, cummon Dinny...Martin, get over here!"
Dinny waved an urgent digging claw. "Hurr aye, getten thoiself o'er 'ere afore this liddle mouseythief eats oop all our viddles!!" Any further remark was forestalled by Gonff tossing the food sacks into Dinny's stomach, driving the wind from him. After the sturdy little mole caught his breath, he actually smiled and patted Gonff none-too-gently on the back, and Gonff fell flat on his nose in the mud. "Ee'm fergettin' oi'm the stonges' mole in ee wuddlands 'cept f'r moi ole granfer, zurr Gonffer!"
Martin's sad look dissolved as a smile slowly spread on his face. Pulling his haversack on his back, he bid good-bye to Skipper, Amber, Rowanoak, Bella, Ballaw and the rest, and ran to catch up with Dinny and Gonff, who were still dealing out blows to each other.
"Hey, come on, stoppit you two, you don't want to kill yourselves and leave me to chase the vermin alone, do you?"
Gonff pulled himself free from Dinny, who was sitting on his back, and put a friendly arm around Martin. "Of course not, couldn't let me best matey to have fun lickin' those vermin on his own." Unknowingly to Martin, Gonff aimed a kick backwards towards Dinny's stomach, but the mole's quick little eyes spotted it coming, and caught it, and twisted it, so Gonff once more fell in the mud. But since Gonff had his arm around Martin, the mouse from Noonvale had been pulled down by Gonff into the mud puddle, leaving Dinny walking along nonchalantly, as if nothing had happened.
Martin spat the foul-tasting mud out of his mouth. "Blech, Dinny, get back over here and get us outta here!"
Dinny yelled back cheerfully. "Nay, oi'm naught cummin' lessen ole Gonffer 'polajizes."
Gonff put on the most innocent look he could and sang out.
I'm very sorry, young Din,br
I promise next time I'll let you win,br
But me and my friend here,br
Do not hold mud dear,br
So please get us out,br
before I scream and shout.
Dinny chortled and agreed. "Ho, you'm a drefful charmer, Gonff, burr aye indeed!"
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Again, thanks for all your comments, and if you haven't yet commented on this story, I'd suggest you do so before I run out of inspiration and blow up. ;-)
For those at Lancepaws: *jumps and hugs them all* Thank you so much for all your comments! I love this story as much as you do, but the "great, high- and-mighty" authors at FF.net don't seem to like my story much. *sighs* Ah well, I'll try harder.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter fourteen: Like Icing from a Tube
Bane's horde of vermin were now drawing closer and closer to Kotir, and Mossflower Woods, only a couple stone throws away.
Too close, for Bella's liking.
The now large band of rebels lay in the bushes, waiting for the right moment. Martin, as he had said, was heading the north side, of about a hundred fighters. Skipper of Otters, and Lady Amber jointly led the east-to- south regiment. Bella was wringing her paws nervously by Skipper. "Oh, they've gotten so close now, why don't you attack them?"
Skipper just grinned and replied, "Yore right there marm, but Martin said specifically that the north band should scrap 'em first, then afore they properly kill the stinkin' vermin, we get to go in an' get our share."
Lady Amber nodded. "Skipper's right, Bella, if the north side goes first, then they'll be busy fighting those fighters, while we sneak up on their side and jab them there. Then after we drive them back a bit, we'll go down to the south side a-"
Bella cut her off. "I know, I know, I've heard the plan at least a thousand times. But why can't Skipper take his otters, or even you Amber, with your squirrels and help Martin and his friends follow the vermin."
Skipper shook his rough head, the otter javelin firmly in the ground. "Nope, we can't, because if that liddle pussycat plans somethin' while we're away, there's hardly any fighters here to 'elp you creatures."
The Squirrelqueen nodded again slowly, bow relaxed at her side. "Skipper has a point, Martin may have brought quite a lot of good fighters with him, but that's just not enough to cover Kotir's hordes. And besides, with Martin, who will dare to fight Gonff and Dinny?"
Bella was about to reply when a blood-curling shout rang out from the north. "ATTAAAAAAAACK!!!!"
Skipper winked at Bella as he gathered some javelins and set up a pile of stones for his sling. "Sorry Bella marm, time to skin some vermin."
Bella nodded absent-mindedly as she sat by Rowanoak, some good distance away from the fighting. "You have been in a war before, Rowanoak, haven't you?"
Bella's younger sister chuckled drily before answering. "Oh yes, many. None that I'd want to go through again."
The elder badger stretched out her footpaws, groaning as she did so. "War is not a thing to re-experience. I know if I had to go through a war again, I would not come out alive."
Rowanoak nodded sadly as she watched the battle. "So true, so true. I do hope this battle comes out right."
"So do I, sister, so do I."
Martin had been watching the vermin tramp closer and closer, and eyed the leader. He was a fox, as Chibb had said, and had the look of an experienced fighter on him. He was tall, and wore a curved sword at his side, well used. His face was like any other vermin's faces, cold and ruthless, but his eyes darted around the foliage, ready for any kind of ambush. Martin curled his lip derisively at the fox's band of plunderers: they were tough- looking, aye, that was true, but some were unbelievely skinny, and somewhat diminished from lack of food and hard labor and fighting.
The Warrior Mouse watched as Bane was now close enough for Martin to even prod him lightly with a spear. Then he gave the signal.
"ATTAAAAAAAAACK!!!!!!"
He rushed in and jumped on the leader, who had his back turned, sneering at the stragglers in his group. Martin slashed viciously with his sword, so fast all anybeast could see was a shining metal blur held tight in Martin's paws.
Bane was taken by surprise, he had to admit that, but one mouse with a fancy sword wasn't going to stop him. Swiftly he drew his saber and slashed out at the mouse. Martin blocked it and lunged in, swinging at Bane's leg. Bane jumped and smirked at his enemy, and yelled out. "KIIILLLLL!!!! KILL THEM ALL, LEAVE NONE ALIVE!!!!"
Skipper and Lady Amber were tense, waiting until the vermin were in the right spot to ambush. However, Bane's mercenary fighters were not stupid, and only fell back inch by tortuous inch.
Bane realized that the mouse he was fighting was no fool; he certainly knew how to fight. In his early years, Bane had met some matches, all of which he eventually had beaten and made examples of, but he was certain that he could beat anybeast in one-on-one combat. The fox now noticed that all of his ruthless band of fighters were fighting, and he also noticed that they were outnumbered, three to five. He knew a retreat was a big possibility, but his pride in being a fighter drove him to finish off this mouse once and for all... to show him the Bane the Fighter wasn't a coward. A new determination sprang up within him. He faked a thrust to Martin's left, and swept his saber under the Warrior's footpaws. Martin had unknowingly played into the trap, and his right footpaw began bleeding freely, sticky red liquid flowly onto the ground.
Martin the Warrior of Noonvale gritted his teeth and gripped his sword tightly, slashing a dozen times at Bane's neck, before thrusting his sword at Bane's chest. Bane just smiled sadisticly and stepped backwards, fending off Martin's attempts to slay him. The Warrior Mouse swung towards Bane's side, using all his strength. Bane feigned a yawn and slashes his saber downwards, actually slicing Martin's sword in half with a screechy sounding chop.
The mercenary fighter laughed hard in Martin's face, whose temper was building up at being humiliated, losing his only weapon in combat.
As Bane was busy laughing, Martin looked at the hilt of the sword, with the red pommel stone set at the top. This was his father's sword, the sword his father gave to him, the sword his father trusted him with, the sword Badrang had taken from him, the sword he had fought hard to regain. And now it useless. Martin grabbed the blade of the sword in one paw, and the hilt in the other, still not ready to back down before his sudden enemy. Bane noticed, and kept laughing, his saber out in front of him. He spoke mockingly to the Warrior. "You may be a good fighter, mouse, but you're nothing without your precious sword are you? Look around, my fighters will eventually win against your pitiful little army." Martin seethed inwardly, but stood his ground, threw back his head and yelled at the top of his lungs. "MOSSFLOWEEEEEERRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Skipper and Amber heard. It was the signal.
Bane stopped laughing and gazed dumbly at his paws, one pierced right through by an otter javelin, and the other embedded with a squirrel arrow. Martin yelled again, swinging the hilt of the sword at Bane's head. "NOOOOOOONVAAAAAAAAAALE!!!!!!"
Bane was dead from the blow before he hit the ground.
It took his band some time to realize they were leaderless as they still had their paws full fighting some four hundred warriors. Then one of them, a weasel, saw Martin stamping towards them, raising the broken hilt of his sword. The weasel's eyes moved downwards and saw Bane's pitiful dead figure. He screamed a high note in panic. "AAIEEEEEEE!!!! RETREEEEAATTT!!!!!" Martin nodded at Skipper and Amber, and their forces moved west at a southerly direction, and Martin's force at the north moved closer to the southern force, making a "U" shape around east side of the remnants of the mercenary band.
The Mossflower fighters made no move to kill, only kept their weapons out and dealt out warning arrow or the slap of a small pebble as a warning. It worked, and the vermin had no choice but to go straight west. None attempted to move north or south. Before long, they all had reached the end of the forest.
Gonff, who had been slinging stones with Dinny and the otters, winked cheerfully. "Time f'r us warriors t'go keep those rotters in line, eh matey?" He patted Martin heartily on the back.
The Warrior Mouse was shaking, holding the hilt of his father's trusty sword, the blade at his footpaws. "I-no.... all that war....for nothing at all..."
Skipper misunderstood, sharpening his javelin on a rock as he spoke. "What're ye talkin' 'bout, matey? We drove those vermin a fair distance away."
Martin stared miserably at what had once been his greatest possession. "No, not that... I haven't told you my life yet, have I?"
Dinny shook his furry black little head, a slingshot still in his digging claw. "No zurr, you'm nevurr tole us'ns yet, you'm were awf'ly quoit."
Martin of Noonvale sat down, and began the tale of his life. He skipped some parts, trying to shorten it down a bit, only telling the important bits.
"The day before Chibb came to Noonvale, Rose had a child, a daughter. Of course I'd hoped it would have been a son, but a daughter is just as good, I suppose. Rose named her Chrysanthemum, or Santhe, for short."
Dinny scratched his head with a blunt digging claw. "Kursamteemun? Boi 'eck, this pore mole'd 'ave twist'd tongue tryin' t'say that, burr aye."
Amber gently lifted the hilt of the sword. "So this was your father's sword, eh? A good 'un no doubt that, 'xcept for the rust 'twould make an excellent sword."
Gonff suddenly leaped up. "By the fur! We'd better catch up with those vermin, you lot, cummon Dinny...Martin, get over here!"
Dinny waved an urgent digging claw. "Hurr aye, getten thoiself o'er 'ere afore this liddle mouseythief eats oop all our viddles!!" Any further remark was forestalled by Gonff tossing the food sacks into Dinny's stomach, driving the wind from him. After the sturdy little mole caught his breath, he actually smiled and patted Gonff none-too-gently on the back, and Gonff fell flat on his nose in the mud. "Ee'm fergettin' oi'm the stonges' mole in ee wuddlands 'cept f'r moi ole granfer, zurr Gonffer!"
Martin's sad look dissolved as a smile slowly spread on his face. Pulling his haversack on his back, he bid good-bye to Skipper, Amber, Rowanoak, Bella, Ballaw and the rest, and ran to catch up with Dinny and Gonff, who were still dealing out blows to each other.
"Hey, come on, stoppit you two, you don't want to kill yourselves and leave me to chase the vermin alone, do you?"
Gonff pulled himself free from Dinny, who was sitting on his back, and put a friendly arm around Martin. "Of course not, couldn't let me best matey to have fun lickin' those vermin on his own." Unknowingly to Martin, Gonff aimed a kick backwards towards Dinny's stomach, but the mole's quick little eyes spotted it coming, and caught it, and twisted it, so Gonff once more fell in the mud. But since Gonff had his arm around Martin, the mouse from Noonvale had been pulled down by Gonff into the mud puddle, leaving Dinny walking along nonchalantly, as if nothing had happened.
Martin spat the foul-tasting mud out of his mouth. "Blech, Dinny, get back over here and get us outta here!"
Dinny yelled back cheerfully. "Nay, oi'm naught cummin' lessen ole Gonffer 'polajizes."
Gonff put on the most innocent look he could and sang out.
I'm very sorry, young Din,br
I promise next time I'll let you win,br
But me and my friend here,br
Do not hold mud dear,br
So please get us out,br
before I scream and shout.
Dinny chortled and agreed. "Ho, you'm a drefful charmer, Gonff, burr aye indeed!"
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Again, thanks for all your comments, and if you haven't yet commented on this story, I'd suggest you do so before I run out of inspiration and blow up. ;-)