CHATPER SEVEN, FREEING THE CAPTIVES
Badgerlady Varsha followed the frightened stoat, Woinada, through the vermin camp. Korufylo, Lilyblossom, Egua, and another hare named Majjit all stood dutifully by Varsha's sides as they trooped along.
"Lady, I think that this bally stoat chap ain't pointin' us in the right direction, wot wot wot wot wot?" whispered the irrepressible Koru.
"Koru's right, marm. This stoat feller ain't pointing us in the right direction. Wot if he brings us to that Kabble Ionaeyes rat, or that Deyinvo Doodadhead?" murmured Majjit.
Varsha turned her head to face Majjit, her eyebrows raised. "'Doodadhead'?"
Majjit looked sheepish. "Yes, 'Doodadhead'. It's my new expression, wot."
Varsha raised her eyes to the heavens. "How hares can be perilous beasts and extremely ridiculous at the same time, I'll ne'er know."
"It's easy, marm." Lilyblossom winked. "All ye gotta do is look on the bright side o' everythin', 'n' keep a sword by yer paw, eh wot!"
Varsha shook her great striped head and took out Flamebird. She hurried to catch up with Woinada and hissed in his ear, "If you lead us false, then you'll see the fire of Flamebird."
Woinada looked at Varsha nervously. "D-don't worry, marm, I'll get you to yore captives sure enough."
Varsha put the blade to Woinada's neck. Egua, who had followed Varsha, murmured, "Thassa good verminy chap, eh. Keepin' a promise even though he's a worthless stoat!"
Woinada pointed to a small copse and whispered, "That's where the bunnies are."
"Hares," corrected Lilyblossom.
"Yeah, them. That's where they are. In a cage in the copse." Woinada the stoat looked nervously around and muttered, "If anyone finds out that I showed you to the bunnies then I'm a goner."
Varsha swept up the stoat in her huge paws. "Don't worry, stoat, no one will find out. Your mates, Harrairdus, Sadru, and Grudain, they have all been brought back to Salamandastron. Will you join them?" Varsha strode into the copse as she called in a whisper to Egua, "Bring the stoat back to my mountain. They will pay a price for laying siege to my home!"
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The Abbey Elders and teen-seasoned ones listened to Kaikura's tale of Skipper, Log-a-Log, and Waterfish defeating the adder. As soon as Kaikura finished, Log-a-Log came into the room, soaking wet from rain and looking very depressed.
"What is it, Log-a-Log?" asked one of the Guosim, a shrew named Zalonu.
"Skip's gone on, mates," replied Log-a-Log grievously. "Something stole Martin's sword and then Waterfish went after it."
Fryungle the mouse looked ashamed. "To think that I was cruel to her beforehand at the race." Tears welled up in the mouse's eyes. "I'm so ashamed of myself! I'm such an awful creature!"
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Waterfish fell into the deep loam, gasping for breath. She couldn't find the adder that had stolen Martin's sword. She needed to find it. Even though some Redwallers had been a bit stiff about a nameless ottermaid arriving at their doorstep, and Fryungle had been really harsh, they had let her live there.
"Hellohello!" called a jovial voice. Waterfish glared around, trying to see where the voice came from.
"Who and where are you?" Waterfish cried out.
"Me name's Riley, and Riley's me name!" chuckled the voice. "I'm right behind a birch, and behind a birch I right am! Who are you, and you are who?"
"My name's Waterfish," replied the ottermaid. "Why do you talk so funnily?"
A chortle came from behind the birch. "I don't talk funnily, you talk funnily! Funnily I don't talk, funnily you talk! Hahahahaha!"
Waterfish grabbed a thick bough and peeked behind the birch tree. She saw the one who she had been conversing with, Riley. Riley was an extremely large creature.
"Ooh, how lovely, an otter! An otter, how lovely, ooh!" Riley's large tail wagged happily. He walked on four paws and had a huge head and a big muzzle. He was a light golden color with a blackish nose and soft, brown eyes.
"No offense, Riley, but what type of beast are you?"
"I'm a dog, silly! Silly, a dog am I!" Riley cocked his head, looking intently at Waterfish. "Where are you headed?"
"I'm headed after an adder who stole Martin the Warrior's sword," replied Waterfish.
"An adder, eh? Huh. I saw one passin' by earlier. He had a big, metal stick in his mouth. Is that what yer talking about?" asked Riley, his tail thumping the ground eagerly.
"Yes! Hey – you dropped your repeating words manner. Why?" asked the otter.
"That's only for fun. This is serious!" Riley explained. "Follow me, I'll deliver you to the adder!"
With that, he scampered off, Waterfish in his wake.
() Okay, there's Chapter Seven for you! Please review! ()
Badgerlady Varsha followed the frightened stoat, Woinada, through the vermin camp. Korufylo, Lilyblossom, Egua, and another hare named Majjit all stood dutifully by Varsha's sides as they trooped along.
"Lady, I think that this bally stoat chap ain't pointin' us in the right direction, wot wot wot wot wot?" whispered the irrepressible Koru.
"Koru's right, marm. This stoat feller ain't pointing us in the right direction. Wot if he brings us to that Kabble Ionaeyes rat, or that Deyinvo Doodadhead?" murmured Majjit.
Varsha turned her head to face Majjit, her eyebrows raised. "'Doodadhead'?"
Majjit looked sheepish. "Yes, 'Doodadhead'. It's my new expression, wot."
Varsha raised her eyes to the heavens. "How hares can be perilous beasts and extremely ridiculous at the same time, I'll ne'er know."
"It's easy, marm." Lilyblossom winked. "All ye gotta do is look on the bright side o' everythin', 'n' keep a sword by yer paw, eh wot!"
Varsha shook her great striped head and took out Flamebird. She hurried to catch up with Woinada and hissed in his ear, "If you lead us false, then you'll see the fire of Flamebird."
Woinada looked at Varsha nervously. "D-don't worry, marm, I'll get you to yore captives sure enough."
Varsha put the blade to Woinada's neck. Egua, who had followed Varsha, murmured, "Thassa good verminy chap, eh. Keepin' a promise even though he's a worthless stoat!"
Woinada pointed to a small copse and whispered, "That's where the bunnies are."
"Hares," corrected Lilyblossom.
"Yeah, them. That's where they are. In a cage in the copse." Woinada the stoat looked nervously around and muttered, "If anyone finds out that I showed you to the bunnies then I'm a goner."
Varsha swept up the stoat in her huge paws. "Don't worry, stoat, no one will find out. Your mates, Harrairdus, Sadru, and Grudain, they have all been brought back to Salamandastron. Will you join them?" Varsha strode into the copse as she called in a whisper to Egua, "Bring the stoat back to my mountain. They will pay a price for laying siege to my home!"
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
The Abbey Elders and teen-seasoned ones listened to Kaikura's tale of Skipper, Log-a-Log, and Waterfish defeating the adder. As soon as Kaikura finished, Log-a-Log came into the room, soaking wet from rain and looking very depressed.
"What is it, Log-a-Log?" asked one of the Guosim, a shrew named Zalonu.
"Skip's gone on, mates," replied Log-a-Log grievously. "Something stole Martin's sword and then Waterfish went after it."
Fryungle the mouse looked ashamed. "To think that I was cruel to her beforehand at the race." Tears welled up in the mouse's eyes. "I'm so ashamed of myself! I'm such an awful creature!"
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Waterfish fell into the deep loam, gasping for breath. She couldn't find the adder that had stolen Martin's sword. She needed to find it. Even though some Redwallers had been a bit stiff about a nameless ottermaid arriving at their doorstep, and Fryungle had been really harsh, they had let her live there.
"Hellohello!" called a jovial voice. Waterfish glared around, trying to see where the voice came from.
"Who and where are you?" Waterfish cried out.
"Me name's Riley, and Riley's me name!" chuckled the voice. "I'm right behind a birch, and behind a birch I right am! Who are you, and you are who?"
"My name's Waterfish," replied the ottermaid. "Why do you talk so funnily?"
A chortle came from behind the birch. "I don't talk funnily, you talk funnily! Funnily I don't talk, funnily you talk! Hahahahaha!"
Waterfish grabbed a thick bough and peeked behind the birch tree. She saw the one who she had been conversing with, Riley. Riley was an extremely large creature.
"Ooh, how lovely, an otter! An otter, how lovely, ooh!" Riley's large tail wagged happily. He walked on four paws and had a huge head and a big muzzle. He was a light golden color with a blackish nose and soft, brown eyes.
"No offense, Riley, but what type of beast are you?"
"I'm a dog, silly! Silly, a dog am I!" Riley cocked his head, looking intently at Waterfish. "Where are you headed?"
"I'm headed after an adder who stole Martin the Warrior's sword," replied Waterfish.
"An adder, eh? Huh. I saw one passin' by earlier. He had a big, metal stick in his mouth. Is that what yer talking about?" asked Riley, his tail thumping the ground eagerly.
"Yes! Hey – you dropped your repeating words manner. Why?" asked the otter.
"That's only for fun. This is serious!" Riley explained. "Follow me, I'll deliver you to the adder!"
With that, he scampered off, Waterfish in his wake.
() Okay, there's Chapter Seven for you! Please review! ()