CHAPTER EIGHT, DIBBUN HELPERS
"Oi carn't burrleeve thawt Wa'erfush is gaone. Oi thought thawt she wudd stay," Fawn the molebabe whispered to Kaikura, Odell, Furrlun, Cora, Akio, and Vanig. The seven Dibbuns were all hiding underneath Odell's bed, conversing in low voices. The Abbeybabes were growing up quickly, and at Winter all but Furrlun the mousebabe would be considered Abbeydwellers and real Redwallers, not just the Abbeybabes and Dibbuns. Furrlun would be considered out of Dibbunhood during the Summer.
"Waterfish's gonna cummon back, I know she will," Cora the volemaid argued in a quiet voice.
"Yeah. She went acos the big snakey stole Martin's sword. You guys were all asleep, acos you're Dibbuns, but since I'm three seasons out of Dibbunhood, I was allowed to be up later. Dinnit youse hear?" asked Odell, surprised.
"I knew that 'cause I was there. That a'er was scary!" whispered Kaikura, shuddering at the memory.
"I'm shore it was," Akio assured him, patting him on the head.
"I fink dat we shud go 'n' help Waterfish!" Furrlun piped up.
"I don't wanna go out in there if there's gonna be adders!" cried Vanig in a hushed tone. "Nuh-uh, no way!"
"Don't be afraid," Furrlun told him crossly, but Kaikura came to Vanig's rescue.
"I don' wanna go back out there either," agreed the squirrelbabe. "It's too scary and unfun. I don' wanna be's a Warrior no more!"
"Well, I wanna go help Waterfish. She's my mate," Odell told them in a whisper.
"Oi'll hilp Wa'erfush," volunteered Fawn. "Oi wanna be out thurr in ee wurrld. Et lukks fun!"
"Who's wiff us?" asked Odell, putting his paw in the middle of their small circle. Fawn put her paw over Odell's; then Furrlun, then Akio, then Cora, and finally Vanig. Kaikura looked at his tan-colored paw and then placed it on top of Vanig's.
"During baff time we'll get the food. Then we can go and 'scape!" Furrlun explained.
"Agreed?" asked Odell, looking each Abbeybabe in the eyes.
"Agreed!" they chorused. They scrambled out from underneath the bed and all fell asleep in their own beds.
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Riley suddenly stopped and put out a large paw for Waterfish to stop.
"What is it?" ask Waterfish.
"I smell something...smells like...death," whispered Riley, slowly trotting forward. The ottermaid followed.
As they approached, they saw a rat standing over the adder that had stolen Martin's sword. The rat seemed to be hypnotizing the adder with his bulging, violet eyes.
The adder dropped the sword and the rat picked up the sword and struck down on the adder's neck, once, twice! The adder was dead. The rat snickered and discarded his own dirk. He then picked up Martin the Warrior's sword and put it in his belt.
"Martin's sword in scum's hands, never!" yelled Waterfish. She had no relation to Martin, barely knew the legend of him, but she hated rats and all sorts of evil rodents. She leapt out at the rat. The rat glared at her then wrapped himself up in his cloak, disappearing from view.
Waterfish snatched up the rat's dirk and glared at her reflection in the grimy blade.
"I'll kill that stupid rat!" Waterfish saw a name scratched into the wooden hilt: KABBLE IONAEYES.
"Kabble Ionaeyes?" gasped Riley, who had trotted up. "Ne'er!"
"Who's Kabble?"
"A magician! Kabble's a magic magician! A magic magician Kabble is!" Riley then grinned sheepishly. "Oops, sorry."
But Waterfish paid no attention. She had shoved the dirk into a belt she had made for herself.
"I'll rescue Martin's sword," growled Waterfish.
"Kabble's a magician, otter. No one can stand a chance against Kabble and his ally, Deyinvo the ermine. No one could kill them! And, Kabble once had an army, and I heard that some mad giant beast was his second-in-command."
Waterfish laid her back against a tree. "Ooh, I'm hungry," she groaned.
"I know where to get some food!" Riley yelped, and bounded off to get the food.
"I really do think that dogs are way too overenthusiastic," mumbled the ottermaid to herself, and slowly drifted off to sleep.
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The seven Dibbuns held a haversack filled with cheese, flasks filled with water, bread, and some nuts.
"Dishes oll I culd find," explained Vanig breathlessly. "Sorry."
Odell shoulder the sack and the seven Dibbuns dashed from the kitchens out into the night. Standing on top of each other's heads, they all opened up the gate.
"I don't wanna go," Kaikura began to cry. "I'm gonna be etted up by sum adder."
"Me too," wept Vanig. Cora the volemaid bit her lip.
"It's gonna be scary, but our friends need help!" she cried.
"I'm staying here," insisted Kaikura.
"Me too," Vanig whispered.
"Well, close the door after us," Furrlun told them, and the Dibbuns toddled out into the woods.
"Oi carn't burrleeve thawt Wa'erfush is gaone. Oi thought thawt she wudd stay," Fawn the molebabe whispered to Kaikura, Odell, Furrlun, Cora, Akio, and Vanig. The seven Dibbuns were all hiding underneath Odell's bed, conversing in low voices. The Abbeybabes were growing up quickly, and at Winter all but Furrlun the mousebabe would be considered Abbeydwellers and real Redwallers, not just the Abbeybabes and Dibbuns. Furrlun would be considered out of Dibbunhood during the Summer.
"Waterfish's gonna cummon back, I know she will," Cora the volemaid argued in a quiet voice.
"Yeah. She went acos the big snakey stole Martin's sword. You guys were all asleep, acos you're Dibbuns, but since I'm three seasons out of Dibbunhood, I was allowed to be up later. Dinnit youse hear?" asked Odell, surprised.
"I knew that 'cause I was there. That a'er was scary!" whispered Kaikura, shuddering at the memory.
"I'm shore it was," Akio assured him, patting him on the head.
"I fink dat we shud go 'n' help Waterfish!" Furrlun piped up.
"I don't wanna go out in there if there's gonna be adders!" cried Vanig in a hushed tone. "Nuh-uh, no way!"
"Don't be afraid," Furrlun told him crossly, but Kaikura came to Vanig's rescue.
"I don' wanna go back out there either," agreed the squirrelbabe. "It's too scary and unfun. I don' wanna be's a Warrior no more!"
"Well, I wanna go help Waterfish. She's my mate," Odell told them in a whisper.
"Oi'll hilp Wa'erfush," volunteered Fawn. "Oi wanna be out thurr in ee wurrld. Et lukks fun!"
"Who's wiff us?" asked Odell, putting his paw in the middle of their small circle. Fawn put her paw over Odell's; then Furrlun, then Akio, then Cora, and finally Vanig. Kaikura looked at his tan-colored paw and then placed it on top of Vanig's.
"During baff time we'll get the food. Then we can go and 'scape!" Furrlun explained.
"Agreed?" asked Odell, looking each Abbeybabe in the eyes.
"Agreed!" they chorused. They scrambled out from underneath the bed and all fell asleep in their own beds.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Riley suddenly stopped and put out a large paw for Waterfish to stop.
"What is it?" ask Waterfish.
"I smell something...smells like...death," whispered Riley, slowly trotting forward. The ottermaid followed.
As they approached, they saw a rat standing over the adder that had stolen Martin's sword. The rat seemed to be hypnotizing the adder with his bulging, violet eyes.
The adder dropped the sword and the rat picked up the sword and struck down on the adder's neck, once, twice! The adder was dead. The rat snickered and discarded his own dirk. He then picked up Martin the Warrior's sword and put it in his belt.
"Martin's sword in scum's hands, never!" yelled Waterfish. She had no relation to Martin, barely knew the legend of him, but she hated rats and all sorts of evil rodents. She leapt out at the rat. The rat glared at her then wrapped himself up in his cloak, disappearing from view.
Waterfish snatched up the rat's dirk and glared at her reflection in the grimy blade.
"I'll kill that stupid rat!" Waterfish saw a name scratched into the wooden hilt: KABBLE IONAEYES.
"Kabble Ionaeyes?" gasped Riley, who had trotted up. "Ne'er!"
"Who's Kabble?"
"A magician! Kabble's a magic magician! A magic magician Kabble is!" Riley then grinned sheepishly. "Oops, sorry."
But Waterfish paid no attention. She had shoved the dirk into a belt she had made for herself.
"I'll rescue Martin's sword," growled Waterfish.
"Kabble's a magician, otter. No one can stand a chance against Kabble and his ally, Deyinvo the ermine. No one could kill them! And, Kabble once had an army, and I heard that some mad giant beast was his second-in-command."
Waterfish laid her back against a tree. "Ooh, I'm hungry," she groaned.
"I know where to get some food!" Riley yelped, and bounded off to get the food.
"I really do think that dogs are way too overenthusiastic," mumbled the ottermaid to herself, and slowly drifted off to sleep.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
The seven Dibbuns held a haversack filled with cheese, flasks filled with water, bread, and some nuts.
"Dishes oll I culd find," explained Vanig breathlessly. "Sorry."
Odell shoulder the sack and the seven Dibbuns dashed from the kitchens out into the night. Standing on top of each other's heads, they all opened up the gate.
"I don't wanna go," Kaikura began to cry. "I'm gonna be etted up by sum adder."
"Me too," wept Vanig. Cora the volemaid bit her lip.
"It's gonna be scary, but our friends need help!" she cried.
"I'm staying here," insisted Kaikura.
"Me too," Vanig whispered.
"Well, close the door after us," Furrlun told them, and the Dibbuns toddled out into the woods.