CHAPTER ELEVEN, RUN TO REDWALL
"Fryungle? Fryungle? Are ye okay?" asked a kindly, female voice.
Fryungle opened his eyes. Badgermum Nuria Firemouth was standing over him.
"Oh, I'm okay," Fryungle replied sleepily. "I was talking to Martin. He talked to me last night, y'know."
"What'd he say?" asked Nuria. Fryungle stood up. Nuria and Fryungle took a long walk around the Abbey Pond as the mouse explained what he had seen.
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Varsha glared at the vermin huddled on the floor. She then shifted her attention to an arrow slit. Her left paw strayed to a huge bow as she saw the vermin horde.
"You may have saved your precious hares, but we have you under siege!" called up Deyinvo menacingly. "Go to a window, Lady Varsha! I want to see if you're as strong a badger as Kabble Ionaeyes told me..."
Varsha notched an arrow into the bow and held it to the arrow slit, only the arrowhead showing.
"I WILL NEVER," Varsha roared, "BOW TO THE ORDERS OF VERMIN!"
"You call me 'vermin' again and you die, stripedog!" screamed Deyinvo angrily. "I had your hares and you got them back, but it was only two!"
"We hold the upper paw, ermine," spat back Varsha. "We have five of your rabble!"
Deyinvo glanced around his horde quickly. He remembered that he hadn't seen Sadru the weasel all day. Sadru was a faithful follower that he had considered making a Captain.
"Oh, is that so?" sneered Deyinvo. "Who?"
"We have Woinada the stoat, Harrairdus the rat, Sadru the weasel, and Grudain the ferret. Anyone you know?" called out Varsha mockingly, bringing the vermin to the arrow slit. They miserably peered out at Deyinvo and the rest of the horde.
"You lie," snapped Deyinvo, knowing that he was wrong. He could recognize the vermin, even though they looked like everyday vermin.
Varsha shot an arrow to Deyinvo's right. The shaft struck the tip of his whisker and killed the rat behind him.
"That was a warning shot, ermine. The next one hits your eye. The third? THE THIRD FINDS YOUR HEART!!" screamed Varsha.
Deyinvo glared angrily at Varsha, trembling slightly from near death.
"You don't scare me," he lied.
"Now YOU are the liar," Varsha called down to Deyinvo in a calm tone.
"YOU DARE CALL ME A LIAR...!"
"Yes, in fact I do dare to call you a liar. What will you do about it?" The Badgerlady threw back her head and laughed. "If you leave Salamandastron, I'll give you back your scum."
Deyinvo was now shaking with rage. "You and your hares have called me a multitude of names, which included 'liar', 'scum', and 'vermin'! You will regret this!!!"
Varsha swung her bow, which was loaded with another bolt, and fired. Deyinvo barely ducked in time. The bolt hit the stoat behind him in the stoat's stomach, wounding him and slowly killing him.
"THIS IS WAAAAAAAAAR, VARSHA MIDELLI!" screamed Deyinvo. Varsha put another arrow into her bow and growled, "You stay away from Salamandastron!"
The army turned around and left. Varsha let the arrow fly and it struck the back of the fox on Deyinvo's left.
Deyinvo turned around and roared, "Return fire!"
But all they hit was a mountain. Varsha Midelli had gone from the window.
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"I need some hares to go with me. If they can't get Salamandastron, then they'll go for Redwall," Varsha proclaimed over dinner to her hares. All hares thought about it for a moment, and every paw except for about fifteen paws. Those paws belonged to the elderly and ones that had babes to tend to or were pregnant with little hares.
Varsha nodded. "I'll need some to remain at Salamandastron to protect it. Deyinvo will leave some of his vermin here."
Varsha counted how many hares she had in total: eight score. So that was one hundred sixty hares. If two score wanted to protect Salamandastron, and fifteen hares weren't able to fight, then that meant that she had one hundred and thirty-five to help her to tell Redwall of the upcoming battle, possibly war. Varsha stood up and roared to the cook in the kitchen, "Make us some travelin' food! We're going off to Redwall!"
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Varsha stood with Egua, Koru, Lilyblossom, and Majjit as they exited Salamandastron in the dead of night. Varsha held Firebird tightly in her paws as she and the one hundred and thirty-five hares all marched out of the mountain. They skirted around the huge army and ducked into a large cave.
"Who goes there?" hissed a dangerous voice.
"Joranzo, 'tis me, Varsha!" whispered Varsha.
"Varsh? Varshy-Warshy-Marshy-Darshy-Karshy? I 'aven't seen ya since you was a babe!"
Varsha stiffened. "I'm not Varshy-Warshy-whatever-whatever-whatever anymore. I'm Badgerlady Varsha Midelli of Salamandastron."
The gruff voice stifled a giggle. "Sorry, Milady. Didn't know you was honorable now! So's this means that the ole Badgerlord's gone to Dark Forest?"
"I'm afraid it does, Joranzo. I'm afraid it does." Varsha paused and then murmured, "Light a torch, Jo. It's too dark."
The owner of the gruff voice lit a lantern and held it up. The hares and Varsha could see a full-grown male otter with reddish fur and grey eyes. He held a bow in one paw and a torch in the other. Next to the brawny otter, lying on its side, spilling arrows on the dirt floor, was a quiver.
"Hi, hares," greeted the otter. "I'm Joranzo. I'm the leader of this holt."
"And he does it splendidly," added on Varsha, grinning. Joranzo gave her a light, playful shove.
"Why does my Holt git the honor of seein' you, Varsh?" asked Joranzo, trying to change the subject.
"You know Deyinvo the ermine and Kabble Ionaeyes the rat, do you not?"
Joranzo froze. "Deyinvo and Kabble! The scum! The evil, vile, nasty, murderin' scummy vermin! I know them as well as I know the scars in me rudder, the scars that those beasts gave me!"
"Keep thy voice down, Jo. You'll wake the holt up," whispered Varsha. Joranzo nodded.
"I know 'em well enough, marm."
"They have returned, Joranzo, to take Salamandastron. I suspect that they will try to take Redwall, too. I have come to warn you."
Joranzo looked fiercely into Varsha's eyes. "I'll leave half the Holt here and the rest will go wi' ye, Milady. I'll stay and help Salamandastron!"
Varsha pointed at a hare who had a stiff leg and was becoming too old to battle. "You, bring Joranzo and half of his Holt to Salamandastron in the morn."
"But marm...!" the hare couldn't help but exclaim in indignation.
"You will do it."
The old hare fell silent, nodding. Varsha turned to Joranzo. "If we may spend the night...? We've supped already, so we shall be no trouble, and we have our own food packs."
Joranzo smiled, showing sharp eyeteeth. "No problem at all, Varsh. Make yourself at home."
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The last of the rats ran away from Riley and the great horned owl. The owl landed, hooting softly. She bowed to Waterfish and Odell.
"I am Tiponya Horntalon. Some say that I am worthy of being Redwall's Champion: I differ. I fight to protect innocent ones and to rid the land of the scum that inhabit it." Tiponya smiled. "Who are you?"
"M'name's Waterfish Ottermaid, marm," replied Waterfish.
"'m Odell Kiggum!" chimed in the little otter.
"I am Riley, but am also called Rye."
"Interesting name, Waterfish," murmured Tiponya. "Very interesting."
Waterfish gazed around and then heard a rumble. "What could that be?" she wondered aloud. Riley's ears pricked forward and he gasped, "Quick, deeper into the forest!"
The four friends raced behind some trees.
"What is it, Rye?" asked Tiponya breathlessly. "It's a huge army! A huge army it is!" whispered the dog, shaking. He gave a small whine.
Waterfish looked out at the army and gasped. "Gosh! That army contains the same rats that we just fought!"
Tiponya nodded darkly. "Many a strange thing happens when you fight Sir Kabble Ionaeyes the Magician!"
() Well, there's Chapter Eleven for you. It's really long, but I made you wait for this chapter so I guess I own you some. :-D ()
"Fryungle? Fryungle? Are ye okay?" asked a kindly, female voice.
Fryungle opened his eyes. Badgermum Nuria Firemouth was standing over him.
"Oh, I'm okay," Fryungle replied sleepily. "I was talking to Martin. He talked to me last night, y'know."
"What'd he say?" asked Nuria. Fryungle stood up. Nuria and Fryungle took a long walk around the Abbey Pond as the mouse explained what he had seen.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Varsha glared at the vermin huddled on the floor. She then shifted her attention to an arrow slit. Her left paw strayed to a huge bow as she saw the vermin horde.
"You may have saved your precious hares, but we have you under siege!" called up Deyinvo menacingly. "Go to a window, Lady Varsha! I want to see if you're as strong a badger as Kabble Ionaeyes told me..."
Varsha notched an arrow into the bow and held it to the arrow slit, only the arrowhead showing.
"I WILL NEVER," Varsha roared, "BOW TO THE ORDERS OF VERMIN!"
"You call me 'vermin' again and you die, stripedog!" screamed Deyinvo angrily. "I had your hares and you got them back, but it was only two!"
"We hold the upper paw, ermine," spat back Varsha. "We have five of your rabble!"
Deyinvo glanced around his horde quickly. He remembered that he hadn't seen Sadru the weasel all day. Sadru was a faithful follower that he had considered making a Captain.
"Oh, is that so?" sneered Deyinvo. "Who?"
"We have Woinada the stoat, Harrairdus the rat, Sadru the weasel, and Grudain the ferret. Anyone you know?" called out Varsha mockingly, bringing the vermin to the arrow slit. They miserably peered out at Deyinvo and the rest of the horde.
"You lie," snapped Deyinvo, knowing that he was wrong. He could recognize the vermin, even though they looked like everyday vermin.
Varsha shot an arrow to Deyinvo's right. The shaft struck the tip of his whisker and killed the rat behind him.
"That was a warning shot, ermine. The next one hits your eye. The third? THE THIRD FINDS YOUR HEART!!" screamed Varsha.
Deyinvo glared angrily at Varsha, trembling slightly from near death.
"You don't scare me," he lied.
"Now YOU are the liar," Varsha called down to Deyinvo in a calm tone.
"YOU DARE CALL ME A LIAR...!"
"Yes, in fact I do dare to call you a liar. What will you do about it?" The Badgerlady threw back her head and laughed. "If you leave Salamandastron, I'll give you back your scum."
Deyinvo was now shaking with rage. "You and your hares have called me a multitude of names, which included 'liar', 'scum', and 'vermin'! You will regret this!!!"
Varsha swung her bow, which was loaded with another bolt, and fired. Deyinvo barely ducked in time. The bolt hit the stoat behind him in the stoat's stomach, wounding him and slowly killing him.
"THIS IS WAAAAAAAAAR, VARSHA MIDELLI!" screamed Deyinvo. Varsha put another arrow into her bow and growled, "You stay away from Salamandastron!"
The army turned around and left. Varsha let the arrow fly and it struck the back of the fox on Deyinvo's left.
Deyinvo turned around and roared, "Return fire!"
But all they hit was a mountain. Varsha Midelli had gone from the window.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
"I need some hares to go with me. If they can't get Salamandastron, then they'll go for Redwall," Varsha proclaimed over dinner to her hares. All hares thought about it for a moment, and every paw except for about fifteen paws. Those paws belonged to the elderly and ones that had babes to tend to or were pregnant with little hares.
Varsha nodded. "I'll need some to remain at Salamandastron to protect it. Deyinvo will leave some of his vermin here."
Varsha counted how many hares she had in total: eight score. So that was one hundred sixty hares. If two score wanted to protect Salamandastron, and fifteen hares weren't able to fight, then that meant that she had one hundred and thirty-five to help her to tell Redwall of the upcoming battle, possibly war. Varsha stood up and roared to the cook in the kitchen, "Make us some travelin' food! We're going off to Redwall!"
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Varsha stood with Egua, Koru, Lilyblossom, and Majjit as they exited Salamandastron in the dead of night. Varsha held Firebird tightly in her paws as she and the one hundred and thirty-five hares all marched out of the mountain. They skirted around the huge army and ducked into a large cave.
"Who goes there?" hissed a dangerous voice.
"Joranzo, 'tis me, Varsha!" whispered Varsha.
"Varsh? Varshy-Warshy-Marshy-Darshy-Karshy? I 'aven't seen ya since you was a babe!"
Varsha stiffened. "I'm not Varshy-Warshy-whatever-whatever-whatever anymore. I'm Badgerlady Varsha Midelli of Salamandastron."
The gruff voice stifled a giggle. "Sorry, Milady. Didn't know you was honorable now! So's this means that the ole Badgerlord's gone to Dark Forest?"
"I'm afraid it does, Joranzo. I'm afraid it does." Varsha paused and then murmured, "Light a torch, Jo. It's too dark."
The owner of the gruff voice lit a lantern and held it up. The hares and Varsha could see a full-grown male otter with reddish fur and grey eyes. He held a bow in one paw and a torch in the other. Next to the brawny otter, lying on its side, spilling arrows on the dirt floor, was a quiver.
"Hi, hares," greeted the otter. "I'm Joranzo. I'm the leader of this holt."
"And he does it splendidly," added on Varsha, grinning. Joranzo gave her a light, playful shove.
"Why does my Holt git the honor of seein' you, Varsh?" asked Joranzo, trying to change the subject.
"You know Deyinvo the ermine and Kabble Ionaeyes the rat, do you not?"
Joranzo froze. "Deyinvo and Kabble! The scum! The evil, vile, nasty, murderin' scummy vermin! I know them as well as I know the scars in me rudder, the scars that those beasts gave me!"
"Keep thy voice down, Jo. You'll wake the holt up," whispered Varsha. Joranzo nodded.
"I know 'em well enough, marm."
"They have returned, Joranzo, to take Salamandastron. I suspect that they will try to take Redwall, too. I have come to warn you."
Joranzo looked fiercely into Varsha's eyes. "I'll leave half the Holt here and the rest will go wi' ye, Milady. I'll stay and help Salamandastron!"
Varsha pointed at a hare who had a stiff leg and was becoming too old to battle. "You, bring Joranzo and half of his Holt to Salamandastron in the morn."
"But marm...!" the hare couldn't help but exclaim in indignation.
"You will do it."
The old hare fell silent, nodding. Varsha turned to Joranzo. "If we may spend the night...? We've supped already, so we shall be no trouble, and we have our own food packs."
Joranzo smiled, showing sharp eyeteeth. "No problem at all, Varsh. Make yourself at home."
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
The last of the rats ran away from Riley and the great horned owl. The owl landed, hooting softly. She bowed to Waterfish and Odell.
"I am Tiponya Horntalon. Some say that I am worthy of being Redwall's Champion: I differ. I fight to protect innocent ones and to rid the land of the scum that inhabit it." Tiponya smiled. "Who are you?"
"M'name's Waterfish Ottermaid, marm," replied Waterfish.
"'m Odell Kiggum!" chimed in the little otter.
"I am Riley, but am also called Rye."
"Interesting name, Waterfish," murmured Tiponya. "Very interesting."
Waterfish gazed around and then heard a rumble. "What could that be?" she wondered aloud. Riley's ears pricked forward and he gasped, "Quick, deeper into the forest!"
The four friends raced behind some trees.
"What is it, Rye?" asked Tiponya breathlessly. "It's a huge army! A huge army it is!" whispered the dog, shaking. He gave a small whine.
Waterfish looked out at the army and gasped. "Gosh! That army contains the same rats that we just fought!"
Tiponya nodded darkly. "Many a strange thing happens when you fight Sir Kabble Ionaeyes the Magician!"
() Well, there's Chapter Eleven for you. It's really long, but I made you wait for this chapter so I guess I own you some. :-D ()