CHAPTER TWELVE, VERMIN AT REDWALL
Three days later, Abbess Leafswirl was shaken awake by Nuria Firemouth.
"Mother Abbess," gasped the Badgermum, "there's an army at Redwall's gates!"
Leafswirl leapt out of bed and donned her habit. She quickly shuffled out of the room after Nuria, who was talking rapidly.
"Log-a-Log was talking with the late Skipper's wife, Kella. Kella turned away when Log-a-Log Quiodia mentioned Skip. Kella then spotted the army and saw an ermine and a rat leading an army. So Kella pulled out her sling and Log-a-Log ran off to warn the Abbey. I saw her and immediately ran to tell you."
"Thankee, Nurra," rasped out Leafswirl as they quickened their pace. "'Twas gudd o' ye to warn me 'bout ee baddies comin' to Reddwull!"
Nuria strode through the doors and she and the Abbess climbed to the top of the wall.
"Woo aree 'n' what'd'ee want?" called down Leafswirl.
There were laughs from the army.
"Speaks funny, that 'un," snickered a voice.
"You dare insult Mother Abbess Leafswirl...!" Nuria began to roar down at the vermin, but Leafswirl calmed her down.
"Nay, nay, don't ee pay 'tenshun to ee nasty vurrmints," whispered the mole. Leafswirl's brother, the Foremole, and his crew came up to Leafswirl.
"Ye shudd let summ'un loike Nurra or Kell' or Lug-ee-Lug handill this scummy lawt," whispered Foremole. "Thurr jost gonna make funna ye."
Leafswirl nodded and then looked up at Nuria. "Tawk to ee vurrmints furr me, willee?"
Nuria nodded and then looked down at the army. "What do you want with us?"
"This is now our Abbey!" snarled up the ermine.
"Oh? Why?" Nuria called back down.
There was a pause. Then a rat with bulging eyes that were, startling, violet yelled up, "Because we claim it, stripedog! I am Kabble Ionaeyes, and thou shall feel my wrath!"
A shudder rippled through the whole Abbey. Kabble! Kabble Ionaeyes!
"You tried to take the Abbey before, didn't you, Kabble?" called down Kella. "But you failed!"
Foremole whispered into his sister's ear, "Boi 'okey, Kell's roight! Thawt's the scum thawt troied to take Reddwull be'ore! Do ee amemburr, Leafswurrl?"
"Oi amemburrs alroight!" whispered back the Abbess. "Et's Kabble!"
"I am Lord Deyinvo! What you see is only half of my horde! Sir Kabble has magic to transport me from here to Salamandastron, where we have the Badgerlady and her hares imprisoned in!" yelled the ermine.
Kella clenched her fists in rage as she roared, "LOOK AT WHAT KABBLE USES AS A WEAPON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
All of the Redwallers looked down and gasped.
"MARTIN'S SWORD!" Kella hollered angrily. She pulled her sling from her belt and fitted a rock to her. She trembled with fury and she began to twirl the sling. The rest of the otter crew took out their slings too.
"Dunt naow!" yelled Abbess Leafswirl. "Ittull make surrious woar!"
Kella's eyes brimmed with tears. "Skip used that sword to protect a babe. Now it's in the hand of scum!" Kella twirled her sling faster and faster until the air could be heard singing. "My husband did not die to let Martin's sword be in the hand of vermin!" she yelled hoarsely. She let the rock fly, but Kabble wrapped himself in his cloak and disappeared.
The rocks clattered harmlessly down on the ground. Kella shook her sling at the vermin as they cackled. "They have Martin's sword!"
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Suddenly, a white light flashed in front of Riley, Tiponya, Odell, and Waterfish. Kabble the rat was standing there, laughing.
"Stupid otters," he laughed. "They tried to kill me!"
He then wrapped himself in his cloak and disappeared in a flash of white light.
"What was that?" whispered Odell.
"They must've reached Redwall!" whispered Riley. Waterfish strode forward with Tiponya waddling behind her. Riley and Odell followed the owl and otter.
"Who're you?" cried a voice suddenly. "C'mon, tell us tell us tell us!"
"I'm Waterfish Ottermaid!" yelled Waterfish boldly, surprised that there was a voice.
"My name is Tiponya Horntalon!"
"I'm Riley the dog!"
"My name's Odell Kiggum!"
"Who are you?" Waterfish shouted at the voice. "Show yerself!"
Out from behind a huge tree came a hedgehog around Waterfish's age.
"My name's Fshio Zeespike," replied the hedgehog with a friendly smile. "I just needed to make sure that you weren't those nasty vermin that came by earlier. We hid in our caves."
"Caves? I don't see any caves..." began Odell, but Fshio Zeespike cut him off.
"That's acos we hid 'em, otter!" Fshio motioned to a pile of rocks in the side of a small rock hill. He began pulling them aside and soon revealed a tunnel.
"It's like moles!" laughed Riley. He pawed at the entrance sadly. "But I can't fit in..."
Fshio looked thoughtful for a moment and then patted Riley's leg, which was the only place that he could reach. "It's okay, mate. You can keep guard, and so can Tiponya Horntalon. Two fierce fighters, eh!"
Waterfish and Odell grinned as Tiponya flushed with pleasure. "I'm no big warrior..."
"Nonsense!" exclaimed Fshio. He winked at Tiponya and then motioned for Odell and Waterfish to climb down the hole. "Go down there and say that you're the mates of Fshio Zeespike, son of Chief Orruman."
Waterfish put her footpaws in the hole and began to slip down the hole. Suddenly, she slipped on a rock and fell on her back and began sliding down the tunnel. The tunnel was wet with water that the earth had soaked up. She heard Odell fall and give a yell behind her.
Waterfish tumbled onto level ground and looked up. There was a hedgehog standing above her.
"Who are you!" demanded the hedgehog. "You dare enter the Cavern of Zeespike..."
"We're mates of Fshio Zeespike, son of Chief Orruman!" Odell cried boldly. "So's iffen you wanna differ, then tell Fshio!"
Waterfish noticed that Odell had landed behind her. She stood up and soon realized that she was taller than the hedgehog.
"I'm Waterfish Ottermaid. This is Odell Kiggum. We are chasing after Kabble Ionaeyes, for he has the sacred sword of Martin the Warrior, the sword that was stolen from Redwall Abbey!"
A gasp went throughout the large, cavernous room. Suddenly, there was a thump and Fshio appeared beside Odell. He then went up to the hedgehog that had talked to Waterfish and Odell.
"Da, these are my friends," he explained anxiously. "I met them earlier and they want to fight Kabble and his crew too. There's a wolf-like being outside and an owl. They are my friends, too."
"Riley's a dog," whispered Waterfish.
"Fshio, my son, any signs of rats?" asked the hedgehog who must've been Orruman. Fshio shook his head.
"The rats headed off to Redwall, but Kabble is using his magic tricks to go to somewhere else."
Orruman sighed sadly. "Waterfish, Odell, you may stay the night iffen youse wish."
Waterfish bowed her head politely. "Thankee, sir."
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Kabble Ionaeyes stood in front of his half of the vermin army. He had Martin's sword out in case any of them tried any funny moves.
"We can defeat Salamandastron," Kabble whispered in a menacing voice. "We've defeated many places before."
"Wot 'bout that Riddall place?" called out a ferret who slurred his words. "Long time 'go when we tried t'gerrit we dinnit gerrit. They d'feat'd us 'n' we ran 'way from 'em!"
Kabble growled, "Shuttup, Dunixi, I did not ask for your opinion!" Kabble straightened up. "We lost because we had a traitorous second-in-command. I was quite young then and did not know not to trust stripedogs." Kabble sighed, shaking his head. "The traitorous stripedog is in Salamandastron. We'll camp here tonight and then we shall attack at dawn."
The last phrase was echoed with much cheer around the area. "Attack at dawn!"
Three days later, Abbess Leafswirl was shaken awake by Nuria Firemouth.
"Mother Abbess," gasped the Badgermum, "there's an army at Redwall's gates!"
Leafswirl leapt out of bed and donned her habit. She quickly shuffled out of the room after Nuria, who was talking rapidly.
"Log-a-Log was talking with the late Skipper's wife, Kella. Kella turned away when Log-a-Log Quiodia mentioned Skip. Kella then spotted the army and saw an ermine and a rat leading an army. So Kella pulled out her sling and Log-a-Log ran off to warn the Abbey. I saw her and immediately ran to tell you."
"Thankee, Nurra," rasped out Leafswirl as they quickened their pace. "'Twas gudd o' ye to warn me 'bout ee baddies comin' to Reddwull!"
Nuria strode through the doors and she and the Abbess climbed to the top of the wall.
"Woo aree 'n' what'd'ee want?" called down Leafswirl.
There were laughs from the army.
"Speaks funny, that 'un," snickered a voice.
"You dare insult Mother Abbess Leafswirl...!" Nuria began to roar down at the vermin, but Leafswirl calmed her down.
"Nay, nay, don't ee pay 'tenshun to ee nasty vurrmints," whispered the mole. Leafswirl's brother, the Foremole, and his crew came up to Leafswirl.
"Ye shudd let summ'un loike Nurra or Kell' or Lug-ee-Lug handill this scummy lawt," whispered Foremole. "Thurr jost gonna make funna ye."
Leafswirl nodded and then looked up at Nuria. "Tawk to ee vurrmints furr me, willee?"
Nuria nodded and then looked down at the army. "What do you want with us?"
"This is now our Abbey!" snarled up the ermine.
"Oh? Why?" Nuria called back down.
There was a pause. Then a rat with bulging eyes that were, startling, violet yelled up, "Because we claim it, stripedog! I am Kabble Ionaeyes, and thou shall feel my wrath!"
A shudder rippled through the whole Abbey. Kabble! Kabble Ionaeyes!
"You tried to take the Abbey before, didn't you, Kabble?" called down Kella. "But you failed!"
Foremole whispered into his sister's ear, "Boi 'okey, Kell's roight! Thawt's the scum thawt troied to take Reddwull be'ore! Do ee amemburr, Leafswurrl?"
"Oi amemburrs alroight!" whispered back the Abbess. "Et's Kabble!"
"I am Lord Deyinvo! What you see is only half of my horde! Sir Kabble has magic to transport me from here to Salamandastron, where we have the Badgerlady and her hares imprisoned in!" yelled the ermine.
Kella clenched her fists in rage as she roared, "LOOK AT WHAT KABBLE USES AS A WEAPON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
All of the Redwallers looked down and gasped.
"MARTIN'S SWORD!" Kella hollered angrily. She pulled her sling from her belt and fitted a rock to her. She trembled with fury and she began to twirl the sling. The rest of the otter crew took out their slings too.
"Dunt naow!" yelled Abbess Leafswirl. "Ittull make surrious woar!"
Kella's eyes brimmed with tears. "Skip used that sword to protect a babe. Now it's in the hand of scum!" Kella twirled her sling faster and faster until the air could be heard singing. "My husband did not die to let Martin's sword be in the hand of vermin!" she yelled hoarsely. She let the rock fly, but Kabble wrapped himself in his cloak and disappeared.
The rocks clattered harmlessly down on the ground. Kella shook her sling at the vermin as they cackled. "They have Martin's sword!"
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Suddenly, a white light flashed in front of Riley, Tiponya, Odell, and Waterfish. Kabble the rat was standing there, laughing.
"Stupid otters," he laughed. "They tried to kill me!"
He then wrapped himself in his cloak and disappeared in a flash of white light.
"What was that?" whispered Odell.
"They must've reached Redwall!" whispered Riley. Waterfish strode forward with Tiponya waddling behind her. Riley and Odell followed the owl and otter.
"Who're you?" cried a voice suddenly. "C'mon, tell us tell us tell us!"
"I'm Waterfish Ottermaid!" yelled Waterfish boldly, surprised that there was a voice.
"My name is Tiponya Horntalon!"
"I'm Riley the dog!"
"My name's Odell Kiggum!"
"Who are you?" Waterfish shouted at the voice. "Show yerself!"
Out from behind a huge tree came a hedgehog around Waterfish's age.
"My name's Fshio Zeespike," replied the hedgehog with a friendly smile. "I just needed to make sure that you weren't those nasty vermin that came by earlier. We hid in our caves."
"Caves? I don't see any caves..." began Odell, but Fshio Zeespike cut him off.
"That's acos we hid 'em, otter!" Fshio motioned to a pile of rocks in the side of a small rock hill. He began pulling them aside and soon revealed a tunnel.
"It's like moles!" laughed Riley. He pawed at the entrance sadly. "But I can't fit in..."
Fshio looked thoughtful for a moment and then patted Riley's leg, which was the only place that he could reach. "It's okay, mate. You can keep guard, and so can Tiponya Horntalon. Two fierce fighters, eh!"
Waterfish and Odell grinned as Tiponya flushed with pleasure. "I'm no big warrior..."
"Nonsense!" exclaimed Fshio. He winked at Tiponya and then motioned for Odell and Waterfish to climb down the hole. "Go down there and say that you're the mates of Fshio Zeespike, son of Chief Orruman."
Waterfish put her footpaws in the hole and began to slip down the hole. Suddenly, she slipped on a rock and fell on her back and began sliding down the tunnel. The tunnel was wet with water that the earth had soaked up. She heard Odell fall and give a yell behind her.
Waterfish tumbled onto level ground and looked up. There was a hedgehog standing above her.
"Who are you!" demanded the hedgehog. "You dare enter the Cavern of Zeespike..."
"We're mates of Fshio Zeespike, son of Chief Orruman!" Odell cried boldly. "So's iffen you wanna differ, then tell Fshio!"
Waterfish noticed that Odell had landed behind her. She stood up and soon realized that she was taller than the hedgehog.
"I'm Waterfish Ottermaid. This is Odell Kiggum. We are chasing after Kabble Ionaeyes, for he has the sacred sword of Martin the Warrior, the sword that was stolen from Redwall Abbey!"
A gasp went throughout the large, cavernous room. Suddenly, there was a thump and Fshio appeared beside Odell. He then went up to the hedgehog that had talked to Waterfish and Odell.
"Da, these are my friends," he explained anxiously. "I met them earlier and they want to fight Kabble and his crew too. There's a wolf-like being outside and an owl. They are my friends, too."
"Riley's a dog," whispered Waterfish.
"Fshio, my son, any signs of rats?" asked the hedgehog who must've been Orruman. Fshio shook his head.
"The rats headed off to Redwall, but Kabble is using his magic tricks to go to somewhere else."
Orruman sighed sadly. "Waterfish, Odell, you may stay the night iffen youse wish."
Waterfish bowed her head politely. "Thankee, sir."
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Kabble Ionaeyes stood in front of his half of the vermin army. He had Martin's sword out in case any of them tried any funny moves.
"We can defeat Salamandastron," Kabble whispered in a menacing voice. "We've defeated many places before."
"Wot 'bout that Riddall place?" called out a ferret who slurred his words. "Long time 'go when we tried t'gerrit we dinnit gerrit. They d'feat'd us 'n' we ran 'way from 'em!"
Kabble growled, "Shuttup, Dunixi, I did not ask for your opinion!" Kabble straightened up. "We lost because we had a traitorous second-in-command. I was quite young then and did not know not to trust stripedogs." Kabble sighed, shaking his head. "The traitorous stripedog is in Salamandastron. We'll camp here tonight and then we shall attack at dawn."
The last phrase was echoed with much cheer around the area. "Attack at dawn!"