CHAPTER THIRTEEN, ATTACK ON REDWALL
Dawn came. Lord Deyinvo gazed up as the sun streaked the sky pink, a light blue, yellow, and purple. The red, sandstone building reared high above him. Deyinvo the ermine grinned maliciously.
'Today we will attack. Today will be the dying day of many Redwallers.'
Deyinvo began to awaken his army.
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Nuria gazed out at the vermin army. They had settled out of bow or sling range, halfway in the forest. Kella joined her to look at the army.
"They're thinkin' of summat, marm, I can tell," Kella whispered. Log-a-Log, Foremole, and the Abbess joined them.
"Well, then," Leafswirl began, "whoi don't ee tell yon crooew? Tell the Guosim, Lug-ee-Lug, tell yer otters, Kella, 'n' tell yer moles, bruvver!"
All three nodded politely to Abbess Leafswirl and ran off to do her bidding.
"Oi'll awaken ee Abbeydwillers thawt kin foight," Leafswirl sighed. She padded off silently, leaving Nuria Firemouth to her own thoughts, one of which was, 'Waterfish, Odell, wherever you are, please be safe!'
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Cravvu was a sly fox. He had dark orange fur with red eyes that glinted when he had thought up a foolproof plan to kill someone. Right now, his eyes were glinting and he had a happy grin on his face.
"Cravvu," murmured Deyinvo, "what's this foolproof plan you've thought up?"
Cravvu smiled. "It's easy, Milord. So what we do is shoot arrow from one side. When they return fire, we shoot from another place. Then – well, d'you see that rock that juts out of the building a bit?"
"Aye, Cravvu, aye!"
"Well, it looks like Milord or I could climb up to that rock that juts out. More rocks might jut out a bit, or there must be cracks in the side of the Abbey. I could scale it and then drop down and open up the gates!" Cravvu grinned at Deyinvo. "How's THAT for a plan, eh?"
Deyinvo smiled. "I always knew that you were a smart fox, Cravvu. How would you like to be my official battle-planner?"
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An arrow flew up and struck Nuria in the shoulder.
"Return fire!" hollered Kella, whirling her loaded sling. She and the otter crew let the stones fly. The Guosim took short spears and hurled them at where the army of vermin stood, arrows pointing up at the Redwallers. They let the arrows fly and then stumbled back into the woods.
"That was the attack?" Log-a-Log Quiodia wondered aloud. Suddenly, arrows hailed down on them from their right.
"RETURN FIRE!" Nuria shouted.
The Redwallers ran to return fire, but the arrows and rock hit them from another direction.
Log-a-Log cried out in frustration, "For an army that's so big, how come we can't find them?"
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Cravvu spat on his paws and then jumped, grabbing the brick that jutted out. Cravvu pulled himself up until his arms were straight and his head was above the brick. He swiftly let go of the brick with one paw and latched his gleaming black claws in a crack in another brick. Cravvu took his other paw from the jutting out brick and snatched at a crack. He missed and gasped as he dangled there, hanging by his claws that were dug into the side of a tall building. Cravvu took a deep breath and put his other claws into the crack that his other claws were in. He put his footpaws on the jutting out brick, his back curved. The smart fox then put his claws inside of another crack. He pulled himself up straight, clinging onto a crack that was far above him and his footpaws barely touching the jutting out brick. Cravvu latched his right claws into a small crack and then began to climb up more steadily. Finally, his paws touched the flat top of the wall.
Cravvu had gotten into Redwall!
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Deyinvo bellowed, "Quick, to the North side!"
His army stumbled away to fire arrows and sling stones at the Redwallers from the North. The Redwallers were currently facing West, where the vermin had last shot arrows and stones from.
'Where is Cravvu?' wondered Deyinvo as he shot off an arrow.
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Cravvu the fox was on the Abbey grounds. The first thing he did was keep his long dagger in easy reach. He then went to a small side door and opened it. He exited and closed it.
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The ermine warlord put down his bow and sat on the ground, cross-legged.
"We're lost none. Take a break," he called to his followers. The vermin happily agreed.
"Where's that blasted fox?" muttered Deyinvo as he ripped up grass.
"Here, Milord."
Deyinvo leapt up. Cravvu was silently standing behind him. The ermine gave a rueful grin. "So, Cravvu. Did you get into the Abbey?"
"Yes, Lord Deyinvo. I left the door unlocked." Cravvu cracked a grin. "Follow me."
Deyinvo called to his vermin, "C'mon, you lot. We're going into the Abbey."
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Cravvu pushed open the Abbey door and let out a cackle of delight. "Here ye go, Lord, the Abbey!"
Deyinvo drew his long sword and shoved it into the soft, well-kept grass. "I did it! I have gotten into Redwall!"
The Redwallers up on the battlements were taking a short break. Deyinvo jerked his head towards the Abbey doors. The vermin followed their leader as they entered inside of the great Abbey.
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Waterfish woke up. Fshio and Odell were still asleep. Waterfish lay in her bed for a while. She heard rustling and turned to see Fshio getting up. He gave her a quick grin and got out of his bed. Waterfish climbed out of her bed and followed Fshio into the main room of the Cavern of Zeespike. Waterfish noticed that there were already many hedgehogs awake, one of which was Orruman. Orruman stood up and took Waterfish aside without a word.
"My son wants to go adventuring with you."
Waterfish had suspected that a young hedgehog would want to go along.
"But I don't want him to go."
Waterfish nodded understandingly.
"His mother was killed by Kabble Ionaeyes."
Waterfish lowered her eyes.
"A long time ago, his mother, my wife, Nottane, had made a deal with an otter merchant with some other hedgehogs. Then they were captured by vermin. Nottane was slain, along with the otter and this otter's crew."
Waterfish thought angrily, 'Vermin are malicious because they can be.'
"Fshio doesn't understand the horrors that are out there. Even in the safest place there is still danger."
Waterfish looked into Orruman's eyes. She could see that his eyes were filling up with tears.
"Nottane had been mortally injured and was helped back here by her friend, Loynia Stickspike."
Waterfish looked up at Orruman, surprised. "Stickspike?"
"Yes, Stickspike was her surname. Had a little son named Hyas, but Hyas died in a plague."
Waterfish was shocked. "The otter who Nottane worked with didn't happen to be Eyeshine Swordslash, was he?"
Orruman looked surprised. "Yes, I think that's what he was named. Yes, 'twas!"
"Was his wife Honeyflower Swordslash?"
Orruman nodded furiously. "Yes! Yes! Waterfish – how did you know?"
Waterfish blinked away tears. "My true name is Songtamer Swordslash. I am the last remaining Swordslash. My brother was Bowfire Swordslash. Hyas and I ran from our village when the plague hit. Hyas Stickspike died, though. He had always avoided questions about where his mother went once his parents split up. Now I know that she came to here."
"Nottane told me that she thought that Eyeshine was the bravest otter ever," whispered Orruman, putting a comforting paw on Waterfish's shoulder. "I know it's not much comfort to here about your deceased relative, but she told me that Eyeshine had been brave, truthful, honest, kind, and a fierce warrior."
Waterfish took a deep breath to calm herself down. She blinked slowly and then looked into Orruman's eyes. "You better give Fshio permission to come with us, or he'll sneak out to follow us, and that will be worse if he gets injured or dies and he thinks that you don't think that he's good enough to go out fighting."
Orruman nodded. "Thank you, Songtamer Swordslash."
"I am now Waterfish Ottermaid. I will be Waterfish Ottermaid till I reclaim Martin the Warrior's sword for Redwall."
"You are a brave otter, Waterfish. You will get back Martin's sword. I know you will. I can tell it in your eyes. You have the look of determination."
Waterfish smiled. She walked over to where Odell was standing talking with a hedgehog around his age.
'You have the look of determination in your eyes, Waterfish,' thought Orruman. 'It is the look of a Warrior!'
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Varsha heard yelling and shouting. She knew the sounds of war. She beckoned to her hares to follow her. She unsheathed Firebird and heard someone yelling, "REDWAAAAAAAAAAAAALL!"
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"REDWAAAAAAAAAAAAALL!" Kella roared. The vermin inside of Redwall had been discovered!
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Two female voices screamed out the same war cry at the same time, the war cry of hares and badgers: "EEEEEEEUUUUUUUUUUUUULAAAAAAAAAALIIIIIIIAAAAAA!!!"
() Wow. Sorry it's longer than normal. I kept on thinking of ideas, and then I decided that I would make the next chapter shorter so I put in a kind of-sort of-not really cliffy. I'll probably get the next chapter out today or tomorrow. Also, thanks to everyone who reviewed! ()
Dawn came. Lord Deyinvo gazed up as the sun streaked the sky pink, a light blue, yellow, and purple. The red, sandstone building reared high above him. Deyinvo the ermine grinned maliciously.
'Today we will attack. Today will be the dying day of many Redwallers.'
Deyinvo began to awaken his army.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Nuria gazed out at the vermin army. They had settled out of bow or sling range, halfway in the forest. Kella joined her to look at the army.
"They're thinkin' of summat, marm, I can tell," Kella whispered. Log-a-Log, Foremole, and the Abbess joined them.
"Well, then," Leafswirl began, "whoi don't ee tell yon crooew? Tell the Guosim, Lug-ee-Lug, tell yer otters, Kella, 'n' tell yer moles, bruvver!"
All three nodded politely to Abbess Leafswirl and ran off to do her bidding.
"Oi'll awaken ee Abbeydwillers thawt kin foight," Leafswirl sighed. She padded off silently, leaving Nuria Firemouth to her own thoughts, one of which was, 'Waterfish, Odell, wherever you are, please be safe!'
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Cravvu was a sly fox. He had dark orange fur with red eyes that glinted when he had thought up a foolproof plan to kill someone. Right now, his eyes were glinting and he had a happy grin on his face.
"Cravvu," murmured Deyinvo, "what's this foolproof plan you've thought up?"
Cravvu smiled. "It's easy, Milord. So what we do is shoot arrow from one side. When they return fire, we shoot from another place. Then – well, d'you see that rock that juts out of the building a bit?"
"Aye, Cravvu, aye!"
"Well, it looks like Milord or I could climb up to that rock that juts out. More rocks might jut out a bit, or there must be cracks in the side of the Abbey. I could scale it and then drop down and open up the gates!" Cravvu grinned at Deyinvo. "How's THAT for a plan, eh?"
Deyinvo smiled. "I always knew that you were a smart fox, Cravvu. How would you like to be my official battle-planner?"
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An arrow flew up and struck Nuria in the shoulder.
"Return fire!" hollered Kella, whirling her loaded sling. She and the otter crew let the stones fly. The Guosim took short spears and hurled them at where the army of vermin stood, arrows pointing up at the Redwallers. They let the arrows fly and then stumbled back into the woods.
"That was the attack?" Log-a-Log Quiodia wondered aloud. Suddenly, arrows hailed down on them from their right.
"RETURN FIRE!" Nuria shouted.
The Redwallers ran to return fire, but the arrows and rock hit them from another direction.
Log-a-Log cried out in frustration, "For an army that's so big, how come we can't find them?"
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Cravvu spat on his paws and then jumped, grabbing the brick that jutted out. Cravvu pulled himself up until his arms were straight and his head was above the brick. He swiftly let go of the brick with one paw and latched his gleaming black claws in a crack in another brick. Cravvu took his other paw from the jutting out brick and snatched at a crack. He missed and gasped as he dangled there, hanging by his claws that were dug into the side of a tall building. Cravvu took a deep breath and put his other claws into the crack that his other claws were in. He put his footpaws on the jutting out brick, his back curved. The smart fox then put his claws inside of another crack. He pulled himself up straight, clinging onto a crack that was far above him and his footpaws barely touching the jutting out brick. Cravvu latched his right claws into a small crack and then began to climb up more steadily. Finally, his paws touched the flat top of the wall.
Cravvu had gotten into Redwall!
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Deyinvo bellowed, "Quick, to the North side!"
His army stumbled away to fire arrows and sling stones at the Redwallers from the North. The Redwallers were currently facing West, where the vermin had last shot arrows and stones from.
'Where is Cravvu?' wondered Deyinvo as he shot off an arrow.
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Cravvu the fox was on the Abbey grounds. The first thing he did was keep his long dagger in easy reach. He then went to a small side door and opened it. He exited and closed it.
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The ermine warlord put down his bow and sat on the ground, cross-legged.
"We're lost none. Take a break," he called to his followers. The vermin happily agreed.
"Where's that blasted fox?" muttered Deyinvo as he ripped up grass.
"Here, Milord."
Deyinvo leapt up. Cravvu was silently standing behind him. The ermine gave a rueful grin. "So, Cravvu. Did you get into the Abbey?"
"Yes, Lord Deyinvo. I left the door unlocked." Cravvu cracked a grin. "Follow me."
Deyinvo called to his vermin, "C'mon, you lot. We're going into the Abbey."
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Cravvu pushed open the Abbey door and let out a cackle of delight. "Here ye go, Lord, the Abbey!"
Deyinvo drew his long sword and shoved it into the soft, well-kept grass. "I did it! I have gotten into Redwall!"
The Redwallers up on the battlements were taking a short break. Deyinvo jerked his head towards the Abbey doors. The vermin followed their leader as they entered inside of the great Abbey.
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Waterfish woke up. Fshio and Odell were still asleep. Waterfish lay in her bed for a while. She heard rustling and turned to see Fshio getting up. He gave her a quick grin and got out of his bed. Waterfish climbed out of her bed and followed Fshio into the main room of the Cavern of Zeespike. Waterfish noticed that there were already many hedgehogs awake, one of which was Orruman. Orruman stood up and took Waterfish aside without a word.
"My son wants to go adventuring with you."
Waterfish had suspected that a young hedgehog would want to go along.
"But I don't want him to go."
Waterfish nodded understandingly.
"His mother was killed by Kabble Ionaeyes."
Waterfish lowered her eyes.
"A long time ago, his mother, my wife, Nottane, had made a deal with an otter merchant with some other hedgehogs. Then they were captured by vermin. Nottane was slain, along with the otter and this otter's crew."
Waterfish thought angrily, 'Vermin are malicious because they can be.'
"Fshio doesn't understand the horrors that are out there. Even in the safest place there is still danger."
Waterfish looked into Orruman's eyes. She could see that his eyes were filling up with tears.
"Nottane had been mortally injured and was helped back here by her friend, Loynia Stickspike."
Waterfish looked up at Orruman, surprised. "Stickspike?"
"Yes, Stickspike was her surname. Had a little son named Hyas, but Hyas died in a plague."
Waterfish was shocked. "The otter who Nottane worked with didn't happen to be Eyeshine Swordslash, was he?"
Orruman looked surprised. "Yes, I think that's what he was named. Yes, 'twas!"
"Was his wife Honeyflower Swordslash?"
Orruman nodded furiously. "Yes! Yes! Waterfish – how did you know?"
Waterfish blinked away tears. "My true name is Songtamer Swordslash. I am the last remaining Swordslash. My brother was Bowfire Swordslash. Hyas and I ran from our village when the plague hit. Hyas Stickspike died, though. He had always avoided questions about where his mother went once his parents split up. Now I know that she came to here."
"Nottane told me that she thought that Eyeshine was the bravest otter ever," whispered Orruman, putting a comforting paw on Waterfish's shoulder. "I know it's not much comfort to here about your deceased relative, but she told me that Eyeshine had been brave, truthful, honest, kind, and a fierce warrior."
Waterfish took a deep breath to calm herself down. She blinked slowly and then looked into Orruman's eyes. "You better give Fshio permission to come with us, or he'll sneak out to follow us, and that will be worse if he gets injured or dies and he thinks that you don't think that he's good enough to go out fighting."
Orruman nodded. "Thank you, Songtamer Swordslash."
"I am now Waterfish Ottermaid. I will be Waterfish Ottermaid till I reclaim Martin the Warrior's sword for Redwall."
"You are a brave otter, Waterfish. You will get back Martin's sword. I know you will. I can tell it in your eyes. You have the look of determination."
Waterfish smiled. She walked over to where Odell was standing talking with a hedgehog around his age.
'You have the look of determination in your eyes, Waterfish,' thought Orruman. 'It is the look of a Warrior!'
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Varsha heard yelling and shouting. She knew the sounds of war. She beckoned to her hares to follow her. She unsheathed Firebird and heard someone yelling, "REDWAAAAAAAAAAAAALL!"
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
"REDWAAAAAAAAAAAAALL!" Kella roared. The vermin inside of Redwall had been discovered!
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Two female voices screamed out the same war cry at the same time, the war cry of hares and badgers: "EEEEEEEUUUUUUUUUUUUULAAAAAAAAAALIIIIIIIAAAAAA!!!"
() Wow. Sorry it's longer than normal. I kept on thinking of ideas, and then I decided that I would make the next chapter shorter so I put in a kind of-sort of-not really cliffy. I'll probably get the next chapter out today or tomorrow. Also, thanks to everyone who reviewed! ()