CHAPTER SIXTEEN, BATTLE WITH TOADS
Fshio placed a gentle paw over Waterfish's mouth and shook her awake.
"Ottermaid, I think that you should see this," he whispered. Waterfish stood up, drawing her dirk. Fshio took a dagger that had been given to him by Orruman from his belt. Fshio jerked his head towards a deeper and thicker part of the woods, where they had to go through to get to Salamandastron, where they were going because they knew that Kabble was there. The hedgehog and otter slowly crept forward. Fshio pointed his dagger behind a large birch.
"Look behind there," he murmured in her ear, "but be cautious!"
Waterfish nodded and sidled up against the birch. She slowly turned her head to see what was behind the tree. She smothered a gasp in her throat.
Toads!
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Varsha blundered through Mossflower Woods, tears streaming down her face. For the second time in her life, she had run from Redwall to escape the truth of her past. Little did she know that Egua, Lilyblossom, Majjit, and Koru were sprinting after her, not wanting their Badgerlady to do something foolish and get herself killed.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Fryungle closed his eyes and drew his cloak closer around himself. He was sitting by the bushes by the Abbey Pond. The Autumn of the Rosy Dawn was almost halfway through. The days seemed to be flying by.
'And I still haven't figure out what Martin was trying to tell me!' he thought, angry with himself. 'Okay, Fryungle, be calm. Don't be angry with yourself. It will unfold when it unfolds.'
Fryungle stood up. He gripped his paws together and whispered a small vow to himself: "I vow to have a better temper." Fryungle nodded to himself smilingly. "Yes, that's much better, Fryungle m'lad."
The young mouse smiled as he strode back to the Abbey. 'I will make a diary. If I get in a fight, I will write down the problem and try to resolve it. This will be a much better lifestyle then just blowing up at any goodbeast that gets me angry.' With this happy thought in his mind, Fryungle pushed open the Abbey doors and headed into Cavern Hole for lunch.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Waterfish gaped at the multitude of three-pronged trident-wielding toads. The largest one had a four-pronged trident with a toad rubbing a cloth onto the end. Waterfish had a nasty suspicion that the stuff on the cloth was poison.
Fshio whispered, "C'mon Waterfish" and began trotting back to the camp were Riley, Tiponya, and Odell were still snoozing.
Fshio stopped. He had not heard the sound of paws pattering after him. "Waterfish?"
Fshio heard a muffled scream. He turned around to see Waterfish being mobbed by toads.
"WATERFISH!" Fshio roared, drawing his dagger. His yell woke up Odell, Riley, and Tiponya.
The hedgehog ran at a toad and hit him on the head with his dagger hilt. He elbowed the amphibian out of his way as he tried to get Waterfish free of the toads.
"Gerroff of her, you mud-suckin', bilge-eating, scum-nosed blaggards!" shouted Fshio Zeespike.
At that moment, Odell, Tiponya, and Riley appeared next to Fshio, Odell wielding a large branch he had found on the ground. As he struck a toad's skull, Odell and Waterfish roared out one word: "REDDDDDDDDDWAAAAAAAAALL!"
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Deyinvo crouched down beside Cravvu, who was sucking on a bone from a bird next to the campfire.
"Listen, mate," whispered Deyinvo the ermine. "I'm going to go to Salamandastron to take that sword that ole Kabble has. I'm leaving you in charge. I'll make the announcement in the morning."
Cravvu broke open the bone to extract the marrow. "Yer a good Lord. You've got a good eye."
Deyinvo nodded, and then grabbed Cravvu by the front of his tunic. "If you lose to the peace lovers and survive, I will seek you out and destroy you!"
Deyinvo swaggered off to his tent to get some bed as Cravvu shook with fear.
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Varsha fell to her knees, still sobbing, but sobbing for breath, not because of her complicated life. She was all out of tears, like a wet rag being wrung out of water.
"Cry yer heart out, marm. I saw ye crying enough when youse was a babe, wot wot!"
Varsha leapt up with a roar, drawing Flamebird. She saw Egua standing in front of her, her paws spread out wide and her head slightly lowered.
"Why are you here, Egua?" whispered Varsha, wiping tears from her eyes.
"I'm not alone, marm."
"Joy. Is the whole of Redwall on the tail of a traitor?" Varsha Midelli asked sarcastically.
"No. Only Majjit, Koru, and Lily." Egua folded her arms across her chest and looked into Varsha's eyes, which were filling up with tears. "Marm, don't leave us."
"We don't want you to go away acos of that rotter, Kabble Doodadhead," exclaimed the voice of Majjit. He stepped out from behind an elm tree and stood next to Egua. Koru bounded out from behind a pine tree and stood next to Majjit.
"Marm, 'tain't right t'lose a Badgerlady when she's only been reignin' 'bou' four or five seasons, wot wot wot wot wot!" cried Koru. Lilyblossom came out from behind a maple. She stood in front of the three older hares. Lilyblossom was the youngest Salamandastron fighting hare, just barely the age required to be a fighting hare. Her cobalt blue eyes were filled with tears. She was pure white with no splotches of any other color on her, except for her footpaws, which were totally tannish-grey. She was the age were male hares were beginning to look at her in a different and new light.
"Marm..." she whispered, tears spilling from her eyes, "I know that we're just ole hares, protectin' our bally Badgerlord or Badgerlady, and that we're friends with the chap or chappess leadin' us, wot. But, Milady, the reason that we don't want you to go is that, really, marm, we love you. We love you like our own mum or sis. You've 'elped us and given us a place to live. Then, when ole Kabby Eyes, or whatever he wants to call hisself, comes and attacks us, you defend us, Varsha! You DEFEND us. You're brave, Badgerlady Varsha Midelli of Salamandastron. You're brave."
Varsha looked down at her big paws. "How can I be brave when I'm running away from my truth?"
Lilyblossom looked Varsha square in the eyes. "Bein' brave isn't never running away, marm. Bein' brave is feelin' afraid and ignoring that, knowing that others will suffer the same orful fate as you iffen you don't help 'em. That's what yer doing, marm! That's what yer doing!"
Varsha covered her face with her huge paws. "But I helped Kabble. I'm not that brave."
"Y'were young. You was foolish. Varsh ole lass, you 'elped Kabble acos he asked for it and he tole you lies. You knew nothin' about Redwall, so you helped Kabble acos he said that he was in need. You're a brave, kindly soul, Milady. When you look outside, all you see is a Bloodwrathed badger carrying a sword, a badger who's just a teen." Egua paused in the speech she was making. "But, iffen you look inside, you see a wise ole badger who just wishes to be understood."
Koru stepped forward. "We love you with all of our hearts, marm. Don't run away from us."
Varsha was about to reply when a loud roar ripped through the air.
"REDDDDDDDDDWAAAAAAAAALL!"
() I have two "sorries". The first is, sorry for having a small cliffy. Second sorry is: sorry about making a different chapter sixteen. I was changing the poem that Fryungle heard in his dream and I was replacing the chapter. Instead of saying "replace a chapter", I did "add a chapter". So that you don't have to go back and reread the whole chapter to find the poem, I'll put it here (aren't I so nice?):
"The only truth lies in you,
You who will be with Leafswirl
When she passes on.
If you dare to stray from this Abbey
Then Kabble
And his rabble
Will get you and Redwall!
In Spring of the Six
You will see
The Six shall come home
(With one leading her perilous beasts)
But only five shall see
And the other
Shall See."
I changed it from "In the Spring you will see" to "In the Spring of the Six/You will see". I just felt like being a tad more mysterious!
Also, in your review for this, say either "s" or "k". Write down, "I vote for s/k for the next fic". My next fic will be called "An Unlikely Hero", but this will be after the continue-on fic. Please tell me if the continue- on fic is a good idea!!! ()
)( Okay, I just want to clear some things up that I know have been confusing me in my writings: Varsha's sword is named FLAMEbird, not FIREbird. Also, Log-a-Log Quiodia is a female. Yeah. A girl. I know that I've been saying "he", but definitely a "she". And "Firebird" is the name of the place that publishes "Redwall" books or something like that. 'Firebird Fantasy". So. Glad I cleared up that stuff! Now that I've written it down, I'll remember it. Heeheehee! )(
Fshio placed a gentle paw over Waterfish's mouth and shook her awake.
"Ottermaid, I think that you should see this," he whispered. Waterfish stood up, drawing her dirk. Fshio took a dagger that had been given to him by Orruman from his belt. Fshio jerked his head towards a deeper and thicker part of the woods, where they had to go through to get to Salamandastron, where they were going because they knew that Kabble was there. The hedgehog and otter slowly crept forward. Fshio pointed his dagger behind a large birch.
"Look behind there," he murmured in her ear, "but be cautious!"
Waterfish nodded and sidled up against the birch. She slowly turned her head to see what was behind the tree. She smothered a gasp in her throat.
Toads!
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Varsha blundered through Mossflower Woods, tears streaming down her face. For the second time in her life, she had run from Redwall to escape the truth of her past. Little did she know that Egua, Lilyblossom, Majjit, and Koru were sprinting after her, not wanting their Badgerlady to do something foolish and get herself killed.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Fryungle closed his eyes and drew his cloak closer around himself. He was sitting by the bushes by the Abbey Pond. The Autumn of the Rosy Dawn was almost halfway through. The days seemed to be flying by.
'And I still haven't figure out what Martin was trying to tell me!' he thought, angry with himself. 'Okay, Fryungle, be calm. Don't be angry with yourself. It will unfold when it unfolds.'
Fryungle stood up. He gripped his paws together and whispered a small vow to himself: "I vow to have a better temper." Fryungle nodded to himself smilingly. "Yes, that's much better, Fryungle m'lad."
The young mouse smiled as he strode back to the Abbey. 'I will make a diary. If I get in a fight, I will write down the problem and try to resolve it. This will be a much better lifestyle then just blowing up at any goodbeast that gets me angry.' With this happy thought in his mind, Fryungle pushed open the Abbey doors and headed into Cavern Hole for lunch.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Waterfish gaped at the multitude of three-pronged trident-wielding toads. The largest one had a four-pronged trident with a toad rubbing a cloth onto the end. Waterfish had a nasty suspicion that the stuff on the cloth was poison.
Fshio whispered, "C'mon Waterfish" and began trotting back to the camp were Riley, Tiponya, and Odell were still snoozing.
Fshio stopped. He had not heard the sound of paws pattering after him. "Waterfish?"
Fshio heard a muffled scream. He turned around to see Waterfish being mobbed by toads.
"WATERFISH!" Fshio roared, drawing his dagger. His yell woke up Odell, Riley, and Tiponya.
The hedgehog ran at a toad and hit him on the head with his dagger hilt. He elbowed the amphibian out of his way as he tried to get Waterfish free of the toads.
"Gerroff of her, you mud-suckin', bilge-eating, scum-nosed blaggards!" shouted Fshio Zeespike.
At that moment, Odell, Tiponya, and Riley appeared next to Fshio, Odell wielding a large branch he had found on the ground. As he struck a toad's skull, Odell and Waterfish roared out one word: "REDDDDDDDDDWAAAAAAAAALL!"
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Deyinvo crouched down beside Cravvu, who was sucking on a bone from a bird next to the campfire.
"Listen, mate," whispered Deyinvo the ermine. "I'm going to go to Salamandastron to take that sword that ole Kabble has. I'm leaving you in charge. I'll make the announcement in the morning."
Cravvu broke open the bone to extract the marrow. "Yer a good Lord. You've got a good eye."
Deyinvo nodded, and then grabbed Cravvu by the front of his tunic. "If you lose to the peace lovers and survive, I will seek you out and destroy you!"
Deyinvo swaggered off to his tent to get some bed as Cravvu shook with fear.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Varsha fell to her knees, still sobbing, but sobbing for breath, not because of her complicated life. She was all out of tears, like a wet rag being wrung out of water.
"Cry yer heart out, marm. I saw ye crying enough when youse was a babe, wot wot!"
Varsha leapt up with a roar, drawing Flamebird. She saw Egua standing in front of her, her paws spread out wide and her head slightly lowered.
"Why are you here, Egua?" whispered Varsha, wiping tears from her eyes.
"I'm not alone, marm."
"Joy. Is the whole of Redwall on the tail of a traitor?" Varsha Midelli asked sarcastically.
"No. Only Majjit, Koru, and Lily." Egua folded her arms across her chest and looked into Varsha's eyes, which were filling up with tears. "Marm, don't leave us."
"We don't want you to go away acos of that rotter, Kabble Doodadhead," exclaimed the voice of Majjit. He stepped out from behind an elm tree and stood next to Egua. Koru bounded out from behind a pine tree and stood next to Majjit.
"Marm, 'tain't right t'lose a Badgerlady when she's only been reignin' 'bou' four or five seasons, wot wot wot wot wot!" cried Koru. Lilyblossom came out from behind a maple. She stood in front of the three older hares. Lilyblossom was the youngest Salamandastron fighting hare, just barely the age required to be a fighting hare. Her cobalt blue eyes were filled with tears. She was pure white with no splotches of any other color on her, except for her footpaws, which were totally tannish-grey. She was the age were male hares were beginning to look at her in a different and new light.
"Marm..." she whispered, tears spilling from her eyes, "I know that we're just ole hares, protectin' our bally Badgerlord or Badgerlady, and that we're friends with the chap or chappess leadin' us, wot. But, Milady, the reason that we don't want you to go is that, really, marm, we love you. We love you like our own mum or sis. You've 'elped us and given us a place to live. Then, when ole Kabby Eyes, or whatever he wants to call hisself, comes and attacks us, you defend us, Varsha! You DEFEND us. You're brave, Badgerlady Varsha Midelli of Salamandastron. You're brave."
Varsha looked down at her big paws. "How can I be brave when I'm running away from my truth?"
Lilyblossom looked Varsha square in the eyes. "Bein' brave isn't never running away, marm. Bein' brave is feelin' afraid and ignoring that, knowing that others will suffer the same orful fate as you iffen you don't help 'em. That's what yer doing, marm! That's what yer doing!"
Varsha covered her face with her huge paws. "But I helped Kabble. I'm not that brave."
"Y'were young. You was foolish. Varsh ole lass, you 'elped Kabble acos he asked for it and he tole you lies. You knew nothin' about Redwall, so you helped Kabble acos he said that he was in need. You're a brave, kindly soul, Milady. When you look outside, all you see is a Bloodwrathed badger carrying a sword, a badger who's just a teen." Egua paused in the speech she was making. "But, iffen you look inside, you see a wise ole badger who just wishes to be understood."
Koru stepped forward. "We love you with all of our hearts, marm. Don't run away from us."
Varsha was about to reply when a loud roar ripped through the air.
"REDDDDDDDDDWAAAAAAAAALL!"
() I have two "sorries". The first is, sorry for having a small cliffy. Second sorry is: sorry about making a different chapter sixteen. I was changing the poem that Fryungle heard in his dream and I was replacing the chapter. Instead of saying "replace a chapter", I did "add a chapter". So that you don't have to go back and reread the whole chapter to find the poem, I'll put it here (aren't I so nice?):
"The only truth lies in you,
You who will be with Leafswirl
When she passes on.
If you dare to stray from this Abbey
Then Kabble
And his rabble
Will get you and Redwall!
In Spring of the Six
You will see
The Six shall come home
(With one leading her perilous beasts)
But only five shall see
And the other
Shall See."
I changed it from "In the Spring you will see" to "In the Spring of the Six/You will see". I just felt like being a tad more mysterious!
Also, in your review for this, say either "s" or "k". Write down, "I vote for s/k for the next fic". My next fic will be called "An Unlikely Hero", but this will be after the continue-on fic. Please tell me if the continue- on fic is a good idea!!! ()
)( Okay, I just want to clear some things up that I know have been confusing me in my writings: Varsha's sword is named FLAMEbird, not FIREbird. Also, Log-a-Log Quiodia is a female. Yeah. A girl. I know that I've been saying "he", but definitely a "she". And "Firebird" is the name of the place that publishes "Redwall" books or something like that. 'Firebird Fantasy". So. Glad I cleared up that stuff! Now that I've written it down, I'll remember it. Heeheehee! )(