CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE, THE END OF MUTINEERS
At a paw motion from Cravvu, a fox named Rofdill charged at Galea as she opened the small wicker gate. Rofdill drew his rapier and put it at Galea's throat as he dragged the rat away from the Abbey.
"Don't fire, or I'll kill the maid!" roared Rofdill. There was immediate quietness. Rofdill dragged away the rat pretending to be a mouse. The army retreated into the woods, Galea screaming and kicking, trying to get free.
Kella gripped her sling tightly in rage. "The awfulness of it all! They captured poor Galea! She's a naïve little mousemaid, but to be captured by vermin? Ugh! Poor dear."
The otter looked down onto the grounds and saw a group of Abbeydwellers standing around Fryungle.
"Hoi, what 'appened to Fryungle?" asked Kella, running down the steps of the ramparts to see what had happened to the mouse.
"Burr, ee got ee gurt inghzurry. Bruvver Marrev, bring ee Fr'ungle up to ee Infirmary," ordered Abbess Leafswirl.
"I'll 'elp," volunteered Kella. She picked up the limp mouse and jogged into the Abbey, with Brother Marrev racing behind her.
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Galea stood in front of Cravvu. She pushed away Rofdill the fox, who had out a sword, as though wary of Galea.
"What d'you want me t'do, Cravvu? I'm gonna pr'tend that you captured me and tole me to – oh, I dunno. Um..." Galea paused for a second. "That you tole me to ask the Abbess to surrender. Now, what d'you want?"
Cravvu's eyes glinted happily. "I have only one instruction: open up the gates for us at midnight tomorrow night. We'll be waiting."
Galea nodded and then swiftly turned around to head back to the Abbey. ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()( )()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
"They told me to tell you that you must surrender or that they will kill every one of you," gasped out Galea to the Abbess. Leafswirl looked frightened.
"We won't give up the Abbey to some snotnosed fox who has taken place of a rat!" shouted Kella. The Redwallers gave up a mighty cheer.
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Woinada, Sadru, Grudain, and Harrairdus were dead. Quidjill and Mateo were looking pleased and relieved.
"Hey, you hare," called up a voice. Quidjill stuck her head out of a window.
"What?" she yelled back down. It was Kabble Ionaeyes and Deyinvo Ejunn. Deyinvo now had the sword of Martin the Warrior by his side.
"Yer back to Salamandastron, now we want our hordemembers!" yelled Kabble.
"With pleasure," shouted Mateo, and he threw the bodies out the window.
"THIS IS WAR, HARE! THIS IS WAR!" screamed Deyinvo.
"It already was," roared back the brother and sister. They grabbed the closest chunk of rock and threw it at the rat and the ermine, hollering, "EEEEEEUUUUUAAAAAAALIIIIIIIIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
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"I'll kill them," murmured Deyinvo. "Tomorrow night will be the last battle."
"That's the first day of winter," exclaimed Kabble as the two vermin ducked the rocks and ran back to where the rest of the horde was hiding.
"Yes, I know. They won't be expecting that."
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Varsha stood on top of a sand dune, gazing straight ahead. The others were at the bottom of the sand dune.
"What's up there, Varsha?" called Fshio.
Varsha looked excitedly down at her friends and roared, "Saaalaaamaaandaaastrooon!"
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Tyrossa, Moonflash, and Redrudder had been traveling for three days straight, only stopping to fill up their water bottles and to dig food out of their packs. They were exhausted.
"We must find them. They could be in grave danger," panted Moonflash. She was running hard, trying to go faster and farther, but she couldn't. Redrudder fell to the ground, gasping for breath.
"Tyrossa, tell her to stop," he rasped, and fell into an instant slumber. Tyrossa got himself comfortable in some loam and cried, "Moonflash, stop!"
"No," she called back. A few yards later, she collapsed.
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Galea lay back down on her bed in the Infirmary. She had been given a strict telling-off by Kella, telling her not to go and do what vermin wanted you to do. Galea shook her head as she got comfortable.
'You'll soon see, Kella,' she thought as she heard Fryungle moan in his sleep.
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All was quiet in Redwall Abbey. Never would they have suspected the horrors that would occur only two days from now.
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Cravvu nodded as Jalinx, Galea's husband, finished telling him of the plan for mutiny.
"I thought so. Jealous of me, eh?" Cravvu didn't laugh. "I'll fix 'em. Who are the leaders?"
"Galea, Zinkula, and Awlae the fox."
"Awlae the fox, eh?" Cravvu grinned. "I'll see you later, Jalinx. I'm glad that I trust somebeast in this 'ere horde, matey." With that, he swaggered off to talk to Awlae the fox.
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Awlae the fox was sitting alone when Cravvu came over.
"Wot d'you want, Crav?" asked Awlae warily.
"Lissen, mate, I'm gonna do some things tonight. I want you to be in charge. Sleep in my tent. Don't let anythin' get mussed up."
Cravvu left Awlae all alone again.
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Zinkula held a dagger in her claws, sharpening it on a tree. She could hear somebeast snoring in Cravvu's tent.
"Cravvu," she breathed. A stoat and a rat, named Eyetooth and Lashclaw, accompanied her.
"Eyetooth, if he awakens, hold 'im down. Lashclaw, devoid the tent of any weapons." Zinkula looked at each of her mates before whispering, "Let's go."
Lashclaw entered first. He came out with a new dagger, two swords, and a knife that had once belonged to Cravvu.
"Lashclaw you can have a sword. I'll take this sword. Eyetooth – take the dagger and knife."
They all put on their new weapons and Zinkula headed into the tent, dagger held high. She saw the slumbering fox and brought down the dagger.
Awlae woke up for one swift scream.
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Cravvu heard this all from a tall tree – the same tree that Zinkula had been sharpening her dagger on!
The wily fox climbed down from the tree and walked into the tent. He drew his sword.
"Thought you were clever, eh?"
Zinkula turned and her jaw dropped. "But – but – "
"I learned that it's best to kill traitors as soon as I see 'em. You forgot about Jalinx."
Zinkula turned back to the now lifeless body. "AWLAE!" she cried, just realizing that she had slain the wrong fox.
For Cravvu to dispose of the mutineers, it was just one swift slice!
() Hoho, I killed the mutineers! Yay! ()
At a paw motion from Cravvu, a fox named Rofdill charged at Galea as she opened the small wicker gate. Rofdill drew his rapier and put it at Galea's throat as he dragged the rat away from the Abbey.
"Don't fire, or I'll kill the maid!" roared Rofdill. There was immediate quietness. Rofdill dragged away the rat pretending to be a mouse. The army retreated into the woods, Galea screaming and kicking, trying to get free.
Kella gripped her sling tightly in rage. "The awfulness of it all! They captured poor Galea! She's a naïve little mousemaid, but to be captured by vermin? Ugh! Poor dear."
The otter looked down onto the grounds and saw a group of Abbeydwellers standing around Fryungle.
"Hoi, what 'appened to Fryungle?" asked Kella, running down the steps of the ramparts to see what had happened to the mouse.
"Burr, ee got ee gurt inghzurry. Bruvver Marrev, bring ee Fr'ungle up to ee Infirmary," ordered Abbess Leafswirl.
"I'll 'elp," volunteered Kella. She picked up the limp mouse and jogged into the Abbey, with Brother Marrev racing behind her.
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Galea stood in front of Cravvu. She pushed away Rofdill the fox, who had out a sword, as though wary of Galea.
"What d'you want me t'do, Cravvu? I'm gonna pr'tend that you captured me and tole me to – oh, I dunno. Um..." Galea paused for a second. "That you tole me to ask the Abbess to surrender. Now, what d'you want?"
Cravvu's eyes glinted happily. "I have only one instruction: open up the gates for us at midnight tomorrow night. We'll be waiting."
Galea nodded and then swiftly turned around to head back to the Abbey. ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()( )()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
"They told me to tell you that you must surrender or that they will kill every one of you," gasped out Galea to the Abbess. Leafswirl looked frightened.
"We won't give up the Abbey to some snotnosed fox who has taken place of a rat!" shouted Kella. The Redwallers gave up a mighty cheer.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Woinada, Sadru, Grudain, and Harrairdus were dead. Quidjill and Mateo were looking pleased and relieved.
"Hey, you hare," called up a voice. Quidjill stuck her head out of a window.
"What?" she yelled back down. It was Kabble Ionaeyes and Deyinvo Ejunn. Deyinvo now had the sword of Martin the Warrior by his side.
"Yer back to Salamandastron, now we want our hordemembers!" yelled Kabble.
"With pleasure," shouted Mateo, and he threw the bodies out the window.
"THIS IS WAR, HARE! THIS IS WAR!" screamed Deyinvo.
"It already was," roared back the brother and sister. They grabbed the closest chunk of rock and threw it at the rat and the ermine, hollering, "EEEEEEUUUUUAAAAAAALIIIIIIIIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
"I'll kill them," murmured Deyinvo. "Tomorrow night will be the last battle."
"That's the first day of winter," exclaimed Kabble as the two vermin ducked the rocks and ran back to where the rest of the horde was hiding.
"Yes, I know. They won't be expecting that."
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Varsha stood on top of a sand dune, gazing straight ahead. The others were at the bottom of the sand dune.
"What's up there, Varsha?" called Fshio.
Varsha looked excitedly down at her friends and roared, "Saaalaaamaaandaaastrooon!"
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Tyrossa, Moonflash, and Redrudder had been traveling for three days straight, only stopping to fill up their water bottles and to dig food out of their packs. They were exhausted.
"We must find them. They could be in grave danger," panted Moonflash. She was running hard, trying to go faster and farther, but she couldn't. Redrudder fell to the ground, gasping for breath.
"Tyrossa, tell her to stop," he rasped, and fell into an instant slumber. Tyrossa got himself comfortable in some loam and cried, "Moonflash, stop!"
"No," she called back. A few yards later, she collapsed.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Galea lay back down on her bed in the Infirmary. She had been given a strict telling-off by Kella, telling her not to go and do what vermin wanted you to do. Galea shook her head as she got comfortable.
'You'll soon see, Kella,' she thought as she heard Fryungle moan in his sleep.
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All was quiet in Redwall Abbey. Never would they have suspected the horrors that would occur only two days from now.
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Cravvu nodded as Jalinx, Galea's husband, finished telling him of the plan for mutiny.
"I thought so. Jealous of me, eh?" Cravvu didn't laugh. "I'll fix 'em. Who are the leaders?"
"Galea, Zinkula, and Awlae the fox."
"Awlae the fox, eh?" Cravvu grinned. "I'll see you later, Jalinx. I'm glad that I trust somebeast in this 'ere horde, matey." With that, he swaggered off to talk to Awlae the fox.
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Awlae the fox was sitting alone when Cravvu came over.
"Wot d'you want, Crav?" asked Awlae warily.
"Lissen, mate, I'm gonna do some things tonight. I want you to be in charge. Sleep in my tent. Don't let anythin' get mussed up."
Cravvu left Awlae all alone again.
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Zinkula held a dagger in her claws, sharpening it on a tree. She could hear somebeast snoring in Cravvu's tent.
"Cravvu," she breathed. A stoat and a rat, named Eyetooth and Lashclaw, accompanied her.
"Eyetooth, if he awakens, hold 'im down. Lashclaw, devoid the tent of any weapons." Zinkula looked at each of her mates before whispering, "Let's go."
Lashclaw entered first. He came out with a new dagger, two swords, and a knife that had once belonged to Cravvu.
"Lashclaw you can have a sword. I'll take this sword. Eyetooth – take the dagger and knife."
They all put on their new weapons and Zinkula headed into the tent, dagger held high. She saw the slumbering fox and brought down the dagger.
Awlae woke up for one swift scream.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Cravvu heard this all from a tall tree – the same tree that Zinkula had been sharpening her dagger on!
The wily fox climbed down from the tree and walked into the tent. He drew his sword.
"Thought you were clever, eh?"
Zinkula turned and her jaw dropped. "But – but – "
"I learned that it's best to kill traitors as soon as I see 'em. You forgot about Jalinx."
Zinkula turned back to the now lifeless body. "AWLAE!" she cried, just realizing that she had slain the wrong fox.
For Cravvu to dispose of the mutineers, it was just one swift slice!
() Hoho, I killed the mutineers! Yay! ()