CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX, MARTIN'S PREDICTION MAKES SENSE
Galea stole quietly onto the grounds. She was shroud in a black cloak and was heading towards the gatehouse cottage, where Hakan Furlgate had taken her dagger into.
Galea opened the door. She slowly and quietly searched the gatehouse, and soon found her dagger underneath Hakan's mattress (the old squirrel was sleeping in an armchair). She hid it in her cloak and stole back to the Abbey.
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Galea woke up the next morning, refreshed and quivering with excitement. That night would be the night to end all.
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Tyrossa woke up. He saw Redrudder and Moonflash, thankfully, alive and awake. Tyrossa scrambled to his feet.
"Let's go," he cried as he began to run deeper into the woods.
After a few hours of running, they came to a beach. There were many sand dunes and the clear footpawprints in the sand. The three otters began scrambling up the dunes.
"I know this area!" shouted Moonflash in a voice that was hoarse, yet filled with excitement. "We're almost home!"
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The eight friends – Riley, Tiponya, Varsha, Egua, Majjit, Lilyblossom, Waterfish, Fshio, and Odell – skirted the enemy camp. Varsha had suddenly become joyful in the prospect of seeing her home again. She raced towards the mountain ahead of them all, sand flying from underneath her footpaws, no sound in her ears except for the sound of her own ragged, excited breathing and of her friends' breathing. Varsha reached the mountain first.
"Egua, Majjit, Lily, we're HOME!" she exclaimed. The three hares came in next. They all jumped with excitement.
Soon, the other four caught up. The dog and the owl were too big to fit inside, but after much persuasion that they were able to take care of themselves in case any vermin came, Varsha allowed them to stay outside. Waterfish, Odell, and Fshio followed the badger and the hares up a ladder in the fire mountain.
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Deyinvo drew the sword of Martin. It was about noon.
"Five hours till dark," he muttered. He began whetting the blade against a rock. "Five hours till I go through with my plan."
A ferret approached Deyinvo. "Lord, there is an owlbird and something that looks like a wolf but with floppy ears guarding Salamandastron. I think that owlbirds are on the side of those bumpkins, and the owlbird and the wolf seem to be friends. D'you think that they are enemies to be worried about?"
Deyinvo stopped whetting the blade and threw back his head, laughing. "Enemies to be worried about? Hah! By this time tomorrow, they'll be gone from our memories forever!!"
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The three otters banged on the side of the mountain with their fists.
"Who goes there?" called down a gruff voice.
"Redrudder, Tyrossa, and Moonflash," called up the otters in unison.
"Redrudder, Moonflash!" cried the gruff voice, and Joranzo and his sister, Ikkala, Moonflash's twin, leapt down.
"Yer alive!" exclaimed Joranzo, fiercely hugging his brother. Ikkala was hugging her twin happily, tears streaming down her face.
"Oh, I was so afraid that you had been slain," she bawled.
"We're alive, Jo, we're alive. Have you seen the Badgerlady, Egua, Majjit, Lily, and Koru?"
Joranzo's face grew serious when he heard the name of Korufylo Speechyard. "Come wi' me, mates. You too, Tyrossa. Up the ladder. I have some sad news about Koru."
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Galea opened up the main gates. Hakan woke up to the creaking up wood. He shuffled outside and saw Galea holding her dagger in her teeth as she let the army in.
"Hey, you can't do that!" exclaimed Hakan indignantly. "St-stop!"
Galea took the dagger from her cavern of fangs and threw it at the old, kindly gatekeeping squirrel, slaying him on the spot with one final scream.
Abbess Leafswirl was awakened by Hakan's scream. She jumped out of bed and ran through the Abbey to the grounds to see Galea leading with Cravvu the fox.
"TRAITOR!" she yelled. Galea turned her head to see the small mole-Abbess standing in front of the sandstone Abbey. Galea drew her dagger and ran at Leafswirl.
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Fryungle saw Leafswirl yelling something, but it was indistinct. He watched as Galea, the traitor, raced towards his Abbess, a dagger raised high. All Leafswirl could do was watch. Suddenly, the same armored mouse that had visited him before boomed, "Fryungle, Redwall needs you!"
Fryungle woke up, screaming, "TRAITOR!" He leapt out of bed and ran through the Abbey, stopping by the kitchen to grab a sharp knife. He burst through the front doors, which were ajar, and saw the dagger of Galea descending down on his Abbess.
"REDDDDDDDDDDDDWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALL!" he screamed, and leapt at Galea, but her dagger had already descended down on the Abbess. Abbess Leafswirl fell to the ground.
"NO!" roared Fryungle, and slashed repeatedly at Galea, tears of rage and of sorrow blinding him. Finally, the limp form of Galea fell to the ground, never to rise again.
Fryungle dropped the kitchen knife and knelt beside the limp form of a mole. "Abbess, Abbess Leafswirl, no, no, please, oh no..."
"There's nothing you can do for her, Fryungle. You slew Galea, who I now see is a rat. Come with me, young 'un."
Fryungle looked into the face of Kella. Fryungle stood up and grabbed the dagger and the kitchen knife.
"I killed a living beast," sobbed Fryungle, holding the kitchen knife, now stained with blood, in his paw. "I – " Suddenly, the poem that Martin had recited came back to him.
"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."
"What's that, mate?" asked Kella. Fryungle gazed around as Redwallers fought against the vermin.
"Martin told that to me. It now makes sense. I was with Leafswirl when she passes on." Fryungle shook his head. "I know who it means now, but why me?"
"Martin knows best, mate. You'll unnerstand it soon enough." Kella helped Fryungle stand up and led him into the Abbey.
() I...killed...the...Abbess...
Yes, that plan was in store for quite a while. Next chapter will be called "The Final Battle, Part One". Then Chapter Twenty-Eight will be called "The Final Battle, Part Two". I think that then there will be Chapter Twenty- Nine, then a Thirtieth Chapter, then an Epilogue. Mmm-hmm. I can't believe I'm close to the end. Thanks to everyone who reviewed me! ()
)( By the way, if you ever wanted to read any of my original fiction, go I'm currently working on "Rokla the Meracle Maker". )(
Galea stole quietly onto the grounds. She was shroud in a black cloak and was heading towards the gatehouse cottage, where Hakan Furlgate had taken her dagger into.
Galea opened the door. She slowly and quietly searched the gatehouse, and soon found her dagger underneath Hakan's mattress (the old squirrel was sleeping in an armchair). She hid it in her cloak and stole back to the Abbey.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Galea woke up the next morning, refreshed and quivering with excitement. That night would be the night to end all.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Tyrossa woke up. He saw Redrudder and Moonflash, thankfully, alive and awake. Tyrossa scrambled to his feet.
"Let's go," he cried as he began to run deeper into the woods.
After a few hours of running, they came to a beach. There were many sand dunes and the clear footpawprints in the sand. The three otters began scrambling up the dunes.
"I know this area!" shouted Moonflash in a voice that was hoarse, yet filled with excitement. "We're almost home!"
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
The eight friends – Riley, Tiponya, Varsha, Egua, Majjit, Lilyblossom, Waterfish, Fshio, and Odell – skirted the enemy camp. Varsha had suddenly become joyful in the prospect of seeing her home again. She raced towards the mountain ahead of them all, sand flying from underneath her footpaws, no sound in her ears except for the sound of her own ragged, excited breathing and of her friends' breathing. Varsha reached the mountain first.
"Egua, Majjit, Lily, we're HOME!" she exclaimed. The three hares came in next. They all jumped with excitement.
Soon, the other four caught up. The dog and the owl were too big to fit inside, but after much persuasion that they were able to take care of themselves in case any vermin came, Varsha allowed them to stay outside. Waterfish, Odell, and Fshio followed the badger and the hares up a ladder in the fire mountain.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Deyinvo drew the sword of Martin. It was about noon.
"Five hours till dark," he muttered. He began whetting the blade against a rock. "Five hours till I go through with my plan."
A ferret approached Deyinvo. "Lord, there is an owlbird and something that looks like a wolf but with floppy ears guarding Salamandastron. I think that owlbirds are on the side of those bumpkins, and the owlbird and the wolf seem to be friends. D'you think that they are enemies to be worried about?"
Deyinvo stopped whetting the blade and threw back his head, laughing. "Enemies to be worried about? Hah! By this time tomorrow, they'll be gone from our memories forever!!"
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
The three otters banged on the side of the mountain with their fists.
"Who goes there?" called down a gruff voice.
"Redrudder, Tyrossa, and Moonflash," called up the otters in unison.
"Redrudder, Moonflash!" cried the gruff voice, and Joranzo and his sister, Ikkala, Moonflash's twin, leapt down.
"Yer alive!" exclaimed Joranzo, fiercely hugging his brother. Ikkala was hugging her twin happily, tears streaming down her face.
"Oh, I was so afraid that you had been slain," she bawled.
"We're alive, Jo, we're alive. Have you seen the Badgerlady, Egua, Majjit, Lily, and Koru?"
Joranzo's face grew serious when he heard the name of Korufylo Speechyard. "Come wi' me, mates. You too, Tyrossa. Up the ladder. I have some sad news about Koru."
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Galea opened up the main gates. Hakan woke up to the creaking up wood. He shuffled outside and saw Galea holding her dagger in her teeth as she let the army in.
"Hey, you can't do that!" exclaimed Hakan indignantly. "St-stop!"
Galea took the dagger from her cavern of fangs and threw it at the old, kindly gatekeeping squirrel, slaying him on the spot with one final scream.
Abbess Leafswirl was awakened by Hakan's scream. She jumped out of bed and ran through the Abbey to the grounds to see Galea leading with Cravvu the fox.
"TRAITOR!" she yelled. Galea turned her head to see the small mole-Abbess standing in front of the sandstone Abbey. Galea drew her dagger and ran at Leafswirl.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Fryungle saw Leafswirl yelling something, but it was indistinct. He watched as Galea, the traitor, raced towards his Abbess, a dagger raised high. All Leafswirl could do was watch. Suddenly, the same armored mouse that had visited him before boomed, "Fryungle, Redwall needs you!"
Fryungle woke up, screaming, "TRAITOR!" He leapt out of bed and ran through the Abbey, stopping by the kitchen to grab a sharp knife. He burst through the front doors, which were ajar, and saw the dagger of Galea descending down on his Abbess.
"REDDDDDDDDDDDDWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALL!" he screamed, and leapt at Galea, but her dagger had already descended down on the Abbess. Abbess Leafswirl fell to the ground.
"NO!" roared Fryungle, and slashed repeatedly at Galea, tears of rage and of sorrow blinding him. Finally, the limp form of Galea fell to the ground, never to rise again.
Fryungle dropped the kitchen knife and knelt beside the limp form of a mole. "Abbess, Abbess Leafswirl, no, no, please, oh no..."
"There's nothing you can do for her, Fryungle. You slew Galea, who I now see is a rat. Come with me, young 'un."
Fryungle looked into the face of Kella. Fryungle stood up and grabbed the dagger and the kitchen knife.
"I killed a living beast," sobbed Fryungle, holding the kitchen knife, now stained with blood, in his paw. "I – " Suddenly, the poem that Martin had recited came back to him.
"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."
"What's that, mate?" asked Kella. Fryungle gazed around as Redwallers fought against the vermin.
"Martin told that to me. It now makes sense. I was with Leafswirl when she passes on." Fryungle shook his head. "I know who it means now, but why me?"
"Martin knows best, mate. You'll unnerstand it soon enough." Kella helped Fryungle stand up and led him into the Abbey.
() I...killed...the...Abbess...
Yes, that plan was in store for quite a while. Next chapter will be called "The Final Battle, Part One". Then Chapter Twenty-Eight will be called "The Final Battle, Part Two". I think that then there will be Chapter Twenty- Nine, then a Thirtieth Chapter, then an Epilogue. Mmm-hmm. I can't believe I'm close to the end. Thanks to everyone who reviewed me! ()
)( By the way, if you ever wanted to read any of my original fiction, go I'm currently working on "Rokla the Meracle Maker". )(