A/N Well, I've completed the one-shot this morning. Hope ye like it.
I spent the last few hours cutting weeds. My hands ache. Geezle kerfreezel.
Please review!
(Begin Chapter Five)
Shadowsong eyed the vermin. "There, that 'un, he looks the leader. Fox to yore right, Shokar."
Boorab waggled his scut dismissivly. "Hmph, a bad chap all the same, wot wot?"
The fox, indeed, looked evil. Clad in rags, with brass earrings, four on each ear, with a pawring looped around his tail, and armed with a cutlass, he looked like something out of a nightmare. His tawny eyes showed experience of many battles. The group could just tell he was the leader of the gang.
Shadowsong leaned over the side of the walls, and yelled, "You, fox, what are you and you gang doing here?"
The fox swaggered up, brass jangling, answering in a corsair slang mixed with a northland accent.
"Ah, yore a tough un, by the fang! My plan is tae take over yon building, 'twill make a nice fortress, ye ken!"
Shadowsong snarled back in a fierce growl, "Shift yourselves, and leave! You ain't gonna take over this Abbey, over my dead carcass you will!"
A lean, hard faced rat, armed with a bow and arrow, strung a shaft on the string. "Do I do the wolf in, Cap'n?"
The fox raised a grubby paw. "Nay, Kialpaw, I wouldna recommend it, my bonnie laddie." He turned to Shadowsong. "My, you're a bold lassie. Wots' your name?"
Deyna answered. "Her name would mean nothing to you. Leave, or be slain!"
The fox waved his paw. "Ah, move intae the forest, ye all, and donnae ye forget we're 'ere, riverdog!"
The mob moved back into the forest swiftly, the fox last.
Shadowsong twirled her sling angrily. "We could of taken some of their scurvy hides, Deyna!"
The otter nodded. "Aye, Shadowsong, but where would we been then?"
The wolf lowered her eyes. "I spoke hastily, sorry."
Nimbalo swaggered forward, mocking the fox. "By the ken, Ah've ne'er seen sich a sight! Comin, lads and lassies, let's get the guid ould Abbey moving, by the left!"
The lot collapsed into laughter. None of them noticed a small sparrow zipping it's way past them, taking in the vermin, the Abbey, and the group of friends.
(At Redwall Abbey)
Abbess Mhera chewed her claw nails, fidgeting in her chair in the Great Hall.. "Where could they be?"
Fwirl came up to the Abbess. "Don't fret, Mother Abbess. I'm sure their fine and doing well."
A loud knock on the door sounded. Mhera sprang up from her sitting position. "Fwirl, go see who it is!"
The squirrel nimbly sped from her Abbess to the door, and peered in. "Hm, seems to Chiekla, that sparrow we sheltered last winter. Should I let her in, Mhera?"
Mhera nodded, dark eyes worried. "Yes, please do!"
The squirrel opened the door, and a brown and black- speckled sparrow hopped in. It was obviously in a hurry.
"Mother Abbess, I've heard you were upset about a group of four Redwallers that had recently left the Abbey due to search of vermin. I, ahem, have found them-"
Mhera forgot her manners and leapt up. "Oh, where? Are they alright? Did they find the vermin? Is-"
Fwirl clapped a paw over her friends mouth. "Patience, Abbess!"
Chiekla nodded. "Ah, they are at the Abbey of, erm, Emerald Waters, I believe it was called. They are in perfect condition, though the Abbey is currently under the attack of vermin. It seems, that, yes, they did find the vermin." She blinked her bright eyes. "Anything more, Abbess?"
Mhera shook her head. "No, but you say the Abbey, Emerald Waters, is under attack? By how many?"
Chiekla tilted her head this way and that, thinking. "I saw, hm, about, er, twoscore, I suppose, little more, little less."
Mhera lifted her brows. (Do otters have those? Hm...) "How many does the Abbey have?"
Chiekla answered swiftly. "About thirty, marm, except from what I've heard, about half them have babes and cannot fight."
Mhera clapped a paw to her forehead. "We must help them!"
Fwirl gently said to her friend, "We already have, Mhera. We sent four of our best warriors to them."
Mhera shook her head agitatedly. "That's not nearly enough!"
Chiekla tapped her wing on the table. "Could I perhaps help?"
Fwirl sprang up. "Yes! I know. You can scout around Mossflower for other beasts that may live around here, alert the Skipper of the Otters, anything!"
Chiekla bobbed her sleek head and sped through the door. Fwirl looked after her. "Should I go explore with her?"
Mhera shook her head. "No, please stay here." Fwirl stayed put.
Rosabel bounded up excitedly. "Mother Abbess, should I record that in the Abbey records? About another Abbey and such?" Her eager eyes shone at her mother and the Abbess.
Fwirl waggled a paw to her daughter. "Were you eavesdropping, miss Rosabel?"
The pretty squirrel, who looked much like her mother, waved her bushy wail. "Well, I was walking by and heard Chiekla..."
Mhera smiled at the squirrelmaid. "Of course, Rosabel."
Rosabel curtsied and bounded off towards her study.
Mhera looked at the ceiling of the Great Hall. "The rest of us here are not fit to fight; 'twas a good thing sending warriors trained in battle out."
Fwirl indicated agreement by bobbing her head. "Perhaps they will be enough."
The Abbess looked at the stained glass windows, but then, her gaze was pulled to the tapestry of Martin the Warrior. Did she just imagine it, or did Martin's sword gleam, as did the mouse's eyes?
(At Emerald Waters)
Shadowsong was sharpening weapons with one of her obsidian-handled daggers. Peeling off strips of ash and oak bark, she called over to Boorab at the other end of the dining hall, picking up stones from the shore of the creek.
"Boorab! How many do you have?" She stopped stripping the bark to glance over at the bending hare.
"Er, a jolly lot. Um, sixty three, sixty four, sixty five... that's counting the rocks you have, Shadowsong, lass, and well... this makes sixty six!" He held up a spiky rocks, covered with sharps protrusions and the occasional smooth spot. "Well this is a spiffy little vermin nut cracker." He stuffed it in his bag, which hung from his back.
Deyna and Nimbalo were also sharpened staves, and had a group of mothers work on tearing up strips of cloth for slings.
Nimbalo peered over at one of the strips of cloth. "Nope, matey, that 'un's too big. Make it a tad smaller and it'll be a good ole sling."
The weasel blushed to the tips of her fur, and adjusted it. Nimbalo nodded. "Aye, that's the thing, marm!"
Shokar came up, her thin face grim. "This ain't good. They're back."
Shadowsong stood up, tossing aside a newly whittled stick and grabbing her glaive. "Let me see!"
Shokar led her, Nimbalo, Deyna, Boorab, and the fifteen group of chosen to help fight tagged along.
Shadowsong came to the top, and looked over.
The fox waved his cutlass threateningly. "Aye, Ah'll take yon Abbey for myself, so move over, lassie, or Ah'll do it over yore dead carcass!"
Shadowsong gripped her glaive tighter, fury flooding through her. "Look, you mangy hunk of useless fur," she growled through her teeth. "Leave here, or you will see the Dark Forest gates soon!"
The fox bared his amber fangs. "Yore a bold lassie, wolf. Ah bet that oot her, you ain't so tough. Why doon't you come down 'ere and fight me, by the noo?"
Shadowsong coiled back, preparing herself for a jump. It wasn't far from the top of the Abbey to the ground, but it would take some power. "Why don't I? But then I would be set upon by your goons and cronies. So why don't you fight alone?"
The fox nodded, then turned to his gang. "Tis mah fight, ya'll, and stay oot of it." He turned back to the black wolf who was waiting. "Ah'm ready, lass!"
Deyna placed a paw on his friend's shoulder. "It's not safe. Wait for us to lower the gang; vermin usually lie when it comes to fighting."
Shokar spoke up, hazel orbs scanning the group. "Aye. My mate lied to me, and look where I am now."
Shadowsong glimpsed a look of anger crossing the ferret's face. "Don't you care about that, look at our current situation."
Shokar nodded. "Aye, Shadowsong." She returned her look to the group of vermin clustered down below.
The fox had a sly grin on his face. "Well, wot aboot our fight, wolf? Ah'm still awaiting!" He twirled his cutlass to show he was bored.
Shadowsong returned the grin. "Well, I'll wait a bit. You can stand that, right, old bushtail?"
The fox concealed anger. "Well then, mah lass, unteel then, whe'll put ye te siege unteel you give yon Abbey to us, eh?"
Shadowsong resisted the urge to hurl her glaive at him. "Unteel then!" she mocked him.
Kialpaw, the archer rat, strung another arrow. "Yah, I'm not going to wait!" He fired, straight at Shadowsong.
Reflexes saved Shadowsong's life, but as the arrow slammed into the side of her head, not piercing her skull, but merely knocking her out.
Figures appeared in Shadowsong's vision. The first was a pack of wolves, most of them black, all but a few, those were gray with spots of white. They padded up to Shadowsong, who was lying on the floor, head thudding her brain in pain. One of them nuzzled her. "Be strong, my Shadowsong." She faded, and the rest of the Moonsky wolf pack vanished too.
But a shape still remained. It was no wolf, but a strongly built mouse, armed with a shining sword that sparkled like the stars in the sky. He stepped up, helping the injured ebon wolf up. "Listen to your mother, Shadowsong. Be not faint of heart, but loyal and brave." Martin gazed for a second into her tawny eyes, then faded, his words echoing in her mind.
"Be not faint of heart, but loyal and brave."
(End Chapter Five)
A/N That wasn't so bad, was it? The ending, I mean. At least I didn't kill off Shadowsong, who is my character. That would have been plain weird. 'And Shadowsong died.' Yeah, that's like killing me. THAT CANNOT HAPPEN!
Unless my evil clone tramped on by. Then I could kill Shadowsong.
I finally finished this chapter a day after I started. How weird. And my hands still hurt.
I got a new CD, Evanescence (I think that's how it's spelled) and am listening to it. It's good, but not as good as some of my others. (And I only have 4! My friends all have like 20, but I like mine.)
See you next chapter, and please REVIEW!
I spent the last few hours cutting weeds. My hands ache. Geezle kerfreezel.
Please review!
(Begin Chapter Five)
Shadowsong eyed the vermin. "There, that 'un, he looks the leader. Fox to yore right, Shokar."
Boorab waggled his scut dismissivly. "Hmph, a bad chap all the same, wot wot?"
The fox, indeed, looked evil. Clad in rags, with brass earrings, four on each ear, with a pawring looped around his tail, and armed with a cutlass, he looked like something out of a nightmare. His tawny eyes showed experience of many battles. The group could just tell he was the leader of the gang.
Shadowsong leaned over the side of the walls, and yelled, "You, fox, what are you and you gang doing here?"
The fox swaggered up, brass jangling, answering in a corsair slang mixed with a northland accent.
"Ah, yore a tough un, by the fang! My plan is tae take over yon building, 'twill make a nice fortress, ye ken!"
Shadowsong snarled back in a fierce growl, "Shift yourselves, and leave! You ain't gonna take over this Abbey, over my dead carcass you will!"
A lean, hard faced rat, armed with a bow and arrow, strung a shaft on the string. "Do I do the wolf in, Cap'n?"
The fox raised a grubby paw. "Nay, Kialpaw, I wouldna recommend it, my bonnie laddie." He turned to Shadowsong. "My, you're a bold lassie. Wots' your name?"
Deyna answered. "Her name would mean nothing to you. Leave, or be slain!"
The fox waved his paw. "Ah, move intae the forest, ye all, and donnae ye forget we're 'ere, riverdog!"
The mob moved back into the forest swiftly, the fox last.
Shadowsong twirled her sling angrily. "We could of taken some of their scurvy hides, Deyna!"
The otter nodded. "Aye, Shadowsong, but where would we been then?"
The wolf lowered her eyes. "I spoke hastily, sorry."
Nimbalo swaggered forward, mocking the fox. "By the ken, Ah've ne'er seen sich a sight! Comin, lads and lassies, let's get the guid ould Abbey moving, by the left!"
The lot collapsed into laughter. None of them noticed a small sparrow zipping it's way past them, taking in the vermin, the Abbey, and the group of friends.
(At Redwall Abbey)
Abbess Mhera chewed her claw nails, fidgeting in her chair in the Great Hall.. "Where could they be?"
Fwirl came up to the Abbess. "Don't fret, Mother Abbess. I'm sure their fine and doing well."
A loud knock on the door sounded. Mhera sprang up from her sitting position. "Fwirl, go see who it is!"
The squirrel nimbly sped from her Abbess to the door, and peered in. "Hm, seems to Chiekla, that sparrow we sheltered last winter. Should I let her in, Mhera?"
Mhera nodded, dark eyes worried. "Yes, please do!"
The squirrel opened the door, and a brown and black- speckled sparrow hopped in. It was obviously in a hurry.
"Mother Abbess, I've heard you were upset about a group of four Redwallers that had recently left the Abbey due to search of vermin. I, ahem, have found them-"
Mhera forgot her manners and leapt up. "Oh, where? Are they alright? Did they find the vermin? Is-"
Fwirl clapped a paw over her friends mouth. "Patience, Abbess!"
Chiekla nodded. "Ah, they are at the Abbey of, erm, Emerald Waters, I believe it was called. They are in perfect condition, though the Abbey is currently under the attack of vermin. It seems, that, yes, they did find the vermin." She blinked her bright eyes. "Anything more, Abbess?"
Mhera shook her head. "No, but you say the Abbey, Emerald Waters, is under attack? By how many?"
Chiekla tilted her head this way and that, thinking. "I saw, hm, about, er, twoscore, I suppose, little more, little less."
Mhera lifted her brows. (Do otters have those? Hm...) "How many does the Abbey have?"
Chiekla answered swiftly. "About thirty, marm, except from what I've heard, about half them have babes and cannot fight."
Mhera clapped a paw to her forehead. "We must help them!"
Fwirl gently said to her friend, "We already have, Mhera. We sent four of our best warriors to them."
Mhera shook her head agitatedly. "That's not nearly enough!"
Chiekla tapped her wing on the table. "Could I perhaps help?"
Fwirl sprang up. "Yes! I know. You can scout around Mossflower for other beasts that may live around here, alert the Skipper of the Otters, anything!"
Chiekla bobbed her sleek head and sped through the door. Fwirl looked after her. "Should I go explore with her?"
Mhera shook her head. "No, please stay here." Fwirl stayed put.
Rosabel bounded up excitedly. "Mother Abbess, should I record that in the Abbey records? About another Abbey and such?" Her eager eyes shone at her mother and the Abbess.
Fwirl waggled a paw to her daughter. "Were you eavesdropping, miss Rosabel?"
The pretty squirrel, who looked much like her mother, waved her bushy wail. "Well, I was walking by and heard Chiekla..."
Mhera smiled at the squirrelmaid. "Of course, Rosabel."
Rosabel curtsied and bounded off towards her study.
Mhera looked at the ceiling of the Great Hall. "The rest of us here are not fit to fight; 'twas a good thing sending warriors trained in battle out."
Fwirl indicated agreement by bobbing her head. "Perhaps they will be enough."
The Abbess looked at the stained glass windows, but then, her gaze was pulled to the tapestry of Martin the Warrior. Did she just imagine it, or did Martin's sword gleam, as did the mouse's eyes?
(At Emerald Waters)
Shadowsong was sharpening weapons with one of her obsidian-handled daggers. Peeling off strips of ash and oak bark, she called over to Boorab at the other end of the dining hall, picking up stones from the shore of the creek.
"Boorab! How many do you have?" She stopped stripping the bark to glance over at the bending hare.
"Er, a jolly lot. Um, sixty three, sixty four, sixty five... that's counting the rocks you have, Shadowsong, lass, and well... this makes sixty six!" He held up a spiky rocks, covered with sharps protrusions and the occasional smooth spot. "Well this is a spiffy little vermin nut cracker." He stuffed it in his bag, which hung from his back.
Deyna and Nimbalo were also sharpened staves, and had a group of mothers work on tearing up strips of cloth for slings.
Nimbalo peered over at one of the strips of cloth. "Nope, matey, that 'un's too big. Make it a tad smaller and it'll be a good ole sling."
The weasel blushed to the tips of her fur, and adjusted it. Nimbalo nodded. "Aye, that's the thing, marm!"
Shokar came up, her thin face grim. "This ain't good. They're back."
Shadowsong stood up, tossing aside a newly whittled stick and grabbing her glaive. "Let me see!"
Shokar led her, Nimbalo, Deyna, Boorab, and the fifteen group of chosen to help fight tagged along.
Shadowsong came to the top, and looked over.
The fox waved his cutlass threateningly. "Aye, Ah'll take yon Abbey for myself, so move over, lassie, or Ah'll do it over yore dead carcass!"
Shadowsong gripped her glaive tighter, fury flooding through her. "Look, you mangy hunk of useless fur," she growled through her teeth. "Leave here, or you will see the Dark Forest gates soon!"
The fox bared his amber fangs. "Yore a bold lassie, wolf. Ah bet that oot her, you ain't so tough. Why doon't you come down 'ere and fight me, by the noo?"
Shadowsong coiled back, preparing herself for a jump. It wasn't far from the top of the Abbey to the ground, but it would take some power. "Why don't I? But then I would be set upon by your goons and cronies. So why don't you fight alone?"
The fox nodded, then turned to his gang. "Tis mah fight, ya'll, and stay oot of it." He turned back to the black wolf who was waiting. "Ah'm ready, lass!"
Deyna placed a paw on his friend's shoulder. "It's not safe. Wait for us to lower the gang; vermin usually lie when it comes to fighting."
Shokar spoke up, hazel orbs scanning the group. "Aye. My mate lied to me, and look where I am now."
Shadowsong glimpsed a look of anger crossing the ferret's face. "Don't you care about that, look at our current situation."
Shokar nodded. "Aye, Shadowsong." She returned her look to the group of vermin clustered down below.
The fox had a sly grin on his face. "Well, wot aboot our fight, wolf? Ah'm still awaiting!" He twirled his cutlass to show he was bored.
Shadowsong returned the grin. "Well, I'll wait a bit. You can stand that, right, old bushtail?"
The fox concealed anger. "Well then, mah lass, unteel then, whe'll put ye te siege unteel you give yon Abbey to us, eh?"
Shadowsong resisted the urge to hurl her glaive at him. "Unteel then!" she mocked him.
Kialpaw, the archer rat, strung another arrow. "Yah, I'm not going to wait!" He fired, straight at Shadowsong.
Reflexes saved Shadowsong's life, but as the arrow slammed into the side of her head, not piercing her skull, but merely knocking her out.
Figures appeared in Shadowsong's vision. The first was a pack of wolves, most of them black, all but a few, those were gray with spots of white. They padded up to Shadowsong, who was lying on the floor, head thudding her brain in pain. One of them nuzzled her. "Be strong, my Shadowsong." She faded, and the rest of the Moonsky wolf pack vanished too.
But a shape still remained. It was no wolf, but a strongly built mouse, armed with a shining sword that sparkled like the stars in the sky. He stepped up, helping the injured ebon wolf up. "Listen to your mother, Shadowsong. Be not faint of heart, but loyal and brave." Martin gazed for a second into her tawny eyes, then faded, his words echoing in her mind.
"Be not faint of heart, but loyal and brave."
(End Chapter Five)
A/N That wasn't so bad, was it? The ending, I mean. At least I didn't kill off Shadowsong, who is my character. That would have been plain weird. 'And Shadowsong died.' Yeah, that's like killing me. THAT CANNOT HAPPEN!
Unless my evil clone tramped on by. Then I could kill Shadowsong.
I finally finished this chapter a day after I started. How weird. And my hands still hurt.
I got a new CD, Evanescence (I think that's how it's spelled) and am listening to it. It's good, but not as good as some of my others. (And I only have 4! My friends all have like 20, but I like mine.)
See you next chapter, and please REVIEW!