4
The Abbey walls, burdened as they were by the twisting ivy, were difficult to climb. To this very day, nobeast had ever attempted to get up the steep walls. It was a sheer drop, and the pawholds were crumbling and hazardous.
Did any of these facts daunt the shadowy figure looking up at them; eyes alight with a maniacal gleam? No. Aranix had before conquered the peaceful dwellings of stupid harmony-loving beasts. After all, she had her secret weapon.
"Kara," the motherly voice called softly into the emerald foliage, "Come, I have a job for you to do."
The young squirrel bounded to her mistresses side, "You needed me, Nix?"
Only a few privileged creatures ever called Aranix that name, and lived. Fortunately for the squirrelmaid, she was one of those few.
"Can you gain access to this building?"
Karatinthe gazed unbelieving at Aranix, and then surveyed the wall, "By what means, for if I am to climb, surely the beasts inside will suspect something, unless...?"
"Yes, Kara, this is one of my plans. Crazy as it may seem, you must follow it through with utmost certainty, if it is to succeed. If you doubt it for even a second, or disobey me, or if my plans fail, you will pay the consequences..."
Karatinthe shuddered. Failing this would be forfeiting her life. She had seen Aranix deal with them before, or she herself had dealt with them, and she knew, that if she did not carry through with this, Aranix would have the grim pleasure of another victim.
"Yes, Nix," the words where spoken as though they were a curse, and they were, a binding word that she would help or die trying. A curse of words, an oath spoken, with the witnesses being the trees themselves, and the oath was connecting, more so than any in the world, for Karatinthe knew Aranix would catch up with her; even if she ran.
"Excellent," purred the voice, though the pretext of loveliness was shattered slightly, through the growling backdrop that would have consumed the black wolf if Karatinthe had refused, "You know what to do. I will send Wirda to check your progress, or if I feel especially swayed, I may go. But if I do, you will sorely regret it."
Karatinthe needed no further briefing. She was off, in a flurry of leaves and bark, scattering loam in an attempt to get more ragged in appearance. Any onlooker may have found the sight strange, a squirrel rolling and mud and loam, ripping her clothes, but Karatinthe was well experienced in her art, and she knew what to do.
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Old Abbess Vale was almost rushed of her feet by the three young beasts racing from the walltops.
The guilty young beasts, Indo, Sana, and Dumble, all looked sheepishly at the Abbess, and Faith Spinney, who had been witness at the time, gave them a good telling off.
"My, well I've never seen such behaviour! Young creatures these days are dashing about everywhere, with no regard for their elders! You shou--"
But her berating was cut short by the cries of the young ones as the danced around the Abbess, chanting wildly, "There's a squirrel at the gate! She looks hurt!"
The Abbess seemed to have regained some of her dignity, and said slowly, "A squirrel? We must get her inside at once! Sana, fetch Mara, would you, and Dumble, do run along and find Sister Turzel and Sister Blossom, the poor beast may need medical attention! Indo, go and see her, but don't open the gate yet. Mara can go around the East Wallgate; she'll get out of trouble fast if the need be. Indo, come with me."
Mara answered her summons immediately, rushing up to the wall, shouting to the Abbess as she went, "What did you need me for?"
Vale turned around slowly, she had been waiting for the Badgermother. "To the East Wallgate, hurry! Get that squirrel in here, as fast as you can!"
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Karatinthe grinned to herself whilst she was staggering towards the main gate. This would be no problem. She feinted falling, and lay in a heap upon the path in full view of the walltop. To her utter delight, faces started appearing over the tops, and the woodland shrubs parted as a badger appeared. That might pose a slight problem, but only slight.
Mara scooped up the seemingly unconscious squirrel, who twitched gently as she was bourn towards the Abbey. Something deep down in Mara told her that something was not right. But as she could not yet put her paw on it, she strode confidently through the wood towards the gate, and into Redwall Abbey!
From just outside the East Wallgate, Aranix watched stealthily. She allowed herself the smallest of malevolent smiles. This was going to be easier than she thought. After all, how hard could it be, the Abbey beasts had accepted her Kara with open arms. Aranix giggled spitefully. She reprimanded herself immediately; she was getting far too confident. It might be easy, but she should never get on top of herself. She retreated into the deeps of Mossflower; her scheming mind planning all the while, her final thought at her last sight of the Abbey was that she should become less cheerful.
She came to the encampment of her horde. There had been a struggle, that much was apparent. A shadowed figure lay by a tree base. She searched for Nightclaw, finding him crouched at the fire, poking the ember bad temperedly.
"What happened?" Aranix asked.
"Hare," Nightclaw replied simply, gesturing over to where the slumped figure lay.
"Badger mountain?"
"'Fraid so, Nix."
"I'll deal with it, now! Rouse the horde, I like making examples, I'll show the long-eared dirt-bag!"
Aranix strode over to where the long-eared shadow was. She kicked it contemptuously, her lip curling at its poor efforts to stir.
"I say, sah," it mumbled, "Bad form, kicking an offisah like that. Took a score of you to bring me down, wot."
"Shut up," Aranix said, her paws straying to the whetted dagger at her belt, and as she touched it, she had a new idea, "Bring me water, I need this creature fully awake!"
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Karatinthe made as if to stir, and felt a restraining paw at her side. She her eyes flickered; how many times had she done this before? She opened both eyes slowly, taking a quick glance at the squirrel beside her, and sighed, slowly.
"W-w-water..." she croaked slowly.
The attentive male squirrel sitting next to her rose promptly and sat back down in a few seconds, clutching a glass of water in his paws. The shaking paws beheld some strange force as he put the beaker gently down on the bedside table.
Karatinthe drank like a mad beast, the water spilling everywhere, down her ragged and worn tunic, which she always wore for her espionage, seeping into her wet, dyed fur, and dribbling through her bushy tail. The other young male squirrel carried on staring, and Karatinthe saw he supported a strange cloak upon his tail, that cloak of brown, one of the colours she loved so. He smiled at her, she, almost unknowingly, smiled back. It was alien to her; she had never known kindness in her life, apart from that of Wirda, whom she half detested, and Karatinthe had never uttered a good word to any, apart from Aranix, as no respect for her meant death.
Tears swam in the young male's eyes, his paws quivering, even as Kara drew closer to him. He swallowed, and lay his head against hers, stroking her arm, and he began to sob.
Brother Hollyberry entered the room; the two youngsters drew apart so quickly that Indo bumped his footpaw upon a large doorstop lying upon the floor.
"Yowch!" he howled breaking the silence that had been so beautiful only a moment ago.
Hollyberry stared at the two with utter amazement. He muttered something, and then trod off to find Sister Turzel. Sister Blossom, however, met him outside the Infirmary door, and asked him wherever was he going?
"Identical!" was the only word he would speak.
"Brother?" asked the young Sister, "Are you alright?"
The good Gatehouse keeper only pointed into the infirmary and uttered but six words, "Go, and see it for yourself!"
Blossom entered, and was shocked at the sight of the two, who had been surprised at the departure of Brother Hollyberry. Indo stood up from his place on the bed, and Karatinthe slowly propped herself up, for despite her many grazes and bruises, she was perfectly fine, although she tried not to let it show too much. Suddenly, Blossom gasped aloud.
"What's wrong?" asked Indo concerned.
"You two, you're... Identical!" Blossom's eyes bugled, she still could not believe it; it was as though a single creature had been sliced into two!
A/N – I am sorry about my lack of updates, I had supreme writers block!
grubswiper – Thanks for your comments, you're ShadowSong's brother, ain'tcha? See, I do do my research!
I am updating 2 chapters at once, as I forgot to add this one when I finished it. Oops!