The next morning dawned bright and clear. Garvic stood in the middle of the small clearing where he had fought Ruka the day before. The bodies of the vermin that the mouse warrior and the otter had slain still littered the area. The fox made it a point to never grieve the loss of a valueless creature. There was no use for anybeast that couldn't stand against one single opponent. It irked him to no end that he hadn't been able to finish off the mouse. He was certain we would have won if that blasted otter hadn't interfered.
He spat out the blade of grass he was chewing on. The seven other vermin that Garvic had brought with him were arguing over something. The group included the other three that had escaped from the otter's attack. He had intentionally chosen to bring them along. The fox wonder what, if anything, they were thinking as he watched them scavenge for loot from their dead comrades.
"That's enough," the fox's voice froze the other beasts in their tracks. "Have you no respect for the dead?"
"Ah, c'mon," a lanky weasel with a high-pitched voice continued to comb through the bodies, "they ain't not gonna use this stuff no more anyhow."
One of Garvic's throwing daggers buried itself in the ground inches from the weasel's footpaw. He jumped back, lost his balance, and knocked over a rat who fell face first to the ground. The chubby rat jumped up, ready to retaliate. He didn't get the chance. An arrow stopped him as it grazed his cheek, thudding into the oak tree behind him.
A lithe ferret had appeared, seemingly from nowhere, next to Garvic. Zillac the Hawk Eyed lowered his bow; his piercing eyes seemed to bore right through the stunned rat.
"What news do you bring, Hawkeye?" Garvic used the ferret's nickname. He had brought the tracker along without any of the others knowing. "Have you found any evidence of the mouse warrior, or the otters that attacked us?"
The fox had purposely use the plural "otters" to make the other vermin think he still believed their story. He and Rachart had strung the three unsuspecting creatures along quite easily. They had no idea who they had lied to, but it was about to become crystal clear to them.
Zillac shouldered his bow, "I followed a trail from here to a large redstone building; a half-day's march from the encampment of the army. All the evidence I found points to there being only one creature leaving this clearing and carrying another beast to that building. The prints are those of an otter."
Garvic knew they had heard Zillac's report, and could practically smell the fear of the three lying vermin. "Are you saying that there was only one otter? I was lead to believe there had been more; possibly a dozen in number."
"I find no evidence of more than a single otter. As I said, I believe he carried the mouse warrior to the redstone structure. In all likelihood, that is where we will find him."
"Thank you Hawkeye," the fox slowly turned to the three, who ere now huddled together in terror. They had been found out. Garvic circled them slowly, his eyes no more than yellow slits. "If there is one thing I cannot tolerate, it is liars. What have you to say for yourselves?"
Kulger, the unofficial leader of the trio, pointed an accusing claw at Zillac, "'e must be lying! Tryin' to get us inter trouble!"
"What would Hawkeye gain by being false about this matter? And besides, it would make little difference. Even if you have been telling the truth about the otters, I would not dismiss your cowardice. That is the one thing that sickens me more than lying. You have shown yourselves to be little more than sniveling cowards," Garvic stood with his back to them, relishing the atmosphere of fear. "Before I punish you for your deeds, I wish to show you something. Then, perhaps, you will understand."
The fox unbuttoned his tunic, letting it slide off his shoulders to the ground. He turned to his right, slowly and deliberately. When he was facing them, a large jagged scar was revealed on the left side of his chest. A sinister smile crept onto Garvic's face as he saw recognition dawn in Kulger's eyes.
The weasel pointed a trembling claw at Garvic, his eyes wide with horror, "you, y-y-you're G-Garvic the-the-the…"
"Heartless." The word had barely left his lips before the fox's scimitar flashed out. Garvic the Heartless, the assassin know as the most ruthless in all the Southlands, recorded three more kills. The three vermin were dead before they hit the ground.
"You," Garvic pointed his blood-stained blade at the rat that Zillac had shot at, "report back to Lady Rachart. Tell her we have found the location of the mouse Ruka. Have her march the army due north. We shall meet her at the redstone building."
"As you command," the rat saluted and ran off through the woods to deliver the message.
"The rest of you, follow me," Garvic, trailed by the remainder of the vermin group, moved north toward Redwall Abbey.
In the underbrush, a shadowy figure watched the vermin leave, and then moved off to spy on the army of which the fox had spoke.