The bronzen bell tolled its bellowing rings as Jaden heaved his weight down on the cord. Pungeant to the Redwallers, yes, to be in the early morning hours - and moreso since a vermin rang it. Lucky for him. But Jaden was determined in spite of his odds. He had always relayed the information through the Abbot, who then went through the Elders. Jaden thought it would be privvy to theirselves to inform them the damning news directly.
It was after the eighth consecutive ring that someone noticed. It was the irritable Pheonix, red-eye rimmed and angry.
"What in the blazes - what are you doing!"
Two more rings. Jaden stumbled away from the cord, chest heaving. "Get the Redwallers and Elders... in the Great Hall."
Pheonix was about to object when he was brushed aside by Jaden. Jaden ran up the infirmary and down the stairs into the halls.
"Go to the Great Hall! Redwallers and Mossflower - go to the Great Hall!"
Many an angry look and mutter from sleepy faces peered out of their doors as the voice passed. Jaden ended at the Great Hall. The Abbey beasts and guests crowded into the Great Hall - mostly in anger, one could guess, from their expressions.
"What in hellblazes is this?"
"I was having a good dream!"
"Blasted fool that vermin is! I knew I couldn't trust 'em!"
"Shut up fool!"
Jaden bounded up onto the table despite the maids' protests. Teacups and steaming pots were already set out. He did his best to avoid them.
"Gather around! Quick - listen to me!"
The Great Hall quickly filled with beasts for want of reasons. Anger glared in some of the beasts' eyes - obviously a justified moment to not pacify anger. He is, in fact, a vermin. But others were curious - most of them the Elders and the older types, though some of the older beasts had indignant scowls marred on their features.
"Listen to me quickly. The King is about to commence an attack on Redwall! He is coming!"
One beast challenged Jaden. He was quickly put down, though.
"Shat up! Hasn't this vermin givin' us sound advice afore?"
Murmers of agreement rang up. He had indeed provided information in reguards to vermin positions and the Hellsman fighting tactics. Jaden continued.
"The King had learned of me visiting this place. He has forced me to become a spy for his causes... he has informed me that the King's armies will come in two weeks time!"
Talking, objections, and murmering chimed in rather immedietly. More people called for silence, but this time the objectors shouted back.
"Stupid idgit! I knews ye was a spys afore ye even stepped foot in Mossflower!"
"Aye, can't trust the lot of ye."
"Shattup ye sluggards! Let this man finish!"
"How about ye shut it up yerself, ye vermin softy! Ye little friend 'ere must've stained yer mind. Aye ye shouldn't be called Elder at all."
"An' ye shouldn't be called a Redwaller cuz ye ain't actin' like it either! Every man an' women 'as a say in their world, an' their own opinion-"
"Shut it old man, afores ye vermin tod sends us all to 'ellgates. Let's kill 'em afores 'e c'n get to the King with 'is spyin' knowledge!"
"Hag! 'E's been to the King already! Why else 's he left all those times in the middle 'o th' night?"
More shouting. Jaden quivered with anger at the Mossflowers' childish demeanors and yelled over the commotion at the top of his lungs.
"SILENCE!"
The ferocious blast ceased all bickering. All eyes and heads turned to Jaden - such a loud noise from a quiet, singular vermin.. He was even surprised at what came out of his mouth - in all his days visiting the Abbey he had never raised his voice above the tone of a normal conversation - not even to yell across the Abbey pond to the Abbot. But he continued.
"...Listen to me! The King is coming in two weeks! And if I know the King correctly, he may possibly cut it down to one week, even less, depending on how much of his forces are already marching."
Already marching. The words seemed to make the silent room more quiet.
"And listen to me again! - Has not all of my words come true? All of my spying for the Abbey? All of the informaton I relayed through the Abbot? Has not every work of my hands been fruitful and beneficial? ...Thomas, the gardener. Where are you? -Ahh, there you re. Isn't it true that I hoed the entire gardens when you were sick? And planted the seeds the next day?"
A nod from Thomas, close and to the left. "And Elder Emwich of the Eastern Mossflower Province. When that vein of Hellsman decided to attack your northern town one day, did not I inform you what exactly they were going to do and when? And did those Hellsman do as I pedicted and you defended that part of Mossflower dilligently?"
Another nod, back among the crowd of beasts to the right.
Some eyes burned with curiosity still, but some still determined.
"Shame on you all! Shame on you... for being so absent minded and unkind! The Elder is right - " One thing he could hear over the commotion, though probably due to the fact that the Elder was nearest to the table. "You all shouldn't be called Redwallers. Redwallers are accepting, listening, patient, and understanding. But that doesn't matter anymore." He was about to admit that he wasn't fit to be a Redwaller either, the images of the mice flashing through his mind. But for once he pressed on past those thoughts and feelings. "War is at hand, and the King is coming. The King himself declared to me that he is coming. Whenever he himself said something, it was done and it happened. You all out of all people on this earth know this full well!
Now listen closely to what I have to say - Mossflower is not dead. You can conquor this enemy again, and once and for all!"
Dark murmers. Side-glances. A few glared up at Jaden. Jaden sighed and spread his arms out. "I know... that there are a few of you that have some doubts, but I believe you can do this! If you can do it once-"
The scowling old squirrel maid, who had shouted at the Elder, chimed in with many gestures. "Redwall is doomed! I can see it now - red bricks spilled, blood slipt on the tiled floors of the Abbey, the glass shattered and timbers shattering over our heads! We all are doomed!"
Most of the dibbuns were gathered among the dibbun dormatory keepers in a pocket. They started to whimper and whine. The keepers shouted at the squirrel, as did several others, for upsetting the beasts.
But there were still doubts. A few continued to look indignant at the fox standing on their Great Hall table. Jaden licked his lips. "Redwall is not doomed! You still have a fighting chance! Your men - there are enough in Mossflower? Yes? ...Send runners and tell the cities and villages, and to Sala, to gather fighting forces and weapons!"
But no one moved. Something had gone wrong, Jaden felt as a twinge in his gut. Mebbe he was too forceful.
"Shut yer trap ye blaggart."
Murmering melted into many beast arguing and debating. Many voices.
"I say let's kill 'im!"
Some yelled in agreement. A few objected pointedly.
"It's all his fault!" Yelled the squirrel maid, the one who had originally been a culprit. "It's his fault fer the King comin'! 'E's a spy I tells ye all - a dirty little, mother killing, child stealing, son of a worthless fletcher!"
Eyes and faces turned harsh. Yelling. Shouting at him. The twinge in his gut grew deeper with the realization of whatever hopes he had came to an abrupt end. He paranoidly glanced around for any exits - the closest was through the low stained glass window almost directly behind him. But the window was several armsbreadths from the end of the table - over the tops of angry beast's heads, who happened to be grappling for Jaden's footpaws...
Jaden whipped around. He caught a glance at the tapestry of Martin the Warrior. The mouse's eyes seemed to look down pitingly on the situation - Jaden couldn't tell if they were looking at him or the Redwallers. But he didn't care. Not anymore.
Well... I tried. Now its your turn to deal with them.
The eyes remained complacent. Jaden huffed, and lept forward for the window, bracing his arms across his face.
Something grabbed on his footpaw, which so conveniently made his perfectly straight shot for the window off balance. And lost his boot in the process. His elbow snagged onto the windowsill, painfully, and he pummled through the window at an offcenter. His landing was very unexpected and farther than he had guessed. He tumbled once, twice, thrice, and lay on his back.
With half the wind knocked out of him, he stumbled up among the colorful broken shards, and took running to the gatehouse. His actions caught up with his mind and he remembered why he was going to the gatehouse. His gear. But trying the door, it was locked - he jiggled the handle, taking a quick glance - then a double glance to see half of the Redwallers outside barreling towards him. Kitchen knives, forks, and whatever smaller weapons at hand that were not deposited by the gates - flashed in the morning light, a sure sign of the fate he would face.
The Gates. He remembered that some beast took his pack off the night before. He then recalled seeing the Abbot out of the corner of his eye doing so... He hop-skipped a turn, running to the rampart stairs, beating a few thrown knives. One landed in his boot though. He ripped it off his foot and chucked it at the nearest Abbeydweller or Mossflower villager who started to scramble up the stairs. It slapped the poor mouse in the face, and he tumbled back on the other Redwallers behind him.
Run better on feet anyway...
Jaden then turned, and risking large splinters, made his way carefully but quickly down the crossbeam running across the leftmost gate. He grappled the shiny new bolts as well as he could, though small, and he was about to make it to the ground when a knife whizzed past. It struck his shoulder ... hit it at an odd angle, reflecting off into the weeds along the edge of the wall- unskilled Redwallers! - but made a good cut. He ignored the wound for now and searched for his belongings.
There! It was set aside from the other beasts' weapons and packs and such - things not allowed in the Abbey. He scrambled over to it and went to pick it up but about tumbled over when he tried swinging it over his shoulder. It felt very heavy - many pounds heavier. Jaden figured that the landing must've done something to him - knocked more wind out than he realized, probably.
He slipped on the rest of his things - quiver, but holding his bow in hand, and leaving his daggers behind. He remembered he forgot to take off some, but he did have that cross-belt going across his chest...
No time, though - he scrambled past the path and dissapeared into the grasslands. He knew this area - he had scrounged about through it dozens of times before, looking over at the Abbey through the protection of the grasses and few bushes, and had often retreated back in the grasslands up to the feet of the mountains seperating the Mossflower from the Western Shores. But he wasn't going to the mountains. He knew where to go immedietly - that bush over there... shaped like an earless hare. That brought a grin to his face, but it was wiped off instantly - he had to get to the porttown.
Steal a boat. Hah - besides failing to pursuade the Redwallers - it remaining as a bitter, empty feeling in his gut - he had gone as far to throw a shoe. Not that any dibbun or older, crabby folk has done that before. But the boat stealing will do him in for good. Not that Mossflower will be burning by the time they figure out what he stole.
He changed directions and started along a narrow path running through the grasslands. From the position of the sun and memory, it traveled north-east to south-west, ending up at the Great Southern Stream.
Wait - don't have to go that far. The sister stream. A small otter community rests in the bank of the stream just past the mountains - steal a boat from there. Hopefully... a lot of the otters are feasting at Redwall.
- hunting. Me down. ...Yes.
Jaden hesitated a moment. The trail he was taking... intersects the sister stream. Wasn't sure for a moment. Now he definitely was sure.
Hoarse cries and yelling bounded from beyond the grasses. He glanced back once, and feeling his load shift, looked back and shifted his weight over to slide the pack back on his shoulder.
Jaden felt his senses were on edge. Every sound of the forest his ears and eyes took in - bootless feet plodding their path with a will of their own. He turned his head and twitched his ear at such an angle he did not need to turn his whole head. Don't want to risk dropping the pack. From the sounds he heard back a few dozen footsteps or so, they were near.
A stray root almost seemed to come out of the ground, and trip him - he didn't catch it out of his periphrial as he glanced around, senses on edge, adreneline coursing through his veins. It was almost as if the root had acted in correlation with the Redwallers. Thank-you!
He tumbled rather gently to the ground thanks to the grasses on the sides of the trail. But other things enveloped his mind besides that mere comfort - the Redwallers. As he rolled onto his stomach - stopped rolling, thank Hellgates - he quikcly felt enclosed by the grasslands. He could neither see nor smell as the pungeant odors of the earth wafted up into his sensitive nostrils. He almost gagged, but quickly caught his breath. The Abbot dwellers were perhaps stupidly inclined, but they could at least hear.
-Hear. Jaden froze his form, and controlled his breathing. He closed his eyes and ran through his controlled breathing excercizes he learned from those musky-looking snipers he learned most of his skills froms - yet, he had to admit, skilled. He opened his eyes and was met again with the numerous grasses, which, coupled with the very heavy sack, wasn't too comfortable. Felt claustrophobic. But that was the least of his concerns at the moment - he had to fight to control his breathing as senses were deprived of input. In all his wanderings and horde life he was always equiped and ready with his senses en garde - but now he couldn't even see. Seeing... was all about being a sniper. See is to a sniper as-
Yelling. Redwallers approaching.
- being clumsy, stupid, idiotic, racist is to Redwallers.
He kept himself in check as the noises approached. The voices became more distinct, the mixed noise of people unwinding into its bare elements: those scrawny excuse-for-weapons they scrounged up, and dibbuns! Jaden grunted, realizing just how stupid they were. ...Threaten the lives of children.
But what does it matter? Jaden sighed. They're all going to die any-
"Quick! This way, Mossflower! I know this... fiend... when I see his trail!"
The voice of the Abbot. Feind?
Trail!
- But I didn't make a trail. I just tumbled into grasses.Jaden bit his lip. Surely they would see the large mess of disturbed grasses. He was a good few steps off the trail, but it wasn't enough for some smart-mouthed beast to spot large gaping patches in the grass.
The voices became loudly suddenly - and just as quickly, faded away. He craned his neck and eyes to peer down and over at where he had tumbled from. -Nothing. He waited a few moments before stealing another uncomfortable look towards the path. The only sound made was the light rustling of the grasses from the carresing wind. He sighed and made to get up, but quickly stopped. Two knarly old footpaws, wrapped with sandals just as old, poked out from –