OoO( 7 )OoO
"We must act now! If we let them keep him for much longer, there is no telling what will happen!" shouted the cellarhog Danpin. His spikes russled as he shouted across the Great Hall of the abbey. "We can't sit here and talk about doin' things peacefully! Those foxes will never return the babe even if we do work out a deal!"
"I disagree, if we just offer them what they want then they have no reason to keep him." said a timid mouse.
"Nobeast asked you Mirvan, you've never dealt with that kind of scum before. If we buckle and propose a deal, they will grab the loot and the dibbun again and force us to give them more! I've seen it a hundred times!" shouted the hedgehog.
Skipper stood up. "I agree with Danpin. We can't just give them what they want because they are evil through and through. No matter how much we give them, it will never be enough."
An uproar arose among the others at the table at the Skippers words. "So what do you propose we do, just leave him with those foxes?"
"Unthinkable! They will surely turn him into a slave, or worse! We can't just leave him!" shouted a vole.
Other beasts began to spew forth their comments as well until the entire Great Hall was filled with thunderous voices. Skipper jumped onto his seat and slammed his rudder-like tail onto the table, instantly making everybeast jump in fright. "We don't even know if they want to make an offer! They could just be working with a slave driver! If we wait here thinking they are going to make a deal, then we could be just sitting while they get farther away by the moment!" cried the otter.
The Abbess nodded. "What do you propose we do Skipper?" she asked.
Skipper calmed down a bit after knowing that the Abbess was going to hear him out. "I suggest you send out a search party consisting of anybeast strong enough and willing to help take those foxes down. Me and Danpin can lead the excursion, anybody else who wants to help, can. But we need to act now before those foxes get too far away to track!" he said.
Danpin stood and said, "I agree with Skipper. Let us lead this so we can get that liddle squirrel back in one healthy piece. If we wait, or do otherwise, it might be too late."
Thinking for a moment, the Abbess finally sighed, then nodded. "Alright. I shall let you pick those who you wish to take with you." she said. Skipper nodded and stood up again.
"Anybeast wishin' to help out with the search, meet me out in the Abbey grounds in front of the gatehouse." he said, then he turned and walked out to the open grounds. Following his lead, almost two score beasts walked out after him and marched to the gatehouse.
OoOoO
Two and a half score abbey dwellers stood single file in front of the main abbey gate, waiting to be put to work by Skipper. The otter paced up and down the lines of beasts, selecting the ones he saw fit by placing a paw on their shoulders. Then, he stopped when he saw a particular face in the crowd.
"Mary? What are you doin' here?" he asked her confusedly.
She looked at him strangely. "The same reason every other beast is here, including yourself." she said sharply. "To get Azlu home safe and sound."
Skipper smiled and nodded. "Aye, but don't you think you should leave that to more able beasts?"
"What does that mean? Do you think I can't do it?" Mary's face turned from calm to furious. "Do you think I can't handle myself out in the wild? Just a pretty mousemaid, only to be cooking and cleaning! Is that it?" she asked.
Skipper backed up slightly at the mood change. "I didn't say none of that! I was just askin' if you think you can handle it, thats all." he said. She snorted and set her eyes forward again. "Alright, you can come. But if any danger rears its head, I want you back in the abbey immediately." he said. She looked at him a moment before saluting and stepping into the line of helpers.
OoOoO
Cloud and the others had made fair time by taking the hardened dirt path. They could now see the abbey building and were all awed by its massive beauty in the light of the sun. Liska couldn't even take her eyes off of the sandstone walls, and almost ran directly into her father when he stopped.
Cloud, Zango, Ivan, and Songcrest all stopped in their tracks when they heard a muffled screaming.
"What do you think that was?" asked Songcrest worriedly.
Ivan stared into the woods where the sound had come from. "I don't know fir sure, but it sounded like somebeast screamin'." he said.
Cloud looked at the two otters and grabbed his spear. "Do you think we should check it out?" he asked.
Both otters nodded. "It would be best if we did. Could be somebeast in trouble." said Ivan. "Me and Zango can check it out. You and Songcrest stay here. We will scout it out and if its anything we can't handle, then we will come back." he said.
Cloud looked a little skepticle at first, but finally agreed. "Alright, but if it looks like there are too many, or if the danger is too great, then come back here immediately." he said. The otter and the fox nodded, then took off into the woods. Cloud watched them go, then turned to Songcrest and Liska. "Well, looks like we've got the hardest job of all. Just sitting and waiting." he said.
Zango had to keep at a slow pace to let Ivan stay even with him. His usual wind-like pace would have left the otter in the black foxes dust. Together they travelled in the direction which they thought the scream had come, listening closely should another one occur. Suddenly, another was heard only a short way in front of them. Zango stopped and held his arm out so Ivan didn't go any furthur either.
Turning to Ivan, Zango thrust a claw into his own chest, then pointed in the direction of the scream. Ivan nodded, and the fox was off. Like his name, he quickly flew from one tree to another without a sound nor trace that he had even been there. Finally, the fox stopped when he smelled burning wood. He had his back against an oak tree, listening to the rambling of two creatures on the other side. Slowly, he looked around the tree and saw two foxes sitting in front of a small cooking fire with a wriggling cloak next to them.
OoOoO
Another scream issued from the cloak and the fox with the missing eye glared at it. "I said shut up you little welp! Its been over 'arf a day and he's still at it!" he shouted and slapped both paws over his ears. "I don't know how much more of this I can take!" he said to his partner.
Bletch looked at the cloak, then back at the other fox. "Why not just knock 'im out good Riveye?" he asked.
"'Cause, I don't think the abbey bumpkins would appreciate me conkin' 'im over the head, thats why. If they find out I've done that, they'll send an army after me." he said glaring at the fox opposite of him. Bletch shrugged.
"Then what can we do?" asked Bletch.
Riveye closed his eye and sighed as the squirrel babe let out another scream. "Nothin' we can do mate, it comes with the job. But think, when this is all over, we'll both be rich from the treasure thats inside that abbey buildin'." he said. Bletch smiled greedily and began to rub his paws together.
"I like the sound o' that." he said. They sat a moment in silence before the rustling of a bush in the brush to their right alerted both of them. Grabbing his sling, Bletch hurled a stone in the direction and heard an immediate response.
"Argh!" yelled the gruff voice. Both foxes rose, weapons drawn and began to jog over to the bush. Slowly they pushed the shrub aside. In an instant, Bletch went down with a slingblow to his nose and the black fox tackled Riveye from behind. Ivan sprung forward and shoulder tackled Bletch, sending him to the ground as Zango wrestled with the other, managing to lock both of the beasts paws behind his head.
After a moment, both Riveye and his cronie where subdued by the strength of the two powerful beasts. Ivan held Bletch to the ground with his footpaw on the back of the foxes neck. Bletch struggled and whined as his captor held him. "What did we ever do to you? We never meant no harm to the little feller...Yow!" he shouted as Ivan yanked his tail.
"Quiet you!" shouted the otter. Turning to Riveye, he said, "Get that cloak open now!"
Zango let go of the full nelson he had the fox in and drew his short sword. He put the blade into Riveye's back, forcing him towards the cloak, but holding the fox's cloak incase he tried to make a dash for it. Slowly, the one eyed fox crawled over and untied the cloak and revealed a tied up baby squirrel. The squirrel saw the fox and quickly kicked out, landing a blow right to the foxes good eye.
"Yarrr! 'E got me in the good'n!" he shouted. Quickly, he grabbed a dagger at his side and went to stab the dibbun, but Zango's blade was across his throat like a snake, just inches from sinking its teeth into the fur.
"Now cut the little one loose." said Ivan roughly as he pulled away Bletch's sling. Riveye slowly reached over and cut the rope holding Azlu. As soon as the baby squirrel was loose, he attacked Riveye ferociously. Jumping on the fox's back, he grabbed both ears and jerked on them nearly pulling them off. Riveye dropped to the ground and rolled around in an attempt to get the squirrelbabe off, but the tiny creature responded by sinking his teeth into the fox's shoulder. Ivan had to hold back his laughter as Zango pryed the little beast off of Riveye's back.
As Zango held him, Azlu struggled to get at the fox. "Big mean floskers! I get you for makin' me tied up!" he shouted. Ivan laughed out loud at the antics of the baby squirrel.
But, his laugh quickly turned into a leer as he looked at Riveye who was glaring at the dibbun. "Eyes...er, eye over here fox." he said, and Riveye shifted his gaze to the otter. "What were you doin' with that squirrel babe?" he asked. "And don't be tryin' to tell no lies, cause I'll make ya into a cloak if I find out you are."
The fox gulped. "We...er...saw the little'n fall from the wall at the abbey. So we...er...brought 'im back here to our camp so he could heal." he said.
"Why was he tied up?" asked Ivan visciously.
"'E kept kickin' and screamin', we had to do sumthin' or he would have slain us both!" shouted Riveye as he threw himself on the ground. "Please spare me!"
"You mean us right?" asked Bletch pleadingly.
Ivan snorted and looked at Zango. "What do you think mate? Should we spare 'em?" he asked winking at the black fox. Zango replied with an evil grin, then slashed a low hanging limb off a tree with his short sword. Both foxes moaned as Ivan smiled.
"You letta Azlu at 'em! I bonk der ears good!" shouted the tiny figure now standing next to Zango.
"I'm sure ya would give 'em somethin' to remember you by, but now we have to get you back to Redwall. That is where you came from isn't it?" asked the otter. The baby squirrel smiled and nodded his head heavily.
"Yep yep yep! I from Re'wall." he said.
Zango smiled and patted the squirrelbabe's head. Ivan turned back to the foxes and glared. "You two!" he shouted, and both beasts jumped in fright. "Get out of here before I let that little ruffian loose on ya again!" he shouted. Both foxes gathered their cloaks and bolted out of sight. Turning back to Zango, Ivan smiled. "Well, lets get back to the others." he said. The fox nodded and they both walked with a new companion towards the dirt path.
OoOoO
Back at Redwall, Skipper had given everybeast a makeshift weapon, should they need it. He held a long ash flag staff while Danpin stood next to him wielding a large bung hammer from the cellars. Both stood before the small army of Redwallers, staring at them all stone faced. Skipper stepped forward and began to speak.
"One of our babes from the abbey has been taken by the scum of Mossflower. Two foxes were seen carrying Azlu, Jussaru's son, off into the woods. We are here to search out and bring Azlu home in one piece. I will be taking half of you into the northern part of the forest. Danpin will be taking the rest to the south. We will search the lands from dawn til dusk if we have to...what is it Mary?" asked Skipper as Mary raised her paw into the air.
"Skipper...I hear singing..." she said.
Skipper looked at her, then Danpin. The hedgehog shrugged and they both listened closely. The voice was familiar and high pitched.
"Re'wall Re'wall, Re'wall is my home!
Re'wall Re'wall, the only place I known!
Re'wall Re'wall, the abbey where I come from!
Re'wall Re'wall, Re'wall here I come!"
They could here it getting closer and closer as they stared down the path. Suddenly, to Skipper's horror, Azlu came over the hill on a black foxes shoulders with a ferret walking next to him. Skipper raised his flag staff and pointed it at the travellers. "Drop the babe you scumface!" he shouted.
Azlu slapped both paws over his mouth. "Skipper got bad mouth!" he shouted, slightly stifled. Zango looked up at the babe and picked him off his shoulders. Setting the squirrel babe down, he backed off and Azlu went running towards the abbey. "Momma Momma! Moonflosker rescue I!" he shouted.
Jussaru, a sturdy built female squirrel stepped from the army and grabbed her son by his underarms and lifted him off the ground, hugging him tightly. "Azlu! You're okay!" she shouted, then bagan shaking him roughly. "What did I tell you about playing on the walltop without an older beast watching you! If it wasn't for this...Moonflosker?" she asked staring back down the path. Azlu stared up at the sky, dizzy after his mothers episode.
Zango bowed low before standing next to Cloud again. "That vermin rescued you?" asked Skipper confusedly.
"Moonflosker not vermin! He and Skipperbeast save Azlu!" shouted the tiny squirrel, almost offended that Skipper had called Zango a vermin.
Skipper scratched his head. "Er, Skipperbeast?" he asked.
"Barklay you ol' ruddertail! This is where you been campin' out at!" shouted Ivan as he ran over and tackled the Skipper.
The older otter stared at Ivan for a moment before a giant smile creased his aging face. "Ivan! Ivan the liddle riverpup! Las' time I saw you you was learnin' to swim!" he shouted as they both attempted to get the other to submit to a bearhug.
"Uncle Barklay!" said Songcrest suprisedly as she followed Ivan. Skipper looked at her and dropped Ivan onto the ground, leaving him gasping for air.
"Songcrest? Is that you ya liddle beauty?" he asked. The reunited otters hugged and kissed welcomes to each other. Then, the attention was back on the other travelers.
Beovar stood right next to Cloud, with Zango on his other side and Liska hiding behind her fathers cloak. Slowly, the hare leaned over and whispered to Cloud. "Seems there a bit iffy about lettin' you inside." he said.
Cloud nodded. "I wouldn't be surprised." he said back. Suddenly, the crowd of Redwaller's parted and allowed a small sturdy mouse wearing a long red robe, the same color as the abbey itself. She stepped gracefully forward, planting each paw with precision making it seem as if she was gliding across the ground. Then, she halted.
"You are the beasts that saved Azlu from the other foxes?" she asked. All three nodded and the mouse turned to the two otters. "Is this true?"
"Aye marm. We heard the liddle'n cryin', so we went and nicked two scruffy foxes over their slimy heads. They'll be long gone by now." said Ivan, now staring at his friends.
The mouse turned back to the three creatures and stared at them for a moment. Then, what she did almost made Cloud gasp in disbelief. The mouse bent low to the ground and said, "We here at Redwall thank you for saving our little one."
Zango, as always, was speechless so Cloud spoke for both of them. "Er...no thanks necissary ma'am. 'Twas a pleasure." he said nervously.
OoOoO
Back in the Great Hall of Redwall, the meeting started again. Everybody from the former meeting was there, including Ivan, Songcrest and Beovar, and were debating fiercely over whether the travellers should be allowed to stay inside the abbey walls.
Danpin stood up as usual and bagan speaking. "'Tis my opinion that they should be given a chance to stay here at the abbey. They did us a great deed by sendin' those foxes packin' and bringin' the babe back." he said.
Skipper stood and announced his opinion afterwards. "I agree. My niece and nephew here say that these are good and honest creatures. They saved my nephews life from the blasted cannibal rodents runnin' around the woods as well."
A much older hedgehog stood up with a cane in his left paw and smacked the table top with it. "They are still vermin. No matter how nice they may seem, all vermin will always be vermin and there is nothing anybeast can do to change that. They may seem nice and kind, but how do we know that they aren't in cahoots with those other foxes?" he asked.
Ivan stood and glared at the elder fiercely. "Impossible!" he shouted. Everybody in the Great Hall stared at him.
"You say what you want, but that ferret and fox aren't to be trusted! Besides, how do we know you didn't help them with their little scheme to get into the abbey?" asked the older hedgehog.
This time, Skipper glared at the beast. "Watch your tongue Ruddik, thats my nephew your talkin' about!" he shouted.
"Quiet!" shouted a voice from the head of the table. Everybeast stared in the direction and saw the Abbess standing at her full height with both paws placed on the table in front of her. "Ruddik, calm down. You too Skipper." she said. Both creatures looked at each other, then sat down bad temperdly. "Now...Ivan is it? Please explain to us why it is impossible that they might have been in with the other foxes." she said.
Ivan looked around at the faces of other creatures staring at him. Clearing his throat, he spoke loud and clear. "Me and my sister here come from an otter cave on the eastern coast. Our entire family, aside from the elders live in this cave. Before we met the creatures you are holding in confines, we were attacked by a band of pirates. My friends out there came along and helped save the lives of many otters that day and asked for no reward in turn for the deed." he said.
"But what does that have to do with..."
"Ruddik, if you interupt again, you will be removed from this argument!" shouted the Abbess. The entire Great Hall went quiet, for they had never seen their calm and collected Abbess show such a fierce disposition before. Turning to Ivan again, she said, "Continue."
Nodding, the otter continued. "As I was sayin'. Afterwards, we invited them in for supper and they stayed the night until the next mornin'. Then me and my sister left to help them travel across this unknown country." he said.
The Abbess gasped. "What do you mean by unknown country?" she asked.
The otter scratched his head. "Well, to them it is unknown. They said they was from another land across the ocean." he said. The entire Great Hall gasped when they heard these words. Suddenly, the Abbess began saying something.
"Many warriors travel far from home,
They travel sea and land unknown..."
"Er...if ya don't mind me askin' marm, what exactly does that mean?" asked Ivan as she recited a few of the lines from the dream.
She turned and looked at Skipper and Danpin. "Release those beasts immediately!" she shouted. Both beasts didn't need to be told twice. They got up from their seats and ran for the door to the Great Hall, quickly departing.
OoOoO
Cloud, Zango, and Liska sat in one of the dormitories inside the abbey, contemplating what had just happened. Cloud sat on the bed while Zango took advantage of an overstuffed armchair. Liska was fishing around in the foodpacks for something to eat.
The ferret warrior sat with an elbow on his knee and his chin in his paw. "Hmmm...awefully nice of them to lead us up here and lock us up after inviting us in." he said sourly. He looked up and noticed Zango with his eyes half closed, snoring in the chair. He laughed at his friends laziness, when a sudden commotion sounded outside. There was a jingling of keys as somebeast collided with the door guard, then a scrambilng of paws as both beasts got up. Cloud listened closely, when suddenly the door flew open and Skipper, Danpin, and a mouse with a bucket on his head rubbing an injured arm stood in the doorway.
"Mates, its my pleasure to invite you..."
"Our." interrupted Danpin.
Skipper nodded. "Its our pleasure, to invite you all, to Redwall Abbey."
OoOoO
Riverfox237: Er...I'm a guy...Anyway, here is the next chap. Hope you like it. And just so everyone knows, I am going to be putting these up much more often now. So keep checking!
Bob Stage: Glad you like the story.
Thank to all of my fans for hanging in there with me, I feel so bad for making you wait this long for the next chap, so I am speeding things up at home to make more chaps. Hope to see more reviews!