Chapter 9
Knottail was amazed at the beauty the abbey had, and how well it seemed to fit in with the rest of the country, like it had grown there along with the rest of the forest. But there wasn't time to stop and admire the building, and Knottail and Grim knew that. The horde had been on double watch since the abbey had been spotted, and the moment to attack was almost at hand.
Toka wanted a quiet, but quick approach, until they reached the walls and could use them as a form of shelter should attack from the inhabitants start up, then use grappling hooks and ropes to scale over the walls and infiltrate the abbey itself. A simple enough plan, and a practical one at that, seeing that they were attacking so very early in the morning. Toka was counting on all of the inhabitants in the abbey to be asleep.
But that changed when a yell rang out from within the abbey, and Knottail saw that the culprits were two creatures standing on the nearest wall. Who or what kind of beast they were, didn't matter. But knowing that the plan was no longer useable, Toka cursed, then turned to his archers and ordered them to fire upon the beasts on the wall.
Grim tapped Knottail on the shoulder and motioned something to him.
"That's right, so much fer the element of surprise." Knottail replied in full agreement with Grim.
After a long period in which Toka paced back and forth in the lead of the horde, cursing his luck, he finally motioned for the archers to stop for a moment, probably to see if they had gotten their targets. But there didn't seem to be anyone on the wall anymore. Toka didn't like it and ordered another volley of arrows to be shot over the wall, just in case.
No sooner than the arrows were in the air, the abbey's twin bells began tolling out the alarm.
Toka was enraged, and everybeast in the horde kept their distance while their leader thought up a new plan. Knottail watched from where he stood somewhere in the middle of the horde. Beside him, Grim pulled out a bow and arrow and fired it off at one of the toling bells. It ricocheted off the edge and downward, into the bell tower itself. A moment later, Grim repeated the action.
Knottail saw what he was trying to do. He was trying to, at the very least, ward off whoever was ringing the bells, by sending arrows directly into the bell tower. The tactic apparently worked, for new tolls in the bell weren't ringing out, and eventually the bells fell silent.
By this point, Toka decided to salvage what of their original plan there was, and motioned for the horde to press themselves against the eastern wall, where they couldn't get attacked. Hoping that it would be a moment before the inhabitants in the abbey could get their forces together, Toka signaled for the grappling hooks.
Pressing himself against the red stone, Knottail pulled out one such hook and rope, and with skilled practice, chucked it upward to the walltop. He was rewarded with the sound of clanking metal against stone and the rope going taunt. Immediately, the horde began to scale up the rope as well as up two others that had been secured.
At the top, battle began to rage as the abbey's forces finally arrived. By this point, about half of the horde was up on the wall. Toka, still on the ground, made his way over to Knottail and Grim, who were also still on the ground.
"Time to get going on the infiltration." he said to them. "You know what to do?"
Knottail and Grim both nodded silently, and they both climbed up the rope after their fellow hordebeasts. At the top, both drew their weapons and began to fight their way through the battle until they found a set of stairs leading downward. Quickly they scaled down them, and pressed themselves into the shadows, almost vanishing from sight to those around them.
Grim motioned to Knottail, pointing at the gate ahead of them. Knottail nodded, and quietly they made their way forward, weapons ready should they need them. They weren't. And they only made it that much easier for them to open the gates and let the rest of Toka's horde inside the walls...
Mattimeo drew Martin's sword from it's scabbard, holding up in his paws.
"Yore not thinkin' about goin' out there and attackin', are ye?" Weylan asked, curious.
"If I have to," Mattimeo began, "I will."
"Then I'm joinin' ye, mate." Weylan stated, pulling out his sling and loading it.
"I wouldn't want you to get hurt." Mattimeo said, as they made their way tot eh doors leading out of the bell tower. "This isn't you're battle."
"Course it is!" Weylan exclaimed. "'To the south, a friend will be captive,' remember? We agreed that could only mean trouble, and well, 'ere it is."
"Who's to say that these vermin are from the south?" Mattimeo asked.
"They came from that direction to get 'ere." Weylan pointed out, "That's good enough fer me."
Mattimeo slowly pushed the door open, peaking out at the battle going on outside. "You sure you want to do this, Weylan?" he asked one last time. "If you get killed, you won't be able to find that reward of yours."
"Aye, but it you die, 'ow do ye expect me to find it?" Weylan pointed out, "According to me dreams, yore supposed to help me find it."
Mattimeo frowned. "This isn't exactly the time to be discussing this." he stated.
"True." Weylan admitted. "So I'll just watch yore back, if ye don't mind."
Mattimeo gave one last grin, then they both threw the door open and charged.
The attacking horde had forced the Redwallers backwards off the wall, and from there, they were slowly retreating, outnumbered. Mattimeo and Weylan were about to join the group, but then Mattimeo paused, stopping Weylan, spying two weasels who were in the process of opening the gates.
Weylan twirled his sling and let the stone fly. It hit the smaller of the two weasels, dropping him. the other drew his weapon and charged Mattimeo, who was closest. The mouse quickly deflected the attack with his sword, then swung the blade at the weasel's feet. The weasel blocked the attack as well, and went for Mattimeo's head, only to again get blocked by the blade of the mouse's sword.
This continued on for several moments. Weylan tried to send off another sling stone at the offending weasel, but couldn't get a good shot. Mattimeo kept getting in the way. It was then that he heard thumping at the gates, and turned to see that the weasels had managed to unlock the gates, but not open them. The horde on the other side where now trying to push them open from their side.
Instinctively, the otter grabbed the weasel he had knocked out and began to drag him towards the main abbey building.
"They're comin' in!" Weylan shouted to Mattimeo.
Mattimeo blocked another swipe at his head from the weasel and chanced a glance at the gates, now swinging open to admit the rest of the horde. Using all of his strength, he flung the attacking vermin off of him and turned and ran after Weylan.
"Retreat!" they were both shouting, "Retreat! They're coming in!"
The other Redwallers obeyed, slowly began retreating backwards as both halves of the horde joined forces, now out-numbering the Redwallers.
Weylan and Mattimeo were the first to reach the doors leading into the Great Hall and pushed them open to admit themselves and others. It was only then that Mattimeo noticed the weasel that Weylan had dragged in with them, still unconscious.
"Who's that?" he asked the otter as Redwallers streamed into the hall.
"Our prisoner, mate." Weylan answered, giving Mattimeo a sly grin.
The rest of the Redwallers finally were admitted into the building, and the doors were promptly closed on the charging horde, trying to get inside as well. The tables from Cavern Hole were brought in and used to barricade the doors and stained glass windows in the hall, while Weylan and Mattimeo disarmed their prisoner and tied him to a nearby column.
The horde outside attempted to shoot arrows through the abbey's many windows, but they were all quickly blocked off. For the first time since the battle began, a certain amount of silence fell, while the Redwallers let it sink in just exactly what happened, while the wounded was being treated.
Mattimeo stared into the blade of Martin's sword. "That felt odd." he said simply after spending a moment dwelling on the battle that had taken place. "I thought that by fighting back like that would've felt, well, scary. And it did, at first." noting Weylan's side glance, "But when that vermin charged me to attack, everything suddenly felt, well, natural."
"That'd be the warrior in ye, showin' it's face." Weylan explained. "I don't 'ave that. Just between you and me, mate, but I'm scared witless."
Mattimeo grinned slightly. "And yet you knew exactly what to do. You knew it was time to retreat, and you even stopped and grabbed a prisoner. I wouldn't had thought of any of that until you brought it to my attention."
"Well, I wouldn't expect ye to, seein' that you were busy battlin' a big ugly rat." Weylan replied.
"Actually, it was weasel, dontcha know." said, Basil, bounding up to them. "I saw the whole thing. Good show, both of you. Really knew what to do, wot?"
Mattimeo grinned, slightly embarrassed, but didn't answer, and neither did Weylan.
"Anyway, I cam over here to report to young Matti here that casualties are remarkably light, and no one was killed." Basil went on, sitting down on the stone floor next to them. "All the windows and doors leading into the abbey have been closed and barricaded."
"Not that this isn't good news, Basil." Mattimeo said, "But, why are you telling me all this?"
"Well, seeing that you're currently the only most experienced warrior of Redwall that is fit for combat we've got, that kind of puts you in charge of the attacks, counterattacks, and all of that." Basil replied.
"Me?" Mattimeo said, clearly surprised.
"Yes, you." Basil answered. "So I suppose I should be askin' you what you want us to do next?"
Mattimeo stared at Basil for a moment, then turned to look at Weylan, who grinned.
"Me thinks that they think you can do it, matey." he answered Mattimeo's silent question.
"Okay then." Mattimeo said, accepting the responsibility, "For now, let's just put a few archers up at some of the windows, spots were they can easily see the vermin outside and attack them should they do anything to threaten us. Then, Basil, get together a council of war, and then we'll discuss what has happened, and what we do next."
The hare nodded, then marched off to carry out Mattimeo's bidding.
Mattimeo looked slightly taken aback by it. "I've never really had to do this much before." he said to Weylan, "But already it seems easier than I thought it to be." he paused for a moment. "Maybe I really can do this."
"Do ye think yore father would've given ye that responsibility if ye couldn't?" Weylan asked, giving Mattimeo a comforting smile, who returned it.
"Attention, inhabitants of Redwall!" a voice suddenly rang out from outside. "I want to talk with you!"
Mattimeo picked up the sword of Martin and climbed up onto a ledge next to stained glass window, peering out a space in the barricade. Weylan silently followed.
"Yes?" Mattimeo called out to the voice, studying the horde that stood waiting outside.
"With whom am I speaking?" the voice outside asked.
"Mattimeo of Redwall."
"Ah yes, the warrior's son." the voice went on to say. "I know a fair bit about you."
Mattimeo looked at Weylan in surprise.
"So where's the warrior himself? The one called Matthias?" the voice continued on.
Mattimeo bit his lip, thinking. "He's in a council of war at the moment, trying to decide how to best defeat you." he lied.
"It'll be in vain." the voice answered.
Mattimeo frowned. "With whom am I speaking, if I may ask?"
"I am Toka!" came the answer. "Leader of this horde! I'm not one who likes long talks, so I'll get right to the point. I want your abbey."
"Not like he didn't make that clear already." Weylan mumbled.
"Well, I'll get right to the point as well!" Mattimeo called out. "You can't have it!"
"Then it'll be your own grave that you're digging, mouse." Toka responded.
Again, Weylan and Mattimeo looked at each other in surprise.
"He sure knows a lot about ye, mate." Weylan noted.
"How do you know so much about us, yet I can't seem to recall ever hearing about you?" Mattimeo asked the vermin leader.
"We're not from around these parts, as I'm sure you've already determined." Toka answered.
"So how do you know so much about Redwall?"
"I have my sources." Toka answered. "Mokeet, for instance."
"Who's Mokeet?"
Toka didn't answer, but one of the horde stepped out and threw an under cared for otter onto the ground, clearly having been a prisoner of the horde for a long time.
Weylan squinted at the otter. "'ave you ever seen 'im before?" he asked Mattimeo.
The mouse shook his head no. "I'm guessing Toka found him on his way here, from wherever he came from."
"Which is to the south." Weylan added.
"We don't know that." Mattimeo objected.
"I've said my bit!" Toka suddenly interrupted. "Anything else you have to ask, Mattimeo of Redwall?"
"One thing." Mattimeo answered. "Where are you from?"
"The south." Toka answered immediately. "Straight south." then he fell silent.
Mattimeo climbed down from his perch, a puzzled expression on his face.
"I told yeh!" Weylan exclaimed. "This is wot me dreams 'ave been warning me about."
"But it doesn't make any sense." Mattimeo stated, "There's nothing to the south."
"Ye don't know 'ow far south he came from though." Weylan pointed out.
"No, but we know he came from outside Mossflower, and there's nothing to the south of Mossflower but barren lands. I know, because I've been there." Mattimeo said.
"Maybe he's from the coast." Weylan suggested.
"No, the coast would be to the southeast." Mattimeo said, rubbing his head in thought. "Toka stated that he's from straight south." he paused. "There's nothing to the south of here." he insisted. "Except for..."
He stopped. Weylan looked at him expectantly. "Go on," he prompted, "Except fer wot?"
Mattimeo looked blankly at the otter for a moment before answering.
"Loamhedge."