Another day, another chapter. Toka, if anything, grows more suspicious, and Matti and Tess chat.
Chapter 25
From the wall top, Toka watched his horde prepare to leave, munching on an apple he had picked from the abbey orchard in passing when he was heading for the wall. He was awed and pleased at how efficiently they worked, preparing quickly, but well, so that nothing was left behind or improperly packed.
Knottail suddenly arrived beside Toka, doing likewise to his leader and surveying the horde. It was a moment before the warlord addressed his captain's presence.
"You have something to report?"
"Wish I did." Knottail replied, sounding disappointed. "The search of the abbey grounds have turned up empty once again. We found odd tracks on the shore of the abbey pond, but they were so trampled by other beasts that we weren't able to identify them. We've found nothing to indicate that the abbeydwellers are going to try anything to defeat us."
"What is the abbey doing?" Toka asked.
"Just as we'd expect them to." Knottail replied. "From what my beasts can tell from peering inside abbey windows, they are, indeed, packing up in preparation to surrender the abbey and leave. Peacefully too, they show no signs of staging any kind of attacks."
Toka grunted non-committedly. It was clear he didn't like the report.
"Whiptail says he's found a good spot to keep an eye on the abbey when the rest of the horde leaves." Knottail provided hopefully. "See that tree over there to the east, outside the walls? He'll be on top of it. He says he's got a grand view of the abbey, and can see everything that goes on within the grounds, and even a little bit within the abbey itself. He says that if you put another beast on a post every ten feet or so, he'll be able to shout messages to them, and they carry them on down to us as we travel to retrieve the otter treasure."
"Well, at least that's going okay." Toka remarked. "Anything else?"
"The abbey is inquiring as to when you will let Marigold free from your custody into theirs." Knottail said. "You've been putting it off."
"I'm hoping Redwall will make a false move that I can enact upon." Toka said. "They're planning something, and I don't want to be caught off guard when they carry it through."
"Nor do I." Knottail agreed. "But whatever it is they plan to do, they're hiding it well."
"There, you see, is my problem." Toka said. "I don't want to leave until I at least have an idea what they plan to do."
"But the problem is that they aren't going to do anything until we leave." Knottail guessed. "A clever tactic."
"Indeed, but it is one we'll have to learn to overcome if we ever plan to achieve our goals in life." Toka said. "Our vengeance is very close, and yet this abbey continues to stand in our way."
Knottail thought that through. "How close are we to resolving that matter, anyway?" he asked.
"Closer than you think." Toka said, and without saying more on the subject, started for the stone stairs leading down from the wall. "Get Marigold and bring the traitor to the abbey's front door." he ordered. "Then, if the horde's ready, prepare to depart for the treasure. I will want Mokeet, in his cage, to be up front."
Cautiously, Constance opened the door leading onto the grounds, archers surrounding her, ready to fire if it was an ambush. Abbot Mordalfus peered out onto the grounds an looked around. He saw nobeast, except for Toka, Knottail, a single guard, who was unarmed, and Marigold, unconscious and set in a kneeling position in front of the guard. The rest of Toka's horde was nowhere in sight. They had been sent to do others things.
Seeing the path clear, Constance flung the doors wide, and silently stood at the abbot's side as they walked down the steps onto the grassy land before them, the archers encircling them to protect the two within.
"Good day Father Abbot." Toka said with a slight sneer. "I trust your preparations to surrender your abbey are going well?"
"Only because they must." Mordalfus answered. "But that is not why we are here."
"No, it isn't, is it?" Toka asked. "However, I must wonder."
Mordalfus wondered if Toka was implying something, but wisely chose not to question the matter.
"Anyway," Toka continued, "I will consider this the binding deal for our little deal. In exchange for Marigold, I get your abbey."
"Hardly worth it." Constance grumbled.
"Sorry to hear that you disapprove, stripedog." Toka said. "But as your wise abbot said, you have no choice at this point."
Constance said nothing, but gave the ferret an evil glare.
"Anyway, shall we get on with it?" Toka asked, then without waiting for an answer, nodded to the solitary guard.
The guard, a fox, prodded Marigold for a moment, trying to drive her back to consciousness. The method not working he then slapped the squirrel across the face, making the Redwallers flinch. It worked however, for Marigold dizzily came to again. The fox stood her up, turned her so that she was pointed in the right direction, then gave her a shove.
Marigold weakly stumbled forward for a few feet, clearly in no condition to do this, and then stopped, seemingly unaware what to do now. She wobbled on her feet, tail drooping, and was about to fall. The abbot, despite his better judgement, broke from the encirclement of archers and rushed forward, grabbing Marigold around the middle, just as she collapsed, fading back into unconsciousness.
Struggling to keep the squirrel upright, he half-carried, half-dragged, Marigold back into the safety of the encirclement, where Constance took over and gently picked up Marigold, cradling the creature in her arms.
Quickly, the abbot looked Marigold over, seeing that many of her wounds were worse than he first thought. "What have you done to her?" he asked, horrified.
Toka shrugged, and didn't answer.
"It's a miracle she's even still alive." Mordalfus muttered, making sure Mokeet's makeshift bandages were in place before nodding to Constance. The badger nodded back, then solemnly trudged back into the abbey. Mordalfus stood were he was though, glaring at the warlord.
"Something you'd like to say, Father Abbot?" Toka asked.
There were a great many things Mordalfus would've liked to have said to the ferret, but he took his time, choosing his words carefully. Finally, he said, "I'll be glad once this is all over, Toka."
And with that, he turned around and walked back into the abbey, the encirclement of archers following. Toka watched as the abbey doors closed again, frowning.
Knottail noticed. "Somethin' bothering you, lord?" he asked quietly.
"A great many things, Knottail." Toka replied thoughtfully. "A great many things..."
Concealed and out of sight from the vermin trying to look inside the abbey in Cavern Hole, Mattimeo and Weylan prepared to leave, the only ones within the abbey truly doing so. Tess watched the two worry, a great deal going through her mind at the moment, particularly one thing of great importance.
Weylan saw it, and guessed what it was. "I'm goin' into the kitchens to see if the friar 'as our supplies ready." he told Mattimeo, then quickly exited the room, leaving Mattimeo and Tess alone.
Mattimeo glanced at the young mousemaid, and smiled encouragingly. "With a little luck, Tess, this will be the end of the situation with Toka." he said, picking up Martin's sword, sheathed in it's scabbard.
Tess watched for a moment as Mattimeo strapped the sword to his belt. "Why must you go, Matti?" she asked.
Mattimeo stopped what he was doing and sighed. "It's the only way, Tess." he said. "Weylan and I are the only warriors capable to do this. Father is still ill, and Basil and Constance, while willing, are too old for such a journey. And the Guosim are needed here if this plan is going to work."
"But all you're going to do is discreetly follow Toka's horde to the treasure and then..." Tess began, but Mattimeo cut her off.
"I know what we plan to do." Mattimeo said. "But any number of things could go wrong, and Weylan and I might have to fight for our lives." he gave his belt one final tug, before adding, "Besides, we're the only ones in this abbey who know where to go."
Tess sighed. "That doesn't make me feel any better." she said.
"Trust me, it doesn't help me either." Mattimeo agreed. "But we must do what we must."
He reached for the final item he needed, a simple brown clock, but Tess placed her paw on Mattimeo's stopping him.
"That's what I'm getting at." she said. "Why must any of this happen?"
Mattimeo looked thoughtful for a moment, before smiling weakly and saying, "I don't know, but I do know that sometimes it must happen, and that we must be strong, or else we will never find out."
Tess couldn't help but grin as she recognized the words she herself had spoken to Mattimeo. "That seems like whole seasons ago." she remarked softly. "And it yet it has only been a few days. So much has happened since then."
Without warning, they embraced.
"I read the message you left me, Matti, when you left to find the treasure." Tess said softly. "It was very beautifully written."
"Yes, and Weylan read half of it when I wasn't looking." Mattimeo said, mocking a scowl.
Tess laughed, then realized how odd it seemed to be laughing. There had been very little reason to lately.
"So you really liked it?" Mattimeo asked. "The message, I mean."
Tess nodded. "I think it was mostly because a great deal of the things you confessed to me through I realized held true for me."
They embraced again, both of them happy for this revelation, but at the same time worried if this would be the last time they would get to enjoy it.
Tess had begun crying. "Please come back safe, Matti." she begged.
Mattimeo was also fighting back tears. "Don't worry." he replied. "I will."