Two As One Chapter: 6
The next morning revealed a darkened sky over Redwall, Mossflower and the vermin camp as the burial for Katal took place. Every creature of Redwall, with the exception of the dibbuns walked silently out of the abbey and towards the now open grave that would soon be the last resting place of Katal. The grave had been dug beneath a bare tree in the graveyard near the abbey. So many lives had been lost in past seasons and the graveyard seemed to hold countless tales of Redwall's past history. Now Katal would be added to that history.
Crim walked down the hall of the abbey, preparing to go outside to the funeral that was held. His face was a mask of anger, sadness and a look that clearly said he blamed himself for her death. The young squirrel strolled past the tapestry in the Great Hall when he stopped and looked at the spot where his piece of tapestry should have hung. With a heavy sigh, he walked closer and looked at the pictures in the corner of the tapestry. He saw a fight and different creatures but the pictures meant nothing to him.
He stood for awhile longer, examining the tapestry when a paw tapped him on the shoulder. He turned quickly to see Malya behind him. She drummed her footpaw on the ground and Crim backed up and muttered.
"I know, I know I'm not blaming myself Malya, you can keep your sandals on." The otter didn't even smile as she put a paw around his shoulders.
"I know yer lyin mate but I'll let it pass this time." Crim nodded slowly, looking at the ground with sadness shinning in his eyes.
"Where's Ivy?" Malya shrugged.
"Last time I saw her mate, she was sitting up in the window in the infirmary." Crim nodded and pulled away from the otter maiden then headed for the stairs.
"I'm going to get her ok, I'll meet you outside." Malya gave him a light grin and shook her head slowly as she headed towards the kitchen.
"Can't mate, have to go and get Sprypaw. He says he's so sad he has to eat." Crim snorted and walked up the stairs quietly to get the young squirrel that awaited in the infirmary.
Ebonia sat quietly on the window sill, over looking the small grave that the moles had dug up earlier. Her tail flicked back and forth in thought as she watched many of the abbey beasts walk out and start to file around the grave. Leaning back slightly on the window frame, she began to mutter to herself, a confused look masking her face.
"I don't understand it, why do they care so much about one life being lost?"
"Because one life lost is one to many, especially if it's a life that was taken because of a noble cause." Came an answer at the doorway. Ebonia practically fell out the window with a start as she looked and saw Crim walking into the room. The squirrel quickly regained her balance and jumped down, folding her paws behind her back, angry at herself for being caught off guard. Crim didn't even seem to notice her discomfort as he nodded towards the doorway.
"Come on Ivy, we have to pay our last respects." Ebonia stared at him for a moment, her mind mulling with questions about all this. What did it matter if one beast died? There were millions of creatures in the world so why would one beast make a difference? She wanted to question him, she craved to do so but the other squirrel seemed so lost in sorrow that she didn't think that he would give her a straight answer. So instead of standing there for an hour, listening to how sad he was, Ebonia nodded once and left the room, Crim following close behind.
They walked together down the stairs, past the tapestry and out the doors into the cold, morning air. Ebonia glanced up at the ramparts where the guards still stood watching, though most of them were looking down at the congregation of abbey members that had appeared. The two squirrels moved silently to stand beside Kenyo, SilverStreak, Jenkins and the green Skipper. Ebonia looked at the otter chieftain and had to bite her lip to keep herself from laughing. Skipper had once again been turned green from the tip of his tail, to the top of his fury head. The otter stood in silence though he could feel all the eyes staring curiously at him.
Crim glanced over at the abbey doors as Malya and Sprypaw walked out towards them. Both walked silently on the way to the group of Abbey beasts as Renla followed close behind, carrying Katal's wrapped body. Abbot Welkum exited the abbey soon after. The large badger mother moved slowly through the snow, tears freezing to the fur on her face. As she came to the grave, she knelt down and gently set the squirrel within. Foremole the mole leader, stood beside the grave with his moles, watching as the abbot stood in front of the burial place. Welkum spread his paws to the abbey beasts and began to speak in a clear voice, yet a voice filled with sorrow.
"Dear friends, we are gathered here today, to say good-bye to a young maiden who's life was horribly cut short. Katal Numredge, born at Redwall abbey, and a dear friend was slain in battle while trying to rescue young Tellio whom we all know has been taken by vermin. Today, we are here though, to say a final fare well to her. She was a kind squirrel and befriended many beasts here, though young in her years, she was wise in heart and looked out for the other creatures, even if it meant death."
Crim shuttered at the phrase and Ebonia looked at the squirrel as his paws began to clench and unclench. She shook her head for a moment then continued to listen to the abbot, though not really caring about what he said.
"A life that is taken, is a horrible thing. It may be the life of good beast or vermin but when a life is lost, they are no longer able to grace us with their presence, no longer here to give us their wisdom and no longer here bless us with their kindness. A life is a very important thing and we must all understand this."
Ebonia stared at the abbot for a moment as the words sank into her mind. A life is that important? All these creatures seem to believe it. I never knew, she thought silently and then once again listened as the abbot carried on.
"Though she is gone from us, her spirit will still live on through the hearts of her friends, and through the hearts of others that knew her. Katal, we bid you fare well with a prayer"
"Simple heart that's gone from us
Through the smite of hate
Now you rest within your grave
And meet at Forest's Gate
You shan't be forgotten
You'll always be a part
Of our Redwall's history
And also of our hearts."
With those words, the abbot dropped in a paw full of dirt, followed by the other creatures of the abbey doing the same. Crim picked some dirt from the ground as Malya began to cry next to him, and dropped it in the grave.
"I'm sorry Katal, you're death will be avenged." Malya walked up to Crim and tried to take off her sandal but was to blurry in the eyes to find her footpaw so she just bopped the squirrel with her paw.
"S..stop b..blamin yer…yerself, mate" She whimpered then ran into her father's arms as the otter held them open to her. Ebonia looked over at the otter maid and slowly picked up a clump of dirt. She looked at the grave carefully, then let the dirt slide from her paw into the hole. The squirrel stood for a moment, confusion written on her face, but she finally turned away as the moles began to finish up the job.
Foremole shook his head sadly to the green Skipper.
"Burr hurr, it bein a sad day." He muttered sadly then looked up at the otter and raised and eyebrow. "Moi, wot harpened to you?" Skipper sniffed once and pointed over at Sister Shlamele who was handing out cloths to the crying beasts to wipe their eyes but they all moved away, giving one glance at Skipper and running for their lives.
"Sister Shlamele tried to heal me mate and once again ended up turning me fur green." The otter frowned and sneezed loudly as a snow flake tickled his nose. He looked over at Shlamele, who glanced over at him, grinning from ear to ear, then whispered to Foremole.
"See ya around mate." With that, the otter went dashing from the grave, the sister following as quickly as she could behind. Foremole chuckled quietly then looked to see Crim walk away from the grave and jump into a tree, followed by Ebonia, Malya and Sprypaw.
Crim sat quietly in the tree, his legs dangling off of a branch and his eyes looking at one of the defense walls of Redwall. He sighed heavily as he turned his attention to watching the moles bury Katal. Why did she have to die for me? He thought despairingly. The squirrel leaned back in the tree while looking at the sky when suddenly Ebonia landed right above him.
"Whoa!" Crim cried startled and his paw slipped from the branch. He fall and landed with a thud right on top of Sprypaw. The hare grumbled beneath Crim and as the squirrel sat up, Sprypaw tapped his shoulder.
"Er, ya mind jolly well getting off of me, wot! You're bally well heavier then you look lad, wot!" Crim scrambled off of the hare and stood up, dusting snow off of his tunic.
"Um….so..sorry Sprypaw." He muttered and leapt up into the tree as Malya stood beside the hare. She glanced up at Crim sadly when he sat once again on a branch limb, Ebonia watching him closely from a higher bough.
"Crim, you alright mate?" Malya asked from below, having ceased her crying. The young red squirrel peered down at her and shook his head.
"No…." He merely replied. Ebonia tilted her head to the squirrel, as if trying to figure him out and finally spoke her thoughts.
"Crim.. You have to get over it. Death happens everyday, it's a part of life and sulking about it isn't going to help. Do you think she would want you crying over her and blaming yourself for what happened? No, her life is gone, as is her spirit and there is nothing you can do so don't kill yourself over it." Crim glared at Ebonia for a moment, the fur on the back of his neck rising in anger. He leapt into another tree as the squirrel maiden sat and thought about her words. A light clapping was heard from below and she looked down at Sprypaw who clapped his paws sarcastically.
"Bravo me gel, nice bloomin job at upsettin the lad even more, wot!" Malya whacked the hare in the bottom with her rudder, glaring at him coldly.
"Now come on mate, don't be so rude." Sprypaw rubbed his backside and looked at Malya.
"Yer telling me to not be so flippin rude and you hit me in the tail area, wot! Bally bad form me gel, bally bad form w-" He coughed as a snow ball hit him in the head. Malya picked up another and grinned mischievously at him.
"Yeah keep talkin mate, let's see iffin I kin hit ya in the mouth and shut ya up that way." The hare stared at her and ceased his senseless rambles. Malya grinned slightly then looked up as Ebonia leapt into the tree that Crim had moved to. The black squirrel sighed as she sat down near him and put her paws forth.
"Listen Crim, I'm sorry, I guess I just don't fully understand what's so horrible about this death, creatures die everyday, why should this one matter?" Crim practically knocked Ebonia out of the tree as he whirled on her, anger burning in his eyes.
"Why does this matter? It matters because it is a life Ivy, every life is important, be it vermin or good beast. A life is a life and it effects those around also. Katal saved my life, I mourn because she died for me. Others mourn because she was a good friend to them. Look at this abbey, you saw all those creatures around her grave. Do you think they just stood there because they were forced to? NO! They had respect for her, they weren't even asked to come, but they came to bid a friend farewell Ivy and that goes to show how one life can make a difference!" The squirrel sat fuming, his eyes turning almost as red as his fur as he spoke about his thoughts and feelings. Ebonia was taken aback by the sudden change in the squirrel and she lowered her head as she started to understand his meaning. She had never lost any beast dear to her that she could remember. The only thing that she could remember that caused her pain was the dream with the squirrels being engulfed by flames. It was as if, something long ago was coming to her mind, trying to make her remember but alas she couldn't recall the meaning so she had no recollection of losing some one.
Crim sat watching her for awhile before taking a deep breath and finally calming down a bit to speak to her in a hushed voice.
"I'm sorry Ivy, this is just hard. I….I've never really known or lost a beast before, only my parents but I didn't know them either except in my dreams so I'm not use to death." Ebonia sat in silence for a moment. He has dreams like that too? How odd, she thought to herself and looked over at the abbey. She watched as the green Skipper ducked behind the abbey doors as Shlamele searched for him. Ebonia glanced over as Abbot Welkum and Renla talked quietly beside Katal's grave. She then looked over at Malya and Sprypaw while the otter hurled snow balls at him. For the first time in her life, she started to understand the importance of life. Each creature before her was a living, breathing creation that had feelings and thoughts just like her. All of them, herself included were like threads in the tapestry in the Great Hall. They all connected to make something beautiful and yet when a life was lost, a thread was removed and the beauty of the tapestry seemed to diminish a bit.
Crim looked at Ebonia as she gazed around and he questioned her as he moved to sit beside the squirrel.
"What are you thinking?" Ebonia replied instantly, before she even thought of the words that came out of her mouth.
"I'm thinking about how you are right about this, about life being important. We are all pieces in a tapestry, we all play an important part." The cool wind of the winter air ruffled the squirrel's fur, sending a shiver down her spine as she realized what she had said. She sat down slowly on a branch and thought to herself, careful Ebonia, you are letting yourself go, you can't allow yourself to get in touch with these creatures, it'll make you soft and make it harder to betray them.
Ebonia closed her eyes as she thought and listened to the sounds around her. Something inside her felt as if it had unwoven and the threads of her life were starting to straighten out again but she quickly dismissed the feeling and jumped higher into the tree. Crim glanced up at her and was about to follow when a snow ball struck him on the side of the head. There was a hush as the squirrel slowly turned and looked down at Malya with her paws over her mouth and Sprypaw who was pointing at the otter and holding a snow ball. Crim glared down at them and Ebonia waited for the squirrel to explode but he merely burst out laughing and threw a snow ball down at them from the trees. Ebonia raised an eye and shook her head, a snort emitting from her nostrils. She climbed higher in the trees and was about to leap when something crashed against the side of her head and she looked down at the three creatures, snow falling from her fur, as they laughed at the shocked look on her face.
Crim grabbed another snow ball and smiled innocently up at Ebonia.
"What's wrong Ivy, little cold for you?" Most times, Ebonia would just growl and hurl a dagger down but two things stopped her from it. One, she still had a job to do by playing the innocent squirrel maid, but also, she couldn't help but jump down and want to get the squirrel back with her own snowball.
She leapt down and grabbed some snow from the tree, forming it into a ball, and hurled it at Crim. The sun squirrel laughed and ducked, the snowball flying and hitting Sprypaw right in the chin instead. The hare sputtered out the snow and yelled up at her.
"Hey, that was jolly well rude, wot! Throwin snowballs at a jolly chap!" He cupped his paws and plucked some snow and went to fling it back when another snowball hit him in his stomach. He grunted and glared over at Malya who had fallen in the snow, laughing so hard from the look on the hare's face. Her laughing face was greeted by a snowball as Crim hurled one down and got her in the mouth. The otter maid spat out snow, grumbling indignant remarks.
"Whahahaha, wot ho, jolly good shot, wot wot! Hahah!" Sprypaw laughed so hard that the huge snowball that he was about to throw, slipped from his paws and fell right on his head. Crim giggled quietly as he began to scoop up more snow but was hit in the back of the head by Ebonia's missal. The squirrel looked up at her and flung a snowball right back. Ebonia grinned and slid backwards off the branch, hanging onto it and upside down with her tail. Crim looked at her surprised as she let go and landed firmly on another branch.
"Come on Crim, try to get me." She taunted good naturedly. A mischievous grin spread across Crim's face as he picked up more snow.
"Oh don't worry, I'll get you." He said and charged after her, both of them laughing loudly.
Renla and Abbot Welkum were just entering the Abbey when they heard the laughing resound around the lawn. The badger growled beneath her breath as she muttered to the Abbot irritably.
"Now who in their right mind would be laughing on a day like this?" Abbot Welkum turned his head and glanced over to the orchards where Crim suddenly tackled Ebonia out of a tree and onto the ground while Sprypaw and Malya had to keep ducking from hurling snowballs at one another. The old abbot chuckled to himself as he pointed.
"I think there is your answer my friend." Renla glared over at the four creatures and shook her head, her eyes rolling.
"Now why on earth would they be romping and playing around when an abbey beast has just been slain?" The aged otter shook his head slightly as he patted her large bulk.
"My dear friend, they are young and perhaps this is the way that they relieve themselves of sorrow." Kenyo walked up behind the two as Renla replied with an exhausted voice.
"I suppose you are right father Abbot but I just don't think it is right for them to be acting like this when one of their comrades is in the ground."
"We are the elder ones Renla, let us worry about the problems of life, not them." Kenyo suddenly responded to the badgers comment. Renla looked back at the warrior and sighed deeply.
"I hope you are right Kenyo." Kenyo looked across at the younger beasts and nodded slowly
"Yes, I hope I'm right too." He muttered quietly as he turned to walk into the abbey. The badger mom followed behind and said in a hushed voice.
"Well I can only pray that they'll be alright soo- uk!" Kenyo turned around and looked up at Renla who had a snowball covering her head and was glaring daggers over at Sprypaw as the hare fell backwards laughing on the ground. The badger growled beneath her breath as she spoke to Kenyo. "For their sake Kenyo, I hope they are just doing this to get over the sorrow because if it's any other reason, I'm gonna tan their hides!" Abbot Welkum chuckled while pulling the badger within the abbey.
"Now come on my friend, they are just young`ins." The grumbles from the badger were drowned out as all three walked within the walls.
Ebonia laughed, trying to kick Crim off of her as he dropped snow all over her head.
"Cr…Crim….stop, hahah, t…that's cold!" Crim scooped up even more snow as the maiden protested.
"Oh, and sticking snow in my ears wasn't cold?" He asked teasingly. Ebonia rolled over in the snow, knocking the squirrel away from on top of her. Crim fell on his back, grinning from ear tip to ear tip while Ebonia stood and started to brush her fur down with her paws, using a claw to clean out the snow in her own ears. She had only just started to walk away when Crim whipped out his tail and wrapped it firmly around Ebonia's footpaws, yanking it back hard. The squirrel gave off a startled cry before she fell backwards into the snow with a 'puff'. She lifted herself up slightly and glared at the squirrel, rubbing a paw on the back of her head where she struck the ground.
"Oh now you're gonna get it Crim!" Ebonia launched at the squirrel and they went rolling in the snow, stuffing it in each others faces, ears and any where you could think of. Malya and Sprypaw stood together shaking their heads at the same time.
"They've bally well gone flippen mad, wot wot!" Malya peered over at the hare and nodded in agreement.
"I think yer right mate, they've definitely lost it." Ebonia pinned Crim on his back and smiled sweetly. Crim struggled beneath her, chuckling quietly while his tail came up and grabbed onto the squirrel maidens paw. But Ebonia kept him pinned and nodded up to Malya and Sprypaw. Crim caught on and plucked up some snow while Ebonia did the same. The hare and the otter looked at each other, still laughing and turned to leave just as the two squirrel's stood up and hurled the snowballs at the back of their heads. The snow struck home and they both ended up face forward in a snow bank. Ebonia and Crim fell to the ground laughing hysterically.
"I….hehe…I ne…hehehe…never knew..hehe…y..you could have….eheh…so much fun….haha!" Ebonia managed to rasp out while snorting out the snow that had gotten in her nose. Crim laughed and rolled onto his stomach, only to see Katal's grave before him. His body shivered, not just because of the cold breeze that blew across his back, but because he realized he was having fun on that sad day and it made him feel upset with himself. The squirrel sighed and rose, Ebonia still laughing on the ground. Before any creature could so much as say a word to him, Crim leapt into a tree and onto the ramparts, next to Foremole. The mole looked at him for a moment but remained silent.
Ebonia rolled over to her side and watched him quietly, a frown taking over her face. She sighed quietly at seeing him this way and she followed into the trees and up onto the ramparts. The squirrel landed nimbly and stood next to him, remaining quiet. She could feel the darkness inside her, the darkness that made her one of Stelumos fighters, start to melt in her at seeing how much the death effected the squirrel. She stood in silence beside him and looked out over Mossflower woods, wondering why she was doing this, why she was going to betray these creatures, but the reminder came back to her. Bemal, the vixen. She couldn't let the vixen die, not the creature that had taken care of her, her whole life and been more then a mother then she could ever remember.
Crim looked at Ebonia as she sighed and he smiled weakly to her before looking back out over Mossflower. Anger, grief and sadness filled the young squirrel's heart. He was angry over what happened to Katal, how she died for him and how he could do nothing about it. Grief and sadness made him slowly lean upon the ramparts and close his eyes. He remained silent for awhile until something felt as if it was pricking at his neck. He opened his eyes and folded his paws into his tunic when he felt his paws hit something. Crim slowly pulled it out and looked at the scroll with the poem rewritten on it. With a furrowed brow, he reopened the scroll and began to read over a couple of the phrases.
Follow true, your senses
And follow the one lost
Try hard to befriend her
Try this at any cost
The one shrouded in darkness
Is the key to Redwall's fall
Be watchful of the black one
And protect her from them all
Crim sighed, frustrated as he read over the poem. Who is this black one and who's the lost one? Ivy could be considered the lost one but she is brown, not black. I don't know what to do and what does it mean by Redwall's fall? Crim shook his head as the thoughts ran through his head. Ebonia looked over his shoulder at some of the words and leaned next to him. They both glanced at one another but said nothing, a peaceful silence instead passing between them.
Sprypaw and Malya looked up at the two squirrels, a wide grin spreading across the otter maid's face.
"Aww, don't they look so cute together mate?" Sprypaw rolled his eyes as he stomped through the snow to warm his frozen footpaws at the fire.
"You gel's and yer bloomin cutesy stuff, wot, I swear." Malya laughed quietly as the hare thudded through the orchard. She called out to him as she turned and started to make her way towards the abbey.
"Sprypaw, make sure ya watch out fer the pond mate." Sprypaw looked back at her indignantly.
"Do you really bally think I'm that dumb enough to fall in the flippen po-whoops!" Malya turned and looked over at Sprypaw as the hare went skidding over the frozen top of the pond, landing right in a snow bank, the same one Renla had thrown him into not a couple nights before. The otter maid burst out giggling and walked into the abbey, leaving Sprypaw to yell in the snow.
"Bad form marm, leavin a bally chap in the snow bad form, wot!" The hare quieted for a moment then spoke in a timid voice. "Hello? Hello? Well ain't that jolly dandy, leavin me in the snow, flippin bally water dog." Sprypaw muttered and grumbled but no beast came to his pleas.
Stelumos paced back and forth heatedly, the words the vixen had said to him the day before still rattling his mind. Hensfloral, his hench rat, watched his leader with nervous eyes. He knew how Stelumos could get if the vixen or anything for that matter made him angry enough and he didn't want to be in the way if his leader went into one of his anger fits.
"If she hears another call, then ya shall never own Redwall? Stupid vixen, always has to speak in riddles, can never tell me it straight." Stelumos turned quickly and grabbed the rat by the throat, growling. "Tell me, why does she speak in riddles rat?" Hensfloral gulped visibly as he stared into the mink's cold eyes.
"I don't know me lawd, she is a seer, mayhap that's how seer's speak." Stelumos growled again and threw the rat to the ground viscously.
"When this is through, I'm gonna string her up by her neck fer confusin me like this!"
"But my lord, are you really confused or is it just your imagination." Stelumos whirled around and glared at Bemal as she spoke. The silver vixen folded her paws across her chest and didn't even flinch as Stelumos drew his blade to her throat.
"I could kill ya right now vixen." Bemal chuckled quietly as she shook her head to him.
"Ah, but you cannot, you need me for Ebonia and you will not kill me now." The mink snarled and pressed the blade deeper, a light trickle of blood forming on the vixen's silver fur.
"Oh, and why is that?" The vixen smirked slightly as she tilted her head and simply pushed away the blade.
"Because I have seen my death already, and it won't be this night." Stelumos stood a bit dumbstruck at the answer. He hadn't expected her to say that. After a few minutes the mink sniffed slightly and stared contemptuously at Bemal.
"Do ya die by me paws?" Bemal strangely smiled to the mink and spread her paws in a mysterious fashion that always seemed to make Stelumos even angrier.
"I die the way I die and I cannot tell ye of it. But what I spoke to you in the riddle is the truth and if you thought about it, you would understand, but alas I fear your feeble mind will never know what the riddle means so you should just stop while you are a head." The mink's blood began to boil as Bemal spoke with her calm and smooth voice. His eye twitched, he yelled loudly in anger, and then raised his fist, but instead of striking the vixen, he turned and whacked a stoat right up side the head in his fury. Breathing heavily, the mink pressed the blade to Bemal's throat and snarled.
"You lie vixen, I'll kill you right now!" he began to raise the sword to strike her down, his eyes burning with a red light, but Bemal merely shook her head.
"You cannot for a weasel shall come up to you the minute you start to bring the sword down upon me."
"We shall see!" Stelumos roared and swung the blade.
"Me lawd!" The mink stopped in mid swing as a weasel ran up to him and tapped him on the shoulder. Stelumos stared wide eyed at the weasel then looked at Bemal who just shrugged.
"I tell the truth of this, and I tell the truth that you shall not understand the riddle so stop looking for the answers." She whispered in a hushed voice then turned and walked away. As she moved, she frowned and whispered to herself. "Hopefully that will baffle his mind more so that he will not find out what that riddle could mean." With that, the vixen moved into her tent and left the mink with his minions.
Stelumos glared after the vixen, breathing hard. Why did the foolish vixen have to keep questioning his intelligence, why did she have to keep confusing him when he was getting close to taking the abbey, and why did she have to always speak in that clam voice? The furious mink was about to leave when the weasel tapped him again.
"Me lawd?"
"WHAT?!" Stelumos roared so loudly that the weasel jumped and leapt behind Hensfloral as he spoke.
"Th..the horde wi..wishes to know what they should do." Stelumos growled irritably and turned on his heel.
"Tell them that they stay put, I'm goin to have a little talk with the squirrel. We're gonna attack the abbey soon." The weasel nodded quickly and ran off towards the rest of the horde. Stelumos growled and plopped down upon a log near the a fire, grumbling under his breath. "Stinkin riddle, now I'm more confused then before." Hensfloral still stood at attention, watching his master quietly. Stelumos leaned back and spoke to his rat.
"That squirrel better be getting a lot o information fer me or I'll have her head." Hensfloral nodded to his leader and shifted on his footpaws, growing more nervous every second. The mink glanced at him and scoffed. "Go on, get outta here, I don't need cowards near me, go!" Hensfloral made a hasty bow and ran off, gulping. Stelumos leaned back and poked the fire bad temperedly with a stick, his conniving mind spinning. "Redwall will be mine."
Tellio glanced at the vermin as he sat in front of Log a Log, guarding him, while the shrew chieftain worked on his chains. The shrew continued until he growled under his breath and set the dagger down again.
"Still no use, I keep tryin and tryin and it ain't gonna open." The shrew rubbed his eyes as Tellio turned around and plucked the dagger from the ground.
"We have to get loose and warn the abbey Log a Log, he said he was going to go after the abbey soon and with that treacherous squirrel, who knows what will happen."
Log a Log sighed deeply as he took the dagger from the mouse and began to work at the locks again. There was a deep crease in the shrews forehead as he thought and worked at the same time.
"Yer right, we have to do this, fer Redwall." With Tellio sitting in front of him, the shrew set to work once again.
"Do you think that vixen is trying to help us?" Tellio asked suddenly. Log a Log glanced at him as he worked.
"Why do you say that?"
"Because she confused the mink even more by telling him he won't find answers, maybe he won't think straight now." Log a Log grunted.
"She's a fox and a seer, she's tricky, who knows what she has up her sleeves." Tellio shrugged then watched the shrew work in silence. He glanced around the slave compound and growled quietly, a determination lit in his eyes.
"We're not only doing this for Redwall, we have to do this for the rest of these slaves also. The moment Stelumos' power is plundered, then they can be free." Log a Log looked up at the mouse and stopped working for a moment.
"You sound as if you want Redwall to go to war with these vermin to free the slaves. The Redwaller's aren't fighters, they'd be slaughtered." Tellio sighed and nodded slowly.
"I know, I know, I just wish there was something we could do for the rest of the slaves." The elder shrew chuckled as he dug in the lock again. He looked over at his son and ruffled the little shrew's fur before answering.
"We'll find a way Tellio, I promise."
The day wore on towards night, Ebonia and Crim on the ramparts, Stelumos plotting his plan in the woodlands, Tellio and Log a Log working on the chains on the slave line, and the eyes that had watched them, running tirelessly across the land.