Disclaimer: You know the drill, I don't own Redwall

Claimer: Mostly all the characters I made up. Mine mine mine…er. Yeah.

Author Note: Please please please read and review, I want to know what you think of it and if you believe I can make any changes to enhance my writing. Thanks!

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Two As One: Chapter 11

Day slowly faded into the light of the moon, as darkness took over the land. The sun had set in the horizon, and the moon had risen high into the sky, bringing with it Ebonia who leaned against the abbey in the shadows. Her mind reeled angrily as she stood with her paws folded across her chest and her now black tail flicking back and forth. The time was coming near that she would have to betray the abbey, betray the friends she had made, betray Crim, to the foolish vermin. She had thought about it all day, should she tell the abbey and let the slaves die, plus the attack come, or should she hand over the abbey and let the creatures live? It was a hard decision, her heart not wanting to take either, but in the end she was forced to choose the hardest one, betraying the Abbey.

The midnight light filtered down upon her fur, making it shine dully. The brown dye had leaked out during most of the day because she had been outside so long, sitting in the snow covered trees and avoiding Crim, the abbot and the rest of the abbey. She couldn't believe Crim's words from earlier that morning. He trusted her, he really trusted her.

At the thought of it, tears began to run unchecked down her cheeks. It was the hardest decision she had to make, but she had to chose the one that she felt would save the most lives and that was betraying the abbey.

Stelumos looked up to the darkened sky knowing that it was almost time for the march, the march that would lead him to victory. The mink could just taste it. Soon he would be dining in his own fortress with slaves galore as well as his trophy hunter. He licked his lips in expectation, wanting to just rush in and finish the Redwallers now instead of waiting but he wasn't that foolish. He wasn't going to go through all this and blow it because of one simple and incoherent urge.

His paw tapped 'Doomsfate' continually as the moon rose higher and higher, telling him when it was time to go. As he watched, a cloaked figure moved by his side and whispered to him.

"Are ye ready fer yer victory me lord?" It asked in a smooth and silky voice. Stelumos looked down on the creature and smiled craftily.

"Of course I'm ready Wraith, why wouldn't I be?" Wraith chuckled evilly and drew back the hood to reveal the ferret tracker that had found Kenyo and his group while they were on their mission to save Tellio. The middle aged vermin flicked his nose ring about quietly as he studied the troops that would attack the abbey.

"Do ye think the squirrel will go fer it me lord? Or do ya think she'll back down?" Stelumos snorted as his eyes roved over towards Bemal and watched her kneel on the ground and throw stones and jewels into the golden squirrel tail. Even if the squirrel did pull it off, he was getting tired of the vixen and her confusing predications. Maybe it would be easier to just put her out of her misery, he thought to himself as his paw toyed over the hilt of is sword.

"She'll go with the plan Wraith, I have no doubt o that. She ain't gonna let them slaves nor Bemal die. That dumb squirrel's got too much o a heart now." This seemed to please Wraith and he looked up to the sky and smiled wistfully at his leader.

"Well me lord, the moon is rising high, I believe it be time to start moving towards da abbey." Stelumos looked up to the sky also, his cold maroon eyes gazing at the moon as if it was a beacon leading him to victory.

"Yes Wraith, I think it's time." As he lowered his head, his rotting teeth glimmered with a sickening light. He raised his paw high in the air, the sword flashing in the light of the moon, and bellowed out in a voice full of confidence.

"Alright ya lot! The time has come! Move out now!" The horde let out a hearty cheer then became quiet and followed their leader as Stelumos took the front. As he walked past Bemal, he grabbed the vixen from the ground and forced her to walk with him while the slaves stayed behind with Deathfang and Hensfloral. The vixen growled beneath her breath quietly but Stelumos took no heed as he looked up to the sky.

"Well, me vixen, the time has come for the take over and you are going with me. Let's just see how much ya like yer little squirrel once she allows us to take down a whole abbey! Ha ha ha ha ha!" Bemal trembled slightly in his grasp and looked up to the sky also. Ebonia, be safe, I don't know who will die by his sword but I pray it is not you, she thought to herself and walked beside the mink with her eyes lowered to the ground.

Tellio watched in horror as the troops began to march, he couldn't stand it, knowing that the abbey was going to be taken and he couldn't do anything about it. In a fit of fury, he pulled against his chains and tried to launch at the nearest vermin but was rewarded with a sharp blow from Deathfang as he swung a whip at the young mouse's back. Tellio fell to the ground, groaning quietly and Log a Log pulled him back into the slave line before he could be struck again.

"Tellio, be still, there's nothing we kin do. Better to live today then fight tomorrow alright? Calm down lad." Tellio laid his face in the freezing snow beneath him and allowed the tears of anger and hate to come. The two vermin that were watching them stalked around their pray malevolently, just waiting to send the whip cracking again. Tellio glanced up at them but stayed still. Whatever happened, he swore that one day he would pay these vermin back for even thinking of hurting the abbey. But until then, he would do as Log a Log advised and just calm down.

While the moon continued to rise, Ebonia watched as the guards prepared to leave and go to bed while the others would take their place. The now black squirrel sighed quietly to herself as she made sure her daggers were in easy reach if they were needed. She didn't plan on killing any beast but if they got in her way, she'd have to do the next best thing for them and just knock them out. The squirrel shivered at the idea but she really didn't have much of a choice.

She looked around the front lawn quietly, and watched as one or two beasts walked back into the abbey. This was going to be easy enough, just leap forward, open the doors and that would be that. Her heart lurched at the idea of it, at the reality of it but with a final deep sigh, she ran forward and headed towards the doors.

The night sped by her as her footpaws quietly kicked up the snow. The trees that she had talked with Crim in, the pond that Sprypaw had slipped on, the wall tops where Crim had tried to comfort her, it all came rushing back to her but she had to brush it aside as she moved. She couldn't let sentiments get in the way of her duty, of her mission, of her betrayal.

A lump caught in her throat and as she reached for the bar on the door, something bumped right into her and sent her sprawling into the shadows. She had been so absorbed in trying to keep her feelings at bay that she hadn't even been paying any attention to the movement of the creatures around her. The squirrel cursed herself for her foolishness and as she rolled over to stand up, she almost cried out at who had bumped into her.

"Oh my, Ivy, are you alright?" Crim stood up as he dusted snow away from his legs and tunic. His eyes looked over at the squirrel worriedly then suddenly widened as he saw that she was black. "What the? Ivy, is that you?"

Ebonia gulped quietly, this was not going to be good. The last creature on earth that she wanted to hurt was Crim. Her paws trembled over her daggers as the other squirrel stepped closer, trying to get a better look at her. The black squirrel's heart beat began to speed up as she tried to think of a lie but she couldn't. With a heavy sigh, she stepped out of the shadows and showed her black fur.

"Hello Crim, yes…it…it's me." Crim stopped in his tracks as he saw that she was truly black, his eyes widening even more in surprise.

"But…Ivy, what happened to your fur, you're suppose to be brown and red." Ebonia looked down at her ebony fur and sighed quietly as her paw moved towards the door handle again.

"This is my actual color Crim. I…my fur was just dyed."

"What? Why?" Crim stepped towards her which made the other squirrel step back. She turned her head to the side for she just couldn't look into the eyes of the one she would betray. Crim continued to walk forward and held his paws out pleadingly to her. "Ivy, why was your fur dyed?"

"Crim I…I can't tell you I…just…just…" Ebonia bit her tongue hard then suddenly moved forward and gripped his shoulders with her normal strength, her eyes blazing with worry for him. Her eyes shined with the bright aqua color that she normally possessed, making Crim jump back a little startled. The sun squirrel's brow furrowed and he went to speak but Ebonia put a paw to his lips and shook her head. "Crim listen to me. I want you to take Sprypaw and Malya and get yourselves out of here and quick." Crim pulled away from her paw and stared at her with confusion and a twinge of anger.

"What? Why? Ivy what's going on?" Ebonia cursed to herself quietly and felt a tear drip from her eye as she shoved Crim slightly towards the opposite doors.

"Crim just go, please and take them with you. You said you trusted me so trust me now. Go!"

"Ivy I'm not leaving until you tell me what's going on!" Crim stopped in his tracks and stood defiantly which just made Ebonia even madder. Her eyes blazed angrily not at Crim but at herself for having to do this. When he stopped she turned on her heel and strolled to the doors.

"This is why you have to leave." Without a second thought she put her paw over the latch on the door and flipped it opened. The squirrel cringed and waited for the vermin to rush in but there was only a quiet hiss of air as the doors opened. Ebonia furrowed her brow and looked up above. The moon was not in place. Crim looked at her surprised as she opened the door and he moved to close it but Ebonia stood in front of him.

"Crim, I'm so sorry, I don't want to do this. Please, where are Malya and Sprypaw, go and get them and get out now!" Crim stared at the squirrel and his paws started to shake in confusion. Was she the one that the poem was talking about betraying the abbey?

"The one shrouded in darkness, is the key to Redwall's fall." He whispered to himself then glared over at Ivy and stood his ground.

"Malya and Sprypaw are both checking the perimeter. If any of your vermin friends get in they'll know. I can't believe you're doing this. Kenyo was right all along and I was too blind to see it…no..no I won't waste my breath." The squirrel turned around suddenly and went to yell for help but Ebonia saw what he was doing and she leapt forward and clamped a paw over his mouth. As his cry was silenced, she kicked his footpaws from beneath him so they were both forced to kneel on the ground. Ebonia's other paw flew to her dagger and with a sob she held it near Crim's chest. The red squirrel growled and grabbed onto her arm with the dagger but Ebonia kept it firmly near his body, forcing him to stop moving.

"Crim please, I'm begging you, just get them out of here now, you don't understand what's going on. Please, I'm so sorry." Tears continued to drip down the squirrel's face and she began to move her paw away when suddenly a voice sounded behind her.

"Well ain't this sweet, the little squirrel tryin to get the other to safety. Makes me want to puke." Ebonia turned around with a whirl and saw Stelumos standing right at the door, his army flanking right behind him. The squirrel glanced up at the ramparts and saw that the guards that were taking over were lying limply on the walls, having been knocked out by sling shot stones. Her eyes turned to look at the mink and she watched as his horde members began to slink around and look for other beasts that were acting as guards.

Crim's eyes widened again then quickly turned to anger and before Ebonia could do anything, he grabbed the dagger from her paw and shoved her backwards into the snow. The black squirrel watched him with surprise as he stood up and held the dagger menacingly in front of Stelumos.

"Get out of this abbey mink! You have no right being here!" His voice rose higher and higher to alert any beast to the danger afoot. The squirrel's eyes blazed with a fiery light and for a moment Ebonia thought she was staring at Martin's essence. Stelumos stared down at the dagger pointed towards his chest and snickered at the squirrel. With a flash, 'Doomsfate' was out of it's sheath and swinging at the squirrel's head but surprisingly enough, the dagger went up at the same time and blocked the sword from cleaving his head from his shoulders. The squirrel held the dagger tightly and a strange growl arose in his throat.

"I said leave mink, I don't want to hurt any beast." Stelumos scowled at the squirrel and pulled the sword back as he heard two gasps from behind the trees. He looked over and Wraith signaled that he had caught something. The mink's scowl turned into a delighted sneer as he tapped his sword in his paws and stepped towards the squirrel.

"I'd advise that ya put that weapon down young`n, wouldn't want yer friends to be hurt." As he said this, Wraith dragged out two unmoving forms. One was a tannish hare with shells as metals and the other was an otter maid, her head lowered as her paw bracelet jingled. Crim's paw faltered on the dagger as he immediately recognized the pair as Sprypaw and Malya. His shock turned into rage as Wraith dumped the two on the ground.

"You…you killed them didn't you?" He growled at the mink who was merely shining his sword. Bemal walked up behind the mink and after she spotted Ebonia alive and well though in total fear and anger, she released a quiet sigh and moved behind the vermin. As she moved though, her breath caught in her throat as she saw Crim standing there. It can't be, he's still alive, she thought to herself but quickly got out of Stelumos' field of vision so he wouldn't try to use her to sharpen his sword on.

"Of course I killed them, don't really have any need fer them do I?" Stelumos said with a snarl. Crim's eyes burned brightly as he backed up. Ebonia watched him closely as red squirrel suddenly turned and stared into her tear filled eyes.

"I can't believe I trusted you. I can't believe you did this, now the abbey is going to fall because of you." Ebonia lowered her head and whispered to him, her paws trembling in the snow.

"Crim…I never wanted to hurt any of you, I had to do this if only you-"

"No! You betrayed us, that's enough for me. The poem was right the one shrouded in darkness would be the key to Redwall's fall but your body isn't the only thing shrouded in darkness, your heart is too." Ebonia turned her head away as if she had been slapped. The words struck her heart painfully as if a dagger had been stabbed into it.

"Crim please I…" But Crim wasn't listening. The young squirrel turned and opened his mouth to the sky.

"RREEEDDDWWWAAAA…uhhhnn!!" As he tried to call out a warning, the flat side of Stelumos' sword came crashing down on the side of the his head. Crim stood for a second then collapsed in a heap besides Ebonia, the dagger slipping from his paw and plopping on the ground near the black squirrel. Stelumos raised the sword and went to finish the squirrel with a downward thrust but Ebonia pulled Crim out of the way and shook her head. She stood up over the squirrel and stared at the mink with her normal fiery aqua striped eyes.

"No, let me finish him, he's been nothing but trouble since I got here." She said, her once vermin tone returning again. Stelumos snarled then shoved her aside as he headed for the abbey.

"Fine, I don't have time fer this. Make sure ya finish the hare and the otter while yer at it. Don't need troublesome brats in my slave lines." Ebonia nodded instantly and started to pick Crim up when Stelumos swung his blade and held it beneath Ebonia's chin.

"Bring me back their ears or tails or something when yer done." The squirrel looked into his eyes, horrified at the thought but she nodded her head and began to leave. Stelumos chuckled then signaled his army and they started to surround the abbey itself.

Ebonia sighed quietly and brought Crim outside the gates. Her eyes were downcast as she looked at the unconscious squirrel. A chill ran through her spin as she thought of his words 'you're body isn't the only thing shrouded in darkness, your heart is too.' Ebonia shivered at the words but she couldn't keep standing there, she had to get them out of the abbey.

As she went back within the gates, she knelt down beside Sprypaw and Malya to make sure they were still alive and not dead like the mink had said. She placed her ear over Sprypaw's body and after hearing the grumble of his hungry stomach, she smiled and knew that he was still alive, just knocked out. The squirrel turned her attention to Malya to check her but she could see that the otter maid was breathing fine and wouldn't need any medical attention.

Satisfied, Ebonia took the two in her paws and began to drag them out of the abbey as Stelumos broke inside and began the fight. She could hear the startled cries as she moved but she paid them little heed. She was too busy trying to come up with a way to bring Crim, Mayla's and Sprypaw's tails back without actually having to cut them off.

The snow beneath her footpaws crunched as she walked out of the gate doors and headed towards Mossflower woods. She would have to get rid of the three quickly and safely before Stelumos could get a chance to use the small brain inside of that thick skull of his. As she walked though, a paw suddenly grabbed her shoulder. She whirled around to strike her assailant until she saw Bemal standing there with her paws folded within her clothing.

"Oh Bemal, you scared me." Ebonia muttered quietly and watched as the vixen gently picked up Malya and began to carry her towards the woods. The black squirrel sighed as she walked next to the old vixen, her arms holding the unconscious Crim. Bemal remained silent as they came to a quiet part of Mossflower woods. Ebonia set Crim down on the ground and then ran back and brought Sprypaw over also. The squirrel's eyes dripped with angry and saddened tears as she set the senseless hare beside Crim and Malya. She took the hem of her habit and wiped her eyes as Bemal put a paw around her shoulders and looked down into her eyes.

"Ebonia, it's alright, you did what you had to." The squirrel shook her head and knelt down beside Crim and placed a piece of her habit over the wound on the young squirrel's head.

Bemal, no, I can't believe I did this. Crim's right, I have a black heart, it's shrouded in darkness just like he said." Surprisingly enough Bemal suddenly bent down and pulled the squirrel to her footpaws.

"No! No you listen to me. If you are crying for them then does that mean you have a black heart?"

"Bemal don-"

"Answer me!" Ebonia shoved the vixen's paws away from her and shook her head furiously as she looked over towards where the abbey was.

"Bemal I don't know! Just…just…I didn't want this to happen, I ….oh by the claw. What am I going to do Bemal, I have to bring thei..their tails or ears or something back. I can't mutilate their bodies like that." Bemal watched the squirrel as she looked around frantically, her eyes watering even more with confused tears. The old vixen sighed and took Ebonia's paw in her own silver one. She opened up her long flowing cloak and revealed the tails within her cloak that she used to tell her fortunes with. Ebonia looked in the cloak startled and tried to pull back but Bemal kept a firm grip on her paw.

"Ebonia, wait, take these, alright, that way you won't have to hurt them." The black squirrel looked up at the vixen startled but nodded and plucked the tan tail of a hare, the milky brown color of an otter rudder then went to take the tail of a squirrel to match Crim's strange fur when her paw faltered and her breath caught. Bemal had a tail of a squirrel with the same color fur! The squirrel took the tail and looked up Bemal, afraid to ask the question.

"Crim told me, that Stelumos killed his family. Is…is this tail…I mean does it belong to…" Ebonia didn't even need to finish her question before Bemal nodded her head slowly and looked at Crim's senseless form.

"I had visions that it would be needed to save another with the same fur. Take them Ebonia, take them and convince Stelumos that you killed them. I'll keep them safe until you finish." Ebonia's lip quivered slightly as she held the tails of the fallen creatures. She nodded slowly to Bemal then turned and ran towards the abbey. Bemal sighed quietly and knelt down beside Crim and looked at him before speaking quietly.

"In time young squirrel, you and your sister will be together. She knows it in her heart that you two are similar. She has a good heart CrimsonRay, it's just, as the poem says, shrouded in darkness but only for the moment." Though she knew the squirrel couldn't hear her, she felt comfort in saying the words. The old vixen's eyes lifted as she watched Ebonia race back towards the Abbey at top speed. She stood slowly up and sighed quietly before leaning against a tree near the three Abbey beasts. "In time CrimsonRay, you shall know, and so will Ebonia."

While Stelumos invaded the abbey six creatures moved quietly through the darkened forest towards Redwall. Valena ran as best she could through the trees but soon had to jump down as the pain in her leg grew to be to much. SkyBreeze and PeriNickel dashed ahead of the group, their ears pricked as this listened for any movement in the woods. Both Weave and Fleetfoot leapt through the shadows to stop any vermin that might attack them, leaving Ballard to run beside Valena and make sure she didn't fall while they ran. The sound of running footpaws in the distance caught Fleetfoot's attention and he went running faster than even SkyBreeze could keep up with. His eyes peered through the darkness as he saw a black squirrel running towards the Abbey.

"I wonder who that bally squirrel is, wot."

Valena came up beside him, panting, as she watched the squirrel. When she saw who the squirrel was, she gasped and dropped her mouth open in surprise.

"That would be my niece but what is she doing with…with those tails?" Fleetfoot looked over at the elder squirrel before crouching down and shaking his head.

"I don't jolly well know but I think we're flippen to late. Look, the bloomin doors are open."

"No! This can't bemmpphhh" Fleetfoot clamped a paw over Valena's muzzle to stifle her cry.

"Shhh! Do you want to alert any more flippen vermin?" He asked angrily. The squirrel shoved his paw away and leapt into the trees after the other squirrel.

"I have to stop her." Fleetfoot looked up worriedly after the squirrel and before Valena could get much further, the hare leapt high into the trees and grabbed her! The black hare pulled the squirrel down from the trees and held onto her paws to try and talk some sense into her.

"Valena, there's nothing we can jolly well do about it. It's bally well better to retreat and come up with a plan wot!" Valena glanced over as Ebonia ran inside the Abbey and the elder squirrel practically sank to her knees from anger and frustration. She pulled away from the hare and went into the woods, followed quickly by the rest of the hares. Ballard moved beside her and put a paw on her shoulder.

"Valena, don't be angry wot. Everything will jolly well turn out alright." The squirrel shook her head and kicked a tree with her footpaw as she walked.

"No… no I should have warned the abbey when I had the chance. Oh my, I never thought she would do it." Ballard sighed in frustration.

"Listen, let's do as Fleetfoot said and jolly well fall back and come up with another plan wot. We might just have to wait for the other hares from the mountain to get here. Now come on. SkyBreeze, PeriNickel, why don't you jolly two go and see if there's any more flippen vermin in the woods, wot!" The two hares in question nodded and SkyBreeze took off first.

"Come on CockerPeriNickel, keep jolly well up." The silver male hare growled as he ran after his sister.

"Don't jolly well call me that or I'll bally well pop you one wot!"

"That is if you can catch me wot-ouch!" As SkyBreeze spoke she accidentally bumped into a tree. PeriNickel snickered but soon they both disappeared into the glade to find the other vermin. As they left Ballard steered Valena towards the trees and looked for shelter. Fleetfoot and Weave followed close behind, both rolling their eyes at the younger hares that had ran off.

SkyBreeze and PeriNickel dashed quickly through the woods, each racing to keep in front of the other. SkyBreeze's ears stood high on top of her head as she listened to all the sounds around them. So far she hadn't heard anything out of the ordinary so she dismissed listening closely, thinking that all the vermin had traveled to the Abbey.

PeriNickel sprinted beside her, his footpaws barely making a sound as they struck the freezing snow. His eyes sparkled while he looked around the dark forest, though he couldn't imagine finding anything thing in the darkness. He looked over at sister and went to suggest turning back when suddenly the sound of a whip reverberated through the trees and made both hares stop dead in their tracks. SkyBreeze glanced around Mossflower silently and when the whip was heard again, she took off like a streak towards the sound, PeriNickel hard on her heels.

Tellio backed up as the whip flew again and almost struck him again. He looked up at Deathfang and gulped as the weasel began to stalk around him. The young mouse had just been sitting quietly when the weasel decided to pick on some of the slaves, namely him. Hensfloral stood over by a tree, gulping quietly as he watched Deathfang do his work. The weasel swung the whip again and struck the mouse on the footpaw then saw the rat trembling near the trees. A sly grin spread across Deathfang's face as he stood up and started to walk towards the rat.

"Somethin wrong Hensfloral? Are ye scared?" Hensfloral growled and backed up as the weasel advanced on him, his footpaws tripping and stumbling on the ground.

"Ye..y..yes I…I mean no." The rat fumbled. Deathfang snickered and came closer, the whip swaying in the cold wind.

"Oh I tink ya are matey. Here, let me see if I kin get rid o some o that fear fer ya."

"AHHHHH!!!!" Hensfloral went running before the weasel could so much as raise the whip. Deathfang chuckled and kicked a shrew that was near him mercilessly before leaning on a tree again. Log a Log took Tellio's arm and pulled him back over towards him. The mouse was trembling and he gave a light smile that was contorted in fear. The shrew chieftain sighed and glared over at the vermin.

SkyBreeze stood near the fringe of the trees, watching with fiery eyes at what was happening. The hare growled beneath her breath then whispered to her brother as he came up behind her.

"We have to jolly well do something, wot."

"Are ya flippen mad?! We're supposed to jolly well alert them about the vermin, not attack them." SkyBreeze rolled her eyes in annoyance and pointed at Tellio and Log a Log with a furious paw.

"So what are we bally well suppose to do huh? Leave them as flippen slaves, wot? Nope, won't allow that. Come on, wot" The female hare started to walk towards the clearing but PeriNickel grabbed her arm and dragged her back.

"Now wait a flippen minute. If we're jolly well going to go in there and get some flippen slaves out we might as well do it right wot! There could be more bally vermin out there." SkyBreeze sighed and nodded as they started to go over a plan, both hares snickering to one another the whole time at their idea.

Deathfang stared over at Tellio and Log a Log, a sneer on his face as he flicked his whip back and forth. The mouse cringed as he heard the swish but the shrew continued to glare over at the weasel. Hensfloral was nowhere to be seen, of course he could still be heard yelling through the forest. Deathfang rolled his eyes and moved to have some more fun with the slaves when something tapped his shoulder. He whirled around quickly and swung the whip but it only hit the tree and nothing.

"Ohhh, bad luck chappie, got to jolly well try harder wot!" The weasel looked to the left and saw a silver female standing there, a big grin on her face. At first he just stared dumbfounded but once he regained his senses he gripped his sword and swung it at SkyBreeze. The hare yawned, ducked twice and kicked at his stomach with her footpaw. "Tut tut, bad form ol chap, trying to strike a jolly maiden such as myself wot! Shame on you." She kicked some snow at his face as he doubled over from the kick and started to stalk towards the slaves.

Deathfang snarled and withdrew his bolas and hurled it at the hare's footpaws with deadly accuracy. SkyBreeze saw it coming but allowed it to hit and she toppled to her knees in front of the weasel, horror showing in her eyes. Deathfang snarled and walked over towards the fallen hare maiden, his whip in his paw and a scowl on his face. SkyBreeze put a paw to her brow and sent out a powerful wail.

"Oh dear, oh jolly my is this the bally end of little ol me, wot?!" Deathfang winced at the volume of her voice and stopped in his tracks, looking slightly confused.

PeriNickel stood off to the side, rolling his eyes at how dramatic his sister was acting as he waited for the right moment. Tellio looked over at the hare maiden and raised a questioning eye to Log a Log who merely shrugged and covered his ears from her loud wailing.

Deathfang growled and swung the whip down at her to shut her up but as he did SkyBreeze became quiet again and twisted out of the way. She scraped her claws through the snow and dirt and as she rolled she threw it right at his face, hitting him smack dab in the eyes. The weasel yelped out as the snow and dirt ball hit and he started to flail the whip around mercilessly. Unfortunately he swung the whip right at Hensfloral as the rat came back into the clearing and made the rat yelp in pain. Deathfang wiped away the snow and looked to see SkyBreeze standing there with an innocent smile on her face.

"Oh yer gonna get it now rabbit," Deathfang growled. SkyBreeze's smile immediately grounded to a halt and she glared at him, her ears folded forward.

"Do I look like a flippen rabbit to you sah?! Take that bally comment back this instant before I kicked your bloomin rear wot wot!" Deathfang growled and started to raise the whip again but heard the jingle of chains. He turned his head away from SkyBreeze and saw PeriNickel unhooking the shackles from the slaves paws. With a growl, the slave master took another bolas from his waist and swung it through the air. SkyBreeze saw what was going to happen and landed a double footed blow to the weasel's stomach that sent him reeling back. As he fell, he took a whistle from around his neck and blew out two long bleats.

SkyBreeze stopped in her tracks and looked around as ten more vermin suddenly stepped from the trees. Her eyes widened and she began to back up.

"Uh oh. Um…Peri, ya almost done there, wot?" The male hare looked up and gulped as he grabbed the paws of the slaves he had freed and went dashing from the clearing, leaving SkyBreeze by the vermin. Deathfang stood up and leveled a sword at the hare's throat.

"To bad rabbit, looks as if yer wittle friend don't care bout you. Hmmm, you'd make a mighty nice slave." SkyBreeze glared at the vermin then stood at a slant while looking over her claws as if the vermin's threat was nothing.

"Well, I bally well wouldn't doubt that but there's just one flippen problem wot. I have no intentions of being a bally slave." She winked at the weasel then ducked as a sling stone went flying at Deathfang's face. The weasel grabbed Hensfloral and threw the rat in front of the hurling projectile which hit him square on the chin. After dropping the stunned rat to the ground, he moved to grab the hare but she was already gone.

"Whahaha, you should have flippen seen his face when you hurled that stone haha." SkyBreeze laughed joyfully as she, her brother and four of the slaves trudged back towards their little camp. PeriNickel rolled his eyes and clamped his paw around her mouth to keep her from laughing again.

"Will you shut your bally trap afore you alert some more of those flippen lump heads towards us, wot!" SkyBreeze batted his paw away and walked next to Tellio as the mouse looked at his free paws. The mouse couldn't believe that he was finally free again. He glanced over at Log a Log as the shrew walked with his son Lezlo. Both shrews seemed happy but Lezlo had his head lowered to the ground, they hadn't freed his mother. Instead a dark red squirrel had been freed. The young squirrel walked towards the back of the group, looking around for any more vermin. His eyes shined quietly as he suddenly ran up towards PeriNickel and walked beside the hare while his tattered ears flicked back and forth.

SkyBreeze glanced over at the squirrel for a moment before looking at her brother.

"We better jolly well hurry afore Weave or Fleetfoot come jolly well looking for us wot!"

"Oh, like we're jolly well doing now?" SkyBreeze jumped and looked up as Fleetfoot stepped out of the shadows, his eyes showing that he was not the least bit happy. He looked over the slaves quietly then grabbed PeriNickel by his ear and gave it a sharp tug. "What did Ballard flippen tell ya? He said to find the bally vermin, not attack them wot!"

"Owowowow, it was her idea wot!" PeriNickel groaned as he pointed over at SkyBreeze. The hare maiden put on a face of shock and shook a claw at her brother.

"How dare you jolly well lie about that, I'll kick your flippen behind, I'll-"

"Enough! Come on let's bally well get out of here." Weave yelled as she stepped out of the shadows also. She grabbed onto SkyBreeze's ear and started to pull the young hare maiden along while she spoke to the slaves. "Time to bally go, come follow us wot."

Tellio giggled quietly while his two rescuers pleaded and groaned as they were dragged along. He went over to Log a Log and pulled his paw to get the shrew and his son to start moving. The red squirrel watched them then followed close behind, looking rather scared. The eight beasts walked quietly beside one another, with the exception of the moans coming from the hares, and before long they disappeared into the trees.