Disclaimer: The usual, I don't own Redwall
Author's note: Thanks for all the reviews. It really helps to know that people are actually reading the story. Chapter 18 is in the making and may expand to a chapter 19 if it works correctly. Anyway, enjoy.
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Two As One: Chapter 13
The sun that was suppose to shine brightly over Redwall was instead hidden behind the mass of banners that Stelumos had tied to the bell tower and top of the Abbey to commemorate his triumph. The dark ebony strips of cloth glided through the air, revealing the blood soaked sword emblem that rested within the stitching of the cloth. Never had such a banner been seen against the great walls of the Abbey but thanks to one squirrel, the symbols of evil and death flew freely.
A stream of light managed to weave it's way through the billowing banners and descend upon Ebonia as she sat near one of the great stained glass windows. The colorful light played against her black fur and almost managed to make her disappear within the beam. Unfortunately her aqua striped eyes stood out and betrayed her position. The squirrel had been sitting there half the day and she could feel the Abbey beasts' eyes upon her.
The creatures that she had betrayed sat quietly within The Great Hall. All were conscious and aware of their horrible predicament. Some of the beasts would move around, the sound of rattling chains making the squirrel cringe with guilt. Several times she would glance over at the creatures but only be met but the hated glare that she so rightfully deserved. She had tricked them, betrayed them, swindled them from keeping their home safe and free from danger. How could she have done such a thing? Even if it was for Bemal and the other slavers.
A sigh of anger and frustration emitted from the black squirrel as she looked upon Bemal who strolled slowly over towards the window. The vixen too seemed to be effected by the many eyes that stared at her with anger. But, unlike Ebonia, she was able to drown the feeling out. She walked over to the squirrel and frowned sadly at seeing her young charge so down trodden. The vixen wanted to reach out and comfort the squirrel, but that could just cause more problems for both her and Ebonia.
The sound of a loud bang made every creature jump and stare toward the doors that lead to Cavern Hole. Stelumos strolled out sagely, his face drawn up into a wicked smile. The mink sauntered toward the vixen and squirrel, a sneer across his heavily tattooed face showing that he was in a strangely good mood for once. Had Ebonia dwelt in her fury, she probably would have plucked her dagger and hurled it at the sadistic beast but she was wallowing to much in sadness instead of anger.
Stelumos came upon her and unsheathed the great sword of Martin right in front of her eyes. The squirrel took little heed of it until the mink tapped the blade roughly beneath her chin and cooed.
"Wot's the matter wit ya eh? Why ain't ya celebrating like the rest o yer fellow vermin." His voice came loud and clear making every abbey member growl with a quiet fury at the squirrel. Ebonia stared into Stelumos' eyes, her own heavily laden from lack of sleep. She raised her paw in the air and shoved the blade away from her chin with a growl.
"Maybe I don't want to join in, maybe I just want to be left alone and on duty to watch the Abbey beasts like you told me, chief." The squirrel practically spit out the last word but managed to hold her temper just a bit. Stelumos smiled craftily knowing that he was truly getting on the squirrel's nerves. Just to spice it up a bit, he sheathed the blade and turned to the Abbey members with a twisted smile.
"Well, well, well. Ain't ya all a sorry lot o creatures. Ya look like some vermin invaded yer home and took ya all as slaves. Oh wait a minute, we did do that didn't we me cullies?" The vermin beside him snickered with enjoyment while Ebonia merely shook her head and stared outside. Stelumos watched the squirrel for but a moment then continued his little speech. "Well I'm sure ya all want to know what's gonna happen to the lot o ya eh? Well, how does reinforcing me new castle and working as slaves fer the rest o yer miserable lives sound to ya? Hmm? Don't like that, well ya kin all thank one creature fer all yer troubles."
Ebonia swiveled her head to glare at the mink as he stared pointedly at her. Clearly the mink was trying to turn every beast against her which just made the squirrel snort. They're all already against me, save your breath you two faced liar, she thought to herself with a growl. The mink could see the angered look in her eyes and that just made him smile even more. With a wink of his eye Stelumos turned to the abbey beasts again and sneered.
"Get some rest slaves, yer gonna be working tomorrow, rain or shine. I'll give ya the rest o the day to thank yer little friend over there for all of this." The mink looked at the black squirrel once more then turned on his heel. With a haughty gait, he strolled back towards Cavern Hole, his vermin following close behind. Once they were gone, Jenkins slammed a paw in the ground with fury.
"Traitor! How could ya do this to these abbey beasts?! What reason did you have to betray us huh? Was it fer personal wealth or maybe for some kind o power?! Or maybe is it because you wanted to harm innocent beasts like Crim, Malya or Sprypaw?! I swear squirrel if you hurt my daughter you won't see another day!"
"Jenkins! Calm yourself!" SilverStreak grabbed onto her brother's arm and pulled him to a sitting position so she could try to calm him down a bit. The otter maiden though was just as angry as he. She couldn't bear it if her young niece had been slaughtered by a savage squirrel. Her eyes flickered with anger and tears while her rudder thumped the ground in aggravation. Jenkins did sit down and silenced a bit for he didn't want to waste is breath on the likes of the squirrel. Sister Shlamele was the next one to speak. The vole maiden lifted up a chained paw and wiggled it rather comically at the squirrel.
"Shame on you. We helped you. We healed you, we clothed you, we gave you a place to stay, why would you do such a thing?" Skipper who sat behind her almost chuckled quietly as she talked about 'healing' the young squirrel. If the sister had gotten any where near the black one, she probably would have had fur like his own.
Ebonia stared at the sister and lowered her eyes to the ground. This is just like him, make them turn against me, and make what I did feel even worse, she thought agitatedly to herself. This wasn't going to be easy to endure. Everyday the abbey beasts would scorn her for this even if she tried to help them. She would be an outcast to both vermin and good beasts and seen as nothing but…but a figure of entertainment.
The squirrel's fury lit up again but she refused to direct it at the abbey beasts. That was until Kenyo spoke out.
"I don't understand, we gave you help and we trusted you, why did you do thi-"
"Trust?" The squirrel snorted, her eyes picking the warrior out particularly. "Don't you talk about trust, I know you never trusted me to begin with."
Kenyo stood up from the ground slowly, his paws weighted down by the manacles that threatened to cut off the blood to his body. He stared with calm eyes at the squirrel and replied in a steady voice that made the squirrel look away from him.
"Well it looks like I had good reason not to trust you squirrel." The warrior replied. Ebonia peered over at him from the window, her fur rising in an unnerved way. Before the squirrel could respond to his words, Kenyo took a small step forward and spoke again. "Ebonia, if that is your real name now, just for once be honest with me, with us. Did you kill Crim and the others?"
The squirrel stared right at the warrior with heavily laden eyes. She wanted to leap down from the window and scream to him no, that she didn't kill them, that she didn't want to have done this. Unfortunately, other vermin were in the room with her as well and changing her story or acting peculiarly would have only made matters worse, so the squirrel was forced to lie again.
"Yes, I killed them. You saw the tails and there's only one squirrel with that color fur, you know that." The moment the words left her mouth, the squirrel wanted to throw up. A painful ping struck her heart, making her eyes water in fury for having to lie. Every single abbey beast was quiet. No one made a move and no beast said a word.
The vermin looked over at Ebonia curiously as the squirrel lowered her head onto her knees with sadness. The light from the stained glass windows covered her face so they couldn't see the tears threatening to fall from her eyes.
Without warning, Renla stood up and struggled against the massive chains that had been bound around the great badger as a restraint. Nothing, though, could hold back the badger's anger as she strained against the metal to get to the squirrel.
"You vermin! They were innocent! How could you have done something like that?! How could you have done all of this?! You're no better than any vermin here. No, you're worse!" That had done it, Ebonia couldn't hold back the emotion any more and before any creature knew what was happening the squirrel drew her dagger and hurled it. The weapon didn't go anywhere near the Abbey beasts. It whirled through the air and instead embedded in the corner of the wall where the tapestry was missing its piece. The dagger struck the wall with such a blow that it stayed within the stone. Ebonia leapt down from the window and roared out to them.
"You want to know why I did it?! Why I betrayed you all?! Why do you think that mouse Tellio was still alive when you found me, Kenyo?! Why do you think Stelumos brought live slaves here?! I did it because he was going to murder helpless slaves including the GUOSIM and your Abbey friend! He was going to attack anyway and kill any beast here if I didn't do his bidding! He was going to kill the vixen there, the only one that isn't like a vermin! You want to know why I betrayed you?! It was to save your lives! You're not warriors! You wouldn't have been able to beat him anyway!" As her words echoed through the hall, there was dead silence. Even Renla stopped struggling with her chains and sat down on the ground once more.
The squirrel breathed heavily as every single creature stared right at her heaving figure. Bemal stared quietly at her young charge and shook her head. I should have told you Ebonia, I have to tell you, you need to know, the vixen thought to herself. While Ebonia tried to regain her composure, the vixen glided slowly over towards her and threw a paw around the young squirrel's shoulders. The Abbey beasts watched the fox for a moment as she steered Ebonia away and towards the outdoors. She had to tell the young squirrel her past or it was going to destroy her. Ebonia allowed herself to be led, her eyes brimming with angry tears as she walked out of the door with the vixen.
Kenyo sat dumbstruck when the squirrel went through her rants and raves. He had expected her to say something about money being given to her for her services considering the mink obviously wasn't treating her like a higher command. But when she said that she had done it to keep the slaves alive, well that just shocked him completely. He hadn't even expected her answer to be anything like that.
When the vixen led the squirrel out of the Abbey, he just sat and watched dumbly. If what she said was true, then she was as much a victim as the rest of the abbey members. The beasts looked at him with confused expressions on their faces but no creature made any more conversation about the squirrel. In fact, they didn't speak at all.
The moment Ebonia was led outside, the squirrel took out her other dagger and hurled it into the snow. Why did the mink have to do that? Why did he throw all the blame at her when he was the cause of it all? The squirrel's fury enhanced the more she thought about and it took quite awhile for the vixen to calm her young charge down.
"Ebonia, Ebonia calm down please. Just sit and let me talk to -"
"Why did I do it? I can't believe this, I…I didn't know all of this was going to happen I mean…."
"Ebonia, please just relax and let me talk to you." The vixen grabbed onto the squirrel's shoulders with a rather surprising amount of strength. Ebonia struggled in the grasp but Bemal didn't release her. She held on tighter instead and stared right at the squirrel. "Ebonia listen to me. I want you to calm down so I can tell you something. I know why you're so baffled, so confused by all of this. It's because you're not evil, or not suppose to be with us." Ebonia's struggling stopped immediately from the words. What does she mean? The squirrel thought to herself and made no more moves to fight against the seer.
"What do you mean I'm not suppose to be with you all?" She asked in a hesitant voice, not sure if she wanted to learn the truth. Bemal stared at her silently then began to lead her around the orchards with a paw about her shoulders. They passed under the heavily snow laden trees threatening to unleash their load as the two creatures walked beneath them. Ebonia stared at the vixen and blinked twice as a couple of snow flakes began to fall from the sky, the first signs of a storm approaching.
The old silver vixen remained silent while she walked across the snow encrusted grounds. She could feel the young squirrel's eyes watching her closely and Bemal knew that it was time that she came out with the truth. After watching some vermin move among the ramparts, she lead Ebonia towards the graveyard where Katal was buried. None of the vermin seemed to want to trespass on that land since it was the resting place of many creatures that had fought bravely in battle, and, superstitious as they were, the vermin didn't want anything to do with the buried creatures.
Once on the ground and away from the horde, Bemal forced Ebonia to sit down upon a tree limb that had broken off beside its birth place. The squirrel stood indecisively for a moment but sat down quietly and listened as the vixen spoke.
"Ebonia, there is something that I wish to talk to you about." Bemal began, her voice trembling a bit, whether from emotion or fear, Ebonia couldn't tell. The squirrel watched the vixen closely and noticed that Bemal's eyes were already beginning to water, as if something was mentally tearing the poor seer apart. With a concerned frown, Ebonia began to stand to see if Bemal was ok. She ignored the anger and fury that was still brewing within her, but the fox pushed her back down gently and shook her regal head.
"No…no, Ebonia, just sit and listen to me. You know how you've always questioned what you do, for you seem to believe and understand right and wrong? You knew that betraying the abbey was wrong but you also knew letting the slaves die was wrong. Time and again, I can sense from you a struggle within your own heart, as if something is well….keeping you from understanding yourself, making you feel like this life isn't the right one for you."
Ebonia's eyes rose a bit in surprise. She knew the vixen was a seer but it was still surprising that the old vixen before her was able to pinpoint the exact problems that plagued her heart.
"Th..that's right, but Bemal what is this all about, what does this have to do-"
"Ebonia, just hush and let me speak alright my dear…there's a reason why you feel this way. The fact is…you're not one of us."
"What do you mean?" Ebonia was thoroughly confused by now and she didn't even attempt to hide the fact. Bemal sighed as she sat down beside the squirrel. For a moment she remained silent, trying to find a way to conjure up the words she wanted to speak for so long.
"What Stelumos has told you about your past, and what I have told you about your past….it's all lies Ebonia. Your parents didn't abandon you, they died trying to save you."
"What?!" The squirrel practically tumbled off of the tree limb as she leapt to her footpaws, her eyes widened with anger and confusion. Bemal watched the squirrel who slowly backed up to a tree with her paws held loosely at her side, appearing as if they had lost feeling. The vixen sighed, having expected the squirrel's reaction. With much regret, the elder fox continued her tale.
"Thirteen seasons ago, Stelumos, I and his horde wandered through Mossflower to conquer villages and their inhabitants, and turn them into slaves. One cold winter night we came across a village not too far away from here, where the shrews had set up camp, to be exact. We were able to drive out the inhabitants and chain them so that we could use them as slaves There was a black male squirrel and a red female squirrel with fur like the sun who basically were both defiant. Stelumos saw them and advanced on the female who was holding a bundle in her arms. Stelumos probably thought it was riches of some sort so he took the bundle from her, both the squirrels fighting madly to stop him. Inside were two squirrels, a black one with white paws and aqua striped eyes, as well as a bright sun squirrel that looked like the mother."
Bemal stopped speaking for a moment as she watched Ebonia take off the gloves over her paws and stare at the white fur. Tears sprang to the squirrel's eyes but she said nothing and bade Bemal to continue with a nod of her head.
"When Stelumos saw the two squirrel babes, he took the female, who I'm sure you have guessed is you, and left the sun squirrel on the ground to die. Right before we were about to leave, a female squirrel came and swept the red babe up and headed off towards Redwall I believe, or at least that's what the vermin that attacked her said. As we left, Stelumos ordered the death of the two adult squirrels. I wanted to speak against it but…they were killed before I had a chance. Ebonia, those squirrels were your parents. They tried to save you and the other red squirrel…who's your brother."
"Crim! Crim's my brother isn't he?! An..and that tail you had…it was…it was our mothers!" The squirrel's voice came out like a shriek as she put two and two together. Her eyes brimmed with angry tears as she realized that she had just betrayed her own brother, her own family, all because of some stupid lie that the mink and vixen had made up to fool her. Had they never told her all those lies, had they never taken her, had they never deceived her, she wouldn't have had to betray the Abbey. The realization that Bemal had helped to continue this lie made her heart shatter with emotion. Her eyes narrowed and her footpaws stumbled as she began to back up. From the look on her face, the squirrel seemed to be trying to get away from some kind of demon.
Bemal sighed with regret for having kept the secret from her young charge for so long. Although she knew she could never redeem herself for telling the lie, she had to at least try.
"Ebonia, I wanted to tell you all this, I yearned to tell you but every time I tried Stelumos would interfere or something else would happen. I'm so sorry Ebonia…I never wanted th-"
"Stop! Just stop! You lied to me! You made me betray the abbey, my brother, my own kin! No wonder all these years I've never wanted to really hurt anybody, I thought there was something wrong with me and now I know why I felt that way! You lied! You lied!"
The squirrel threw her paws to her ears in distress and turned to run off but Bemal, old as she was, side stepped the squirrel and grabbed her arms with her paws.
"Ebonia please! I didn't want to hurt you, I wanted to help you"
"Help?!" She screeched. "You call lying to me help?! I'm such a fool, how could I have believed you, how could I have believed that…that putrid mink?! I…can't stay here, I'm not like all of you, I'm not a vermin!"
Ebonia pulled against the vixen but Bemal held fast, her grip tightening around the squirrel's arm. She moved forward so that she was in front of Ebonia and reached out to comfort her but the squirrel pulled against her paw.
"Ju..just get away from me. I don't know who you are, I don't know who I am, just stay away."
"Ebonia, your name is Ebonia, don't deny yourself, and don't you dare renounce me. All these years I've tried to get you to open up to your feelings. I knew you wouldn't be evil, why do you think I always stayed by you? To encourage you to do evil? No! Ebonia, I wanted you to become like these abbey beasts, peaceful and understanding but with all these years being with the mink, and being his tracker, you lost your feelings."
"How could you expect me not to lose them Bemal?! I was a pawn to a tyrant, a pawn! He used me…he used my so called past to get to me…and so did you."
"Ebonia-"
"No! I've had it with all of you…I…it's time I set things right again."
With a furious yank of her arm, the squirrel turned and walked toward the Abbey but once again, Bemal ran forward and stopped her.
"Ebonia you go charging in there and he will kill you! He made me keep the past from you so you would do his bidding and if I ever told you he was going to kill you because you wouldn't be of any use."
"What does it matter now?! I'm not any use as it is, I'm just his…his entertainment. He loves to blame all of this on me and he's right…I did do all this but…he makes it a sport and…no! I won't explain myself to you Bemal you lied! You're probably lying now!"
"If I was lying, would I be trying to save you?! Dang it squirrel, you've always been so stubborn!"
Ebonia stopped in her tracks and turned to face the vixen. Her eyes flashed with a mask of anger as she pointed up to Bemal's face and growled.
"That's the first time you ever called me squirrel…you don't care, you're just doing all of this to save your hide…I should never have agreed to what he said, I should have just told the abbey what was going to happen but no…I wanted you and the slaves to live. I was a fool to believe you even cared…that you even wanted to help. Just stay away from me vermin."
Bemal's ears shot back with sudden anger. Vermin? How dare she call me a vermin, after all I've done for her. I saved her life, I was there for her, how can she call me that, I am no vermin! The vixen thought furiously and turned her head away. The squirrel glared right at her and spoke in a voice dripping with hurt.
"Seek the answers in the lies, this is what Martin meant. You're the lie and I sought answers from you. Looks like I found them too." The squirrel lowered her eyes with fury, her voice coming out tight and angry. "I'm going to set things right for once Bemal…I won't let those abbey beasts whither away because of my foolishness. Do what you want, I don't care anymore. You're nothing more than one of them. You don't care about me, so I don't care about you."
With that, the squirrel turned on her heel and headed off toward the doors. Bemal looked up at Ebonia's back as she folded her paws into her long flowing cloak. The snow began to fall even harder, draping the silvery vixen in a blanket of white. As the squirrel entered the Abbey, the vixen lowered her head and whispered softly.
"You're wrong Ebonia, I do care about you, that's why I didn't tell you, I wanted to give you a chance at life."
Bemal folded the cloak around her body even more as a cool breeze swarmed over her frail figure. She stared around the Abbey grounds and sighed quietly with sadness before taking a step forward and heading towards the great building.
While the squirrel and vixen quarreled with one another, another creature watched what took place. Wraith crouched within the snow of a nearby tree and listened to the words that they spoke. When Bemal told the squirrel her past, the ferret clenched his paw over his dagger and almost hurled it at the fox. Traitor He thought furiously to himself. He waited for awhile, until he heard Bemal whisper into the breeze. Like a shadow, he stood up and headed towards the Abbey by sneaking through trees. Stelumos had to know what he had heard, he had to know that the vixen was involved in treason and that their whole plan could fall because the squirrel maiden knew the truth.
The ferret crept behind trees and snow banks, barely making a noise as he treaded in the snow. The old vixen would take a longer time to get there so with a burst of speed, the ferret leapt towards the open doors, and disappeared down the hall without a trace.
Ebonia walked silently through the hall, her ears flat against her skull and a fiery look in her eyes. The vixen had lied , all these years she had lied about her past. How could she do such a thing? Her mind and her heart felt as if they would explode with anger. She had betrayed so many creatures and for what? True she had saved the slaves but she wasn't part of the vermin horde, she wasn't like them. If I had known, if I had only known all this, maybe…maybe things would have been different. She thought despairingly to herself.
A cackle from a vermin to her left made the squirrel jump with a start but she was on a mission. She had to set things right and nothing would get in her way. She had to free some of the creatures, the Abbot and Kenyo, highest on her list. If the abbey knew the abbot was free, they would have hope. And if Kenyo fought back, then maybe, just maybe she could convince the warrior to help her find a way to defeat Stelumos.
The squirrel almost scoffed at the idea. I am no warrior, and I don't plan things very well, how can I possibly hope to save all of them…no…that's the old me talking, I have to do what's right…I…I just have to As she neared where the abbey beasts were bound, she pulled out one of her two daggers and looked at the blade. Neither had caused death to another creature because for some reason, she just felt taking lives was wrong. Most of her life she felt that way, though sometimes her 'vermin' side told her otherwise. She stared long and hard at the keen blade and muttered quietly to herself.
"You've caused damage before, now you're going to do some good." Eyes of aqua stripes glimmered in the torch lights that had been set up along the walls. As she looked around, she noticed the slaves had been moved further back then before, why she just didn't know. She looked over the pitiful creatures as they curled up in balls or just sat dejectedly next to one another. Time and again one of the younger creatures would whimper and it would be like a stab to her because she knew she was the cause of their pain.
After what seemed like ages, her eyes finally sought out the warrior mouse sitting next to the great badger. He stared at the wall and spoke quietly to Renal, his eyes heavily laden as if he had weighed the whole burden of the Abbey upon his shoulders. Ebonia frowned slightly at the sight of him but her frown quickly turned into a snarl as she watched the vermin pass up and down the hall. They were no longer her companions, they were her enemies, and they would pay.
The squirrel's maddened eyes glimmered slightly and the warrior blood of her father flowed through her. She crouched to the ground beside the shadows of the wall, watching the vermin talk with one another and go about their business. The squirrel glanced at two rats and a ferret as they walked into Cavern Hole, leaving the slaves unguarded. Something surprised her about it but she ignored her nervousness and headed towards the slaves, her dagger held firmly in her paw.
Renla glanced up first as she heard the soft steps of the squirrel. The moment her eyes connected with Ebonia's she knew something was wrong. The squirrel's eyes were alight with battle, hate and vengeance. Of course to the badger that was a warning the squirrel might do something to the other abbey members. Renla growled deeply and moved the best she could to get in front of the younger Abbey beasts. Each creature seemed nervous as the squirrel came closer and closer to Kenyo. They recoiled back in fear, their eyes never leaving the black one. The warrior mouse slowly maneuvered his body so that he was kneeling on the ground before young Ebonia. Every nerve was poised, expecting the worse from the squirrel.
Ebonia stopped right in front of him, the dagger glinting in her paw. She looked over the slaves that were watching her quietly, praying that she wasn't going to harm the mouse. After a moment, the squirrel dropped down to one knee and grasped Kenyo's right paw with her own as she raised the dagger in the air. Fearing that the squirrel was up to no good, Renla shifted in her chains and swung out a massive paw at Ebonia's head. The squirrel ducked down low and stabbed the dagger down at the lock. It took but to a moment before the chain was freed from the warrior's wrist. As she moved to the other lock, Renla, who had not noticed that the squirrel was freeing the shackles, swung her own chain at the squirrel's neck and managed to wrap it around. Ebonia latched her paws onto the chains as she was pulled off balance by the great beast. The dagger that was in her paw dropped to the ground with a quiet clang but she didn't cry out for mercy. Instead, she merely relaxed in the badger's pull.
"Renla stop." Kenyo whispered quietly and grabbed onto the badger's paw to keep her from strangling the squirrelmaiden. Renla looked up with a growl then saw one of the chains dangling loosely upon the mouse's paw. Confusion came over her white striped face as she glanced down at the captive squirrel.
"What are you doing here squirrel?"
"Trying to set you free." Ebonia muttered back, her voice a bit strained from the force of the chain around her neck. Kenyo went to speak but Renla was one step ahead of him.
"Why should we believe you squirrel? Why should we believe the one that slew our young`ns?"
Ebonia sighed deeply and tried to get traction on the ground from the pull but her footpaws slid and she was forced to kneel against the badger painfully.
"Listen, I didn't kill them, they're out in the forest alive. When Stelumos came he just knocked them out, I told him I'd kill them but I only brought them out to the forest to be safe. I couldn't tell you before because there were vermin in the room alright."
"What about the tails?"
"The vixen uses tails to tell her fortunes, she let me borrow three to make it look like I did kill them. Now will you please release me so I can get you all out of here."
The badger looked down at her completely dumbstruck but with a nod from Kenyo she let the chains slacken. Ebonia rubbed her neck slowly and began to work on the second lock.
"Why are you helping us, I thought you were on their side?" Kenyo asked in a quizzical voice. The squirrel furrowed her brow and soon got the second chain loose.
"Sometimes you just have to do what's right." Was all she muttered. Once the warrior mouse was free, she handed him her other dagger so he could free the other slaves. Kenyo looked at it uncertainly but Ebonia stared into his eyes and spoke in an earnest voice. "I know what I did can never be forgiven but please, just trust me this time."
The warrior mouse nodded slowly and set to work as the squirrel looked over towards the Abbot. With a quiet sigh, she stepped over so that she could free him from his bondage. Welkum looked up at her closely. After hearing what she had said, he didn't really seem quite so nervous as she made her way over. He was chained by the path leading to Cavern Hole so Ebonia knew she had to be silent so the vermin wouldn't hear her.
The other beasts remained quiet as the squirrel bent down and began to work on the chains. The right wrist was pretty easy to get free, but as she turned to work on the left, her eye caught a glimmer of light. She looked up just in time to feel the hard flat of a blade crash across her head and send her tumbling to the ground. The squirrel hit the stone floor on her right side but reflexes made her roll over as the blade missed her by an inch. The squirrel was on her footpaws in but a moment, her dagger held tightly in one paw. Stelumos stepped out of the shadows and snarled at the squirrel. 'Doomsfate' was raised in his paws while Wraith sauntered at his side. His eyes burned with anger and as he moved towards the squirrel, other vermin poured out of the Cavern Hole to guard the slaves. They also were curious to watch the mink tear the squirrel apart. Among the vermin was Bemal, the vixen's brow creased in worry. She kept herself hidden from the others and just prayed that her young charge would be alright.
"I knew it, traitor! Ya wench! Ya ain't nothing but a double crossin traitor." Ebonia snarled right back though she was trembling with both anger and fear within. Here stood the creature that had ordered the execution of her parents and had made her life a living hell from day one. She backed up slowly as Stelumos came forward and snapped at him.
"Then I guess I'm no worse then you, you murderer." Stelumos sneered angrily and swung the blade again, Ebonia quickly swinging up the dagger to counter the blow. The mink pushed forward and drove the squirrel backwards toward the wall near several of the stained glass windows.
"Ahh, Wraith told me what that pathetic excuse fer a seer said to ya. Well now ya know and I'll tell ya something, yer gonna die just as easily as yer parents did."
Ebonia's eyes widened with hate and she launched forward, her dagger slamming against his sword. The mink smiled craftily and kicked his footpaw at the squirrel's gut, using her rage against her. Ebonia pushed with the dagger but her attention was so drawn to torso attacks, that she didn't even see his footpaw coming. When the mink lashed out, she released a grunt as paw met stomach, and was forced back another foot. Before she could even regain her balance he advanced on her again, 'Doomsfate' singing through the air.
Kenyo watched in surprise as the squirrel battled the mink with only one dagger. Surely she couldn't win against such odds with the measly small weapon. The mouse stared worriedly at her then looked at the dagger she had given him. He knew that she was going to need it if she hoped to survive. His decision was completely made up and as she stumbled back from a slash to the shoulder, he whipped the dagger at her.
"Ebonia catch!" The squirrel looked over and swung her paw out, grasping the dagger tightly in mid air. The moment the two daggers were in her paws, she became the aggressor and lashed out at the mink. Stelumos parried the blows with his sword but he couldn't keep track of where the two daggers were moving. He'd block one, but the other would knick his stomach. He'd block the right but the left would slash his arm. With a growl, he dived to the right and swung his paw to the hilt of a second sword, Martin's sword. As Ebonia came in for another attack on his turned back, the mink unsheathed the blade and swung both at the squirrel.
Seeing the two swords soaring towards her made the squirrel falter dangerously in her attacks. Where she had expected the one sword to end up she was able to block but then 'Doomsfate' came down again and she felt red hot pain rip across her stomach. The squirrel stared at the mink then slowly looked down to where the sword had slashed right across her gut. It was deep. Ebonia gasped out and fell to one knee, her daggers clattering to the ground beside her and her eyes watering with pain. The squirrel's white paws went to her stomach to stop the trickling of blood which only resulted in turning the fur a light crimson. The abbey beasts all looked at each worriedly but said nothing for fear of calling attention to themselves.
Stelumos stood over the injured squirrel chuckling evilly as he saw her kneeling in pain. He had wanted to finish off the maiden anyway for she was nothing to him now that the abbey was his. Though the mink was bleeding in several places, he ignored any pain and raised the blade slowly in the air.
"Any last words squirrel?" He snarled. Kenyo growled and moved to run forward but the vermin that had come in to watch the fight created a barrier so the warrior couldn't get any where near the wounded maid. Ebonia breathed in shallowly and glanced up to the mink chieftain, her eyes locking with his and burrowing into his black heart.
"I will be your downfall…I will make sure you never harm another creature…again." The mink roared out in laughter at her words and leaned so close that his mouth was just an inch from her ear.
"Not if yer dead ya won't be." He hissed and brought down the sword upon her.
A shadow shifted from across the room as the mink swung down the weapon. It moved with a strange gait towards the two, it's eyes glittering mysteriously as the blade glistened against them. Suddenly a cry rented towards the sky followed by laughter that reigned through the Great Hall. Stelumos felt his blade connect with flesh. His eyes closed with an evil smile and he roared up to the ceiling with mirth for finally he had gotten rid of the squirrel. There was complete silence besides his laughing.
Suddenly a voice rang out above it all.
"Bemal! NO!" Stelumos' eyes snapped open at the voice and he looked down to his sword. The blade indeed had hit flesh but instead of taking the head off of the squirrel, the blade had gone through the vixen seer. Ebonia crawled over to Bemal and held the vixen's head in her lap while Stelumos withdrew the blade.
"Bemal no…no…why…why did you do it?" Ebonia cried with grief. The vermin in the room looked at one another nervously and backed away from their leader. It was bad fortune to kill a seer, especially one that was right about everything coming true. Ebonia's tears rolled down her cheeks and fell upon the old vixen's head. It dampened her fur and turned it into an almost misty silver. Bemal's eye lashes fluttered lightly and she looked up to her young charge. A sad smile crossed her face as she saw Ebonia crying over her. With a gentle paw, the vixen lightly patted the squirrel's cheek and whispered softly.
"I knew…some beast would die by…by Doomsfate soon…guess it was…my turn. Ebonia…shhh…don't cry for me…I care for you…young one, that's why…I pushed you…out of…of the way." The squirrel's eyes watered completely and she lowered her head to Bemal in grief.
"No…no Bemal please, don't leave me, you promised you wouldn't…I'm so sorry, I never should have called you a vermin…I never should have doubted you…please don't go." Bemal chuckled weakly and stroked the squirrel's cheek with a motherly affection.
"I…told you that…I…I would have to go sometime…but we'll meet again…" The vixen coughed violently and her paws gripped onto Ebonia's even more tightly, as if they were her only link to life. "Ebonia…f..find your brother…solve the poem…y…you know what you must do..the tapestry piece…the one he has…read the top…it will help…sh…show you the way…Seek the answers…in …your heart…then you'll play your given part." The words of Martin rang in Ebonia's ears as the vixen spoke them. The squirrel cried and gripped onto Bemal tightly, refusing to let the vixen leave her so suddenly without being able to make up for what she had said.
"I can't do this alone, this is all my fault, Bemal do..don't leave me!" The vixen's eyes began to close slowly and she raised a trembling paw to point at Ebonia's chest.
"I'll…be with you…in…in your heart." Bemal's paw slowly began to lower to the ground but before she would allow herself to pass into the silent forest, she pointed straight at Stelumos and spoke in a voice that was not her own.
"The one you have taken
The one you have left
Will both be the cause of
Your unfortunate death
The black one is vengeful
Because of your lie
Through ebony and red ray
You surely shall die."
As the last words left Bemal's mouth, the vixen's paw fell limply at her side and her eyes glazed over into death. Ebonia released a cry and hugged the vixen to her as she rocked back and forth with sadness. No! She can't be gone, she just can't be…I never even got to say I'm sorry…Bemal no…come back come back! The squirrel screamed in grief within her head while tears continued to glisten in her eyes.
Stelumos stared down at the slain vixen, his eyes widened by her prophecy. He really didn't understand it but he had a feeling that the squirrel was involved. His paw closed over his sword again but before he had the chance to use it, Ebonia sprung right at him and sent him sprawling to the ground. Both Doomsfate and Martin's sword clacked against the ground beside him. The mink stared up in shock at the squirrel as she growled into his face.
"I will be your downfall, you'll pay for what you did." The vermin by then had come out of their stupor and ran toward the squirrel as she attacked their chief. Ebonia glared at them and snatched up Martin's sword and her fallen daggers in one swift motion.
"Ebonia, hurry and run!" Kenyo shouted as he grabbed his chains and swung them at several of the vermin. The squirrel rose to her full height, eyes red rimmed and her stomach bleeding. The vermin were advancing but she had a chance. With a bellow to the ceiling, she held on tight to the sword and ran towards one of the walls. The doors were blocked by vermin and she was too weak to try and climb so she had to take the alternative, the stained glass windows. The sword swung as she came close and slashed through the glass, creating a big enough hole for the squirrel to leap out. Shards of glass stabbed into her body but she disregarded them as she dashed towards the ramparts, her only means of survival.
Vermin that were guarding the gates looked over in shock as they saw the bloody squirrel dashing across the lawn. Ebonia panted deeply as the wound to her stomach flared up within her. The tears that had fallen down her cheeks froze as the ice cold wind bombarded her with it's fury. Wraith came running out after her, his paw moving to a sword while Deathfang ran towards her right side. The squirrel closed her eyes against the storm and ran in pure desperation towards the ramparts. Her footpaws struck hard wood as she dashed up the steps, the sword of Martin still held firmly in her quaking paws. She had to get out of there and quickly.
Vermin followed towards the ramparts from every corner. Stelumos' voice howled above the wind, shouting out for them all to take the squirrel alive so he could deal with her. Ebonia didn't plan on going back to the mink so with a shuddered breath, she leapt off of the ramparts and fell towards the trees below.
Snow rushed up like a hail of daggers to meet her face. The flakes burned her eyes at the speed she was going and before she really could tell what was happening, her paws struck the tree branches and she went tumbling down, down, down to the ground with a painful thud. The snow beneath her stomach turned a crimson red as she tiredly scampered to her paws praying that the gates weren't going to open and let the vermin pour out.
Once on her paws, the squirrel took off running as fast as her strength would muster. She was weak, she was hurt and she was mentally distressed. Things were just not going well for the young squirrel. Tears of anger flew to her eyes again as she raced past the land of Redwall and headed towards Mossflower woods.
Ebonia finally fell to the snowy ground after running for ten minutes straight. Beads of sweat appeared and froze to her dark fur. The coldness beneath her chilled her wound and forced her to curl up in pain as Martin's sword fell weakly to the ground. The snow storm began to pick up while the squirrel's pants turned white in the air, showing just how hard she was trying to bring oxygen to her heaving lungs. She stared up at the sky and held her stomach with one paw, knowing that if she didn't receive help, she wasn't going to make it and she would be with Bemal sooner then she expected. The thought of the fallen vixen made tears come to the squirrel's eyes and as she placed one paw over her eyes to protect them from the snow, her body gave a shudder and she laid still upon the frozen ground.
The storm began to rage through Mossflower, beating across the broken window of the Abbey and the fallen form of Ebonia.