Author's note: It's amazing, I actually uploaded a new chapter. I'm still working out the next few chapters, testing plot ideas and the like. I don't know when I'll really start writing again but I figured you all have waited long enough for another chapter. I hope you enjoy it and please review, it always helps.
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Two As One: Chapter 17
"Ebonia! Spry! Where are you two?!"
Crim dashed down the steps quietly with the torch flashing in the air. Malya stood at the entrance, her rudder banging frantically on the ground as her friend disappeared into the darkness. She had heard the screech and she was amazed that she hadn't fainted from fear already. Whatever had made such a noise sounded like a horrible beast! She couldn't do much in the way of weapons. She had a sling, yes, but she couldn't launch it if she couldn't see her target. The otter maiden sighed and lit another torch. She had to follow Crim and make sure he was safe.
Ebonia stared up into the eyes that burrowed into her soul. They were frightening yet mystifying at the same time. Her breath caught in her throat as she realized with amazement what kind of creature had pinned her to the ground..
A bat!
He was a large creature, larger than most bats that Ebonia had ever seen. His fur was that of a milky brown with black streaks that seemed to stretch from his back to his wings creating a type of web effect. Eyes of crimson red burrowed into her own as he gripped her arms more fiercely with the talon like claws on his footpaws. His wings hovered over her head, threatening to come down and envelop her in darkness. As he breathed, a golden ringlet that hung around his neck rose and fell with each breath.
Ebonia gulped softly and glanced to the side of the bat as Crim came towards her, the torch raised. The newcomer didn't seem to notice until the flames burned brightly enough that he could see the squirrel he was standing upon. With a startled screech, the bat flapped his large wings and flew into a darker corner of the room. His claws hooked to the roof, allowing him to hang upside down with his wings wrapped around his head. There was silence for only a moment before the bat suddenly called out to them in a strange whispery like voice.
"Take that light….. light, away from this cave cave! You have no…. no right to be here….here without my say! This is my…..home home!"
Crim bent down beside Ebonia and slowly helped his sister to her paws. The squirrel maiden batted his paws away as she walked over to where Sprypaw was trying to lift himself off the floor. The hare glanced up at her through half closed eyes as the bright light from Malya's torch assaulted his vision. Ebonia glanced down at him and held out a paw with a sigh to help him up.
"Come on, up on your paws now."
Waving a paw in front of his eyes to keep the firelight from blinding him, Sprypaw took Ebonia's paw and pulled himself up. Once he was standing, he dusted off his tunic and glanced at the squirrel with a faint smile.
"Uh…thanks for that wot." Ebonia waved her paw dismissively and looked over at Crim who was standing in shock with his eyes riveted upon the bat. He took a step forward and spoke quietly, the torch still burning in his paw.
"I'm sorry sir, we were just coming down here to find our friend, we didn't mean to intrude upon your h-"
"Well you have…you have. Now leave…leave!" Crim backed up as the bat's wing began to unfold from his face so he could eye the squirrel dangerously. Malya bit her lip and cautiously walked over to where the bat was hanging. She hated to see a creature so upset and maybe even scared. Quietly she handed the torch over to Sprypaw and held out her paws.
"Please mate, we weren't going to hurt you at all. We are from Redwall Abbey and are looking for shelter."
This seemed to puzzle the bat for he uncurled his wings a bit more so that he could look at them from his upside down position. His crimson eyes reflected against the torch light, causing a frightening and almost dangerous snarl to form on his face. Crim looked at the firelight and lowered it to the ground so it wasn't shining in this new creature's eyes. Satisfied, the bat let one wing drift towards Malya as he spoke.
"Why do you need….need shelter if you…you are part of the…the abbey….bey?"
Though curious about the bat's strange way of speaking, the otter maiden refrained from asking him. Instead she spread her paw to indicate the creatures around her.
"Our Abbey was captured by a group o ruthless vermin. We and some others be the last ones left and we were looking fer a place to stay so we could find out how to defeat this mink." The bat was silent, his blood red eyes staring at the four creatures. Without warning, he suddenly let go of the ceiling and landed in front of them. Malya skirted back fearfully while the bat held out a clawed wing imploringly.
"And you wish to involve…volve me in this problem of yours…yours?"
Crim looked at the beast in surprise but Ebonia was the one to speak next. She flicked her tail to her side as she took a step forward and glared into the bat's eyes.
"We aren't asking you to get involved, we just need a place to hide. What happens to Mossflower affects us all. We just want to find a way to fight back against the mink before it's to late."
"This is your affair….affair not mine. This is my home…home you must find another..nother." Ebonia growled quietly as she thrust her paws in front of him.
"This is your problem! If Mossflower is taken, you'll become a slave and-"
"No beast will take me a slave…slave! Now be gone!" The ferocity of the bat's screech startled all four beasts into silence. Crim placed his paw around Malya's shoulders and began to steer her towards the door. Ebonia stood in front of the bat, her eyes burning with fury but a touch from Sprypaw caused her to pull away. They'd have to find another place to hide away. As they walked away, a sad frown came to the bat's face as he fluttered back up to the ceiling. He didn't want to seem cold hearted…but he had his own reasons for wanting them to leave. He couldn't take the risk of them attracting attention to his home.
The four beasts were about to step outside of Brockhall when another voice called out to them.
"Please wait…wait." It was a whispered plea and had a much softer tone to it than that of the male bat's voice. Crim glanced back into the darkness and was surprised to find a pair of green eyes staring at him. They blinked, then began to move downward as another creature came into view. The male bat let go of his perch and landed beside the new one, his eyes appearing softer then before. The sun squirrel placed his torch in a holder against the wall as he replied to the plaintive call.
"Who is it that calls us?"
The creature hesitated for a moment, unsure if these creatures could be trusted. After a silent debate within her mind, she quietly stepped forward and revealed herself to be a bat as well. Her fur was a soft coat of white with wisps of grey at some of the tips. A blue ringlet glittered around her neck as she tilted her head to look at the young creatures before her. Greyish headfur dangled over her green eyes as she spoke in the same soft voice.
"Please don't leave…leave. My husband is just worried…worried for my safety…ty." The others turned around quietly and watched the two bats as they came closer to them. They moved upon their legs as well as their clawed wings to get around, making them look rather odd yet graceful at the same time. Ebonia glanced at Crim quietly while the male bat spoke again.
"I did not want to attract attention…tion to the cavern if it would put my family in danger..ger."
"If they are in need of help…help then we are to supply it. They are right…right, if Mossflower is taken under siege, then our lives…lives are destroyed as well." The white bat got to her footpaws and stretched out her long wings to un cramp them as she eyed the other creatures. Slowly she held a wing forward towards Crim, a small, kind smile etched upon her face. "I am called CloudDancer….er….this is my husband Webwinger…Winger for short….short. Who might you be…be?" Crim took the liberty of introducing their small group. He gently shook the bat maiden's wing as he pointed to each creature in turn.
"My name is CrimsonRay, these are my friends Malya and Sprypaw, and that is my sister Ebonia." CloudDancer quietly gave a polite nod of the head as Webwinger moved up to her side. He looked kinder now that his wife had shown herself. In fact, he sounded nicer too as he spoke to the female bat.
"You wish to help them then…then?"
"I do…do. I've lived around Mossflower for many a years…years. Tis a good place with good creatures…tures. We must aid them." The female's words were sincere and they drew a smile from her husband as he draped a wing around her shoulders. Though he hadn't seemed like it at first, Webwinger was a soft hearted bat, unless he felt that his family was being threatened. Crim watched the two bats in front of him before adding his own say into the conversation.
"You don't have to join us if you don't want to of course. We just need a place to stay and I promise you we won't attract attention here. We have to be careful about that for our own benefits too." Webwinger shook his head as he looked at the four young creatures who had such a large burden upon their shoulders. It saddened him that they were forced to fight at such a young age but that was the fate of the world at times.
"Nay, my wife is right…right. We will lend our services for the good…good of Mossflower. Let your friends come here, we will gladly..ly welcome them. We only stay here during the day…day because we've been plagued by certain…creatures. It's for our own safety as well…well"
Crim bowed his head in a thankful and respectful way to the two bats. It wasn't often that creatures could seek out help so willingly and they were going to need all the help they could get if they wanted to defeat the mink.
"I thank you both for your hospitality, this means a lot to us. Now, I we must leave and find our friends. We'll be careful and conceal our tracks so you're not found."
CloudDancer stretched out her long wings and gazed at the four weary travelers. Cocking her head to one side she nodded and spoke in a gentle voice that could have made a babe feel safe.
"Mayhap two of your friends…friends would like to stay here in stead of traveling…ling? We can give you rest and food…food."
Crim looked over at his small party with a thoughtful expression on his face. Sprypaw looked tired and hungry. Malya wasn't fairing much better and Ebonia…well he could never really tell with his sister. He nodded his head to the female bat and placed his paws on the hare and otter's shoulders.
"Malya and Spry will stay behind. Ebonia and I will be just fine out there."
"Mind you, beware of the hawk…hawk."
Crim came to a halt as he heard Winger call to him. The sun squirrel raised an eyebrow and held out a paw imploringly.
"What hawk?" CloudDancer looked over at her husband then took a small step towards both squirrels. Her eyes searched their faces, trying to make them understand the urgency of her words.
"The reason my husband and I hide here…here is because there is a hawk out in the woods…woods, that has tried to prey on us…us. We have not seen him for quite some time…time but watch your back…back."
Ebonia, who had remained silent since the first encounter with Webwinger released a heavy sigh as she looked over at Crim.
"If it's not vermin, it's hawks."
The sun squirrel chuckled and was about to turn and walk up the steps when CloudDancer called to him once more.
"Just a moment…ment. Who is to be the leader of this group…group?" Before Crim could even say anything, Ebonia, Malya and Sprypaw pointed in his direction.
"He jolly well is mate." Crim sighed deeply and turned to the bat.
"No I'm not….they just say I am. Now, Ebonia and I are going to go and get the others. Sprypaw and Malya both of you stay here. Spry, I want you to keep your eye out to make sure that no one saw us enter. Malya, start lighting torches so the others can see when they get here." Ebonia raised an eyebrow as she tilted towards Malya and whispered in her ear.
"If he's not a leader, then I'm a one eyed pike." The otter maiden giggled as she stepped over towards Sprypaw. Crim stared down at them and with an exasperated sigh he turned on his heel and headed towards the steps that led them out of Brockhall. Ebonia glanced at his back then with a polite nod of her head to the two bats, she dashed after him. Sprypaw blinked his eyes as they left and then glanced down at Malya with a light chuckle.
"And he says he's jolly well not a leader, ha!"
It didn't take very long for Crim and Ebonia to find the other hares. SkyBreeze had been sent out to scout for the two squirrels if they were looking for the rest of their group. Luckily she had found them with no trouble at all. Once the two groups met up with each other, they traveled back towards Brockhall while Valena told them of the despairing news.
"We've been traveling all day but the only woodlanders we've run across don't want to help us in the battle. We've recruited a couple of hedgehogs and a strange old otter but aside from that, no beast will fight."
"But Aunt Valena, we can't force them to fight and die for Mossflower. I mean…we need an army we know that much but we need those who are willing to fight."
"Crim, I know I know but…I just wish we could do more for, our numbers are so depleted."
The sun squirrel looked to the sky tiredly as they pressed on. Valena was right though, they needed a lot more help then what they already had. And the only place he could think of getting help was from Salamandastron, but they had heard nothing from the mountain since the five Long Patrol hares joined their group.
Silently, the group continued their journey, oblivious to the two golden eyes that watched them march through the woods.
"Well, what do you jolly well suggest we do ol bean?"
The troop had made it back to Brockhall without any problems. After clearing away some of the dust on the tables and righting fallen chairs, every beast assembled together and decided to rattle off what they could do. So far, they hadn't had much success. Fleetfoot gazed over at Crim as he waited for the red squirrel to answer his question. Even though Crim was young, they had given their leadership to him, partly because he was the carrier of Martin's sword, and partly because he was such a trustworthy creature. The sun squirrel tapped his claws against the table as he responded.
"I think we should try again and search for help in the woods. Many beasts might be hiding because of the mink's tyranny but there are always those who are willing to lend a paw to Redwall. After that, well, has there been any word from Salamandastron Weave?"
The hare maiden sadly shook her head as she stood at attention beside Fleetfoot's chair. Unlike the others, she didn't want to sit down and converse. She felt that standing was the most direct way to get things done. Crim sighed deeply and leaned back in his chair.
"We need to get word to the badger Lord but I don't think we can risk any more creatures leaving or something happening to them."
"Eh hem…Crim, if you would like…like I can fly towards Salamandastron and look for help…help."
All eyes turned in CouldDancer's direction as she released her claws from the top of the ceiling and fluttered down onto the table. Webwinger furrowed his brow and went to protest but the female bat held up a wing to stem his words.
"I know where the mountain is…is and I know of the badger lord…lord. I will ask for assistance and I will fly…fly to Mount Bat Pit and see if they can lend a wing…wing."
Ballard looked over at the female bat and shook his head slowly.
"Marm, I'm afraid that the jolly ol badger lord may not listen to a bat, beg your pardon. He might need some assurance that you are with us, wot."
"Well that jolly well won't be hard at all ol chap! CloudDancer come here would you mate?"
The misty white bat tilted her head in SkyBreeze's direction as the young hare maiden called to her. She glanced at the other creatures around the table then slowly made her way to the maiden's side. Once CloudDancer was close enough to her, SkyBreeze unhooked a necklace she wore and wrapped it around the bat's throat. Webwinger ruffled his wings in agitation but a glance from his wife caused him to calm down. The bat looked down at the necklace which was in the shape of a dirk cutting through a green leaf.
"That's lord OakRealm's symbol. He bally well gave it to me when I was naught but a leveret so he'll know you're with us wot."
"Dashed good thinking me gel!" Sprypaw exclaimed with a large smile in the young maiden's direction. SkyBreeze blushed slightly and shook her head in embarrassment.
PeriNickel rolled his eyes and shoved her gently.
"Will you stop it, you look like a bloomin cherry wot." Sprypaw glanced over at SkyBreeze's brother and couldn't help but scoff. He threw a paw around the hare maiden's shoulders and smiled encouragingly at her.
"I'd say more like a bloomin rose, wot wot. You sah, are the one that looks like a cherry with that flabbergasted face o yers."
"Why I oughta-"
"Can we get back to business please?!" Fleetfoot looked down at the three young hares severely. All three promptly fell silent as the General got to his footpaws and began to pace around the table. The shadows from the nearby torches descended upon his body, making him disappear into the background of the walls time and again. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully for a moment, his eyes glistening with the seasoned light of a warrior. As he passed Ebonia's chair, the dark squirrel maiden could almost feel the authority and wisdom emanating from the towering hare.
"What we dashed need to do is find out what's going on in that bloomin Abbey. If we could rescue some of them…we might have a chance to save the others, wot."
Now it was Log a Log's turn to scoff at the hare. The shrew chieftain sat up higher in his chair, Tellio and Lezlo sitting at his sides as he thrust a paw forward towards the hare. His eyes were tired and he looked worn from the sleepless nights he had suffered. And, though his frame was shaken, his voice still boomed with the same fierceness.
"Easier said then done mate. No beast is getting in that Abbey without a fight I can tell you that much. They'll have wall guards everywhere and even if we managed to get a creature in there, how in the world will they stay out of sight?! They'd have to be a ghost or something!"
"What if they were a shadow?" All eyes turned towards Ebonia as the ebony squirrel spoke in a whispered voice. She glanced over at Log a Log for a moment before turning to the others and continuing her statement. "I'm the darkest creature here save for my paws… as well as a tracker and assassin. Why don't you let me go to the Abbey and sneak in over the walls. They'll never expect me to return nor will they be able to see me if I travel at night."
"Ebonia, I don't think that's a good idea. What if you're caught?" Crim stared at his sister with worried eyes, pleading with her not to do this. The ebony squirrel shook her head and stood up from the table.
"Fleetfoot, may I borrow your cloak?" The dark hare shook off the black fabric and pawed it over to her. Quietly, Ebonia wrapped the cloak around her shoulders then placed the hood over her head. Without saying a word, she took a step back and seemingly vanished into the shadows of the cave. Crim stood up slowly while Malya jerked her head left then right as she tried to look for the squirrel. Even Fleetfoot and Weave looked stumped and they were genuine trackers. After a few minutes, Crim took a step away from his chair and called softly.
"Ebonia, come into view now please?"
"I am in view." All eyes jerked up ward in surprise as they heard the voice, but all they saw was a dark shadow on the ceiling. Suddenly, the shadow shifted and Ebonia dropped onto the table, the cloak wrapped around her body. Fleetfoot stared at the squirrel maiden then suddenly began to clap softly.
"By the claw, that's probably some of the best dashed hiding I've seen in awhile."
Ebonia tossed the cloak back to the hare as she stepped down from the table. Her eye gazed over at Crim who still wore a look of uncertainty. She knew what he was thinking, she knew he was worried about her getting captured again but, it was a chance she was willing to take. Gently she took her brother's paw and looked into his eyes.
"Crim, you know I'm the only way we're going to know what's happening at the Abbey. I will be safe, I promise you that. Just let me go and I'll get the information. Please Crim."
The sun squirrel sighed tiredly as he gave up his last defense for protecting his sister. He had just found her, he didn't want to lose her now that they were together, but she was right. With a heavy heart, he nodded his head to her and squeezed her paw with his own.
"Fine, but don't do anything rash Ebonia, I don't want to lose you again." The squirrel maiden raised an eyebrow and laughed.
"Me? Rash? My dear brother you still have much to learn of me." The black squirrel winked then turned completely serious as she took a step away from him. "I'll scope out the Abbey and report how everything is going. If I can try to talk to one of the abbey beasts I will and see if I can pull any information from them. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."
Fleetfoot stared at the squirrel maiden for a moment then tossed his cloak over her shoulders. Ebonia looked up at him but he merely gave a salute then walked to Weave's side. Valena stood up and hugged her niece gently to her chest, her eyes filled with worry and sadness.
"Ebonia…please be careful." The ebony squirrel shook her head as she hugged her aunt reassuringly.
"Relax, I know what I'm doing. Crim, I'll see you all back here soon alright. Fill me in if anything happens." The squirrel maiden smiled softly at her brother as she donned the cloak. The night was soon to come but she needed to have time to make her way to the Abbey so she at least could get an idea of how many vermin were guarding the wall top. Giving another faint smile, the squirrel turned and disappeared into the shadows.
As she left, CloudDancer spread her wings and turned to Crim like she always seemed to do.
"Once night falls….falls do you wish me to go and seek help…help?"
The sun squirrel nodded his head absentmindedly as he stood staring at the entrance where his sister had left. He had a bad feeling about her going off alone like that. Maybe he should have asked Fleetfoot to go with her, maybe he should have just told her she couldn't go. Crim stop worrying, she'll be just fine He told himself reassuringly, and yet he didn't feel any comfort in his thoughts. Silently, he turned back to the creatures who were still waiting at the table. Until they knew what was happening, there wasn't much they could do.
"Alright…until Ebonia comes back or until we hear word from CloudDancer, there isn't much that needs to be done. Rest for tonight, we're going to need it."
That said, Crim walked past the moving beasts to where Webwinger hung from the ceiling. The brown bat stared at the squirrel closely while his wings tightened a bit more around his body. After glancing over his shoulder to make sure every beast was up and about, Crim turned his eyes to the bat and spoke in a soft voice.
"Winger…I need to ask you a favor. Tonight, can you please keep watch over Ebonia. I'm worried about her and I want to make sure that nothing happens to her. You're a night flyer, I know you'd be best at tracking her down."
Webwinger tilted his head at the squirrel, his luminous eyes glittering and his wings ruffling as he shifted on his claws. Crim felt his heart skip a beat from the dangerous look in the bat's eyes but the response he received soon stilled his fears.
"Under my watch she will be safe…safe." The sun squirrel smiled widely and gave the bat a respectful bow as he headed towards the other beasts.
"My thanks to you Winger, it means a lot to me. I don't know what I'd do if I lost her." The bat smiled faintly and stared over at CloudDancer as he replied in a softer voice.
"I know how you feel….feel."
Night descended like a blanket over Mossflower, the moon hidden behind the clouds. The glistening lights that normally adorned the skies could no longer be seen as storm clouds roamed over the earth. The wind whistled through the trees and battered against Ebonia as she sat upon her perch. For two hours, the squirrel had sat in the trees, watching and listening to the guards to see if she could hear any news of what was going on within the abbey. But alas, all they did was complain about having to guard in the snow and about how they weren't getting enough to eat.
The ebony squirrel rolled her eyes slightly as she moved like a whisper down the tree trunk. Her claws clicked on the bark now and again but it wasn't nearly loud enough to alert the guards up above. As she landed, her black cloak cascaded over her body, making her fade away into the shadows once again. She had to remember to thank Fleetfoot once this was all over. Eyes of striped aqua gazed at the great abbey that loamed before her. It appeared that the vermin would shift around the walls hourly, leaving her maybe two minutes to get up and over the wall. That was going to be extremely difficult but with her climbing skills, she still had a chance.
The squirrel moved behind the trunk of a tree then dashed forwards towards a corner of the Abbey wall where there were less vermin. She almost praised the sky for not letting the moon shine upon her. The darker it was the better. Ebonia pressed her back against the red sandstone and slowly began to edge towards the tree closest to the wall. She listened to the shuffle of the guard's paws against stone along with the sound of vermin spitting over the wall, as was their disgusting habit. Ebonia wrinkled her nose as a wad of spit landed not but a foot from where she stood. The ebony squirrel crouched down and once she was satisfied that the guard hadn't seen her, she leapt towards the tree.
Her claws dug deeply into the soft bark as she slowly made her way up into the branches of the trees. There were no leaves of course but the branches and darkness itself would provide enough cover for her, as it had earlier that day. She wrapped her paws around the branch and waited for the right moment to spring.
Tolifen paced back and forth angrily upon the wall. After the encounter with Ebonia and the rest of the escaped Redwaller's, Stelumos had made sure that he gave her, a sound thrashing for failing to capture them. Her back was still stinging from the harsh slaps of his sword flat but her pride was what had been hurt more. In his anger, he had demoted her two ranks down so that she was at the same level as Hensfloral. She hated that rat! He was such a frightened, excuse for a vermin that it sickened her that she was looked at the same way.
The female stoat banged her javelin against the side of the wall as she went into a full stream of curses.
"That no good, half toothed vermin. I swear I oughta give him a piece o me mind the spineless yellow livered rodent. If he was half the leader I am I-"
"Hey Fen, yer shift's over, get yer tail in gear would ya."
The stoat whirled around with a growl as she came face to face with a male fox. He was larger then most, and so tall that he practically towered over the stoat maiden. His coat was that of a mixture of soft brown and cherry red, giving him a slightly mottled appearance. He peered down at the smaller stoat through midnight blue eyes as he nodded towards the Abbey itself.
"Come on, get movin, Stelumos wants to speak to you and Wraith again anyway."
"Alright alright, quit pushin me around, IceEye, ya ferget that I use to have a higher rank than you." The mottled fox rolled his eyes slightly as he pointed down the steps with his sabre. It was always like Tolifen to try and undermine another creature's authority, especially when they were higher then her.
"Yes, but now I'm higher then you by three ranks…so get."
The stoat sneered angrily and turned to leave when a cool brush of air hit her in the face. Tolifen turned and growled at the fox who only gave her a quizzical look.
"Don't ya go waving yer paw in my face Ice."
"What are you talking about? I didn't do anything."
"Like hell ya didn't!" IceEye growled softly and began to patrol the wall so he wouldn't have to deal with the stoat's banter any longer. Another wall guard headed their way, his eyes giving Tolifen a strange look. Sending one last glare in IceEye's direction Tolifen turned on her paw and headed down the steps to seek out her leader.
Ebonia watched silently as the fox and stoat parted their separate ways. She remained in the shadows, hanging onto the edge of the ramparts. While the two had been arguing, she took the chance to leap and skid onto the rim of the ramparts. Had she waited any long, she never would have been able to get past the guards who were often increased at night. The squirrel watched Tolifen enter the Abbey before she let go of the stones and climbed slowly down the back of the steps so she wouldn't be seen. There didn't appear to be much activity down below, much to Ebonia's luck. She waited until an ugly female rat passed before she let go and landed in the shadows of the stairs.
The ebony squirrel sat silently for a few moments to make sure she hadn't been seen. The conversation between IceEye and Tolifen had intrigued her quite a bit. What could Stelumos want to speak to Tolifen and Wraith about? Surely he wasn't going to punish them more for their incompetence…but then again with the mink, one could never know.
Ebonia looked to her left and right to make sure that all the other vermin were out of sight. She lifted upon the balls of her footpaws, her paws spread to the side as she prepared to dart forward. Satisfied that none of them were going to give her problems, she took off like a ghostly streak and headed towards the Abbey door. Tolifen had just walked in and, like a common lazy vermin, forgotten to close the door. She knew it would be risky but she had to hear what was going on. The ebony squirrel took one last look over her shoulder then slipped through the open door.
The moment she entered the hall she heard the unmistakable ranting of Stelumos as he lit into Wraith. A snicker arose on Ebonia's throat as she thought about him receiving exactly what he deserved for trying to capture her friends. She slinked in and out of the shadows until she came to a section of the room where it was too lit to cross. The squirrel sighed in frustration and crouched down at the corner. At least she could still see and hear well enough.
Stelumos paced back and forth in front of Wraith as the ferret kept his head lowered to the ground. Ebonia could see a couple tears in his cloak, most likely from the mink either scratching him or hitting him with the whip that was swaying back and forth in his paws. Tolifen moved towards the mink next while Ebonia hunkered down a bit more so she wouldn't be seen.
"Ya wanted to see me lawd?" She asked in a curt voice. Stelumos turned on his paw lightly and gave her an eerily kind smile.
"Well no, I didn't want to see you….but my whip did!" Without warning, the leather hide whisked through the air and struck the stoat right across the face. Tolifen leapt back with a yelp and cried out in a startled voice.
"Hellgates, wot was that fer?! Dash it, that blasted whip may want to see me but I certainly don want to see it! I mean s-"
"SILENCE!!" Tolifen's ears shot back as she crouched down towards the ground. What's he getting so angry about? She thought to herself with a snort. Stelumos rubbed his eyes furiously as he muttered beneath his breath. "Fools…I'm surrounded by incompetent fools! How hard is it to kill a squirrel and capture a bunch of worthless brats?!"
Wraith coughed softly beneath his breath as he gazed up to his leader. He hadn't said much for the past few days. Stelumos was already enraged enough and he wasn't about to make it worse. Now however, he finally loosened his tongue and spoke in what he believed to be a respectful tone.
"To be fair sir…they weren't alone. Five hares had joined them along with another squirrel and the shrew chieftain…I tried to defeat them all but it wasn't possible."
"Because you didn't try hard enough!" Stelumos whirled on his paw and shoved the butt of his whip into the ferret's nose. Wraith jerked back and breathed nervously as he stared at the end of the whip. He may have been a feared tracker but when it came to speaking to his leader, that was a completely different story. Wraith licked his parched lips and gazed up at Stelumos with nervous eyes.
"What do you command of us now your lawdship? We'll try harder and make you pleased. We ju-"
"Shut yer trap Wraith, I don need you grovelin at me footpaws." Stelumos growled as he turned away from the petrified vermin. Ebonia narrowed her eyes and crawled a bit closer so she could see where he was walking. The moment her eyes met the scene though, it took all of her will power not to cry out in shock. There before her sat Abbot Welkum. The otter was kneeling on the ground with heavy chains lining his forepaws. His spectacles were gone and he looked to have been through quite a bit since the last time she had seen him.
Stelumos stared down at the noble otter for a brief moment but to Ebonia's surprise, he didn't strike him. Instead, he set his whip upon one of the torch holders and began to speak in a quieter though more malevolent tone.
"I've called you here because I need more slave masters. Deathfang is doin wonders but wit this many abbey beasts, we're gonna need more creatures to let into them when they ain't behaving. The slave here has already learned his lesson, I need you Tolifen to deal with the rest."
The stoat looked up in surprise while her paw continued to rub her nose constantly.
"Me? Thought ya demoted me."
"Do you want to stay demoted?! I could have ya go work with the other slaves if you want!" Stelumos snarled. Tolifen took a quick step back and shook her head earnestly.
"Uh..no no…slave master be just fine uh heh…" Wraith rolled his eyes in annoyance at the stoat maiden's incompetence as he gazed up towards his mink chieftain.
"And wot service do you wish of me?" For a moment, no beast spoke. Stelumos stood staring at the great tapestry of Redwall as the gears of his head began to work. He had been staring at that marvelous piece of work for some time now and he had often found the Abbot staring at it as well. Unlike some of the other warlords, he wasn't familiar with the story of Martin The Warrior, nor the history behind the Abbey's protection. After what seemed like an eternity, he turned to his right pawed ferret and narrowed his eyes a bit.
"I'm going to need ya to help her until I call on yer service to find the other Abbey beasts that have gotten away. Fer now…you and Tolifen will train them…beat them if you like just make sure you "break" them because I can't sell slaves if they ain't gonna work."
Ebonia's ears shot up and she almost fell backwards at the words she heard. Sell them?! He was going to run a slave trade?! Now they really needed to find a way to help the Abbey beasts. If they didn't hurry, who knew what would happen to them! Tolifen furrowed her brow and stared at Abbot Welkum before responding.
"How come you want to sell them? The more slaves we have the better-"
"I know that you fool! There's a pine marten empress that's been sending me letters. She needs slaves too since she's working on taking siege on a great fortress she calls it in the west and we've decided to begin a slave trade between our slaves and those of the other warlords. It'll lower what hopes these fools have left and it'll get me stronger beasts." Tolifen and Wraith glanced at one another in surprise. Their leader had never joined forces with another vermin horde before. Then again, Stelumos had never taken over a great Abbey before either so anything was possible.
"When should we start our work milord?" Wraith asked in a slightly stunned voice. Stelumos turned to his two hench vermin for a moment as if looking at a pile of fresh meat. They really were fools compared to his superior intellect, but they'd learn in time. The mink collected his whip from the wall again and cracked it on the floor right in front of them.
"Now! Get yer slimy paws movin or I'll gut ya before ya kin beg fer mercy!" That was all it took. One moment the two vermin were groveling in front of him, the next they were racing to get to the door before he could unleash his fury upon their hides. Ebonia snarled deeply as she watched the mink walk back to the Abbot's side. Every muscle urged her to leap forward and finish the tyrant but even her blades wouldn't be fast enough to stop him. She stared at Welkum for one last time then whispered softly beneath her breath.
"I'll come back for you…all of you I promise." Blinking back the tears of anger that threatened to cloud her eyes, Ebonia backed up into the shadows and headed towards the door. It was closed this time but as she got close to it, a mottled paw snaked through the crack between the doors and pulled one of them open. Ebonia crouched down and watched as the one they called IceEye emerged into the Great Hall. His face didn't look nearly as kind as it had upon the wall but that wasn't a surprise to the ebony squirrel. He had always been the murderous type who would act politely to a vixen one moment then have her bound and rob her in the next. She had never had the misfortune of crossing paths with him but she knew that if Stelumos ever got a hold of her…well…she didn't want to think about it.
Once the vermin passed her hiding spot, Ebonia darted to the door and slowly edged it open. Once again there didn't appear to be many vermin on the lawns. Most of them she knew were probably getting themselves drunk down in the cellar or watching over the slaves in the hut they had forced them to make. The squirrel rearranged her cloak and moved towards the walls again. It was going to be tricky now since she couldn't exactly leap from a tree and over the wall. Still she was a resourceful maiden and always found a way out of trouble…most of the time.
Silently she moved towards the orchards where the trees reached up to ramparts. Hmmm…maybe it will be just as easy, she thought to herself with a soft laugh. Once again, she looked left and right then took off at a quick dash towards the nearest tree. Her paws moved without her even thinking and before she knew it, she was nestled within the branches of the tree, gazing across the lawn. Sure enough, the moment she got high enough she spotted Wraith and Tolifen making their way towards the slaves. She didn't even want to think what the vermin had in store for them and she knew that if she stayed long enough to hear their cries of pain…she wouldn't be able to leave.
Ebonia you have to get this news back to Crim. Now's not the time to dawdle, she told herself stubbornly. The ebony squirrel shook her head sadly but her reason over powered her feelings. She took hold of the tree and climbed swiftly until she was just below the main level of the ramparts. Several vermin guards were still on top but none were staring in her direction. Taking a deep breath and praying that she was fast enough, the squirrel leapt from the tree and sprang over the wall. In midair, she twisted her body and caught hold of one of the stones jutting from the side of the wall. Her body struck the hard sandstone but it wasn't nearly as bad as if she had hit the ground below. Ebonia glanced over her shoulder and after a few moments of searching she found a tree not to far away.
The guards were moving once again, probably to change spots and keep themselves awake. She had to act now. Biting back a gasp of trepidation, Ebonia let go of the stone and plummeted into the tree. Her paws stuck out, grabbing onto the ledges to stop her descent as quickly as possible. A couple of branches broke but judging from the silence up above, none of them had heard her. Ebonia released a silent sigh of relief as she dropped to the snow covered ground and vanished into the trees of Mossflower woods undetected.
Or so she thought. Not far away from the tree that Ebonia had jumped into, Hensfloral stood with narrowed eyes as he watched the figure of a shadow disappear into the undergrowth of the Mossflower trees. The rustling of a cloak had attracted his attention as well as the cracking of several branches. Once he had turned to look, he found his eyes locked upon a moving creature. However, the shadow was gone as quickly as he had seen it. Maybe it was nothing more then the shadow of a beast flying over head. Shrugging his shoulders, the rat leaned against the ramparts and watched a bat disappear into the night with a soft flutter of his wings.