Chapter 10

Inside the Abbey, the riddle-solving was in full swing. The fifth line had been skipped over, and the rest was easy. Kagget was recounting the sixth, seventh and eighth lines as Durbee had done the first half the day before.

"So the sixth line, 'Find it now, while you are able', means that somehow, soon I'll not be able to find the parchment. The seventh line, 'After the full moon, two weeks, begone', gives us a time limit. It's been nine days since Martin told me the riddle, so we have five days to solve it. The eighth line, 'Or your small vermin life will be gone' means that if we don't solve it in time, I'll... die. Let's not think about that. Now we've come back to that cursed fifth line. 'In Abbey, see ache, under the table'. Couldn't Martin've given us an easier riddle?"

"Good question, we should ask Filron Gatekeeper about it," replied Abbess Bluebell.

"Whoi nowt now, miz Bluebell?" asked Gruler.

"Sure, let's go."

The squirrel, the mouse, the mole, and the weasel had arrived at the Gatehouse. The old squirrel Gatekeeper, Filron, was sifting through a stack of old books, looking for something.

"No, that's not it... not that either... Ah, visitors! What brings you to my little Library?"

"Library? You didn't tell us about any library," said Durbee.

"Well, I spent the last few seasons getting old stuff from an attic room, after I found a book from the days of Abbess Lycian, several thousand seasons ago. Apparently, a squirrel like me called Old Quelt had gathered almost all of the books and parchments in the Abbey and made that attic room into a Library, so now I'm making one, in the Gatehouse. The only thing left before I start sorting is to get rid of this bed, because I'm going to sleep in the dormitories. Hopefully there's a room left!"

Kagget made a suggestion. "We'd best git those moles then, they're strong, they c'n git the bed out of here."

"A sensible idea. Gruler, you're a mole, can you go fetch them?" asked Friar Durbee.

"Burr aye, oi most surrpintly can, zurr Friar."

Gruler went to get the moles and returned in about ten minutes with them.

"Hurr, wot can oi an' oi molecrew do, miz Filron?" inquired Foremole Burrum.

"You can move this bed out of here, put it somewhere the Dibbuns can't reach."

"Burr aye, miz!"

Skorret's camp was in sight, so Browntail and Norrig sped up a small amount. Suddenly a dull thud rent the air, and a wave of dust crashed into the pair, causing them to cough and choke.

"Er, wot was that?"

"I don't know; let's just get to Skorret now."

"Er, okay, heh heh heh!"

The moles had shoved the bed over the wall, which had caused the dust wave. Then they had returned to the small underground cave from the riddle, and were discussing about what used to be in it.

"Hurr, oi think's it be ee tomb o' Marthen ee Wurrier!"

"Whoi do ye think so, Clawtunnel?"

"Burr, coom an' see!"

Clawtunnel had found a small door part with a plaque that read:

The tomb of Martin the Warrior, found in the days of Abbot Mortimer by Matthias the Warrior.

"Hurr, so it be!" said Foremole Burrum.

"Burr, we shudd bring it to ee Abbess an' ee Friar an' ee weasel an' Gruler," suggested Clawtunnel.

"Burr aye, Clawtunnel!"

The moles went to the riddle solvers and showed them the red sandstone plaque. Gruler thought it was interesting, and Bluebell suggested that the moles search around more. They went off to search.

The quintet had made some progress. They had found a large volume titled 'The Geminya Tome', and attached to it was several scrolls documenting the search for the lance of Corriam* in the days of Abbess Lycian. They were reading through the faded scrolls and all of a sudden, something clicked in Kagget's brain.

"Cavern Hole!"

"What do you mean, Cavern Hole?"

"In this scroll it talks about Geminya replacing letters with words, so I did that with 'see ache', and then I

*See High Rhulain

found it: C. H. and that stands for Cavern Hole!"

"Yes, you're right!" said Friar Durbee. "Let's go there!"

The two dashed off, with Gruler close behind. The Abbess went off at a respectable pace, and Filron stayed behind in the Gatehouse, muttering, "Huh, young uns these days. I guess they aren't young, but they sure seem like it!"

Rukkar was travelling yet further downstream. It had been two weeks since Kagget and Cudder had left, so Rukkar knew they were not coming back. Probably the Gorvim had killed them, or they were lost, and they would die in a few days' time, killed by something or other. Kagget was soft, so he had probably died already.

Greyfang's visions and dreams were still clouded, so Yuvil was still spying, and coming back to Sarrak day after day without any information. As a result, the fox was extremely angry, and had threatened to kill Yuvil if he didn't come back with information in the evening. Yuvil was lucky, as Greyfang and Rukkar were conversing.

"Yer dreams an' all that are still clouded, fox?"

"Aye, Lord, though I feel that the mouse will go away soon."

"Good. Go, fetch Sarrak, and bring him to me."

Yuvil scurried off and warned Sarrak that Greyfang was coming, then went back to the tent to spy some more. Sarrak and Rukkar had started conversing.

"Ah, Sarrak, my loyal Captain, how are you?"

Sarrak shifted in his seat. Rukkar was not usually like this.

"Good, Sire. And you?"

"Good enough to know that you've been spying, fox. Yuvil!"

Yuvil came in, grinning nastily. "Well, Sarrak, I've gotten revenge on ye!"

"Yuvil? Yore a traitor?"

"Aye, after ye threatened ter kill me. Your end has come!"

"I'll leave the revenge to you, Yuvil. Goodbye, Sarrak!"

When they were outside, Yuvil's grin widened.

"I'm gonna have a lot o' fun with yer!"

Yuvil began by punching Sarrak in the gut, then stepping on his face. Then, he dealt a series of punches and kicks to the fox's back. Finally, he whipped Sarrak fourscore times with the flat of his blade, and plunged his sword into Sarrak's head.

Thus died Sarrak, a Captain of Rukkar and a traitor, at the paws of Yuvil the rat, his former lackey.