Chapter 15
Nomak and Kagget were not slain immediately. Instead, the leader of the figures realized what they were and gave another signal. They lowered their weapons, and the leader removed his hood, revealing the rough face of an aged otter.
"Are you an 'edgehog with a captive weasel? Can we slay 'im?"
"No, he isn't a captive. He's a friend."
"A weasel and an 'edgehog, friends? Yeah, right."
"I'm being serious. I come from Redwall Abbey, and he comes from the horde of Rukkar the Wrecker. Right, Kagget?"
"Right, Nomak."
"Nomak and Kagget. Go well together, I suppose. But that doesn't explain what you're doin' out here, a long ways from Redwall."
"We're trying to kill Rukkar and his horde."
"You? A weasel and an 'edgehog? We'd be happy to help. Right, Nagim?"
"Aye, Dad."
"Don't call me that! It's Skipper, not Dad or Father!"
"What about Bardo?" he asked cheekily.
"No. Just Skipper."
"Not Skip?"
"Fine. No more talking."
"Yes, Skipper Lardo."
"Oi!"
Bardo chased his son Nagim around the clearing several times, then sat down, tired.
"After I've caught my breath, yer goin' in the pot for supper!" he said.
"If ye can catch me, ole fatbelly!"
"Are they always like this?" Nomak asked a stooped otterwife who had been at the back of the otters, but then had come forward.
"No, they're in their best attitude for visitors."
"If this is their best attitude, then wot's their normal attitude?" asked Kagget.
The otterwife chuckled.
"Threatenin' ter throw each other in the river, wrestling, having competitions to see who can eat the most hotroot without drinking anythin' - once Nagim turned purple an' nearly burned up - typical otter stuff."
"Wot's a Skipper?" Kagget interjected.
"The otter version of a Chieftain."
"Chieftain? I thought it was Warlord."
All of the otters were instantly alert. They began asking Kagget several questions.
"Where'd ye hear about a Warlord?" asked one.
"Are ye kidding? I used to serve under one."
This answer made one of the otters actually fall backward onto the ground. The otter who had asked the question began spluttering.
"Wha... buh... guh... you... Get 'im out of here!"
"Why?" asked Nomak.
"Haven't ye heard? Whenever a vermin escapes from a Warlord's horde, the Warlord sends hundreds of vermin to find - and kill - them."
"I don't think that will be a problem, Rukkar actually sent me on a mission to chop off somebeast's head, but me an' ole Cudder got separated from the rest of them."
"Chop off somebeast's head? Sounds pretty bloodthirsty ter me," said Bardo.
"Says the un who's probably killed over a hundred vermin," replied Nagim.
"Good point. Anyway, you say this Warlord's called Rukkar the Wrecker? What's the horde called?"
"The Destroyers, I think."
"Are we going to go and kill him, or not?" asked Nomak.
"We are. Otters, clean up camp! When we're leavin' in a few hours there must be no trace that otters have ever been here! Don't just stand there, clean up camp! Clean it up!"
"Have ye gone mad? We've been here our entire lives, we've never cleaned up before!" said Nagim.
"Well, yer goin' ter tonight!"
The Gorvim had caught sight of Redwall. When they found it, Blueback ordered the troops to hide in the ditch next to the Abbey. The horde of over seventeen hundred vermin had trouble packing into the ditch, so some of the vermin hid on the other side of Redwall, in the forest. Skorret was one of the vermin in the ditch, and he complained.
"Hoi, Blueback, can we get out of 'ere? I'm joint leader of this horde, ye said so yerself!"
In response, Blueback ordered more vermin into the ditch. Some vermin were starting to suffocate. A few vermin had already died, but Blueback didn't notice. The vermin were packed so tightly that the dead stayed upright, supported by the living around them. Skorret was at the side of the ditch, so he was being pushed into the wall. He began scrabbling at the dirt wall, attempting to dig a small cave. In a few minutes he had dug a small amount into the wall and went into the makeshift cave. Other vermin attempted to get in with him, but he fended them off with half of a tree root (his sword had snapped earlier).
A time later Blueback had squeezed even more troops into the ditch. At least a hundred and fifty vermin were dead, but Blueback did not care. All that mattered to him was the capture of Redwall.
"Chief, there's vermin dying all over the place! Get us outta here!" cried a ferret. The ferret was then heaved out of the ditch by Blueback.
"Very well, I'll get you out of there," said Blueback.
The ferret became uneasy, and tried to jump back in. Before he landed Blueback's rapier seemed to grow out of his back, and the ferret died.
"Any more vermin get out of this ditch and before they can breathe I'll kill them!"
"Yes, Chief, right away Chief."
"Skorret again? Come out, right now."
Skorret laughed.
"Do ye think I'm an idjit? If I come out you'll kill me, you just said that. I'm staying right here!"
"Horde! Kill Skorret!"
"Fine, fine, I'm comin' out."
Once he was out of the ditch, Skorret took a deep breath, and then laughed again.
"Are ye goin' ter kill me or wot? I breathed, and you didn't kill me. Idjit!"
Skorret was thrown unceremoniously back into the ditch.
"The next time you call me an idiot, I'll hand you over to the woodlanders. I suppose they have a bone to pick with you over that bed!"
"Yes sir!"
"That wasn't you. Say it!"
"No sir!"
Blueback lost his temper.
"Say it, you brainless toad, or I'll carve you into rags, then eat them!"
"That would be cannibalism."
"SAY IT!"
"Fine. Yes sir."
Skorret muttered to himself, "Now I know his weakness. Somebeast not following orders!"
"I heard that!"