CHAPTER SEVENTY-SIX
Matowick's group broke out of the forest just to the south of Redwall, close enough to see that no sentries or lookouts peered over the battlements in their direction. The remaining four members of his party from Salamandastron stood at the ready in the road ahead with all of their recovered weapons, waiting to be off the moment their commander rejoined them.
Matowick held his companions and their prisoners back at the forest fringe, pausing before they proceeded out into the open meadow almost literally under the shadow of the Abbey's south wall. "Looks clear," he assessed, "but no guarantee it's going to stay that way much longer. Those hornets could have stopped swarming by now, and there will be Redwallers back on those ramparts soon enough. Get those rats tied up, and then I'll make a sprint for the road with the female and leave the other here for Chetwynd to deal with - whenever he and the rest of his patrols deign to show up. I'm surprised we didn't run into any of them already."
"We're pretty widely dispersed through these woods," the female Gawtrybe explained. "Lots of territory to cover. The way we came was the approach the two of us were assigned to guard, so the others are probably thinking they didn't have to double up along that particular trail."
"Whatever," Matowick said dismissively. "Either way, this is where we split up. Just get her paws bound tight, so we can make good time without her causing us any trouble."
The female's partner produced a coil of rope, standard gear for all pairs of patrolling Gawtrybe who might be required to take prisoners at a moment's notice. "Um, in front or behind her back, Captain?"
"Huh? Oh, in back, I suppose. That'll make it harder for her to try a run for it."
Latura stood unresisting as her paws were pinioned and tied behind her, all her attention on the ill-looking Palter. "Toldja, he's gotta come with us. Gotta go to sea."
"Oh, don't worry, little one; now that he's in our custody, he'll be going to sea all right - just by a different route than ours." Matowick left the securing of the rats to Brisson and the two patrollers as he studied the path before them more intently. Still, nobeast stirred upon the battlements, and his squirrels in the road remained the only creatures to be seen anywhere. Estimating the time it would take to cross the meadow and rejoin his comrades, and then get out into the Western Plains, the situation began to strike him as more hopeful. The ditch posed the biggest challenge; here so close to the Abbey it was too wide to jump, and leading a bound and reluctant captive down into the miniature gorge and back out again might prevent them from gaining the Plains before the Redwallers raised the alarm. They would just need their luck to hold out a little longer ...
"Oh, soft acorns! How did that happen?!"
Matowick recognized the urgent tone of frustration in Brisson's voice before he even turned to see what the trouble was. He stared in disbelief at the sight of Latura, paws bound behind her as ordered, tethered by a slack rope to Palter, whose paws were tied before him.
"Briss, what are those two rats doing tied to each other?"
"Um, can't rightly say, sir ... "
"Well, untie them!"
"Yes sir!"
As Matowick looked on in mounting annoyance, first one squirrel then the other and then the third all tried to undo the knot, each with less success than before. At length the female turned to Matowick in exasperation. "I don't understand it. These knots aren't any configuration I've ever seen before."
"Well, which one of you tied them?"
"Not me."
"Not me either."
"Well, it sure wasn't me!"
The three Gawtrybe glared at each other, challenging their fellows to call them a liar. Matowick turned his own baleful gaze on Latura. "It was you, wasn't it? You made this happen."
"Didn't do nuthin'. He's gotta come with us, an' go to sea. Couldn't be no other way."
"Marvelous. Just marvelous. Okay, we're taking them both - we can't waste any more time here. Let's move!"
The two patrollers accompanied Matowick and Brisson across the meadow to the road, to help make sure the rats caused no trouble - not that that was very likely, with Latura and Palter tied together as they were. However, at their closest approach to the Abbey wall, Palter suddenly yelled out, "Help! Help! We're bein' - " He got no more out before the female squirrel clubbed him to silence with her long bow.
"No more tricks like that, you wretch," she warned, "or else I'll gag you - and trust me, you'll not like what I'll use for a muzzle!"
"Be quiet now," Latura advised her fellow rat with maddening calm - maddening to Palter, at any rate. "Y' gotta come with us. It's th' way things gotta be."
Staggering on his footpaws from the blow, Palter wobbled on after her in their double-time pace set by the Gawtrybe, glancing up at the deserted battlements like a betrayal.
Moments later Nixalis and the rest of the squad were greeting Matowick in the road, even as they continued casting anxious glances of their own toward the walltop - although, unlike Palter, it was with the fervent hope that nobeast would appear there. Nixalis regarded the scrawny male rat tied to their equally slight target. "Two for the price of one, sir?"
"Unexpected baggage. Can't be helped." Matowick accepted his bow, quiver and blade from Nixalis. "Looks like you were all able to slip out without attracting the wrong kind of attention."
"That we were, thanks to that hornet swarm, and a fire in the gatehouse too - they let us run right out through the open gates without anybeast being the wiser. Once they saw what we were about, they even let us grab our weapons without any fuss. And it looks like somebeast has helped us more than that, even." Nixalis and the others led Matowick over to one stretch of the roadside ditch, across which lay three long planks forming a crude span. "Not too sturdy, but I reckon it's good for one crossing."
"Then let's stop standing here admiring it and make use of it!" Matowick enjoined his fellow Gawtrybe.
They wasted no time in doing just that. The six Gawtrybe from Salamandastron, with Latura and Palter between them, crossed single-file along the bending, bowing planks, until all stood in the plains across from Redwall. Flaquer, bringing up the rear, stooped and pulled each plank over to their side of the ditch, so that no creature from the Abbey could use them for pursuit. Then, as the two patrollers from Chetwynd's force retreated back across the meadow to melt into Mossflower Woods once more, Matowick's party struck out into the Western Plains with all the speed they could force from their prisoners, eager to put as much distance between themselves and Redwall as they could before their prize was missed.
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The swarm had mostly abated when Alex darted out of the Abbey door onto the open grounds, allowing him a moment to stop and take stock of the situation. Upon spying the Colonel and several others clustered by the door to the smoking gatehouse, he abandoned his original plans to make for the orchard first and instead headed toward the west wall. If anybeast would know which creatures had been out and about recently, it would be Clewiston, and besides, it looked to Alex as if some of the hornets might still have been buzzing angrily around the orchard.
"Wot ho, Alex chappie?" the Long Patrol commander greeted his Mossflower Patrol counterpart. "You're lookin' downright anxious to be somewhere."
"Colonel, have you seen Latura anywhere?"
"That ratmaid seer? Can't say that I have, at least not since the hornet hullaballoo started. Isn't she inside with everybeast else?"
"No, she doesn't seem to be. She got separated from her family in the crush to get in from the swarm, and they can't find her anywhere in Great Hall."
"Hmm. Then maybe she's still in the orchard, or else she ran off to some other part of the grounds. The hornets seemed thickest over the south lawns. All I know is, there've been no rats this way during any of this multi-pronged to-do ... unless you count those brushtailed Northland variety who just beat it out of here."
Alexander's ears pricked. "The Gawtrybe? What about them?"
"Four of 'em came runnin' toward us like their tails were on fire, right when everyballybeast else was tryin' to get inside. Grabbed up their weapons an' skedaddled right out of the Abbey. An' I wasn't shedding any tears of farewell."
"Only four? Was Matowick among them? Where were the other two? Where were they going?"
"Whoa, whoa, one blinkin' question at a time, wot? No, their captain seemed to be missing, an' I don't know where the other two truants got off to, but I can tell you they took all their weapons with 'em, for all six of their party. An' they weren't exactly disposed to share where they were off to in such a hurry. I just made sure to get the gate barred behind 'em. Now that they're armed again, don't want that rabble gettin' back inside, do we?"
Alex glanced up at the ramparts with concern, noting their abandonment. "Who's on walltop lookout? Are all the gates being guarded?"
Clewiston waved a casual paw of dismissive assurance. "We were up topside until leverets started plummeting an' gatehouses started smoking, so this portal's been well-watched, you can rest assured. Nobeast's been in or out except those red-furred bow-twangers, mark my bally words. As for the other egresses, north ramparts an' wallgate's far 'nuff removed from the ruckus that they should still be fully staffed. East gate too. An' I sent two of your own squad over to safeguard the south gate, tho' I doubt anybeast came in or out that way since the worst of the swarm lay over that area. Figured we'd get th' gates all squared away first, then worry 'bout gettin' sets of peepers back up above."
Alex seemed to accept the Colonel's assessment, but then his eyes widened in alarm. "Hang on. I heard that all the otters guarding the east gate came over to help rescue Faylona from the pond, and then jumped into the water themselves to escape the hornets. And all the rats and squirrels who were up on the east walltop also came down to see if they could aid Faylona too, and they were all chased indoors by the swarm."
Clewiston's eyes widened to match Alexander's. "By my scuddin' scut, that'd leave our east flanks open an' exposed, right where all those besiegin' villains are at their thickest!"
Alex worked his jaw. "Except I don't think an invasion of Redwall is what they've got in mind ... " He turned and raced back the way he'd come, making a mad dash for the east grounds.
Clewiston looked to Melanie, still minding the fidgety Lysander, and the shrews of the west watch. "Keep an eye on that gate!" he ordered, turning to follow Alex.
"Clewy, be careful!" his wife called out after him.
"Don't you worry, m' gel - if we find any trouble we can't handle, you'll see us comin' back this way twice as fast as we left!"
Moments later Clewiston had fallen into speedy step alongside the Forest Patrol chief, his natural hare speed allowing him to catch up to the squirrel with ease. "If you're headin' into trouble, chap, better to have a fighter at your back, wot?"
Alex smiled. "Much appreciated, Colonel!"
The two of them gave the orchard as wide a berth as they could, sticking close to the main Abbey on their way to check out the east gate. At that remove, thus did even Clewiston's sharp ears miss Palter's weak, hysterical cries for help outside the south wall at that moment, and so the would-be Redwall rescuers pressed on toward the east grounds even as Palter and Latura were forced out onto the road and thence into the Western Plains.
Alexander's racing heart fell as they drew within clear sight of the east gate. "It's open!"
"An' unguarded too," Clewiston added, paw on the hilt of the sword he'd adopted for this day's watch rotation. "Just as you jolly well feared, rotter's luck. Be on your toes, chappie - might be far worse'n hornets about!"
Alex himself felt suddenly naked, lacking his customary bow and quiver, which he seldom wore around the Abbey when not on duty. With only his small belt knife to comfort him, he made to step out through the gate into Mossflower. "Let's see what there is to see out there ... if anything."
And so Alex passed through the gate, and he was very careful.
And Clewiston followed behind him, and he was also very careful.
And yet, in spite of their shared alert caution, neither thought to look immediately to their right, where the former Abbess pressed herself flat against the outside of the wall, quite literally out of sight and out of mind of the two defenders.
Alex and the Colonel let their roving gazes drop from the forest before them to the grass and earth at their footpaws, and each instantly reached the same conclusion.
"Somebeast's been out this way, an' recent, too," the hare assessed. "More'n one, by the look of it."
"Pawprints aren't clear enough to tell the species," added Alex. "Could be squirrels, or rats ... or both."
"So, do we give - "
The heavy slam of the gate behind them made both creatures jump, and turn to look. But all that met their gaze was the closed entryway, with nobeast else in sight.
The unmistakable scrape of the lockbolt, however, left little doubt as to their clandestine stalker's intent.
Already guessing how futile it would be, Clewiston went to the door and gave it a try, but it would not budge. "Ho, that's just fine an' dandy, wot? Now who'd go an' do something like that?"
"Somebeast pretty sneaky," Alex said, "since as far as I could tell, we were alone when we went through, and we were alone once we came out here."
"Hmm. Chalk it up to th' bally ghosts then ... "
"I'm about ready to do just that. So, do we follow the tracks to see where they lead, or try to get back inside?"
The Colonel mulled this over. "Much as my adventuresome spirit says to strike out into the bold unknown, we're Redwall defenders first an' foremost. Our Abbey's in a bit of a crisis just at th' moment, so I'd say our place is here."
Alex stared at the faint tracks in frustration. "Somebeast could be in serious trouble ... could need our help badly ... "
"Then we'll set out once we've all caught our breath and have had a chance to round up a serious rescue party ... properly armed, which we aren't now. My first weapon's spear, not this show blade I'm wearin' now, an' you've naught but your knife. No, let's go back inside, an' then we'll sort things out as need be."
Alexander sighed in defeat. "Well, we're not getting in that way. Do we go north, or south?"
"Let's try north, since our sentries there likely never abandoned their posts in the first place. An' if it turns out they have, then we'll just hafta tramp all th' way 'round to the main gate. Leastways we know there's somebeast there who'll let us in, even if it's my own bloomin' wife!"
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Warbeak Loft, in the attic spaces high above the Abbey grounds, escaped the worst of the swarm unscathed. Indeed, when the Sparra there realized what was going on, a few of the more daring and impetuous youngbirds swooped down into the thick of it to see how many of the crunchy, succulent stinging insects they could snatch from midair, as much for the sport of it as to feed their bellies. And while a few suffered solitary stings for their playful antics - including at least one stung tongue, which only added daring spice to the tasty tidbit from that bird's point of view - the quantity of gobbled hornets far surpassed the number of afflicted sparrows. In fact, this aerial predation proved a major factor in convincing the hornets to settle down and cease their swarming.
With this diversion ebbing, the uninjured birds turned their sights to new endeavors while their stinger-pieced brethren retreated to Warbeak Loft to nurse their battle wounds. Thus did Rafter become the first Redwaller to spot Matowick's party crossing the ditch and striking out into the Western Plains at a half-trot. Realizing that these were the same half-dozen Gawtrybe who'd been staying at the Abbey in recent days, and that they bore with them two rat prisoners - one adorned in an instantly-recognizable peach dress - the entire scenario struck even the naturally detached Rafter as cause for alarm, and so out he flew to investigate.
Unsurprisingly, they refused to respond to his chittered hails or slow their pace, but Rafter's alarm turned to stunned shock when drawn blades greeted him upon alighting on the plains before them, the cold and purposeful steel matching the squirrels' grim, determined faces.
The female captive beamed at the sparrow with an innocent smile totally at odds with her obvious plight. "Birdy!"
"LattyRatty! Heyhey, youtook LattyRatty!"
"Out of our way, bird!" Nixalis snapped as the group made to go around the inquisitive sparrow. "Don't seek to harass or waylay us, or we will use our arms!"
Taken aback by the unexpected hostility, Rafter hopped clear of them twice as far as necessary. "Whytake LattyRatty?"
"She's a prisoner of Lord Urthblood's, by special decree," Matowick shot back. "Make no move against us, or it will end badly for you!"
The squirrels pressed past Rafter, pushing on without further acknowledgment that the Sparra was even there - although a couple did keep their swords out, as a clear message they were not to be trifled with. Latura looked back over her shoulder in sad farewell; she might have waved, had her paws not been bound behind her. "Bye bye birdy!"
Rafter stood looking after them for several brainwracking moments, unsure what to do. Then, as a burst of decisiveness surged within him, he flapped into the air and flew back to Redwall as fast as he could.
Earlier that morning, most of the Sparra who hadn't been out foraging in the woods had taken up perches at various spots upon and along the Abbey roof, watching the day's events with rapt spectators' interest. There was nothing they could do about the leveret who'd seemingly almost drowned in the pond, but the young hare appeared to have emerged from that scare none the worse, tended now by Maura on the north grounds. Nor could they involve themselves with the fire in the gatehouse, although that too seemed to have abated with no casualties and little damage to the Abbey itself. They'd not even noticed little Lysander falling from the west walltop, it had happened so quickly, and as for the altercation near the orchard at the start of all this, birdfolk tended to steer clear of such sizable fisticuffs, content to let the ground beasts work out such difference among themselves. The one act by which the Sparra could make any beneficial impact - hunting the hornets and quelling the swarm - had already been performed, so now they were mostly satisfied to just sit by and watch as the crisis settled down and resolved itself.
Rafter found Highwing perched upon the eaves overlooking the south lawns, which also commanded a clear view covering the orchard and pond all the way across to the west wallgate. The younger bird flapped down alongside his chieftain in an excited flurry of feathers. "Highwing, Highwing! Gawtrybebushtails took LattyRatty! LattyRatty all tiedup, ledacross WestPlains!"
As the Sparra leader ruffled in alarm at this, a round head stuck out from the opening in the roofspaces below, its equally round eyes blinking in the sun. Captain Saugus, having been up all night, had sought to sleep away the daylight hours as a guest in Warbeak Loft, but the commotions of this morning had only served to rouse him long before his preferred twilight awakening.
"What is that you say?" the owl captain inquired of Rafter. "The Gawtrybe staying here at Redwall have left, and are now fleeing across the Western Plains?"
"WhatIsaid, whatIsaid!"
"And this rat you say they have with them - is that the one believed to have prophetic powers?"
"Yesyesyes!"
Saugus digested this. "Then the Captain has succeeded in his mission. Do not follow, or there will be trouble." Spreading his wings, the owl launched himself from beneath the eaves and flapped out over the west wall to fly supporting cover for Matowick's squad on their way back to Salamandastron.
Highwing, hearing the owl's words and seeing the purposefulness of his commanding departure, wasted not a moment in fluttering away himself in search of whatever Abbey leaders he could find.
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"Hullo, Maura," Alex greeted the Badgermum as he and Clewiston were let in through the north wallgate by the shrews and hares stationed there. "Didn't expect to find you here."
"When those hornets struck, my instincts kicked in, so I grabbed Faylona and got her away from there as fast as I could. And those instincts proved correct in this case, because this little pretend otter here didn't suffer so much as a single sting. Wish I could claim to be as lucky; my tail's positively throbbing! But, such are the perils of being a responsible Badger Mother." Maura looked from the squirrel to Clewiston as she kept Faylona entertained with one waggling paw. "What were you two doing outside the wall? I thought you had west gate duty today, Colonel."
"Our Gawtrybe friends appear to have slipped out of the Abbey in the midst of all this confusion," Alex explained. "The Colonel let four of them out himself - with all of their weapons - and the other two aren't anywhere to be found either."
"I'm not exactly crushed," Maura wryly remarked. "Having them around wasn't exactly adding to our share of Redwall cheer."
"Normally I'd agree that we're best rid of them - except that Latura's missing too."
Maura nearly gasped at this. "You think they made off with her? How would they have pulled off such a thing?"
"We found tracks of multiple creatures outside the east wallgate, leadin' into the bally woods," Clewiston reported, his fellow hares piqued to full attention by this news. "That side of the Abbey got overlooked an' was left unguarded in all this rigamarole. My guess is they grabbed her an' are haulin' her to Foxguard even as we speak. We've gotta let the other Abbey leaders know, an' decide wot we're jolly well going to do about it."
Maura picked up Faylona and cradled the leveret in her arms as the shrews and hares saw to locking the wallgate again; the possibility of such subterfuge had instantly brought Long Patrol and Guosim both to heightened alertness. "I'll go with you," the badger said. "We can use the rear entrance by the kitchen stores, and get to Great Hall and Cavern Hole that way, without having to face those dreadful hornets again."
"They seemed to have mostly settled down when I went out that way," Alex informed them. "But you're right; this way will get us in faster, and time's of the essence now."
The three ranking Abbeybeasts, with Maura's added leveret passenger, had only made it halfway across to the main building when Highwing descended upon them in his usual well-practiced, lopsided, twirling flutter, alighting on the lawns before them. "Maura, Alex, Colonel! The Gawtrybe have taken Latura!"
"You've spotted 'em?" Clewiston asked, eager for any tactical confirmation. "Where are they now? Which way're they headed?"
"According to Rafter, they're already out into the Plains, making due west at double speed."
"The Plains?" Alex echoed in bewilderment. "That doesn't make any sense!"
The Colonel begged to differ. "Sure it does. Those brushtailed blighters aren't taking her to Foxguard at all. They're abscondin' with her straight back to Salamandastron! That must've been their entire soddenfurred reasons for comin' here in the first place!"
Highwing nodded. "Captain Saugus confirmed as much. He was there when Rafter reported to me, and when Saugus heard this news, he said something about the captain's mission having succeeded." The Sparra leader looked between the three faces. "He also warned us not to follow, or there would be trouble."
"There's trouble already," Maura said with a scowl, "and they're the ones who caused it!"
"Yah," Clewiston added, "an' I'm not exactly in the bally habit of followin' my enemies' blinkin' orders!"
Alex stared at the Colonel. "You consider Matowick's group to be enemies?"
"Tricking their way into our home under false pretenses, an' abductin' a creature under our Abbot's protection - what would you call 'em?"
Alexander needed only a moment to dwell on this question. "Enemies. I'd call them enemies. And right now they're enemies who are getting farther away with each word we waste here."
"I'm with you, Alex chappie. But their choice of direction should help us out in the long run - and a long hare's run is wot this'll boil down to. Wide, flat, open plains with no trees to disappear into, an' none of their fellow hooligans to ambush us from. That'll make 'em a lot easier to track, an' easier to catch up to. Biggest bloomin' break they could've given us - or that we could've asked for."
"There may not be Gawtrybe in the trees to contend with, but Captain Choock's shrews have been seen abroad in the Western Plains since their deployment, and then there's Saugus to consider as well. Those squirrels will have aerial cover. They'll see us coming from a long way away."
Clewiston glanced at Highwing with a calculating grin. "Ol' Bloodface isn't the only one around here with birds, is he?"
Alex returned the grin. "Yes, there is that, isn't there? You two go on in and let the others know what's happened. I'm not letting those rat thieves widen their lead over us any more than they already have. I'm going after them; the rest of the rescue party can catch up later!" He started off toward the west grounds at a determined jog.
"Alex!" Maura called after him. "We need to discuss this first! What if Geoff decides not to send a rescue party?"
"Then I'll be on my own, won't I?" the Forest Patrol leader shouted back without breaking his stride.
"Not on your jolly own, chappie," Clewiston muttered. "Marm, get inside an' let the Abbot an' ev'ryballybeast else know wot's happened. Traveller especially - he'll know wot t' do, least as far as the Patrols go. Me 'n' Alex'll lead the charge - but we'll be countin' on backup, sooner or later."
"You'll have it from us, Colonel," Highwing pledged. "The Abbot must decide how his ground beasts will respond to this, but we Sparra decide for ourselves, and my decision is that we fly with you!"
"Smashing show, my feathered general! Righto, then, I'm off. See you on the Plains!" Clewiston shot off after Alex, whose red tail was already disappearing around the corner of the equally red sandstone building.
Maura heaved a sigh and gazed down at Faylona in her arms as she strode toward the Abbey door. "Looks like you and I are the general alarm, aren't we?"
Around on the northwest grounds, Alex was surprised to see Clewiston falling into step alongside him. "Colonel! I thought I told you and Maura to go inside and alert everybeast else?"
The hare feigned mock insult. "My dear bushtail, you may be th' high mucky-muck 'mongst your fellow treewhompers, but I'll handle Long Patrol matters 'round here, if you don't mind. An' if you think I'm lettin' you head out there all alone, then you don't know this longears very well, wot?"
Alex smiled in spite of himself, gladdened anew to have such an experienced soldierbeast at his side. "I can see there's no talking you out of this, so thanks!"
"Hrmph. Let's just say you owe me an extra muffin at next brekkers, old bean."
They came upon the gatehouse cottage at their shared half-trot, Melanie and the shrews eyeing them expectantly. "What news?" the harewife inquired, knowing from their gait that all was not well.
"Those fiends have made off with Lattie," her husband replied. "Slipped out with her through the east gate when nobeast was watchin', then circled back around to rejoin the four we let out this way. Our Sparra confirm they're makin' their way 'cross the Western Plains, so we're goin' after 'em."
"You and wot army?" Melanie demanded of him.
"That's bein' determined even as we speak. Maura's in tellin' the Abbot an' the others, an' they'll hammer out who gets to be in the rescue party. We've also got our feathered friends flyin' with us, so we'll not be alone until the cavalry arrives." Seeing the aggrieved reservations in his spouse's face, he quickly added, "Don't you worry one gray hare's hair any grayer, Mel m'gel. Alex 'n' I'll just be shadowing these ruffians until we're bolstered by enuff fighters to even things out. Wouldn't dream of engagin' them in any lopsided scrape, don'tcha know."
"I should hope not," she chastised. "I've already buried one husband, an' Lys deserves to have his father around for a good many more seasons." Regarding Alex and Clewiston, she added, "You're not even properly armed!"
"We'll change that in a jiff." Motioning toward the vast pile of confiscated rat armaments nearby, he said to Alex, "Go grab a bow and quiver for yourself, chappie, an' while you're at it, a nice solid spear for this old hare will fit the bill nicely. I'm sure those skintails won't mind us borrowin' them, since it's their flippin' prophet we're goin' after!"
Alex did as bidden, taking a few extra moments to choose wisely. Returning to the gatehouse, he found Clewiston and Melanie wrapping up a whispered conversation between the two of them. Passing the spear to the Colonel, he asked, "Anything I should know about?"
"Just family matters. Naught to worry your tufted-eared head about. Hmm, rather fine piece o' work, this spear. Who'da guessed those frighters would boast weapons of this quality? Prob'ly pilfered it from somebeast else. Just shows how wise it was t' disarm 'em before grantin' 'em sanctuary inside our walls."
"This bow also looks sure and sturdy," Alex weighed in. "And I checked the arrows too. They mostly seem straight and true. Not sure I'd care to try my luck with them against Gawtrybe shafts, though."
"Remember, we're just trackin' an' trailin', Alex. No unilateral action on our part until th' whompin' reinforcements arrive."
"And that's a promise I'll hold you to," Melanie told Clewiston with undisguised concern as little Lysander, looking on with wide eyes, clutched tightly at his mother's paw. "Come back to me safe, Clewy."
"That's the bally plan, Mel. Well, Alex, time's wastin', no time like th' present, an' all that rot. Shall we?"
As if to emphasize the Colonel's point, Rafter swooped low over the creatures gathered by the gatehouse. "Hurryup. hurryup! Badbeasts getfar, LattyRatty getfar!"
"Bird's got the sense of a mole," Clewiston muttered. "Almost as hard to understand, too. Okay, open that gate, 'cos we're goin' through!"
While Melanie stood back, Lysander firmly in paw and the worried look never leaving her face, the watch shrews heaved to and got the large doors open, allowing Alex and the Colonel to hasten out into the road. As the gate slammed shut behind them, Melanie turned and started toward the main Abbey, her son in tow. "Come along, Lys. We have to go find Uncle Traveller, an' no dawdlin'!"
Out in the path, Alex made straight for the drainage ditch immediately opposite the gates, but Clewiston held him back, nodding to his left instead. "No call for gettin' down in that trench an' havin' to claw our way back up the other side, when there's a better way!"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"I'll show you." Leading the way south a few dozen paces, Clewiston halted at the edge of the ditch across from the withdrawn planks. Ears drooping and whiskers atwitch in agitation, he grumbled, "Well, that's a spankin' fine how d' you do, isn't it? Those planks made a fine little footpawbridge only just this morn. Just wot you'd jolly well expect from such dashed miscreants, going an' taking our bridge away! Well, we'll just hafta lay it out again, won't we? Stand back, chappie - give this old gray hare some running room!"
Alex looked on skeptically. "You mean to jump the ditch?"
"Course, chum. Not that wide here, an' once I'm across, I can throw a plank or two back your way for you to cross too - an' those who'll be followin' after us."
"Looks wide enough to me. I know a thing or two about jumping, and I don't think I could clear it."
"The watch a master of the spring-legged arts show you how it's done, wot! An entire score of us took this crack when we were chasin' Browder here after that indignity at Salamandastron, without so much as a stumble between us!"
"Maybe so, but that was two summers and several belt notches ago, for you, Colonel."
"Hrmph!" Kicking and stretching to prepare himself, Clewiston backed up for a running start and sprinted toward the ditch, his borrowed spear leveled out before him blunt end first. Picking his moment, he dipped his spear into a firm, hard patch at the ditch's edge and, with a mighty push from both legs, levered himself airborne upon the long shaft like a vaulting pole. His momentum carried him clear across the miniature chasm with a paw's breadth to spare. Collecting himself from a somewhat awkward and ungainly landing, he stood and leaned on his weapon. "And that's how you leap a trench, chappie!"
Rafter winged by overhead, chittering. "Funnybunnydog flylike Sparra, butonly for shorttime, teeheeheeheehee!"
"Color me impressed, Colonel," Alex admitted. "Doubt I could have done that. But now that you're over there, let's get on with what you made that jump for in the first place, hm?"
Stirring himself, Clewiston grabbed up one of the planks and extended it across the ditch. Alex didn't even wait for him to lay a second one, bouncing across it with his squirrel's agility to join the Colonel. "Right, let's get going, and close some of that distance!"
With a tiny squadron of Sparra escorts circling and ranging above them, Alex and Clewiston set a brisk pace into the Western Plains, following the trail of six squirrels and two rats that was impossible to miss.
The chase had begun.