The rat stood with his arms crossed shivering underneath the cloak and damp felt cap that sat tight around his head. His ears had gone numb from the frigid wind and drizzle that assaulted them from the sky above. It reminded him why he loved the southern seas as a pirate. Warm sun and sweet breezes with the occasional warm summer's rain, not this freezing mist. He was pinned between Foremole Grumm and a stocky slack-jawed hedgehog who seemed to hog more than enough attention just being present amongst their ranks.
"Oi, this 'ere squall ain't doin' nought good, zurr. But leastways, th' stone be settl'd fer now." Foremole Grumm started. He stood before the Abbot and several other important beasts as he held a yellowed claw against a partially collapsed wall."This 'ere summer's 'eat were brutal, oi tell 'ee! Suck'd th' life roight outta th' ground an' sucked th' life outta th' red stones o' th' abbey itself, burr aye! This winter we'm had, 'tis been anythin' but normal, zurr. 'Eavy snow so early into th' winter moons put most o' us'n indoors fer the rest o' the season."
"This 'ere wall," Foremole Grumm said as he slapped the stone, and the whole wall trembled ever so slightly. The surrounding beasts jumped away expecting the whole wall to collapse. The mole coughed a hearty chuckle seeing the other beasts flee.
"You frogswallowed toad! Don't send the whole building crashing down on us, wot!" Sergeant Danburr snapped as he wiped a drizzle of rain from his brows.
"Don't 'ee worry, laddie. Th' wall won't be collapsin'. Leastways, not yet." That didn't seem to instill much confidence in the other beasts."This 'ere bit o' wall should stay up long as we'm can keep it support'd. Oi managed t' do it last night wi' th' help o' many o' you, but oi don't be expectin' it t' last in th' long er than this winters moon. Not if this 'ere trouble keeps spreadin' through th' Abbey."
"What issue?" The golden furred mouse Maslow asked. "The fact we've lost most of our winter stores or the cellar has fallen in on itself?"
"Those be both symptoms o' th' same cause." The weathered mole said as he clicked his claws against the ruined stone. The mole wore a tarp akin to Sathe's dark cloak, only much more humorous than the ferrets. His nose and beady eyes were protected by the rain and just about the only part of him you could see was his claws.
My rotten luck most likely. Seabane thought dejectedly to himself. The old rat clenched his teeth as he thought about all that food being destroyed. What a rotten night it had been. First, that stupid fox proclaimed that Eli would train him, ignoring that most beasts in Redwall wanted him dead. Silvertongue then thought it wise to challenge that vile hare, Conrad. The hare had racked up impressive victories over the band of deserters. At least Seabane had been able to settle the score. It was better than the damn Ghost of Martin that destroyed the cellar and tried to slay Crooksnouts eldest and a few dibbuns. The deserters were lucky they didn't manage to destroy the cellar by their foolishness. They would've been hanging from the Abbey's walls if they did.
"Is it this Ghost Martin the dibbuns were ranting about?" Abbot Micah spat from his mouth as if it were poison.
"No, it bain't no one beast's fault. 'Tis th' course o' nature takin' its toll on th' abbey o'er countless generations, zurr."
"Are ye saying the abbeys falling apart on its own?" The boisterous hedgehog asked.
"Aye, not that it wants to, o' course, but it's been aged an' got rough 'round th' edges, burr aye. 'Tis loike a newborn chick or our old librarian—d'ye 'member how he quaked even when he stood still, zurr?"
Seabane still didn't understand most of the mole's quips and anecdotes especially when he spoke of the Abbey's hallowed craftsmanship. A stone is a stone and wood is wood there was nothing spectacular about them. Seabane could find a rock on the ground with ease and he didn't gush about it like it was a great jewel. He had also lived on the wooden deck of a ship for most of his life. Nothing about wood sparked anything more than gut-wrenching distaste. It was just another way these woodlanders continued to sour themselves in the rat's eyes.
"This 'ere buildin' was built at th' same time as th' walls, countless seasons ago. Th' walls be impenetrable wi' th' right beasts t' build 'em. For 'em t' be infallible, they must 'ave th' right beasts maintainin' 'em, burr aye."
"Yarr, we need to fix the wall," Seabane said with a snort. He bounced on his toes to stay warm cursing his luck to be stuck in the open with little protection. "We knew that the moment the wall collapsed."
The mole narrowed his eyes to pinpoints and stared back at the rat. The rat's air of arrogance turned to bitter distaste.
"No, we got t' fix far more than just this wall, zurr. Th' whole abbey be infected, burr aye. Th' water pourin' down th' side o' th' walls loike a stream, th' drafts in th' room even wi' th' windows closed, th' stone fallin' from th' bell tower an' missin' a dibbun by a whisker! Even our Ghost, who seems t' appear an' disappear into thin air." The mole paused to let his words hang in the drizzle.
"Foremole how is that all connected? I understand the belltower falling due to age but not how this pertains to our Ghost." Abbot Micah asked his whiskers dripping with a winters dew.
"Aye, Abbot Micah. Oi suspected one o' ye might've put it all t'gether, but I reckon not, zurr." The Foremole responded clasping his claws together. "It all boils down t' th' weather. Our walls, though tall an' thick as a mountain, ain't impenetrable. Bugs, spiders, dust, an' most importantly water can squeeze through th' gaps, no matter how small they look, burr aye. Winter's snows've melted an' frozen an' melted an' frozen an' melted again. When it freezes, th' ice pushes against everythin' it's touchin'. This here creates gaps in th' stone, lettin' larger holes be opened up."
"How d'ye know that?" Dokkur asked in disbelief.
"Remember when Bushby left that jug o' water outside after one o' yer sparrin' sessions, zurr? Well, th' water froze overnight, an' th' next mornin' when Friar Willard went t' grab it, he were hornswoggled t' find it shattered t' pieces. It were th' ice what cracked th' clay. Th' water expanded as it froze an' broke th' jug. Just think o' what's happened t' th' Abbey!" Foremole explained.
"Over generations, th' mortar an' stone what built this abbey 'ave withered an' worn away. T' fix it, we must start anew."
There was a stunned silence by all the beasts in attendance. The mole didn't wait for anyone to finish their thoughts.
"That ain't all. Th' Abbey was built upon th' ruins o' Kotir. What were left o' th' fortress, if not destroyed or made into our own home, sunk into th' ground. There be 'bout a score o' passageways an' tunnels beneath th' abbey what'll need t' be closed up or supported. Th' most obvious bein' th' one next t' our now-collapsed cellar, burr aye."
"Hold on since when have we had vermin tunnels beneath us?" Maslow asked.
"Since afore our abbey were even built." Foremole responded matter of fact. "But that be but one o' many things t' do, zurr. Scaffoldings need t' be made, an' stone brought t' th' abbey. Then th' stone's gotta be cut t' shape an' put into place wi' new grout. Not only does th' cellar, th' dungeon, an' th' stonework 'bout th' infirmary an' private quarters need replacin' an' fixin', but th' top o' th' bell tower's gotta be near completely repaired. That an' th' northern an' eastern walls needin' some work, too. If ye were smart, ye'd've realized our Ghost's been usin' these tunnels an' weaknesses in th' stone t' stalk our vermin friends."
The air was sucked from everyone's lungs. Seabane couldn't imagine rebuilding the abbey. It must have taken seasons to build the main hall alone. Not to mention the rat had an inkling suspicion who was to be most involved.
"That can't be done in a season much less a winter! How am I supposed t' rebuild yer abbey?" The corsair complained.
"Well, oi weren't thinkin' ye'd be workin' on this, but since ye sound so eager, ye an' Marrow can be me two first mates!"
Marrow shot a disappointed glare toward Seabane. The sea rat wanted to rip the mole's whiskers out.
"This is going to be quite a challenge Foremole." Abbot Micah began, his voice was soft amongst the light drubbing of rain. "With the weather as bad as it is and the damage to Redwall, we're better off waiting until spring to begin the work."
"We're less than a fortnight away from the Midwinters feast as well." Eli reminded. "We'll need to begin preparations for the festivities."
"Will there be any festivities?" Seabane snorted. "We've got vermin hating beasts stalking and attacking Dibbuns an' the Abbeys a sneeze away from collapsing' yet yew Redwallers kin only think about stuffin' yer gullet!"
"Of course, there will be!" Abbot Micah snapped before taking a breath and regaining his composure. Seabane noticed several furious glances from the Redwallers. "We've never missed a Midwinters feast. Everybeast is counting on it, it'll be the perfect event to raise the spirits!"
Abbot Micah seemed a bit drained of life. The mouse's glow seemed a bit dull, and his praising of the feast fell far short of his intended enthusiasm. Seabane didn't mind. It was his abbey that was falling apart not the rat's. Of course, Redwall was the deserter's prison and the only other option was a slow cold death.
"We'll need some help." Farmer Berchan started with a clearing of his throat. "We've got plenty of food even without the cellars in the surrounding farms. We can even request help from the otters or Guosim if we desperately need it."
Seabane stiffened. Anyone other than them would've been tolerable. Their horrid cry the night Ruddy lost his leg would haunt the rat until his death. Seabane also struggled to trust them with anything more dangerous than a leaf.
"I'm sure Skipper Dane and Log-a-Log would gladly aid us," Eli said with a happier tone. "Samuel and I can send our request."
"We'll have a runner send them a message." Abbot Micah responded. The warrior mouse was flummoxed.
"I don't want to repeat what happened last time you were gone." The abbot continued flicking away the rain that accumulated on his ear. "I doubt any of us can handle that sort of excitement right now."
"Understood. I'll get a message written to both. I think Conrad knows the way."
"Right." The Foremole said, clapping his paws together and hopping off the stone. "We're goin' t' need t' begin cuttin' th' stone today. Oi'll takes a score o' beasts t' th' quarry an' start cuttin' away what we need. Oi'll 'ave another felling log for scaffoldin' brought 'ere t' th' abbey."
"I believe we can make a stop at the Brushtail home and make use of their cart. It's also a good spot for a meal and t' rest our paws." The grizzled warrior mouse added.
"Eli will go along with you Foremole." Abbot Micah said with a more confident breath. "He'll make sure ye all will learn to work together without issue, or we'll be searching for another beast to fill his boot."
Seabane slopped along with the line of beasts armed with saws, rope, pickaxes, shovels, and whatever else would help to dislodge stone from its rightful throne in the ground. The rat was miserable, the snow was enough to cover his feet, and the rain hadn't stopped. He shivered as he walked, shaking the excess water from his cloak onto the hard ground. Ferns and the limbs of trees brushed him sending droplets into his moderately dryer clothes. The pick he carried numbed his shoulders as the giant white rat prodded him from behind.
"Stop kicking me tail ye dumb brute." Seabane snapped with a swat of a nearby tree branch. Marrow responded by landing an even harder blow to the rat's rear sending him into the back of the burly hedgehog from earlier.
"Oi vermin, don't get too excited, we haven't even made it t' the quarry yet." The hedgehog crackled in jest. He was oddly cheery for a beast destined for manual labor.
"Don't remind me," Seabane grumbled as he rubbed his chest where a quill had pricked him.
"You two are far tamer than other rats I've met." The hedgehog slowed to walk beside Seabane. "Most would've plunked me in the back and ran off. I'm pleasantly surprised that's not the case with you."
"Yarr, ye thinks I'm stupid. I wouldn't make it score o' paces before that rotten mole would've knocked me head clean off."
"That's never stopped your kind before." The hedgehog said as he ducked under a low branch with a few out-of-season acorns on them. "The name's Kerwin by the way. I'm a bit ov a traveler. What's yours?"
"Seabane." The corsair snorted. "An before ye ask that white mute is Marrow. He likes t' talk even less than me."
"Aye, splendid," Kerwin responded, looking at the white rat long enough to expend a friendly wave before turning his quilled head back toward the front of the procession. The Foremole and one-legged warrior mouse led the procession down the frozen dirt path covered with overgrown flora and fauna. The Long Patrol officer and several of the abbey's guards trailed behind them.
"I hear yer the leader of this merry little crew that's been causing all sorts o' ruckus. I hear if it weren't fer yew and yer vile band we wouldn't be freezing our tails off right now."
"It's not our fault your Abbey's in ruins!" Seabane hissed. "An we're not tryin' t' slay any dibbuns. One ov yer kind is!"
"Well, who d'ye think it is?"
The question took Seabane off guard. "Yarr. I dunno half of ya and it could be any of ye lyin fiends. Probably that vile otter or one of those hares."
The hedgehog paused and hummed a thoughtful tune. He was stocky and had a long snout that hung underneath soft brown eyes. He wore a layer of chain mail sandwiched between layers of grass-green tunic. The uniform red cloak all Redwallers wear to keep out the winter chills drug silently behind him, yet he didn't seem to mind. He wore a dirty brown coif atop his aloof grin. Seabane was wary of staying clear of the sword hooked to a loop on his side.
"Well, I kin tell ye it wasn't me whose been huntin' ye. I saw yew and that one-legged fox barking up a storm about somethin' when the cellar crashed down. I wasn't even here when the lot o' ye showed up, heard that was a bit of a tizzle now wasn't it."
Seabane had no interest in reliving the night the vermin set foot in Redwall. He might plunge a knife into the hedgehog if he did.
"Ye missed all the merriment. Yer friends were more than happy t' watch us starve."
"Aye, that was wrong." The hedgehog said as he almost tripped on a root hidden by the snow. "I've met vile vermin before, ones who'd hand ye a plate o' vittles only t' steal it out of yer starving mouth. None of ye seem to be like that."
Seabane ignored the compliment. "Aye, we're not. So don't try an stab us in the back."
"Yer a corsair, right? I bet ye've met some interesting characters."
Seabane ignored him hoping the hedgehog would shut up. He didn't.
"I'm a bit of an adventurer myself. The strangest beasts I ever met were a badger and a weasel. These two were tighter than bark on a tree. They saved me from a watery grave after I tried t' wrangle a pike without any help. I woke up to find a score of eyes lookin' down at me. Well turns out they take in orphans and other lost younguns. Got a whole army o' dibbuns! There were dibbuns from every shady grove and hidden glen. Rats, moles, mice, foxes, ferrets, hares, squirrels and even a wearet none of them seemed to fight one another. 'Twas the strangest thing."
"That's the stupidest thing I've ever-"
"We're here!" Eli called from the front of the line as he stopped atop a small footbridge spanning a frozen creek. "Put on some happy faces, lads. We'll get a rest and see if we can borrow their cart."
Seabane thanked his lucky stars, he had an out to stop talking to this blabbering hedgehog. The group of Redwallers paused to catch their breath as Eli cut away the overgrowth to a small path that led to a clearing just past the tree line. The air smelt dead and empty and Seabane wondered where this woodlander and his family hid. Before they left Eli advised the two rats to be on their best behavior around a beast he had looked up to when he was younger. The rat laughed at the thought. The mouse was an orphan along with his worthless brother, what could he have known about parentage? Of course, the rat never knew his own and Crooksnout was the best example of a caring father the rat had ever seen. But Seabane had tried with Ruddy, now the fox seemed to be wrapped around the mouse's tail. The same mouse who let the fox get brained less than a fortnight ago, that stupid pup! At least that old Abbot held the one-legged warrior to a tighter leash. Seabane was certain to remind Eli of that, and perhaps get a little sweet revenge. A malicious smile leaped across his face as the beasts began to shuffle down the poorly marked trail.
"Hoi Ferris! It's yer old mate Grumm. Oi hope ye's got some vittles, 'cus—" The mole was sharply cut off. The front of the group stopped causing the rest of the beasts to buckle and crash into one another.
"Damn it! What's the hold-up mouse!" The sea rat barked toward the front of the line. He received no answers as the other Redwallers slowly moved forward.
"That's probably not the wisest choice lad." Kerwin quipped. "Insultin' beasts isn't the best way t'-"
"Shuddup, hedgepig. We're cold n' wet an' we haven't even made it to the quarry." Seabane snapped.
"We're visiting our friends. Iv you had any ye might understand." The hedgehog snapped back as they finally stepped into the clearing.
Every hateful thing Seabane intended to snap at the Redwaller dissolved like the morning mist. Seabane stopped as a low grumble of warning sounded from Marrow. The other Redwallers were in a state of silent shock as the world seemed to take a moment pause. Before them lie the charred ruins of the squirrel's cottage.
Foremole Grumm and Eli crouched aside the skeletal remains of the home. The cottage burnt to a crisp. The only recognizable portion of the house was the stone foundation and chimney which had collapsed onto the charred wreckage.
"What in Martin's name happened here?" Kerwin gasped as he slowly walked toward Eli. Seabane slowly stepped forward as the mouse began to rummage through the burnt wreckage.
"It's just a little fire," Alaric said with a slight quake in his voice. "They must've made it out before finding their way to a Guosim camp."
"I don't think they did lad." The barrel-chested otter Jakob responded with a solemn shake of his head.
"Naw Ferris would've gotten the lot o' them out alright. Me thinks that Kincade would've-"
The squirrel snapped his mouth shut as he teetered and fell face forward into the snow. Alaric swore as he pushed himself up with the aid of the otter and hedgehog.
"My mother's whiskers! What happened t' y-" Kerwin shut his mouth with a gulp as he looked down at the hazard that had sent the squirrel sprawling into the ground. It was a severed paw.
Alaric screamed in horror as Seabane instinctively rushed over to calm the squirrel. As he did so his foot caught onto a hard stone that strangely gave way. When he pulled his boot from the snow a rotten chunk of fur and flesh came with it. The rat yelped in terror before turning to the side and retched. Quickly the rat was surrounded and hauled to his feet as the body was quickly uncovered. It was Ruddy's first kill.
Eli swore as the snow was brushed from the young squirrel's body. The freezing temperatures had slowed the decomposition, but it didn't dissuade any carrion and scavengers from picking at the poor lad. It wasn't made any better by the fact the rat had accidentally put another hole in the squirrel's midsection.
"This was no fire that killed them." Eli hissed as his eyes narrowed towards the two rats. "It was vermin!"
The mouse grabbed the searat by his collar. "Yew and yer vile crew did this didn't ya!"
Seabane choked on his spit as he tried to scramble away. The world about him spun and the terrified cries of the squirrel family and the roaring fire filled his ears like the howling wind. Eli's face transformed into that of the enraged squirrel father as he crawled off. He ran into a stone wall knocking the wind from him. As he panted Seabane turned to see the horrid badger skull looking down at him. A hellish fire burning from within its eyes.
"Murderer! You'll always be a MURDERER!"
"Use yer 'ead, Eli. He couldn't've done this. He an' th' rest o' th' deserters could barely hold a spoon t' their lips, much less slaughterin' a whole family." Foremole Grumm's voice snapped the rat from his paranoia-filled nightmare. He was panting and covered in a cold and sickly sweat. The one-legged mouse warrior stood angrily at his feet, but he hadn't drawn his sword and glared at the stocky mole.
"We don't know that!" Maslow snapped; he sounded like a bratty child. "They were desperate, and they were armed. If anybeasts would've slain the Brushtails it would be them!"
Seabane felt pangs of horror zip through his body. They couldn't have known what they did to the squirrels! They had no proof! Like the mole said they weren't even strong enough to hold a spoon, how could they have slaughtered a family and burnt their cottage to the ground? It just didn't make any sense.
"No," Seabane responded as white puffs poured from between crooked teeth. "We didn't do this. This is the first time we've ever seen this place. So don't go blamin' us fer what happened!"
Seabane looked up at Marrow. The giant white rat nodded in eager agreement although his red eyes looked empty and distant.
"Oi'm not blamin' anybeast fer anythin'. Iv we find the beasts what's responsible fer this, then more'n likely they'll be the ones to tell us. Seems that's always the unfortunate case, aye." Foremole Grumm said as he wiped his soot-covered claws on his coat. "An' unless Eli wants us all t' start fightin' instead of respectin' the dead an' seein' what little can be done, then we best get t' diggin' graves."
The grey-furred warrior mouse scowled as he turned from the rat. "Let's start digging, we haven't gotten all day."
The Redwallers worked in silence. Their unnaturally cheery attitude had taken a huge blow from their discovery. Eli had found Ferris and the charred bodies of most of the other children and his mate. It was grizzly work to say the very least and both Seabane and Marrow had the sense to stay out of the way. The rats had worked to dig the graves for the squirrel family, it seemed only right since he was the cause of their deaths.
"Thank 'ee fer doin' this widout moi askin." Foremole Grumm's voice startled the rat, but Seabane didn't show it. He looked up at the mole from the bottom of a shallow grave.
"Figgerd it's best t' stay outtah their ways."
"Aye. None o' this be yer fault. Beasties be hurtin' an' lookin' fer beasts t' take their hurt out on."
Seabane nodded and went back to his digging. The mole had a bit of wisdom the rat admitted, he had taken the vermin under his wing and had defended them. The less Grumm knew of their past the better.
"Oi wuz gonna tell 'ee we needed six graves, but seems somebeastie already told 'ee."
Seabane bit his tongue in a rage. How could he have been so stupid?
"Err Kerwin must've mentioned it," Seabane said as he continued to poke at the frozen earth.
"Aye, well, there should be seven, but we couldn't find the babe."
"The babe?" Seabane asked with as much innocence as he could muster.
"Aye, Briony had her young'un at the Abbey this summer. She left afore it was named, an' that was the last we ever saw o' her." The mole sighed.
"They're good beasts. Ferris an' Briony, lovin' parents, kindly spirits willin' t' lend a paw t' anybeast in need. It were a horrible way t' die, fer all o' 'em. It'll be hard t' tell Brin. I doubt she'll take it very well, aye."
"Who?" Seabane asked dread trickling down his throat.
"Brin Brushtail. Lass's befriendin' you'm ferret in th' infirmary."
Seabane looked away so that the mole couldn't see the horror that darkened his face. Sathe, that daft fool, still had the baby squirrel! With any luck, Brin hadn't dug into how the vermin had managed to stumble across her baby sister. Even worse, Sathe could've told them what happened. Lied to save her hide and toss the rest of them to the sword. That seemed to be something the arrogant seer would do without a thought.
The rat turned back to the mole with as kindly a smile as vile old sea rat could muster.
"I think Sathe would be a wonderful shoulder to cry on."
"Aye. Oi'm glad t' 'ear. You'm far better beasts than ye think yerselfs t' be. Thankee fer being… understandin' of arr situation."
Seabane nodded and the mole went back to the other Redwallers who had lined up the charred and rotten husks of the squirrel family. Seabane looked about and seeing that he was alone turned to Marrow who was digging the grave next to his.
"This jus' got a whole lot worse, didn't it?"
Marrow paused and nodded at the shorter Corsair.
"Ye don't think they know we did this?" Seabane asked as softly as he could.
Marrow glanced at the Redwallers. The usually merry beasts were picking through the destroyed home, soot and tears covering their faces. Marrow shrugged.
"This is bad. I think it's only a matter of time before they figure out we've done it and we've been using the squirrel as a hostage."
Marrow stared at the Corsair with blank red eyes as if he were stuck in a horrible nightmare from that night. Seabane wished the white giant could say something. He hated being the only one of the deserters who could think. He prided himself on his cunning; it didn't mean he enjoyed using it. Often he had to so he could stay alive.
"What if Muckfur's still alive?" Seabane's voice petered out. He pushed that horrid thought to the side. He would have to deal with it later.
"Whaddaya think we should do?"
"Stay. Quiet." The white rat responded with a low, pained, groan.
Seabane couldn't help but agree.
The family of squirrels was buried beneath an oak that overlooked the small creek and the road a stone's throw from their home. Aside from the vermin, there wasn't a dry eye in sight. Foremole Grumm had taken the less burnt siding from the squirrel's tool shed and carved the names of each of the squirrels onto them. The one-legged mouse then closed his eyes and recited what Seabane expected was a Redwaller prayer.
"May the Dark Forest welcome you, friend so dear,
Your spirit at peace, with nothing to fear.
In shadows deep, where brave ones rest,
Your journey ends in eternal quest.
Farewell, till we meet under moonlit skies,
In the heart of the forest, where your spirit lies."
A moment of silence followed before Eli spoke up.
"We need to get going. We have much work to do and not much daylight left." The other Redwallers solemnly nodded as they walked from the clearing and back to the road.
"I don't know if we kin make it to the quarry and back to Redwall in enough time to even crack stone." Kerwin voiced as they returned to the road. "An if we've got a murderous band of vermin running amok then we're better off headin' home than hanging about here."
"I agree with Kerwin, wot." Sergeant Danburr said with a slight quiver in his voice. "I'd feel much safer with a few more hares along with us as guards."
Seabane snorted. "Aren't most of ye guards? Save the mole I thinks every beast here knows how t' handle a weapon."
A flash of anger ripped through the Redwallers.
"The rats right," Eli added. "There are threats inside and out of the abbey. This doesn't stop what we're here to do. If anything, this should strengthen our motivation to protect our home."
The Redwallers seemed to agree. Save for Maslow who looked at the two rats with murderous intent. "We let those threats into our abbey."
"We're not the beasts scampering about attacking dibbuns yew stupid mouse!" Seabane snapped.
"Shut up you two!" Eli snapped. "If I hear one more quip from either of you, I'm tying ye together!"
The two rodents didn't respond as Eli huffed and puffed.
"I want you two to stay away from each other. Maslow you're at the back of the group while Seabane will be with me." The mouse barked rather unkindly. "Now let's go, we haven't got all day."
With that, the band of Redwallers continued their journey to the quarry. Seabane was glad to be away from the spiteful golden brat, but he didn't know if Eli was better. If anything, the rat could probably persuade the mouse to keep away from Ruddy.
"Whaddaya want mousie?" Seabane snapped as he matched Eli's oblong pace.
"I want you to stay away from Maslow and remind you not to respond to him."
"Why is it my fault? He's the beast running his mouth!"
"You're in more danger than you think with this Ghost. Being argumentative with other Redwallers whether you're right or wrong will make you more of a target than anything."
Seabane shriveled his nose towards the mouse. "The Ghost you just can't seem to catch? I've lived amongst liars and murderers and other useless beasts, and I can tell when I'm talking t' one!"
The mouse's golden eyes burned with fury. "I'm working on it."
"An' a poor job yer doin' o' that. I know old, blind, and dead vermin who could've done better than yew. Ye know I thinks yer tellin' this Ghost who ye wanna attack. That way ye don't lose yer title of Abbey Champion!"
"And why would I want to do that, rat? Slaying dibbuns does nothing to me. But yew and yer kin seem t' get a sick pleasure from it!"
"Yew wants us dead but ye don't know how t' do it widout losing yer Abbots favor. That ghost 'll slay us and ye kin wipe yer paws clean and say ye tried yer best t' stop 'im."
"That still doesn't answer why I'd want you dead." The mouse responded with an annoyed hiss.
Seabane chuckled. "Let me ask you something mouse."
"Why didn't your Abbot stop you from training Ruddy, eh? It's because he wants us t' stay." Eli snapped his head like a whip towards the rat as if he wished to strike him. Seabane knew he shouldn't, but he wanted to make this mouse squirm.
"Yer families doin' it anyways. Wid yer brother teachin' Crooksnout t' read and all that filth. Makes him think he's worth more than a few dried acorns. An' why would he wanna leave when his family's got as much food in their bellies as their heart's desire? Sathe's yer only healer so ye don't wanna lose her. Not t' mention those hares seem t' be taken good care o' her, iv ye know what I mean. Ye also have me n' that giant white lug. Yer Abbot and Foremole want us to help with yer abbey fallin' apart. If we left, we could easily run back to a horde and tell 'em where Redwall's most vulnerable. Makes it important that we stay here, doesn't it?"
Eli grit his jaw as he focused on the path ahead rather than the rat. Seabane loved to watch his mental agony.
"An' what about Ruddy? I knows yew wants him t' be yer apprentice. I know he wants t' be a warlord, not a pathetic one-legged slave!"
"An' whose fault is that rat?" Eli snapped. His gate slowed and he leaned off balance into Seabane. "I've inspired him to be better than his kind. Yer the beast who's inspired him to have a short life of murder and violence. I know that's all you vermin ever dream of, but who's to blame for his injury? You or me?"
Now was Seabane's turn to hold his tongue. He couldn't help but notice a slight quiver in the mouse's voice. The rat suspected this was the first time he'd ever argued with vermin rather than slaying them.
"Answer me rat!" Eli repeated. "Who filled his head with dreams to be a murderer! Who led him to die in the dead of winter? You did! I'm the only beast who truly cares for that whelp! You just want another shield to protect you from your failures! If he dies, it's because he's just a stupid pup! Not that you're a horrid leader and he's outlived his purpose to you."
"Yew think I don't care for that idjit! I saved him from having his head cleaved off by a holt of otters when yew was nursing yer lost leg! Yew let that vile mud-sucking gull, Dokkur and that filthy cur Conrad beat the daylights outtah him! He learned t' walk just fine widout yer help ye crippled wretch! All you'll do is get him slain, whether it's by yer own paw 'r by another one o' yew Redwall scum!"
"Bloodclaw wants to be my apprentice more than he wants to be yours. I'll train him to be a vermin-hating warrior and teach him to walk without a hitch so that when he grows old and gray he'll remember me as the beast who saved his life! Not you! Not the rat who led him to his death at the paws of otters and shrews!"
The rat was going to hurl obscenities at the rotten mouse but stopped. Seabane's eyes narrowed to deadly edges.
"How do yew know that?"
Eli's face blanched. "He- Bloodclaw told me."
"He was unconscious then!" Seabane lied. "How do you know what happened that night!"
Eli refused to give any ground. "You said you were attacked by other vermin!"
"We were!"
"No, you weren't!"
"How would you know mouse!"
"The fox told me!"
"He wouldn't have known!"
"Why do you care!"
Seabane didn't realize they were shouting until he caught a glimpse of the beasts eyeing him oddly. Eli didn't seem to care as he threw a furious glare, and they looked away.
Seabane grabbed Eli by his collar before leaning down so that the mouse could smell the decay on his breath.
"If you or any of your rotten gang hurt that fox, I'll kill you. I don't care what happens afterward, but I swear on the blood of your dead mouse god you'll meet your sister that day."
Eli's mouth opened in a shocked 'o' as Seabane let go of his collar and marched toward the rear of the procession. No beast stopped him nor said a word for the rest of the trip to the quarry.
Hooooo boy, Eli, and Seabane finally calling each other's bluff. This was part of a much larger chapter that I split into two so I didn't have way too much going on in such a short time. I will hopefully get that next one out sooner rather than later but School starts tomorrow so expect posting to slow for a bit. I hope you enjoy this chapter and the next!
As Always please let me know what you think and what can be improved upon. Any and all feedback is appreciated!