Part 11 (1/2)
Cornflower poured milk for herself. ”Sooner, I hope.” Mrs. Churchmouse got up busily from the table. A look of resolution had replaced the sadness upon her face. ''Well, at least we can be doing something instead of sitting around moping and leaving it ail to Matthias, Basil and Jess. Everybody search, hunt, seek, high and low. Try and find something out about Martin's words. What were they?”
”Seek the Founder in the stones where the little folk go,” Constance repeated.
A short time later, Cavern Hole lay deserted. Paws sounded upon stairs, doors slammed, walls were tapped, and all round Redwall Abbey voices echoed: ”Seek the founder in the stones where the little folk go.”
122.
-v”
Though the captives were hurried along, the going became easier. Thick forest gave way to gra.s.sy clearings, and rocks were much in evidence now, with here and there a large stony hill rearing out of the woodlands. As they marched, Mattimeo and his friends were able to gather fair quant.i.ties of cloudberry and pennycress, supplemented with hard pears and crab apples. Slagar was becoming more cautious, forever watching ahead and detailing guards to cover their tracks from the rear.
Vitch caught up with Threeclaws. ”What's the fox watchin' out for, more slaves?”
The weasel curled his lip at the undersized rat. ”What he's lookin' out for is his own business and none of yours, noseywhiskers. You just keep your eyes on those prisoners.”
”Ha, you're only sayin' that 'cos you don't know yourself,” Vitch sneered. ”Bet you don't even know where we're going.”
Slagar had heard Vitch. He stood still until the unsuspecting rat caught up with him. Then the sly one stepped on the rat's tail, stopping him short.
”So, you want to know where we're going, eh, Vitch?”
The rat gulped and shrugged nervously. ”Er, no, not really.”
123.
The silken mask sucked into a hideous grin. 'Then thaf s good, Vitch, good. Because it's no use asking this thick shower of tramps and scavengers. They don't know. Only one creature knows where we're going: me. When we get these slaves to their destination, you'll either end up very rich ... or very dead, if you keep asking about things that don't concern you.”
Slagar strode off, leaving Vitch dumbfounded but thankful that he had only received a verbal reprimand for his curiosity.
”Did you hear that?” Mattimeo whispered to Jube. ”Have you any idea where we're going?”
The young hedgehog nodded. ”South. Thaf s the way that slave caravans always go. My dad an' mum said if s evil in the south. We never go there.”
Shortly before noon they were in sight of two hills. Slagar called Threedaws and Halftail.
”We'll camp in the canyon between those two hills. Take the slaves up to the south end of it, there's flat rocks with a river running through the middle. Stake them out there awhile, feed 'em and let 'em sleep. I'll stay up this end of the gorge with Bageye, Skinpaw and Scringe, on top of that hill to the left. I want to see if we're being followed. If I signal you, then move this lot south, quick as you can. We'll catch up with you later.”
Two stoats called Badrag and Browntooth walked alongside Mattimeo and the others. Sam and Auma began secretly baiting them. The squirrel and the young badger yawned loudly and stretched.
”Whoooyaawhhh! I'm almost asleep on my paws, Auma. What about you?”
”Whuuuyyaaaah! Never mind us, Sam, what about these poor guards? They've had their 'lails run off, marching and looking after us.”
”You're right there, badger.” Badrag rubbed his eyes and yawned. ”Havin' to break camp and march in the middle of the night, keepin' you lot goin', takin' orders off Slagar. ...”
124.
Sam nodded sympathetically. ”Aye, not much of a life, is it.”
Browntooth stubbed his paw on a rock. ”Ouch! when are we goin' to stop and get a decent sleep an' something to eat, that's what I'd like to know.”
”If s a shame,” Auma clucked understandingly, ”thaf s what.i.tis. Look, why don't I mind that big clumsy spear? You sit down on that rock and rest for a while. Sam, you'll mind Browntooth's old rusty sword for him, won't you?”
Sam smiled at Browntooth. ”Of course. Anything for a friend. You slip me your sword and go and get yourself a little rest with Badrag.”
The two stoats were nearly taken in until S la gar's voice called harshly from the head of the column, ”Badrag, Browntooth! Stop yammering and get those prisoners moving. Come on, liven yourselves up!”
Badrag spat on his paws and rubbed them into his eyes as he quickened the pace. ”Think you're clever, don't you, tryin' to get us in trouble with the Chief.” Brown-tooth snarled at Sam and Auma. ”Move along there. Come on, get those paws trottin', you slackers!”
Matthias was first at the scene of the battle, with Jess close behind him. Twelve hedgehogs were attacking a badger, nipping and bulling from all sides with claw, tooth and spike. The badger was a huge male, even bigger than Constance, He carried a large double-headed battieaxe, but he was only using the long wooden-poled handle to ward off his attackers. Time and again they would charge, hurling themselves at the big badger with savage grunting noises, but still he did not use the battleaxe Made. Squealing hedgehogs were tossed high into the bushes by long powerful sweeps of the handle, and now and again he would lash out with his paw, causing them to ball up and roll away. Regardless of the size and obvious danger of the badger, the hedgehogs continued to fight him aggressively. They were strong fighters. One of them, an old male, would call out at intervals.
125.
”You great stripy varmint, give us back our Jubilation or we'll spike you dead, so we will!”
The badger's patience was wearing thin, but his great strength was unabated as he bared his teeth and yelled back, ”What in thunder's a jubilation? You're all mad. Get back or I'll use this axe properly, on my oath as a warrior I will!”
Matthias, Jess, Basil and Cheek stood on the outskirts of the fight, completely ignored. The warrior mouse turned to Basil. ”There seems to be something wrong here. Woodlanders don't usually fight each other this way. Maybe they know something about which way the fox has gone. I'm going in to break it up.”
”Keep out of the way, young feller,” Basil told Cheek. ”Right, Matthias me old scout, lead on.”
Matthias, Jess and Basil leapt into the fray, placing themselves around the badger. The warrior mouse brandished his sword and roared out, ”A Redwall, a Redwall!”
Basil's voice joined Matthias's. ”Blood'n'vinegar, mud'n'fur, up and at 'em!”
Jess's voice joined them both. ”Treetops and timber. RedwaUlllI!”
Immediately the fighting ceased. The big badger and the twelve hedgehogs looked in surprise at the newcomers. Basil Stag Hare took charge.
”Steady in the ranks thah, chaps! Right, listen out now, all fightin' an' skirmis.h.i.+n' to cease forthwith. Otherwise this blighter here'll chop you into bits with the great sword of Redwall. Now, what's all the jolly old tiz-woz about, eh?”
The badger added his voice to those of the hedgehogs as they all began talking at once.
”He stole our Jubilation!”
”Rubbish, I've never even seen a jubilation!”
”Yew great stripy oT liar!”
”Liar yourself!”
”Don't you call her a liar or I'll break that there 'atchet over your skull, so I will!”
126.
”I'd like to see you try it, spikebottom!”
”Ooh! EXyou 'ear wot 'e called me, Dad?”
”Never mind wot 'e called yew, sticks'n'stones won't break our bones. You just give us back our Jub'lation, badger.”