"Wings of the Long White Cloud," by Teer

[Sebias of Redwall]

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13491229/1/Wings-of-the-Long-White-Cloud

[shisteer of nothing much]

... Seriously? Sometimes I think you're a little too diligent in your job.

[Ebantu the Kararehe]

Heh. I'm glad to see your writing is appreciated, Teer.

[Sebias of Redwall]

... Seriously? Sometimes I think you're a little too diligent in your job.

Pfft! (Would you mind keeping everyone posted on updates, though?)

[shisteer of nothing much]

Sure thing. I updated on... Saturday, so I don't have to update anything for a while.

[shisteer of nothing much]

Hah! Double post!

Chapter ten is up.

[Sebias of Redwall]

Nice!

[shisteer of nothing much]

After much contemplation and reading of announcements and such, I've decided I should probably start posting the actual story here, rather than just a link. Please bear in mind that it's still a work in progress and I won't be going any faster than I do on ff.n. (Though feel free to remind me to update there, since I usually just forget about it)
As far as tags and such go: [Adventure] (That's all I've got so far, though it may progress into something more later on)

Right, without further ado, I present to you Book I, The Storm:

Chapter one

Chapter One:
  The sky quickly turned grey as the wind stirred the clouds into a fury, driving the storm to shatter against the shore.
  Ruth kicked a stray pebble, her mood darker than the weather as she stormed down the beach and stood at the water's edge, glaring at the sea foam as if it had personally wronged her.
  Her mind strayed back to what her father had said. "No. I cannot have you wandering the country looking for something you had in a dream. You're the future of the tribe, start acting accordingly."
  Ruth plonked down and threw a clump of wet sand into the sea, resting her chin on her paws and watching the spot it had been obliterated by the waves. She didn't understand her dream, nor the instructions someone, or something, had given her afterwards, but she had to follow it.
  Why couldn't her father understand?
  Ruth got up again and went further along the beach, her anger dissipating as she took in the awesome sight of the sea, wild and roaring its defiance to anything standing in its way.
  She conceded that her father's wisdom had proved itself once again. She didn't have the time or resources to wander the shores, looking for whatever it was that she'd seen. She needed to be the responsible one who showed the way for every other young otter in their tribe. Besides, it was just a dream, right?

~~~

  The ship was pushed off the shore and the searats jumped back in, letting out the sails and quickly losing sight of the smoldering huts and destroyed crops of the empty village.
  On board, the new slaves were being introduced to their quarters, most submitting miserably to the pushing and insults given them by their new drivers. One mouse, however, was causing trouble. Enough trouble to make up for all the rest.
  "How dare you! Leave my wife alone! Can't you see she's in no state to row? Leave her be!"
  Six searats struggled with the mouse as he bit and kicked, fighting to reach the pretty mousemaid, who had a bulging belly and barely needed to be restrained.
  One of the searats detached himself from the watching group and went to find the captain, a big ferret with shabby silks and a golden ear ring.
  The vermin leader wasn't pleased to be disturbed and he stalked out angrily, heedlessly knocking his crew to the side as he made his way forward to the mouse prisoner who was causing a scene.
  "What does the poor, helpless mousey want?" The captain sneered, leaning over the struggling mouse and drawing his sword.
  The prisoner stopped moving for a second, then jerked his paw free and thrust it upwards, smiling as he heard the 'crack!' of the captain's snout breaking.
  "I want you to leave my wife alone. She's in no state to pull your confounded oars."
  The ferret staggered backwards, eyes watering from pain and rage. He held his sword high, ready to plunge it into the mouse's body when he stopped and turned, catching sight of the mousemaid.
  "You're right, mouse. She's much too pretty to be a mere oar slave. She can be my personal servant. How would you like that, darling?" The captain asked, drawing closer to the chubby mouse.
  He instinctively stepped back a pace when her eyes finally rose to meet his, showing no trace of fear, but a burning hatred so deep that it sent chills up his spine.
  "That would be perfect." she spat, her voice icy with venom.
  The captain, angry at himself, drew his knife. "In that case, I'll have to carve my initials on your cheek to show that you're no ordinary slave. Maybe it might remind you to have a bit of respect."
  "No!"
  The shout came from the male mouse, still held firmly in the grip of the searats. The captain smiled, returning to his first victim.
  "You don't like that idea, do you, mouse? Tell me, if I left her alone, what would you do for me? Would you keep being so defiant or would you cooperate?"
  The mouse's head slumped. "If you leave her alone, I'll stop struggling and cooperate."
  The captain considered it, then nodded.
  "You have a deal. Dertbrane, let the pretty mousemaid off the ship. In fact, escort her to the railing and help her climb over. Her belly looks a bit big to manage the feat herself."
  Dertbrane was the first mate, a bulky searat with the same, tattered clothes as his captain, plus an excess load of bracelets, bangles and neck rings, all of which rattled whenever he moved anywhere. The rat now grinned, showing his yellow, pointy teeth.
  "Yes, Cap'n, right away, Cap'n."
  The captain held up a claw, gesturing to the struggling mouse.
  "Wait a minute. He's not fulfilling his part of the bargain. I can't abide liars. Slit his throat please, Dertbrane."
  Dertbrane drew his sword and made quick work of the restrained mouse, watching him as he died, still glaring hatred at the vermin surrounding him.
  Unexpectedly, the mousemaid gave a shout of rage and ran forward, shoving through the stunned crew to reach her mate and falling to the ground beside him.
  The dying mouse's expression turned from extreme hate to a love that was, if possible, even more passionate.
  "I love you." The mouse gasped before giving his enemies one more glare of hatred and accepting the welcome of his ancestors in Dark Forest.
  Dertbrane wiped his sword on his shirt and returned it to its scabbard, turning to his captain.
  "That's quite impressive. Normally, when I do that to a beast, the only expression they manage before they're gone is one of pain. Anyway, do y' want me to throw the fat one overboard now, Cap'n?"
  The captain stroked his chin thoughtfully.
  "No, I think she might be my personal slave after all. For now though, she's barely in a state to move. Take her to the infirmary until those mousebabes are born."
 
~~~

  The mousemaid gritted her teeth, determined not to make a sound as she laboured.
  After hours, it was over and the mousemaid held her sons in her arms, drawing strength from their cheerful giggles.
  "Shh, you need to be quiet. I need to go do something but you'll be fine until I come back. Not a noise now, I'll be back soon."
  So saying, the mouse laid the two infants on a folded blanket and slipped out of the room.
  It wasn't far to the captain's personal quarters and the mousemaid moved silently, approaching the sleeping guard outside the door with barely a sound and drawing his knife, using its hilt to send him to sleep a little more thoroughly.
  She tested the door and found it unlocked, which was fair enough, considering there was a guard in place to keep unwanted visitors out.
  She silently approached the bed in the corner and held the knife to the throat of the captain.
  "My name is Esther, and I'm here to get revenge." she whispered, before driving the blade home and returning to her sons.
  The next morning, chaos reigned amongst the pirate crew as they discovered their captain dead, with the knife belonging to one of the captain's most loyal followers in his throat.
  Dertbrane stood up, addressing the accused searat.
  "Gorefiend, what 'ave y'got ter say fer yerrself?
   "I ain't done nothin' to our cap'n. All I knows is, one minut I got me knife, the nex' minut I wake up wi' a spli'n headache and no knife. Somebeast must've knocked me out an' pinched it."
  The crew erupted into chaos again, fights breaking out as one searat accused another of the crime.
  "It must'v ben Bloodlimb. He's always lookin' at other beast' stuff!"
  "No I'm not, y' hamfisted idiot! Yer the one who gets sulky when the cap'n tells you t' do anythin'!"
  The two rats bared their teeth and threw themselves at each other, biting, kicking and scratching as others did the same, sometimes dragging a third party in as they yelled insults at each other.
  The mousemaid emerged from her room, unnoticed, and shook her head in disgust at the corsairs.
  Dertbrane kicked at another rat, sending it flying backwards and hitting the wall as the first mate came after it, drawing his sword. Out of the corner of his eye, he spied the mousemaid, taking in her significantly slimmer waist.
  "It was the mousemaid!" Dertbrane yelled, dropping his sword in shock as he came to the conclusion.
  Deadly silence met his announcement for a few seconds before the vermin sent up a roar of rage and swamped the mouse. Dertbane leaped onto a barrel, raising his voice above the cacophony of enraged pirates.
  "Bring the mouse over here!" He bellowed, voice loud enough to deafen a walrus.
  The searats, stunned at the volume their comrade had managed, complied, dragging the mousemaid over to the first mate.
  Dertbrane jumped back onto the deck and glared at the mousemaid, then turned his attention to a nearby rat.
  "Go get the mousebabes."
  Dertbrane took the two tiny mice, holding one in each paw as he addressed their mother.
"Mutineer. Liar. Murderer. You are all those things and more. You will die for it, along with your offspring, after they've watched your death."
  Dertbrane signaled a nearby rat and he stepped forward, drawing his cutlass and beheading the mousemaid before the rats holding her heaved her over the side of the ship and into the sea.
  Dertbrane looked at the baby mice, whose eyes were still closed.
  "Get me a barrel. We'll give the babes a proper coffin."
  The barrel was lined with a tatty blanket and Dertbrane placed the mouse twins inside and secured the lid before heaving it overboard, watching it bob on the surface until it was lost from sight.

~~~

  Ruth shook her head, wiping sea spray out of her eyes as she looked around. She'd come further than she intended and she didn't recognise the terrain. What she could see of the terrain, that is. The storm had gotten worse and the darkness didn't help in her efforts to see past the driving rain.
  Turning around, she made her way home, using the shoreline to guide her as the waves splashed over her footpaws.
  The storm was beginning to abate and she began looking for a suitable place to spend the night, judging, accurately, that she wouldn't be able to get back to the tribe until the next day.
  She turned around to check the other side of a cliff, walking backwards for a while, when she tripped, twisting her paw. Clutching the wounded limb, she looked down to see what she'd tripped over.
  A plank structure of some kind lay, mostly buried by sand.
  Curious, Ruth dug around it, revealing more of the beaten and faded wood until she finally managed to pull the item free, revealing it to be an old barrel, with its lid still in place.
  Drawing her knife, which she always carried on her left hip, she prised the barrel open and stared, open mouthed, at its contents.
  Carefully removing the dry cloths, she laid them on the ground beside her, searching for what she knew must also be in the barrel. Sure enough, near the bottom, she found the bodies of the two babes, their paws clasped together as if to keep themselves strong.
  Ruth slowly reached inside and took the mice out, careful not to separate them as she hugged the two bodies, her heart breaking as she felt their cold fur and thought of how they'd never been able to see the world.
  Holding the twins close, she felt something else and held her breath, not daring to believe or hope as she looked down in wonder at the tiny forms, confirming it.
  The mousebabes were still alive.

[close]

Chapter two

  The sun shone brightly, reflecting off the water and causing it to sparkle like the greatest treasure in the world. The soft breeze played with the sand, chasing it here and there as it flew towards the sea and disappeared in the clear, blue waters.
  Gulls soared gracefully overhead, diving to catch incautious fish that came too close to the surface. Closer to the shore, crabs scuttled back and forth, collecting shells and bits of seaweed to decorate their rocky caves.
  Laughing and splashing, the young creatures of an otter tribe played in the water too, wrestling with each other until they grew tired, then sunbathing on the warm rocks nearby.
  Moses clung to the back of his brother, hanging on grimly as the bigger little sibling struggled to break free of his grasp.
  "Come to lunch, you rascals!"
  Moses jumped off Sornah's back and they clambered out with everyone else, pushing and shoving cheerfully as they got covered in sand and made sure everyone else did too.
  Ruth shook her ladle at them, mock glaring as they grinned at her.
  "You don't really expect to be fed in that state, do you? Wash yourselves and come to the caves clean."
  Moses, Asher and Sornah ran back to the water, calling behind them as they jumped back in.
  "Yes, Mam!"
  Ruth nodded curtly as the boys entered the cave, their fur now free of sand and their paws passably clean.
  "That's better. Sit down and let Grandfather say grace."
  The boys sat on reed mats as their grandsire bowed his head.

"Seasons bless us with this food,
Let our hearts show gratitude:
Never turn travelers from our door,
Guard the weary and the poor.
Our home is warm, our coats have shine.
Thank you for it, now let's dine!"

  The hungry youngsters ate in silence, too busy eating or dousing the heat in their stomachs with cold mint tea to talk.
  Asher finished first and gave his mother a persuasive smile.
  "That was delicious, thanks, Mam! I'm so hungry, can I please have some more?"
  Ruth smiled at the mouse as she refilled his scallop shell, then topped up Moses and Sornah's dishes as well.
  "Of course you can have more. Nothing like hotroot soup to make a beast grow big and strong! You and Moses are a little bit small at the moment but, if you eat enough, you'll soon make up for lost time when you were younger."
  Moses frowned as he talked around a piece of shrimp.
  "Why did we lose time when we were younger?"
  Ruth smiled at her son, remembering they day she'd found the two mice vividly.
  "That's a long story, one I'll tell you when you're a bit older."

~~~

  Moses and Asher did grow up to be big and strong, though not as large, physically, as their otter sibling. Both mice behaved, and swam, like otters but their differences became more apparent as time went on.
  They both became respected warriors amongst the otter tribe, but their strengths were better suited to swords and bows, rather than slings and javelins, though they were competent with both.
  They were more thoughtful and inclined to plan and think carefully before jumping into things, yet they had a strong sense of justice and would not stand by and watch the innocent hurt.
  The otters liked and respected their chief's adopted sons, willing to follow them when the time came for Ruth to retire as leader.
  In the meantime, Asher and Moses patrolled their shores, keeping a watchful eye on the other settlements nearby, always willing to lend a paw to other creatures in need.
  Sornah was content to let his older brothers take command, often going along with them when they went places, until he found himself in love with one of their fellow warriors, a pretty otter named Sarina, who left Sornah completely tongue tied whenever she so much as looked at him.
  After a while, he'd finally summoned up the courage to ask her to accompany him to the rock pools and soon after, they'd got married.
  Sarina had a daughter, which they named Fayah. The ottermaid quickly gained favour with Ruth and the honourable chieftainess was often found cooing at the babe when she thought no one was looking.
  Ruth watched her sons grow in character and smiled to herself, looking down at Fayah.
  "Your daddy and mummy will be back soon and then Nan will have to give little Fayah back. Yes she will! Yes she will!"
  Fayah giggled as Ruth tickled her tummy, then she turned her head in the direction of the opening to the cave, where shouted commands could be heard and the rattle of armour and weapons moving as the beasts wearing them hurried to get ready.
  Ruth frowned as she made her way outside and watched curiously as otters hurried to get ready and form up on the beach.
  "Hmm, that's strange. Let's go ask what's going on, aye?"
  She cleared her throat as she came up behind her sons, all three of them surveying the otters, who were standing to attention on the high tide line.
  Asher turned and nodded to his mother.
  "Care to join us? We'll need all paws on deck."
  Ruth frowned slightly but held her peace, listening as Moses addressed the otter tribe.
  "The Sandhedge clan have been attacked by corsairs. Most of them have been carried off as oarslaves while a few escaped to inform us and ask for help. I don't know about you, but I'm going to assist them, along with Asher, Sornah and Sarina. Who's with us?"
  There was a roar of approval from the otters as they stamped their feet twice, picked up their javelins and slammed them down again, point first in the sand.
  Asher smiled at his brothers, addressing the otters on the beach.
  "Alright then, to the ships! Leave a couple of able bodied creatures here to watch the young and old, everybeast else come with us."
  Ruth put a paw on Moses' shoulder, turning his attention back to her.
  "Should I come or stay to watch the young ones?"
  Moses gave his mother a smile.
  "Your choice, Mam. I'd be happy to have you along, if you want to come."
  Ruth handed Fayah to an ottermum, hoisting her javelin.
  "In that case, let's go."
  The otter tribe had three large ships, each of which were normally crewed with twenty to thirty otters and had plenty of room for passengers or cargo as well.
  The ships were moored in a small, artificial harbor that provided shelter for the huge, double sailed craft, along with the otter tribe's fishing fleet. Huge pines lined the peaks of the sand dunes, filtering the wind and blocking the masts from view of potential enemies. The entrance to the harbor was a small channel which ran away from the shore and behind the sand dunes, before turning and opening into a clear, deep pool.
  Nobody really knew how it had come to be there but the otters had found it soon after settling down in the area and they now guarded their territory and protected its other inhabitants from the searats and corsairs that frequently passed by, looking for slaves and plunder.
  It wasn't the first time they'd gone out to rescue their friends. The three ships had been gained from such expeditions and the locals had learnt to trust them and rely on their assistance, always coming to them if they had a problem or complaint.
  The otters had readily soaked up the admiration, remembering their past and determined to be worthy of the respect given them by the smaller creatures that had learned to depend on them.
  Now was another chance to prove their worth and loyalty and they rose to the trial, working efficiently to get the last knots of speed out of the three ships as they followed the trail left by the corsairs who had foolishly decided to harm their dependents.
  It would be the last decision the searat captain made.
  The plan was simple: surround the ship on the stern and both sides, board her, get rid of all the vermin and take the ship back to shore, where the slaves would be freed and the ship would be cleaned out and rechristened as part of the SeaSanction Fleet.
  It was their standard procedure and was carried out swiftly, most of the vermin choosing to run to the bow of the ship and jump overboard, rather than fight the army of just under ninety big otters. The few that stayed to battle it out found themselves stuck in a very one-sided fight and they barely had time to question their stupid bravery before taking the swift journey to hellgates.
  Ruth led the way, the otters on either side of her forming a wedge as they pushed their way to the slave decks.
  Down below, the slaves heard the commotion and the new arrivals grinned at the ones who'd been there for seasons, describing the scene that was happening above them from long experience with their otter friends, adding plenty of detail about the suffering of the vermin raiders.
  After what felt like hours, Ruth burst through, covered in blood and dirt as she held her javelin ready, eyes surveying the dimly lit deck as she made sure the way was clear of any vermin.
  Satisfied, the otter chief nodded to her followers and they moved forward and began to free the slaves, using their javelins to break the chains securing each slave to his oar partner while Ruth broke the main one.
  "Okay, listen up, everybeast!" Ruth bellowed above the excited chatter of the former slaves.
  "We still need to get back to shore, which is going to involve rowing. Stay on your benches and we'll give further orders once we're ready to move."
  The group proceeded to give the same treatment and instructions to the next two decks while some others followed behind them, handing out food and water for the emaciated beasts.
  Having finished freeing the slaves and dealing with the slave driver and his assistant, who had been hiding behind a barrel on the bottom deck, Ruth led her party back up to the top and joined her sons, who were taking stock of casualties.
  "Three otters lost on our side, thirty vermin killed and the rest jumped overboard. Chuck the enemy carcasses to the fish, we'll give our otters a proper funeral pyre when we get back. Prepare to sail!" Asher added, raising his voice to the otters waiting for the command.
  The orders were carried out swiftly and the four SeaSanctions sailed away, leaving a mixture of dead and alive vermin in their wake, some floundering in the water while others lay still, only their bodies present as their souls entered hellgates.

[close]

Chapter three

  The sun shone brightly on the water as the ships sailed home, as if wanting to celebrate their victory. The wind blew fair from the east, causing the ships to almost fly, sea spray drenching the merry crew as birds soared overhead, singing and squawking their delight of the beautiful summer day.
  On board Iris, Asher stood at the tiller, reveling at the feeling of the nimble ship reacting to his slightest touch. It was a beautiful afternoon, even if it had been tainted slightly with bloodshed.
  The otter tribe were fearless beasts when it came to doing right but they didn't enjoy the killing any more than a rabbit kit, still wet behind the ears, would. However, they knew evil could not go unchallenged and so they took it upon themselves to be the challengers, so that other beasts could live in peace.
  A shout came from the lookout of Snowdrop, who had taken her usual position in the head of the fleet. Asher looked to her stern, waiting for the booming roar of his younger brother, telling them what lay ahead.
  "Smoke! Coming from shore! Near the holt!"
  Asher passed his first mate the tiller while he went to relay the message to the newly captured ship, with Chief Ruth at the helm. The answer came back promptly, loud and clear.
  "Take the ships slightly south of the holt and we'll march in to see what's going on!"
  Asher didn't need to repeat the command for the other two ships. The otter Chieftainess was known for being especially good at yelling and she lived up to her reputation now.
  A few otters were left behind to help and look after the former slaves while everybeast else jumped ashore and headed north along the beach, stringing out as some of the faster ones moved ahead.
  Asher and Moses, along with a few otters, arrived over the sand dunes first, staying below the skyline while Moses crawled forward on his belly to get a good look at what was going on.
  The holt lay smouldering on the sand, ruined by a combination of fire and axes. Searats crouched behind rocks and whatever other shelter they could find, unable to show their heads under the constant shower of flying rocks and pebbles.
  Moses could see the ten otter warriors they'd left behind, standing back to back in a ring with the young, old and a few injured inside, protected by the impenetrable walls of the otter defense circle.
  Moses looked down at the creatures waiting for his report. There were more of them now and their numbers kept growing as beasts ran down the beach to join them.
  "It doesn't look good. They've been cut off from the escape route. Sarina and Ruth, can you please lead a group through the tunnel and attack the vermin from behind. Help defend the young ones as soon as possible. Sornah,' Moses continued as Sarina and Ruth led a third of the party away, "Use shields and attack from the front. Leave me and Asher with ten otters and take all the rest."
  Asher and Moses exchanged grins.
  "It appears that the corsairs have left their ships behind the peninsula. We'll take a couple of fishing boats and go find them."
  The small group circled round the fight, approaching the small harbor from inland and quickly pushing a pair of fishing boats into the water. Without the weight of a big ship, the little craft fairly skimmed the water, each propelled by four big otters.
  Sure enough, the vermin ships lay just behind the peninsula, only guarded by a couple of rats who weren't necessary for the main fight. It was dibbuns' play to knock them out with a few well-placed stones and the otters laid them on the soft sand for their captains to deal with.
  Moses and Asher split up and took a ship each, towing the fishing boats behind as the larger vessels gathered speed, sailing along the coast to where the last loose ends of the fight were being tied up.
  The other ships in the fleet had been retrieved and the other two recruits nosed their way neatly onto shore, listing to the side as they lost the support of the sea.
  Moses made his way to the lower slave decks and addressed a squirrel close to the steps.
  "Hello. What's your name?"
  The squirrel looked up at him with weary, sympathetic, eyes.
  "I suggest you try not to sound so cheerful. The slavemaster always picks on the happy ones. I'm Torfah. I've been a slave for eight seasons on this ship."
  Moses smiled down at the gaunt, aged looking beast.
  "Sorry to hear that, my friend. Pass your paw here and I'll see what I can do to change your situation."
  Torfah studied the mouse's honest face suspiciously, noticing his lack of bindings or injuries.
  "If I give you my paw, you'll reveal some hidden whip or something and give me a lashing. Leave me alone."
  Moses looked around at the other slaves as they muttered their agreement, a hint of despair reaching his eyes as he imagined the countless hours of rowing, starvation and abuse these creatures had suffered.
  A hare spoke up from the back of the room, his voice defiant.
  "I'll give you my paw and we'll see what you're about."
  The deck went silent as they waited for the newcomer's response. They all remembered the day when Flavian Lemongrass had arrived. The only reason he was on the top slave deck was because that was as far down as they'd managed to get him. No vermin crossed Flavian's path and he was a friend to all the slaves.
  Moses advanced down the narrow aisle, conscious of the unfriendly eyes on him as he approached the lanky hare.
  "What's your name?"
  Flavian narrowed his eyes, assessing the mouse.
  "Flavian Lemongrass. What's yours?"
  "Moses SeaSon."
  Mouse and hare made eye contact, both trying to determine the intentions of the other before they revealed their own. Finally, Moses broke the silence.
  "Pleased to meet you, Flavian Lemongrass. What do you think a good name for a ship would be?"
  Flavian was slightly taken aback by the mouse's friendly manner and unexpected question. A thought sprang to mind and he didn't have time to stop it bursting out, reverting back into his usual, cheerful voice.
  "I've always thought Poppy would be a spiffin' name for a jolly ship. Why are you lookin' for bally ole ship names anyway, wot?"
  Moses smiled.
  "Poppy. I like it. Anymore suggestions? We have three ships needing new names."
  Flavian smiled, knowing it was too late to remain rebellious. He hoped this mouse wasn't on the vermin side because he had far too much intelligence for comfort if he wasn't working for good.
  "Who's we? I've only seen one of you so far."
  Moses gestured forward to the ladder leading to the top deck as three burly otters dropped down onto the walkway.
  "Chuck me a javelin, will you, Sarina?"
  Sarina hurled her javelin at Moses, who pivoted neatly and caught it in his left paw.
  "We includes me, my brother and over a hundred otters. Now, paw?"
  Flavian's eyes clouded with suspicion once more but he saw the danger in refusing and held out his footpaw obediently.
  Moses lowered the javelin's point to the deck, fished inside his pocket and brought out a key, inserting it into the lock and turning it but getting no result. The lock was obviously in bad condition from all the dirt and sea water.
  Discarding the key as useless, Moses picked his javelin up again, his eyes meeting Flavian's.
  "Hold still. Very still."
  So saying, Moses thrust the javelin forward, its tip hitting the gap in the shackle and driving it open.
  "There's water outside to wash in and I suggest you use it. The Chief doesn't like it when beasts come to the table dirty. Trust me, I speak from experience."
  Flavian looked down at himself critically.
  "I'm not that dirty, wot!"
  Moses lifted an eyebrow, jerking his head to the outside world.
  "Try telling the Chief that."
  Moses, Sarina, Sornah and Daetam all worked together to free the remaining slaves, not even attempting to use the keys and just breaking each of the shackles. The metal would be melted down anyway so there wasn't much point in preserving the rusty chains.
  The slaves quickly grew to trust the otter tribe and their adopted otter mice. It was hard to stay suspicious of beasts who had defeated their enemies, freed them and then shared all the food and shelter they had with them, treating them as equals and caring for them like family.
  Moses introduced Flavian to the command group and the hare made his own conquest, winning over the otters with his quaint speech and cheerful attitude.
  "Aren't you a jolly group, wot! I say, I've never met a female king before! What do they call you, your majesty? A bally Kingess or somethin'?"
  Ruth lifted her snout indignantly.
  "I am not a king! I'm a chief and you better remember it, young ripper! Don't start the groveling nonsense either! Chiefs are chiefs and nothing more so you needn't address me like some warlord. You wouldn't address one of your fabled Badger Lords as 'your majesty'."
  Flavian began to bow apologetically, then jumped back as Ruth swung a halfhearted kick at him.
  "I say, jolly rude of you, wot! Kicking a beast for no reason at all! Why, you don't deserve to be called anything with manners like that, wot wot!"
  Sornah raised his paws in an effort to placate the offended hare.
  "I don't think she appreciated you bowing to her. She did mention her dislike of beasts groveling at her paws."
  "Well you could've said so in the first place, wot! Deepest apoloballyologies, marm."
  The corners of Ruth's mouth tilted upwards in a small smile before she changed the subject.
  "You are forgiven. Now, how was it that a member of the famous Long Patrol became a slave on a pirate ship?"

[close]

This'll have to do for now because I need to go to dinner. Hope you enjoy!

[Sebias of Redwall]

Mm, nice! *Has already read and reviewed these chapters on FFN* For future reference, would you like us to post our thoughts and reviews on this thread?

[shisteer of nothing much]

I don't know. I guess you could, but in some ways I'd rather a review on ff.n.

[Ripred the Gnawer]

Wow, Teer! I had no idea you were such a good author! I write for fun sometimes, but I hardly ever get anywhere.

[Sebias of Redwall]

Wow, Teer! I had no idea you were such a good author! I write for fun sometimes, but I hardly ever get anywhere.

Glad you enjoyed it, too! Who was your favorite character? Mine's Flavian, I think.  Are you going to post any of your writing sometime?

[Ripred the Gnawer]

I might. I think Esther is my favorite.

[Sebias of Redwall]

Noice, noice.

Do you have FanFiction.Net account? You should consider leaving a review or two, if ya want. And you could also maybe help us pester her to keep updating it. 

[Ripred the Gnawer]

I did.