Redwall Isn't Safe Anymore! (Is Redwall as Safe as they Say it is? Part Two)

[Hickory]

The crackling of thin ice breaking heralded the approach of the battered and beaten Guosim. Gruddil directed the boats to land on a bank, and the remaining crew stumbled out onto the cold ground. A few of the able-bodied shrews cleared snow and built fires, as the healers tended to the wounded. "Those vermin fought like Hellsteeth!" exclaimed a shrew. Gruddil nodded sadly. "We can't do anything now. We recover, then we strike back! Those vermin will pay for what they did!"

A reluctant cheer sounded from the crowd, puncuated with groans and cries of pain. Gruddil gritted his teeth. "I may not be Log-a-Log officially, but I'll do my best to lead you well. Now, of course, one thing needs to be cleared up. Whoever kills the vermin that murdered our Log-a-Log... will be made leader of our tribe. Now, rest Guosim. Recover your strength. We'll give those vermin what they gave us!"


However, there were murmurs of dissidence among the ranks. "You saw the ferret, right?"


"Yeah, she was fighting unlike anything I've seen!"


"No, idiot, the one with the bad leg. Rapshade! I guess that battle on the ship wasn't as fatal as we thought..."


"Stupid Redwallers might as well let him out themselves, he must've escaped easily. Why would we fight him? He slaughtered us on the ship, and at the last battle!"


"I dunno mate, I dunno."

~O~

Fardan woke up from his catnap. Whiskers twitching, he observed Rapshade's empty chair. Perfect, the ferret wasn't there to see him. The wildcat smirked at Alfhild's sleeping form. He was glad he didn't stoop so low as to get dumb drunk at a time like this. Keeping his steps light on the floor, Fardan left for the upstairs of the Abbey.

[Groddil]

Beneath Mossflower Wood, in the forgotten chambers of Moledeep, the Vigil had finished their preparations. Charm, Celio, and the other captains had commandeered the barracks, and put the finishing touches to their plan.
"Celio, you take most of the force out through the side entrance, and circle round through the woods."
"And then I hit the gate."
"And then you hit the gate. I'll take one battalion with me through the main entrance. We'll be up that lift before they even know what hit 'em."
The mouse stood up and saluted, his paw shaking.
"May your battles be swift and your life long, marm."
"You too, Celio."
The mouse nodded, and together with the captains, left the cavern. Only four creatures remained. Charm, the captain of her battalion... And two foxes; one white, one red. Mortembell let out a long sigh.
"I'm going with you."
"No. Somebody needs to tend to the wounded."
"They killed my son."
"The badger killed your son, ma'am, not them. We'll handle it, you make sure nobeast else died."
"I'm. Going. With you. Rapshade is there, and that furry piece of... My husband is dead because of Rapshade. My son is dead... because of Rapshade. He was too busy running around down here to keep himself safe. If that ferret hadn't have opened his fat little mouth and told the horde about this place, he wouldn't have been running around those woods chasing his own tail, so that badger could find him!"
"Dare I say it, but you're right. This whole operation was a fool's errand from the start. All it did was make Redwall hate us. And today we march into that Abbey, and we slaughter every vermin in there, and for what? Nobeast'll remember our sacrifices. They won't care. We'll be remembered as fools, savages no better than the vermin we were created to destroy. Everybeast here will scatter tomorrow, either forgotten by history, or condemned by it. Your son was a fool. That got him killed."
The otter and her Captain rose, leaving the two vixens alone. Shadomay picked up a bow that was leaning against the wall.
"For what it's worth, I appreciate what he did for me. He may have been a fool, but he was a noble one."
The vixen shouldered the bow, slipped a dagger into her belt, and followed Charm.

[Hickory]

Asher and Harnam shook ice water out of their foot paws as they stood on the bank of the river where Filargo had picked them up. "The Moledeep entrance is right over there," said Asher. Harnam ran over and disappeared down the hole. Asher followed him, and both of them ran into Celio. "Ah, Celio," he said. "Any idea if One-Ear's back yet?"

[Groddil]

Celio shook his head.
"He's dead, Asher. We took the vote. Vigil's being disbanded as soon as this whole business with the horde is taken care of. We're on our way to the Abbey now. Going to kill them all... Or die trying. Durkon, Shillo, form up properly. Archers at the rear, everybeast with shields at the front. Move it faster, or this'll take all day!"
The mouse turned back to the squirrels.
"Look. This whole operation was a waste. Everybeast knows it, and nobeast wants to keep going. You can either join us now, or go live out the rest of your days in peace. It doesn't bother me in the slightest. What's it gonna be?"

[Hickory]

Staring slack jawed, Asher grasped for a response. "It's suicide! But... I can't watch all of you die like that. I'm with you, Celio, even though it will probably be my last time. And, if One-Ear isn't here, then Chamrs in command. I do need to speak to her before I can do anything else."

[Groddil]

Celio shook his head.
"She's already taken a battalion with her to the main entrance. What did you need to ask her, I can see if someone can run the message back."

[Hickory]

"Tell, not ask. She needs to know Bracklew is not with us, instead he is presumably somewhere in Mossflower, maybe dead. The absence of an Abbey warrior needs to be filled quickly. Also, my mission was a success."

He thought for a second. "That should be all. Where should I go for the attack?"

[Groddil]

"You, dormouse!"
"Y-Yes, boss?"
"Get back in there, and tell Charm that the Abbey Warrior's MIA, possibly dead."
"On it, boss."
The dormouse sprinted back into the cavern. Celio turned back to Asher.
"Anywhere, really. We're just going to get through that gate and wreak havoc. Kill 'em before they can react. We can't let them have the time to fortify themselves."

[Ashleg]

Roscoe grinned uneasily as he stepped up to the Redwall gates, waving off the archers that had trained arrows on him.
"Ayyy, it's just me, Roscoe. So you did win?"
The arrows lowered a little.
The weasel twirled his cape, adding in a snark, "Where's my parade?"

A rat snarled down from the battlements.
"Why I'll kill you, you little sass--"

Roscoe yelped from below, eyes shining disarmingly.
"I killed Bracklew. Th' Woodlanders' warrior!" He stepped back as the gates opened.
The rat raced out to greet him.
"Well then why don't you get in here? Chief'll surely want to talk with you."

[LT Sandpaw]

"We'll need some sort of distraction, and then we can break for the Vigil's tunnels. How's Aver doing?" Petu whispered into Rayne's ear, saying the last part a little louder. The two were trailing a short ways in front of Rapshade, and Rayne was helping the wounded rabbit along as they padded up the stairs.

"Better, but I don't think he'll be back on his paws in no time." Rayne replied in kind, lowering her voice as she continued talking. "I can't abandon the hurt and leave them here to die. I'm sorry Petu, but I can't go with you. If you want to escape you'll have to do it yourself. Maybe you could join the Vigil, I'm sure they wont abandon us, and there is still Bracklew out there. Just be careful and don't do anything rash." This said the mouse healer ascended the final steps, pushing the infirmary door open, aiding Petu onto a bed.

Turning to Rapshade and Vadoma the mouse healer crossed her arms, feeling uncomfortable. She was a prisoner in her own home, forced to do these creatures bidding. She supposed now would be as good a time as any to test her boundaries. "Now that I'm here can I still treat the Redwallers down in the cellars? There are a few whose wounds will fester without proper care."

[Ashleg]

Rapshade's answer was distracted. "Yes...I told Petu to stay with me an' Fang though, just...do what Vad says." He irritably pulled the rabbit back up, snatching a vial of his medicine from Vadoma's open paws.
"Come on, Bunny, you know the rules."

Vadoma watched as Rapshade herded his slave back out the door.
As soon as she got the chance she slammed it shut, shoving a sharp claw under Rayne's chin.
"Heal the wounded of horde before any of your pathetic little friends. I'm not Rapshade, I won't be so nice."

[Hickory]

Asher nodded and beackoned for Harnam to follow him away. "Thanks, Celio. See you in battle."

~O~

Fardan pulled out a cloth wrapped item from a cabinet drawer in the upper rooms. After the battle, he'd commandeered some of the rooms for his own purposes, and now he closed the door with the item in his paw. Staying quiet, he continued back downstairs.

[Ashleg]

Roscoe grinned snidely as he was led up to Alfhild; she gasped awake, claws poised out and ready to go.
"This'n says he murdered the squirrel Rapshade was with, Chief!" The rat announced with a salute.
Alfhild's blue eyes rounded.
"Really? Well, for his sake it better be true."

"It is," sneered Roscoe, leaning on the table. "Lissen, Chief, this rat may not be as big and strong as me, but that's no reason to pretend to doubt me. Honest, it won't make him feel better..."
The rat, who was larger than Roscoe, looked utterly confused.

Alfhild clapped a paw over her snout to suppress her laughter.
"When was the last time you saw your reflection, Hon? Here comes Fardan now, that's what I would call big and strong."

[Hickory]

Rolling his eyes, Fardan ignoring Alfhild otherwise and looked over Roscoe. "And who might you be?" he said, smirking.

[Ashleg]

"I'm yer darn mother, that's who I..." Roscoe could suddenly hear himself blink.
Concerned, he popped an eye open to glance up at Fardan.
Snap.
The weasel felt his heart drop toward his tail as he switched to the defense and put on a horribly crooked grin, fumbling with his paws as he reached to take off his hat.
"Eh..."