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

[LT Sandpaw]

 Petu jerked awake, his fur and ears standing on end. Rapshade's shriek rang in his sensitive ears and he glanced towards the bed, his heart beating like a drum.
"What happened?" He gasped scrambling to his footpaws. His body as sore beyond belief and he winced a little, his claws tingling from where he had slept on them funny. "Rapshade... Are you okay, did you scream?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Creeping through the ice laced ditch Bracklew watched the wall tops horror. His stomach felt lead laden and he choked back a sob. High above the walls wood smoke swirled from the sentries fires floating into the air. A single crow flew overhead, circling the high roof like a dark shadow of what had come. On the proud battlements that had protected the abbey through so much marched vermin warriors, their spears glinting in the early morning light. Sinking back into the ditch Bracklew fell to his knees disbelieving and defeated.

Shank hadn't been lying, Redwall had fallen to the horde.

[Ashleg]

"I screamed?" Rapshade whispered, shaking.
He then caught a sob in his throat. "Petu, help me! It gets worse every night..."
The ferret whirled like he heard something, gasping and clawing at the bedsheets.
"Tell me if this is what guilt feels like?!"

[LT Sandpaw]

Tall ears pinned to the back of his head Petu retreated from the bed, groping behind himself for the door latch. Was he in the presence of a madbeast? He'd heard many stories of vermin being driven mad. Petu and many other dwellers of the abbey borrowed books from the library and gatehouse, reading the nightmarish tales of such creatures. Surely Rapshade wasn't insane, no he only had a bad dream, that's it.

G-guilt, eh Rapshade I wouldn't know. I have no idea what it is you're feeling or talking about really. Um, maybe you could explain it a little more."
The rabbit felt his paw close around the latch, and he stood ready to bolt should Rapshade turn on him. But in an Abbey full of vermin who would protect him? Petu licked his lips nervously, hoping his only protection wouldn't become an aggressor.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Having woken from one of the best night sleep he had in a long time Fastooth practically skipped down the halls jostling drowsy guards into wakefulness. The rat's sharp ears suddenly pricked as a muffled cry rang out from a doorway to his left.
Rapshade's voice.

Intrigued, the intuitive rodent pressed one of his large ears against the door, eavesdropping on its two occupants as they conversed.

[Hickory]

Fardan stared at Alfhild unhappily. "Good for you, then. I slept... fine. Although I don't suppose it's any business of yours."

[Ashleg]

"D-don't leave, Petu!" Rapshade scrambled forward on the bed.
He looked both deranged and apologetic, his tail lashing side to side in spurratic movements.
In this moment it seemed, he was seeing Petu as his protector.
"Terrifying recurring nightmares...I'm so confused." He trailed off, becoming silent as he looked at Petu for help.

--

Alfhild grinned, ears flicking.
"The woodlanders are in the kitchen making breakfast. Surely you'll come?"

[LT Sandpaw]

OOC: Should we wait for Groddil?

IC:

"Nightmares, are they making you feel guilty?" Usually when Petu had bad dreams he woke up terrified or sweaty, but certainly not guilty. Perhaps it was something that a pirate would suffer from, being an evil vermin and all. Petu took a deep breath and stayed where he was, unaware that just behind him a rat was listening intently to all that was said.

"What are the dreams about?" Petu inquired cautiously. "I - I'm just as confused as you, if not more so. Maybe I could help..." Why he'd help his slaver was beyond Petu, but the only other option was to run and there was little chance of that succeeding.

[Ashleg]

OOC-
It says he's been online, perhaps he's just waiting for the right time to get in.
I think we should keep going unless Groddil asks us to wait for him.
IC-
Rapshade stood beside the bed, ears twitching as he glanced around intensely like something wasn't right.
"I'm dreaming about the animals I killed. I saw Alfhild. They caught me..." He trailed off. That was half correct, however the ferret didn't mention that memories of Fang and his parents were mixed in there.
His eyes shifted back and forth, landing fidgetily on Petu's footpaws and where the door met the ground.
"G-get away from the door, that shadow there isn't yours."

[Hickory]

"Perhaps," replied the wildcat. He got up from the chair and walked past Alfhild. "I am a little peckish."

[LT Sandpaw]

Rapshade's order, stern and demanding was very different from the scared Rapshade that Petu had witnessed only moments before. The rabbit quickly shuffled aside, hating that he was moving farther away from his only way out of the room but not wanting to anger the dangerous pirate.
"Whose is it then?" He said in a loud whisper trying to spot whatever the ferret had already seen. "Are there guards posted outside maybe? It seems like the sort of thing your aunt would do."

[Ashleg]

Rapshade bared his teeth.
"Well, my aunt needs a good one-two." He straightened up to make himself presentable and then threw open the door.
"Who's there?!"

--

"Hon, then go get something." Said Alfhild sweetly, scampering after him.
"We can't have a hungry warlord."

[Hickory]

"Aw, you think you're funny, don't you?" said Fardan. "I wonder what the woodlanders have cooked up? It's a wonder they put so much time into it."

[Ashleg]

Alfhild snickered wickedly.
"If I forced you to cook me breakfast, you would, too! Let's go see."
She hurried up down the hallway, bracelets clinking and green cloak twirling.

[LT Sandpaw]

Having moved away from the door Fastooth crossed his paws, smirking smugly at the ferret captain. For a moment the rat's gaze trailed towards Petu, but quickly snapped back to Rapshade. He held the ferret's grey stare with his own piercing yellow, not backing down for a moment.
"Officer Fastooth, Second to Fardan an lead rat o' th' Horde. C'n I help ye chief?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The infirmary was packed to the breaking point with injured vermin flooding in by the score. Everything from mortal gut wounds to broken claws had filled Rayne's waking hours until the mouse nearly collapsed from exhaustion. However true to her healers vow she was up again in the morning, treating the dying and inured of their hurts. Her own humble supplies, targeted towards minor illnesses and basic treatments was very quickly depleted leaving nothing but raw materials and herbs.

Approaching Vadoma the mouse tapped her waterlogged claws together as she tried to gain the vixen's attention. "Um, Miss Fox, I'm afraid I don't have the stores to treat the horde and the injured Redwallers, there's just far too many wounded. With your permission I could get some creatures from the cellars, or even willing vermin to make salves, bandages, and other such things." She coughed rubbing her eyes. "If you would allow it?"

[Ashleg]

Rapshade's eye twitched.
"No. Can I help you, Saltooth? I mean Fastooth..."
He inwardly cursed himself for that and fixed the rat with a glower, blocking the doorway.

--

Vadoma fixed Rayne with an icy glare, folding her claws together.
"If there's not enough to treat the Redwallers, don't! If anybeast in the horde wants to make something to help themselves, however...that shouldn't be a problem."

[LT Sandpaw]

Blinking indifferently the rat stepped aside to show he had no interest in entering the room. "Saltooth eh? Is e' one o' th' beasts you've been dreaming 'bout? Now, now don' get your tail in a knot chief, I'm just goin' an' doing me business. Makin' sure everybeast is loyal an' not plannin' anything suspicious with th' slaves." Fastooth raised his eyebrows mockingly his sly grin revealing his darker thoughts. Turning he strode down the hall disappearing down the stairs towards the kitchens without another word.

"What was that about?" Petu questioned, peeking around Rapshade to see if the rat was gone.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Yes, yes thank you Miss Vadoma." Rayne scurried off selecting a few of the more cooperative looking vermin. The ones who were trapped on beds or floor mats with nothing else to do through the dull hours of the morning as they slowly healed. She set them to work grinding herbs, mixing poultices, and weaving bandages among other mundane necessities. Rayne was surprised at how efficient the vermin were, they obviously weren't the sharpest knives in the drawer, but with a simple and explained task at their paws they worked well. Some of the more rowdy ones even made bets to see who could work the fastest and produce the most.

Satisfied by the results of her request Rayne continued her healing duties, discreetly storing a large amount of the supplies in her bag to use on the wounded Redwallers later.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It took some time, and a bit of backtracking but Bracklew found the Vigil's secret entrance. The young squirrel wasn't sure what he was expected to discover there, maybe piles of bodies or a burned out bit of trees, or maybe even a few vermin warriors standing guard, but the woodlands seemed peaceful in the morning light. Glistening snow clung to branches and frosted the ground like a cold blanket. Bits of ice flow through the chilly waters swirling in small gullies. No one would know of the dark shadow that reared its ugly head across Mossflower. No one would tell that Redwall had fallen. Here in the glade beside the river, a beast could forget all their troubles and worries and start afresh.

Perhaps the Horde hadn't pushed down into the Vigil's warren, it wasn't beyond speculation. Drawing his sword Bracklew approached the hidden tunnel, refusing to be disillusioned by the relatively peaceful aura the glade now held. Holding his sword at the ready he called out in a loud whisper, "hello, anybeast home?"