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

[Ashleg]

"I know how t' walk, Drubble, but putting weight on it isn't goin' t' help me. That just makes things worse." Rapshade said, limping over to the stairs that led to the room they were going to with Fang to support him.
As the ferret peered up the stairs, looking like he was dreading it, Fang suddenly kicked him down and leapt in front of him.

"Aaargh..What in th' blazes..."
"Shh, Cap'n, 'tis Duncan! Pretend yer not here." Fangfang hissed. Laughing sheepishly, he turned to the hare who was walking up to them.
"Rapshade's not here. Where're ya goin'?"

"I'm going to the Great Hall for the feast." Duncan frowned. "And Fang, you liar, you just bloomin' pushed 'im down; he's right behind you! Would somebeast mind telling me what's going on?" He glanced at Drubble as he said that last part, narrowing his eyes.

[Groddil]

Drubble shrugged.
"Yurr, zorry, Duncan zurr. Mortybell wuz busy wid th'injured mousey that th'Vigil brought 'ere. She told oi to bring Rappyshade up to 'ee kitchens to 'elp clean up. Oi thought mebbe Fangfang cudd help me, seein' as 'ow they wuz mates once, burr aye! 'Ee's just nervous is all, 'ee 'asn't seen Rapyshade in a whoile."

[Ashleg]

Fang nodded. "Yeah! Um, but we're still mates, me 'n' Rappy."
"I really doubt Scumshade feels that way," Duncan said, not looking impressed. Fang stepped aside as Duncan pushed past him to get to Rapshade. The hare bent down and yanked him up by the scruff.
He tweaked the ferret on the nose. "I have a better job for you, but you can't do it looking like this." He said as he grabbed Rapshade by the ear and began leading him, stumbling, off. The hare beckoned with one paw for Drubble and Fangfang to follow him.
Rapshade yelped. "Owoww! That hurts, slow down! An' what's wrong with how I look now?"
Duncan rolled his eyes.
"Pirates. You need a bath...and that's the same coat you've been wearing since who-knows-when. It has blood on it. You can't clean anything lest you're clean yourself, Scumshade. Come help me, you two!"

[Groddil]

Drubble followed Duncan and Rapshade, nervously tapping his digging claws together. The cellarmole snuck a worried look at Fangfang and shrugged his shoulders.

[Ashleg]

Duncan pulled Rapshade into a little side room and let go of him.
"Give me that coat of yours and then take a bath over there, ferret. Unless you want me to do it for you?"
After a moment's hesitation, Rapshade reluctantly handed over his coat to Duncan. "N-n-no sir, here...I'm gonna be fast!" He frantically slammed and locked the door, leaving Duncan right outside with Fang and Drubble.
Fang blinked repeatedly.
"Rap looks so sick without that coat," he whispered to Drubble. "I ne'er realized 'e was missin' so much fur....Hasn't Rayne been seein' 'im at all?"

[Groddil]

Drubble nodded.
"Accordin' to Mortybell, she sees 'im occasionally, but doesn't give 'im 'ow much medicine 'ee needs, cause it's apparently a waste. Oi disagrees, think of 'ow much pain 'ee must be goin' through, burr aye..."

[Ashleg]

"'E hides it well, I haveta say." Fang whispered.

Duncan, meanwhile, was looking through the ferret's coat pockets to busy himself when his paw came across something. The hare pulled out a shiny purple necklace and held it up, twirling it on one finger.
"Curious. Seen this before, Fang? It looks valuable."

"...A-aye." Fangfang's eyes widened. "But I didn't know 'e still 'ad that..." The rat glanced nervously at Drubble.

[Groddil]

Drubble turned his head to one side, not fully understanding.
"Whoi wuz that, zurr? Wuz it yurrs?"

[Ashleg]

"No; I don't know where 'e got it. He'd always wear it when we were little. I really thought 'e got rid o' it, though." Fang murmured.

"I bet he stole it." Duncan remarked.

The doorknob turned and, with a click, the door swung open.
Rapshade's fur stuck up here and there from him trying to dry it. His eyes lit up and went ablaze as soon as he noticed what Duncan was holding.
"Why were y' goin' through my stuff?!" The ferret cried.

[Groddil]

Drubble shook his head.
"If'n 'ee wore it when 'ee was young, 'ow cudd 'ee 'ave stolen it?"
The cellarmole jumped slightly as Rapshade emerged.
"It wasn't oi, zurr. But Fangfang said 'ee thought yurr throwed it away. Wutt is it, zurr?"

[Ashleg]

"It's nothing, Drubble." Rapshade hissed, snatching it out of Duncan's paw.
Duncan gave him a light slap when he reached for his coat.
"No, Scumshade, not with that attitude and not until you can get the blood off it--and I don't even know about then, because it's still too captainish for the likes of you. Now walk. We're going to the Great Hall; I trust you know where that is." Duncan snapped.

Fang started off after them.
"I know it's not nothin', Drubble," he whispered. He snatched Rapshade's coat and walked up next to the ferret, sneaking it to him when Duncan wasn't looking.
"Hide yer sickness or you'll worry me, Cap'n.."
"I'm not dying!" Rapshade retorted. He quickened his pace when he felt Duncan's eyes boring into his back. So I say.

[Hickory]

"The Vigil dropped off an injured mouse, hurt by what appears to be a sword slash on the torso. Mortembell and Rayne are tending to him."

The badgermum waited for Grant's response.

[Ashleg]

Grant grabbed Ava's paw and started down the hallway.
"An injured mouse? Who attacked him, did he say?"

[Hickory]

Ava said, "Asher wasn't very specific, but I'm sure it wasn't an accident."

Leaning in close, she whispered her opinion to the Abbot. "Maybe there really is a horde in Mossflower, like you told me Damien had said. One-Ear could be right."

[Ashleg]

Grant folded his arms.
"I refuse to believe there's a horde in Mossflower, Ava. The whole thing with Rapshade happened on accident due to his steersrat deciding to explore; a horde can't just happen across Mossflower so soon after that."