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

[Ashleg]

OOC-
I'm just going to pretend she walked into his room, because Grant wasn't in the Great Hall. XD
IC-
Grant glanced at the door, startled.
"Ava!.. Mortembell left?" The mouse narrowed his eyes and jumped off the chair he was sitting on.
"I didn't know."

Fangfang narrowed his eyes.
"We can learn, can't we? I'll at least talk t' Rayne again..."

[Groddil]

Drubble nodded.
"Oi'll go with 'ee, zurr. Let's go foind Rayne an' get 'er t'fix up Rappyshade's leg, burr aye!"

[Ashleg]

OOC-
Adopting Needle.
IC-
Fangfang led the way up the stairs and through the dimly lit hallway.
He was in a bad mood from their feast-turned-disaster, though he hid it fairly well.
The rat halted near the infirmary and rapped twice on the door, puffing out his narrow chest.
"Rayne?"

----

Needle glanced at One-Ear.
"Lead the way, wot.."

[Groddil]

One-Ear motioned to his detachment of Vigil troops, who crawled forwards into the undergrowth. The young fox nodded at Asher in the treetops, and was satisfied to see the Vigil archers ready their arrows. One-Ear drew his blade and whispered to the hare.
"My soldiers are in position. Take your half around to the other side of the clearing and charge when you're ready. Shout out 'Vigilance' and we'll come running in."
The fox disappeared back into the bushes.

[LT Sandpaw]

Expecting to see Grant Rayne pulled open the door and held up a small lantern. "Fang?" She asked in surprise. Then looking past him she spotted Drubble. "Is something wrong? Do you two have stomach aches? I've had four cases already." She said worriedly looking over the rat and mole.

[Ashleg]

"Mortembell beat Rapshade, an' then ran off." Fang said hurriedly, locking eyes with Rayne.
"Please can yer 'elp 'im?"

--

Needle and his scouts circled around the vermin.
The hare nodded when he was ready, then charged out into the open.
"Vigilaaaaaance!"

[Hickory]

Asher immediately loosed his shaft, sending a vermin archer toppling from a tree. His archers slew their targets as well, and everybeast set another shaft. Asher noticed the vermin below starting to gather. Signaling for one of his team to take over, the black squirrel moved back to One-Ear. "I can see the leader rallying them in the middle. I can send an arrow right through his skull if you want."

[Groddil]

The remainder of the Vigil troops rolled from the bushes into the clearing. They picked themselves up and charged the vermin that were starting to defend themselves from Needle's force. Not expecting to be hit from behind, their ranks were decimated, and the survivors cornered. Amidst the chaos, nobeast noticed a skinny rat slip away into the woods. One-Ear cleaved a ferret almost in half and called up to Asher.
"Do it!"

[Hickory]

The rest of Asher's team heard the order and tightened their bows. Asher released his own arrow and the rest followed suit. The vermin leader fell, pierced by four arrows.

All of the archers exited their tree cover and joined the rest of the Vigil force. Asher returned to One-Ear's side. "Orders?"

[Ashleg]

Needle pointed his scimitar at the surrounded vermin and wordlessly turned to look at One-Ear.
He was wondering the same thing as Asher.

--

Deep in the middle of Mossflower Woods lie a clearing, void of any plant life except a few stark, leafless winter trees.
The vermin horde of Alfhild the ferret had taken up camp here. Tents were scattered around in no particular order, and here and there a few campfires were lit. It gave off a completely different vibe than the homely Redwall Abbey.
Alfhild herself sat on a log at the campfire nearest to her tent, hood up, blue eyes watching.
Every so often she'd lean back to take a sip from the beaker of wine she held in her bony right paw.
Suddenly the ferret flicked her tauntingly cruel gaze over to Vadoma, whom was sitting opposite her.
"Do you hear that?"
The fox, Vadoma, looked behind herself. "I think it's th' patrols returning." She remarked, sinking her teeth into the leg of a grilled bird.
Alfhild grinned. "You must be deaf, fox. It's only one creature."

[Groddil]

One-Ear nodded at Asher, signalling the Vigil to stand down.
"Drop your weapons vermin."
Nobeast moved. The fox snatched a spear from one of the soldiers and threw it at the group. A rat grunted and fell back into the masses. The fox snarled.
"DO...IT!"
The vermin looked at each other reluctantly and threw their weapons down.
"Now, what's going on here? Are you the entire horde? Where are you going?"
A ferret shakily raised his paw.
"Uhh...b-b-b-ut...If'n we tell yer, she'll kill us..."
One-Ear drew his blade and ran the ferret through.
"If you mean this "Alfhild" creature, know that whatever they'll do to you if they tell you is NOTHING compared to what I'll do if you don't. You there! Weasel! Which one of you is Alfhild? Tell me and maybe, just maybe, you can go free."
The weasel shrugged.
"Alfhild isn't here sir..."
"THEN WHERE IS SHE?"
The weasel gulped.
"Probably camped out in the woods somewheres."
"How many more of you are there? Can you lead us there?"
The weasel nodded. One-Ear smirked and sheathed his blade. The Vigil soldiers moved aside to allow the weasel forwards. He pawed the ground, sniffed the trees, then darted into the undergrowth before anybeast could stop him.

*****

At the horde's camp, the skinny rat threw a salute at Alfhild, making his report.
"Err...they attacked us, miss Alfhild...They got all the others, but they didn't get me!"

[LT Sandpaw]

Gapping at Fangfang the mouse healer shook her head slowly. "Beat him," She said aghast. "Why would she... Is he badly hurt? Hold on let me get my satchel." Rushing back into the infirmary Rayne scooped up her satchel and hung it over her shoulder. She was dressed in her nightshirt, but there was nothing to be done about that. Pattering back out to join Drubble and Fang she looked up at them biting her lip. "Explain what happened on the way please."

~*~*~*~*~

Perched above the horde tents, silent and watchful the crows of Grah the Krah's flock waited. They had been waiting for a good feast for some time. Their bellies had been filled on worms and grubs for too long and they needed blood. They knew that fights occasionally broke out between one or two beasts, sometimes leaving one of the arguers dead. But it had been too long, and the crows were growing restless.

Grah shuffled her feathers irritably. She was in a large maple tree over the Alfhild's tent. She watched curiously as a small rat raced up. She watched him knowingly her dark eyes following his every movement. He wasn't much, stringy and small, but edible.

As he ran up to the tent she clacked her beak in irritation. Alfhild might leave him alive, or she might not. Grah knew that she couldn't kill the hordebeasts herself, and it was torture waiting hopefully only to be disappointed.

The sound of flapping made her jerk her gaze upward, black feathered head twisting to acquire a better view.

"Creaah great Krah a scout approaches. Creaaaah." Grah dipped her head in response as the second crow descended alighting on a lower branch.

"Creaaah speak word scout?" She squawked in a rough voice.

"Found, Creaaah, Red house, horde-earthwalkers walk to Red house in day great Krah." Grah bobbed her head again, then spreading her great wings jumped from the branch. Gliding down and landing close to Alfhild a wary distance from the fire.

[Ashleg]

Walking at a brisk pace, Fang began explaining.
"Well, er, Mortybell threw a saltshaker at Duncan an' it broke, so Rap had t' clean it up, see. So 'e hurries o'er there an' on 'is way says t' Morembell, '"Hey, please be careful, don't throw things"'. She got real mad an' started commentin' about how she should throw 'im off th' belltower an' all that rubbish, then she commented on...me...an' Cap'n--I mean Rapshade--snapped an' bit 'er in th' arm. So th' vixen kicks 'm off an' takes a knife from the table an' threatens t' stab 'im.." The scrawny rat began rushing his words and looking anxious.
"U-um, an' Grant an' 'er started t' argue, Grant gave up 'n' left, an' she rushed Rap t' the cellars. We 'eard screamin'...a-and Drubble who was down there told me 'e was beat."

--

Needle the hare frowned, glancing at the other vermin and One-Ear.
"He's gone. What now?"
--

"Maybe that's because nobeast'd want you." Vadoma remarked, sneering and flicking a bone from her meal in the rat's face. "You lesser hordebeasts are supposed to bow in front of the Chief." Turning to Alfhild, she grinned and asked, "Should I kill him?"
Alfhild signaled with a claw for the vixen to leave, for she was not in the mood. As soon as the seer was out of sight, she sprang up with surprising agility for one her age and seized the rat by the collar of his tunic.
"Attacked!" The ferret exclaimed, ice blue eyes widening psychotically.
"And you fled?" She snarled and shook him violently before tossing him down in the snow. Suddenly calm, Alfhild took a swig of her wine. "When you came here, I told you the rules. One of which was that if you fail not to come back until you succeed...I'd ought to have you whipped..." She smirked and glanced over at Grah.
"...Or, my friend here could pick you apart limb by limb with that marvelous beak of hers until she's satisfied." The ferret's eyes found the unfortunate soldier again, glimmering tauntingly in the moonlight.
"Your choice. I always do love watching either of them. You know how much Alfhild needs her show, don't you..?"

[Groddil]

Before the rat could reply, the weasel came crashing into the camp. Throwing himself in the dirt before Alfhild, the weasel addressed his chieftain.
"Marm, enemies in the woods. Permission to take some troops and ambush them?"

*****

One-Ear waved a paw.
"Meh. Forget about that one. These vermin'll talk eventually. Get some soldiers, tie them up, and stand guard here. I'll take THIS one with me..."
The fox growled, snatching a rather decorated stoat from the crowd and slipping a rope around his neck.
"Okay, slow pace now. Try to run, and you're dead."
The stoat snarled.
"Do you know who I am, fox? Get your filthy paws off me!"
One-Ear kicked him forwards.
"I don't know, and I don't care! GET MOVING!"
The stoat struggled and bit.
"The name's Zaxian Claw, and it's gonna be the last thing you ever hear when Alfhild finds out about this!"
One-Ear's eyes lit up.
"Oh, so you know Alfhild, do you? Why don't you tell me all about her?"
The fox and stoat vanished into the trees.

[Ashleg]

Alfhild pulled out a sturdy, dangerous looking sword from under her cloak.
She grinned and licked her jaws menacingly, tapping the weasel in between the ears with her sword point.
"I'll be heading the troops. It's always more...inspiring...to sink my teeth into the flesh of an enemy rather than a scrawny little rat like him." She moved over, allowing the weasel to stand up.
"Gather our best soldiers and tell me when you're ready." She paused, looking him up and down.
"...And what's your name, eh? I'd like to remember it in case this takes a wrong turn."

--

Needle did as told, binding the vermin to the trees around him.
He kept a straight face though they whimpered and wailed. Typical cowardly vermin.
"Quiet!" The hare demanded. "I'm not quick to kill like One-Ear. We're letting you live as far as I'm concerned."