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

[Groddil]

One-Ear nodded and whistled at the Quartermaster. Several hand gestures later, the vole shoved another coil of rope and a hook into Aver's arms.
"Oh, I'll talk to 'im, alright. But 'is story'll be one 'ee don't live t'tell afterwards, because mark my words, I'm going to kill him. Like he killed my mother. Like he tried to kill me. I'm going to find out why he did this, then let him think over his words in Hellgates."
The fox tied one end of his rope around the grappling hook, then threw it towards the pond. It landed securely in the ground on the far side of the sinkhole. Giving the rope an experimental tug, One-Ear grinned. Making sure his katana and crossbow were both secure, he tossed the coil of rope into the pit, pulled out a strange looking device made up of two thin gripping bars and two sickle-like lengths of metal, and took a running jump. As he disappeared into the abyss, One-Ear snapped the device around the hanging rope and squeezed the grips. The sickles snapped together, halting his descend. The fox chuckled.
"Nice word, Vinnie. Y'actually made this wretched thing work."
One-Ear rapped his hind legs around the rope and squeezed one grip lightly. The sickle opened ever so slightly, sending the fox on a slow descent down the rest of the rope.

[Ashleg]

Unwelcome tears sprang into Rapshade's eyes for a moment before he wrenched his leg away from Fastooth. The mention of Alfhild only made his stomach turn.
I'll kill her, I will...
The ferret decided to play dumb.
"W-who's this Alfhild creature? And Fardan? Those're pertty names."

--

Grant stared, dumbfounded, at One-Ear before leading the way to his chamber with the two Vigil soldiers at his back.

[Groddil]

Charm strode forwards after Grant, closely followed by an extremely nervous Gukom.
"You're the Abbot? Nice to meet you, I'm Charm. What did you have in mind for dealing with these vermin?"

*****

In the darkness of the cavern, Mortembell groaned softly. The vixen hauled herself to her footpaws and staggered through the cavern. She tripped into the underground river with an undignified splash and hauled herself up once again. She scoffed when she saw the collapsed exit.
"Of course he'd do that. Hmm, this river...It probably starts underneath the pond. Which means...The way out'll be further downstream."
Wrapping her coat further around her to protect herself from the freezing water, the vixen trotted off down the narrow crack in the cave wall where the river cut through the rocks.

*****

Reaching the bottom of the collapse, One-Ear unclipped the device from the rope. Drawing his katana, he slashed the rope, severing the coil from the (actually rather short) length he had descended on. The fox searched around the nearby collapsed rocks, finding no sign of his mother or the badger, but an extinguished torch. Taking out a piece of flint from one of the pockets on his tunic, One-Ear quickly lit the torch.
"Seems deserted in this part of the cave. Hurry up and get down here!"

[Hickory]

It took Asher only a few seconds to slide down the rope and land lightly in the floor. "The badger did a good job of demolishing the place alright. If we head down this tunnel then we can gr to the fork and go back the way we came."

[Ashleg]

"Nice to meet you, Charm. I am the Abbot." Grant chuckled. "Well, let's see...For starters, we have to know what we're dealing with and what they want. Do you know anything about the leaders?"

[LT Sandpaw]

All the rats let out some form of nervous laugh shaking their heads at Shade's apparent lack of common knowledge. "Aye, pretty as a deadly spider 'er." Fastooth snickered. "Though ye don' need to worry ter much bout Farden, he'll only stick ye wit' his frogpoker. Nah if'n Alfhild don' like ye, she'll kill ye nice n' slow, that is if'n she don't feed ye to 'er pet crows."

"Nasty way to go that. Them disembowel ye alive." Chimed in the spear wielding rat. He pushed Rapshade forward with his weapons haft making revolting noises with his tongue. "All ye get to look forward to if'n ye slip up in Alfhild, n' Farden's horde mate."

~*~*~*~*~

Following Asher down Aver descended at a much slower pace his javelin clenched between his teeth. Dropping the last few tail lengths he landed lightly beside One-ear, his eyes glowing slightly in the dim torch light.

"Great plague n' fire, this giant hole was unner th' Abbey?" Aver shook his head in admiration. "Good thing ye found it mates. This 'ere could be a real problem. Mayhap we should 'ave brought a mole wit' us."

[Ashleg]

"Alfhild and Fardan, just Alfhild and Fardan? No titles? I doubt they're that scary." Rapshade yelped and stumbled forward, shooting the rats a few glares as he was ushered along.

[LT Sandpaw]

OOC: Hey Ashes should we skip to the rodents getting to the horde? Or is there anything else you'd like Rapshade and them to discuss before they get there?

[Ashleg]

OOC-
We can skip if'n ya wants to. 

[Groddil]

One-Ear nodded, clipping the device onto his belt. He began walking over towards Aver.
"This place was destroyed so much, I doubt even a mole could do a thing to help..."
The fox passed Aver and gripped the otter's rope, pulling it down from the ledge and handing it back to him.
"We may need the ropes further down the cave. We can still get up with mi- Unless..."
The fox pulled out his crossbow and examined it.
"Hmm, I think we don't need to leave any of those ropes up there. Asher, pull down your line."
One-Ear returned to where he had left his rope (cut). He pulled the shorter line down into the cave, tossed the grappling hook aside, and looped the length of rope around the handle of his crossbow.
"The crossbow should be able to get a line back above ground. Someone above can tie it off."

[Hickory]

Asher wasn't so sure. "I'd rather not. We should leave a line fixed already without any risky maneuvers like aiming for the ledge all the way up there."

[Groddil]

One-Ear shook his head.
"Normally, I'd be inclined to agree with you. But we have no idea how unstable this place is. We may need that length of rope to get out of a deeper section of the cave. We might not. I don't like taking chances, but..."
One-Ear took out the crossbow, attached the smaller length of rope to a large bolt, and fired. The bolt sailed all the way through the hole and disappeared. Shortly after, a Vigil soldier called down into the pit.
"Secured that line for ya, boss."
One-Ear turned back to Asher.
"That should do it. We can use the shorter length to get back out, and take your bigger coil with us."

[LT Sandpaw]

OOC: Alrighty then.

IC:

Half dragging their new recruit and prisoner along the rat scouts made good time back to the horde's camp. They were greeted by a weasel sentry who raised his eyebrows at who they brought with him.

"Got yeself a tree-mouse, n' gimpy ferret there Fastooth. Huh I wouldn' wanna be ye talkin' ter th' Cheifs wit' that lot." Besides the apparent sneer in his voice the sentry did sound impressed none the less.

"Ha, mate we're jus' supposed ter be scoutin'. We did that, plus this. We'll get promotion's fer sure. Move yew two." He jabbed Bracklew and Rapshade in the back forcing them along deeper into the camp, they made a direct course for Alfhild's command tent where Farden was known to hang about. As they passed a few of the vermin whistled and joked, admiring Fastooth's catch, and asking for the bushy tail if possible before the crows ate his prisoner. Bracklew who had looked highly nervous before began shivering involuntarily casting horrible glares at Rapshade.

"Give me one reason not to tell them your real name Shade." He hissed quietly into the ferret's ear. "Right to your aunt too."

~*~*~*~*~*~

Nodding Aver wrapped the rope around his back, looping it across his shoulder and under his armpit. "I say take th' rope matey. If'n worse comes to worse then we c'n jus' tell ye mates up there to toss us a line no?" He gestured into the darkened tunnel looming before them. "An if'n we get stuck down there wit' out a good length to climb up wit'." He made a motion like he was cutting his throat. "Ye get th' picture."

[Ashleg]

Rapshade walked along in a rather submissive posture, as if trying to make himself appear as small as possible.
Inside, the ferret had a newfound confidence. He was used to being around vermin, and even now that he was wounded and skinny and disheveled, he knew that if given the chance he'd be able to work this to his advantage.
He growled under his breath when Bracklew whispered to him, and replied back, "Don't be th' idiot I like t' think y'are. It'd be worse for both of us!"

Glaser and Roscoe arrived at camp just as the rats and their prisoners did.
Glaser hissed something under his breath and motioned for Roscoe to hang back while one of the Chiefs dealt with Bracklew and Rapshade.
"If they're angry, they'll get it out on 'em. 'Tis best that way, Roscoe..."
"I know those guys!" Hissed Roscoe suddenly, standing tip-pawed. "It's Bracklew and Ra---"
"Shut up and let them be dealt with!" Glaser snapped.

Alfhild turned and looked up after watching Vadoma suddenly drop what she was doing and scurry off, only to notice that the rat group had returned with a young squirrel and a pathetic looking ferret.
Her blue eyes glimmered as she stood up and strode over to them.
"Fastooth!" She barked, her tone betraying the outward sweetness of her face--which soon turned sour as well. "What is this? Slaves? I couldn't see them as anything else by the look of 'em." She commented, tweaking Rapshade's ear.
The black ferret cringed uncomfortably and dropped his gaze, stepping behind Bracklew.

[LT Sandpaw]

Unable to reply to Rapsahde in time Bracklew felt the back of his knees get kicked forcing him into a kneeling position. A cold dagger blade pressed against his nape and heard a cruel voice whisper.
"Bow yer head respectful like ter th' chief tree-mouse." Bracklew did so every part of his being hating the rat that forced him to bend before the very creature he had meant to slay. Considering how similar the debacle was to his last assassination attempt, Bracklew felt he should have learned not to try by now.

"Erm yes-er no chief. Them is our prisoner n' recruit." Fastooth said saluting respectfully. "We caught this'n," He kick Bracklew in the stomach to indicate who he was talking about. "In an ol' cabin while we was scoutin' fer Chief Farden. The other." Here he jabbed Shade in the arm. "Was the tree-mouse's prisoner, an' maybe new arrow fodder fer yer horde mar'm chief."