Brian Jacques - The Rogue Crew

Sergeant Miggory squatted down in front of Drogbuk. “We gets yore point, h’old feller. None of us ’ave been ’ere afore, so we wouldn’t know where t’run. Where would you’ead for, mate?”

Drogbuk tapped the side of his snout and winked. “I knows one place they stays well away from. D’ye want me to take ye there?”

Lieutenant Scutram held forth a paw, helping the old one up. “Lead on, dear chap, lead on. We’re with you!”

They all moved off, with Drogbuk in the lead, assisted by Uggo and Posy lest he stumble. He took them on a twisting route through the big trees, fern beds and yielding loam. The atmosphere became distinctly gloomier.

Young Flutchers cast a worried glance at their surroundings. “I say, can’t get much bloomin’ murkier, can it? There’s not even that sort o’ green light about anymore, wot.”

Corporal Welkin tweaked Flutchers’s ears to silence him. “That’ll be because it’s nighttime, laddie buck. Now no more talking—mum’s the word, wot!”

Flutchers was about to ask why when he heard Dandy the Guosim Chieftain murmuring to Ruggan. “They’re on to us. We’re bein’ followed, listen to that.”

A high-pitched yipping could be heard from some distance.

Sergeant Miggory identified it. “Fox call, h’if I h’aint mistaken. Comin’ from h’off t’the left. There’s a couple more fox cries, one t’the right an’ two t’the rear of us someplace. D’ye ’ear ’em, sah?”

Captain Rake nodded. “Aye, Ah can that, Sarn’t. Sounds tae me like they’re tryin’ tae trap us in a pincer movement. We’ll have tae march double quick an’ stay quiet.”

Skor caught up with Drogbuk in the lead. “Ahoy, old un, where’s this place yore takin’ us to, an’ how far away is it?”

Accompanied by Uggo and Posy, the ancient hog was limping. “Can’t be too far off now. Hear that runnin’ water? It’s over that way. Me ole footpaws aren’t workin’ right. I’m slowin’ down, but there ain’t much I can do about it.”

The sea otter Chieftain summoned four burly Rogue Crew members. Lashing two shields to spear poles, they made a portable chair. Skor gave his orders.

“Carry this ole beast, an’ go whichever way he tells ye.”

As the sounds of running water drew closer, so did the fox calls. Captain Rake found the water source first. It was a medium-sized stream with steep banks.

Drogbuk pointed ahead. “Keep goin’ this way ’til ye see the hill with a tunnel goin’ into it. That’s the place we want.”

Lancejack Sage was heard to remark, “Well, we’d better find it jolly soon, chaps. Sounds like those bloomin’ foebeasts are right on our tails, wot!”

Skor issued a command to his best archers. “Fall back t’the rear o’ the column an’ pick off any enemy ye can spy. Nothin’ like a good ash shaft to discourage pursuers.”

Wilbee whispered to Kite Slayer, “He’s enjoyin’ this, ain’t he?”

Fitting an arrow to her bowstring, the bloodthirsty ottermaid halted to let the rear marchers catch up. “Well, of course he is. I am, too. War is wot we’re best at.”

The keen eyes of Buff Redspore were first to see their goal.

“There ’tis—straight ahead, big dark openin’ where the stream comes out o’ the hill!”

Trug Bawdsley exclaimed, “Have we got t’go in there, Sarn’t?” Sergeant Miggory pushed him forward.

“O’ course we ’ave, young sir. In ye go. Let’s see ye get those footpaws wet.”

Everybeast splashed into the dark, icy current, pushing their way into engulfing darkness. Some of the Guosim shrews were in over their heads, but they were buoyed up by hares and otters.

Big Drander supported Uggo and Posy. “Grab on to me, young uns, but mind those spikes, please.”

Skor stayed on the bank with his bowbeasts close to the entrance. He whirled a heavily loaded sling.

The sounds of pursuers drew closer as he whirled the sling faster. “Wait now . . . wait! No sense in firin’ until we know we can hit ’em. One good go, then straight in after the others. Don’t wait for the scum to return volleys. They’ll be usin’ poison darts, remember. Right, Crew, let’s give ’em a warm greetin’. . . . Shoot!”

Long arrows hissed off into the woodland gloom, like a flight of angry hornets. Immediately this was followed by a scream and gurgling cries. Having hurled off his slingstones, Skor nodded with satisfaction.

“That should slow the slimy scum a bit. Right, into the tunnel with ye, hurry now!”

They went—all but one, Garrent, who was putting another shaft to his bowstring.

Skor dashed back to him. “I said into the tunnel. Now move!”

Garrent ignored the order, loosing off an arrow. “Hahah! Got ’im, big toad. I saw him comin’—uuuuunnnhh!”

He dropped like a log, pierced in over six places by long, tufted darts. Skor knew that Garrent was done for. Two darts pinged off his metal shieldplate as he threw himself into the stream, wading against the current to join the rest.

The tunnel took two bends. Skor came upon the others, waiting around the curve in the second one. He shook his big bearded head angrily.

“Lost one o’ my Rogue Crew, Garrent, a great warrior, but headstrong. Wanted t’stay an’ fight, just like I do. I never retreated in my life. Can’t we go back an’ face ’em?”

They waited in the dark silence until Lieutenant Scutram put flint and steel to a couple of torches, which he had had the foresight to make on the march.

Skor struck the rock wall with his axe, repeating his challenge. “What’s the matter with ye? Come on, let’s go back an’ make a real fight of it. Who’s with me?”

Captain Rake Nightfur shook his head. “Our task, mah friend, is tae get tae Redwall an’ battle wi’ the real enemy—Razzid Wearat an’ his vermin crew. There’d be nay point in riskin’ valuable fighters just tae show yon Ketral Vane we’re no’ feared o’ him.”

Log a Log Dandy sided with Rake. “The cap’n’s right, Skor. We press on to Redwall. I’ve got unfinished business with that Wearat—he slew most of my clan, an’ wot’ve you lost? One warrior?”

The sea otter Chieftain put up his battleaxe. “I’m sorry, Dandy. Yore right, I can see that. ’Tis just when the blood rises in my eyes, I can’t help myself. We go to Redwall, but I warn ye now, the Wearat’s mine!”

Sergeant Miggory had a salient point to make. “Beggin’ yore pardon, sah, but the Wearat ’as slain some of our hares, nice beasts, young uns, too. So h’it’s first there, first served, h’if I says so meself.”

Skor grinned wolfishly. “Then we’ll take a piece of him each!”

They continued following the flooded tunnel underground. By and by, it became shallower. A rock ledge emerged on one side. Thankfully, the Guosim and the three hedgehogs climbed onto it, some of the hares also. However, the sea otters were strong swimmers. They scorned the ledge, preferring the water. The shrew Dobble voiced a thought which had been bothering others.

“Why haven’t the foxes an’ their creatures followed us in here? That’s wot I’d like t’know.”

Posy shrugged. “So would I, but I suppose we’d better just thank our fortune an’ carry on.”

Ruggan swam ahead with a torch clenched in his teeth. He had not been gone long when he called back to them, “There’s another tunnel up here—come an’ look!”

Wading onward, Drogbuk replied, “Another tunnel. . . . Which one are we supposed t’take, eh?”

Corporal Welkin assisted the old hog along the ledge. “We’ll find out when we jolly well come to it. Keep movin’, sah.”

The water began deepening again, and the current grew stronger. Ruggan was waiting for them around a further bend.