Brian Jacques - Redwall #22 - The Sable Quean

Any further discussion was cut short by an agonised groan and the sound of somebeast falling heavily into the shallows. They hurried forward, weapons ready and all their senses on the alert. Whilst Buckler guarded his companion's back, Skipper waded into the water. A moment later, he was hauling something up onto the bank, calling hoarsely, "Ahoy, Buck, lend a paw, will ye? It's a hare!"

Between them, they heaved the limp form onto dry land. Buckler identified her immediately.

"It's Clarinna, my brother Clerun's wife!"

Jango came hurrying up with his Guosim warriors--he was mystified. "I thought all the other hares were back at yore badger mountain. Wot's she doin' here, mate?"

Jango's wife, Furm, made a quick inspection of the unconscious Clarinna. "She's been wounded in two places, through the left shoulder an' at the back of 'er skull. Looks as if she was like this for quite a while afore she finally passed out. If'n I was you, Buck, I'd get this pore beast back to Redwall an' take 'er to Sister Fumbril."

Skipper agreed with Furm. "That's good advice, marm. Jango, you'll have t'go on alone with the search. Buck, me'n you'll get Clarinna back to the Abbey."

Buckler began chopping down two sapling sycamores. "A stretcher's what we need. Diggs, you carry on with the Guosim. No need for you to go back to Redwall."

"Right y'are, old scout. I'd best take flippin' charge around here, wot!"

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Jango thrust out his chin belligerently. "I'm Log a Log round 'ere. Now get in line an' cut out the chatter. Move!"

Diggs was about to make an outraged riposte, but Buckler gave him a hard stare. "Best do as he says, chum. See you when ye get back."

It was not yet dawn when Granvy came out of the gatehouse to open the main entrance for them. He grabbed a lantern and escorted them across to the main building. Abbess Marjoram, Drull Hogwife and Sister Fumbril rushed Clarinna up to the Infirmary.

As the good Sister attended to her patient, Buckler explained the situation. "My brother Clerun and his wife, Clarinna, left Salamandastron some while back. I think they set up a small farm somewhere east of here. Neither of them were cut out to be warriors. They just wanted the quiet life, tending the soil an' growin' crops."

Marjoram rubbed Clarinna's paw as she showed signs of reviving. "We didn't know they were out in the woodlands. They'd have both been very welcome to visit Red-wall at any time."

Buckler heaved a sigh of frustration. "Well, that's my brother Clerun for ye, stubborn an' stolid. She's the same. That's what prob'ly attracted 'em to one another. A real pair of loners. Abbess, you'll have to pardon me, but I think I'd better get back on the trail an' find this farm of theirs. I'll need to see Clerun!"

Skipper placed a paw about Buckler's shoulder. "Ye'd be better waitin' a bit, matey. See, she'll soon be conscious-- mayhap she'll have a tale to tell. Then ye can decide for yoreself before da shin' off."

Having bandaged and poulticed as much as she could, Sister Fumbril revived Clarinna with a few drops of old elderberry wine, which she kept for medicinal purposes. The harewife sat up, coughing and weeping.

Marjoram spoke soothingly to her. "There, there. You're

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safe amongst friends now, at the Abbey of Redwall, and look who's here. Buckler!"

Clarinna clasped Buckler's paw tightly. "Oh, Buck, they slew Clerun and took our babes!"

There was shock and disbelief in Buckler's voice. "Slew Clerun? Who was it? Tell me, tell me!"

Drull Hogwife patted the young hare's back. "Easy, now. Don't frighten 'er, sir. Tell us more about wot 'appened, Miz Clarinny."

Then the whole story came out. Though she was greatly distressed, Clarinna gave them chapter and verse.

"Clerun and I were tending some apple seedlings; our babes, Calla and Urfa, were in a basket lined with moss taking their nap. Clerun was going to make them two little cradles from a nice pine log he had found. But now he'll never make it or see our little ones grow up...."

She broke off, weeping bitterly.

Buckler waited for her tears to subside, then spoke softly. "Clarinna, tell us exactly what took place. Was it vermin that attacked you?"

Her eyes went wide with horror at the recollection. "They came out of nowhere--we were surrounded. A big gang of rats led by a tall, dark-furred beast. One of them carried a rat's head stuck on a pike. The tall, dark one, he drew a broadsword, taunting Clerun until he was forced to draw his own blade. Then this strangebeast said that he would fight Clerun. I'll remember his words for the rest of my life. He said, 'Defeat me and your mate, the brats and yourself will go free. But nobeast has ever bested Zwilt the Shade, so vou'll die!'

"Poor Clerun, he didn't stand a chance, though he tried his best. The one called Zwilt toyed with him, wounding and taunting before he cut Clerun down. Then he took the medal, which Clerun had given me, from my neck. He gave his sword to one of the rats and took Clerun's blade. He said it was far superior to his own. Then he used it to

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wound my shoulder and strike me over the back of my head. I went down. He must have thought he had slain me, too. I heard him say to the others that he had struck a blow for his Ravagers and the Sable Quean. I must have passed out then.

"When I woke, it was late evening. Our babes were gone, Clerun was lying there dead, and the little home we had built together was in ruins, robbed and plundered. I staggered off into the woodlands, calling out for my little ones. After that, I don't recall anything else, until I woke up here. Oh, Buckler!" She broke down grieving again.

Buckler was rigid with sorrow and rage. He loosed his paw from Clarinna's, gritting out through clenched teeth, "Ravagers, eh! And there's that name again, Sable Quean! Hah, now we have another one to add to the list. Zwilt the Shade, carrying my family's broadsword and the Coin!"

Clarinna fell back upon the pillow, wailing, "My babies. What would anybeast want, stealing two tiny leverets, little helpless things!"

Buckler's long rapier swished as he drew steel. Dry-eyed and stone-faced, he kissed the blade. "I swear that Zwilt the Shade and his Ravagers--aye, and the one they call the Sable Quean--will die by my paw. Nor will I rest until the babes are safely back with their mother, the wife of my brother Clerun. I will wear the Coin of the Blade-master and pass on my brother's broadsword to his son. I take this oath upon the honour of the Kordyne family. This is my word!"

The high, bright sun was up and dawn well broken when Log a Log Jango led his Guosim in by the main gates. Buckler and Skipper took breakfast on the west walltop, watching them troop in.

The Otter Chieftain called out, "Ahoy, Jango--did ye have any luck out there?"

The shrew shook his grizzled head. "Nary a vermin

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whisker in sight, but don't worry. Soon as we're rested, we'll set out agin, matey. Oh, how's the hare lady farin'?"

Buckler replied, "She's not too good, mate. Bring your breakfast up here an' I'll tell ye the whole tale. Er, where's Diggs? I don't see him with your lot."

Jango came striding up the wallsteps. "I chased him off. Don't know where the nuisance is."

Buckler nodded. "I might've known that'd happen. Ole Diggs takes some gettin' used to. Was he chunnerin' again? Nothin' can silence that fat rogue."

Jango stamped a footpaw on the ramparts. "Chunnerin', is that wot ye calls it? The rascal never stops--he's like a babblin' brook, goin' on an' on. I kept warnin' Diggs to shut up, but he wouldn't. I told 'im he was endangerin' us all with the noise he was makin'. Enny'ow, one thing led to another, an' I told 'im to get lost. I think yore Diggs took my advice, 'cos we haven't seen 'im since."

An unmistakable sound, that of the chubby subaltern, rent the morning air. "Halloooo! I say there, you rotters, are you goin' to open this bloomin' gate an' let us in, wot?"