Brian Jacques - Redwall #20 - Eulalia!

Rangval curled his tail in admiration of Maudie. "A real live boxin' hare, eh! Ah, 'tis a pleasure to see a perilous young darlin' like yoreself at work, marm!"

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Maudie gave his shoulder a squeeze, imitating his brogue. "Get away, ye hard-faced rogue, yore no slouch yerself from wot I've seen of yore ould tricks! C'mon, shall we toddle up t'the walltop, just t'see how the battle's goin' on?"

The squirrel made a sweeping bow, indicating the steps. "After you, me long-eared, wallopin' beauty!"

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The impetus of furious Guosim stone slingers added to the Redwall defenders had worked like a charm. Gruntan Kurdly had not yet arrived on the scene, and as a result of the ferocious retaliation from the south battlements, the few Brownrats with any authority were thoroughly cowed. Even with their superior numbers, they could make no impression on the high stone walls. So they did what was customary, retreated into the relative safety of the woodland trees, and sat waiting the arrival of their leader.

Skipper greeted Maudie and Rangval, pointing to the deserted field of conflict below. "I think they've had enough for now, mates. Though we'll stay alert up here an' see wot the dawn brings, eh?"

Friar Chondrus hailed them from the Abbey lawn. "Hello up there, are ye too busy fighting, or could you manage a bite o' supper?"

Rubbing his paws with anticipation, Barbowla shouted back as he ushered several of his family to the steps, "Ho, I think we could manage to nibble a few vittles, sir. I'm sendin' a few down t'lend a paw to ye!"

Much to the delight of the otters there was a big cauldron of their favourite soup, watershrimp'n'hotroot. The Guosim were very partial to a small cask of October Ale,

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plus a tray or two of shallot and mushroom pasties. There was white cheese with hazelnuts, apple and plum dumplings, a latticed pear tart with meadowcream, golden-crusted bread, hot from the ovens, and a choice of blackberry cordial or coltsfoot tea.

The cheese was almost melting as Skipper put it on his hot bread. He dipped the lot into his hotroot soup, exclaiming before he wolfed it down, "Eat hearty, mates, but tell me this. Wot beast in his right mind would allow a load o' scruffy vermin inside Redwall to steal this scoff from us, eh?"

Barbowla's sturdy wife, Kachooch, helped herself to a pastie. "I'd let 'em in, but not to eat the vittles. I'd use their heads'n'tails to scrub the pots out with!"

Roars of laughter rose to the summer night's sky. Maudie sat with Rangval and a young hedgehog, who introduced himself as Orkwil Prink. The haremaid sampled everything eagerly, commenting on each dish. "Absolutely topping, I must get the recipe for this pear'n'cream thing, and these pasties, top marks, I'd say! Steady the buffs! Now that's a real drop o' soup, watershrimp'n'hotroot, d'ye say? Hah, I wouldn't mind bein' a bloomin' otter if I could have this twice daily. Well, chaps, I only came here to find a blinkin' badger, but I'd have applied to be born at Redwall if the tucker's all as good as this!"

Skipper's two daughters, Folura and Glingol, were charming some of Barbowla's sons, they began tapping on two wooden bowls, singing a jolly song.

"I once knew an otter who liked apple pie, why oh why, my oh my, he could eat it both night and day, if you asked him why he ate apple pie, he'd laugh and he would say,

An apple's an apple, it ain't a pear, some grows here an' some grows there, bake 'em up in a pie an' serve it to me,

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No strawberry y'see ever grew on a tree, no sir no, dearie me, strawberries don't grow in that way, while carrots are found growing underground,

'cos that's a carrot's way, some grow up and some grow down, we gather them when the harvest comes round, then the cook hangs 'em all in his old pan ... tree and we go to sleep in a dormi... tree!"

Using their rudders against the parapet stones, the sons of Barbowla applauded both ottermaids enthusiastically Then, to display how tough and fearless they were, the young male otters began climbing on the battlements, and slinging stones at the woodland fringes. Naturally, they injured no Brownrats, who had retreated out of slinging range. Skipper's daughters looked suitably impressed, fluttering their eyelashes at every opportunity.

Maudie found herself sitting between Orkwil and Benjo Tipps. Being a hare, she was still doing full justice to the remains of supper, having exchanged introductions with the Redwallers whilst still expressing her appreciation of Abbey food. "By the left! I could get rather used to this scoff, is it always this good, Orkwil, old lad?"

The young hedgehog picked a crumb from his spikes. "Oh, this was just a quick meal the Friar and his helpers threw together. We weren't expectin' guests, y'see, or it would have been more carefully prepared. Er, by the way, Maudie, did I hear you say that you came here to find a badger?"

Maudie ran her paw around the rim of the empty soup cauldron, licking it longingly. "Oh, that? Well, yes, I have, actually. Secret mission from Salamandastron, all very hush hush, wot. Old Lord Asheye, he's my CO. doncha know, sent me specially, prob'ly 'cos I'm jolly good at that sort o' thing. I don't suppose you've stumbled across this badger chap. Huge type, typical badger, wot. He's

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supposed not t'be a great lover of swords an' armour, simple salt o' the earth type, or so I'm led t'believe. Funny thing though, he's supposed to carry a flame an' walk with a thief. Sounds jolly silly, doesn't it, but who am I to argue? Badger Lord an' Major Mullein pleaded with me on bended paw. So I had to agree t'the task, I mean, what's a chappess t'do, wot!"

Maudie was totally unprepared for what Orkwil said next. "The badger's name is Gorath, he's up in Sister Atrata's sickbay, resting. It was me who brought him to Redwall."

Three things happened then. Maudie's ears stood up rigid, her eyes bulged wide and her mouth fell open. "You wha ... Gorbadge in sick ratata bestray, an' you red him to broughtwall!"

Benjo Tipps chortled aloud at the sight and sound of the haremaid's confusion. "Better watch ye don't trip up over yore tongue an' fall down the steps, missy. Well, don't just sit there, young Prink, take the maid up to see yore badger friend. I'm sure she might start talkin' sense after a calmin' stroll o'er the lawn an' through our Abbey."

Skipper nodded after Maudie and Orkwil as they made their way across the lawn. "Where are those two goin', Benj?"

The Cellarhog sat down on the top step. "Orkwil's takin' Maudie to see the badger, she was sent from the Salamandastron mountain to find him."

Skipper watched the two entering the Abbey. "But Gorath didn't come from the badger mountain. I wonder how ole Lord Asheye guessed Gorath was here?"

Benjo took a sip from his tankard of October Ale. "Well ye may ask, Skip, Salamandastron's a mysterious place, plain, ord'nary beasts like us'll never fathom it."

As the pair made their way to the sickbay, Orkwil explained briefly how he was banished from the Abbey, and how he came to meet Gorath. After listening to his narration,

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the haremaid smiled ruefully. "Hmm, your tale isn't too far different from mine, old chap. We both came here pursued by foebeasts, eh!"

The young hedgehog winked at Maudie. "Aye, so we did, but what were you banished from Salamandastron for, were you a thief like me?"

Totally unprepared, Maudie blurted out, "Most certainly not! It was for fightin', actually, all I did was biff Corporal Thwurl an' a few other bods. But how did you jolly well know they were goin' to banish me, wot?"

Orkwil opened the infirmary door quietly. "Oh, it was just somethin' about you, a bit like me, I s'pose. Gorath's in the small back room."

Maudie gazed awestruck at the sleeping badger stretched out on the big bed. "Corks! He's bigger'n old Lord Asheye, though he looks a bit thin' an' wasted, is he ill?"