Brian Jacques - Rakkety Tam

Armel whispered bravely to her otter friend, “Tell him nothing.”

Gulo acted as if he had not heard the remark. “So, a riverdog and a treemouse, eh? Tell me thy names.”

Though Brooky was trembling, she shouted at Gulo, “We will tell you nothing!”

Gulo smiled. A chill ran through the ottermaid at the sight of his bared fangs. Rising from the drum, Gulo walked a slow circle round the two Abbeymaids. “I like to see courage in a beast. ’Tis admirable but foolish. At dawn you will tell me all I want to know—How many creatures dwell within Redwall? What warriors are there who could resist me and my fighters? What would the easiest entrance to your fortress be for us?”

Armel echoed her friend’s words. “We will tell you nothing!”

The wolverine returned to the drum, perching on its edge. Now was the time to put into action the strategy he had learned from Shard when they had dealt with Driftail’s gang. He held up a paw, as if forbidding either of them to speak further. “I do not want ye to tell me anything right now. But at dawn I will come and speak to ye again. Then ye will gladly tell me all. Why? Because I am Gulo the Savage from the lands of ice and snow beyond the great sea. Heed me now!”

Armel and Brooky watched in trepidation as Gulo gave orders to some of his ermine. “Bring the rats hither!”

Runneye and Bluesnout were loosed from their stake and dragged into Gulo’s presence, both stricken dumb with fear.

The wolverine cast a glance in the Abbeymaids’ direction. “Look at these rats! See ye how frightened they are? They are not brave like thee, because they know what I can do. Gulo and his warriors eat their enemies. Anybeast who offends Gulo is his enemy. Take them from my sight!”

The two River Rats were flung to the mass of vermin at the other side of the fire. They only had time for a single despairing scream before the beasts of Gulo fell upon them en masse.

Gulo turned to his captives and shrugged. “Ye have all of tonight to think of answers to my questions. Shard, guard them closely until the dawn.”

Just beyond the firelight, Armel and Brooky were bound to the broad ancient trunk of a two-topped oak. Both had been stunned into horrified silence by what they had witnessed.

It was some time before Armel whispered to her friend, “I can’t believe this is happening to us!”

The ottermaid strained against her bonds, but they were too securely tied. “If only my Uncle Skip knew what a fix we’re in. He’d do something to help us. Oh, I’m sorry, pal. I’m not being very helpful, am I?”

A tear fell from Armel’s eye, but she could do nothing to stop it from running down her face. “Just keep talking, Brooky. The sound of your voice comforts me. At least we’re together.”

Two ermine had been left to guard the prisoners. One of them kicked at Armel’s footpaw from where he lay. “Silence! Save thy talkin’ until dawn.”

The other ermine sniggered wickedly. “I’m hopin’ ye won’t talk at dawn. Methinks streamdog an’ treemouse won’t be as stringy as River Rat!”

Armel kicked back at him, but he was out of range. “Rotten scum, dirty coward!”

Brooky struggled with her bonds. “Aye, why don’t you untie me, you miserable toad! We’d see who’d get eaten then!”

The ermine rose, licking the blade of his sickle sword as he confronted the ottermaid, taunting her. “Heehee, but I ain’t about to untie thee. So what will ye do now, streamdog—eh, eh?”

Shard, who had been seated closer to the fire, crept up and dealt the ermine a sound smack over the ears. “Thou art here to guard these prisoners, not to bandy gossip with them. Cease thy prattling!”

The ermine stood to rigid attention until Shard went back to his seat by the fire. Then he slumped down on the ground alongside the other sentry and fell silent.

Tam and Doogy lay in the bushes, a short distance from the sentries who stood guard at the camp edges. They had circled the area until both were behind the fire, facing the backs of Gulo and Shard.

Tam pointed with his dirk, whispering, “The big old oak, that’s where they’ve got the two maids tied. D’ye see it, Doogy?”

His friend moved position slightly before responding. “Aye, ah see it right enough. That’s one o’ the lassie’s cloaks stickin’ oot frae the ropes. They’re bound tae the other side o’ the tree, Tam. What’s the plan?”

The border warrior studied the lay of the land for a while. “First we’ll have to let them settle down. There’s vermin still movin’ about. When the fire burns down lower, that’s when we’ll move. If we could make it up into that hornbeam yonder, we could jump into the upper branches of the oak where they’re tied. Just one problem—that sentry.”

Doogy peered at the back of the perimeter sentry, an ermine, leaning against the hornbeam trunk. He was armed with a spear.

The Highlander shrugged carelessly. “Och, that rascal’s nae problem, mate. Ah’ll deal with him whilst we’re layin’ here waitin’.”

Tam watched Doogy slip off quietly and circle in on the sentry. He heard the vermin give a soft grunt, then saw him lean back against the hornbeam trunk.

A moment later Doogy was back. Cleaning the blade of his small dagger on the grass, he murmured, “Ah’ve propped him up on his spear. He won’t be complainin’ aboot gettin’ a good long sleep!”

Armel could tell by the slump of Shard’s back that he had fallen asleep by the fire, which now was only white ash and glowing embers. Gulo was sleeping further away from her. She could see him stretched out on the ground with his back to the heat. Both of the ermine sentries were also deep in slumber—one curled up almost nose to tail, the other flat on his back, snoring throatily.

The squirrelmaid tried for the fourth time to reach the ropes with her teeth, but all she got was a straining pain in her neck. She sighed. “If I could only get my teeth into these ropes. How are you doing, Brooky?”

The ottermaid gritted quietly, “I’ve rubbed my paws raw trying to get ’em free. Huh, that Shard creature certainly ties a tight knot. He knows the ropes alright! Armel, did you hear that—‘knows the ropes’? I actually made a joke, but it doesn’t seem very funny right now.”

“Ssshh! Don’t make a sound, either of ye.”

Brooky whispered to her companion, “Did you say something?”

The voice sounded again. “No, it was me, marm. Look up, but don’t say anything. We’re friends!”

Gazing upward, both Abbeymaids found themselves staring into the faces of Tam and Doogy.

The Highlander smiled. “Now hauld yer wheesht, lassies. We’re here tae get ye away back tae yore Abbey.”

Both squirrels dropped noiselessly down behind the oak, where they could talk unobserved. Tam whispered to the captives, “Be quite still now, don’t make any sudden moves. Just tell me, how many are guardin’ ye?”

Brooky hardly moved her lips as she replied. “Only these two laying down not far from us. They’re both asleep. The beast they call Gulo is over to the left of the fire. I think he’s asleep also. There’s a fox sitting by the edge of the fire—keep an eye on that one. His name’s Captain Shard. He looks like he’s asleep, but you never can tell. He’s a sly one. That’s all.”

The ropes which had been stretched about the oak trunk at neck height suddenly fell slack. Tam and Doogy crept around to face Armel and Brooky. Tam whipped through the ottermaid’s bonds with his small dagger.

As Tam handed over his knife to Brooky, he instructed her carefully. “Free your friend, then move quietly around to the back of this tree and wait for us. Give us your cloaks. We’ll need them for the two guards.”