Brian Jacques - Rakkety Tam

There were three frontrunners among the vermin, two foxes and an ermine. Another fox was close behind them, rushing to catch up. Tam dropped from the beech, landing on the ground by an aspen. It was a slim, many-branched tree, and very flexible, its lower boughs almost sweeping the grass. He seized the end of a thick, whippy branch and pushed at it, running forward as it bent. The aspen limb was bowed round in an arc. Tam held it a moment until the three front-running vermin were almost upon him. Then he let go of the bough. It came back at the runners like a thunderbolt.

Whooooosh! Craaaaack! Poleaxed by the force, the trio were knocked flat. Tam raced to them. Grabbing one of the ermine’s spears, he flung it at the fox who had been catching up on them. Unable to stop until the spearpoint met it halfway, the fox fell without a sound, never to rise.

Doogy could hear the yells of the pursuing vermin. Standing on the path with Armel and Brooky, he called out, “Haway the braaaaw! Over here, laddie!”

The wild war cry of the Borders and Highlands came back at him from the woodlands. “Haway the braaaaaaw! Here’s a MacBuuuurl!”

Tam came hurtling through the branches and bounded onto the path. He quickly pulled the dirk from his friend’s belt so that he was double-bladed and ready. “They’re comin’ on fast, mate, but in small bunches! Armel, you an’ yore friend get goin’ with all speed for Redwall. Keep going an’ don’t look back. Go on!”

The squirrelmaid took one glance at the bloodfire in Rakkety Tam MacBurl’s eyes and decided that this was not a time to stop and argue.

Doogy began laughing wildly. “Aye, we’ll see ye back at yore Abbey, lassies. Dinna fuss yerselves aboot us!”

Armel seized Brooky’s paw. “Do as they say!”

Both maids sped off northward up the path to the Abbey.

The first six vermin to reach the path saw the two retreating figures in the early dawn light. One of them was a white fox captain named Zerig. He pointed at Armel and Brooky with a spear. “Stop them!”

Tam and Doogy burst from the ditch, roaring, “Haway the braaaaaaw!”

They threw themselves ferociously upon the vermin, fighting like madbeasts. Tam took two ermine with a flying thrust from both his dirks. Doogy belted a fox in the throat with a clenched paw, felling an ermine with a swing of the claymore. Zerig was dashing back into the woodlands when Tam threw a dirk which pinned him to a willow. Doogy was countering a fox’s sword when Tam retrieved the dirk and called to him, “Haway now, buckoe, they’re comin’ in force!”

The Highlander despatched his opponent with a neat lunge as Tam reached his side. Over twoscore more vermin came bursting out of the trees. Seeing six of their own lying slain, they hesitated fractionally. That was all the squirrels required. Taking to their heels, the pair dashed off northward.

Bulling bush and beast from his path, Gulo burst amid his warriors, bellowing, “Kill kill kill! Chaaaaarge!”

The vermin thundered onto the path after the two squirrels.

Tam and Doogy sped on abreast. Looking back fleetingly, Doogy glimpsed the mob of vermin racing madly to catch them up. He frowned. “How far tae this Redwall Abbey, d’ye reckon?”

Tam kept his eyes on the path ahead. “I don’t know, mate, just keep goin’. I can see Armel an’ her friend way up ahead.”

The small Highlander winced as an arrow zipped by his head. “Och! Ah hope ’tis soon, ’cos those murderers mean business!”

“Yore always complainin’, Doogy Plumm. Save y’breath an’ run!”

Doogy’s paws were hitting the path like pistons. “Run? What d’ye think ah’m doin’, dancin’ a jig?”

Tam grabbed the front of his comrade’s belt and speeded up his pace. “There’s the Abbey, don’t start flaggin’ now!”

He risked a backward glance at their pursuers. The vermin were gaining upon them. Gulo, who was not built for sustaining a fast run, was shambling along at the rear.

Skipper was watching from the southwest wall corner of the Abbey, shouting frantically, “Gordale, get the gates open! Sound the alarm bells! Arm some able-bodied beasts an’ get them to the gates!”

The otterchief bounded down the wallsteps, still calling orders as the Abbey’s twin bells boomed and clanged out into the bright early morn. “Burlop, ’elp Gordale with the gates! Demple, tell Foremole to get ’is crew to the threshold fast!”

Boom! Clang! Boom! Clang! The Matthias and Methusaleh bells tolled out their brazen warning throughout Redwall. Creatures poured from the Abbey building, armed with the first thing that came to paw—window poles, broom handles, kitchen pans, knives and barrel staves. Skipper, Gordale and Burlop swung the front Abbey gates open, then dashed out onto the path, bellowing encouragement to the two Abbeymaids.

“Armel, Brooky, hurry please!”

“Come on, mates, not far t’go! Run! Run!”

“Don’t look back, there’s two of ’em catchin’ you up!”

As Skipper ran to meet them, both maids fell panting into his strong paws.

Armel gasped out urgently, “That’s Tam and Doogy, they’re friends!”

Tergen and Ferdimond shot by her. The goshawk was screeching, and the young hare had his rapier drawn.

“Yeekaaaar! We come, Burl, we come!”

“C’mon, don’t dawdle, you chaps! Let’s get this bally gate shut, wot!”

They grabbed the squirrels’ paws, pulling them along the final few paces and rushing them into the Abbey grounds. Skipper had Armel and Brooky inside. Tam and Ferdimond helped him to slam the heavy oaken gates shut. Doogy and Burlop barred them hastily, thrusting the thick, greased timbers into their holders. Willing paws hurried the two Abbeymaids off to the main building as Skipper unwound his sling. “Up on the walls everybeast!”

The Long Patrol were marching on the double over the western flatlands when the brigadier sighted the Abbey and heard the bells. Even from far off he suddenly made out the figures speeding along the path to Redwall. Throwing caution and order to the winds, he raced forward, wielding his swagger stick like a drum major. “Long Patrol, chaaaaaarge!”

Swords, lances and spears flashed in the spring morning as the regiment broke ranks, thundering toward the Abbey with their blood-curdling war cry ripping through the air. “Eulaliiiiiaaaaaaa!”

Crowding the battlements, the Abbey creatures set up a joyful cheer at the sight of a hundred gallant hares charging to their aid.

“Hooray for the Long Patrol!”

“Give ’em blood’n’vinegar! Redwaaaaaalllll!”

The forty-odd vermin who had been in pursuit of Tam and the escapers stopped running. They were strung out all along the path. Gulo the Savage was a reckless fighter, but he was not a complete fool. With the rest of his force back at the camp, the wolverine knew he was heavily outnumbered.

He sought out the white fox, Captain Urfig. “All those with bows, tell them to release a volley. Then follow us into the woodlands, back to the camp!”

Urfig swiftly gathered a dozen archers, positioning them at the edge of the ditch. They notched shafts to their bowstrings, sighting on the oncoming hares. Sergeant Wonwill was with the frontrunners. Though unable to halt the headlong stampede, he ran up front for all he was worth with Crumshaw alongside him, both calling orders amid the war cries.

“Archers t’the front ahead, slow down!”

“Slow down an’ fall flat! Attention to the h’officers!”

Most of the veterans heeded the commands, throwing themselves flat in the dewy grass. Some of the younger element, however, fired by the wild rush and eager to distinguish themselves in battle, actually increased their speed, rushing headlong at the enemy. Foremost among these were the twin gallopers, Kersey and Dauncey. A volley of shafts shot from the vermin bows, humming and zipping like maddened hornets. Crumshaw threw himself forward. An arrow pierced his shoulder as he hit Kersey, knocking her flat. Dauncey halted abruptly. For a few moments the young hare scout stood swaying, gaping at the two shafts buried in his chest, then fell slowly into a kneeling position. Wonwill pushed himself into a somersault, reaching the stricken hare and holding him closely. Then the sergeant lowered him gently back upon the ground.