Brian Jacques - Redwall #16 - Triss

Princess’avin’ t’walk over slushy ground? I’ll see this path finished if I’ave to use the carcasses of both guards an’ slaves fer the royal party t’walk over. Get movin’!

Shogg came up for air. Nearly through now, though I’d take me oath these bars are thicker at the bottom than at the top!

Triss cast a sympathetic glance at her friend. Do you want to take a rest and let me have a go at it?

The otter shook his head, chuckling. No, no, matey, you couldn’t’old yore breath long enough underwater. There’s only me who can do this.

You keep watch.

Taking a deep breath, he submerged himself once more.

Princess Kurda put the final touches to her blade on an oiled stone and tested it on her paw. Yarr, der heavy sabre be best for der choppink!

Swishing and slashing at imaginary victims, she prowled into the throne room.

Agarnu eyed the sabre distastefully. Stop wavin’ dat t’ing about. You like Sarengo wit mace’n’chain!

Prince Bladd positioned himself behind Captain Riftun. I not goin’ on dat boat if she be takin’ swords vit her!

Agarnu banged his false leg on the floor decisively. I say you go, den you go! Riftun be dere to proteck you, take some swords you’self if you vant, yarr.

Bladd tried to tough it out in front of his sister. Yarr, I take mace’n’chain, like dey say mine granpa had!

Kurda could not resist baiting him. Mace und chain, yarr, you could not even lift von, fool!

Bladd stuck out his tongue and made a rude noise. Den I tell Riftun to stick his big spear in you!

Kurda’s pink eyes shone wickedly. Nobeast’s spear stop dis sword. Spears, tchah!

Agarnu roared at them both, Stop der fightink, you two!

However, Kurda was bound to have the last word. You watch der vay I deal wid dose slaves, den you try an’ sleep tonight!

The last logs had been laid, completing the walkway to the new ship at the jetty’s end. Flith made his guards herd the slaves to one side.

Shogg popped his head up, dismayed. The file’s snapped, just when I was nearly through!

Welfo sobbed nervously. I can hear the gates being unlocked. They’re coming! Can’t we do something?

The otter set his jaw grimly. I’ll try bashin’ the bar with a rock!

Diving beneath the surface, he located a hefty boulder, which they had previously been using to try to bend the bars. All caution was thrown aside now. The noise of Shogg’s efforts could be heard clearly, echoing round the fjord banks: Thook! Drrongg! Thook! Brrungg!

Lieutenant Flith ran toward the quivering cage. Wot in the name o’ fangs is goin’ on there?

Drufo pushed a Ratguard in the back, sending him sprawling as he yelled to the other slaves, Now, mates, now!

They broke loose^hustling and jostling the guards. Flith was knocked flying into the water. Slaves were roaring and yelling as they grabbed whips from their surprisedcaptors. The bar broke under the pounding from Shogg’s rock. He grabbed it to use as a weapon, wading out of the cage into the fjord, calling to his two friends: Move yoreselves, mates, this is the only chance we’ll get!

Agarnu and his party froze as they emerged from the fortress. Riftun grabbed one of the twelve honour guards accompanying them. Quick, run an’ get the other guards, bring the archers! The prisoners have broke out o’ the cage!

Triss had a tight hold on Welfo’s paw as she raced along behind Shogg.

They splashed through the shallows, avoiding being caught in the melee on the walkway.

Drufo was waving Flith’s spear, cheering them on from the midst of the chaos. Freedom, Triss! You an’ yore pals, go for freedom!

A Ratguard who was close to the ship came running at the three with his whip raised. Shogg struck him down with the cage bar, while Triss and Welfo loosed the mooring ropes from their bollards and climbed aboard.

Shogg followed them and tossed the bar aside. Get the oars, shove ‘er out, the tide’s beginnin’ to turn!

Kurda led the reinforcement guards. Charging into the massed slaves, she hacked left and right with her heavy sabre. The slaves wilted under the menace of shafts upon drawn bows and long pikes being thrust at them.

Drufo still had Flith’s spear. He stood at the jetty end, anxiously glancing from the slow-moving ship to the oncoming guards.

Triss yelled hoarsely at her father’s old companion-inarms. Drufo!

Sling that spear away, swim for the ship! Come on, we’ll pull you aboard!

Throw the spear away!

The old squirrel stood firm, watching Kurda coming toward him. He called back over his shoulder to the young squirrelmaid.

Get away from ‘ere, Trissy. Get away! I ain’t goin’ nowhere! This is as good a day to die as any. Remember me, remember yore father. You’ll be back to free the slaves one day, I know ye will. Now go, don’t waste the chance we gave ye!

Drufo had time for no more words. Kurda was upon him. Chopping the spearhaft in half with a few vicious strokes, she ran Drufo through with her sabre.

Triss saw it all. It was burned into her memory like a red-hot iron.

Shogg shoved her roughly.

You ‘eard ‘im, Triss, use that oar! I’ll loose the sail. Move yoreself quicker, or we’ll all die ‘ere. You, too, Welfo!

Kurda waded into the fjord until it was above her waist. Then she was forced to duck as Bladd shouted at the archers, Shoot dem vit arrows, cut dem down! Fire!

A hail of barbed shafts thudded into the vessel’s stern, some of them falling short into the water, narrowly missing Kurda.

The Princess dashed from the water, quivering with rage, her silken robes sopping wet. Fools! Idiots! I could haff gotten aboard der ship!

As she pointed back at the vessel with her sabre, a healthy breeze caught the single purple sail, billowing it out and sending the ship smoothly seaward down the fjord. Riftun seized the shamefaced Flith and rapped out orders.

They ain’t made it t’the sea yet. Git yore archers an’ spear throwers on the mountainside, chase alongside ‘em. Pour in arrers an’ spears, rocks, anythin’, but stop those slaves makin’ it out to sea. Get goin’, ye useless slob!

Triss wiped blood from an arrow graze on her cheek as she watched the Ratguards mount the rocky slopes in pursuit. It was still quite a way to open water. Looks like they’re coming after us, Shogg. Best steer her over to the far shore or they’ll pick us off easily.

The otter adjusted the tiller, judging the fjord cannily. Can’t take

‘er too close, t’other bankside is very rocky.

Keep those oars pullin’, luck’s on our side so far. I’ope the tide’s not run out altogether, otherwise we’ll get stuck on sandbars at the estuary mouth.

The Ratguards were shooting arrows now. Their range was too far for spears, so the spearbeasts used their slings to hurl stones. Triss and Welfo could see the missiles coming, so it was not hard to row and avoid arrows or stones. Welfo felt a new confidence flooding through her, and the hogmaid winked at Triss. We’ll make it, she’s got the wind behind her pretty good now. Not far to go and head for the open seaÑUnffl Welfo had been looking up at the sail as she spoke, when a big solid pebble from a Ratguard’s sling struck her hard on the side of the head.

She collapsed unconscious to the deck.

Shogg was at her side immediately. Stow yore oar, Triss, tend to our mate. She ain’t bad’urt. I got to look after the tiller an’ not let the bow drift too far over.

Flith stumbled and staggered over sharp rocks and snagging shrubs, exhorting the guards. Pour it into’em, we’ve taken care o’ the’edgepig.

You front lot, get ahead o’ me, down to the estuary! The river mouth narrows there. That’ll be our best chance. We might even get’em stuck on a sandbank if the tide’s run out enough!