Brian Jacques - Redwall #16 - Triss

The weasel was dangling a dagger over his nose. He winked at Scarum.

Wakey wakey, rabbit, you got visitors.

The Salamandastron hare came awake fighting. His longback legs shot out into the weasel’s stomach as Scarum shouted, Eulaliaaa! We’re being attacked, mates!

His companions leaped up, Sagax flooring a rat with a hefty blow. Kroova caught a ferret’s footpaws and sent him flat. Then the Freebooters swamped them. Fighting like madbeasts, the three companions tried to battle with overwhelming odds. Scarum seized their makeshift paddle and broke free. He batted the campfire with it, sending showers of hot embers at his foes. Sagax exerted his mighty strength. Grabbing the rat Ripper, he whirled him bodily over his head.

Slitfang roared out, Surrender, or this’un’s a deadbeast! Slitfang had stunned Kroova from behind with his cutlass hilt. Both he and Tazzin crouched over the otter, their blades at his throat.

Fear for their friend’s life caused Sagax to drop Ripper. Scarum ceased scattering fire. Immediately they were set upon by vermin and bound with ship’s ropes.

Slitfang spat out a tooth he had lost in the melee. He looped a rope around the half-conscious otter, nodding with satisfaction. That’s better. No sense in slayirT youse ... yet!

Four vermin had Sagax lying bound upon the sand. He tried to struggle upright, but was kicked back again. What’s the meaning of this attack?

What do you want with us?

Slitfang held his cutlass point to the young badger’s chest. Oh, nothin’, stripedog, just a bit of information, but that’ll wait’til ye meet Cap’n Plugg Firetail.

Scarum was lying facedown, the ropes biting cruelly into his paws.

Lifting his head, he blinked sand out of his eyes. I should’ve booted your belly through your backbone, you scumfaced villain. If I wasn’t jolly well trussed up, I’d give you such a blinkin’Ñ

Yah Shuddup, rabbit! The stoat named Scummy ground his paw on the back of Scarum’s head, pushing his face into the sand.

Tazzin felt heat on her back. She turned. The ship’s burnin’!

Blazing embers from the scattered fire had stuck to the pitch and resin coating of the bows. With such inflammable materials, the Stopdog immediately burst into a sheet of flame. Everybeast leaped back from the blaze. Slitfang tried running forward to see if he could fight the fire, but a breeze caught the conflagration. He, too, was forced to leap back from the blistering heat. Then the awning caught light from a salvo of pitchÑand resin-soaked splinters. Dragging their captives, the Freebooters abandoned the site, beating at their smouldering clothing as more sparks leaped out from the burning vessel.

Slitfang kicked out viciously at the young hare. Yew caused that, rabbit!

It was yore fault, whackin’ fire all over the place like that!

Scarum bit at the weasel’s paw, but missed. Rabbit y’self, you great smelly bully! He looked over at Kroova apologetically. Sorry about your ship, old chap.

Half dazed, the otter managed a lopsided grin. Bet-ter’n lettin’ the Stopdog fall into the paws o’ vermin, eh.

Slitfang waved his cutlass at Ripper and Stinky. Youse two get back to the Seascab. Tell the Cap’n wot’appened, an’ tell’im we’ve found the stream wot crosses the shore-Well wait’ere for’im. Go on, git goin’!

Reluctantly the pair moved off, muttering under their breath.

Huh, while’e waits there, all nice an’ easy-like.

Aye, picks the good jobs fer’imself, don’t’e?

Before they had made it to the hill, which they had earlier descended, Tazzin caught up with the pair. She smiled slyly and twirled her knife expertly.

Slitty sez I’m t’go with ye. Oh, ane said somethin’ else, too. Gave me orders to cut off yore’eads if’n ye start talkin’ mutiny or not movin’

fast enough.

Slitfang watched them scrabbling back up the hill with Tazzin and her knife close behind. He turned to his captives. Yew three just lay there quiet an’ try not to annoy me. Ye wouldn’t like to see me annoyed. We’ll all wait ‘til Cap’n Plugg comes sailin’ up in the ole Seascab an’ see wot ‘e’s got to say about all this. Haharr, shouldn’t imagine that snooty Princess KurdaTl be too ‘appy when she sees ‘er old grandad’s ketch burnt to a cinder!

Scarum whispered to Kroova, Who in the name of my auntie’s pinny is Princess Kurda?

Slitfang cuffed Scarum across the ears. I tole ye t’be quiet, rabbit.

Scarum could not resist having a last word. Actually, I’m a hare, old chap.

Slitfang raised his cutlass threateningly. Yew ain’t an ‘er, yore a him, but one more peep out o’ ye an’ you’ll be twins, ‘cos I’ll make two of ye!

Sagax gave his friend a glare, warning him to be silent.

Evening fell with the three prisoners still lying bound upon the sand, listening to the vermin’s coarse banter about their eventual fate at the tender mercy of the one they called Plugg Firetail. Sagax closed his eyes. It did not make for cheerful listening.

25

The stream that Shogg and Triss were following took a curve into thick woodland. Both kept to the water, sometimes waist deep, other times paddling through the bank shallows. It was not easy going, trying not to leave signs that could be tracked. In the late noon they took a rest, sitting on a mossy ledge overgrown by hanging willows. The otter peered back up their trail.

Luck’s with us so far, mate. I can’t see nor ‘ear any sign of ‘em, thanks to those Coneslinger squirrels.

Triss stretched out on the velvety moss, tired and hungry. Maybe fortune is favouring us for the moment, but we’d be fooling ourselves by thinking Riggan won’t pick up our trail sooner or later. Kurda won’t rest until she’s got us back in her clutchesÑyou know that.

Shogg slid back into the water. Aye, yore right. Though if we can make it to the shore an’ get our ship back somehow, we’ll show em a clean pair o’ paws. A big clumsy Freebooter vessel like theirs wouldn’t keep up with us if’n we sailed close to the shallows an’ reefs. They’d find it ‘ard to follow.

Evening began falling over the tree-shaded stream as they plowed their way onward. Triss was wading alongside her friend when she began feeling a touch uneasy. Leaning across, she whispered in his ear, I don’t like it hereabouts, but I don’t know why.

Keeping his gaze straight ahead, the otter replied, I don’t like it either, Trissy I think somebeast’s watchin’ us. Keep movin’, maybe we’re just passin’ through their territory an’ they’ll let us go by. Don’t look around, keep goin’.

Triss peered downstream and saw shadowy figures flitting about on the banks. Don’t have to look around, Shogg, they’re up ahead.

But the otter had already chanced a backward peep. Then ‘tis woe to us, mate, ‘cos they’re be’ind us, too!

The squirrelmaid felt her paws tremble. As if we haven’t got enough trouble. What d’you think is the best thing to do? I’m too tired to think straight.

Shogg halted, placing his back against Triss so that he was facing upstream. We got nothin’ to lose, matey, so let’s brag it out. You any good at the braggin’?

Triss faced downstream, glad of her friend’s back to lean on. It’s worth a try, I suppose. You go first.

Clenching both paws, Shogg shook them above his head and roared aloud to the unknown watchers, Come an’ face a champion streamwalloper! Don’t skulk around like maggots in a rotten log! I’ve cracked skulls, sailed stormy seas an’ leaped o’er mountains! I ain’t got a foe in the world, know why?’Cos they’re all dead!

Gruffing her voice, Triss yelled out her challenge. I was born in the thunder, I’m a warrior, the child of warriors! Stand in my way an’ I’ll tramp right over ye!