Brian Jacques - Redwall #16 - Triss

Kurda never turned around, her body trembling with rage. Scum, you vill die for diss!

Slitfang prodded a bit harder. Aye, but not right now I won’t, missie.

I’m givin’ the orders,’cos I’m Cap’n when ole Plugg ain’t aboard the Seascab. Tell’em to stow those weapons.

Kroova whispered urgently to Shogg, We better do some-thin’ fast, mate, afore they ram us! That ship’s too big, an’ she’s comin’ up too fast.

Shogg sniffed the air and dabbled a paw over the side. Yore right. Give it a moment!

A stream of curses came from the wakened Plugg. Blister yore blubberin’

guts, streamdog. The tide’s startin’ to turn, ye connivin’ plank-tailed pup!

Shogg laughed. Thankee forbackin’ up my judgement, Cap’n. Yore right, the tide is turnin’. Good’n’heavy, too. Right, mates, ‘ang on tight,

‘ere we go. Kroova, take the tiller. Send ‘er round with all ye’ve got.

Haharr, haul on those port lines, Sagax, ‘tis our turn to slow them up a bit now!

Spinning almost on her own keel length, the little craft did a nimble half-circle turn, running a semicircle round the big, ungainly Seascab.

Slitfang roared back to Grubbage, Take ‘er round, they’ve turned tail on us. Take ‘er round!

Tazzin’s shout cut across the command shrilly. Slitty, git ropes out!

That streamdog’s just pushed the Cap’n an’ Prince Bladd overboard.

They’re in the sea!

Shogg had cut Plugg and Bladd’s bonds before he kicked them off the stern into the waves. Both beasts were floundering, waving wildly as the Seascab’s bow waves washed over them.

Bring ‘er about! Glubbleubble! Throw me a line, ye swabs!

Gallugallug! Help, I’m drownink, I cannot svim! Slitfang kept the battle-axe pressed against Kurda’s spine. Cap’n’s in the water, bring

‘er about quick! Ripper, Scummy, get those lines to midships. Yew ‘ang on, Cap’n, we’ll get ye out o’ there!

Kroova sent the vessel skimming and skipping over wave-crests, sailing dead east on the powerful sweep of a heavy running floodtide. Triss bared her teeth as she watched Bladd and Plugg being hauled aboard the Seascab. I would’ve liked to have tied a stone to that white ferret’s r>aws!

Shogg winked at the squirrelmaid. No ye wouldn’t Triss, yore made o’

better stuff than that. When the right day arrives, we’ll take our revenge face-to-face an’ sword-to-sword.

Triss’s paw trembled as she patted her friend’s back. You’re right, Shogg. 1 just felt so angry at letting him go that I had to say something.

Right now we’re relying on you and Kroova to lead them a dance around the reefs and shallows, where they can’t follow us.

Shogg sat down next to Kroova and placed his paw on the tiller. They looked ahead at the pounding surf breaking on the shore.

Shogg spoke. Due east, dead ahead, eh, mate?

Kroova nodded. Dead ahead it is, mate, let’s do it together!

Sagax was bending his back, straining against the humming sailropes, when he straightened up, alarmed. Dead ahead will take us crashing straight onto the shore. You’ll run us aground!

Triss blinked against the sun rising in splendour to the east. Oh, no it won’t. I know what you rascals are up to. Tell him, goon.

Both the otter’s paws were clasped on the tiller, as Kroova told Sagax what was on their minds. There’s one place that big ship don’t ‘ave a chance o’ follerin’ us, mate. Straight up the stream across the shore!

Scarum’s ears stood straight up in alarm. I say, steady on chaps, bit risky, ain’t it? What about the jolly old Stop-dog? I know she’s burned out, but the blinkin’ wreckage is still lyin’ in that stream. I mean, won’t that stop us, wot?

Shogg kept his eyes on the coastline ahead. Not at the rate we’ll be goin’, mate. I ‘ad it in me mind to do this afore we ever boarded this craft to rescue ye. It’ll take all of me an’ Kroova’s skills, but we’ll run on that floodtide like a pike after a waterfly. We’ll either crash through that wreckage or sink. Either way, ‘tis the best course to leave Plugg’s ship be’ind!

Scarum looked around for something to nibble on, but could find nothing in the way of food to comfort him. Good grief, is that really the plan, Kroova?

The otter nodded. Once we’re past that wreckage, we’ll row an’ sail into the woodlands, through the stream current. It’ll be tough goin’, so git yoreself ready for action.

The young hare’s ears drooped mournfully. Huh, should’ve told old Pluggface to pack us a lunch. I’ll face any jolly thing on a full stomach, y’know.

Triss could not help chuckling as she asked Sagax, How could anybeast think of food at a time like this? Is Scarum always hungry?

The badger answered the question with another question. Does night follow day?

Kurda was still perched on the Seascab’s bows, watching the smaller craft’s progress. She turned anxiously to Plugg, who was standing nearby, draped in a blanket and swigging hot grog.

Dey go straight ‘head, sailink for der stream, you fink?

She recoiled as the silver fox belched a fraction from her nose. He did not seem unduly worried. Aye, that’s their liddle game. At first I though they’d sail in among the reefs, but they couldn’t stay there forever. We’d be circlin’, waitin’ for ‘em to come out. You mark my words, missie, if n they plans on makin’ a run up yonder stream, that’ll dome just fine!

Bladd pulled his blanket tighter about him. Taking a sip from a beaker of steaming grog, he coughed and spluttered. How vill it do you just fine, Cap’n?

Snatching the beaker, Plugg drained it at a gulp. One o’ two things, yer princeness: either they’ll miss the channel an’ run ‘er aground, or else they’ll smash the bottom out when they whacks into that burnt ole boat. Either way, we’ll be in plenty o’ time to lay paws on ‘em.

Though I ‘opes they only runs my nice likkle craft aground. I don’t like to see me property damaged, eh, yer ‘igh royalness?

Kurda sneered. Long as ve capture dem, I don’t care!

Plugg pushed by Kurda and shouted out orders. Lay south a point, Grubbage, take ‘er in short o’ that there stream an’ drop anchor. Crew! Stand ready an’ armed to jump ashore an’ grab those imperdent beasts. I’ll h’eddicate that rabbit in the ways of me battle-axe when I lays paws on ‘im. We’ll see ‘ow pretty ‘e talks then!

With a strong breeze at their backs and the tide running high, the two otters held the tiller dead onto the stream mouth, which drew closer by the moment. Sagax dashed up to the bow point, shouting aloud into the bright blue morning, Let’s give her a good old Salamandastron Eu-lalia to send her in, mates!

Triss turned to the hare. I like the sound of thatÑwhat’s a Salamandastron Eulalia?

Scarum explained. Somethin’ to make the jolly old fur stand on end, marm, the battle cry of real warriors. Just yell it out loud and long.

Right ho, chaps, altogether now.

They roared at the top of their lungs as the sleek vessel whipped head-on into the fresh water. Eulaliiii-iaaaaaaaa!

In the narrow mouth, wild following-wave swells drove them like an arrow up the channel.

Because of the time having been spent picking up Plugg and Bladd, the Seascab had lost ground, plus the fact that they had to haul in sail to stop them from running aground in the shallows. All this added up to slow the big ship’s speed. Kurda was dancing with rage.

Look, look, dey vent right into der stream, straight in! Plugg was donning another frock coat, even tattler-looking than the wet one he had cast off. He smirked confidently. Don’t fret yore pretty white ‘ide, dearie, the wrecked boat’ll stop ‘em, won’t it, Slitty?