Brian Jacques - Redwall #15 - The Taggerung

Slowly the sun rose over the vast thickness of east Mossflower. Ruggan kept his Juska clan close in to the west wall, not wanting to be out on the flatlands with the sun in his eyes. He would wait until the sun got higher and lessened the handicap. Behind him, Rawback gave a slight cackle. Ruggan gave a nod to two of his foxes. They did not bind Rawback, merely gagging the crazed stoat and muttering a few warning words to keep him silent. Ruggan Bor was an experienced leader. Always calm and patient, he could wait until he felt the moment was right.

No sound came from within the Abbey walls, nor from the outside, where massed Juskabeasts lined the path. An hour dragged slowly by. Ruggan checked the wall shadow. It had extended over path and ditch onto the flatland. A single gesture from him sent his troops noiselessly back to the edge of the ditch. Ruggan Bor drew his saber. The time had arrived. He signaled four spear carriers. They ran forward and thudded their spearbutts against the great oaken doors of Redwall.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Ruggan had expected to wait until some old gatekeeper appeared on top of the wall to see who was knocking. Instead the doors swung open and he was faced by a wall of over twoscore otters, tough capable beasts, armed with slings and javelins. An array of squirrels, moles, mice and hedgehogs peered over the battlements, armed with all manner of throwing implements. They were led by a hare carrying a long hooked window pole.

An otter stepped forward, half a head taller than the rest. Ruggan's attention was caught by the sword he carried. It was slightly short for such a big creature, but a magnificent weapon nonetheless. The big otter looked as though he could use the blade. His gaze swept over the Juskabor, then back to their leader.

"What do you want here, vermin?"

Ruggan walked forward until he was but a pace away from the otter. "I am Ruggan Bor, Lord of the Southern Coasts and Chieftain of the Juskabor clan!"

The big otter too stepped forward until his face was a whisker away from the golden fox. His voice held no fear. "And I am Deyna, Warrior of Redwall. I asked you what you want here?"

Ruggan took a pace back, to stay out of sword range. "I want information. Do you have an otter here with his face tattooed in this manner?"

The six guards heaved Gruven out of the ditch. The stoat stared at Deyna, bewildered. The voice was the same, but the face was different from that of the Taggerung. It had not been tattooed.

The strange otter gave Gruven a dismissive glance. He recognized his old adversary immediately, but kept deliberately silent. Fixing his attention on Ruggan Bor, Deyna answered the fox's question levelly. "There is no creature within these walls with vermin tattoos on his face. Why do you ask?"

Ruggan did not like the way his interrogation was going. The otter Deyna was staring him down with cold ruthless eyes. He had an air of confident authority about him. Ruggan decided to turn the tables. His saber was longer than the otter's sword, and he pointed it threateningly in Deyna's face. "Do not lie to me. I have three hundred at my back. We could overwhelm you and search your Abbey!"

Deyna moved like lightning, backward, sideways and forward. Ruggan stood with his saber pointed at nothing, the otter's blade across his throat. Deyna was alongside him, a paw hard on the nape of his neck, so he could move neither forward nor back.

"Nobeast sets paw into Redwall Abbey without my permission. Now take your vermin and begone, or stay here and die!"

Ruggan's expression did not change. "I can only go if I have the information I came for. This otter was called the Taggerung. Was he here? Tell me, Deyna of Redwall."

Deyna nodded. "He was here once, but he is gone now. The Taggerung no longer exists. As far as I'm concerned, he is dead."

Gruven seized the opportunity. Pushing the guards aside, he cried, "I told you he was dead. I slew him right there in that ditch! I am Taggerung now. Gruven Zann Taggerung!"

Nimbalo climbed up onto a battlement, pointing at Gruven and yelling aloud, "Aye, that's the one. I saw 'im slay the big painted vermin!"

Gruven could hardly believe his ears. Here was somebeast, a little mouse, agreeing with his lies. He waved to Nimbalo. "Thank you, my friend, thank you! Hahahaha! Ruggan Bor, did you hear that? Now who d'you believe, crazy Rawback or me? I have a witness, you heard him. I slew the Taggerung!"

Ruggan placed his paw to the blade at his throat. "Put up your sword, otter. We are leaving!"

Ruggan ordered his Juskabeasts across the ditch onto the flatlands. Deyna stood warily, his sword still at the ready. Gruven was jubilant. He grabbed back his sword from the vixen who had taken it and sawed through the rope around his waist, laughing all the time.

"Hahahaha! Gruven Zann Taggerung. Bow before me! Nobeast is mightier than the Taggerung!"

Ruggan stood to one side, holding a hasty whispered conference with his Seer Ermath. Waving his sword and laughing hysterically, Gruven confronted the six Juska who had been his guard.

"Now, you scum, I'll show you what happens to anybeast who treats a Taggerung the way you treated me. Hahahaha! Kneel, all of you, kneel and bow your heads before me. Hahahahaha!"

"Zann Juska Taggerung! He who slays the Taggerung becomes Taggerung himself!"

Gruven half turned as Ruggan Bor swung his saber. And Ruggan Bor kicked Gruven's headless carcass into the ditch.

Ermath the old vixen Seer spread her paws wide to the waiting vermin and called in a reedy trembling voice, "Lord of the Southern Coasts! Chieftain of the Juskabor! Ruggan Zann Taggerung!"

A mighty roar erupted from the three hundred clanbeasts. "Ruggan Zann Taggerung! Taggerung! Taggerung! Juskaaaaaaa!"

Then something happened that nobeast had ever seen before: Ruggan Bor smiled. He grinned from ear to ear and threw back his head, laughing over the spears clattering on shields, over the waving swords and blades of all kinds, over the lances thrust upward at the sky as his laughter mingled with the roar of the Juskabor clan.

Abbess Mhera came to the open gate and wriggled between the ottercrew to her brother's side. "What is it, Deyna? What's going on out here?"

Deyna ushered his sister gently into Skipper's waiting paws. "Go back inside quickly, Mhera. Those vermin are working themselves into a frenzy!"

Deyna was right. Ruggan Bor turned to face him, standing at the ditch edge and whirling his saber. The Juskabor vermin leaned eagerly forward, pointing their spears and blades. Deyna knew that three hundred Juska could not resist the temptation of an Abbey defended by less than a third of their number. He signaled Skipper. "Get everybeast inside and bar the gates, Skip. I think there's going to be trouble!"

Mhera had made her way up to where Boorab was standing on the walltop, balancing between two battlements. "Are the vermin going to attack the Abbey?" she called. "Is Deyna inside?"

Boorab did not answer. Shading his eyes, he peered down to the southern bend of the path at the dustcloud arising betwixt woodland and flatland. He turned back to Mhera with an odd smile on his face.

"Beg pardon, Abbess marm, but best cover your ears. I'm goin' to shout." The hare's narrow chest puffed out to its fullest extent as he sucked in air. Placing both paws around his mouth, he bellowed mightily, "Eulaliiiiiaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

Nimbalo wiggled a paw in his ear. "Wot's all the yellin' for, matey?"

Boorab pointed to the dustcloud, grinning like a madbeast. "C'mon, laddie buck, and you, Abbess. Filorn, marm, would you be so kind as to oblige me? You too, Hoarg, Drogg, Hoben. In fact everybeast, all shout together, loud as y'can. Eulalia's the word, pronounced yoo lay lee ahh, long on the ah. One, two, shout!"