Brian Jacques - Redwall #15 - The Taggerung

"Eulaliiiaaaaaa!"

Boorab had them shout another five times. Then he held up his paw.

Down at the main gate the Juska were about to charge at the still half-open doors, the gap packed with otters prepared to take down as many vermin as they could before the gates closed. The whole scene suddenly became a frozen tableau. A colossal roar, like a tidal wave breaking against a cliff, came up from the south.

"Eulaliiiiaaaaaaa!!!"

The roaring continued and the very ground beneath the Juska began to thrum. Through the massive dustcloud emerged a giant Badger Lord at the head of a thousand fighting hares.

Boorab chortled with delight. "I say, you rotters are in for a jolly good pastin', wot," he called down to the vermin. "Here comes the Long Patrol an' a blinkin' Badger Lord t'the rescue."

Redwallers hung over the parapets, cheering. Mhera had never seen a real live Badger Lord before; he was an awesome and frightening sight. Deyna threw open the gates, marching out with Skipper and the ottercrew. Ruggan Bor and his three hundred Juska were completely taken by surprise. They had no option but to put up their weapons and stand still. The hares had split and swirled out in a massive pincer movement, leaving the vermin surrounded, their backs to the open gate, which was blocked by warlike otters. It was all done with startling speed, a smart military example of outflanking the enemy.

Filorn buried her face in her apron. "Mhera, don't look. There's going to be a dreadful slaughter!"

Boorab chuckled reassuringly. "Not at all, marm, those fightin' hares aren't led by some berserkin' Bloodwrath creature. Oh dear me no, that giant beast is none other than the Lord of Salamandastron, Russano the Wise!"

Lord Russano was twice as broad and half as high again as any creature present. He towered over all, like an oak among aspens. He was dressed humbly, in a plain brown cloak and tabard, and his wide woven belt showed no evidence of sword or other blade. In his huge right paw he carried a short length of dark polished hardwood like a scepter. Quiet confidence and immense calm radiated from him. An older hare, with stiff whiskers and a fierce glint in his monocled eye, marched smartly up to the badger and saluted with his lance.

"Position secured, everythin' present an' correct. Sah!"

Russano nodded. "Thank you, Colonel. Who is the Chieftain of these Juska vermin?"

Ruggan Bor was marched into the Badger Lord's presence. Russano looked across to Deyna, who was obviously in charge of the defenders. "Have these Juska harmed or slain any of my Redwall friends?"

The otter gave a small courteous bow. "None, sire, thanks to your timely arrival. We were just about ready to do battle; you spared us a lot of bloodshed."

Russano turned his attention to the Juska Chieftain. "Had you attacked Redwall Abbey it would have been your most fatal mistake. What do they call you?"

The golden fox's voice trembled as he stared up at the Badger Lord. "I am Ruggan Bor."

Russano tapped Ruggan's chest with his hardwood stick. "I have heard your name spoken as Lord of the South Coasts. I am Russano of Salamandastron. Will you challenge me?"

Ruggan Bor laid his saber carefully at Russano's footpaws. "I too have heard of you. Only a fool would attempt such a thing."

Abbess Mhera could not take her eyes from the Badger Lord. She watched, fascinated, as the Juska laid down their arms, wondering what Russano would do next. He pointed to the flatlands beyond the ditch, his voice rumbling out, stern and majestic. "Take your creatures out there and line them up in ranks a score long facing this Abbey. Stand out in front of them, Ruggan Bor!"

Whilst the vermin slunk wordlessly across the ditch, Russano issued orders to his colonel in a low tone. Boorab winked at Abbess Mhera. "By the left, marm, takes a real Badger Lord to make those villains sit up a bit, wot!"

Trey the mousebabe had sneaked up onto the walltop. He tugged Boorab's paw urgently. "Do the vermints all getta tails chopped off now an' buried inna big 'ole?"

The hare picked Trey up and set him on a battlement to watch. "Indeed they do not, you bloodthirsty little bounder. You pay attention now, laddie buck. This'll be somethin' y'can tell your grandmice about, wot!"

Guarded by the colonel and five hundred armed hares of the Long Patrol, the Juskabor clan were ordered down on all four paws as Lord Russano addressed them.

"I have spared your miserable lives. If ever any of you are seen within a season's march of Redwall Abbey again, I will not be so merciful. Go back to your South Coasts and stay there!"

The fierce colonel saw Ruggan Bor starting to rise. He placed his lance on the back of the fox's neck. "Stay on all fours, vermin. This is the way you and your heroes will travel until sunset. Make no mistake, fox, myself an' five hundred o' the best'll go with you to make sure you do. I ain't as easy goin' as Lord Russano. Make one false move an' ye'll soon find that out to your cost, wot! Right now, listen up at the back there, you cads, wait for my sergeant's command!"

Two gimlet-eyed sergeants with ramrod backs and gruff voices began barking at the thoroughly cowed vermin. "Now then, you scruffy misbegotten lot, about turn! On the double, you dozy drooping daffodils! On all fours, heads down, tails cringin' . . . wait for it, wait for it. . . south'ard crawl!"

Away went the Juskabor in shameful banishment, with Ruggan Bor their Chieftain not at their head but at the rear.

Russano stood with Deyna and Abbess Mhera, watching the vanquished enemy raising a dustcloud over the plain. As she curtsied lightly, Mhera noticed that she did not even come level with the badger's waist.

"Lord Russano, I am Mhera, Mother Abbess of Redwall. Surely fate must have sent you to our Abbey today."

Russano knelt and kissed the ottermaid's paw respectfully. "Fate it was, Mother Abbess, that and a dream of Cregga Rose Eyes. She told me that her seasons had run. Cregga had a great and loving heart. I have made a long march from my mountain to visit her resting place, here at the Abbey of Redwall."

Boorab, who had been listening nearby, stepped forward and threw an elaborate salute to the Badger Lord. "Stap me vitals, sah, you arrived in the bally nick o' time!"

With a smile, Russano returned the salute. "We might not have. Our pace was very slow until we heard a fine military-sounding voice giving the war cry. If that was you, then you deserve the compliments of everybeast."

Boorab clicked his footpaws together so hard that he winced. "Thank you, sah. Most kind of you to say so, sah. Only doin' one's duty, wot wot!"

Mhera ushered the Badger Lord inside the gates. "You knew our Cregga?"

The Badger Lord's warm dark eyes smiled. "She nursed me when I was a babe. I recall that for a blind badger Cregga had enormous wisdom and patience, despite the fact that she had once been the wildest of Warrior Badgers ever to march from the mountain. She taught me many things. I lived at this Abbey with her for a while and acted as her eyes when she was blinded in battle. Then I journeyed to Salamandastron and ruled in her stead. This place has many wonderful memories for me."

Deyna held out his paw to Russano. "Abbess Mhera is my sister. I am Deyna, Warrior of Redwall."

The badger shook Deyna's paw cordially. "I knew that as soon as I saw you wearing the sword of Martin. I observe by your eyes that you are used to weapons, Deyna. I think you have led an adventurous life, my friend."

Deyna put a paw about his sister's shoulders and winked at Russano. "I'll tell you about it sometime, though you'd have trouble believing the half of it, matey."

The Badger Lord shrugged his wide shoulders. "Oh, I've seen and heard a few things that would make even your rudder curl, laddie buck!"