Brian Jacques - Redwall #01 - Lord Brocktree

Ruff twitched his rudder in admiration of Rogg's skill. "Haharr. I can't tell one nutter from another, but ole Rogg there makes it sound wunnerful!"

The friendly mole dumped four packs on the table. "Thurr be vittles for ee journey, guddbeasts."

Brocktree had noted the number of packs. "There's four lots here and we're only three."

Rogg twiddled his digging claws, as moles do when they are confronted with a tricky situation. "Urr urr, wudd ee grant oi a boon, zurr?"

Dotti translated. "He wants a favor from you, sah."

Brocktree spread his paws magnanimously. "I would be churlish if I refused, after such hospitality. Ask away, Rogg my friend!"

The mole hemmed and hawed a bit before coming out with it. "Cudd ee taken moi sunn Gurth along with ee? Oi'd be alius h'obliged. Ee'm gudd company, deadly with ee slinger an' stronger'n any mole aloive. Oi be gurtly wurried when ee goes off a-roamin' alone, zurr, but moi 'eart'd be easier if'n moi Gurth wurr with gennelbeasts like you 'uns."

Lord Brocktree shook Rogg's paw warmly. "Gurth will be a welcome addition to our little bandand if his cooking is anything like yours, I beg you to let him come along with us!"

Gurth appeared out of nowhere and swept up his ration pack. "Oi been teached ee cookin' trick or two boi moi ole dad, zurr. Thankee koindly furr lettin' oi join ee!"

At the river bend the four friends boarded their log and paddled off along the sun-flecked stream, with Rogg and his family calling farewells.

"Goombye. 'Twere ee pleasure 'avin' ee t'visit!"

"Miz Dott, goombye. Pity ee wurr too fulled t'sing furr us'n's larst noight. Mebbe nex' toim!"

"They don't know 'ow lucky they were not to hear our Dotti warblin'," Ruff muttered under his breath to Brocktree.

Gurth was receiving instructions from his kin, to all of whom he replied with the same phrase: "Thankee, oi'll amember that!"

"You'm keep a clean 'ankycheef with ee alius, Gurth!"

"Moind ee manners an' doan't scoff ee too much!"

"Pay 'tenshun to wot gurt Badger Lord tells ee, Gurth!"

"Bringen a pressink back for ee ole mum!"

"Be guarden ee young hurrmaid well naow, sunn!"

Gurth's gruff bass voice echoed back along the stream: "Thankee, oi'll amember that!"

The moles stood in the shallows, waving until the log was out of sight. Gurth's mother wiped a kerchief about her eyes. "Burrhoo, oi do 'opes ee'll be safe!"

Rogg placed a paw about her shoulders. "Ee surpintly will, marm. Ee be a rock o' sense, that 'un!"

Chapter 12

Udara Groundslay was a short-eared owl. Unfortunately he had been born without the gift of flight, but this I did not seem to worry him one little bit. He had made his birthplace, the Rockwood, and its surrounding moors his domain. Nothing moved or went on there that he did not know about. Udara was immensely wise and very fierce. He protected his territory jealously and made his own rules for any creature venturing within its boundaries. These rules he enforced by his own natural ferocity.

Fleetscut sat with the squirrels around a small fire. It was almost twilight when the owl arrived.

Jukka rose to greet him. "Thou art looking hale an' fine of feather, Groundslay!"

Ruffling his brown and umber barred feathers, the big owl stared solemnly at the squirrels with huge golden eyes which shone in the reflected firelight. "Rukkudooh! What brings bushtails to my lands?"

Fleetscut had never heard a creature speaking so slowly and deliberately. Moreover, the murderous curved beak of Udara scarcely moved when he spoke.

Jukka politely let a moment elapse before replying. "We have brought a longears with us. He seeks news of his kind, or any other beasts seen hereabouts."

The owl closed both eyes and twitched his ear feathers gently. Fleetscut thought he had gone to sleep, but then the big golden orbs opened again.

"Hurrukooh! Udara sees all, even in the moondark. Longears have passed through here, young ones, noisy and frivolous creatures. Spikedogs, also. I like not the spikedogsthey are rough, ill-mannered beasts."

Fleetscut stood up from the fire. "How many longears went through here, and when?"

Udara's body did not move, but his head turned as if it were a separate part of him, in a great half-circle. He regarded the old hare like a piece of mud stuck to his talon, his eyes anything but friendly.

"Hoorokkuh! You have lessons in courtesy to learn, longears. Speak only when you are spoken to. Your seasons have not made you any more sensible than the young ones of your kind."

The head turned in leisurely fashion until Udara was facing Jukka once more. "Nothing in this life is free, believe my words. If the old longears wants information, he must pay me."

Jukka shot an inquiring glance at Fleetscut, who nodded his head vigorously. The squirrel spoke for him. "The longears wants to know what you require as payment?"

"Hoooooooh!" Udara let out the long slow noise as if he were considering. "The sweet heavy bread you carry, Udara likes that, it is good."

Fleetscut tossed his ration pack to Jukka, who placed it on the ground, close to the owl's talons. Udara Ground-slay looked down at it. His eyes closed, then reopened.

"Uhkuhkuhk! More. I want more than just one!"

The old hare stared around the fire at the other squirrels. None seemed ready to give up their rations. Fleetscut shrugged and held his paws wide.

Jukka stared at him impassively. "Udara says one is not enough. Thou wilt have to find more."

Ruro tossed her ration alongside that of Fleetscut. Silence seemed to stretch out into the growing darkness before Udara deigned to reply to the offer.

"Rukkudooh! One more!"

"You hear him, longears. Hast thou any more?"

Fleetscut shook his head. Udara kicked the packs lightly. "Hootooh! Then you wasted your time coming here, longears."

Fleetscut had put up with enough. "Just a tick there, featherbag, I think you're the one needs a lesson in courtesy. It's no blinkin' wonder that other creatures avoid comin' here, wot, y'bad-mannered old swindler. I wouldn't give you the dust off me paws after the way you've treated me!"

A gasp arose from the squirrels. Udara stalked slowly around the fire until his beak was level with the hare's eye. "Kurruhum! Two it is then, longears. You are a perilous beastI have slain many for less than what you said to me. But mind, two only buys the information that two merits!"

Thud!

Jukka's pack landed with the other two. "There, now thou hast three. Give the longears all your information, Udara. All!"

Hooking the three packs with his talons, the owl slung them up over his useless wings, calling as he stalked off, "Be here at dawn light. I'll tell you all then. Koohumhum!"

When Udara had gone, Fleetscut slumped down angrily by the fire. "Great feathered buffoon, wot?"

Jukka squatted in front of him, shaking her head knowingly. '"Tis ye who art the buffoon, hare. Hadst thou not given up thy pack so quick I could have bargained and got thine information for one pack. An' thee, Ruro, what were ye thinking of, adding thy pack to his so quickly? I only gave up my ration to Udara when the situation became hopeless. Udara was insulted by thee, longears. Hadst thou walked away with the pack, he'd have hunted an' killed thee. That bird is not named Udara Groundslay for nothing. Now put a latch on thy tongue an' get some sleep!"

Feeling rather foolish and properly chastened, Fleetscut lay down. However, before he closed his eyes, the old hare patted Ruro's shoulder. "You're a jolly good pal, Ruro. I won't forget the way you offered up your pack to get my information. Thanks!"

Ruro lay staring into the fire as she replied, "Jukka Sling was right, we be nought but two fools. Aye, an' we'll find that out soon enough, methinks, when we have to march on empty bellies. Good night to thee."