Brian Jacques - Redwall #06 - The Outcast of Redwall

Seizing both the ferrets paws in a viselike grip, Skipperjo brought his face close and said through gritted teeth, “Little sixclaw the poisoner, eh? I knowed who you was, matey, from the day I picked you up suckin frogspawn in a muddy ditch! Yore the whelp of that other six-clawed vermin, Swartt the Warlord. Aye, the one whos over at Salamandastron mountain right now, fightin the great Badger Lord. Why dont yer travel over thatways, due west and through the mountains, they say, an take a look at some real slayin, or would onest warfare be too noble fer a sneakin poisoner!

Then, dragging Veil by bom paws, the big otter lugged him through the gateway and flung him on the path. “Go an work yore evil someplace else, scum!

As the gates of Redwall slammed shut on him, Veil stood quivering with rage, shaking his six-clawed paw at those inside. “Stupid oafs! he yelled. “Bumblin fools! You aint heard the last o me! See these paws, well, you dyed them red, an red theyll stay, to remind me that someday Ill be back! Aye, with my own horde, Ill tear this Abbey apart, stone by stone, then Ill slay every livin one of you, I prom-ise!

Inside on the lawn, Bella and the Abbess held Bryony close between them as she pleaded, wept, and begged for them to give Veil one last chanceVeil, the ferret she had reared and loved from a babe, despite all his evil ways.

Book Three: The Warriors Reckoning

31

The absolute size and majesty of Salamandastron staggered Swartt Sixclaw when he first saw the mountain. From behind a rocky groyne that stretched lengthwise across the shore, the Warlord sat in counsel with his Captains, while the horde sprawled across the sands, eating, relaxing, and readying their weapons. Zigu could not resist sneering at Swartts strategy, which was to take the mountain from behind in a pincer movement. The Corsair ferret lolled indolently against the rocks, making parries and thrusts at midair, practicing with his long, basket-hilled rapier.

“Zounds! Listen to himattack the mountain from behind. Methinks Ive heard some half-witted schemes in me time, but strewth, thisn takes the biscuit!

Swartt faced the sardonic Corsair, holding his temper level. “Well, you were clever enough tlose yer ship on the rocks, lets ear yer plan ifn you dont like mine, Capn Zigu.

Stung by the barb about the loss of his ship, Zigu sketched a swift plan on the sand with his rapier point. “Right you are, Warlord, heres my scheme. The sea at our back is a natural ally; wait until the last of ebb tide, then form the whole horde up in ranks below the tideline. Obviously the defenders of yon mountain have nothing like the numbers we possess, and mayhap Salamandastron will fall to us by a mere show of power. When they see the might of our horde advancing up the beach, perhaps their nerve will fail.

A murmur of approval rose from the Captains, but Swartt drew a line through Zigus plan with the tip of his curved sword. “What was wrong with my plan, whys yores any better? he said.

Zigu was enjoying his verbal victory over Swartt, whom he considered a savage clod. “The fault with your strategy, my good Warlord, he said condescendingly, “is that we leave our backs unguarded. Who can tell what lies in the hills behind the mountainwe could be attacked by those who are friendly neighbors to the Badger Lord. However, if you take my way it is a two-edged blade: first, we have nothing to lose by a show of strength; second, it will put fear into the hearts of our enemy.

The horde Captains nodded vigorously; they liked Zigus idea. Swartt gestured at the mountain with his chain-mailed paw. “Fair enough, but what if they aint scared of us, what do we do then, march upndown on the shore lookin fierce? That aint goin to conquer no mountain. Yore plan aint bad, Zigu, but it needs a bit of work doin on it.

The Corsair sheathed his rapier and performed a flourishing bow in Swartts direction. “Be my guest, Sirrah, by all means. Plan away!

Playing him at his own game, Swartt bowed back. “Righto! Ifn they dont come flockin out terrifiednsurrenderin like you say they should, then eres wot we do. Split up an attack, usin the pincer movement I was goin to use from the back, this time at the front, but wid a difference. This time we mount a charge, straightforward at the front entrance, same time as the pincers hit both sides. Now, itll need a clevernfearless beast tlead that frontal charge. Captains, who dyou say it should be?

The Captains replied en masse without hesitation, “Zigu! The Corsair smiled and saluted them with his rapier, inwardly seething that he had allowed himself to be outwitted by Swartt.

The midday sun was at its zenith. Sunflash the Mace stood at his bedchamber window with Colonel Sandgall, Sundew, and Sabretache. Together they watched the seemingly endless ranks of hordebeasts marching out to line up below the tide-line. War drums pounded relentlessly, and conch shell trumpets brayed aloud over the barbaric banners streaming high over glinting spearheads.

Colonel Sandgall watched them coolly through his monocle. “Dyou know, I do believe the blightersve brought enough troops along tmake a decent scrap of it, eh, Tache?

Sabretache the swordhare tutted indifferently. “Tchah! Lets hope they fight bettern they drill, sloppy lot, no right markers, no proper dressin from the right. Id smarten em up if I were their Captain, believe you me!

Sunflash smiled at Sundew. “Afraid, missie? he asked.

She looked up at the Badger Lord, his golden stripe showing through the open visor of a high black war helmet, massive chest covered by a fine chain-mail tunic, and the great mace balanced easily over his broad shoulder. “Not while youre around, Sire! she said.

Now the horde was fully marshaled with the neap tide protecting their rear and a forest of spears and lances pointing skyward. Hordebeasts stood shoulder to shoulder, covering the whole lower beach, so that not even the sand below the tideline was visible. Swartt came to the forefront, flanked by Zigu and the stoat Captain Aggal. The Warlords face and teeth were freshly stained with bright plant dyes, a multicolored cloak swirled about him, and his heavily chain-mailed sixclaw glittered brighter than the long curved sword thrust into his snakeskin belt. He drew his blade and pointed at Salamandas-tron. That was the signal. The horde began marching slowly forward, splitting into three groups as it did, Swartt leading the left, Aggal the right, and Zigu the center.

Sunflash had sighted his lifelong foe. He hurried from the chamber, threading his way through the mountain passages to the left side, where he knew Swartt was heading. Back in the chamber, Colonel Sandgall took a whistle from his tunic and blew three sharp blasts. The hares of the Long Patrol went into action.

Zigus command were hardly upon the soft sand above the tideline, when the ground rose up in front of them. Thirty hares leaped from a shallow trench covered by sand spread over the top of rush matsthese were the Sleepers that Sand-gall had spoken of. They sprang up from hiding when the front line of vermin was less than twenty paces away. A wild cry went up as they launched javelins into the front marchers.

“Eeulaliaaaaa!

Completely taken by surprise, half the front rank were slain. Hedgepaw and her Sleepers fled back to the mountain, taking care to leap over the disguised trench that contained the sharpened stakes. Zigu flung himself to one side, avoiding the rain of javelins, then, leaping upright, he drew his rapier.

“After them. Charge!

The words had scarcely left his mouth, when the sand another score of paces away heaved upward. Bradberry spat out grit as he called to his two dozen archers, “Quickfire, chaps!

Again Zigus lightning reactions saved him. Flinging himself flat, he heard the screams and felt the thudding weight of two horde soldiers as they fell dead on top of him. Pushing the bodies roughly aside, the Corsair sprang up, and, grabbing a spear from one of the slain vermin, he hurled it at the fleeing backs of the retreating Sleepers. It was a lucky throw. Ford-petal, the young female hare with the fluttering eyelashes, went down with a scream, the spear sticking out of her back.