Brian Jacques - Redwall #06 - The Outcast of Redwall

But Colonel Sandgall would brook no argument, not even from the Badger Lord of Salamandastron.

“Tomorrow our Long Patrol will pick up the ferrets trail, then you can face the bounder an settle up your score. But if ;you try to go it alone tonight, sah, then Im afraid Ill use our warriors to stop you. It is my duty as Colonel and Senior Offisah at Salamandastron to protect my Badger Lord, beggin ypardon an hopin you understand. Sah! ; Sunflash nodded. “I understand. Owthat hurts!

Sundew chided him as she rethreaded a fish-bone needle with a long hair plucked from the badgers own back. “Keep the ol head still then, Sire, hows a body supposed to stitch up this head wound if you keep nodding like a woodpecker at an oak?

When the hares had finished, Sunflash stood up stiffly. Stitched, poulticed, and cleaned, he strode off with a slight limp toward the mountain and his bedchamber.

“Tomorrow, then, Sandgall! Ill be up at the crack of dawn; have your Long Patrol waiting, ready to travel!

“If hes up at crack o dawn itll only be to sleepwalk, Ryeback whispered to her friend Sundew. “I gave him enough slumberin draught to knock three out!

With his vixen and about thirty other vermin, Swartt had waded off through the shallows in the thick of the retreat. Striking north and east, he crossed the shore on the mountains south side, up into the high hills behind Salamandastron. The ferret knew that making camp or sleeping was out of the question; he had to get far away from Sunflash the Mace. Breasting the first hill, he paused and watched those behind him struggling and panting as they strove to reach the top.

“Move yerselves if you want ter stay alive, yrotpawed, maggot-backed ditherers! Swartt berated them. “Step lively or sitnweep here til the badger an those hares track yer down!

Nightshade brought up the rear. The vixen seer was puzzled. Her dreams and visions all showed Sunflash falling at the battle in front of the mountain, and twice it had almost happened, but at the last moment her visions clouded and Sunflash was replaced by an ancient female badger. The vixen was baffled, because all of her dreams ended with Swartt standing on top of a mountain, laughing and victorious. Wearily she cast all omens aside, banishing dreams from her mind as she followed the leader she felt fated to serve.

Dawn had long dispelled the sea mists, and the sun was already beginning to climb in the sky when Skarlath landed on the windowsill of the badgers bedchamber. Cocking his head curiously on one side, the kestrels keen eye watched the Badger Lord sleeping. The mace still hung from its cord on Sunflashs paw, and his mighty chest rose and fell to the echo of rumbling snores. Skarlath spread his wings wide and tilted his fierce curved beak upward.

“Kreeeeeh! Does my friend sleep his life away? Kreeeeh!

The big badger sat bolt upright, pawing at his eyes.

“Where, what? Ive been asleep ... Skarlath!

The kestrel swooped in, landing on Sunflashs shoulder. “So, my gold-striped friend, it must have been a good, hard days battle to keep you so long abed this morn....

The Badger Lord tore at the bandages and poultices restricting his limbs, flinging them from him. “Crack o dawn, eh? Well, where are they, the Long Patrol trackers? Swartt escaped. Ive got to go after him!

Skarlath flew back to the windowsill. “The hares are down there by the sea, burying their comrades who were slain in battle. I know that Sixclaw got away; I picked up his tracks south of here at dawn. His band numbers three and thirty. He is heading north, taking a wide easterly loop, traveling light with few rest stops.

Shunning the chain-mail tunic, Sunflash chose an old woven tabard, smiling grimly as he donned it. “So, it all comes full circle. That is about the number he had when we used to hunt one another in younger days. Come on, my hawk, let us go hunting again one last time, just the two of us!

The burial party had completed their sad task, and they arrived back at the dining hall within the mountain to take lunch. Sundew, who had immediately gone to check on her patient, came bounding downstairs, shouting, “Colonel Sandgall, sah, mLord Sunflash is gone!

Sandgall slammed a flagon of cordial down so hard that it cracked, and the liquid dribbled into his lap. “Furnbothera-tion! I thought you said hed sleep til noontide, marm! Sabretache, hows the old footpaw, ready to travel? Rockleg, Fleetrunn! Rationsnweapons for twelve Long Patrol. Pick up the tracks, follow His Lordship, quicks the word, sharps the action. Dismiss!

Within a remarkably short time, twelve hares of the Long Patrol, headed by Sabretache, had found the distinctive paw-prints of Sunflash and set off fast after him.

High in the hills, with the hawk on his shoulder and the mace in his grasp, Sunflash followed the trail of Swartt Six-claw, the lifelong enemy whom he had sworn long seasons ago to slay.

40

Bryony and Togget lay flat on their backs at the stern end of the raft, a jug of cowslip cordial and a deep-dish pear-and-red-currant tart between them.

The mousemaid dipped her paw overboard, allowing cool river water to caress it. “Hey ho, Togget, this is the life for us, eh!

“Bo urr, et surpintly am, Broinee, oi never gurtly was one furr sailen, but this hes most wunnerful, burr aye, sot be.

The hoglet Arundo was hiding behind the hut, watching them. The sight of Toggets fat stomach sticking in the air was too much for him. Breaking cover, he dashed up and jumped on it. “Heehee! I jumped onna moleth thtomach!

Togget was too winded to express an opinion on the subject, and Bryony was shaking with laughter along with Arundo. Tutty Pollspike was pegging out washing up forard; she had seen what took place and shouted dire warnings. “Rushes

nriverbanks! Just let me catch either o you jumpin on that pore hanimals stummick agin an Ill chop yore tails off, dye hear me, you two?

Bryony sat up indignantly, pointing at Arundo. “But it wasnt me, it was him!

Arundo pointed back at her, still giggling. “Heeheehee! Mouthemaid tol me to do it!

Duddle emerged from the cabin, stretching after his mid-morning nap. “Now then, me bold beasties, he said, “whats all the kerfuffle out here? Still mindin the tiller for me, Tog-get?

Remembering the duty he had been allotted, Togget got up and, rubbing his stomach, leaned against the tiller. “Aye, zurr, ee tiller aint been gone nowheres since oi been mindin et.

Duddle took command of the tiller, saying, “Have to be careful on this stretch, theres a slipstream off to the south comin up shortly. Rapidsnwaterfall down that way, dangerous, stremely perilous, mmm, aint that right, my little river lily?

Tutty passed the washing basket to Clematis Roselea. “Rocksarapids! Wed do well tstay away from that lot. Keep tight old of that tiller, Duddle!

“Never fear, my darlin damselfly, the fat smiling hedgehog reassured her. “I have it within my viselike grip, no harm will befall the family. Hmm, just a thought, Bryony, but dyou think yore friend the ferret may have drifted that way? He could very well have strayed into the slipstream, not bein used to the currentsnflows.

Bryony looked up from a piece of pie. “Do you think so, sir? If he did, how would we find out?

Duddle indicated a spot on the left bank farther along. “Thats where the slipstream is, well pull over an hove to land when we get past it. Ill ask Ilfril, a mean-tempered creature if ever there was onebest let me do the talkin.

It was a difficult business keeping the raft in mid river while passing the slipstream. Bryony helped Duddle to control the tiller. When they were safe downriver from the side-pulling current, they hauled the raft onto the high bank, securing it to a crack willow with a stout rope. Duddle Poilspike led them back along the bank until they reached the slipstream. It flowed on a slight downhill gradient, very fast and smooth, losing itself as it twisted and turned into the distance, where a big green-sloped mountain stood out clear against the cloudless sky. Duddle tapped the side of his nose, cautioning them to be silent. Planting his bottom firmly on the edge of the bank, he dangled both footpaws in the water and spoke aloud as if to himself.