The Bellmaker - Jacques, Brian - Redwall 07 - The Bellmaker

As they walked to the horde barracks to pick out a squad, Sicant caught up with Silvamord. The vixen whispered to her, “It was Bluebane who had your mate, Gray-wort, slain.

Gaels footpaws had touched the battlements once, then on his return swing he made it. Clamping footpaws and tail firmly over the protruding stones, he let go of the rope. Mariels voice came to him faintly from above, “Gael, are you safe?

Cupping paws around his mouth, the Squirrelking called back, “Yes, Im on the battlements. Mariel, I dont need the rope to go the rest of the way, I can climb down the wall, the plateau side, too, once Ive gotten across the moat.

Mariels answer came back immediately. “Good, then dont wait about there, escape while you can. Well be down right after you. Go, your wife and babe need you. Gael started scaling the walls down to the moat, sure-pawed and nimble now that freedom was within his reach.

Mariel nodded to Dandin.Youre next, mate.

“No, after you, miss. Ill go last!

“Im the senior officer here, I go last, mlad! huffed Meldrum.

Mariel spread her paws in despair. “We cant all go last. Look, whos going now?

Dandin and Meldrum pointed firmly at her. “You!

Mariel let herself down onto the ropes, muttering, “Well, if somebeast doesnt go well be stuck up here all season. Here goes!

Armed with pikes and archery equipment, thirty horde-rats, led by Nagru and Silvamord, sneaked furtively along the ramparts until they were at the west battlement edge. Crouching down in the shadows, Silvamord whispered to Nagru, “We catch them one by one as they land, right?

Pulling the wolfhide about him to shelter from the rain, Nagru neatly sidestepped any responsibility. “Your idea, my Lady. Make your move.

Silvamord crawled forward armed with a pike that was double hooked below its blade. She thrust it at Bluebane. “Hook them in by the footpaws, she hissed. “Well be waiting to grab them.

The vixen winked at the spy. “Do it well, and Ill reward you!

Mariel had reached the ropes end. Kicking against the wall, she began swinging herself. Rain beat on her face as she pendulumed back and forth, widening the arc each time. Blinking water from her eyes, she peered into the mist each time she sailed west.

Bluebane recognized her as she swung into view and vanished back into the night again. “My Lady, its not the Squirrelking; its the mousemaid!

Nagru growled out of his wolfhide shelter. “I dont care who it is, yank them in. Do it!

Bluebane timed it nicely. He stood erect, holding the battlement with one paw, and swung the barbed end of the pike toward the mousemaid on the rope.

Mariel could not stop herself. She saw the rat strike out toward her with the pike as she sped toward the battlement on the rope. Kicking her paws hard against the wall, she shot outward. The kick gave her extra impetusshe avoided the pike and shot over Bluebanes head. The rope struck the gable of the wall and was torn from her paws. From behind came the sound of a vicious hiss; an arrow stood out between Bluebanes eyes. He fell backward into the hordebeasts as Mariel landed heavily on top of Nagru. Pandemonium broke outstamping hard on the wolf-skull, the mousemaid leaped free and went dashing along the ramparts. The dead wolfs fangs had cut two furrows on Nagrus brow. Lying flat out, he roared, “Get her! Kill the mousemaid!1

The first rat who jumped upright to obey met with another arrow. Silvamord scrambled on all fours after Mariel. Taking her lead and keeping safe, the other rats followed. Nagru sat up, tenderly feeling his head where the fangs had pierced. Looking around, he realized that he was alone. An arrow zipped by overhead, and instinctively the Foxwolf ducked and scurried off on all fours shouting, “Come back here, you deserters. Wait for me!

Dandin leaned over the rafters, staring down into the mist, his vision hampered by the nighttime rain. “Theres something gone wrong down there. Mariel may need help. I must go to her!

Without wasting further words he grasped the ropes and vanished over the edge of the tower top. Meldrum wrung rainwater from his ears as he called after Dandin, “As ywere! I gave no orders for you to go shimmy in off down that rope, sah! Come back, dye hear me? The hare watched the rope begin swinging from side to side and straightened his jacket resolutely. “Hmph, mustnt have heard me, not like that young feller to disobey an order! Right, youre next, Fallowthorn.

23

Mariel was far too quick to catch. Vaulting battlements, cutting corners, and slamming doors behind her, she dashed off into the rambling passages of Castle Floret. The mousemaid could hear her pursuers behind her, tripping and stumbling as they hastened to catch her. Skipping nimbly down the dizzying stone steps of a spiral staircase, she ran full tilt into a horderat coming the other way. The mousemaid could not stop herself from barging into the rat; he was taken completely off guard, and with a panicked squeak he toppled backwards, hurtling tip over tail down the stairs. Bruising her paws on the rough-hewn stones, the mousemaid managed to stay upright. She slowed her pace as she approached the rat. He lay crumpled at the bottom of the stairwell, completely senseless. Mariel paused momentarily to relieve him of a sharp, double-headed axe he had thrust in his belt. The sounds of Silvamord and her troop pattering down the stairs kept the mousemaid on the move. Hurtling out down a corridor she cut left and then right, looking wildly about for somewhere to hide.

Nagru had traveled down by a different route, ordering horderats to follow him as he went. “Leave what youre doing, come on, bring your weapons! Threading his way through chamber and hall he rushed onward, with more than a score in his wake. Now Mariel could hear her enemies coming from both sides, still some distance away, but getting closer by the moment. She brandished the axe, looking left and right desperately. There was only one way left to go. Lifting the latch of a door in front of her, she entered. It was a small inner chamber, devoid of windows. Mariel closed the door, noting that it had neither lock nor bolt to protect her. She had run herself into a cul-de-sac, and it was too late to escape now. Taking up a warriors stance, she gripped the axe handle tight, prepared to go down fighting.

Safely on the battlements, Dandin reached out with the pike that Bluebane had been carrying. Meldrum wobbled and swayed as he clung for dear life to the swinging rope. The young mouse called encouragingly to him, “Just a bit more, sir. Come on, swing yourself forward another fraction.

With both eyes shut tight the hare did as he was bidden.

“Gotcha! Dandin hooked the curved pike crosstree into the hem of Meldrums pink mess jacket and pulled him to the battlement. Seizing both the old hares foot-paws, Dandin stretched him over the stone top and took the weight. “You can let go of the rope now, Meldrum! Let go of the rope and open your eyes, thats an order!

The old hare opened one eye, saw he was safe, and clambered down onto the rampart with as much dignity as he could muster. “Incorrect procedure, laddie buck; a subordinate cant give orders to a rankin offisah. Well let it go this time. Well done, well done. Now, whats been goin on round here? Whereve all the bally vermin gone?

Dandin gazed at the rat carcasses and the empty rainswept walltop. “More important, wheres Mariel gone? he said.

The rope was caught on a niche of the battlement. Meldrum began pulling it in and coiling it. “Where dyou think shes gone, bright little gel like that? Escaped, of course, bally well scarpered!

Dandin however was not convinced. “Escaped? How could she have escaped?

“Dont ask me, mlad. Im no expert in these matters, Meldrum said as he fussed with the torn hem of his tunic, “but Ill lay you an acorn to an apple theyve not captured her. Shed have yelled out an warned us.