Brian Jacques - Redwall #07 - Mariel of Redwall

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"Are you thirsty, Skiv?" Then he pours wine on the floor and makes me lick it up. Many times I have tried to escape, but there are too many guards; I am brought back and beaten. Gabool has threatened to kill my father if I try running away once more. But there must be a way, I've got to find a way . . .

Note by Brother Hubert: Here the mousemaid started weeping and grinding her teeth. Simeon said it was pure rage at her helpless position. He soothed her with a drop more of potion. She is resting now and beginning to relate another incident. I wish she would speak more slowly as I am unaccustomed to recording in this speedy manner.

I am serving at table, laying Gabool's food out. He likes roasted seabird and strong wine. Gabool is in a very bad temper and I know the reason. Our ship Periwinkle was renamed Crabclaw by Gabool. He made a rat named Skullgor Captain of it. But on the first day he sailed it from Terramort he was driven back onto the rocks by a sudden squall. The ship was holed and lost its rudder. Gabool has got Skullgor in front of him now and he is insulting him, goading him to fight, I think, though Gabool is unarmed. Gabool says, "Skullgor, a dead frog would be a better Captain than you. You are a blunderer and a fool. You let that ship run on to the rocks because you did not want to put to sea, you yellow-livered coward!"

Skullgor draws his sword. He is shouting, "King or no King, nobeast calls Skullgor a coward. Go and get your sword, Gabool. We'll see who's the coward then!"

Gabool reaches for a hidden sword he has stowed beneath the table. He draws it and makes a leap, surprising Skullgor. I am passing, laden with dishes, and I bump straight into Gabool by accident. Like a flash Skullgor is on him, but Gabool shouts out and a rat named Garrtail stabs Skullgor in the back with a dagger. Gabool jumps up and finishes Skullgor off,

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then he turns on me, yelling, "You've collected your last plate, Skiv. I saw your little gametrying to get me killed by Skullgor, eh? Then go and join him at Hellgates!"

Now Gabool is coming at me with his sword, I know he is determined to slay me. Suddenly I feel a great anger. I must live; he has no right to take my life. I must act fast. I snatch up Skullgor's sword and leap onto the table, kicking a jug of wine into Gabool's face. I slash at him with my sword but he has staggered close in, his eyes full of wine. The sword handle catches him on the skull, stunning him. He falls beneath the table, but as I jump down to slay him they are on me, Garrtail and a half-dozen others. They hit me with something, everything goes black . . .

Note by Brother Hubert: We thought the mousemaid needed calming down, bi4t she lay still momentarily then started to speak again.

Black darkness. . . . Wind, rain! I am bound with a rope, a heavy rope. Outside on the high cliffs; we are outside the fort. I can hear waves crashing against the rocks far below. My head aches. I am balanced tottering on the cliff edge. Gabool is with me. He is saying something. I can hardly hear it for the wind and storm. . . . Wait!

"A mousemaid bringing Gabool downwe can't have that, can we, little Skiv? Saltar said you were a warrior maid. He was right, you are a born fighter too much of a fighter for your own good. Let's see how good you are at battling with the sea!"

He pushes me. I am falling over the cliff! There is a large rock tied to the rope. It smashes to bits on another rock as I fall. . . . Father, Father, the water is cold as ice and high as mountains. But I won't die, I'll come back for you. See! The water has softened the rope and my paws are free. DriftwoodI'm cling-

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ing to it. Father, don't let me drown. . . . Oh, it's so cold, so dark, and the sea is like a huge wild animal. Father . . . Father . . . I'll come back.

"Enough!" The sight of one so young writhing in mental torment was pitiful. Mother Mellus could stand it no longer. Sweeping the mousemaid up in her paws, she carried her off, calling back to those in the sickbay room, "This little one has had enoughme too! I can't listen anymore to the sufferings of the poor child. We will sleep out in the orchard, beneath the trees, where it is cool and shadowed from the dawn; just Mariel and me."

The door slammed and they were left looking at each other, all save blind Simeon, who summed it up in a few phrases.

"She's right, y'know. I think we all got carried away listening to the tale of Sto er, Mariel. The poor maid needs rest, but at least we know who she is now."

Abbot Bernard stuffed his paws into wide habit sleeves and yawned. "Right you are, Simeon. I think we all need some rest. Aahhh, bed beckons."

Tarquin threw a dramatic paw to his brow. "Gads! How you can think of sleep at a time like this horrifies me, particularly when there's so much food left. Any of you chaps fancy sharing a bite with me? I'll tell you about the sweetest gel in the entire territory. Hon Rosie's her name, an absolute whackeroony of a filly, an' Tarquin L. Woodsorrel's the first to say it."

Dandin chuckled. "Sounds like a tale for a long winter's night. I'm off to the dormitories. G' night, or

is it good day?"

oo

Down in the orchard Tarquin sat stuffing dewberry and sugared apple cake, strumming his harolina mournfully.

"O Rosie, why did you leave me?

You're enough to give a bally chap the pip,

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Laughin' in my face, ha ha ha ha ha,

An' leavin' me in tears as off you trip. . . . Yowch!"

A hard green apple bounced off Tarquin's head as Mother Mellus's voice called out from the trees, "I'll leave you in tears if you don't quit your caterwauling and let us get some rest. I'll wrap that harolina round your head, see if I don't!"

no

A stiff southerly breeze had sprung up, chasing the mist before it. The Darkqueen under full sail dipped her head as she cut the night sea. Bow waves scudded spray to fleck her wake, ragged clouds swirled overhead with no moon to light them on their way, timbers creaked and ropes hummed as the burgeoning canvas pulled the sleek craft across the main.

Graypatch knew it was dangerous to sail the Darkqueen in any northerly direction, but northeast was better than northwest, and he was a bit more familiar with the coastline in the northeast area. It was still some time until dawn.

"Keep her head in to the shore, Fishgill/' Graypatch called to his steersrat. "Deadglim, sound the water for reefs as y'go. Frink, stay up that topmast and keep yer eyes peeled north and westward. Any sign of a sail, give me a shout. I'm goin' below to look at the charts. Stay on duty, now. Anybeast I catch nappin'll be dead afore he wakes up."

The charts in Saltar's former cabin were few and sketchy. Searats were notorious for sailing by instinct and rule of paw. Graypatch found a scrap of parchment and began drawing his own map of the coast from memory.

in

"Hmm, if I recall right, the badgers' mountain is further south'ard, then there's the seamarshes, and I remember some outlyin' cliffs boundin' 'em t' the north. Them dunes is next, an' the toadlands. I reckon we're a full night's sailin' with the wind behind us. . . . Got it! Haha, I knew me old brain wasn't rustin'. Some-wheres up this coast is a river that runs into the sea. Eye, it comes out of the forestlands and across the shore. All's we do is keep a lookout fer the trees a-growin' inland to the starboard side. I know the river's somewheres there, I can feel it in me bones."

Daybreak found the Darkqueen still beating north up the coast. The morning was heavy with rolling seamist, promising to clear into hot sunshine. Promises were not much good to the Captain of Darkqueen, however. With Frink peering to port and Fishgill to starboard, it turned into a guessing game as to what would show first, the trees to landward, or the enemy to seaward. Graypatch paced the deck anxiously.