Brian Jacques - Redwall #07 - Mariel of Redwall

"Top-hole. Don't fret, Clary. I'll put the old bandit asleep until this time next season. Now let's see, which is m' biggest stone? Oh, this one's rather pretty, nice little sticky-out bits. Whoohahahahoohah!"

Luck was on the side of the long patrol that evening,

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and Clary's plan ran true to form. Illuminated by two lanterns, Oykamon appeared atop a nearby dune, his bulging throat pulsating in and out as he bellowed.

"Krroikl! You were warned, longears. Now you will die knowing the power and might of Oykamon. Krrrikk!"

Hon Rosie popped up, twirling the large rock in her slingshot. "Shall I bowl him a googly, Clary?"

"Certainly, Rosie old gel. Shut the fat blighter up."

The rock flew straight and hard, whacking Oykamon with a force that sent him head over webs. Clary and Thyme's slings took the lantern holders out. Immediately, the dunes and shore became a mass of natterjacks. Croaking and clicking with dismay, they hopped speedily over to their fallen leader. The hares of the long patrol were up and gone with a turn of speed that would have left a hunting hawk flabbergasted.

They splashed along the shoreline in the failing light, a red bronze sun turning the wavelets to liquid gold as they skimmed and bounced.

"Excellent shot, Rosie. An absolute bull's-eye, wot!"

"Rather. He did a full double backflip when that rock beezed him."

"Oh, d'you think so? Thanks awfully, chaps. Whoohahahahoohah!"

Dandin spread his paws wide. "Back off. This bird means business!"

Mariel sprang forward. The heron struck, and she dodged sideways, narrowly getting clear of the huge pointed beak, which left a deep dent in the path.

"Mariel get back, he'll kill you," Dandin yelled.

The heron hopped in on spindly legs, flapping his wide wings and screeching, "Irrrraktaan will spearrrrr your hearrrrrt! Irrrrraktaan knows no fearrrr!"

Mariel rolled over and over, keeping a fraction ahead of the murderous stabbing beak. A movement caught Iraktaan's quick eye, and he glanced to one side. There

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was Durry Quill, rolling past him in a tight ball. The heron struck at the hedgehog, but his beakpoint encountered a hard spike and bounced back with a pinging noise.

The moment's breathing space was all Mariel needed. She whirled Gullwhacker and struck Iraktaan across the legs, right on the narrow knee joints. The knotted rope wrapped round the heron's legs several times. He tried to move but crashed to the ground. Immediately, Tar-quin was there. He sat across the middle of Iraktaan's neck. Before the great bird could start flapping its wings, Dandin passed the remainder of the rope across them and stood on the rope's end. Durry Quill tugged and chewed at some bindweed, snapping several lengths off.

'"Ere, tie that burd up wi' some o' this."

Tarquin grabbed a strand and wound it round and round the clacking beak. Dandin took the rest and hobbled Iraktaan's legs securely, passing it through the joint of one wing and knotting it off. Breathing heavily, they stood up. Mariel disengaged Gullwhacker from the heron's legs and whirled it close to the bird's head.

"Be still! Be still, I say, or I'll scramble your silly brains!"

The heron's eyes rolled madly, but he lay still, feathers in disarray, hissing and blowing through his fearsome beak. Dandin unsheathed the sword of Martin and placed the point at Iraktaan's crop.

"When we are gone, you will be able to free yourself. But hear what I say, Iraktaan. Follow us, and I will slay you with this sword. It has taken more lives than there are feathers on your body. I am Dandin the Sword Carrier, and you can believe my word. We wish only to cross the ford in peace. Stay where you are, wait until we are gone, then loose yourself."

Iraktaan wriggled a bit and made stifled noises but they ignored him. The ford appeared neither too wide or deep, but with masses of long trailing weeds waving

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beneath the surface. Tarquin took a few paces back as if he were going to rush at it with a hop, leap and jump. "Wish me luck, chaps. Here goes!"

Dandin stood barring his path. "Wait, Tarquin. Remember the old saying, look before you leap?"

"Of course, old lad. Well, I've bally well looked, and now I'm goin' to jolly well leap ..."

"Oh no you're not!"

"I say, Dandin, you've become rather bossy since you started wearin' that blinkin' sword. 'My name is Dandin the Sword Carrier,' eh? Righto, give me one good reason why I shouldn't leap, and I shan't."

Dandin recited the words of the poem which he had memorized.

"This trail brings death with every pace; Beware of dangers lurking there, Sticklegs of the feathered race And fins that in the ford do stir.

Well, as you can see, we've already met the sticklegs Iraktaan took care of that. Our next hazard is fins that in the ford do stir. Let's try out an idea before we attempt crossing."

Together they went to the water's edge. Dandin took a crust of bread from his knapsack and tossed it into the ford. It drifted on the surface of the water. They stood watching the bread. Like a small golden-crusted boat, it moved slowly downstream on the calm river.

Durrey did not seem too impressed. "My old nun-cle'd say that there's a waste o' good food."

Quick as a lightning flash, a mighty silver black-banded body whooshed out of the weeds. There was an explosion of water, a gleam of needlelike teeth, a huge splash, and the ford returned to its former calm.

Durry Quill grabbed hold of Mariel's sleeve tightly. "Sufferin' spikes, what were that?"

Tarquin sat down in the dust looking decidedly shaky. "Pike, old lad. An absolute whopper. A fish like

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that'd rip you up as soon as look at you. Dandin, I'm never backward in comin' forwardyou were right."

Dandin was pacing the ford edge. "Look, there's more than one, much more."

Peering carefully into the reeds, they were able to make out at least eight of the long, sleek bodies. Nose-on to the current, they backed water, fully grown, hook-jawed and totally dangerous.

Mariel sat down with Tarquin. "Time for thinking caps. Glad you came with me, after all!"

They sat in silence, watching the setting sun sink beneath the trees. Durry Quill drew patterns in the dust. "Mayhap we need a bridge."

Tarquin snorted. "Right you are, let's start buildin' one right away. Shouldn't take us longmiddle of next season, with a bit of luck."

Durry snorted back at him. "If brains was bees, there'd be no honey between your ears. Why, from where I'm a sittin' I can see a great dead tree lirnb among yon bushes. What's to stop us usin' it as a bridge?"

The hare stood up, bowing gracefully to the young hedgehog. "Profuse apologies an' all that, young master Quill. Forgive me. The excellence of your suggestion is only surpassed by your good looks and keen intelligence."

oo

Placed across the ford, the thick, dead tree limb looked wobbly and unsafe. As Mariel tested it she noted the position of the voracious pike.

"See, the fish have come out of the weeds. They're all waiting both sides of our bridge, just beneath the surface. We'd better not put a paw wrong crossing that thing."

Mariel decided that she would go first. Stepping onto the branch, she wound Gullwhacker about her neck and held her paws wide to give herself a bit of stability. The mousemaid paced forward carefully, the branch

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shaking slightly beneath her tread. Hungry pike nosed closer, their underslung jaws agape as they watched her.

"Don't look down, Mariel," Dandin called out. "Keep your eyes straight ahead on the other side. You're doing fine!"

Now she had reached the center, the branch dipped slightly, its underside touching the water. A pike butted the branch with its curving mouth, causing it to wobble dangerously. Mariel went down on all fours, gripping the bridge firmly. She waited until it ceased moving then scampered across swiftly, leaping the final part and landing safe on the other side of the ford.