Brian Jacques - Redwall #07 - Mariel of Redwall

"Well crossed, young mouse, well crossed, I say. Who's next?"

Dandin elected to try, with Mariel sitting on one end of the makeshift bridge and Tarquin holding the other end down. Dandin held the sword in both paws, straight out in front; it helped to balance him. The young mouse had a surprising natural agility. Despite the pike nosing against the branch, he made it across with ease, even leaping ashore with a fancy twirl of the sword.

Tarquin nudged Durry Quill. "Your turn, old chap."

The young hedgehog blinked his eyes and gulped. "If I turns out t' be a fish's supper, tell my old nuncle Gabriel that I love him dear an' I was a-thinkin' of him even as I was bein' ate. Ah well! C'mon, Durry. Brace up, Quill. If y'don't try now, y'never will."

With these few poetic lines, Durry scuttled out across the branch on all fours. It shook and wobbled furiously. The others held their breath, not wanting to call out advice lest they should upset him. The hedgehog was at the center of the bridge when a monstrous pike hurled itself clear of the water, arching its sinuous body as it slammed forcibly into the branch. Durry plopped off into the ford, yelling as the pike closed in on him, "I'm a-thinkin' of 'ee, Nuncle Gabe. Heeeeeelp!"

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"Eulaliaaaaa!"

Tarquin L. Woodsorrel came tearing out along the branch, half in and half out of the water, the branch flopping up and down madly into the ford. Grabbing Durry by the snout, he swung him clear of the pike's jaws. Kicking one pike savagely and braining another with his harolina, the hare carried straight on with his mad dash. He sprinted out of the water with Durry held tight, a damaged harolina, and a big female pike latched onto him, its teeth sunk into his bobtail. Tarquin let go of Durry and performed a mad war dance on the bank.

"Yahwoo! Leggo, y'beast, leggo!"

Mariel twirled Gullwhacker and struck the pike, batting it with all her might. It separated from Tarquin's tail and shot through the air, landing in the ford with an awkward splosh.

"Hooray!" Durry cheered. "I ain't ate, and we're all safe 'n' dry."

"Hah, I'm glad you're pleased, young Quill. Look at me! A chunk of m' bottom and half a tailbob missin'. What'll Hon Rosie say when she sees my handsome form disfigured?"

They made camp in a forest glade farther up the road as night fell. Mariel and Dandin setting out the supper, Tarquin repairing his harolina, whilst Durry Quill put together one of his sovereign poultices for the hare's nether end. Mariel conversed quietly with her friend as they sat eating.

"Dandin, where did you get that beautiful sword?" "You'd never believe if I told you, Mariel, but it came to me in a dream."

"A dream? Surely you're not serious ..."

"Oh, but I am. Strange, though. I dreamed I saw a

mouse in full armor. He just stood there, watching me

and smiling. I felt so peaceful and friendly and at ease

with him, it was wonderful. He said to me, 'Dandin,

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go with Mariel.' Just those four words, then he took his sword and scabbard and laid them at my side. I knew it was only a dream, a dream which I wanted to last forever, but it didn't. When I woke before dawn, there were the sword and scabbard by my side. It must have been the spirit of Martin the Warriorhe founded our Abbey. Martin is guardian of Redwall. They say he comes whenever the Abbey or its creatures are in danger. I always thought it was just a nice story, until he visited me. I'll never forget it, Mariel."

The mousemaid crumbled a piece of bread and watched the ants bearing the fragments away, her face a strange picture of wonderment.

"As you were speaking, Dandin, I remembered. It all came back. I dreamed of your Martin last night. He was just as you described him, a wonderful brave figure. He said: 'Be brave, Mariel. Follow your heart's desire.' He was there in my dreams one moment and gone the next. I know what you mean when you say you'll never forget. I was so sad when he disappeared."

"Anybeast want more soup? If not, I'll just have what's left in the pot t' keep me goin' through the old night watches, wot? I say, Dandin, can you recall the next part of that rhyme thingummy?"

The young mouse thought of his friend Saxtus as he spoke the lines.

"After the ford, one night, one day, Seek out the otter and his wife. Forsake the path, go westlands way, Find the trail and lose your life."

Durry sniffed as he beat Tarquin to the last of the soup. "Lackaday, that sounds cheerful, don't it? I wonder who the otter 'n' his wife be."

Night closed in on the few red embers of the campfire in the glade as the travelers lay to rest, Tarquin with his harolina, Durry with a well-licked soup bowl, Mariel

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with her Gullwhacker and Dandin with the strange ancient sword of Martin the Warrior.

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Orgeye of the Waveblade had dropped anchor in Terra-mort cove earlier that same evening. Confining his crew to shipboard, he strode up to Fort Bladegirt, aware of the reception he would receive coming back empty-clawed. Gabool was in a murderous mood; even the slaves were hiding and dared not attend him. The King of the Searats had gone past sleeping. His eyes were completely blood-red, but he quivered with a furious nervous energy, roaming the banqueting hall, drinking wine straight from the flagon. Orgeye walked in without knocking. Gabool did not acknowledge him at first, but strode about shouting, "Look! . . . Look at this, half-cooked seabird still with the feathers hanging from it!"

He hurled the silver platter, splattering food across the walls.

"Not a slave to look after my needs. Me, the Ruler of all Seas! Wine? This tastes more like vinegar. They're tryin' to poison me. That's it! They can't get me while I'm asleep because I won't go to sleep. . . . No sleep . . . No rest for Gabool ..."

He appeared to notice Orgeye for the first time. "Saltar! No, it can't beI slew him. Haharr, it's Orgeye, my old grogmate. Belay there, I knew you wouldn't let

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Gabool down. I knew out of all those slopbacks you'd be the one to bring me back the Darkqueen an' Grey-patch's mangy skull!"

Orgeye moved away until the big table was between him and the Warlord. "Gabool, listen. I scoured the seas to the far west from here and past the horizon. I searched the bare rocks and small islands until I ran short of vittles an' water for the crew an' meself. There's no sign of Graypatch at all. Wherever he's taken the Darkqueen to, we'll never find him, on my oath!"

The flagon narrowly missed Orgeye. It smashed upon the door, cascading blood-red wine everywhere. Gabool looked madly about for something else to throw.

"Garrr! You lyin' traitor, you useless mud-suckin' scum. If you couldn't find him west'ard, you should have sailed south."

Orgeye was backing toward the door. He did not want to be in the same room with this mad creature.

"Hold fast there, Gabool. Take it easy. I only put in to Terramort for fresh provisions. You say go south right, then I'll take the Waveblade on a southern course, soon as I've taken fresh vittles aboard."

Gabool drew his sword and advanced, foaming at the mouth. "Vittles, you bottlenosed trash. Vittles? I'll give ye vittles, bucko. I'll carve yer tripes out and feed 'em to your scurvy crew. Set course south an' gerrout o' me sight. You don't get a crust o' my bread or a drop of water until you bring me the Darkqueen an' Graypatch's head!"

Orgeye barely had time to slam the door and run. Gabool was tugging and pulling as he cursed, and his sword was buried deep in the heavy oak door. Behind him the bell tolled once. He heaved the sword blade from the door and came at the bell.

"Silence, d'ye hear me! Silence! Boomin' an' bongin' away night an' day so a body can't even sleep. I'll teach yer a lesson!"

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Two dormouse slaves peering through a crack in the door watched fascinated as the King of Searats attacked a bell with his sword. The bell clashed and clanged as Gabool hammered at it, both claws gripping his curved blade. The one-sided fight could have only one possible outcome. The sword blade snapped against the great bell and Gabool lay facedown upon the stone floor, panting and sobbing as the metallic echoes of the bell swirled around the banqueting hall.