Brian Jacques - Redwall #07 - Mariel of Redwall

"Durry, are you all right? Durry, speak to me!"

The young hedgehog blinked and rubbed his eyes as Dandin flung a beaker of cold sage and mint tea into his friend's face.

"Phwaaw! I'd sooner be in yon ford wi' pikes than lookin' at that bad thing. I don't reckon that were no grass snake."

Tarquin took a quick close look at the snake, which was beginning to recover speedily.

"Nor do I, old fellah. Still, a chap's allowed a mistake

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or two, wot? The bally thing's a real adder! Oh, not a fully grown one, I'll grant you, but nevertheless ..."

Dandin grabbed the hare, shoving him out upon the rain-spattered path. "Quick, let's get out of here. We're not stopping to argue with an adder. Come on, the rain'll put those fire embers out."

Grabbing their packs, they dashed out of the grove onto the path, stumbling and squelching as the snake's angry hiss sounded behind them.

oo

Mariel felt much better as she ran alongside her companions. Pounding along the muddy path with the rain bouncing off them, they kept up a breakneck pace until they were certain the adder was far behind them. Farther along the road they halted, heads bowed, panting and blowing as they fought to regain their breath. Dandin glared at Tarquin. "Don't ever do that again, friend."

Tarquin shrugged nonchalantly. "Sorry, old bean. How was 11' know?"

Durry shuddered. "You should've chopped offen its head wi' that sword when you 'ad the chance, Dandin."

Mariel shook her head. "No, we do not need unnecessary killing, Durry. As long as we are safe and in one piece, the adder has a right to life, the same as any creature."

oo

By early afternoon the black cloud had shifted. The rain halted abruptly and a warm wind chased broken white clouds across a blue sky considerably brightened by the sun. The companions took food upon the path, walking as they ate. Steam and vapor rose from their wet fur and clothing as they tramped northward. Durry's spirits rose, even to performing a passable imitation of Tarquin's flippant attitude.

"Ho, I say, old bean, be that a wood pigeon or a great eagle? Blow me, I do believe it's carryin' me off over the jolly ol' treetops to eat me all up. Ho dearie

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me, I don't s'pose it's a wood pigeon. Must've made a jolly ol' mistake, wot wot?"

Tarquin took the ragging in his carefree stride.

"Well, roast my aunt's chestnuts, was that a hedgehog or a noisy pincushion? No, it couldn't be. I s'pose it was a jolly old talkin' gooseberry, bit too spiky to bake in a pie, so somebeast slung it out onto the path and it's followin' us."

Mariel looped Gullwhacker swiftly about Tarquin's shoulders. "Look out, it's an adder just dropped out of a tree!"

"Yaaagh! Whoohooh! Don't do that, miss. You frightened me half t' death."

Dandin had been watching the way ahead. He pointed forward. "Look, there's the otter and his wife!"

Durry kept up his banter. "No tain't, it's the frog an' his gran'father."

But Dandin was sure of what he could see. "Stop fooling around, Durry. Can't you see? Look on the left side of the path further onit is the otter and his wife."

Mariel smiled. "Yes, you're right, Dandin, though I never thought the otter and his wife would look like that!"

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18

It was an ill-tempered and pawsore crew that blundered their way through Mossflower led by Pakatugg, whom Graypatch prodded ahead of them by swordpoint. Far behind them the Darkqueen lay hidden in the creek.

Bigfang as usual was voicing his thoughts aloud. "We could be traipsin' anywheres, mates. I reckon we're lost. Leavin' Darkqueen deserted like that. Me an' Kybo or any couple of us could have stayed back as sentries. I tell yer, mates, it's a bad omen, us lost out 'ere in the forest an' Darkqueen wi'out a guard to watch her."

Graypatch gritted his teeth. Pushing the reluctant hedgehog pathfinder forward, he called back, "That loudmouth sounds like Bigfang again. Don't worry, matey, I can hear ye. If you like to go back an' mount sentry on Darkqueen, don't let me stop yer. Take Kybo too, if ye've a mind. Aye, y'can laze about on the ship's deck while yer messmates do all the marchin' an' fightin' for you. Is that what ye want?"

Bigfang knew he was trying Graypatch's patience, but he continued, hoping for some support from the rest of the searats.

"It's not like the open sea, messmates. This filthy jungle's so thick you can't tell thither from yon. Aye, I

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still reckons we're lost. An' it ain't right leavin' our only ship undefended ..."

Graypatch tugged on the halter around Pakatugg's neck, bringing him up sharp. His single eye glared so hard at Bigfang that the complaining searat took a step back.

Graypatch's tone was dangerously level. "Right, bucko, get back to the ship. Go on, take two more with yeh. If one o' Gabool's craft sailed up that creek fully crewed, what d'yer think three, or even four, could do against it, eh? Nothin'! Not a thing, addlebrain. The snip's safe layin' hidden in that backwater; nobeast is goin' to find her. I need every fightin' rat I've got for what lays ahead. Now get marchin', afore I cuts yer adrift an' leaves you for lost in these woods. One more word from ye, Bigfang, that's all. Just one peep!"

Unaccustomed to the foreign woodland, the crew stumbled on for the remainder of the day, insect-bitten and nettlestung, thrashing at the undergrowth with dagger and cutlass. Graypatch led his sullen band, whilst muttering dire threats to Pakatugg on the consequences of leading them astray.

oo

Evening shades were drawing close as Graypatch and his crew sighted Redwall Abbey. The searat Captain tugged sharply on the rope halter, dragging the miserable Pakatugg back from the path into the cover of Mossflower Woods. Graypatch pricked the squirrel's chin with his dagger tip.

"So that's Redwall Abbey, eh, mate. You did well. I don't reckon there'd be as cozy a berth within a season's march of here."

Bigfang hefted a spear. "Come on, let's rip 'em apart an' take the place."

Kybo and the others moved forward, weapons at the ready. As Bigfang took up the lead position, Greypatch tripped him. He fell heavily, half rising to find Grey-patch's sword edge at his throat.

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"Didn't take yer long to vote yerself in as Captain round 'ere, did it, Bigfang?"

"You said it was a cozy berth. Let's take it, less'n you're scared."

Graypatch kicked Bigfang flat on his back, his single eye watching the rebellious crewrat scornfully.

"Careful isn't scared, mate. I'm careful. Who knows how many are behind those walls, or what manner of creatures they are. All that's got to be found out, then we'll have the measure o' them. Now take you, Bigfang. You're not scared, are yer, bucko? No, you're stupid! Thick'eaded an' dimwitted, that's you. Harken, you scum. Anyone wants to challenge me as Cap'n, let that rat do it now an' we'll settle it right 'ere."

There was a murmur and a shuffle from among the large rough contingent, but no rat took up the challenge. Graypatch nodded with satisfaction, he swung his sword and cut through a tuft of Bigfang's whiskers before turning confidently away from his former adversary.

"Good, that's as it should be. I'm Cap'n 'ereme, Graypatch. 'Twas me that brought you 'ere; without me you'd still be servin' crazy Gabool, wonderin' who'd be next to feed the fishes, worryin' whether you'd looked at him the wrong way an' were due to wake up with a dagger in yer back. Trust me, lads, an' we'll live off the fat o'the land."

Ranzo stood alongside Graypatch, brandishing a cutlass. "We're with you, Cap'n. You just issue orders an' we'll be there."

Graypatch lounged against a tree and plucked a low-hanging pear. "Lookit that, will yer! Vittles a-growin' on trees, by thunder! What we'll do is this. We'll drop anchor 'ere for the night, then at the crack o' dawn tomorrow when they're all nice an' peaceful, we'll drop over an' pay 'em a visit."