Brian Jacques - Redwall #07 - Mariel of Redwall

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chosen you because you are the biggest, strongest creatures in the Abbey, the very ones to fire these longbows. Let me demonstrate."

As Saxtus watched, Clary notched an arrow onto the bowstring.

"Stand side-on to the bow, keep it upright, draw back the string so that the shaft is fully occupied and the string taut. Bring the arrow up to the jawline, sight with one eye along the shaft, allowing for the arrow to take a curving course, mounting upwards and coming down right on the object aimed at. Right, now for a target."

Thyme pointed. "The rat dipping a swinger into the fireget him!"

Clary adjusted his eyeline, drew the arrow back to its limit and let fly. The taut longbow string twanged as the heavy oak shaft hissed off into the dawn light. Saxtus held his breath.

Ranzo was about to start whirling his fire-swinger when the arrow struck him. It knocked him backward, dead before he could blink, the fire-swinger dropping from his nerveless claws.

Saxtus was still a novice in the art of war, and the sudden death shocked him. "Y-you k-killed him! He's dead!" he stammered to the grim-faced hare.

Clary issued longbows to the others. "Aye, young mouse, it was a clean shot. Keep your head down and issue us with arrows as we call for them. In case you're feeling sorry for that wretch, let me tell you something: fire is the most dangerous thing to any living wood-lander. Once it takes a hold it means death and destruction to everyone and everything. Only a searat would use fire. Sometimes I think it is because they do not realize the danger, being creatures who live on the great waters. But most of the time I think it is because they are evil vermin. We at Salamandastron have battled against searats all our lives. I would not dare tell you some of the sights I have seen. Searats are complete

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enemies. They live only to kill and conquer; they are completely merciless."

Thyme notched an arrow to his bowstring. "Righty-ho, chaps. Give 'em vinegar, wot!"

Five more messengers of death hissed through the early morning.

It was then that Saxtus decided the hare's manner was merely a front, presented to others because they would forget the real purpose behind the guardians of the shores. The young mouse doled out arrows, knowing that he would never get used to warfareand be a jolly fellow one moment, and a ruthless fighter the

next.

oo

Pandemonium reigned in the searat camp. Graypatch ran hither and thither, trying to stop his searats retreating out of the range of the deadly longbows, exhorting them to carry on with his plan, which had worked quite well until the appearance of the hares.

"Come on, shipmates. Don't let a few arrows scare yer off! Lardgutt, Kybo, get back here. We were beatin' 'emwe still can!"

Bigfang sat well out of range, a smug expression on his face. "I told yer about those rabbits, Graypatch, but you wouldn't listen, would yer? Oh no, you knew best."

The searat Captain's temper broke completely. "You lily-livered, worm-hearted, bilge-scrapin's! Mutineers, deserters, the whole pack of yer! We had the battle nearly won, an' now you've turned tail an' slunk off like a load of sea slugs! Look at me. Am I afraid? Am I scared? Haharr ha ha ha! I laugh at 'em!"

Graypatch grabbed a fire-swinger. Putting light to it, he began swinging it furiously.

"I'll show yer, Abbeyscum, I'll bring yer Redwall down in flames!" He dodged, ducking a flying arrow. The fire-swinger lost momentum right at its peak and the burning section fell onto his footclaws.

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"Yaaheeeoooooh!"

Graypatch hopped about, beating at his burning limb, fur smoldering as he threw himself upon his back, screeching and thudding his scorched footclaws against the ground.

oo

Hon Rosie fell back, whooping hysterically. "Whoohah-ahahooh! Oh, I say, chaps, that was a real old hotfoot!"

oo

Down in the orchard, Gabriel Quill and Burgo Mole sat looking at each other.

"Yurr, they vermints baint chucken no more foir at us'n's?"

"Nor they aren't neither, Burgo. Hoho, your eyes are all red 'n' smoky!"

"Hurrhurr, talk about 'eeself, Gabe'l Quill. You'm gotten a sutty nose!"

Brother Hubert wandered wearily across. "Whew! Just look at the state of my pawsscorched, soiled and grubby. A fine state of affairs for an Abbey Recorder, I must say."

"Ho urr, scruffy old Hoobit. No more foirs now tho', zurr."

"Indeed. It's thanks to those hares splendid creatures."

"I'll drink t' that, Hubert. What d'you say we go to my cellars and have a small drop to drive away the heat an' dust of our night's work?"

"Burr, oi'm with 'ee, Gabe'l. Tis a tumble thurst come on oi."

"Marvelous idea. Count me in, Mr. Quill!"

The three old friends trundled off paw in paw.

oo

As Abbot Bernard watched them go, he felt Simeon pulling on his sleeve.

"I think there should be room for two more in Gabriel's cellar, Bernard."

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"Yes, they'll manage to squeeze us in somehow, -imeon."

Simeon.

Inside the Abbey, young Cockleburr had been given charge of Dibbuns' breakfast time. He mopped his brow as he chased Grubb about with a bowl of corn pudding.

"Oh, wanderin' woodpigeons, will you come an' eat this breakfast, you dreadful scoundrel!"

Grubb hid beneath the table with Bagg and Runn. "Nay, oi baint eaten no brekkist. Us'n's a-goen out t' play."

"Sister Serena said there's no more fire an' we can go out."

"I don't like corn pudden, wanna play inna orchard!"

"Fidgetin' frogs. Mother Mellus told me nobeast goes out without eatin' breakfast first, 'specially Dibbuns."

"Ho well, do 'ee sling it unner yurr an' us'n's will force et daown."

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Mariel and Dandin dropped silently to the bottom of the pool.

Dandin, with sword in one paw and weightstone in the other, immediately turned to face the lobster's den. He could see the big crustaceanit watched them as it lay unmoving, one great claw hanging in front, the other by its side. The lobster looked peaceful enough for the moment. Still, Dandin did not relax his vigilance for a single instant.

Mariel let go of her weightstone and tried to dislodge the tiny metal swallow, but it was lodged firmly between two slabs of rock. She chose the smaller of the two slabs and began wresting it out of the way. By this time both she and Dandin were longing for a breath of air. Struggling with the cumbersome rock, Mariel could feel the blood pounding round inside her head. She set her footpaws on the large rock and gave the smaller rock a mighty shove. Without warning it shifted, giving off an odd crumbling noise underwater. Clouds of silt and sand boiled up as it toppled to one side.

Disturbed by the noise and movement in its pool, the huge blue-black lobster came scurrying out. Dandin barely saw the monster come; he backed water, thrusting the swordpoint at its eyes. Mariel snatched at the

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swallow, but it slipped from her grasp and slid into the sand. In the confusion of disturbed cloudy water she realized that she had lost the precious object. Now the lobster had Dandin trapped up against the rock. Thinking quickly, he pushed forward, landing in between its claws. It was a clever move. He was stuck up against the hideous face of the creature, too close for it to use its cumbersome oversized nippers; they clacked across his back like giant shears, unable to bite him. But it was like being caught in a vise. Dandin was held fast in the embrace of the heavy-shelled joints. The sword was squeezed from his grip and fell to the bottom of the pool.

He shouted aloud in desperation, but the sound was only a boggle of noise, lost amid the air bubbles that escaped from his mouth. However, Mariel had heard it. Forgetting the swallow, she turned to the aid of her friend. Lungs bursting, she scrabbled about on the pool bed until her paw came in contact with the sword.