The Outcast of Redwall

32

High up and hidden from view, Forty and an old campaigner called Floke risked a quick peep over the edge at the vermin climbing upward.

Floke squinted. “Do yer think theyre sufficiently far enough hup, master Forty? Yore hossifer material, hits yore decision.

Forty scratched his chubby stomach reflectively and looked up from the climbing vermin to the huge pile of boulders artfully held in position by one long aspenwood wedge. “Hard tsay, really; actually I think its a bit thick layin decisions on my doorstep, old chap. I mean, youre supposed to be senior wallah round here.

Floke placed his footpaw against the wedge. “Well, yore a right young corker, you are, master Forty. Colonel Sandgall said you was trainee hossifer in charge o this hoperation, yore supposed tgive the blinkin orders!

Forty made a face. He felt hungry and peeved. “Oh, right ho then, its jolly hot out here an Im starvin. Away wedge, Floke, an thats an order!

The older hare chuckled. “Thats wot hl likes ter see, a young hossifer in command.

One swift kick from Flokes footpaw sent the wedge sailing into space, closely followed by a great shower of boulders.

Aggal pawed sweat from his eyes as he shielded them and peered upward. “Bound ter be a openin up there... Yaaaaaamrgh!

Had not the boulders bounced out from the face, there would have been total slaughter among the climbers, but as it was nearly half their number were wiped out by the falling rocks, Aggal being the first to go.

Floke watched the scene from his high perch, shaking his head and muttering, “Serve youse right for attackin us in the first place, aint that right, master Forty. Master Forty, sir?

But the hungry young hare had gone inside, never having once missed afternoon tea since his hero, Lord Sunflash, had introduced it a couple of seasons back.

Sunflash was down and waiting in the shelter of the base at the mountains left side. He watched as the hordebeasts rounded a bend in the rock. Suddenly he saw Swartt, as usual, letting the others go in front of him. All the Badger Lords previous plans deserted him at the sight of his hated enemy; Sunflash felt the bloodwrath rise within his brain. Throwing caution to the four winds, he swung his club and came charging out of cover.

“Eeulaliaaaaaaa!

It was a frightening sight to the foebeasts; a giant badger clad in chain mail, helm, and wielding a mace the like of which few of them had ever seen. They turned and ran, Swartt with them. Roaring his war cry, Sunflash pursued them recklessly.

Sabretache was back up at the chamber window with Colonel Sandgall and Sundew, all of them watching the progress of the battle on me shore below. Zigus command had been taken over by a weasel called Bleeknose, an active, quick thinker. He had led his troops into the stake trench, where they had smashed the wooden spikes, piling them with the carcasses of the slain on the edge of the trench and covering them with sand. The result was a good trench fronted by earthworks, from which the horde could send arrows, spears, or slingstones against the mountain defenders.

Colonel Sandgall sent a dispatch runner to the lower windows and openings. “Tell the squads tcome up here, perfect spot for shootin down into that trench, wot. All the harder for the bally vermin to send blinkin missiles this far up. What dyou say,Tache, old lad?

Sabretache groaned aloud at what he saw below. “Oh my giddy aunt, take a look at this, sah!

There was Sunflash, alone and unprotected out on the shore, roaring his defiance in the face of me enemy. Swartt had fled almost to the sea, leaving most of the horde as a barrier between himself and his foe.

Sandgall squinched his brow down hard on his monocle. “Instant calamity, wot! Lordships goin tget imself massacred, theres enough vermin down there tkill ten badgers! Bloodwrath or no blinkin bloodwrath, theyll ave im. Calls for swift action, Tache, jump to it!

Sundew stared anxiously at the lone figure down on the shore. “Theyre shootin arrows at him! she cried.

Swartt was angry with himself. He had come all this way for vengeance, only to turn tail and run at the sight of Sunflash. Breathlessly he splashed through the shallows to the line of rocks that stretched from shore to sea.

Nightshade could see what had taken place, and artfully she soothed the Warlords bruised ego. “Nobeast could stand against the badger in his madness, Sire. You did well to escape him; besides, I know you want to take him alive so that you may have your revenge bit by bit, you always said that.

The ferret ceased pounding his mailed paw against the rocks and looked hopefully at his seer. “Youve got a plan, vixen, tell me!

“Well snare him like a fish in a net, Lord.

“Fool, where is there a net big enough to old im? We dont ave any such net.

“No, but we still have a few big tent canvases....

The Warlords face split into a huge grin. “Of course! E cant club is way through canvas. Once we bag the badger, those aresll fold like dead bark!

Sunflash was beset on all sides. He whirled and roared in a fury, unable to get at his attackers. The vermin kept their distance, slinging rocks and firing arrows. The heavily meshed mail tunic and iron war helmet were weighing the Badger Lord down, but he could not chance removing them. His paws sank deep in the soft sand, and, bellowing and howling, he shook the big mace.

“Eeulaliaaaaaa!

Rocks and shafts clanged and thudded against the enraged Badger Lord. The vermin circled like small vicious predators trying to bring down a big beast, hurling their missiles and keeping out of his range. Sand was in every crevice of his chain mail. The iron helmet, hot from the suns rays, caused sweat to trickle over Sunflashs head, into his mouth, down his ears, blinding and stinging his maddened eyes. Nowhere through the small visor slits could he see his enemy, Swartt. He began floundering, and an arrow thudded deep into his unprotected paw. With a roar he tore the shaft out and, snapping it in two, he hurled it at his unseen tormentors. A spear raked his footpaw as he lifted it from the entrapping sand. Blundering and staggering, he tottered toward the rocks, not knowing in which direction he was moving.

Then the canvases trapped him like a great fish in a net.

Suddenly Sunflash felt the enveloping weight fall on him, driving him down on all fours into the sand. Everything went dark. As he fought blindly against the tough, unyielding canvas, he could vaguely hear Swartts voice.

“Keep those blades away, I want im alive! Jump on that canvas, pile sand on itweve got im!

Completely stifled and overburdened, the badgers heimeted head hit the soft sand, his senses swimming as he fought for breath.