"Yurr, ratten, you'm leavin' moi Feegul be!"
Poskra let go of Feegle. Clapping a paw to his bleeding ear, he raised the needle, kicking Durby over onto his back. "I make yiz scream loud fer dat, mole!"
Poskra stood for a moment with the rusty needle raised, then dropped it. His eyes turned upward, and he fell upon Durby, with a newly fletched arrow protruding from the back of his skull.
"Hurr," the molebabe called breathlessly from beneath Poskra's body. " 'Elp oi, Feegul. Ee ratten be a-crushen oi gurtly!"
The mousebabe gave a shrill scream of fright. Eefera's evil tattooed face loomed over her as he pulled the carcass of Poskra off Durby and tossed it aside.
"Nasty ole water rat that 'un, wasn't 'e, mousey?"
Durby smiled politely at the murderous Vallug. "Gudd day to ee, zurr. You'm be a-taken us'n's back to Redwall?"
Vallug shouldered his bow and gave Durby a long stare. "Oh aye, we're takin' yer back to Redwall right enough!"
He bundled them both into the sack.
Mhera was beating her way through a fern bed with a willow withe, calling out the lost babes' names. "Feegle, Durby, answer if you can hear me. It's me, Mhera!"
Fwirl came hurtling out of a sycamore, twigs and leaves falling all about as she landed near Mhera, pointing, "Over that way! I've found them. They're in danger!"
Mhera grasped her friend's paw. "Go back to the Abbey and get help!"
Fwirl clenched her paws resolutely. "There isn't any time for that. I've got a plan. Come on!"
The first stone struck Eefera in the eye. He dropped the sack and clapped both paws to the eye, staring at the very pretty squirrelmaid who was readying another stone to hurl.
"Yer little scum. Get 'er, Vallug!"
The second stone stung Vallug's ear, clacking off the side of his bow. Fwirl chose another stone from her pouch. This time it hit Eefera's left footpaw hard. He danced about, screwing his face up and haranguing the Bowbeast.
"Get the squirrel, don't jus' stand there. Kill 'er!"
Fwirl dodged nimbly, and the shaft quivered in a rowan trunk. She caught Vallug a beauty on the shoulder with a biggish stone. Adding insult to injury, she popped her tongue out impudently. "Nyaah nyaah! Daft old paintyface!"
Eefera began hobbling toward her, but a pebble caught him smartly in the throat. Her next stone clacked hard off the paw that Vallug was using to draw back his bowstring. The arrow fell awkwardly from the bow, and Vallug wrung his paw in the air. Eefera rubbed at his throat, and another stone caught his jaw. He stiffened with rage at his tormentor's merry laughter.
"Hahahaha! I nearly got that one down your big mouth. Hahaha!"
Eefera grabbed the sack and knotted its neck, unsuccessfully trying to dodge the well-aimed stones. He slung it upon a broken branch protruding from an ash tree. Vallug had picked up his bow, though every time he tried to take aim Fwirl took his mind off the task by hitting him with stones. Eefera rushed her, both paws up to protect his face, and a pebble bounced off his forehead. Thokk! His paw came away bloody when he touched the spot.
"Why, yer liddle ... I'll skin yer for that!"
He waved a paw behind his back. Vallug saw it and began circling to get behind their attacker. Eefera advanced, dodging from tree to tree. Fwirl backed skillfully off.
Mhera emerged from behind the ash trunk and unhooked the sack from the broken branch stub. A sound from behind caused her to turn swiftly. Broggle was pointing at the sack.
"Still no sign of them. What's in the sack? I heard a lot of noise over this way, so I came to see. Where's Fwirl?"
Using teeth and claws, Mhera ripped the sack apart. "Broggle, don't ask questions, take Durby, I'll take Feegle. Run for the Abbey, this way, not that way. If you see Redwallers in the woods, tell them to get inside quickly. Now go, as fast as you can. I'll be right behind you!"
Eefera and Vallug kept their eyes riveted on a low bush where Fwirl had gone to earth. Vallug sent an arrow ripping into it, and there was a faint scream. The Bowbeast smiled, notching another shaft to his bowstring, and both vermin advanced slowly. The delivery of the second arrow was followed by a low gasp. Vallug Bowbeast straightened up confidently.
"First one wounded 'er, but that second arrow finished 'er off!"
They arrived at the bush to find both arrows buried in the soil at its roots. Furiously they began destroying the shrub to find their elusive foe. A rain of pebbles dropped on their heads from the upper branches of a nearby elm, followed by a dramatic cry.
"Oooohhhhh! You got me! That first one wounded me, but the second arrow finished me off. Oooooohhhh! Hahahahaha!"
Fwirl shot off through the treetops, too high and fast for any arrow to follow. Eefera looked stonefaced at his companion.
"I'll wager when we get back to that sack those young 'uns will be well gone."
It was Vallug's turn to sound sarcastic. "Did yer think o' that all by yerself?"
It was late afternoon. All gates had been secured and every Redwaller was safe inside the Abbey. Mhera had lookouts and wallguards posted all around the ramparts. The elders were holding an impromptu meeting in Cavern Hole, and she hurried down to join them. Seldom had she seen Cregga so wrathful. The Badgermum brought her paw down on the table with a blow that almost split it. She bared her teeth, growling ferociously, "Vermin in Mossflower, trying to steal our Dibbuns? Gurrrr, if I had the sight of just one eye they'd wish their mothers never gave birth to them. You saw them, Mhera. What were they like?"
As best she could, the ottermaid described Vallug and Eefera, mentioning the barbarous facial tattoos of the Juska clan.
Boorab waited until she had finished. "Hmm, sound like a right pair o' scallawags if y'ask me. Young Fwirl said there was another, an old rat, but one of those two bounders slew him with an arrow, wot. Scoutin' party, that's what us chaps need, spot of reccying in the jolly old woodlands, wot. See how many more of the tattooed blighters are out there an' so on. Right, I'll volunteer to command said party"
Mhera took it on herself to interrupt the hare. "I think Fwirl can do all the scouting and spying that's required. She's a very courageous creature, and deserves our wholehearted thanks for her brave efforts. Thank you for your kind offer, Mr. Boorab, but it would be better if you stayed put here. There's few enough of fighting age since Skipper and his crew went off to the Hullabaloo. This Abbey and its creatures' safety is our main concern; we don't want any outside skirmishes. The defense of Redwall is most important."
Boorab's reply was, to say the least, a trifle frosty. "Oh, beg pardon an' chop off my tongue for mentionin' it. Tut! So that's how a gallant chap gets treated for offerin' help, wot!"
Mhera immediately set about appeasing him. "But you misunderstood me, sir. I already had plans for you. We need an officer, one who knows what he's doing, to command the wallguards and see to the outer walls' security. I was hoping that you'd accept the post."
Boorab sprang to attention, knocking his chair over, and saluted with a wooden ladle, almost raising a bump on his head. "Say no more, O fair one, say no more. I'm the very chap you're lookin' for, wot, wot wot! Leave it to me! I'll straighten out that idle sloppy lot on our walltops, or m'name ain't Bellscut Oglecrop Obrathon Ragglewaithe Audube Baggscut. Commencin' duties as of now. Permission t'leave the mess, Cregga marm!"
Cregga made a small salute. "Permission granted. Carry on, sah!"
Boorab performed a smart left turn, tripped over the leg of his fallen chair, went flat and leaped upright in the same movement. He marched off, muttering under his breath in fine military form.
"Right, look out, you bunch of limp lilies, here comes an officer on parade, wot! I'll have your guts for garters, spikes for supper an' snack on your spines, when I've straightened 'em up a bit! Hoho, me bold laddie bucks, eyes front, chests out, shoulders square, backs straight, paws at an angle t'the seam o' the garments, wot wot, wotwotwotwotwot!"