The Outcast of Redwall Part 22

It was dim and dry in the half light of the close-growing pines. They shook themselves off and began opening their pack. Bryony stopped, sniffing the air.

"Smoke, I can smell burning," she said.

Togget's smal! b.u.t.ton nose twitched. "You'm roight, Bro-inee, sumbeast got flames burnen sumwheres."

The mousemaid fastened the haversack and shouldered it. "It may be Veil, but then again, it may not be. Go quietly, Togget, make no noise. Let's see who the fire belongs to."

Following the aromatic smell of burning pinecones, the two friends stole silently through the grove.

Bryony was first to spot the glow of flames between the trees. Taking care not to crack twigs underpaw, they stole forward, then, bellying down in the springy carpet of pine needles, they peered over a fallen trunk at the scene in a hollow below.

Brool and Renn were breakfasting off what was left of the bread and hurling apple cores at the bound figure dangling from a pine bough.

Bryony seized Togget's paw. "Look, it's Veil! Those two foxes must have captured him!"

"Hurr, but they'm looken loik narstybeasts, wot can us'n's be a doin' to 'elp maister Veil?"

Bryony studied the situation below before answering. "Hmm, they're armed, we couldn't risk an open fight. But I think I might have an idea that will work. Here's what we do!"

Renn the fox threw some twigs on the fire and sprawled on the ground, eyeing Veil. "D'you suppose this Swartt Warlord would pay a bit o' ransom to 'ave his darlin' son back in one piece, mate?"

Brool looked at his companion pityingly. "You gone squishy in uY brains, Renn, the only thing a Warlord would give you for takin' 'is kin prisoner would be yore own 'ead on a plate ... Yowp!"

A hard, green pinecone struck the fox on his nose, followed a moment later by another, which bounced off his partner's jaw.

Renn grabbed his spear, snarling, "Who's slingin' cones? Owch!" Another solid green cone hit him in the eye.

Brool was about to take his sling out when a green cone stung his paw. "Owowow! Hoi! Stop chuckin' those tilings w.i.l.l.y ... Agh!" He fell back, clutching his mouth as he spat a broken tooth out.

Cones began whizzing in, thick and fast and accurate. The two foxes were battered and bewildered; the missiles seemed to be coming from everywhere. Renn could hardly see, having been struck in both eyes. Brool had been belted over the head five times in quick succession by cones, and was feeling very sore and dazed. They huddled together, crouching to escape the stinging rain of hard green cones, but the cones kept hur-ding in, thwacking them hard as ever, bouncing off their skinny backs and bottoms until Brool howled out, "Stoppit! Stoppit! We're goin'!"

Thwack! Ping! Thud! Clack! The green cones continued. The two foxes could bear it no more. "Yaaaah! Let's get outta ... Yeeek! Ooh! Yowp!" They fled through the woods, away to where it was open ground, regardless of rain, limping and hopping in pain.

Togget rolled down into the hollow and sat with his paws hanging limply by his sides.

"Wo'urr, moi ole paws'll drop off if'n oi flings jus' one more of they poiney cones, wo'urr!"

Bryony stretched painfully to reach the ropes binding Veil's paws to the bough. "Veil. Poor Veil," she cried.

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The moment Veil's paws were free he tore away the gag from his mouth and yelled angrily at the mousemaid, "What in the name of blood'n'fur are you followin' me for?" Ignoring the hurt in Bryony's eyes, he continued. "Still spyin' on me, eh! Why don't you jus' leave me alone?"

Bryony was dismayed and puzzled at Veil's att.i.tude. "But .. . but... we saved you from those vermin! They might have ended up killing you, Veil!"

The young ferret stormed about the hollow, rubbing life back into his paws, which were still numb from being bound. "Well, I didn't need savin', see! I was ready to slip those ropes and grab the spear. I can look after meself without you an' that stupid mole runnin' around tryin' to nursemaid me."

Togget shook a heavy digging paw at him. "You'm watch ee tongue, maister, you'm a gurtly ungrateful furret. Missie Broinee never did ought but good to ee!"

Veil slumped beside the fire. "Well, where was she when they chucked me out of Redwall, eh?" he sneered. "I'll tell you, sidin' with all her goody-goody friends, that's where she was. Outcast they called me; n.o.beast raised a paw to 'elp me then."

Bryony placed a paw gently on his shoulder. "Oh, Veil, you're so wrong. I've always been your friend, I care for you more than any creature living!"

He shook her paw off and leapt up, grabbing his staff and belongings. "Get away from me, both of you! Goon, get back to your precious Abbey and spend your nights talkin' about me an' what a bad lot I was. 'Aye, Veil the vermin Outcast!"

Togget ran between Veil and Bryony and shoved the young ferret backward, away from the mousemaid. "Hair, you'm nought by a villyun, wi' all yore bad talk!" he shouted.

Veil rushed forward. ' 'Out of my way!" he snarled, pushing Togget roughly to the ground. The mole fell, hitting his head on a jutting rock.

Immediately Bryony was pummeling Veil with both paws. "You stupid beast! Me and Togget are the only friends you have in this world! Don't you see?"

But in his rush to escape, Veil hurtled on, knocking her flat. Crawling on all fours, Bryony dragged herself to the stricken mole's side. "Togget, are you hurt? If you've harmed this good creature..." But she was talking to thin air. Veil had grabbed their remaining haversack of supplies and dashed off into the pines.

Bryony sat by the fire, cradling her molefriend's head in her paws and weeping. Togget's eyelids flickered, then weakly he raised a digging claw and brushed a teardrop from her nosetip. "Oi thort et were a rainen again, hurr moi ole 'ead do be 'urted gurtly."

The mousemaid wiped away her tears and hugged him. ,;' "Oh, Togget, thank goodness that you're alive!" ; "Hurr, 'tis a wunner oi am, missie, layin' yurr wi' a lump v loik a mounting on moi 'ead, an' ee crushen moi ribs t'bits!"

V,.

':'f. Out on the hills, the rain had stopped. It was a breezy midday .V when Veil sighted the two old foxes up ahead. At the point i where hills met flatlands, a river, swollen by the rain, ran its i'- winding course out onto the plain. The foxes were camped at i its edge, using wet gra.s.s poultices to bathe the injuries from *yy.fte sharp green pinecones. They did not see Veil until it was % too late. Swinging his stave down hard with both paws, he hit ? Brool a vicious blow to the base of his skull. Then, grabbing r a spear sticking into the ground next to Brool, he drove it into ;-: Renn. Rolling both foxes into the river, he watched them being J borne away on the flow.

"When you get to Dark Forest tell them Veil the Outcast sent you!"

The river was flowing in a westerly direction. Veil followed its banks until he found what he was looking for, an old wil- 282.

low trunk, washed up there after winter. Levering it into the water with the spear b.u.t.t, he waded in and boarded it. Straddling the trunk, the young ferret made a meal of scones and crystallized fruit from the haversack as he was borne westward. Far in the distance he could see mountains.

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Bryony would not let Togget travel until midafternoon. When they quit the pine grove she made a compress of rain-wet dock leaves and bound it to his forehead. Hungry and dispirited, they pressed onward. Bryony had to put up with listening to a relentless menu of Togget's favorite foods; she let him ramble on, knowing he was trying to forget the ache in his head. He trudged by her side, arranging meals.

"Oi loiks damsen pudden wi' lots o' meadowcrearn on et, an* oi favors noo-baked bread, hurr, wi' ole yellow cheese an' a gurt summer salad. Ho, but deeper'n'ever turnip'n'ta-ter'n'beetroot pie, hoo urr! Oi'd swap moi tail furr one roight naow, wi' gudd mushyroom gravy poured thick atop of et!"

The visions conjured up by Togget's descriptions soon had Bryony comparing her favorite dishes with him. "I'd like a beaker of strawberry cordial and a big pastie, a mushroom, potato, and onion one; after that I think I'd go for some hot 283.

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apple-and-blackberry crumble, with sweet white arrowroot sauce poured all over it. Then I'd have a wedge of white cheese, the one with almonds and hazelnuts in it, and one, no two, of Friar Bunfold's fresh oatfarls, straight from the oven. Yummy!"

Togget held one paw to his forehead and the other to his stomach. "Aow, missie, do be soilent, oi'm tumble 'angry!" "Well, you started it, moleyface! Look, there's a river!" They made camp on the riverbank, and Bryony redampened Togget's poultice with river water. Nowhere was anything edible to be found. The country ahead of them sloped slightly downward, running off to a flat plain, gra.s.sy and deserted. Behind a small hillock they snuggled down on the lee side; away from the breeze, it was quite sunny and warm. Togget was snoring gently and Bryony's eyes were beginning to droop when she heard a deep ba.s.s voice singing: "One day in spring I said to me wife, 'Though we're close together as fork'n'knife, An' I've loved y'dearly all of me life, Still I'll have to follow the wateeeeeeer!'

She yelled at me an' took up her broom, An' chased me twice around the front room, Shoutin', 'That ole river'H be yore doom, Think of yer son an' yer daughteeeeeeeer!'

So I said to her, 'O love dearie me, I must follow the river right down t'the sea, 'Tis the only way a beast can be free,'

An' I ran 'cos I couldn't have fought heeeeeeer!

She said t'me, 'Now listen, you, Me an' the young 'uns are all comin' too, 285 On board of a raft you need a good crew, It'll make the journey seem shorteeeeeeeer!' "

A large untidy raft hove into view round the bend, smoke curling from the chimney of a hut built at its center. A fat, jolly-looking hedgehog was leaning on the tiller; over his head, a line was strung between two poles set for'ard and aft, with gaily colored washing fluttering from it.

Bryony ran into the shallows, waving her paws. "h.e.l.lo there, I mean, ahoy! Could you take two pa.s.sengers?"

The fat hedgehog grinned from ear to ear, revealing a wonderful set of even white teeth. "Ahoy yoreself, mousey, gangway while I brings 'er insh.o.r.e!"

He steered the raft into the shallows, almost grounding it, and asked, "Two, y'say, where's t'other one, missie?"

"Yurr, SUIT, tho' oi'm nought but a pore damaged mole-beast!" Togget came ambling around the hillock, holding his head.

A small wiry female hedgehog came bustling out of the hut OB the raft, her skirt billowing over a welter of petticoats. "Corks 'n' crivvens!" she exclaimed. "Wot 'appened to yore nut, mole? Did yer fall on it?"

Togget tenderly rubbed the poultice on his forehead. "Oi'd tell ee, maim, but oi'm far too 'ungered furr gossip."

Immediately the hogwife gave her husband a mighty shove. "Ducks'n'drakes! Don't stan' there lookin' ornamental, Dud-die Pollspike, git the pore mole an' the mousemaid aboard an1 let's feed "em!"

Duddle tugged his headspikes respectfully. "Wotever you say, Tutty, my liddle bankblossom!"

The cabin hut was very chintzy, with brightly coloured tablecloth and curtains, thick, bright-dyed rush mats, and a large square stove on which various dishes bubbled and stewed. Bryony and Togget were seated at a semicircular window table 286.

and given beetroot-and-raspberry wine in small mugs to revive them. Tutty Pollspike busied herself at the stove, while her husband, Duddle, shooed their two young hoglets, Clematis Rosetea and Arundo, out of the way.

"Landing party, my darling ducklings, play ash.o.r.e awhile until yore dear mama an' my goodself get the vittles ready."

Bryony and Togget introduced themselves and told their story while Duddle and Tutty prepared the meal, Duddle tasted soup on a spoon tip, smacked his lips several times, and muttered, "Needs more fennel, splendid herb, always like it. Well, let me tell you, young 'uns, yore ferret has prob'ly taken the river route if he has a grain of sense, it's the only way t'travel. Easy on the paws, never goes uphill, an' y'can take the home too."

Tutty placed fresh bread on the table, smacking Togget's paw away. "Crabs'n'clawlegs! Yore worse'n my Duddle. You can travel with us for as long as you pleases, may'ap you'll find yore ferret. But if'n you touches any vittles afore the table is set, I'll chop off yore tails afore you can blink. Got that?"

She fixed Togget with a warning stare as he nodded and said, "Got et, thankee, marm, you'm be a cutten off ee tailers if us'n's be a touchen-afore vittles be ready. Ho urr!"

The two hoglets were called in from play when the meal was ready. Duddle poled the raft from the bank and it drifted downriver, with the tiller lashed in position while they ate.

There was thick watercress-and-turnip soup; warm, brown wheat bread; a deep dish of cheese, mushroom, and leek bake; and a blackberry jam roly poly pudding with meadowcream. Afterward they sipped borage-and-rosehip tea. Duddle went out on deck to tend the tiller, while the friends were entertained by young Clematis Roselea, who recited a poem taught by her mama.

"I have learnt to wash my paws, An' say sir an' marm, 287 An' don't act daft when on this raft, Lest I do come to harm.

To sit up straight at table time, An' go to bed when told, Mama says I'm a precious hog, In fact I'm good as gold ... So there!"

Young Arundo was about to flick an appleseed at her, when be caught his mama's stem eye, and he shrugged philosophically instead. "Thorry! I don't want my tail cut off with a thingle thwipe!"

"Ahoy in the hut, mole'n'maid, all paws on deck an' see this!"

At the sound of Duddle's voice from outside, Bryony and Togget left the table and went to see what he had found. Tutty set her stern gaze on the hoglets, who had half risen from table. "Rhubarb'n'rosebuds! Did anybeast tell you two to ": move?"

; . Arundo settled back glumly, making a chopping motion with his paw. "Thame old thtory, chop off our tailth!"

The bodies of the two old foxes were caught up in the s branches of a half-submerged bush in a shallow cove beyond a curve.

Duddle pointed them out to the friends. "Dreadful end for anybeast, even two villains like them. How d'you figger it /happened?''

Togget nodded knowingly. "Oi'll bet an acorn to an apple 'twere maister Veil did et!"

Bryony wagged a reproving paw at the mole. "Oh, Togget, bow could you say that? Veil wouldn't have killed them. Perhaps it was just some kind of nasty accident!"

Togget turned away and trundled back to the hut, muttering, "Aye, an' p'raps 'twill snow this evenin', et bein' midsummer!"

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Sometime during the next night, when Veil lay sleeping on the willow trunk, a slipstream came up and flowed off on a slight slope. Not being awake to control the log. Veil slept on, unaware that the current had steered his craft off the main river. The willow trunk drifted silently into the slipstream, bearing the sleeping ferret away toward the distant mountains and fast-running rapids that led to a waterfall.

.The same wet dawn that had sent Bryony and Togget scur- *ying for the pine copse broke over Salamandastron. Rain ifheeted out in curtains over the still, waveless sea; hordebeasts f''

5 huddled miserably among the rocky outcrops on the tideline, .protecting smoky fires from guttering in the downpour. Swartt -crouched with several of his Captains and Nightshade, their ; fire sheltered by an old tent canvas pegged to the side of the ;fock groyne. Those around the Warlord remained silent, not l^nowing which mood chose to possess their leader on such a ^cheerless day. Neither the ferret nor his vixen had spoken to anybeast of their latest plan.

Both watched the mountain, its top shrouded in mist. Though Swartt and his seer did not speak, both their minds 'were concentrated on the same thing. Was the Wraith inside ^Ihe caves and pa.s.sages of Salamandastron, stalking their en-Sunflash with his lethal stone blade?

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Wraith lay panting on a narrow ledge, halfway up to the window of the Badger Lord's bedchamber. Though the weasel could move speedily over short distances, he had never been a strong creature. Granted, he was endowed with a natural cunning and the fantastic power of camouflage, but there his powers ended. He lacked strength and stamina. Wiping rainwater from his pale eyes, he glanced upward. Sounds of breakfast bustle and banter reached his soaking ears. Checking that his deadly stone knife was dry and safe in its sheath, Wraith hauled himself wearily up the rain-slicked mountainside as the downpour continued its relentless course.

Folrig and Ruddle were merciless jokers, and wherever the opportunity presented itself for a bit of fun, the two otters were certain to be involved. Unwittingly, the fat, food-loving hare Forty had presented himself as an easy target. Sunflash had pointed him out at breakfast.

Folrig and Ruddle came bounding into the dining hall, hungry from dawn sentry duty. Roughly they elbowed their way in beside the Badger Lord and began helping themselves to his hot oatcakes.

"Move over, ole frightface, make way for two starvin' riv-erdogs! We're fightin' fit an' ready to eat anybeast to a standstill!"

The big badger pushed hot blackberry pie and mint tea in their direction, commenting dryly as they ate ravenously, "You two uglymugs are mere babes when it comes to victualing. See that fat young hare over there, Forty? Now there's a bucko I'd call a good scoffer-why, he'd eat you two out of house and home while he was waiting to be served. Watch him!"

Both otters did, their own food forgotten as they observed Forty with fascination. In rapid order a full apple pie, a plate of dried fruits, a big pitcher of strawberry fizz, and an enor- "nious carrot and mushroom pastie were devoured by the in-^ satiable hare. Mopping up the gravy from the pastie with half f a crusty loaf, Forty eyed his neighbor's plate covetously. : "Mmmf grmmmf snch! Er, I say, old lad, if y'can't tackle that ^measly bowl of pear crumble, then chuck it along this way, ;fwot?"

4 Ruddle shook his head in admiration. "Wot a beast! C'mon, * v mate, we've got to meet that furry feedbag!"

f^ After breakfast Sunflash went up to the bedchamber win- 5=g dow, where he stood with Sabretache and Colonel Sandgall.

t;They viewed the rain-swept beach and the saturated hordes fg.gathered round their sputtering fires amid the rocks. Polishing j,!'his monocle, the Colonel twitched an ear to the sky.

s "Good ol' rain, wot! Nothin' like it for dampen! n" vermin ^(Spirits, give 'em a chance to reconsider their bally position.

H Wet'n'worried, I'd say, by the look of the blighters!"