Post by elip on Jun 7, 2010 15:25:59 GMT -5
It was a bright late-morning at the mountain fortress of Salamandastron, the huge summer sun shone like firery gold upon the sands and rocks. Though the intense heat was not idea for a morning picnic, it was perfect when used as training ground for the hares of the Long Patrol. Lieutenant Heartrig S. Quire, a veteran of the patrol, stood on a rock slab watching blades and pike heads shimmer in the sunlight as the hares used them to perform many hacks, cuts, and gashes into huge wooden blocks that were placed in front of them.
Heartrig tried to hide his smile as he watched the Long Patrol hares-and ones in training trying to be the first to slash through their massive wooden obstacles. He turned to Captain Poll who had come up beside him, "Oh would ya' look at that! I'd say those hares are movin' at record speed, wot! Look at Pieface jr. over there."
Captain Poll looked hardly at the mentioned hare, shielding his eyes against the sun, "Hahahah, yon Pieface jr. is older than I and you, 'tis a bally shame his parents named him junior!" Poll received a playful nudge from Heartrig, "SHHH, I jolly well wouldn't let him hear me say that! See how good he is with that pike? Those planks are half as thick as a blinkin' oak tree, an' look, he's already half through it. I say wot wot!"
Poll turned his head to relieve his eyes of the bright sunlight, then stopped as if shocked and disappointed as he placed his paw in the direction of his shock. "Sah, y'might want to see what your son's doing with yon' plank. Ee's goin' about it the wrong way."
The lieutenant also shook his head trying to hide his embarrassment, it was a truly odd sigh, instead of going to work hacking or breaking through the massive wooden block, young Elip S. Quire had done something totally different. Taking a long nail-shaped blade, the young hare stuck it into the massive block of wood, then using a small pike, he started hammering the long sword deep into the wooden obstacle.
Heartrig was about to call to reprimand his son when the sudden realization of what Elip was doing clicked. The more Elip hammered the long nail-shaped blade into the wood, the more resound CRACKS could be heard echoing around the mountain shores. Soon the whole thing looked like a block-shaped pile of wooden rubble.
CRASH!
Elip hit as close to the top-left corner of the block as he could reach. In a cloud of sand, wood dust, and some bark, the whole thing came crumbling down into a jumbled mass! The rest of the hares watched in awe at the spectacle.
Wiping the sweat off of his brow with a dirty paw, the young hare skipped proud, but awkwardly to his fathers side, "Now, hugh, that is wha' I calls.... a blinkin' naughty wood, wot! I thought, hugh, me paws would fall straight offen my arms!" The proud father picked up his son and placed him on his right shoulder, "Well I'd say ya' did a jolly good job of teachin' it a lesson, wot ho me boy!"
Later on that day, in the dinning halls of Salamandastron, the hares of the mountain had gathered to do the most important thing any hare could think of...EATING. Heartrig sat on the right side of the mountain's badger Lord talking to Captain Poll who was on his left, "I say, where d’you think my wife Whoolahy is? She should be here by now. Y'don't think she's still in the gardens do you?" Poll looked at his lieutenant unworriedly, "Oh don't you worry sah, marm Whoolahy'll pop up when she sees fit, she's often done it before. I think it's her hobby to take unscheduled walks an' such, if you'd excuse me saying sah." Heartrig sighed, "Yes I guess you're right."
Both friends forgot the matter at the normal but somewhat shocking behaviors of the younger hares. Chefs rolled out trolleys piled high with assorted scones, cheeses, preserves, and soups. Despite the quantity of food on the trolleys coming out of the kitchens, the chefs would blink to find their trolleys emptied by the time they reached the end of the hall.
Ainit, a chubby hare chef, smacked the back-head of a young hare named Dillbum, who had taken to licking the crumbs off of the empty trolley. "Ya' little greedy fur ball! Git yore bally scrubby face out o' my best trolley! Afore I take a ladle and sandwich yore face right where it is!" Dillbum quickly withdrew his face, from the trolley. The chubby chef never joked when addressing rude youngsters. "Totally sorry sah! I was just making sure your best thingamabob here was shined to your liking and ready for more food, wot. Wasn't I Elip my pal?"
Elip, who had been friends with Dillbum for a long time, quickly came in on his friend's behalf, "Oh yes, he was only doin' what he told you sah. The thingamabob looks nice an' shiny now, wot!" Ainit looked at Elip none too happy with the swirls of saliva that stared at him from his trolley, "Do you want a blinkin' piece o' this?" Elip was about to say no when Dillbum wrapped his arm around his neck friendly, then gave a cold stare at the cook.
"Ha! It should be him askin' that same bally question to you sah! Why he told me that just earlier today while doin trainin' against the wood barricades, he simply plunged his arm-paw first- straight into the mass, then he fisted his paw an' pulled a jolly massive chunk of it out! Then he used a pike and with one swing made the blinkin' lot of it fall into a heap of mess. So if you are lookin' for a ramble then, MMMMPHMMNNMMPH!"
Elip covered his friend’s mouth not daring to move his paw, he spoke humbly to the hard-faced chef, "Uh, don't mind him! he hasn't had his share of the jolly fruits an' veggies t'day, hehheh, wot?" The chubby cook walked off mumbling to himself and shaking his head.
Seeing the danger subside Elip moved his paw from the mouth of his struggling friend, "MMMNNPHOOOEE! What right did you bally well have to that!" Looking at the indignant but ultimately silly face of his friend, all Elip could do was laugh.
Over the short way from the mountain, on the shores past the left seas to the fortress, someone else was laughing. Zetuge Bloodtongue, the huge rat warlord of the juskatongue clan. Worthily named Bloodtongue for a ritual he had started in his clan, in which his seer would mix the blood of an unlucky prisoner with dried tree bark powder making a hard drying clay which would be caked aroung Zetuge's tongue. A ritual that was suppossed to bring good luck.
Zetuge certainly would say it brought luck, he had never lost a war. His clan had been camped on the shore when his scouts came with a female hare slave, it was Whoolahy, she had been captured on the shores while on a morning walk. Though she gave a good fight, infact most of the scouts who had left either were severely wounded or did not return at all. She was brouhgt before the warlord for the second time that day.
He spoke to her as if trying to make her think he was a friend, "There there, you are a pretty hare maid aren't you. Wouldn't want you fighten' til' yore looks left ya', that's not what we're here for. That mountain there, Salamandastron, I know ya're from there. Just tell us 'ow many fighters live there an' where the enterances are. We'll let ya' be on ya're way if'n ya tell us this. I promise."
Whoolahy spat in disgust at the rat, "Ha maybe you should try diggen' through the sea to get to it, your jolly ugliness. I'll even die a slow death before I tell you anything that can endanger my home." She had no idea how litterally Zetuge had tooken her, he was never one for jokes and didn't understand smart talk.'"Urry, we dig to dat mountain tonight! I wanna reach it by da' 'morrer." Hundreads of long-nailed, dirty paws set to the task they hed been given, soon there were tall piles of dirt everywhere on the soon to be deserted shores.
Unlike the prior, the morning of the next day was quite beautiful. The great sun shone like a soft yellow orb of fire in the sky, and all was peaceful in the mountain of Salamandastron. All except for the comotion caused by Elip, Dillbum, and their friend Sarray who were running down the lower chambers of the mountain playing a game thay had made the following season, tag. In which one person would be 'it' and try to catch one of the others to make them be 'it'.
Dillbum was 'it' at the moment and trying frantiacally to catch Elip or Sarray who had a good lead infront of him. "Come...back here you blinkin' cheaters! It's no fair me being it this whole, hugh...time!" Sarray chanced a look back, "You'll have to jolly well, hugh... catch us first! C'mon, y'old slopp paws, you can do it...if you, try harder! Hahhahah WHOOOAAA! UMPH!"
While she was looking back, Sarray had not noticed the lump of suddenly pushed up rock that barred the path of her fast-moving footpaws. She ran and tripped over the small heap landing puzzeled on her back. Elip and Dillbum looked at eachother then came rushing to their friend's aid, "Are you ok? that was quite a doozy."
"Wow, what exactly did you trip on Sarray? I don't blinkin get it."
"Look!" said Elip pointing to the heap sticking wierdly out of the ground, "I think that's what did it, it seams t'be moving!"
All three friends took out wooden swords-which they always carried with them. Slowly they approached the moving heap.
CRACK-CRACROOSH
Three friends found themselves looking straight into the evil eyes of Zetuge the giant warlord rat. Sarray screammed in terror swinging her wooden sword with all her might, "WHOOOAAAAAHH! It's a giant rat we've got to tell some one!"
BONK
Zetuge was pelted by Sarray's wooden sword and fell back into the hole.
As the three friends ran back down the hallway they had came, the sound of the warlord reached their ears. He was saying nothing pleasant. Elip, Dillbum, and Sarray were met at the bottom of the stairs by afew adult hares who had heard the commotion. Now they all could hear the battle cries of the juskatongue getting louder. The very foundation of Salamandastron was shaking do the the breach in it's foundation and the many, many, paws that rambled about under it's bottom.
Pieface jr., and two well-trained brothers, nick-named Tib and Tid ran straight past the young ones, once they realized what was happening, "EULALIIAAAAAA!" Rembering that the young ones wouldn't know what to do left alone, Pieface jr. turned to them trying to control the warrior spirit in him as to not scare the children when he spoke, "Go! Tell our Badger Lord what's happening, and scream it while y'run! We'll hold of as many as we can, EULALIIAAAA!!"
Sarray and Dillbum ran up the stairs as fast as they could, partly because of the urgentness of their duty and partly from fear of Pieface jr.'s crazed war cry. Elip however, stayed behind, throwing his wooden sword to the floor, he took out a shorter version of the nail-like sword he had used the prior day. Gripping it tightly in his paws, he prepared himself for what he was about to do.
Then from somewhere deep down the hall a familiar voice reached his ears, "EULALIAAAAA!!" It was his mother, she kept up with the scream until somebeast of the juskatongue clan silenced her with an audible thud.
Now Elip needed no focus, he lost total control, his big, kind, young eyes tinging over a dark blood red. He let out a screem then went charging into the battle which was taking place down the hall. His voice screeched as a moment's realization of what was happening hit him then left as his mind came completely under the control of the bloodwrath. "EULALIAAAAAA!!!!!!"
Vermin flew and fell left and right, some not even able to see their opponent until to late. Tib and Tid were almost bowled over by the white, furry, blur that rushed past them. Pieface had quick eyes and saw everything, "Quick, Tid, and Tib, I need you on me front sides. That blur was Elip! Don't know what's tooken over him but we can't let him be killed!"
Fighting like lighting the three flattened the front flanks of vermin in their onslaut. This was getting easier as not much of the vermin were left unharmed after Elip had passed him. Zetuge was angry, some of his crew had turned around to run, he took out his huge scimitar flaying about at anyone who seemed to be turning around. "Fight y'cowards! 'Tis ony three of 'em. I'll kill the next one who turn tail! Arrers ready, those fighters are gettin' close enough for to shoot in these narrow caves."
The warlord's attention was tooken by a group of his front flanks who seemed to be just falling down for no reason, but screaming crazily. Then he saw, a small hare, fighting like an experienced warrior. He noticed the moon-shape on Elip's right paw. It must've been some sort of good luck omen, just as he caked his tongue in blood. This young hare must have been the leader.
Zetuge ran to face his foe, the leader of the mountain fortress. Elip, even in the bloodwrath was not ready for the barbarac sneak attack which the huge rat used on him. Sneacking on the floor through the slain of his crew, Zetuge jumped up behind Elip and slashed at his unprotected head. Elip Saw the rat's reflection in the shield of a fallen stoat and turned around like lightning holding his blade up and horizantaly to block the scimitar of the huge rat.
The other vermin ran around the fight towards the other three hares, not at all wanting to interfere with their lord's battle. Pieface jr. saw the fight start, though he now knew that the bloodwrath had came over Elip he also knew that the young one would soon perish in a fight against the much more expierienced warlord. He began to shout orders to the two hare brothers, "Tib, Tid..."
WOOSH
As soon as he had spoken Tid's name, an arrow came zipping through the air and barried itself into his right leg. Tid screamed in pain falling to the ground. Tib and Pieface jr. positioned themselves in a triangle with Tid who fought wildly despite his wersening injury.
Pieface's mind was racing he saw that Zetuge-though he had recieved many gashes and horrid injuries- was still going strong against the quikly tiring hare.
He knew that if he and Tib left Tid so they could save Elip then Tid would surely be killed. But he knew it had to be done. Both he and Tib stared solemnly into the face of Tid who simply nodded as he belowed aloud, "Oh don't stand there an' start the confounded water works on me! Go and save our young fighter wot, I'll take care of meself. EULALIAAAAA!"
As Pieface jr. and Tib fought closer towards Elip, Tid fought. Now on his knees and unable to stand because of the pain in his leg. Elip was gashed, cut and briused all over, but he fought on madly.
Zetuge stooped low and swung at Elip's legs, being very swiff pawed, this was the only part of Elip's body that was not damaged. Quickly he lepped over the low-cutting blade and delt the big rat two savage kicks to the head. As Pieface jr. and Tib approached, two arrows agian zipped through the air. Both Long Patrol hare saw what they thought would be their one-ticket trip to Dark Forest.
ZIPP ZIPP CRASHHHH!!!
Two arrows shot by Poll came zipping from the other direction and smashed into the ones of the vermin. Over five score fighting hares let out their battle cry, which despite it's enormity was drowned out by that of their Lady Badger Lord, "EULALIAAAAAAAA!!!!!!"
Now Zetuge was seeing his whole victory crumble before his eyes, had not he already been fighting the mountain's ruler? Than who was this huge lady badger carrying a gigantic bouble-bladed ax with a long pike-tip in it's top middle?!
The Lady Badger Lord and Heartrig were first to see Elip. Heartrig was about to charge-filled with warrior spirit- when the big Badgermaid bolted pasted him screaming, "We now meet agian Zetuge! It has been long seasons since that day in Mossflower woods! I swore to slay you all those years ago. Death has brought you to me! Now I will bring you to it! EULALIAAAAAAAAAA!!!"
Immediatly Heartrig halted himself, obviously the Lady Badger Lord had a score to settle with the rat.
Zetuge saw that he was in trougle, it was indeed the same young badgermaid he had met seasons ago in Mossflower, but now things were totally different. He also noticed the same bloodred color in her eyes as Elip, who he had been fighting. Though it was much deeper, stronger, and frightening. He turned to his arrowbeasts who were in back and let out a frightened wheeze, "Quick, shot yore arrers o'er at the hares and dat badger, AHHHH!"
He could not let out another word, he was in a oneway battle, against two beasts who were totally overtaken by bloodwrath. He would fight the beserk badger only to be slashed behind by Elip. He'd kick at Elip only to find himself missing as he tried to block the ax blade that would come a breathe from his face.
Zetuge couldn't predict their moves they were totally mad, though somehow it seemed that they could look at eachother and communicate without ever moving their lips.
Heartrig had to think fast, frontline after frontline of hares were felled by the rain of arrows, then a plan suddenly came to his mind and he shouted to the ranks aloud, "Git those pikes up infront and over our heads! Try to leave no space inbetween! Then take ya' sabers and put 'em lengthwise across the pike poles. It should make a tight enough cage to keep those confounded arrows out!"
The plan worked perfectly, and soon the vermin were screeming as the shielded hares advanced in a stealth run. When close to a vermin, the hares would make an opening into ther cage-like shield. Entrapping the vermin inside where they were quickly dealt with.
This sight was the last thing Zetuge saw before his journey to Hellgates. After knocking the rat into the hall wall, the badger Lady placed the pike-tip of her weapon on the floor and pointed her other paw in the rat's direction.
Like lightning Elip ran up the weapon, across the badger's shoulders, and down her other arm. Holding his weapon in both hands the whole time. With perfect balance Elip jumped off of the paw and towards Zetuge, he gave a savage slash. The warlord rat fell that day; his first taste of defeat, and his last of death.
No sooner had Zetuge hit the ground did the screams of vermin cease. Elip wobbled akwardly as both the badger and his eyes became normal, with only a very faint tinge of red. Trembling with pain and fright, Elip fell backwards. He was caught by Whoolahy, his mother.
Heartrig came over and gave them both a hug. The voices of his mother and father a faint sound in the ears of the young hare, "I can't believe it my son, with bloodwrath! Oh the blinkin' fates!" Whoolahy patted her husbands shoulder soothingly, "Don't worry dear, a mother's a mother. And we have a way with our children, a far more calm and effective way than the bloodwrath."
Gently as a breeze, the mother held her son's ear close to hers, and whispered afew, secret words to him. As Elip's eyes slowly re-opened, all red tinges in his eyes visibly faded away. He struggled to his feet and embraced his mother and father, "Dad, Mom! You're OK. OWCH me pore ol' boddy. Everythink hurts but my legs an' footpaws!"
Later that day, a burial was held for all of the hares who had died in battle. Among these, were Tid, Tib, and Pieface jr. Afew hares could not attend the ceremony because of their grief, especially for 'the old junior.' He had become a friend to many.
I now take you to the next season, Elip stood over the graves of Tid, Tib and Pieface jr.; His friends joined him. Dillbum trying hard not to cry, "Yep, he certainly was a jolly good ol' junior. He died just the way he wanted to, inna line o' duty."
Sarray patted both her tear-eyed friends, "Don't be too sad. My mom says he's issa watchin' over us from the sky. She says all warriors become a star when they die. We'll meet him again someday."
The three friends walked away from the grave and towards the shores where a small boat was about to leave the docks. An otter clan was aboard the small craft. Their Skippess, Sonama, was conversing with the Lady Badger Lord and Heartrig. The three were very good friends.
Apon seeing Elip, Sonoma waved, "Hi there young un', yore pal Oana is waitin' for ya at Redwall. She said sommat 'bout DAB. We were there ten days afore now, she can't wait to see ya'." Elip's face lit with excitement and he ran aboard calling to the Skippess, "Skipper marm, could we set a sail now? I've gotta get to the jolly Abbey, wot!"
Sonoma boarded the craft, a plane smile on her face, Elip came with her to visit Redwall every two seasons. And there was nothing better an otter liked than the company of a young one. "Ahoy ye' rascal, that's the spot' of the Skipper ye've placed yore rump in!" Elip answered with a snarl and equally playful tone, "Ha, marm! You wouldn't pass a Skipper if the best they could get was a squashed bucket if blinkin' flies wot!"
The boat slowly set sail as Heartrig and Whoolahy said the usual parental goodbye staements, "Do as you're told son."
"Listen to Sonoma or she'll throw ya'over the bally board!"
"Stay out of any fights!'
"Whoa Whoolahy me dear, let's not go overboard on the young fellow."
After saying his last goodbyes to his friends, the Badger Lord, his parents, and other hares who had gathered to see him off, Elip turned how gaze forward. Sniffing the mid-day see air, he relished in it.
Little did the otter Skipper or young hare know, this would be the start of a dangerous adventure.
THE END/To Be Continued
Heartrig tried to hide his smile as he watched the Long Patrol hares-and ones in training trying to be the first to slash through their massive wooden obstacles. He turned to Captain Poll who had come up beside him, "Oh would ya' look at that! I'd say those hares are movin' at record speed, wot! Look at Pieface jr. over there."
Captain Poll looked hardly at the mentioned hare, shielding his eyes against the sun, "Hahahah, yon Pieface jr. is older than I and you, 'tis a bally shame his parents named him junior!" Poll received a playful nudge from Heartrig, "SHHH, I jolly well wouldn't let him hear me say that! See how good he is with that pike? Those planks are half as thick as a blinkin' oak tree, an' look, he's already half through it. I say wot wot!"
Poll turned his head to relieve his eyes of the bright sunlight, then stopped as if shocked and disappointed as he placed his paw in the direction of his shock. "Sah, y'might want to see what your son's doing with yon' plank. Ee's goin' about it the wrong way."
The lieutenant also shook his head trying to hide his embarrassment, it was a truly odd sigh, instead of going to work hacking or breaking through the massive wooden block, young Elip S. Quire had done something totally different. Taking a long nail-shaped blade, the young hare stuck it into the massive block of wood, then using a small pike, he started hammering the long sword deep into the wooden obstacle.
Heartrig was about to call to reprimand his son when the sudden realization of what Elip was doing clicked. The more Elip hammered the long nail-shaped blade into the wood, the more resound CRACKS could be heard echoing around the mountain shores. Soon the whole thing looked like a block-shaped pile of wooden rubble.
CRASH!
Elip hit as close to the top-left corner of the block as he could reach. In a cloud of sand, wood dust, and some bark, the whole thing came crumbling down into a jumbled mass! The rest of the hares watched in awe at the spectacle.
Wiping the sweat off of his brow with a dirty paw, the young hare skipped proud, but awkwardly to his fathers side, "Now, hugh, that is wha' I calls.... a blinkin' naughty wood, wot! I thought, hugh, me paws would fall straight offen my arms!" The proud father picked up his son and placed him on his right shoulder, "Well I'd say ya' did a jolly good job of teachin' it a lesson, wot ho me boy!"
Later on that day, in the dinning halls of Salamandastron, the hares of the mountain had gathered to do the most important thing any hare could think of...EATING. Heartrig sat on the right side of the mountain's badger Lord talking to Captain Poll who was on his left, "I say, where d’you think my wife Whoolahy is? She should be here by now. Y'don't think she's still in the gardens do you?" Poll looked at his lieutenant unworriedly, "Oh don't you worry sah, marm Whoolahy'll pop up when she sees fit, she's often done it before. I think it's her hobby to take unscheduled walks an' such, if you'd excuse me saying sah." Heartrig sighed, "Yes I guess you're right."
Both friends forgot the matter at the normal but somewhat shocking behaviors of the younger hares. Chefs rolled out trolleys piled high with assorted scones, cheeses, preserves, and soups. Despite the quantity of food on the trolleys coming out of the kitchens, the chefs would blink to find their trolleys emptied by the time they reached the end of the hall.
Ainit, a chubby hare chef, smacked the back-head of a young hare named Dillbum, who had taken to licking the crumbs off of the empty trolley. "Ya' little greedy fur ball! Git yore bally scrubby face out o' my best trolley! Afore I take a ladle and sandwich yore face right where it is!" Dillbum quickly withdrew his face, from the trolley. The chubby chef never joked when addressing rude youngsters. "Totally sorry sah! I was just making sure your best thingamabob here was shined to your liking and ready for more food, wot. Wasn't I Elip my pal?"
Elip, who had been friends with Dillbum for a long time, quickly came in on his friend's behalf, "Oh yes, he was only doin' what he told you sah. The thingamabob looks nice an' shiny now, wot!" Ainit looked at Elip none too happy with the swirls of saliva that stared at him from his trolley, "Do you want a blinkin' piece o' this?" Elip was about to say no when Dillbum wrapped his arm around his neck friendly, then gave a cold stare at the cook.
"Ha! It should be him askin' that same bally question to you sah! Why he told me that just earlier today while doin trainin' against the wood barricades, he simply plunged his arm-paw first- straight into the mass, then he fisted his paw an' pulled a jolly massive chunk of it out! Then he used a pike and with one swing made the blinkin' lot of it fall into a heap of mess. So if you are lookin' for a ramble then, MMMMPHMMNNMMPH!"
Elip covered his friend’s mouth not daring to move his paw, he spoke humbly to the hard-faced chef, "Uh, don't mind him! he hasn't had his share of the jolly fruits an' veggies t'day, hehheh, wot?" The chubby cook walked off mumbling to himself and shaking his head.
Seeing the danger subside Elip moved his paw from the mouth of his struggling friend, "MMMNNPHOOOEE! What right did you bally well have to that!" Looking at the indignant but ultimately silly face of his friend, all Elip could do was laugh.
Over the short way from the mountain, on the shores past the left seas to the fortress, someone else was laughing. Zetuge Bloodtongue, the huge rat warlord of the juskatongue clan. Worthily named Bloodtongue for a ritual he had started in his clan, in which his seer would mix the blood of an unlucky prisoner with dried tree bark powder making a hard drying clay which would be caked aroung Zetuge's tongue. A ritual that was suppossed to bring good luck.
Zetuge certainly would say it brought luck, he had never lost a war. His clan had been camped on the shore when his scouts came with a female hare slave, it was Whoolahy, she had been captured on the shores while on a morning walk. Though she gave a good fight, infact most of the scouts who had left either were severely wounded or did not return at all. She was brouhgt before the warlord for the second time that day.
He spoke to her as if trying to make her think he was a friend, "There there, you are a pretty hare maid aren't you. Wouldn't want you fighten' til' yore looks left ya', that's not what we're here for. That mountain there, Salamandastron, I know ya're from there. Just tell us 'ow many fighters live there an' where the enterances are. We'll let ya' be on ya're way if'n ya tell us this. I promise."
Whoolahy spat in disgust at the rat, "Ha maybe you should try diggen' through the sea to get to it, your jolly ugliness. I'll even die a slow death before I tell you anything that can endanger my home." She had no idea how litterally Zetuge had tooken her, he was never one for jokes and didn't understand smart talk.'"Urry, we dig to dat mountain tonight! I wanna reach it by da' 'morrer." Hundreads of long-nailed, dirty paws set to the task they hed been given, soon there were tall piles of dirt everywhere on the soon to be deserted shores.
Unlike the prior, the morning of the next day was quite beautiful. The great sun shone like a soft yellow orb of fire in the sky, and all was peaceful in the mountain of Salamandastron. All except for the comotion caused by Elip, Dillbum, and their friend Sarray who were running down the lower chambers of the mountain playing a game thay had made the following season, tag. In which one person would be 'it' and try to catch one of the others to make them be 'it'.
Dillbum was 'it' at the moment and trying frantiacally to catch Elip or Sarray who had a good lead infront of him. "Come...back here you blinkin' cheaters! It's no fair me being it this whole, hugh...time!" Sarray chanced a look back, "You'll have to jolly well, hugh... catch us first! C'mon, y'old slopp paws, you can do it...if you, try harder! Hahhahah WHOOOAAA! UMPH!"
While she was looking back, Sarray had not noticed the lump of suddenly pushed up rock that barred the path of her fast-moving footpaws. She ran and tripped over the small heap landing puzzeled on her back. Elip and Dillbum looked at eachother then came rushing to their friend's aid, "Are you ok? that was quite a doozy."
"Wow, what exactly did you trip on Sarray? I don't blinkin get it."
"Look!" said Elip pointing to the heap sticking wierdly out of the ground, "I think that's what did it, it seams t'be moving!"
All three friends took out wooden swords-which they always carried with them. Slowly they approached the moving heap.
CRACK-CRACROOSH
Three friends found themselves looking straight into the evil eyes of Zetuge the giant warlord rat. Sarray screammed in terror swinging her wooden sword with all her might, "WHOOOAAAAAHH! It's a giant rat we've got to tell some one!"
BONK
Zetuge was pelted by Sarray's wooden sword and fell back into the hole.
As the three friends ran back down the hallway they had came, the sound of the warlord reached their ears. He was saying nothing pleasant. Elip, Dillbum, and Sarray were met at the bottom of the stairs by afew adult hares who had heard the commotion. Now they all could hear the battle cries of the juskatongue getting louder. The very foundation of Salamandastron was shaking do the the breach in it's foundation and the many, many, paws that rambled about under it's bottom.
Pieface jr., and two well-trained brothers, nick-named Tib and Tid ran straight past the young ones, once they realized what was happening, "EULALIIAAAAAA!" Rembering that the young ones wouldn't know what to do left alone, Pieface jr. turned to them trying to control the warrior spirit in him as to not scare the children when he spoke, "Go! Tell our Badger Lord what's happening, and scream it while y'run! We'll hold of as many as we can, EULALIIAAAA!!"
Sarray and Dillbum ran up the stairs as fast as they could, partly because of the urgentness of their duty and partly from fear of Pieface jr.'s crazed war cry. Elip however, stayed behind, throwing his wooden sword to the floor, he took out a shorter version of the nail-like sword he had used the prior day. Gripping it tightly in his paws, he prepared himself for what he was about to do.
Then from somewhere deep down the hall a familiar voice reached his ears, "EULALIAAAAA!!" It was his mother, she kept up with the scream until somebeast of the juskatongue clan silenced her with an audible thud.
Now Elip needed no focus, he lost total control, his big, kind, young eyes tinging over a dark blood red. He let out a screem then went charging into the battle which was taking place down the hall. His voice screeched as a moment's realization of what was happening hit him then left as his mind came completely under the control of the bloodwrath. "EULALIAAAAAA!!!!!!"
Vermin flew and fell left and right, some not even able to see their opponent until to late. Tib and Tid were almost bowled over by the white, furry, blur that rushed past them. Pieface had quick eyes and saw everything, "Quick, Tid, and Tib, I need you on me front sides. That blur was Elip! Don't know what's tooken over him but we can't let him be killed!"
Fighting like lighting the three flattened the front flanks of vermin in their onslaut. This was getting easier as not much of the vermin were left unharmed after Elip had passed him. Zetuge was angry, some of his crew had turned around to run, he took out his huge scimitar flaying about at anyone who seemed to be turning around. "Fight y'cowards! 'Tis ony three of 'em. I'll kill the next one who turn tail! Arrers ready, those fighters are gettin' close enough for to shoot in these narrow caves."
The warlord's attention was tooken by a group of his front flanks who seemed to be just falling down for no reason, but screaming crazily. Then he saw, a small hare, fighting like an experienced warrior. He noticed the moon-shape on Elip's right paw. It must've been some sort of good luck omen, just as he caked his tongue in blood. This young hare must have been the leader.
Zetuge ran to face his foe, the leader of the mountain fortress. Elip, even in the bloodwrath was not ready for the barbarac sneak attack which the huge rat used on him. Sneacking on the floor through the slain of his crew, Zetuge jumped up behind Elip and slashed at his unprotected head. Elip Saw the rat's reflection in the shield of a fallen stoat and turned around like lightning holding his blade up and horizantaly to block the scimitar of the huge rat.
The other vermin ran around the fight towards the other three hares, not at all wanting to interfere with their lord's battle. Pieface jr. saw the fight start, though he now knew that the bloodwrath had came over Elip he also knew that the young one would soon perish in a fight against the much more expierienced warlord. He began to shout orders to the two hare brothers, "Tib, Tid..."
WOOSH
As soon as he had spoken Tid's name, an arrow came zipping through the air and barried itself into his right leg. Tid screamed in pain falling to the ground. Tib and Pieface jr. positioned themselves in a triangle with Tid who fought wildly despite his wersening injury.
Pieface's mind was racing he saw that Zetuge-though he had recieved many gashes and horrid injuries- was still going strong against the quikly tiring hare.
He knew that if he and Tib left Tid so they could save Elip then Tid would surely be killed. But he knew it had to be done. Both he and Tib stared solemnly into the face of Tid who simply nodded as he belowed aloud, "Oh don't stand there an' start the confounded water works on me! Go and save our young fighter wot, I'll take care of meself. EULALIAAAAA!"
As Pieface jr. and Tib fought closer towards Elip, Tid fought. Now on his knees and unable to stand because of the pain in his leg. Elip was gashed, cut and briused all over, but he fought on madly.
Zetuge stooped low and swung at Elip's legs, being very swiff pawed, this was the only part of Elip's body that was not damaged. Quickly he lepped over the low-cutting blade and delt the big rat two savage kicks to the head. As Pieface jr. and Tib approached, two arrows agian zipped through the air. Both Long Patrol hare saw what they thought would be their one-ticket trip to Dark Forest.
ZIPP ZIPP CRASHHHH!!!
Two arrows shot by Poll came zipping from the other direction and smashed into the ones of the vermin. Over five score fighting hares let out their battle cry, which despite it's enormity was drowned out by that of their Lady Badger Lord, "EULALIAAAAAAAA!!!!!!"
Now Zetuge was seeing his whole victory crumble before his eyes, had not he already been fighting the mountain's ruler? Than who was this huge lady badger carrying a gigantic bouble-bladed ax with a long pike-tip in it's top middle?!
The Lady Badger Lord and Heartrig were first to see Elip. Heartrig was about to charge-filled with warrior spirit- when the big Badgermaid bolted pasted him screaming, "We now meet agian Zetuge! It has been long seasons since that day in Mossflower woods! I swore to slay you all those years ago. Death has brought you to me! Now I will bring you to it! EULALIAAAAAAAAAA!!!"
Immediatly Heartrig halted himself, obviously the Lady Badger Lord had a score to settle with the rat.
Zetuge saw that he was in trougle, it was indeed the same young badgermaid he had met seasons ago in Mossflower, but now things were totally different. He also noticed the same bloodred color in her eyes as Elip, who he had been fighting. Though it was much deeper, stronger, and frightening. He turned to his arrowbeasts who were in back and let out a frightened wheeze, "Quick, shot yore arrers o'er at the hares and dat badger, AHHHH!"
He could not let out another word, he was in a oneway battle, against two beasts who were totally overtaken by bloodwrath. He would fight the beserk badger only to be slashed behind by Elip. He'd kick at Elip only to find himself missing as he tried to block the ax blade that would come a breathe from his face.
Zetuge couldn't predict their moves they were totally mad, though somehow it seemed that they could look at eachother and communicate without ever moving their lips.
Heartrig had to think fast, frontline after frontline of hares were felled by the rain of arrows, then a plan suddenly came to his mind and he shouted to the ranks aloud, "Git those pikes up infront and over our heads! Try to leave no space inbetween! Then take ya' sabers and put 'em lengthwise across the pike poles. It should make a tight enough cage to keep those confounded arrows out!"
The plan worked perfectly, and soon the vermin were screeming as the shielded hares advanced in a stealth run. When close to a vermin, the hares would make an opening into ther cage-like shield. Entrapping the vermin inside where they were quickly dealt with.
This sight was the last thing Zetuge saw before his journey to Hellgates. After knocking the rat into the hall wall, the badger Lady placed the pike-tip of her weapon on the floor and pointed her other paw in the rat's direction.
Like lightning Elip ran up the weapon, across the badger's shoulders, and down her other arm. Holding his weapon in both hands the whole time. With perfect balance Elip jumped off of the paw and towards Zetuge, he gave a savage slash. The warlord rat fell that day; his first taste of defeat, and his last of death.
No sooner had Zetuge hit the ground did the screams of vermin cease. Elip wobbled akwardly as both the badger and his eyes became normal, with only a very faint tinge of red. Trembling with pain and fright, Elip fell backwards. He was caught by Whoolahy, his mother.
Heartrig came over and gave them both a hug. The voices of his mother and father a faint sound in the ears of the young hare, "I can't believe it my son, with bloodwrath! Oh the blinkin' fates!" Whoolahy patted her husbands shoulder soothingly, "Don't worry dear, a mother's a mother. And we have a way with our children, a far more calm and effective way than the bloodwrath."
Gently as a breeze, the mother held her son's ear close to hers, and whispered afew, secret words to him. As Elip's eyes slowly re-opened, all red tinges in his eyes visibly faded away. He struggled to his feet and embraced his mother and father, "Dad, Mom! You're OK. OWCH me pore ol' boddy. Everythink hurts but my legs an' footpaws!"
Later that day, a burial was held for all of the hares who had died in battle. Among these, were Tid, Tib, and Pieface jr. Afew hares could not attend the ceremony because of their grief, especially for 'the old junior.' He had become a friend to many.
I now take you to the next season, Elip stood over the graves of Tid, Tib and Pieface jr.; His friends joined him. Dillbum trying hard not to cry, "Yep, he certainly was a jolly good ol' junior. He died just the way he wanted to, inna line o' duty."
Sarray patted both her tear-eyed friends, "Don't be too sad. My mom says he's issa watchin' over us from the sky. She says all warriors become a star when they die. We'll meet him again someday."
The three friends walked away from the grave and towards the shores where a small boat was about to leave the docks. An otter clan was aboard the small craft. Their Skippess, Sonama, was conversing with the Lady Badger Lord and Heartrig. The three were very good friends.
Apon seeing Elip, Sonoma waved, "Hi there young un', yore pal Oana is waitin' for ya at Redwall. She said sommat 'bout DAB. We were there ten days afore now, she can't wait to see ya'." Elip's face lit with excitement and he ran aboard calling to the Skippess, "Skipper marm, could we set a sail now? I've gotta get to the jolly Abbey, wot!"
Sonoma boarded the craft, a plane smile on her face, Elip came with her to visit Redwall every two seasons. And there was nothing better an otter liked than the company of a young one. "Ahoy ye' rascal, that's the spot' of the Skipper ye've placed yore rump in!" Elip answered with a snarl and equally playful tone, "Ha, marm! You wouldn't pass a Skipper if the best they could get was a squashed bucket if blinkin' flies wot!"
The boat slowly set sail as Heartrig and Whoolahy said the usual parental goodbye staements, "Do as you're told son."
"Listen to Sonoma or she'll throw ya'over the bally board!"
"Stay out of any fights!'
"Whoa Whoolahy me dear, let's not go overboard on the young fellow."
After saying his last goodbyes to his friends, the Badger Lord, his parents, and other hares who had gathered to see him off, Elip turned how gaze forward. Sniffing the mid-day see air, he relished in it.
Little did the otter Skipper or young hare know, this would be the start of a dangerous adventure.
THE END/To Be Continued