Author:
Mossyra of the Irresistable Imps
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Date Posted: 20:35:08 06/10/07 Sun
The beasts of Tumbledale were struck first by Soretooth's horde. They stood strong for nearly a week, waiting for news to reach Redwall and help to come. Then they slowly began to fall. Moles dug emergency escape tunnels for the young ones and families as the defenders retaliated(sp?) against the vicious assults.
Before the last group could leave, Bloodclaw broke through and his vermin followers siezed everybeast left.
Soretooth sat easily in a hastily constructed chair and viewed the prisoners. The few small children left wept while mothers tried to hush them. The ferret called Tredhut reported an escape tunnel. It was caved in and covered in leaves, but they found it anyway. When Soretooth didn't respond, Tredhut quickly slipped away.
Finally, Soretooth spoke. His voice was a quiet, uncaring, sound that made the blood run cold and the stomach knot in fear. He never raised his voice; when he spoke silence fell as everybeast there quailed in fear.
"You are now slaves for me to do with as I wish," he said evenly. "If you don't obey you will be killed. I will start with the oldest and youngest and work my way through until every one of you is dead. There will be no resistance." The new slaves shivered at his lack of emotion and assurance that none of them would disobey. All but one.
"You have no right to do this." The voice that spoke in the silence was still high with youth, but it was just as sure and even as Soretooth's. Every eye turned to a young ottermaid that stood slightly apart from the rest. Her eyes were deep brown and her pose was relaxed. But the anger that burned in her gaze caused every one to avert their eyes; every one but Bloodclaw himself.
Soretoothe rose slowly. Never in all his years of conquest had a single beast defied him. "I have every right," Soretooth began. "No you don't!" The ottermaid was furious, her eyes glittering like brown gems. "We are free! You have been trying to kill innocent creatures to take over a land that will reject you. You will be cast down as every other invading army has been. Mossflower did not fall under Tsarmina's rule: We held out until help came. We did not let Cluny the Scourge defeat us: We fought until he was killed. When the Rapscallions threatened to take over our homes we killed every one of them. Gulo the Savage was a wolverine that was killed by a squirrel who fought for the freedom of a strange land. You fight to conquer: We fight for freedom."
The body of the ottermaid lay in the woods. She had been struck down at the order of Soretooth Bloodclaw, the evil beast that almost always kept his word.
A rustle came from the bushes and frightened off the few flies that had already gathered. They parted and a small creature scuttered (sp?) out. The shadowy form pulled the ottermaid's limp form back into the bushes, eyes darting to and fro as they searched for potential enemies.
Salamandastron repelled every attack made on them with deadly ease. Rottooth watched the latest attempt fall to pieces as rocks fell on those trying to scale the mountain's massive proportions. Then he saw the badger. It was a giant, silver-furred creature with no fear that easily decimated any vermin unfortunate enough to get within reach of its fearsome battlesword. A distant cry came from the mountain as hares burst forth from every opening in the higher levels. "Euuullllaaaalllliiaaaaaaaa!"
An answering call came from those still inside. "'S death on the wind!" The assulting vermin were killed in moments.
In southern Mossflower, a hare scout from the descendants of Hon Rosie and Tarquin saw an approaching army of vermin. He had already been informed of two other invading forces and wasted no time in running off to inform the others of this dismaying news. Every woodlander in miles had packed up and gone as fast as they could toward Redwall Abbey before the followers of Blackfang Redclaw reached the woodland edge and met the patchy force left to delay them.
Total war had come to Mossflower.
But evil was stirring.
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