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Mossyra of the Irresistible Imps
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Date Posted: 14:46:26 06/12/07 Tue
Silfur awoke and stifled a groan. Memory came flooding back and she barely stopped herself from baring her teeth and snarling at the thought of the vermin that had attacked them.. She knew that some of the otters would die slowly while the rest would become slaves, forced to work hard for a cruel master thet would beat and starve them. Because of her.
It was at that moment that she was suddenly aware of a rocking sensation as well as creaking from above and a steady, unyeilding sound that came from everywhere. By adding up the facts, she realized that she was on a ship. The creaking probably came from wind whistling through the rigging, the steady sound was definately the swishing of water against the ship's sides, and the rocking obviously came from waves moving the ship up and down and from side to side.
That thought alone was enough to snap her eyes open and she found herself chained to an oar with a young mouse. A quick glance around showed her that there were no vermin in sight, so she shook her sleeping partner awake.
"Hey," she whispered fiercely. "Wake up!" The mouse started awake and squeaked in terror at sight of her. Silkfur held up her manacled paws reassuringly and said, "It's all right. I'm Silkfur. What's your name." The mousemaid's eyes were wide as she whimpered, "I. . .I'm T. . .Tur. . .Turfee. Please don't hurt me." (No rhyme intended) "I won't hurt you, Turfee," Silkfur said soothingly. "But where are we? The last thing I remember is being hit with a spear handle and my friend, Mossyra, screaming." Turfee seemed to notice the chains for the first time. She stared at them for a moment, then said, "Oh." and went very quiet. When she spoke again her voice seemed more open and friendly, if a bit sad. "You are currently aboard the ship Wavebrethern, a slave ship. It takes captured beasts from different places and the captain sells them as slaves to vermin everywhere. While selling the slaves, he makes sure to keep just enough to row the ship and goes around again. No offense, but you're the first vermin I've ever seen them take" Silkfur was silent for quite some time. Then she asked, "Turfee, do you think they will sell me?" When Turfee shook her head, Silkfur sighed. "Both I and them will wish they had when my father finds me."
Mossyra did not know how long she sat in that tree. It could have been minutes, days, or seasons; she neither knew nor cared. Search parties from Redwall eventually found her, but she was oblivious. They carried her back to the Abbey and put her in the Infirmary, where she fell into a fevered sleep haunted by dreams of Cruelclaw Stripetail and his daughter, Silkfur.
Cruelclaw Stripetail was asleep. His dreams were of finding his daughter and of the years before his wife had died. Then the mouse appeared. Clothed in shining armor, he wielded a sword that was like no other. The mouse pointed his fabulous blade at Cruelclaw and said, "You will one day catch Slingbeast Mossyra. When that time comes, treat her well. She did not flee from you, for she was ever loyal to your family. She now lies sick at the Abbey of Redwall, dying because your daughter was taken from her. Be warned, Stripetail: If you attack Redwall you will find yourself facing me in the flesh. I died long ago, but I can take form and slay you. Ask the hare, Quickdash, of my story. I am Martin the Warrior, Protecter of Redwall!"
Then the dream was over and Cruelclaw woke with a shiver. For he knew the mouse had meant every word and nothing, not even a wolverine or wolf, could stand in the way of that Warrior.
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