| Subject: Unforgivable Saga Part Two |
Author:
Lettuceleaf
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Date Posted: 17:02:30 12/31/06 Sun
Be sure to read Part One first, you naughty Dibbun!
Chapter Nine: Birdsong
Zotchcum from II. The bird who couldn’t fly. Zotch’s left wing was crippled. Usually, he ignored this fact, joining in energetic games with his gentle sister Leiky and her dictionary loving friend Tiltz.
But today, his flightless position hit him hard. As he heard the trill of birdsong, he sunk lower into the cushiony old rocking chair he loved to sit in when he was feeling down. He, Zotchcum, was left alone in the dorm, with only Ivyleaf and Wonwill to keep him company on guard duty.
He sighed as he saw Leiky zoom by the window, pursued by Swiftbreeze the goshawk from DD. Zotch was terribly jealous of all those II Dibbuns who had been able to go outside on the rooftops and weathervane tower to battle with DD.
The forlorn sparra watched a small green grasshopper launch itself across the room. He sighed again.
“Even you can fly into the air, Crikee.” He said forlornly. “But not me.”
Crikee chirruped.
Outside, the birdsong filled the air. But Zotch didn’t hear it over his own miseries.
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Lekeila Treespear zoomed through the air, closely followed by the fearsome goshawk Swiftbreeze. As Leiky flew past a window, she saw Zotch, Crikee, Ivyleaf, and Wonwill sitting in the dorm as a guard. Leiky felt sorry for her little brother, but Zotchcum didn’t deal with heights very well. As for Ivyleaf and Wonwill, they could take care of the little sparra. The mouse and hare were the in-charge kind of Dibbuns, and even Dorm Leader Ara listened to them.
BAM! A slingstone from a DDer on the roof hit Keiky square on the beak. Screeching in pain and blinded by flying Tagdust, she landed awkwardly on a high windowsill, where she would be safe from the fighting.
Balanced breathlessly on the narrow weathervane tower, Audreystream, an otter, whacked at Jess, a more balanced squirrel, with her heavy book. But Jess was no lightweight opponent. Weaving and dodging, the squirrel far outmaneuvered the otter when it came to climbing.
On another part of the seemingly endless expanses of rooftops and towers, Rudy Treebandit battled paw to claw with Ara Treesong, the crafty and careful Dorm Leader of II. Rudy had the advantage, for although Ara and he were both squirrels fit to climb, Rudy had two of the three DD Dorm Leaders, Lady Moss and Muffle, arching at Ara’s exposed back as she backed along the rooftop.
Three arrows had hit Ara in the back, one in the footpaw, one in the shoulderblade, one in her right paw. And yet she still fought on, ignoring the Tagdust.
The birdsong echoed through Redwall, unheard over the battle.
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Marie Blue-Eyes was a crafty mouse, even by DD Dibbun standards. As she crept along the dark dorm hallways quietly, with Dorm Leader Poppingjay and Aster, who had disbanded from the Leaders, she allowed herself a heavily accented chuckle.
She had done it. While all of the other dorms had stupidly combined to become stronger, (she hated them for doing it) she herself had used her head to take a dorm out of play for good. After II, it would be PP2 and LJ. She would show them!
She chuckled to herself as she crept along. “Och, yis, thin ah’ll tik the brawn kitchins, aye, then Cavirn ‘Ole, by the noo!”
CRACKBAM! As they stopped in front of the II door, Marie brought down her paddle on the wooden frame. It splintered and cracked.
CR----CR-----BAMBAMCRACK! Three more times the paddle struck the door.
CRACKBAMTHUMP. On the fifth hit, the remains of the door fell in, leaving a gaping hole full of splinters and cracked wood.
Zotch, Ivyleaf, Wonwill, and even Crikee spun around to face the unwelcome visitors. Zotch scraped his talons against the floor while the duo of mouse and hare drew out wooden swords. Likewise, Poppingjay thumped a pillow against one hand, Aster drew his bow taut, and Marie whirled her paddle in the air, shaking of loose woodchips.
Poppingjay eyed the three gaurds evenly. “Sentries,” he murmured thoughtfully. “II isn’t half as stupid as they look. Marie, take the bird and the cricket. Aster, you and I will take Ivyleaf and Wonwill.
They charged.
They collided.
They fought.
Whumbamph! Zotch jumped into the air and kicked out with his razor-sharp talons, only to be blocked by the paddle. Marie swung her weapon at the bird’s head, but Zotch was agile and nimble despite his wing. He ducked the counterattack and hit the Northlander square in the face with one feathery wing. Flustered and spitting out feathers, Marie stepped back a pace.
Crunch. The ominous sound echoed throughout the dorm. Marie lifted up her foot, revealing Crikee, barely recognizable under Tagdust. The cricket disappeared in a shower of sparkles, leaving Zotch staring at the spot where it had been.
“No.” Zotch said. “You didn’t.”
Marie’s eyes widened. “Zotch….”
He lifted both wings. “No…”
He dived at the mouse, his crippled wing flapping weakly. His talons lifted off of the ground….
And he flew.
B-O-O-O-O-M! The sparra, which was now a blur of motion, collided with Marie, sending the mouse flying. She landed on the wall with a sickening thud and slid down to the floor covered in Tagdust flowing from her head.
Zotch fluttered to a landing, immensely pleased with himself. “Leaders or Elders, Blue-Eyes?” he said, his beak twisted into a smile.
“Elders.” Replied Marie, followed by a string of insults. Then she disappeared in the same manner as Crikee.
Poppingjay and Aster were honorable fighting beasts, they knew when they had lost. They retreated from the room.
And the battle raged on the rooftops. It continued, with enemies clashing and tagging.
But so did the birdsong. It’s sweet melodies wove a picture of hope, love, and forgiveness, soon to be fulfilled.
Chapter Ten: Escape and Misery
Rosabel fought with tooth and claw, struggling hopelessly to escape the net that bound her. Would someone come to save her? Or was she doomed to be stuck here, kidnapped, for the rest of this war?
And would the war ever end? Would it go on forever until there were no Dibbuns left to fight? Rosabel shuddered.
Eeilla rested on a dorm bed, sighing deeply. The squirrel brushed some of her long fur out of her eyes, chancing a furtive glance at her captive. “Rosabel.” She whispered. “Are you, er, mad at me, Rosabel?”
Rosabel lifted her eyes, seething with dislike for the squirrel. “I’d like nothing better than to tag you here and now, scumbag.”
Eeilla bit her lip. “Please, Rosie, you’ve got to understand. I was only doing this under Bracken and Bay’s orders! Please, Rosabel.”
Rosabel turned away, uncomfortably, from the guard and said again, “I’ll tag you.”
“Fine with me, but Raiden and Carrul have already called Bay. You have to leave him to them.”
Rosabel’s head shot up. Ranguvar, stood in a relaxed posed, Raiden and Carrul behind him.
“Windows,” Ranguvar said, sighing. “Just too easy to climb through ‘em.”
“YAH! AROUSE THE DORMS! YAH!” Eeilla screamed at the top of her lungs. Then, grabbing a bow and arrows from their resting place on the wall, she fired a sharp arrow at Raiden.
BAMCLANG! The arrow bounced off of a small shield held by Sunfire. The field mouse had hid behind Raiden with Zidane, waiting to protect her brother.
Eeilla cursed under her breath. She was outnumbered five to one! Where were the other accursed dorm members when you needed them?
Next to attack was the squirrel Ranguvar. She charged with strength only a true fighting Dibbun could muster, she charged Eeilla, raking her with razor-sharp claws.
“YAH, YAH! HAPPY HORRORS!”
Bracken and Bay rushed into the battle, leading a brigade of Dibbuns including Fwirl, Tumblepaw, and Malik. But Bay stopped in his tracks as he spotted Raiden and Carrul rushing forward to meet her in battle.
BANGCLASH! The battle was on! Sword against spoon, bow against sling, each dorm with six fighters to boost their ranks.
Raiden rounded on Bay, twirling his wooden sword. Suddenly, he dived for his enemy.
Bay met the sword with his own his peashotter, but the wood was was stouter. The peashooter cracked, leaving Bay without a weapon.
Crackwhash! Carrul the mole’s ladle crashed down on the undefended back of the bat, rendering him injured, Tagdust running down him. Carrul smiled, pleased with himself.
“Hoo urr, oi’ve a-hurrtid ee bart!”
His victory was short-lived. The ferret Malik hurled forward, attacking the mole viciously. They rolled along the ground and into the fray. Raiden turned back to the now-silvery bat.
“My turn, wingmouse!”
Rosabel had been cut loose by Raiden’s sister Sunfire, but the fieldmouse was now doing battle with Fwirl. Eeilla was now matching her former prisoner paw for paw in combat.
Bang! Slash! Rrrrip! Bong! Dumfph! Urrrg!
The sounds of battle carried forth and soon the pair were covered in sparkling Tagdust. Tumblepaw had been tagged, along with Zidane, leaving a very angry Sunfire and very panicked Bracken.
But the otter wasn’t going to sacrifice her friends to get tagged herself. With a savage roar ripping out of her mouth the likes of which Eeilla had never seen. She charged forward, and brought down an arrow straight into Eeilla’s throat.
“NOOOOOOOOOO!”
The second unearthly roar came from the mouth of Bracken. Diving in front of Eeilla, he collided with the arrow, which went right between his eyes. “Leader,” he gasped out while he was still falling, and disappeared before he hit the ground.
Bracken had been tagged.
A sudden, eerie silence hung over the room. Carrul and Malik stopped, with the ferret pinning the mole to the ground and Carrul grabbing tufts of the ferret’s fur. Raiden’s sword clattered to the ground mid-swing and Bay sank to the ground, legs like jelly.
In the silence, a small sobbing was heard. It was the maiden Eeilla.
“I can’t take it!” she cried. “First it was Tumblepaw, now Bracken! Who’s next, Tangle? How about me?”
Bay, who was assistant Dorm Leader, cast the CCers a venomous glance. “Just go. You’re lucky we’re all tired of this neverending story of bludlust, or you would probably all be in the tub with elders right now.
The five creatures, Sunfire, Raiden, Ranguvar, Carrul, and Rosabel, silently retreated from the dorm. They had rescued their Dorm Leader, but at the price of three fine Dibbuns.
How long would the Unforgivable Saga go on?
Chapter Eleven: Kitchen Fight, Part Two: A Leap and a Bound
Stalemate.
The four Dibbuns were frozen in the midst of the battle. The only hope for NK, who were quickly losing the fight, was the shadowy figure of the mystic Lettuceleaf, approaching from the entrance.
William’s paws were shaking uncontrollably as he held the neck of Forgin. He growled menacingly as Tillee pushed her stick harder into the back of Farrow. They were trapped, sure enough. But that was soon to be resolved.
“With a leap an’ a bound, wot wot, I have returned!”
Bam! Bong! Bumph!
Lyman the hare leaped out from the crowd of Dibbuns, kicking with his footpaws. William grunted and winced, releasing his grip on Forgin. Tille ground the stick into Farrow’s back, making the second GGer wince in pain.
They retreated darkly into the crowd.
Meanwhile, Lettuceleaf had engaged in battle with Jasmine, the Dorm LKeader field mouse of GG. Although Jasmine was a great fighter, Lettuceleaf seemed to know her every move. The hare was building in victory.
Jasmine moved lightning quick, darting out with her wooden sword at stabbing at Lettuceleaf’s chest. All she hit was thin air. The hare had darted – almost glided – away from her, and the hare was now behind her, thrusting at her unprotected back with his blowpipe, which he used as a spear with a thorn on one end.
Slash! A wound was opened up across Jasmine’s shoulder blades. The mouse fell to the floor in obvious pain, grunting.
“Ah no you don’t!” Sunset, a dormouse, and her friend Tiffie the squirrel, charged forward, taking the black-cloaked hare. Lettuceleaf, off-guard, fell to the floor under the weight of the two GG members.
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“Hwaymunn?” Tillee stuttered, in her usual babyish accent. “Yoo ta-was taggdid, twenty a not?”
“Oh, pish push lassie.” Lyman replied, pushing away her paw. “I simply allowed yon Dibbuns to almost tag me, wot, then I flippin slided away when no bally chap or chappess was lookin’, eh wot!” he scratched his injured forehead. “The ol’ bonce could use some fixing, but luckily the brainbox twerent harmed, eh?”
Forgin sighed in despair as he pushed through the crowd. “Bad new, y’two. I’ve scouted along, and GG outnumbers us three to one. Y’know that old Lettuceleaf fellow? He’s got Jas, Sunset, and that Tiffie squirrel on him. He’s been forced to the floor, although he’s givin’ a good account of himself. Tiffie’s got a scratch between his cheekbone and nose, and Jasmine’s only half-conscious.”
Lyman put on a brave face. “Job for a hare, that is. You two, Tillee and DL chappie Forgin, make some headway at evening the tide. I’ll find m’old chum the mystic hare and join him in battle, wot.”
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The “mystic hare” in question was barely breathing under the strain of three Dibbuns. With a grunt of exertion, he lifted all three up with the strength borne of desperation.
Lettuceleaf panted hard. Jasmine and Tiffie were almost at the point of tagged, it was the dormouse he had to worry about. The three of them outnumbered him sufficiently. Lettuce had numerous scrapes and scratches, including five on his face, two on his chest, several rips in his jet cloak, in one in a place he’d rather not mention.
Lyman stampeded through the crowds of fighting Dibbuns, arriving to the scene. He looked from the damaged hare to the wounded forces of Jasmine, Tiffie, and Sunset. Jasmine could hardly walk. “Makin’ a good account of y’self, wot?”
Tiffie took Jasmine by the shoulder. “Come wid me, Jas, yer in no shape to battle. We’ll get ya back to the dorm with all the other injured ones, eh?”
The two hares were about to turn back to the lone dormouse Sunset when a cry arose from the nearby Great Hall.
“Murder! Murder! Attempted murder of Tangle Tumblehog! Ooh, I’ll get that Tarth, curse the day he was born! Murder!”
Chapter Twelve: News and Battle
News of DAB was known to spread notoriously fast. This was no exception.
“He’s done it again! With a bow and arrows! That Tarth ferret tried to tag Tangle!”
“What stopped him this time, eh?”
“Ha, as if Tangle needs anything to stop it. She saw the old ferret’s reflection in a goblet, and ducked just in time. I hear the goblet’s ruined, ha!”
“He was on the outer windowsill in the Leader dorm this time, waiting for them.”
“Must be speedyquick, eh. He was back inside when Tangle yelled his name.”
“Must have just slipped in amid the confusion.”
“Trial’s today, at sundown, in Great Hall. Only Leaders are going. The Leader Council.”
“Hmmp, as if the Ringleader t’ain’t going to put Lettuceleaf on the Council this time.”
“Ya, he’s on it already! Tangle, Trillum, Lauren, Sandegar, Lettuceleaf, Laurelina, and Midnight, that’s the Dibbun Council!”
“An’ where’s Extra Paw Chesnut?”
“He’s off with Nutty trying to break up the fighting on the walltops. Couldn’t make it, them couldn’t.”
“Oh, it’s none of our business, just the Council, Tarth, and his witnesses Willowflame and Quickbow are going to be there.”
SS were in their dorms when the news circulated. Riv and Vrie, two SSers, were among them, Riv making her mid-noon nap, Vrie practicing with her sword. Riv woke up with a start as a misplaced whck caught her in the face.
Turning beet-red, she turned to her sister, who was unsuccessfully hiding behind her sword.
“Vrie Ivory Rapido!” she screamed. “How many times must I tell you that you shouldn’t wave that thing around indoors. Y’nearly tagged me! Look, there’s some Tagdust, right there!” she pointed to the silvery liquid that had dripped from the bruise.
Vrie only chuckled. Riv felt sorry for her. She just didn’t understand what was happening around her. To her, this whole Saga was a big game, in which the winners were the ones who whacked the most Dibbuns.
“Vwi Ivawee Wapidoo!” she mimicked, chewing on a strawberry. “Sheeshwhiskers, sissee, I was ony twyng ta pwactice so I cudd whakka Dibbins more!”
Riv was for the war, how could she not be? Her good friend Terragon had been tagged! A DAB Legend, tagged! She hated the war, but she also wanted to vent her anger in a good old-fashioned fight.
Vrie had numerously driven her up the drom’s walls with her opinion of the war. Once literally. But Riv didn’t like talking about that incident.
“Oy sleepyhead!” the sqeaky mouse voice of Dorm Leader springald rang out from the other side of the dorm. “PP is meeting us in the hall before the trial. We’re havin’ a battle, eh yes, winner takes the gatehouse. Yeah, PP have the gatehouse, but they’re obviously tired of it, they’re almost giving it away to us!” her voice squealed with excitement. “Remember the battle a cousple weeks back, PP and, er, was it BB, I’m thinking? It left both of ‘em left with only fifteen Dibbuns each, about. They’ve got no chance against our numbers! Ha ah ha!”
Riv and Vrie’s eyes burned in the light of battle. They joined the procession of SSers who were filing out of the dorm.
Soon they reached the hallway where thay were to meet PP. The ‘easy battle’ was there, waiting for them.
With more than fifteen members.
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Alagador Swiftback was a very good Dorm Leader. He was also encouraged by LJ and PP2’s idea of combining dorms.
FF had returned from the battle in Cavern Hole in high spirits, they had won. It had been costly, but they had been in high spirits as they walked back to their dorm, only to meet Alagador.
The Dorm Leader had convinced them to join up. And they had. Now they were a fighting force that outnumbered SS by a score of Dibbuns.
The fight was on.
Vrie immediately leaped onto a Dibbun by the name of Rugbark. Rugbark was an experienced fighter, though, and shook her off.
Bumph!
A hollow-ish noise went through the hall as the wooden sword struck Rugbark in the stomach, sending Tagdust flying everywhere.
Rugbark growled. This time he wouldn’t underestimate the little SSer, he thought as he charged again.
Drawing out his pillow from a sack, he struck out and hit Vrie square in the jaw. Rubbing the wound, Vrie hit back with her tail, blowing a raspberry as it brushed against Rugbark’s leg.
The squirrel had had enough. Leaping into the air, he growled ferociously. He dug his claws into Vrie’s back as he landed, sending tears to the little otter’s eyes. But she was not ready to end the fun just yet.
Bambambambambambbambambambambambabm!
Vrie’s sword practice had paid off. She struck with lightning force, something Rugbark had never expected from one so little. He fell to the floor, wounded in a dozen places. “Oh, Elders!” he said grumpily, and vanished.
Vrie did a little dance amidst the battle. She had tagged someone! And it was that squirrely fellow, too, Rudgarg, or whoever!
Riv was in a tight spot. Because of SS’s small numbers, she had to take on two Dibbuns at once. Mayberry and Mintberry. Both seasoned mice in the ways of strategy. They used defensive tactics and trickery to get the better of her offensive style of battling and her temper.
Bangbash! As Riv charged at one mouse, the one called Mayberry, she leapt aside! Riv slid around to face her.
BAM! She fell to a heavy book in Mintberry’s hand. Her back in agony, Riv staggered back up to continue the battle.
She looked at the window.
The sun was setting.
The crowd was silent. The fighting had stopped abruptly for the second time that day.
Tangle walked down the stairs, followed by a strange procession; Lettuceleaf, Trillum, Lauren, Sandegar, Midnight, Laurelina, Tarth bound in ropes and watched by Lauren, Willowflame, Quickbow, and finally, another shadowy figure, which no one noticed except for Riv, and the mysterious Lettuceleaf, who kept glancing at him. Was it a him? Or maybe the dark, sinister figure was a she? Who knew? Riv didn’t worry about it, whoever it was. She had more important things to worry about.
The final trial of Tarth Scorlath was about to begin!
Chapter Thirteen: Finale, Part One: Exile
BAM! BAM! BAM!
The gavel of Tangle Tumblehog rang throughout the Great Hall. Where the Elders usually sat, now did the DAB Council, from left to right: Midnight, Laurelina, Trillum, Tangle, Lettuceleaf, Sandegar, Lauren. Down before them were Tarth, with Willowflame and Quickbow on either side of him.
“The court of the Dibbuns recognizes Tarth Agemin Lepbrom Scorlath, who has been accused of the crime of attempted murder!” Sandegar’s voice boomed out throughout the hall.
Most of Council were scrutinizing the ferret, but the black-robed Lettuceleaf was staring absent-mindedly into a shadowy corner of the room, a sad look in his eye.
Tangle raised a paw. “Tarth, do you admit to these crimes?”
Tarth shook his head defiantly. “No! I have not commited any murders, nor have I tried to shoot Miss Tumblehog, or anyone else, when they were in their dorms.”
Cries of “Filthy liar!” and “Who does he think he is?” rang throughout the hallway, until Lauren beat down on the table.
“ORDER!” the massive Dibbun badger shouted. Immediately the Great Hall fell silent.
Trillum nodded to Lauren. “Thank you, Flame Eyes. Now, I believe we should move on to the first witness?”
Laurelina, Sandegar, and the rest of the Council nodded their heads in agreement.
“Very well!” Tangle replied. “I call to the platform of Elder Table Willowflame! Come here, young Dibbun.”
The otter slowly walked to the large table, placed her paw on a heavy tome, and recited the vow of truth of Redwall.
“I swear, by the tomb of the Warrior, by the ancient sandstone walls of this very Abbey, by the order of mice, moles, otters, squirrels, and all other beings known to the good country of Mossflower, that in my statements there shall be Truth, all of all Truth, and nothing but Truth, so help me by the handle of the great sword Ratdeath!”
She then turned to the Council and related her witness. “Tarth couldn’t have done it, I know this. I was standing right beside him when the arrow was shot, talking amiably.”
She returned to her seat to the left of Tarth.
But Lettuceleaf had his head bowed over. He now spoke. “Friends, by the ancient sage inhabiting me, it was Tarth who shot the arrow.” His voice sounded hollow, as if he wasn’t truly the one speaking them.
The Dibbuns jumped as the hare lifted his hood to reveal his eyes. They showed an image of Tarth, standing on the windowsill, bow stretched taut.
Tangle was first to react. “If the image is true, and it must be, I mean, it’s in his eye…… if the image is true, then Tarth must be punished for his second tried murder. I am sorry, my friend.” She murmured. “I am so very sorry. But by the rules of the Book of Redwall, an offense like this, an attempted murder, the penalty is to be exiled from Redwall forever.”
She gagged as tears welled up inside her. Sandegar carried on. “The Council all except for Lettuceleaf and Tangle, will escort you outside.”
The council stood up as Willowflame and Quickbow rushed over to Tangle tumblehog to comfort her. Soon the hall was empty except for the four.
But Lettuceleaf was seeing something else, something that made him weep.
The future was cold for him.
Chapter Thirteen: Finale, Part Two: Out With A Bang
They came slowly at first. Shadowy creatures clothed in strange robes, much too large to be Dibbuns. They emerged from shadowy corners and behind tables, every hiding place known to the Dibbuns.
There were scores of them, Tangle estimated about sixscore. All vermin, weasels, stoats, foxes, rats, pine martens, wildcats, and ferrets. One ferret in particular stood out, much smaller than the rest, but obviously in command.
It was Tarth, standing there sneering at the four Dibbuns.
Tangle eyed Tarth uneasily. “Tarth Scorlath. How did you come back in here?”
The ferret let out a laugh, a loud, barking laugh. “Tarth? No, no. That’s my twin brother, the one that got blamed for that arrow I shot at you. Oh, no, I’m much better than little Tarth. I am Cattivo Scorlath, the far mightier and ultimate twin of the Scorlath brothers. I lead the Shadow Horde. They have been living here ever since this war sparked. And the only one who knew it was that hare fellow over there. But of course he couldn’t tell you, because the Shadow Horde had arrows trained on his poor brother Korral the whole time. No, he kept silent.”
Tangle looked at Cattivo with pure hatred. “You.” Her words echoed throughout the Great hall now filled with scores of verminous evil. “You started the whole war. It wasn’t Tarth. I knew it wasn’t, somehow. It was you.” Millions of dirty curses flooded from her mouth.
Cattivo held up a hand. “Silence, fool. I want no more of you. I am the new ruler of this Abbey.” The horde began to advance on Tangle, Lettuceleaf, Willowflame, and Quickbow. “With you four out of the way, no one will dare stop me.”
Willowflame glanced at her three friends. “What now?”
Quickbow looked on in hatred at the Shadow Horde. “I say we call the rest of DAB to fight.”
Lettuceleaf shook his head. “No. I have the seen the future. The Dibbuns against Bedtime could not rally fast enough to save us. This is our fate. We must be tagged.”
The fierce light of battle glowed in Ringleader Tangle’s eyes as she drew out her trusted wooden spoon.
“Then I say we take a couple vermin with us!” she cried.
And they plunged into the horde for their last battle.
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A Dibbun called Aquamarine, who was curious about the trial, had been peeking through an outside window at the battle. She had been brought to hopeless teats as, one by one, Tangle, Lettuceleaf, Willowflame, and Quickbow were tagged, like stars winking out, and a small light being extinguished.
Later, Aquamarine could not recall what had quite made her rouse the Dibbuns. All that she knew was that, ten minutes later, she stood outside the Great Hall doors, with the whole of DAB behind her, weapons drawn. When they had learned the cause of the war, they had quickly forgiven past deeds, banding together.
The war of the Unforgivable Saga had ended. Now there was only one more fight to be had.
Cattivo walked through the doors, followed by the Shadow Horde, who had been somewhat depleted by the four good friends.
The ferret froze as he saw the whole of DAB standing before him.
If the Dibbuns were expecting a battle, they were highly disappointed.
Cattivo and the Shadow Horde fled. They were outnumbered three to one. And the Dibbuns had a glow in their eyes that scared them a bit.
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The Shadow Horde had deserted Cattivo as they had fled through Mossflower. The ferret now walked alone on the dark path, muttering to himself.
“Huh, big bunch of cowards, who needs ‘em? I’ll find a new Shadow Horde. That lot amounted to nothing, now that I think about it, I mean, twoscore lost to four Dibbuns? The stewpid oafs, who needs idjits like them?”
Suddenly, the bushes to the left of the road rustled. Cattivo froze as a ferret walked out onto the path, looking at him.
“I should have known,” the ferret murmured. There was a tinge of anger in his voice. “It’s you. It’s all because of you. You did it.”
Cattivo took a step back. “Tarth, really, no! It’s not my fault you were exiled!”
Tarth smiled, an ugly grimacing smile of revenge. “Oh, it’s not all bad. A pair of old hedgehogs gave me this shiny new dagger.” He held up a steel-crafted sword with a wooden handle.
“Ah, but y’know what really bothers me?” he continued, waving the dagger at Cattivo’s face. “You started the war. You made everyone hate each other. That’s not very nice, dear brother.” He licked the dagger. “And there’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you. There is no tagging in the forest. You get stabbed, you get slain. Hahaha.”
Cattivo took another step backwards, but Tarth rushed forward, holding the knife in both paws. Cattivo’s fighting spirit took over, and he took hold of his own sword, swinging it out to parley Tarth’s blow. He grunted in strain. His twin had strength that Cattivo hadn’t realized.
Bam! Bam! Bam! Wumph.
Tarth struck four times. On the fourth try, he got lucky. There was now a large gash in Cattivo’s side.
Cattivo snarled and leapt towards his foe. Tarth ducked and somersaulted around, bringing down his knife into Cattivo’s exposed back. The ferret yowled in pain, but it wasn’t over yet.
The evil ferret brought his sword around and threw it at Tarth. The weapon pierced straight through his brother’s chest. Tarth let out a rattling moan of pain.
Lumbering up, Tarth laid down his knife. But instead of blood coming out of his wound, Tagdust came out. Then Cattivo realized something.
It’s because his spirit is pure, he thought, staring at his own blood as he began to die, Tarth is pure, so he cannot be killed, only tagged. But me…..
And as Cattivo’s vision clouded and his mind went blank, both twins went into the deep sleep.
*****************************************************************
It was Council Member Sandegar who first noticed it. DAB was in Great Hall, mourning over Tangle, Lettuceleaf, Willowflame, and Quickbow, but rejoicing for the end of the war. As Sangegar pointed and shouted at the silvery spot floating at the center of Great hall, the heads of the Dibbuns began to turn.
It was small at first, almost like the shadow clan, except with light instead of darkness. The small, silvery bit of Tagdust floated in the center of the Hall. Then it began to twine and multiply, sowing itself into shape. There was the long, sinewy neck of a ferret, there was the footpaw.
And Tarth stood before them.
But now more silvery spot began to sow themselves into existence. There stood Silven Quickthorn, Strawberry, Korobi, Legolas, Inferno, Serm, Kiri, Tiltz, Rohanik (Lauren growled), Hawkraw, Healpaw, Tesseri, Nuik, Wilbur, Marie, Tumblepaw, Zidane, Bracken, Rugbark, and, at the very front, Tarth, Tangle, Lettuceleaf, Quickbow, and Willowflame, among the crowds of other tagged Dibbuns.
The Unforgivable Saga was over. The war was over.
Tears sprang to Tangle’s eyes, but this time they were tears of joy. Holding up her wooden spoon, her voice rang out across the hallway. “Dibbuns against Bedtime! I think it is safe to say that no grudges are held now! So go! To the Tapestry! The some activities! Anywhere! But unite with Dibbuns you were formerly enemies with! Laugh and play with the ones that tagged you! Forget the evil that has surrounded us! Dibbuns Against Bedtime, we have reunited!”
Amid the cheers and the joy, the DAB Song rang out through Great Hall.
Every dibbun
Rock your body
Every dibbun
We're staying up tonight
Cause DAB is back alright!
Hip hooray we're back again
Mice, moles everydibbun sing
Gonna steal some puddin
Show you how
Got a question for ya
Better answer now.
Are we going to sleep?
Naaaah!
Do we lie and cheat?
Yeaaah!
Do we take baths?
Neevaa!
Is this everything you need?
You'd better join right now!
Every dibbun
Rock your body
Every dibbun
We're staying up tonight
Cause DAB is back alright!
Now throw your paws up in the air
Wave them around like you just don't care
If you wanna party let me hear ya yell
Cuz we got it goin on again
Are we going to sleep?
Naaah!
Do we lie and cheat?
Yeaah
Do we take baths?
Neeeva!
Is this everything you need?
You'd better join right now!
Every dibbun
Rock your body
Every dibbun
We're staying up tonight
Cause DAB is back alright!
So everydibbun everywhere
Don't be afraid
Don't have no fear
You'd betta tell the world
Make them understand
As long as there be dibbuns
We'll be coming back again!
Every dibbun
Rock your body
Every dibbun
We're staying up tonight
Cause DAB is back alright!
Every dibbun
Rock your body
Every dibbun
We're staying up tonight
Cause DAB is back alright!
THE END.
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