| Subject: Mission #40 |
Author:
Rhodri Aidryn
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Date Posted: 20:51:18 07/13/06 Thu
Mission: #40
Name: Rhodri Aidryn
Dorm: Newbie Dorm
Wispy tendrils of misty breath curled into the air, as Rhodri Aidryn, a young sea otter Dibbun slowly exhaled. He shivered slightly in the cold winter air. Crouched in knee deep snow with a tightly packed snowball clasped in each paw, Rhodri looked at his companions a group of other Dibbuns, also clutching snowball, and said in a soft voice, barely over a whisper,
"Awe you weady to win this?"
The other dibbuns, speaking in the same hushed tone replied,
"Yeah!"
Stepping slowly through to snowy landscape, careful to make as little sound as possible, Rhodri led his troops to battle. They would be ready for anything. They would not stand losing. Their first target would be Tangle's team. It being the strongest enemy team, Rhodri figured it would be best to take them down before they suffered any casualties that would make such a task impossible to do. Swiftly everything around Rhodri disappeared and all he could think about was defeating Tangle. All of the other teams were forgotten, put away from his mind. This was to be Rhodri's fatal mistake. Behind him was Dumble's team, ready to take down Rhodri in one fell swoop. As Rhodri made his way forwards, a cold snowball hit him in the back of his head. Whirling around to see who the culprit was, he found an entire team of Dibbuns facing him armed with snowballs, and with many to reload with after they had bombarded the other team with those held in their paws. Bitter tears of anger welled up In Rhodri’s eyes, know he was beat before he had even thrown a single snowball. He was disgraced and humiliated, his dreams of winning the great snowball battle shattered. He would never be allowed to command again, thought the forest green eyed sea otter.
When word that a huge horde of all kinds of vermin, ranging from rats to snakes, from ferrets to lizards, reached the Dibbuns of the society know as Dibbuns Against Bedtime, or DAB, Rhodri Aidryn a tough emerald eyed sea otter was filled with dismay. Normally he would be commanding one of DAB’s regiments in this fight. It was, after all, his position in DAB’s army, in the event of a war. He had been waiting for this moment all his life. Rhodri didn’t want to be left out of the fight like he had been during the revolt at Fort Carthax, where he had been enslaved. After the snowball fight from the previous winter, he knew he wouldn’t be allowed to lead anyone, even though it was his position. He had failed miserable, surely Tangle would choose someone else. Apprehension of the moment Tangle would choose a new commander was welling up inside him. Staring at Tangle with pain in his eyes, Rhodri listened to her speech.
“An immense force of vermin has come to Redwall, with aspirations of conquering it. Surely you know our elders wish to keep us out of the fight? Surely they think we’ll just be skewered and killed within seconds. They underestimate us greatly. We may be young, but we are strong. We will stand strong and fight. The commanders of the regiments will be as usual, myself, Dumble, Julian and”
This is it, Thought Rhodri sadly, I wonder who she’ll choose to take my place.
“Rhodri.”
The sea otter couldn’t believe his ears. Surely he must be dreaming! There was no way on earth that Tangle, in her right mind would still allow him to lead. Rhodri had to choke back a protest he was so dumbfounded by the hedgehog Ringleader of DAB’s decision. Taking deep breaths, Rhodri got a hold of himself to listen to the rest of Tangle’s speech.
“Julian’s regiment will be situated at the Eastern wall, Dumble’s at the West. Rhodri will fight at the Southern wall and my own regiment will be at the Northern wall. Regiment leaders, try and set up a strategy for this fight, it may be the largest you’ll see in you entire life. We may be Dibbuns Against Bedtime, but war calls for change of protocol. One must step out of his or her comfort zone. I never thought I’d ever be caught saying this, but get a good night’s sleep. You’ll need it for the fight tomorrow.”
As a stampede of Dibbuns ran up to their dormitories, Rhodri lagged behind. Locking eyes with Tangle, the sea otter Dibbun uttered two simple words, before scurrying upstairs like the rest of DAB.
“Thank you.”
That night, Rhodri’s sleep was filled with vivid dreams of war, of prevailing against the vermin and being dubbed a hero. When he woke up, about an hour before dawn, the otter Dibbun was filled with an endless energy. He was ready to fight the vermin whether or not they were ready for him. They would fail, just like all other attacks on Redwall had. In the back of his head, a tiny thought of what might happen if the vermin actually succeeded existed. They would be enslave. Shaking his head vigorously to get rid of the awful thought, Rhodri made his way to Cavern Hole for a breakfast. He would need the food, with the day he had in store.
When he was nearing Cavern Hole, the mouth watering aromas of the days breakfast make his scent glands dance with excitement of the food. Sweet oatcakes with honey, some fresh fruit, strawberry fizz, a Dibbun’s favorite drink in the entire world. The meal seemed like a feast to Rhodri. Swooping down on the food like a pig it’s last meal, Rhodri ate ravenously.
After eating, Rhodri returned to his dormitory to prepare for the rest of the day. Putting on a clean tunic and belt, Rhodri grabbed his wooden sword and sling and put them into his belt. In addition to these he snatched up his most prized weapon, his willow switch, a thing that had served him well for a long time. Slipping on sandals, he completed his outfit. Looking at the other bunks in the room, Rhodri was surprised to see that most of them were only just waking up, a select few still emerged in a deep sleep, dreaming of glory in war. Swallowing hard, Rhodri felt nervous for the first time. What if the other Dibbuns were as prepared for this battle as he? What if they fail him when he most needed them. Shaking off such thoughts Rhodri scolded himself for thinking that was even a possibility. His Dibbuns were loyal to him. At least they had been last time they served him in a battle, at the snowball fight. What if they had lost their respect and loyalty to him because of the way that day had turned out?
A few hours later Rhodri and his regiment were ready for battle He sent all those wielding a bow and arrows and a sling and stones up to the walls to strike from above. The leader of this group was his close friend Remaak Flickertail, a squirrel. The birds in his group were sent into the air to scout for foes. He and the remainder of fighters went outside of the walls and slipped in the ditch around Redwall awaiting the enemies to come. For the first time in his life he was scare to go off to battle. For the first time ever, Rhodri feared for his life.
When the enemy was upon them, the birds were the first to know. They swooped down attacking with beak and talons. Those that remained up high were fighting against the birds on the vermin’s side. Next it was the troops on the wall’s turn to strike. Grabbing an arrow and drawing the string, archers prepared to shoot. At the same time, those with slings prepared stones to send flying down at their enemies. When Remaak gave the order a sea of stones and arrows went flying down at the vermin. Try as they may, they couldn’t get their arrows or stones high enough to hit the Dibbuns on the wall. Lastly came those in the ditch. Waiting until the very last moment, Rhodri gave the word for his troops to spring out of the ditch and attack. In a flurry of swords, willow switches and whatever other weapons the fighters were wielding the fight commenced. Pulling out his wooden sword, Rhodri sprung at the nearest vermin, a stoat, eyes ablaze with fury that the vermin even dared attack Redwall. With a lucky thrust, Rhodri sunk his sword into the left shoulder of his foe, forcing the stoat to retreat. Eyes glue to his blood covered sword, Rhodri realized then and there that war was no game. It was a terrible thing. Suddenly terrified, the sea otter Dibbun called for his regiment to retreat.
“Retreat!”
He called out in a voice filled with fear. Listening to Rhodri’s order, the Dibbuns who served him proved to still be loyal to him. Back at the Abbey, their elders were worried out of their minds, wondering where the Dibbuns were. It seemed that the other regiments had already finished their work, and Rhodri’s was the last to return. When he did return all of the Dibbuns received a great scolding from the elders. With all of the worried elders talking at once, not a single word penetrated Rhodri’s skull. He was still immersed in thought about the battle he had fought previously. When they were sent up to their dormitories, Rhodri went to talk to Tangle.
“T-tangle?” He asked, his voice shaking slightly. “Whewe you scawed back theiw?” Though he spoke better than most Dibbuns his age, Rhodri found it difficult to say his ‘R’s, and they almost always came out as ‘W’s. Oddly enough, when it came to the ‘R’s in his name, he could say them easily.
Looking at him and staying silent for awhile, Tangle finally replied, saying. “Yes, I was.”
“But doesn’t that make us cowawds?” He blurted out without thinking.
Tangle shook her head, saying. “No, bravery is being scared, but still facing your fears. Today, we were all brave.”
Without anything to say in reply to such deep words, Rhodri nearly nodded and went back to his dormitory. Tonight, he fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow. Unlike the previous night, he had a dreamless night, the dreams he had experienced earlier stifled, now that he had seen blood.
The next morning the help from Salamandastron and the Guosim arrived. With it came the appetites of five scores of hares, five scores of shrews, and one immense badgerlord, Yarhik Eagleflight. With their help, Redwall would be able to save itself. In spite of harsh and serious warnings from their elders, the society of Dibbuns Against Bedtime once again took up arms. Rhodri, for the very first time in his entire life, wore a clean tunic two days in a row. Once again he wore sandals and wielded his willow switch, sling and wooden sword, and once again he intended on making sure Redwall would come out the victors in this awful quarrel between good and evil, vermin against goodbeasts.
Today, instead of splitting up into four groups like they had the previous day, the fighters of Dibbuns Against Bedtime fought in one large group. The battle was so fierce they were hardly noticed by their elders who were fighting alongside them. Even though they were literally invisible in this battle, the Dibbuns still did some damage against the evil vermin horde. In the end, it came down to a battle between Redwall’s champion Doram and the leader of the vermin who had come up with the entire scheme of joining together in a great force against good, Eram Stonekiller, a cruel and evil ferret warlord whose amber eyes could send chills down the spines of the strongest warriors, making them completely lose composure.
Wielding the great Martin the Warrior’s sword, Doram advanced upon Eram. His determination to win this battle and save his people and all the innocent creatures of Mossflower outweighed the want of Eram to merely takeover the Abbey that no one had been able to over the span of many, many seasons. Locking swords the two fighters commenced a great, long duel. It was very trying upon their bodies, and at many times it seemed one had won it, but then the other struck back and managed to keep it up. In the very end, Doram sent his blade straight through Eram’s heart, saving all of Mossflower from a great menace that could have meant their deaths.
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