The Outcast of Redwall

12?

The reptiles hissed joyfully as they hauled on the vine hawser. Sunflash wallowed helplessly, and his great weight was sucked under as the tree limb submerged slowly into the ooze. By spreading his paws and holding his head back, he tried to halt his descent into the swamp, but it was useless. He gave a final battle cry before he was lost forever in the murky depths.

“Eeulaliaaaaaa!

Skarlath arrived like a bolt of lightning. In seconds the big eel was writhing in midair, clutched tightly in the kestrels savage talons as he pecked sharply at its head.

“Kreegaah! If my friend sinks, you die! Tell the slimy ones to get beneath him and buoy him up, quick now!

Though he was trapped fast by the neck the eel hissed aloud, “Ssssstop, do not let him sssssink!

Sunflash felt the mud well into his mouth, then suddenly he was pushed upward from beneath, the wriggling mass under his footpaws acting as a raft. Skarlath forced the eel to clench the vine hawser in its mouth, then, beating the air furiously with all his wingpower, the kestrel flew slowly upward, gripping the eel. Beneath him the reptile latched hard on to the vine hawser, knowing its life was at stake.

Fortunately the hawser was long, and Skarlath managed to reach a dry bank with lime and alder trees growing on it. Flying as high as he could, the kestrel dropped the eel among the topmost branches of an alder and grabbed the vine from it. Leaving the eel stranded high in the alder, Skarlath took three turns around the lower trunk, then, securing the hawser, he flew back to Sunflash, calling advice. “Kreeeeh! Feel around for the vine and pull yourself out!

Letting his paws sink, the badger felt about until he touched the oak limb beneath the swamps surface. Sunflash groped wildly, knowing it was his only chance. At one point his head vanished completely under the mud. Skarlath felt a surge of panic, then sudden relief as his friend appeared like some slime-covered primeval monster, rearing up as he pulled and hauled on the hawser that he had found. Blinded by swamp dirt and spitting mud left and right, Sunflash dragged himself paw over paw, the vine hawser tautening as it rose and slapped against the viscous surface. Skarlath hovered overhead calling encouragement, while the reptiles, who had all risen to the surface, watched unblinkingly as the swamp-covered giant hauled and pulled, grunting and gasping, until he emerged on the dry bank with a final sucking gurgle.

Sunflash the Mace lay completely exhausted, the mud plastering him turning to a gray, cementlike coating in the hot sun. Skarlath strutted around him, carefully pecking the mess from his friends ears and eyes. Spitting out the gritty substance, Sunflash nodded weakly at the reptiles.

“That lot look disappointed. I would have fed them for three seasons after theyd suffocated me, he said.

The slow worms, newts, and eels were lying offshore, still watching intently. Nobeast was more surprised than the badger when Smerc staggered up, one side of his jaw swollen out of shape as he grinned lopsidedly and jeered, “Ello, stripeydog, see yer scaped from dswamp. Heeheehee!

Sunflash made a halfhearted grab at the cheeky newt, but he was too slow. Smerc tottered quickly off into the shrubbery. A moment later he was heard shrilling, “Gerroff me, yew! Lemmego, I dint do nottink!

Two otters hove into view, one hauling Smerc by a back leg. Both beasts looked plump and well fed; they moved with the sure-pawed grace common to otters. Nodding to Skarlath, they peered intently at Sunflash, and then the larger of the two spoke.

“Aye aye, matey, we card the commotion over this way so we cruised over to take a glim. Im Folrig Streampaw an this fat frogwalloper is Ruddle Banksnout.

Ruddle promptly passed possession of Smercs leg to Sunfiash. “Ahoy, just ang on tthis bucko for a tick, matey!

Ruddle hurled himself upon Folrig, and they wrestled and kicked, buffeting each other all over the ground.

“Frogwalloper is it, you bottle-bottomed flotsam, us Bank-snouts was always ten times more andsome than you Stream-paws!

“Haharr! Did yer say andsome? Yore mother wouldnt let yer swim in the water cos you frightened all the fishes!

They rolled over and over, locked together, pummeling each other as they laughed uproariously and traded insults.

“Yore father tried tswap you fer a toadbabe when you was a pup. He said it was nicer lookin by far! Hohohoho!

“Harrharrharr, matey, my ole granma used tsay, show me a good-lookin Streampaw an Ill die appy. Shes still livin!

Sunflash sat up, still with the writhing Smerc in one paw, and said, “Would you two like to stop fighting for a moment, Im getting weary just sitting watching you!

They quit tussling straight away and stooped, staring closely at the mud-caked Sunflash.

“Blow me down, is that a badger beind all that swamp muck?

“Aye, so tis, an he looks prettier than you, even with all that muck on im. Sit still, messmate, Ill soon ave you clean an shipshape with a drop o clear water.

Ruddle dashed off to find water, and Folrig took Smerc from the badger, shaking him by his loose neck skin. “You rotten liddle scumslimer, Ill wager a willowerb to a water-shrimp yore beind all this!

The newt kicked and squealed, pointing upward to the eel draped in the alder branches. “No, no, streamydog, not me, it was im up there!

Folrig grinned broadly at Skarlath. “I spose you put ole squirmskin aloft up there. Why dont ytake this whimperin whelk up to join im? Theyre mates yknow, shame to keep em apart.

Weeping and wailing piteously, the newt was borne up to the high branches and deposited there next to the eel, who was clinging grimly to the thin branches, complaining, “Ffffeel sssssick up here.

Skarlath waggled a talon in his face. “Eelscum, feel grateful this bird let you live!

Ruddle could find only a bit of wet grass, but he cleaned Sunflashs eyes and nostrils as best he could. “There yare, mate, at least ycan see an sniff proper now. Come with me an ole ugly mug there, well navigate yer back to good dry land away from this swamp. Mayap youd like to visit our den an take a bite with us, eh?

Sunflash thanked them and pulled himself upright slowly.

Folrig was looking this way and that. “ old ard, wheres yer pal, the kestrel bird?

Powdered mud fell dustily from the badger as he began walking. “Oh, Skarlath comes and goes as he pleases. No doubt he knows Im safe with you, so he decided to take off for a while. By the way, what about the newt and the eel up there? Hadnt we better let them down? They might starve and die.

Ruddle chuckled. “Not them two, when were gone theyll slither down one way or another. A bit o penance dont do rogues like them no arm.

It was nearly twilight when, after a long and perilous trek, they cleared the swamplands and came to a wooded terrain backed by mounds of smooth ancient rocks. The otters made their way toward the rocks; Sunflash heard water splashing as they skirted the fern-fringed bank of a stream. Looking farther up to where the rounded rocks reared their massive forms, he saw a beautiful waterfall.

Folrig stepped out jauntily, calling back to Sunflash, “Well soon see if yore a badger underneath yore swampcoat, an I ope yore a prettier sight than ole rot-the-apples there!

Fighting and chortling, the two otters dived beneath the falls, letting the torrents batter them. Sunflash was a bit apprehensive at first, but after gingerly stepping beneath the cascade he reveled in the feel of clean, icy water drenching him after the long hot trek through the swamps. Weariness fell from the badgers limbs, and a marvelous sense of well-being enveloped him. With a playful roar he joined the otters in their game, seizing them both in a hug.

“Eeulaliaaa! Im Sunflash the Mace and Im better looking than both of you put together, you nut-nosed, boulder-headed beasts!

Retaliating, Folrig and Ruddle got Sunflash in a double headlock between them, shouting, “Drown im quick afore he scares the young uns!

“Wot an orrible sight, mate, a badger with a butter-dipped nose!

The three fell about, laughing in the water, then suddenly Ruddle plunged deeper into the thick cascade and vanished. Sunflash pawed water from his eyes and looked at Folrig. “Wheres Ruddle gone? he asked.

“Into the den, matey. Ere, give me yore paw an Ill show yer.

It was a cave at the back of the waterfall, completely hidden from view. Stepping from beneath the falls onto a raised ledge, Sunflash followed Folrig around a slight bend, and there they were, in a dry, rush-strewn cavern. Ruddle had already put flint to tinder and set a small fire.

“Welcome in, messmate, he said. “It aint much, but tis ome fer two andsome streamdogs such as us.

Sunflash dried himself by shaking off and rubbing vigorously with aromatic dried grass. Ruddle produced beakers and a big gourd jug full of pennycloud-and-rosehip squash. Folrig busied himself chopping leeks and white turnips into a cauldron, eyeing Sunflashs hornbeam limb as he did. “Thats a mighty big eadbonker, matey. Did you make it?

Sunflash hefted the weapon fondly. “Aye, its my mace, he said.

The irrepressible otter pointed to a bundle of thick red roots. “Mace, eh? Well, if you dont fancy smackin ole Ruddle in the chops to improve is looks, praps youd like to pound up those otroots fer the soup.

Using the head of his mace the badger pulped the roots to shreds. Folrig tossed them into the cauldron along with some dried watershrimp, young nettles, mushrooms, and carrots.

They sat round the fire until the soup was ready, when Ruddle served it steaming hot with chunks of barley bread. The taste was delicious, though the spiciness almost took the badgers breath away. Hurriedly he poured a beakerful of squash down his burning throat. “Phwooh! I feel as though Im on fire. What soup is that?

Folrig began singing.

“When I was just a liddle beast,

I was so small an1 weak,

Id often fall flat on me tail,

An I could ardly speak.

I scarce could totter round the floor,

Me whiskers used to droop,

Til granma made a great big pot

Of good ole otroot soup!

An now Im brisker than a bee,

More fitter than a mole,

Most every day I ear granma say,

Give im another bowl!

Ill live a thousand seasons,

Grow strong as any tree,

Give me a spoon an fetch it soon,

Good otroot soup for me.

As the evening wore on, Sunflash began to enjoy the tangy dish. In fact he ate more than either of his two friends. They sang and recited, ate and drank until all three fell asleep where they sat, around the glowing embers, with the soothing sounds of the falls in the background.