Maudie, who had risen early with the squirrel, strode in, towelling her face dry of streamwater. "Right indeed, old lad! Come on, chaps, up on y'paws. Quick's the word an' sharp's the action, wot! Now, we've got some jolly hard paw-sloggin' today, everybeast will be followin' friend Rangval, who knows the secret route to Redwall. So, with the permission of our Log a Log, an' Barbowla, I'll organise the march, wot?"
Some of the Guosim looked as though they were about to dispute the haremaid's role (as was customary with shrews) when Luglug rebuked them sternly.
"The maid's got my say-so, anybeast wants to argue about the crackin' o' hazelnuts, can do so wid me afore we goes further!" The Guosim chieftain allowed one paw to slide down to his rapier hilt. It was sufficient, no shrew wanted to tangle with Luglug. He nodded. "Carry on with yore orders, miz."
There was no mistaking the haremaid's air of command, Major Mullein would have been proud of her. "Pay attention at the back there. We'll be travellin' light an' quiet, fast an' silent as the bloomin' breeze, wot! Files o' four'd be best, don't get strung out or trailed to one side, keep t'gether, that's the ticket. Rangval will take the lead, I'll bring up the rear, Luglug an' Barbowla to the midflanks,
193
left'n'right. I want everybeast who's strong an' able enough to pack a babe on their backs. Sorry about brekkers, Osbil an' Belford will provide ye with vittles, to munch on the march. All clear, any questions?"
Kachooch held up her rudder. "Ain't we allowed to sing as we go? I likes marchin' songs, Miz Maudie."
The haremaid shook her head. "Apologies, marm, I like a jolly good marchin' song, too, afraid we'll have to do without 'em. Safety in silence y'know. No more questions? Lead off, Rangval!"
They left the cavern, emerging into the calm summer morn. Maudie listened to the distant trill of birds, the murmur of the nearby stream, and the swish of dew-laden grass underpaw. She kept her wits about her, and her eyes focused into the surrounding woodland. This was not at all an easy task, as she was trying to eat breakfast, a fine yellow pear, some shrewbread and a small amount of hard cheese.
Adding to her difficulties was the shrewbabe, a tiny pestilence named Yik. He had elected to ride on Maudie's shoulders, simply by climbing up there and refusing to come down. The haremaid could not really protest, as it was she who had initiated the idea, so she bore her burden stoically. For awhile, at least, until Yik started to make his presence felt. "Yowch, I say, old lad, don't pull my flippin' ears!"
"I norra hole'ad, jus' makin' ya go fasterer."
"Well, I don't wish to go fasterer, er, faster, so stop tug-gin' on my ears, and don't keep kicking me with your confounded footpaws!"
"No kickin' ya, me paws gettin' itchy, I h'only scratchin' 'em on ya."
"Well, kindly chuck it, or go an' scratch y'paws someplace else. Whoops! What are you up to now, pestilential little bounder?"
"I savin' some breffkist for laterer!"
"Not down the back of my blinkin' tunic you're not. Eat
194
it up now, or I'll tell 'em not to jolly well serve you any lunch!"
Osbil dropped back to walk alongside Maudie. "Well, miss, are ye enjoyin' yoreself?"
Maudie treated the young shrew to an icy glance. "Are you blinkin' well jokin', enjoyin' myself, with this bloomin' miniature cad torturing me! Who does he belong to, where's his ma an' pa?"
Osbil took a closer glance at the shrewbabe. "That 'un's little Yik, he don't belong to anybeast in particular, miz, he just turned up one day, didn't ye, mate?"
Yik bounced up and down on Maudie's shoulders, gripping her ears for balance as he squeaked aloud. "Blinkin' flippin' jolly well bloomin'!"
Osbil tried to hide a smile. "That's very nice language to be teachin' a babe!"
This seemed to encourage Yik, who redoubled his efforts. "Blinkblink flipflip jolly jolly bloomers. Heeheehee!"
A low, cautionary whistle came from the flank Barbowla was patrolling. Everybeast halted, Maudie reached up and clamped a paw across Yik's mouth. The travellers stood stock-still, not daring to move. The big otter signalled twice with both paws, pointing off to the left. Barbowla balanced a short otter javelin, watching the four Brownrats, who were barely visible twixt the shafts of light and shade cast by the trees. The vermin moved slowly away, stooping with the mud and marsh ooze plastered thickly on their bodies.
Luglug came from the other side of the marchers. Both he and Barbowla, with weapons at the ready, stole noiselessly through the tree cover toward the Brownrats. They were gone a short time, whilst everybeast kept total silence, not moving a single muscle.
After awhile, the otter and the shrew chieftain returned. Luglug kept his voice low. "Relax, mates, they've gone, the opposite way to where we're goin', thank the seasons. Are you alright, Miz?"
195
As soon as Maudie had clamped her paw over Yik's mouth, the indignant babe had bitten into it. She could not shout out, or wriggle to free herself, but was forced to stand there, transfixed by the tiny, sharp teeth.
Luglug assessed the situation at a glance. "Pass the liddle scamp down 'ere t'me, Miz Maudie."
Still attached to the shrewbabe, the haremaid allowed Luglug to hold Yik. Pinching the babe's nostrils firmly, Luglug cut off his air supply, forcing him to open his mouth to breathe. Maudie withdrew her paw smartly.
Kachooch gathered a few dock leaves. "Put these on it, miz, 'twill stop the bleedin'. I'll fix ye up with a proper dressin' when we stops for a rest."
Barbowla interrupted, "I say we stops now, 'tis not far off'n noon. Once we're rested we'll carry straight on for the Abbey, widout any more halts."
They sat to rest in the covering shade of an ash grove. Kahooch put some salve on Maudie's paw, whilst Yik looked on with great interest. "I bited you 'cos you nearly chokered me, I cuddent breeve."
Luglug flicked the used dock leaves at him. "Be off, ye naughty liddle savage, shame on ye!"
The shrewbabe went off pouting. "I norra naughty samwich, hT'm a Yik, h'an I not like youse anymore!"
Maudie could not help smiling at the aggrieved shrewbabe. "Ain't exactly the type to mince his words, wot!"
Rangval took stock of their surroundings. "By rights we should've pressed on further afore we stopped t'rest. Shure, we'll have t'step up the pace a bit, if'n we want to reach the Abbey tonight."
Luglug stood upright, signalling to the Guosim. "We're ready if'n everybeast else is, how's the paw now, Miz Maud?"
The haremaid went into a fighting stance, shooting off several jabs within a hairsbreadth of the shrew's chin. "Right as rain, old lad, shall we get goin', then? Form up again, chaps, an' let's see you march off smartly. Yik,
196
c'mon, up on me shoulders an' see if you can jolly well behave y'self this time. Yik, where's that little terror got to?"
Osbil and Kahooch searched among the Guosim, the otters checked their own babes, to see if Yik was hiding among them. Luglug scratched his head. "That rascal's gone off somewheres, prob'ly found a spot to hide an' sulk, 'cos I spoke sharp to 'im. You lot best carry on t'Redwall, I'll catch up with ye after I've tracked Yik down."
Maudie nodded to Rangval and Barbowla. "You're in charge now, get goin'. I'll stop back an' help Luglug find the little rascal."
Rangval did not bother arguing. "Ah, yore right there, me darlin' commander, we can't hang about all day lookin' for the small villain. Just follow our trail once ye've caught Yik. Should ye get lost, then keep yore eyes peeled fer the two-topped oak, it was riven by lightnin', ye'll recognise it on sight. Right after the oak ye'll come out of the woodlands, Redwall's straight in front of ye then, across a patch of open land. Head for the liddle south wallgate, we'll be waitin' there for ye. Good luck now, an' give that fiend's tail a skelp for me when ye find him!" The main party moved swiftly off, leaving Maudie and Luglug to find the shrewbabe.