The Rescue of the Kidnapped Abbot, Part 1
Will Benar and the other Redwallers be rescued today? Read and find out, bwahaha! ;)
The Great Hall of Kotir... plus three floors above it, now reduced to a massive artificial cavern that is connected to the larger, natural cavern that formed over the old parade ground. It is filled with tents, some small, others larger, marching martens on patrol, training, cooking, moving about like a military camp! For those who have been watching it the location of Abbot Benar and the other Abbey beasts has been able to be determined over the last day or so. Benar is in a tent with Rascal near the left centre of the camp, nearest to where Lee, Chud and Zarok are hiding. Sister Dorothy, Brother Theodore and the four dibbuns are in a tent closer to where DoraRose and Anomen have been hiding out.
Anomen stays close to Dorarose as he watches the martens move around, he has stayed quiet also. He has a bandage on his arm where he had fallen before, not a bad injury but still an injury that had needed tended too. He keeps his sword at his side as he waits for a good time to go anywhere.
DoraRose had been lost. Seriously? How could she get lost when she's just following Zarok? Well, it happened, and that's why Dora should never lead and expedition. Her axe is still tied to her back, and her sword is in its sheath, although she's keeping her paw on it, ready to pull steel at a moments notice. Furrowing her brow, she nudges the squirrel and writes in the dirt. -There are too many of them! We can't fight our way through that many martens! Do you have any ideas?-
For DoraRose and Anomen, the tunnel they were following comes out near a large supply dump, food, weapons, tools etc. Beyond that is the tent with the Abbey beasts in it. There is a patrol that marches past every ten or fifteen minutes, six martens marching perfectly with spears on their shoulders.
Anomen has been studying the martens and writes -they pass every 10-15 minutes, if timed right we could get the abbey beasts out of there, hopefully Lee and the others can get Benar and Rascal- He lets her read it before he erases it with his tail.
Lee continues watching from his vantage point. He sends Chud off to scout around, and remains hidden himself. This is far bigger than he planned for. What he needs is an army, but an army is not going to be coming anytime soon, so he has to think of something else, and fast. "Oy, where's John an' DoraRose when ye need 'em?" he mutters to himself.
On Lee's side it is trickier, Benar and Rascal are obviously considered more important, their tent is surrounded by officer tents and though there aren't many around right now it still means getting past about 6 patrols to the Abbot and getting back out with him.
Biting her lip, Dora reads the message, then watches the guards, a smile spreading across her face. Giving the squirrel a thumb's up to show her approval of the plan, she sticks to the shadows and slowly, silently starts to move forward, blue eyed-gaze glued to the area in front of her, searching for the best way to get the others out. She stops after 3 steps and waits to see what happens.
Anomen has been in the Gawtribe so he knows how to be light on his feet and be sneaky himself, he goes slow and stays alert as he looks around.
Lee draws his blade silently. He'll attack without warning. Maybe get an edge of surprise, he hopes. He doesn't like his odds, though: one against who knows how many. "I'll prob'ally get slaughtered, alas..."
A guard nearby Benar and the fox's tent looks bored, and tried. But is still alert, maybe a little less than they should be though.
"Be cheerful," Zarok whispers. "Maybe you'll ssssurprissse yourself." Chud nods sagely, as if to say, 'He's right, you know.' Chud's dirk is hefted in one paw and Zarok bares his fangs, flexing his jaws a few times. They're right behind Lee, crouched in shadow.
Lee nods. He points at the nearest guard. "Well, firstly, we gotta get past that sentry, eh? We need ta quickly take 'im out, silently, before 'e can sound an alarm..."
Anomen keeps an eye on guards and where tents are and where he and Dora is, all the while quiet and slowly sneaking ever closer.
Chud nods, gulping slightly. He's always been a fighter, but he's never sure if he can be a killer...time to find out. Zarok saves him from having to do so, by raising his tail to volunteer to take out the guard. "Somebody hold him down, I rip out his throat."
Meanwhile, on the other side of the camp, Dora is being sneaky. She is certain that instant death awaits her should she go in there, swinging her sword in a blaze of glory, and she's kind of wanting to get back to the surface, I don't know, ALIVE. She is silent as she sneaks up to the edge of the shadows, her black clothes and brown fur making her blend in quite well, actually. She still has her sword in its sheath, not wanting its shine to give away her presence. She is waiting until the guards pass by again so she can stealthily dart past them and get to the tent where the majority of the Abbeybeasts are.
Lee shakes his head. "Er, no throat rippin', please. That'd be too much of a scene, eh? We want stealth, not a bloodbath. I'll deal wi' the guard, ye two slip past, alright? An' no throat rippin' anybeast else, okay?"
The guard is still by the tent, they do move away from it a little and rubs their eyes. Maybe they been on duty too long, but their own fault.
For Dora and Anomen the sneaking goes ok, with the patrol route of the guards locked down she is able to reach the shadows behind the tent containing the abbey beasts. There is a single guard around the other side guarding the tent flap. But otherwise no one else is nearby to really get in their way. Of course sneaking back out with several abbey beasts and dibbuns will be a lot harder but hey they are in! Lee's team have a plan, at least the thought of a plan, Benar is very close now....
Zarok actually looks disappointed. "I can snap hissss neck," he offers futilely. Chud simply nods, gripping his dirk tightly, his paws not shaking fortunately. "Just tell me when," he whispers.
Lee draws one of his daggers, nodding at Chud. "I'll grab the guard, ye wait in the shadows, then sneak past after I've dispatched 'im, okay? Zarok, yer a good kid, but let's not snap ev'rybeast's necks, I think that'd be noticed before too long."
Anomen slips closer and closer to the tent, he stays in the shadows and waits quietly.
Chud nods, as does Zarok. "Ready." Chud drops into a crouch, while Zarok is just short enough that he doesn't really need to. They each drift into position.
Kneeling, Rose peeks at the guard, then slips back out of possible sight, knawing on her lip again. She is figuring that killing the guard would be bad right now. Instead she lays her face to the ground and tries to peek underneath the tent edge. If she sees anyone, she will say in a barely audible whisper, "Hey, it ith DoraRothe. Evereybeatht keep quiet, we'll get you outta there!" She has a lisp because the S sound carries like nothing else.
The guard goes down under Lee's tender ministrations, paving the way for Chud and Zarok to drift forward toward the tent where the Abbot is being kept. It'd take moments to slit the cloth and enter the tent quietly, or you could kill the guard and get inside without any trouble but that may draw attention. To Dora's call there is a whispered, "DoraRose? It is Dorothy... I am glad to hear from you..."
Lee reappears from the shadows, wiping blood off his dagger. "So now, I imagine we have 15 minutes, tops, before that sentry is relieved, at which point he'll be found gagged and bleedin'. So let's 'urry, shall we?"
Anomen slips next to Dorarose and looks back and forth keeping alert and quiet, he is also trying to figure out how to get the Brother and Sister and 4 dibbuns out quietly.
One nearby guard, closer to the tent near Dora and Anomen, decides to give in to sleep, looks like he may have a strict talk later with his boss.
Chud nods. "Okay, let's go." He follows Lee, and Zarok stays low to the cavern floor, slinking along, while Chud sneaks more upright.
Lee sneaks along quietly toward the rear of the tent, dagger at the ready. Meanwhile, he whispers to Chud, "By the way, I don't suppose ye 'appen ta remember the way outta here, eh? Because I figure, once we liberate the prisoners, we'll 'ave ta beat a hasty retreat, an' it won't do ta get ourselves more lost than we already are, Mate."
Drawing her sword, Dora starts trying to cut a slit into the back of the tent, murmuring, "Keep the little oneth quiet." If she succeeds, she's sneak in and take a quick look around to see who all is in here, and what condition they're in. Are they able to sneak? Are they injured? Will she have to gag the Dibbuns? She really hopes not on that last one.
"I remember," Chud assures Lee. "Pathfinder, remember?" Zarok licks his lips gently with his long, forked black tongue in anticipation.
Sister Dorothy and Brother Theodore have the dibbuns ready to move as DoraRose slides into the tent, they are all scared stiff, frightened but being quiet and carried in their arms. They nod to Dora and will start to follow her and Anomen out of the tent as soon as they are able! Sadly for Dora and Anomen they get maybe half way back to the tunnels when the shout goes up, a passing marten has seen them and charges sword drawn as he roars an alarm! On the other side of the camp near Benar's tent the alarm rises quite some distance away and several guards move off leaving only one guarding the tent with the Abbot now.
Lee sighs in relief, then nods. Once they reach the tent, he glances at Chud and Zarok. "Oy, I sure 'ope this ain't a barracks tent..." Then, with a deep breath, he starts to plunge his dagger into the canvas, when the sound of an alarm startles him. For a brief few moments, he freezes, thinking they'd been caught...But then he notices the guards all seem to be departing to the other side of the camp. "Seems we ain't alone, Mate. Reckon it be DoraRose?" He wastes no time now and cuts through the canvas quickly, making a large enough hole for a beast to enter.
Anomen frowns, this is not good, he looks ahead of where they are going and back to where the guards are coming. He has his short sword and a sling "Get them out of here Dora or have them run" He twirls a sling and a rock is fired off towards a guard.
Chud slips into the tent, and Zarok follows, his teeth bared and looking quite savage. "Probably," Chud whispers as he moves in, his dirk ready. Gotta go fast.
Well, crap on a cracker. Rose gasps, then goes to shove the Abbeybeasts towards the tunnel. "Run, we've been found! Run as fast as you can!" She unwinds her sling from around her waist, twirls around, and loads her sling all in 1 fluid movement. Firing off the rock towards the marten, she goes to grab the squirrel and tug him towards the tunnel. "C'mon! I'm NOT leaving you behind!" She goes to shove him towards the tunnel as she draws her sword and runs over there herself.
Lee slips into the tent after his companions, dagger still drawn and ready.
Dorothy and Theodore run with the dibbuns, staggering into the tunnels but Theodore is carrying two dibbuns, he trips and falls and Dorothy turns back to help. To get out of here ahead of the guards three beasts need to run with the dibbuns whilst someone holds the martens off. Meanwhile Lee enters the tent to find Benar sitting at a table, his habit is rumbled but otherwise he is fine, "Ah Captain hello there, Zarok my son, and Chud, how nice to see you." he sets his tea cup down and stands up, "Are we leaving? Someone be a dear and carry Rascal, he's been a great help and deserves our assistance."
Anomen distracts the guards so others can run, he half glares at Dorarose and fires off another rock, "You have a mate...a family......I don't" Yeah talk back to the mousemaid, fires off another rock before he backs off a little .
Zarok almost tackle-hugs Benar but thinks better of it. "Lezzzgo!" he rasps. Chud hears the yelling from DoraRose and says, "Sounds good to me. Is...is that tea?" Not waiting for an answer, he sprints off towards the battle.
Lee blinks. "Wait... Err, well, thank goodness yer okay, Benar... And Rascal, alright...I suppose I can try, maybe." He starts to try and lift up the hefty fox. "Blimey, wot's he eaten? 'E must weigh wot, 300 pounds?" He grunts. "Anyway, Benar, we must be goin'...Or ye do, rather. I got unfinished business ta attend ta down 'ere..."
DoraRose hesitates, her indecision plain upon her face. She looks back at the Abbeybeasts, then grips her sword tightly. "Please try to come home, Anomen. May seasons of peace follow you." And she runs off as fast as she can. When she reaches the group, she lifts a Dibbun in one arm and balances him on her hip, keeping her sword out. She'll probably have to sheath it after a few steps. "Come on, let's go, hurry!! RUN!" And she urges Sister Dorothy and Brother Theodore onward, hoping to quickly get them to vanish with her into the darkness.
To be continued in this log http://rwmuck.limitless.org/rwmuck/content/rescue-kidnapped-abbot-part-2 ....
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