Mattimeo (Redwall) by Jacques Brian

Author:Jacques, Brian [Jacques, Brian]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Random House UK
Published: 2012-07-31T04:00:00+00:00

A short while later they formed up into close marching order. Weapons at the ready, they set off into the trees with Log-a-Log and Matthias up front, while Orlando and Basil guarded the rear. The first thing that struck them was the absence of daylight filtering through the thick foliage of the close-growing pines, then the complete, awesome silence of the place.

‘No use trying to look for tracks among these thick pine needles on the ground. And that strong scent from the trees blocks out everything.’ Log-a-Log’s voice was muted and hollow.

‘Yaggh! Look, up there!’

Log-a-Log grabbed the wide-eyed shrew who had called out.

‘What are you shouting about?’

‘Skeletons, bones. Can’t you see them hanging in the trees? It’s a warning. We’d better go back!’

Orlando came rushing forward. ‘Bones are bones, shrew. Nobeast is turning back. They can’t bite you, see.’

The badger whirled his axe and crashed it with stunning force deep into a tree trunk. The reverberation of the mighty blow caused bones to come clattering down to earth. Orlando tugged his warblade free.

‘Dead bones never harmed anybeast. Now get marching.’

Suddenly a series of ear-splitting screams pierced the stillness and the trees about them began shaking as if moved by a mighty wind. Several shrews fell, cut down by sharp wooden lances. Matthias dodged to one side as a lance buried itself in the ground by him.

‘Help! Heeeeelp!’ Cheek gave a strangled cry and began rising swiftly into the trees, hauled up on a thin braided noose looped expertly around his body.

Log-a-Log acted swiftly. He fitted a stone to his sling. Whirling it, he loosed it among the lower branches. A small thin creature painted all over with green and black vegetable dyes fell senseless to the earth. The trees were alive with hundreds of others, chattering and screaming, swinging nooses and jabbing downward with sharp wooden lances. Basil plucked up a fallen spear and hurled it back.

Matthias crouched, drawing his sword, as Jess squirrel bounded up. ‘Jess, they’re some kind of treeclimbers. Can’t you do anything?’

‘The little savages, they don’t seem to have any language, just screaming and growling. There’s hundreds of ’em, Matthias, and they mean to kill us.’

The warrior mouse swung his blade at one of the painted ones who had ventured too low.

‘Worst thing we could do is to make a run for it. Besides, they’ve got Cheek. The shrews are holding them off with slingstones, but that won’t last.’

Orlando thundered past them, roaring. He struck trees left and right with his axe, jarring the savage beasts out of the branches. Shrew daggers made short work of them, but for every painted one that fell it seemed there were ten to take its place. The air rang with the snapping of branches and the screams of the painted horde. Above it all, Cheek could be heard sobbing loudly, ‘Help! Save me, Basil. Don’t leave me. Heeeelp!’

The old hare was leaping and kicking out with his long dangerous limbs. Anybeast that got too close was knocked out instantly.

‘Chin up, Cheek old lad, I’m doin’ me best!’ he called encouragingly.

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