Scaling the almost vertical rock face of Salamandastron was no easy
task.
When they reached a window it appeared to be a dormitory slit. It
appeared
to have around eighty hares. Fortunately, all the hares were asleep.
Stalker
put a paw to his throat and did a cutting motion. Bladrun nodded.
Taking out
their poison daggers, they began nicking their blades into the hare's
throat's. When thirty or so hares remained, a sentry came to wake his
predecessor. Seeing the killers, he started yelling, "Intruder!
Intruder!".
The remaining hares immediately began to punch and kick the intruders.
When
the hares were convinced that the intruders were dead, they took them
out of
the mountain castle and threw them on the beach. Muttering how killers
like
them didn't deserve a burial. Slowly, Stalker came into consciousness.
Bladrun didn't. Walking back to the forest by folowing the shoreline,
Stalker came upon some corsairs fighting some otters. Stalker joined
the
fight and made many kills. Later, the captain of the Corsairs came up
to
Stalker. "You did well back there. You know about Sampetra?" he asked.
"No"
"Well, I think you would do well there. You wanna come?"
Stalker thought about for a moment. "Yes"
When he arrived at Sampetra, he met Lord Ublaz, the leader of the isle. He also met many new beasts. Stoats, foxes, rats, Lizards, ferrets, weasels, even some ermine. When the reports for missions came in. Stalker saw one that he must do. Longstride the Axe and forty hares were coming in through Mossflower. He immediately told his captain and was on the next boat to Mossflower.
It had been one day since the Abyss dropped him off, with orders to come back in a week, and Stalker had set out for his target. Holding a longbow, a battle axe, and a few daggers, he set out for Longstride the Axe. Carrying thirty arrows he would make short work of Longstride and his hares. He picked up their trail and calculated that they were about a day ahead of him. Judging their tracks , it appeared that they were at a leisurely pace. Following their trail, he set off at a quick run and estimated that he would be in eyesight of their camp at sundown. Three hours later, he arrived at their camp. It was bustling with hares, but Longstride stood out like a sore paw. He decided to wait until morning for kills. He found a little cave that he could sleep in for the night and conjure up a plan. While eating, he thought about tomorrow. At last he will have revenge.
When dawn broke he had awakened and set off to kill some hares.
Four hares had made a small fire and were having a debate over the food
at some place is the best," said one hare.
A second said, "No way bally chap, the deeper'n'ever pies are the
best."
"Look you noodle noggin' knuckleheads," said the third, "their breads
are
the best."
The fourth hare simply said, "I've haven't been to Redwall
yet."
Now the hares were describing all the places of Redwall to the young
hare. Stalker hid behind a rock and decided to make a kill. He loaded
his
longbow and slowly aimed at the hare who had never been to Redwall. Too
bad
the young lad will never see Redwall, Stalker thought. He released the
arrow. The arrow was going so fast it went right through his neck and
went
out into the forest. All his companions saw was him suddenly collapsing
into
the fire. While they were dragging him out and looking over him to see
what
happened, Stalker fired another arrow at the first hare. It found its
target's heart and he was dead before he could wink an eye. The
remaining
two saw the arrow and quickly shouted, "There's an
intru-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh." Two well thrown daggers silenced them both
for
good. Thirty-six hares and one badger Lord were immediately up and
fully
armed. One hare in particular was shouting out orders to the rest of
the
camp. One of the arrows found its way into his
neck. Although his orders weren't complete, many hares were branching
out
into the forest. Two were heading right for his hiding place. Grabbing
two
daggers,he thrust them into the hares' middles, mortally wounding them.
Looking over the hares, he found a cask of wine. Wrapping some torn
cloth
from one of the slain hares around the arrow,he let it soak for a
second
and then knocked the arrow into place. He was barely in line with the
fire
and the provisions tent.
Standing out of his hiding place in plane view of the hares, he fired.
The tent was immediately engulfed in flames. Now out of cover , he
immediately heard, "Look, it's a fox!" He set off at a mad dash away
from the camp, with half the hares on his heels and the other half
trying to
put out the fire. Although weighed down by his weapons , he was in good
shape and quickly lost them.
He went back to the camp at night and listened in on Longstride. "We have two options: one, we head to Redwall and get some more provisions; two, we can rough it back to Salamandastron. All in favor of heading to Redwall say 'Aye'." "AYE!!!" "It's unanimous. We'll head east 'til we get to the path." Stalker had heard all. He disappeared into the night without a trace. A hare on sentry duty thought he saw something move. Nah, he thought. His thoughts were interrupted by one of Stalker's arrows.
Stalker finished the last of his provisions right after getting back to his cave, setting off to find a good hiding place right after finishing. He found the path and made an educated guess at where they would come out. He found a forked tree that would shield him from sight.
About half an hour after daybreak he saw them emerging out of the woods. He waited until all had there backs to him and then came out of his hiding place and let them start walking down the path in single file. He grabbed a dagger and slit the throat of the hare in the rear. Stalker grabbed him and eased him to the ground. He fell without a sound. He continued this process until there were only eight left. When killing the eighth hare he didn't cut deep enough and the hare yelped out with its last breath. His Marlfox instincts taking over, he jumped over a hedge and hid silently. When the remaining party turned all they saw was a line of twenty-five dead comrades. They gasped with horror at the sight of all of them with their throats slit. They started scanning the vicinity and searching the road sides for the killer. One hare was almost to him when he jumped up his battle axe severing his head. One hare saw it happen and called out for back-up, while on the move to where the kill was. He leaned over to inspect his fallen friend. Stalker had blended in to a nearby tree, and, reaching up with his dagger, sunk it into the hares back. He saw three hares who were coming as back-up. A little late, Stalker thought. With a dagger in each hand he threw them at the outside hares. They went down, but the other was still coming. Picking up his battle axe, he put the two spikes on top of the axe in front of the remaining hare. He had no chance to stop. With only two hares and Longstride left , he headed out into plane view on the path. The hares and Longstride immediately saw him. The two hares, armed with spears, said, "We'll get him sire." They charged before the Badger could say anything, one slightly ahead of the other. With lightning quick reflexes he slid to one side and spun against the hare, wrapped one arm around the hares chin, and stuck his dagger into the hares back. The last hare charged faster now. When the last hare was nearly upon him Stalker turned, making the spear useless, and stuck the dagger into his neck. Now Longstride had begun running when the first hare went down, but he was just now getting to Stalker. Stalker cast his crossbow, his dagger, and his quiver full arrows to the side of the path. Battle axe to battle axe , Marlfox to Badger Lord, Longstride swung down with his axe head. Using the two spikes on top, he blocked and pushed upward. Longstride's hands went up and, in a fluid motion, swung sideways with his mighty axe. Stalker jumped back and hit Longstride's axe head, the shock numbing his hands and forcing the badger to drop it. He thrust at Longstride with the two spikes. They both pierced his heart. He dropped slowly to the ground, as his eyes closed , never to be re-opened. His revenge was finally completed! Stalker lay down and slept for a day. When he woke up, Stalker grabbed Longstride's axe and set out for the rendezvous point on the beach. On time two days later, the Abyss came and delivered him to Ublaz. " You have done well. Here is your reward...