User blog:Clockworthy/The Thunder Queen

My computer was stupid, and erased all 15 chapters of the thing, because I wasn't going to post this until it was done...as you might imagine, I'm feeling pretty resentful toward it at the moment. I'm sticking this first bit up here, because I trust Wikia more than my hard drive.

"Eulaliiiiiaaa!"

With a powerful kick of her feet, Sayice Lapwing knocked back the vermin warlord Duskill Skullsong, named for the various noises that came from his preferred instrument--animal skulls. She picked up her sabre and stared down at him. "Alright, get your blade, scum! I won't slay a fallen beast--I'll slay ye after you've stood and fought!"

The weasel backed up slowly, and reached for his scythe that lay in the dirt. He swept it up with his left paw, leaving his right to fling sand into Sayice's face.

She jumped back, scrubbing furiously with her free hand and thrusting her blade forward.The hooked end of Duskill's weapon caught it, and the two weapons were locked together. The first beast who stepped forward to unlatch their blade would be killed by the other slamming theirs in the chest.

"Your skull will make a lovely sound after I've killed ye, hare." He snarled, trying to pull his weapon loose. "Who will have gotten the best o'ye then?"

Sayice strained her ears; She could hear the Long Patrol calling warcries while they fought in Mossflower Wood. Her adopted brother, Emperny, was at Redwall, helping to patch up those who had been injured in the Infirmary. Just seeing creatures fight was enough to make him ill.

But wait. This is not the time. She thought sternly to herself. Task at hand old girl. But the task at hand wasn't really making progress. Duskill squinted with his good eye, the one still in his head and not in his tent, and gave a great heave. Sayice stumbled forward, and her adversary saw and grinned wickedly. He gave another huge pull, and she could help letting loose a cry of shock.

"Redaeulaliaaaaaaa!" That wasn't Sayice. She had just gave a little shout, nothing expansive. Something flashed through the air and landed point first in the dirt a few paces away; The Sword of Martin the Warrior. It hung in the Abbey and now it stuck in the ground. But how did it get here--? Not important. For now.

Without thinking, she crouched and made a leap toward it; Her own blade went slack, and she felt the air go by in a whoosh as the scythe cleaved the air where she just was. Sayice's personal weapon was lying in the dirt, its owner with both paws on the hilt of the most marvelous sword ever forged. The blade seemed to glow in the dark, cloudy night.

"Well. Back on again." Fear in his eye, Duskill rushed over to where Sayice was. He had forgotten about the sword and stepped on it, cursing and stumbling as it cut deep into his footpaw. He swung the scythe and overshot his mark; He spun in a circle, stopping when Martin's sword went through his body. He fell dead, a sword through the back and heart.

Sayice pushed the heavy corpse aside and reached for her own sword. Securing it in her paw, she brought both of them together three times; A clear note pealed in the air. "Eulaliiiiaaaa! 'Tis over, all over. Eulaliiiiiiiaaaaaa!"

The sandy clearing had been empty; Now dozens of hares were pushing rats, foxes, stoats, and all manner of vermin into the area. Guards were posted around the perimeter. A older hare with a dirty blue and maroon tunic came up to Sayice. "That your doing?" He nodded to the body.

She saluted."Yessir, General Mackles."

He clapped her on the shoulder. "Well done, you. Top hole work, m'gel." He saw Martin's shimmering, dripping sword in her paw. "Ah, so the credit really belogs to that Abbey Warrior fellow?"

"Well...it came out of nowhere. The sword. So, yessir, I guess he gets some credit too. About thirty-five percent. Can I go see Emperny now? Tell everybeast back at Redwall that it's finally over?"

She received a stern look.

"Or...go see if anybeast needs a hand."

The features softened. "That's it, Colonel Sayice Lapwing." She stood there, speechless.

"You'll really put in a reccomendation for it, Gen?"

"If you prove one more time that you deserve it, missy. Now hop t'helpin'!"

Every Patrol member greeted her enthusiasically, shouting the old, popular mantra of ''Say it ice so! Sayice says so!'' when she walked by with the good news (That she had killed Duskill Skullsong, not that she had been promoted. They all knew it would happen as soon as the oppertunity presented itself.) She came across Yapple Hoptti.

"Fantabulous! Just Fantabulous, m'Sayice! Let's do a final skirt 'round the edges of the wood, shall we? Dissuade any more stragglers, eh?" He held out his arm and she playfully took it. They went into the wood.

Sayice and Yapple checked within half a league of the area. Martin's sword was a little too long for the holster around her waist, so she held it loosely in one paw.

"I'm goin' over here!" Before she could stop him, Yapple untangled his arm and shot off to the left. Sayice was left alone in the dark. There were the remains of a camp; Ripped fabric, smoldering embers--

On an instinct, she looked down the swordpoint and gave a start; The point was aimed in the face of a little babe, wrapped in a blanket. It had kept pretty quiet, only making small noises. Now it began to cry at the sight of the weapon. Despite the length, she sheathed the blade and bent to pick it up. "Casualty o'war, are you? Where's ya mum?" She looked around, but she knew no more vermin walked free in the woods. Sayice poked back the hood of the blanket and a pointed ear poked out. A foxbabe.

She realized that it could be a trap (If it was, I'd probably be too late to save myself she thought.) and fumbling with her left paw, took out her sabre. The fox was looking at her pointedly now. She imagined him saying "Whatcha doin'?"

For a fleeting instant, she thought about slaying the babe and possibly saving a lot of potential bother and worry in the future.

''That's completely horrid. I won't do that.'' The best option--the only one, really--was to take him to Redwall, and see what could be done.