An Unlikely Bargain
An Unlikely Bargain
~~//~~ A Tale of [[Order_Redwall_0%25E2%2580%259D|Redwall]]~~//~~
Starring:
Magramba, Traveling Warrior
Flicktail, Abbey Champion
Aden, Wandering Acrobat
Matilda, Vermin Princess (spoofed by Benar)
In the Ruins of Kotir
Off in a corner of the hall, a small candle sits, shielded by the panes of glass that make up a lantern around it. Nearby are Magramba and his companion, a white-furred fox, trying to pass the time without making too much noise or dying of boredom. "We can't just leave without her," the squirrel murmurs to himself for what is probably the hundredth time. He's sat on a fallen pillar, which doesn't do too much to inspire confidence in the structural integrity of the hallway, but he doesn't seem to mind.
Flicktail sits, still quite pleased with himself, his tail flicking. "I actually got to touch ol’ Greeneyes, no beast alive can say ‘at!" He chuckles and nudges the squirrel. "Oh come on, Mags, maybe we could pass the time trying to track her down... Give me ol’ snout a workout?”
"Well, Mag, didn't take you for a sentimental one." A voice whispers and, a dusty - and rather drawn - Aden steps into the candlelight. "Sorry to worry you." She shrugs, tugging her eyepatch off now that she's in the light, and taking the opportunity to wink. "Howdy, Flick." She has a way of turning up at the right time (and disappearing at the worst).
A voice echoes softly down the corridor. "It is hardly impressive; you touched a cat that has been dead for seasons uncounted." A figure slinks out of the darkness. "Who should care that you touched a dead warlord?" The female pine marten stops at the edge of the light and regards the trio. She is tall, broad shouldered, dressed in a mail skirt and armour with a heavy mace by her side. "So you are the three... I thought the crazy old mouse was mad, but the Seer said I should heed his words and look here.... You are from above," she points, "the red house where the Grey Squirrel rules you all?"
"Aden!" Magramba starts up, a look of shock and delight flashing across his face just long enough for the other squirrel to see it before the new voice makes itself known and his expression turns dark. A suspicious glare shoots the marten's way, and his paw falls immediately to the hilt of his sword. Her manner and speech is peculiar, giving him pause. "What business is it of yours? You have no more right to this place than we."
Flicktail smiles at Aden. "well 'ello lass-" then he stops and looks at the marten. "Well..have you ever touched a long passed warlord? I bet not," he chuckles, walking to the marten, looking her up and down. "Hmm... you are in fine shape." He says in a compliment to her, and looks to Aden. "Who be this beast??"
Aden wasn't even aware of how much time had passed since Jibella's mother (and her cronies) had dragged her away from the main group, but she had spent most of it twitching and checking uselessly over her shoulder into the darkness, jumping at the sounds of her own footfalls and breath. You can forget sleep entirely. "...And I was about to advise you snuff out the light..." Aden finishes, her ears pinning back and a paw snapping to one of the knives at her belt. But this one seems...a little different - or maybe just a little mad. "Calm yerself, Romeo, this isn't one of the ones whom I had the overwhelming pleasure of having a chat with." She growls to Flicktail, her gaze not leaving the new arrival.
The marten leans languidly against the wall. "No, we don't; it's damp, dark, and squalid, and that place above," she points, "It's too much trouble: everyone knows what happens if you mess with Redwall Abbey." she swings her mace up and points it at Flicktail. "Fair enough, Snow White, and yes, I touched him. We raided his tomb when we took over down here. We at least had the decency to put his grave back together- and you call yourself a good beast fox!" She glances over at Aden. "I offer apologies if you have been bothered; my father's minions are... brutish." Then she focuses on Magramba. "You seem in charge. I am Princess Matilda del Reindfhr so Underhill. My Father is King. He claims it is our place to rise above and take the Redwall. My brother walks with him... I believe it is a fools errand. Our Kingdom, our people, will die: by woodlanders, by the Badger Lord and his hares, by your infernal Abbot and his peaceful ways. I would take the Crown, take our people, but I have no alternative. I must have a land I can take them to, a place we can claim as our own, or they will never follow me. If you can find that place then I will take my brother and my father out of the picture and quit these ruins.... the mouse said the three from above could help. The seer says, he is most insistent."
"Oh, gross, Flick you touched the dead cat?" Aden scrunches her nose, her attention momentarily shifting from this apparent princess. "That's a pretty fancy title, but you're right about that bit about the death from above and blah, blah blah..." The throwing knife gleams in her paw, but she does not make a move with it. "So you...uh...want a favor...?" The silver squirrel raises an eyebrow, her voice incredulous. But after this, she grows quiet. It is best to let her more level-headed counterpart handle this. She is here to be the muscle, after all.
Whether or not he's actually in charge is irrelevant; if she's giving him some sort of respect as their leader, Magramba will use it. "Why don't you take the crown by force, then? It seems to be 'your people's' specialty, after all." The warrior's expression hasn't softened, and he continues to regard her from under heavy lidded brows, pulled down by suspicion and mistrust. "What do you want from us, then? Do your dirty work for you, survey a nice plot for a hideaway castle in the woods?"
Flicktail's eyes widen. "Yer a princess?" He bows to her and cocks his head. "I suppose that is right, t'was a bit disrespectful... I can go make it right if ya want." He glances at Aden. "It's not gross... It was very... moving... but this beast has a point, they been living 'ere... done no harm." He looks at Magramba. "Wot say we find them a place ta live, every beast e'en them deserve to live inna sun."
The marten rolls her eyes. "And this one is yer champion? Ha!" She gestures at Flicktail. "He is a one, isn't he?" She shakes her head. "If I take the crown by force and have no place to take them, then what? I am left with no choice but to take up my father's plan. If I take the crown and can lead them to another place, a place we don't have to conquer or displace or worry about a billion woodlanders swarming us under; then I can leave and take them with me. I cannot go searching, but our Seer has cast the dream dust and it is quite clear to them. Your dead mouse spirit is going to lead you someplace; when you know where... tell me and I will lead my people there, but not without proof it really exists."
"Other than kidnapping our Abbot and planning to invade the Abbey," Magramba notes, glancing towards his friend the fox. The marten's words ring a bit too convenient, though, and the plan she describes does not strike his fancy. Probably hoping Martin would show them a way to collapse the place on them or something along those lines. "What kind of proof? What kind of place? You can't expect us to do this for you without specifics of any kind, if we do it at all."
She shrugs. "I had nothing to do with that. I am the Princess, you think I kidnap squirrels and children or fat foxes and bumbling fools?" She looks at Magramba. "Apparently there is a map, a chart, but there are... foes defending them." she pulls out a piece of paper, "If it helps.... the seer wrote down these words. Apparently they would make sense to you." She holds out the piece of paper. "Somewhere there is the chart I need and the foe you need to face to complete the quest atop your head. I don't understand it all, it is Seer Business, but they say you will understand it."
Flicktail looks a bit offended, which takes a lot for this fox as he moves to join Magramba. "You know, I was tryin' to be nice to ya. If yer gonna be a snotty nose... Maybe Magramba is right.... I don't like thinkin' of ya have in to stay down here... I assure you we can be mean.... Wot do you think, Mags, do we help out Princess Sourchops? Wot be the name of this seer o' yours? Does 'e 'ave a name? You seemed like a not-so-bad princess at first...."
"More riddles?" Magramba's ears wilt a bit as she proffers the paper, but he steps forward to take it. While one paw reaches out to take hold of the sheet, the other rests on the hilt of a knife in the small of his back, eyes watching her, not the mysterious paper, as he takes it. Once he steps back, and only then, his eyes drop to scan the sheet. "Princess Sourchops," Aden sniggers from the side. Magramba searches the paper, scanning the few lines over and over, then finally turns his gaze back up to the marten. "...You keep your father at bay. You keep him from attacking above, yeah? You do that, and we'll help you. If you cross us, if our friends come to harm, I'll lay myself in the dust with his head before I reach Dark Forest's gates." Heavy words.
She considers him, nods, and steps back, "Matilda. Remember my name." She looks around. "I am going to arrange an accident: that tunnel into your orchard will collapse. It'll enrage my father, but it'll take him until the middle of Spring to shore it up and dig it out again... that's as long as I can hold him."
"That should be all the time we'll need." Granted they travel hard and against the weather, anyway. Flicktail's question catches Magrmaba a bit by surprise, and he glances over towards the fox, blinking a bit as it's shaken the mood of the moment in a disconcerting start. "Uh- no, not really. You're just a bit trusting, is all. Always think the best, even when the worst is true. It's not a fault at Redwall," he adds, reassuringly. "...but down here..." Dark eyes flit back towards the marten. "Off you go, then. Matilda." He remembers the name.
She bows to Magramba. "And take care squirrel, and you too, white fox. My seer saw a lot of trouble ahead for you both. But I will keep your Grey King safe as long as I can... bring me what I need and I will vacate these ruins."
Flicktail says, "These ruins are creepy. You harm our grey one... and I will renounce my peaceful ways. But if you aid us, we will be yer best allies."
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Magramba mutters to Flicktail. The warrior is in no hurry to make friends with these martens. On the whole, they seem a violent and unpredictable bunch.
She grins and fades away into the darkness, turns and is gone. The martens are good at moving down here; several other shadows flitter and shift and then they are all gone.
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