Bad News And Heading To The Swamps(Mareks revenge Tp)

--Somewhere near the Swamps---

The party have stopped for lunch, supplies are running low and the scrub land of bushes, tough grasses and undulating hills they have moved into is not a very good place for foraging. In the distance the edge of the swamps can be seen and a short way off from the main group Benar is stood with a blue-jay perched on his arm talking quietly with the bird.

Zinnia sighs a little, she glances over at Benar and the bird, curious of it but not wanting to interrupt the two talking, she looks around the area and takes a quick look at the maps.

Benar shakes his head and offers the bird a small cloth pouch which it happily takes before flying away. Benar watches it then turns and hurries back to the camp. Looking worried and shaken.

Zinnia glances up at Benar, "What’s the matter? And what was that bird, it’s the first time I have seen one before, seen a lot of sparrows before and an owl once even."

Benar says, "That was Relva... he was a Blue Jay... an old friend of mine he's been looking for me all night..." The squirrel sits down and hugs his tail to him. "He brought some very bad news...."

Zinnia frowns, "Bad news? What sort of bad news?"

Anomen walks back into the camp as he did a little bit of looking around and making sure the area was clear of any possible trouble.

Benar turns to Anomen and motions him over. "Anomen you need to hear this too... a bird friend of mine just arrived with some bad news...." The Elder lets go of his tail and looks up at his companions. "Redwall has fallen to Marek's forces...."

Zinnia frowns "What? M..Maybe you heard that wrong, maybe he was worried it might be going to." She looks worried also now.

Anomen walks over hearing the news "But..how? I always thought the gates were..." He stops remembering something and frowns more, "Dark hour" he mutters.

Benar shakes his head, "I asked Relva to keep watch and find me if anything happened." The squirrel sighs softly, "Marek's forces forced the gates down and the Abbot surrendered. He didn't get too close to see what happened in detail but he saw that."

Zinnia listens as she frowns more, "What about Papa and....did any beast?" She stops here before she ends up crying from too much worry and rolls up the maps going very quiet.

Anomen sighs, "Martin did mention a dark hour, this may of been what he meant, to get help for Redwall's dark hour, surely the Badger Lord would help if he and the hares heard this news"

Benar reaches out and wraps an arm about Zinnia and hugs her, "All we can do is get help... I am afraid Relva doesn't know any more. He has flown back and will keep a watch and if anything drastic happens fly to Salamandastron but we must be quick."

Zinnia nods, still she does try not to cry, just barely.. "Then find..quickest route there..and go. He..Relva knows to be careful right?"

Anomen paces as he thinks, "What would be a quick route there, I mean it’s possible to get back faster than we came, even if some of those hares and the badger lord go ahead of us, most likely more use to quick travel than us"

Benar says, "I do not know which route will be faster Anomen.. all we can do is follow Zinnia's maps. Do you know a faster way Zinnia dear?""

Zinnia looks at the map "We could, but you said avoid the swamps if we could." She frowns and looks at the maps again, "There is still a way to avoid most of them maybe and would take a day off maybe"

Anomen listens "So, what’s bad about the swamps? Just don’t walk in any mud as may not be mud, then there are logs usually and some dry patches to walk on probably"

Benar says, "If I remember my abbey history there are toads in the swamps who tend to attack anyone who goes into them and try and enslave them but we may have to risk it."

Zinnia nods "We can maybe make sure it's very light, and not dark and I seen toads, well pictures in a book in the library, but this book didn’t say much about them"

Anomen says, "Yes we don’t go when it’s getting dark, and try to get through as much as we can before it gets dark, even if we have to walk quicker than normal, from past knowledge most evil beasts attack when its dark, not so much in daylight. I mean sometimes they do but not always."

Benar nods his head and looks over at the distant swamps "I think they are about a day away... if we get to them tomorrow night we can camp outside then go through them Thursday during the day light and try to reach the shore?"

Zinnia looks at the maps and Benar, "Like a rest before we head threw them?"

Anomen hmms, "Or sooner, whatever is best. How far is this Salmandstron once we are threw those swamps?"

Benar says, "Yeah we should sleep and rest up before going into the swamps..." he glances at Anomen and shrugs "It depends how far up the shore we come out..."

Zinnia nods "Yes we may need the sleep"

Anomen looks towards the distance swamps "Ok, hopefully not to far then, let’s hope anyways"

The group then head on, closer and closer to the swamps.