Chapter 8 - The Galedeeps

Strike woke with a start. It took him a moment to realize what had happened. Edider had come to him with a mouse warrior named Martin in a dream. But it wasn't a dream. It was a message. He jumped out of bed and put on a fresh tunic, which had been laid out for him. He ran to Barky's room and knocked on the door. A very tired looking face looked out at him with annoyance.



“What do you want?” Barky asked in an annoyed voice to match her tired face. “Don't you know how early it is? I haven't had a good sleep since I was at the McNale's.”



“Sorry Barky, but I had a strange dream. My sister Edider came to me, along with a mouse named Martin.”



Barky straitened up at the mouse's name. “Martin came to you?”



Strike wasn't too sure of what to say. “Uh… yes? Why?”



“Martin the Warrior is the spirit of Redwall Abbey. He'll send messages to young creatures through dreams. Is that what he did? Good. What he say?”



“He and Edider told me to go to the coast to the otter clans. He said that Flogtail is going there to slaughter them. We have to hurry.” Strike said with urgency in his voice.



“Hold on.” Barky closed the door on Strike and came back out in her tunic, dark green to match her eyes. “Righty. We need Sabrepaw and maybe Fwirdle to come with us. There is no possible way I'm going against a bunch of searats without a squad.”

……………………………………………………………………………………………



Walking along the beach, Strike remembered some of the things they were seeing from his childhood days. There was a tree that he always liked to climb, but it was bigger. Then there was a little pool that he swam in. He started to remember more and more of the landscape around him the further they went. Then he stopped. This was where Flogtail had killed his sister Edider and taken him. He started weeping when a paw held his shoulder. He looked up and saw Barky smiling at him. How he loved her.



After traveling down the beach for a while, they were greeted by five otters with weapons. Most slings. A male otter walked up. Strike could tell he was a warrior by his scars over his muscular body. When he spoke, his voice was almost a boom, though not like Lard Oakstripe's voice. “What do you want here?” he asked, none too kindly.



Sabrepaw, who was in charge, stepped up to say her piece, “Good day, sah. I see you've found us. We're friends, I think, wot wot. Could you possibly tell us where the Speedwater Holt is?”



A pretty light brown ottermaid walked up. “I am Silmara Galedeep. We know the Speedwater Holt, but it's kinda far, mates. Why don't you stay with us for the night? It gets pretty cold on the beach.”



Strike smiled at the ottermaid. “That would be nice, thank you.”



“Right this way then,” Silmara said. “Oh, and you can call me Sil. Don't mind my brother Herm,” She indicated the big otter who had spoke first, “he just doesn't like visitors too much.”



They reached a den near the sand. A motherly otter mum ran out wailing, “Sil! Herm! What have I told you about bringing visitors without me knowing!?”



“Mother, they're headed for the Speedwater Holt, so Sil thought they should stay with us for the night,” Herm said, an annoyed hint in his deep voice.



The otter mum calmed down some. “Oh, ok. That's fine. By the way, why do they want to go to the Speedwater's anyways?”



Strike spoke for them all. “Marm, I am Strike Speedwater. I'm going home to warn them that a searat captain and his evil crew are headed this way to destroy the otter clans here.”



The otter mum had been stirring a stew, but dropped the ladle when she heard his name. “You're Strike Speedwater? I was told that after Edider Speedwater, bless her, was found dead, and with her dagger missing, on the beach ten seasons ago. She had been chasing her brother Strike and no one knows what happened. Everyone thought he was dead, too. Do you know what happened if you really are Strike Speedwater?” she asked, her eyes huge with wonder.



Strike took a deep breath before telling her what had happened since that awful day on the beach ten seasons ago. When it was all over, Strike's face was tear stained, all of the beasts listening sat with wonder, and the stew over boiled.



Sil spoke in a shaky voice. “We'll make sure you get home, Strike.”

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