In the Hall of the Mountain King

[Gordon Hagglethrump]

After Atlas had been taken out, the sorting began. Woodlanders and traitors were hauled away as slaves. Captain Ancora and those loyal to her were welcomed as Blade?s guests. For a terrifying moment, Scully was certain that he would be taken off with the woodlanders. Naturally, Lieutenant Wrightbones and Colonel Swiftpaw would kill him the moment they got the opportunity, since he had betrayed them and left them to die with the snakes. But Captain Ancora spoke up, and claimed him as her own.

He was genuinely a pirate, now. They gave him a new coat and vest to wear, and a leather belt with a shiny brass buckle, and a silver chain to wear around his neck in case anyone questioned that he was a pirate. They did not return his dagger, nor the vial of hemlock, nor his bow and arrows. But they had given him a sword, and he practiced swinging it around in the barracks every night.

The mountain fortress -- the ?dead rock?, as it was called, since no vegetation grew on it -- was a small city teeming with activity. Legions of pirates organized into regiments engaged in military drills by day, and killed the time at night with games of chance, or games of combat. Blade had raised an army.

One evening, as the sun was beginning to set, Scully was sitting outside with Captain Ancora, Plink, and an otter named Chak. The Captain had taken her crew to see something spectacular. Looking out on the bay to the north of the mountain, she showed them a fleet full of ships, rivaling even the fleet which Atlas had raised. Plink pointed out to them the Zephyr among the the ships, now flying a new flag.

Scully pulled out a book of poems he had brought with him from home, and read:

Can you hear the groans
of the old ocean maiden,
waiting for her captain,
her one true love?
Long has it been
since th' old girl was forsaken,
yet she knows he'll come back
right soon, by jove!

As her boards rot away,
she still awaits that day,
no waves will deter her
nor storms keep her away!
No rain will make her drown,
no wind will knock her down,
he is coming soon to sail her
back to her home town!

Yet would she only settle
to the mighty ocean floor
she'd see that there her captain waits
behind death's door.

Plink thanked him for the poem. Something about her at that moment reminded him of the time they were hiding in the storeroom, after she escaped from the brig of the Zephyr, trying not to be caught. He wished he had a poem for that memory.

A lot can change in just a week.

Two rats arrived.

?Hagglethrump??

Plink, Chak, and Captain Ancora all looked back at the rats blankly.

?Which of ye be Hagglethrump??

?None of us,? said Captain Ancora. ?Get out of here.?

?Boss says ?tis a hare with ye, missy.? They both looked at Scully.

She pulled out her sword threateningly. ?I told you to get out of here. You will treat me and my crew with respect, do you hear me??

The rats scowled at her.

Scully sighed.

?Um? I think they want me.?

Scully stood up. He looked each of his shocked crew-mates in the eyes, and he tried to hold Plink?s gaze for as long as he could. Then, he walked away with the two rats, not knowing what to expect.

Once they were out of hearing range, the rats began to talk to each other as they entered the mountain and climbed up a long stairway.

?Oi! Who made ?er queen o? th? island??

?Talk about an uppity broad!?

?Who?s she think she is, anyway??

Scully interrupted them. The shadows of the torches on the walls made him look bigger than he really was. ?She?s Blade?s friend. She knew Blade a long time ago.?

?Uh oh! His friend!?

?Oi! She won?t last long.?

?Trust me, little mate, we?ve buried lots of Blade?s ?friends?.?

?Don?t tell me. Blade promised she?ll be his ?second in command?, or some nonsense like that??

?Um?? Scully had to catch his breath from walking up so many stairs, ?well... I don?t know... actually...?

?Oi! That?s the last thing ?e says afore ?e slays ye!?

They reached the top of the stairway at a large bronze door. The rats knocked five times and the door was opened for them by an old, sickly-looking creature whose body had been mutilated. The creature bowed at them twice.

?Hagglethrump,? they said, and left.

The creature was missing both eyes - the wounds were recent, but had been cauterized. He wore only a grey rag around its waist. His jaw hung low on his face, broken. He had apparently once been a hare, although he was barely recognizable as one, with his ears cut off at his head and his whiskers trimmed off. Most of the fur on his body had recently been shaved away, but the fur on his head which remained was old and grey, and he limped as he walked.

Scully left his outer coat with the book of poems in it on a rack by the door, and followed the creature inside. The beast lead him past a long hall that terminated in what appeared to be an office, and into a large dining room with a vaulted ceiling. A massive chandelier hung from the ceiling, filled with small candles. On the walls were mounted the taxidermied heads of giant snakes, a few skulls of beasts he didn?t recognize, and several paintings of great sea battles. He recognized his mother's signature on the paintings.

The dining table was a solid slab of oak, and it was surrounded by several chairs, each of which had been upholstered in snake-skin. On the table were silver pitchers full of water, beautifully decorated vases filled with fresh flowers, and golden serving dishes piled high with boiled eggs and exotic red and yellow fruits. At the head of the table was a wooden chair like the others, except that the letter 'B' was engraved into the wood. On it sat Blade, the pirate-king.

"Ah, Master Hagglethrump," he smiled. "If you don't mind, is there any other name you go by? Hagglethrump is quite the mouthful."

?My name is Scully.?

?Good t? meet you, Scully. Would you care t? dine with me??

Scully took a seat. The chair made a loud noise as he pushed it back along the wooden floor. He felt important, sitting at the table, and he tried to smile back, but was too nervous to do so. He noticed a one-eyed weasel sitting at the other corner of the table, quietly taking notes.

?I would? be honored? sir.?

Blade nodded, approvingly.

?Servant! Hore-doorves!?

The blind creature hobbled up to the table, and delivered two plates of crab cakes seasoned with black pepper and onions. Scully took them with delight. The whole room smelled like food.

"So, Scully, I heard that you were aboard the crew of the Zephyr. You're a little young t' be a Waverunner."

?Yeah. I was the cabin boy. But really I was there to kill Atlas. I was mad because he killed you. I mean, I thought he did.?

Blade laughed. ?So, you?re a bit surprised that I?m still here breathin?, eh??

?Yeah.?

"And who put in the head of a little leveret a plot t' try t' kill a beast like Atlas? Seems like quite the task for somebeast so young."

?Um?? Scully began to fidget. ?My tutor. His name was Brother Sage. He thought you were dead. He cried about it a lot.?

Blade let out a deep sigh, rolled his eyes, frowned, and nodded. The crab cakes were finished. Blade snapped his fingers.

?Servant! Supper!?

The creature again found his way slowly to the table, feeling the floor cautiously with his bare feet as he walked, and delivered two steaming hot bowls of skilly ?n? duff. Scully tasted the delicious, savory pudding, although it took only a moment for him to realize that the dark brown cubes were animal meat.

The one-eyed weasel snickered. ?Like the taste of Mongoose, kid??

Blade sighed and darted a threatening glance at the weasel. "Either you shut your mouth, or I shut it for you. Are we clear?" He turned apologetically to Scully. "Nevermind him. It's a native bird. Eat up."

The weasel lowered his head, and Scully continued eating.

?Don?t you miss your family back home?? Blade asked him.

?Well?? Scully said, ?maybe my mom, sometimes. But my dad is so busy, I never saw him anyway. And my brother Cyril -?

?Who?? Blade asked.

?Cyril. My older brother.?

?Who named him that?? Blade looked at him intently.

?Um? my mom.?

?Why?? Blade was no longer eating the skilly ?n? duff.

?Um? I don?t know,? Scully shrugged his shoulders.

?How long did your mother know this ?Brother Sage???

?Uh? I don?t know. Like, all my life. They went way back, I think.?

?Did he tutor Cyril also??

?Well... yeah, of course. But then Cyril left and went to military academy. And like I was saying, now he?s married to this totally idiotic girl, Merlinda Sapwood, who -?

"Sapwood? Is she by chance related to General Sapwood?"

?Well? yeah, his daughter. But the whole family are stupid idiots. Even General Sapwood is pretty stupid too. That family just exists to go to fancy parties and eat fancy food and get drunk.?

Blade began eating again, and he chuckled. ?Tell me, my dear Scully. How stupid is General Sapwood??

Scully began speaking more enthusiastically. ?Like, they say he?s in charge of the defenses of Salamandastron, but he isn?t really in charge. Whenever Atlas isn?t around, everyone just does whatever they want, they never get in trouble. They skip drills and go eat extra meals in the cafeteria. He gets so drunk at night that he sleeps until noon the next morning. ?Slow as sap,? they call him. And what?s crazy is that he?s secretly, like, totally illiterate! That?s how my brother got in good with the family and got permission to marry Merlinda. He became a page and helped write up orders for the old man. Now he just writes up the orders on his own, and Sapwood signs whatever he writes.?

Blade smiled. ?This calls for some grog, eh? Ever had grog, Scully??

?Nope.?

"Oh, it's a right old pirate favorite. Servant! A tankard of grog for me and my dear friend, Scully here."

The servant brought in two large growlers of grog. The taste was horrific at first, but after a few swallows a warm feeling filled his body, and he began to relax. His mind was at ease and he giggled between sentences.

?So, tell me about Salamandastron.?

?It?s totally not what it used to be,? Scully said. They got so focused on hunting down pirates outside that nobody focuses on what?s inside. I mean,? he paused to giggle more, ?they write these reports, because they?ve got to have something to keep their jobs, and all the reports say ?we should build back our defenses? or whatever, but?? he began giggling uncontrollably.

?Go on,? Blade motioned.

?But they just copy the report from the last season, because nothing ever changes!?

Blade smiled.

?And also? so many ships come and go nowadays, it?s like a port or whatever. They?ve got a huge market on the beach. So they can?t, like, actually stop every ship before it comes to port. So they?ve got a torch system when they first spot you on the horizon. If you light two torches, then three, then two, while you?re still out at sea, that means you?re a good guy and they don?t send out a ship to investigate you. Two-three-two, we trust you.?

Blade nodded. ?Servant! More grog!?

Scully started on his second growler of grog. He began to repeat himself a bit as he talked, trying to remember everything he had learned while sneaking around his father?s office and stealing files. He started to become light-headed, and the words came out of his mouth before he could think about what he was saying.

?...Oh yeah, and there are catapults. They?re ready and aimed to fire at any approaching vessel, but no one is manning them during breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Oh, also, um, there are the otters. The otters are supposed to be a last resort if any enemy ships approach land, they?ll swim out and try to board. Yeah. But the otters are almost never paying attention, they just play all the time.?

Blade nodded, yawning slightly.

?Oh yeah, and they created an artificial reef, underwater. Um, you know. So that unless you come in from the southwest at a 240 degree angle you?ll wreck.?

?210 degrees?? Blade corrected him.

?Right, yeah, that?s what I meant. Oh, and the northwest wall is really weak, it would fall down easily. I mean, um, if you could somehow sail a catapult or something.?

?Or somethin?,? Blade nodded.

?Oh yeah, and there?s a secret escape from the Badgerlord?s quarters. It leads to a cave on the beach, um, so he can get out in an emergency. Yeah. But I?ve sneaked back in it before, through the cave, and actually I walked in and I saw -?

Blade coughed. ?Aye, you?ve told me this one already, dear Scully. One-eye, does it line up??

?Aye, sir, it be linin? up with the texts,? said the weasel.

?So, Scully, anythin? else you wanted t? say??

Scully smiled a large smile. A question escaped his mouth.

?So, hey, Bladey,? he said. ?Dooo-did you know my tutor??

Blade smiled. ?Aye, a long time ago.? he said. ?It?s surprisin? that I inspired him so much.?

?Were you frrrrr...iends??

?Aye, you could say that. I promised t? make him second in command, once.?

?Wow. Wwwwwwow. Wowww.? Scully slurred.

?He sent me these paintin?s durin? my Terramort days,? Blade pointed to the sea battles on the walls. ?Lots of poetry, also, though I can't say I share his tastes. He recently sent me this.?

Blade pulled out the dagger which Scully had brought with him, with the word ?Blade? on the side. He unscrewed the hilt of the dagger from the blade. Out of a compartment in the hilt fell a piece of rolled up parchment. He spread it out for Scully to see.

Dear Cy,

I can only hope that you are still alive, and that this message in a bottle will reach you. See the enclosed charts and notes with my reconnaissance. I doubt the messenger will reach you, but if so, his name is Hagglethrump. He?s as loyal as I. If you are out there, and you come back, please remember that I am still your second. Best, S.

?He calls you loyal.?

?You know I am, ssssir.?

?I know you?re useful. But didn?t you betray your family??

?Uh...?

?Didn?t you betray your ship-mates on the Zephyr??

?Kinda...?

?Didn?t you betray your fellow Waverunners when they were captive t? the snakes??

?Well, uh??

"Well, that's what I've been told. And what was your comrade's name, the hare? Flooferin' Dullwaters? And the shrew? Shuga said that you tortured him for information."

?I don?t know.?

"Yes, well... I know that Sage never was too adept at discernin' a beast's loyalty."

Scully looked at him, barely able to keep his head upright. He was out of grog.

?Servant! Dessert!?

The servant brought in with him one plate, with a small cake on it. The yellow cake was soaked with honey, and topped with almonds, dates, and figs. Scully?s mouth watered as he looked at it. These foods were difficult to find on an island like this, and they must have come from the larder of the Zephyr.

Suddenly, the old hare began stuffing the cake in his own mouth.

?Hey! What are you doing?? Scully yelled at him. ?Stop that!?

The old servant kept scarfing down the cake. Scully glanced at Blade, who was calmly screwing the blade of the dagger back onto its hilt, ignoring the blind servant's antics.

?Stop that! Why are you eating my cake?? Scully shouted at the hare, whose face was smeared with honey. Scully walked over and began kicking him. ?You stupid old fool! Don?t you have enough slop to eat??

?This is for your father, master Hagglethrump," he replied.

He recognized the hare?s voice. It was General Hriston.

?Now, run. Run! Run!?

With those final words, his body slumped down over the cake plate, lifeless. Scully stood above the old General?s body, staring down at him, confused. He recognized a faint, mouse-like smell in the cake. Poison.

He looked up into the eyes of Blade, the pirate King.

He saw a ferret, intelligent, cunning, and immensely patient. He saw a pirate who could control his rage, ruled by his mind and not his feelings. He saw a leader with none of Atlas?s weaknesses, a tyrant ten times more frightening. He saw a navy crossing the seas, and his brother welcoming them and surrendering to them. He saw an army spreading across all of Mossflower: woodlanders fleeing in panic, villages destroyed, innocents killed, babes screaming in terror, children without mothers.

He saw a fire consuming Salamandastron.

"I really must thank your teacher, Scully. I couldn't have done it without him. But if you are willing to betray your own, how do I know you won't betray me?"

Then, Gordon fell to the floor, the dagger in his chest.

.