Cam's Connection

Bellmount Wood Chapter 5 ~ Kidnapped! The vermin under Arizona's command made camp just outside Rowanbrooke Hall in a shady glade where they wouldn't be discovered. Arizona had given the rats a day to rest and get ready for the action that would take place the next day. He had come up with a cunning and ingenious plan to kidnap some hostages. They would snatch them out of the forest, then escape back to Salsa Springs. Cairo would extract any information he wanted from them, then they would set back out with a huge army to conquier Rowanbrooke Hall. ~*~ That afternoon the infirmary had run out of rosemary, thyme, brightbalm and frostleaf plants for healing. Sootpaws, the nurse wanted to make sure they had plenty of natural medicines before winter set in and the forest became snowbound. Right now, the plants were at their peak time for harvesting. The leaves and seeds came off easily. So a group of dibbuns, hares and otters set out into the woods to find the plants. Dahlia Cottontail, the leader of the expedition suspected their mission was partly to keep the dibbuns out of trouble, and the hares out of the kitchens, but she couldn't be sure. The baskets all of the creatures carried were almost completely full of spicy, sweetsmelling herbs and they were about to head back when Dahlia heard a rustling in the bushes behind them. "I say chaps! What's that rustling in those bushes, wot, wot?" She hopped over to see what was going on. It was probably one of the dibbuns trying to scare her. Tricky likkle things! Suddenly a net sprang down out of the trees and enveloped Dahlia in its folds of twine. It was lifted off the ground by a previously hidden rope attached to the trap. It got tighter and tighter on Dahlia until she was gasping for breath and couldn't move at all. "Bally-ho! Wots this going on here!" Dahlia was angry. She now thought that vermin were in the woods. "Skipper!" she shouted at the otter. "Get the dibbuns safely back to the hall and sound the alarm. I can take care of myself. If I don't came back meself, rescue me!" But before they could move a ferocious band of sea rats surrounded them and started roaring. The dibbuns realized this wasn't a happy afternoon in the forest anymore so they started whining and crying. It was a very loud cacophony but they were far enough away from Rowanbrooke Hall nobeast heard. The corsairs drew their sharp daggers with shining blades and pointed them at the helpless creature's throats. The otters wanted to fight back, but they didn't want to endanger the dibbuns. "Awright. Surrender, all of ye! And stop that terrible bawlin!" an angry looking rat spoke up for the first time. The dibbuns abruptly stopped their noisemaking. "No one of ye gets hurted if ye come wits lotsa coperashun!" The otters, hares and now-quiet dibbuns were led away into the forest towards the vermin camp with knives at their throat and a guard of at least a score of vermin. There was no chance of escape. They would have to hope someone would rescue them. It seemed like there wasn't a hope in the world, when suddenly a bright thought popped into Skipper's head. The stupid vermin had forgotten Dahlia or they planned to go back for her. They must have underestimated the power of her sharp teeth and long legs. Maybe help was on the way already! Chapter 6