Book 1: Chapter 8


"The most important thing you can ever understand is not just fighting for a cause that is right, but knowing why you are fighting in the first place. Never forget who you are, and of what you are capable. Remember our weakness." - Lord Stonepaw, first Badger Lord of Salamandastron.


Swiftpaw stood at the window, breaths coming in ragged gasps as he began to understand everything: both what was required of him and what would be needed in the war to come. Turning his back on the problem temporarily, he quickly crossed the room towards his ceremonial armor, which had been recently shined to a polished sheen, showing the face of the shattered badger as clearly as the morning sky.

Buckling on the armor as quickly as possible, Swiftpaw heard a somewhat timid knock on the door. Without even turning to look, he knew who it was.

"Laina, come in. Tell me how my son is coping with recent events."

The door opened and Laina walked in, her calm and peaceful expression disappearing as quickly as the door closed, the loud slam echoing throughout the entire upper level of the mountain as Swiftpaw winced. The expression on her strong and wilful face radiated anger and compassion, and Swiftpaw groaned inwardly as he thought of the many possible things his son could have done to warrant such a visit. None of them were good.

"When you told me he was a handful, my Lord, I did not think he would be like this."

Sighing softly, the Ruler of the Western Shores turned his head and looked at her, taking in her exhaustion and red eyes as he wondered why Melator could not just do as he was told for once.

"What has he done this time, Laina?"

The haremaid huffed irritably and sat down on the chair at his desk. Swiftpaw's eyebrows raised despite himself at the breach in etiquette, but he knew that it was on par for the course now. Despite the many hours spent learning the proper way and means to rule Salamandastron, he could never find it in himself to discipline somebeast for something so minor as sitting down when they weren't supposed to, especially in so private a setting.

Besides, he had always liked these private conversations with the Colonel's daughter. They were often broad in topic and scope and could last for hours, ranging from why the sun rose in the east and set in the west to why orange was his favorite color. Maia knew of these conversations and had even tried to join in at one time or another, but a few minutes in, she would always leave, muttering about something that needed to be attended to. She never discussed the conversations that they had with anybeast, and for that he had always been grateful.

The mere thought of Maia in and of itself summoned an icy paw that gripped the inside of his chest like a vice, with Swiftpaw struggling to keep a calm face as he wondered, not for the first time, if he would ever see her again.

Swiftpaw's eyes refocused, and in front of him, he saw Laina looking at him intensely, the anger gone from her eyes and replaced with something else that he did not want, or need.

"Report," Swiftpaw snapped.

Her gaze taking on a pitying look, Laina began to speak softly and calmly, as if she was afraid that he was so fragile that he would burst at the slightest provocation. Swiftpaw's eyes narrowed as he realized that he was ignoring Laina, and he refocused himself on the conversation at paw.

"It's not so much what he does wrong, Swiftpaw, but what he chooses to do right. Melator acts... strange. When I ask him to do the smallest thing, I am often met with opposition and outright denial, and I literally have to stand over him and force him to do what I asked of him. However, when I mention in passing that something needs to be done, say that his bedsheets need to be brought up to his room, I find them done and waiting in record time."

Swiftpaw's face hardened at Laina's words, and the haremaid understood his anger immediately.

"You have come to the same conclusions as me, if I were to guess. He has an aversion to outright commands and orders, but suggestions on what needs to be done are almost always met with open acceptance and a willingness to work, and work hard."

Swiftpaw nodded at her words as he deliberated what to do. Melator was truly his son, in more ways than he would probably ever realize. With all his heart, he wished he could be what his son needed him to be, but he did not have time to be a proper father right now, not with what was at stake.

"I understand completely, Laina. Do the best you can do, and if anything he does is completely out of line, please let me know."

Laina stood immediately, understanding the implied dismissal. Pushing the chair back into its proper place, she moved across the room and opened the door, preparing to leave until they both heard something that drew their attention.

A shout came from below, followed by a loud slapping noise that sounded rather wet. Despite himself, Swiftpaw smiled as he realized that the two figures he saw earlier in the morning were Skipper of Sea Otters and his wife, Aisha. They must have swum here as fast as possible, if he were to hazard a guess as to whom had sent them.

"Do what must be done," Swiftpaw whispered.


Karth sat up and blinked, trying and failing not to groan as the pain immediately set in. This was what he had been doing the past week: recovering in a maddeningly slow fashion as he waited for his body to heal so that he could put his plans into action. It had all started from one simple idea of needing support and had grown into something worth pursuing. Like all good ideas, it had taken time and effort for the idea to take shape into a plan of action.

He remembered walking up to the nearest hare on the fifth day, telling him what had to be done, and then going back to his tent and passing out for twelve hours, as his injury and the medicines both combined to take a heavy toll upon him. When he awoke, it was dawn, with the same hare standing outside his tent politely waiting for him to rise. Once he had dressed and had gone outside, the recruit had informed him of what he had found.

"The Skipper says that he will arrive as soon as he can, but it will be at least a few days as he has to arrange for the defense of those under his protection."

"Thank you," Karth replied softly.

The recruit saluted and turned to leave, and Karth suddenly felt horrible, like he had done them all a great disservice in not remembering their names.

"Recruit, come back here for a moment, please."

The hare turned and marched back towards Karth, and for a moment the Colonel felt a coldness seep into his spine. He glared at his paws as they started to shake, as they always did when he felt the pressure mounting. With a near uncontrollable spasm, Karth forced himself to remain still and took a deep breath, trying to remain in control.

Was he doing the right thing? Did it even matter? Karth ruthlessly quashed the questions and focused on the present as the hare that had saved Karth stood right in front of him, paw held in a tight salute as he stared straight ahead, waiting for further orders.

"Recruit, what is your name?"

The recruit smiled, his demeanour changing instantly as he stuck out his paw impulsively towards his Colonel.

"Stubbson, although my parents only call me by that name. My friends call me Stubb."

Karth hesitated as he recognized the hare that had hugged him, and as he stared into the recruit's eyes the scene in the mess was replayed, a memory that both of them would never forget.

Karth smiled warmly and took the paw. He found that the grip was firm and steady, traits that reflected back upon the young hare before him.

"I will need more like him, many more if Maia and the Long Patrol have any chance of being freebeasts again," Karth thought as he released Stubb's paw.

"You have done well with finding the otters as quickly as you did. Gather everybeast, Stubb; we have much to do and no time to waste."


Barkclaw's laughter never stopped, and only rose further as he saw the prisoners. He stopped a few feet from what was left of Salamandastron's expeditionary force, holding his stomach and bending downward slightly, laughing insanely as nearly everybeast stared at him in awe, confusion, and hatred.

"You... have all done well," Barkclaw coughed as he surveyed the Salamandastron troops that had destroyed a sixth of his force.

Abruptly, he turned his back, his tone quickly shifting to one that commanded obedience as he implemented one of the last phases of his plan.

"Bring the Badger Lady before me," he called out, still wheezing slightly as he accepted a goblet of wine from one of his personal servants.

He was going to enjoy himself today.


Swiftpaw hurried down the stairs, Laina following him hesitantly as he took the stairs two at a time, feeling happier than he had felt in a long time, despite the ominousness of the visit.

Quickly reaching the main hall, he spotted Skipper and his mate standing near the front entrance, with Skipper looking grimmer than Swiftpaw had ever seen him before; his normally carefree attitude was replaced with something darker and more guarded.

"They know," Swiftpaw thought sadly, his happiness at seeing his old friends quickly vanishing as the two otters spotted his arrival.

"Lord Swiftpaw," Skipper's mate began hesitantly.

"Please, there is no need for ceremony. Come to the conference room and let us talk."

Turning, he began to walk towards the stairs, ignoring the confused looks of Skipper and his mate as he felt somebeast following him. Without looking, he knew who it was. He felt a brief flicker of annoyance, and for a moment, he was tempted to turn and order Melator back towards his chambers, where he supposed to be, but he stopped himself.

"He can't be a cub forever."

Turning his head as he ascended the stairs, he looked Melator in the eyes, but the young badger stared back boldly, unafraid of whatever Swiftpaw was about to say.

"You can join us," Swiftpaw said, almost smiling despite himself when he saw the shock in his son's eyes.

As they made it up to the top of the second floor, Swiftpaw turned left, Melator and Laina right behind him, followed by Skipper and Aisha, with two guards following behind them as well. Melator's mouth moved silently, flabbergasted that he was finally able to join in on the discussions that took place behind closed doors.
Swiftpaw turned abruptly, pushing through a set of doors into a large chamber that had been used only a few times in his life, and each time it was used only in a matter of life and death.

He hoped they were ready for what he was about to hear.

Swiftpaw sat at the head of the table, beckoning everybeast to sit, with Melator sitting at his left hand and Laina on the corner of the table, both faces a mixture of excitement and indecision.

Skipper sat at the end of the table, accompanied by his mate Aisha as their glum faces stared into the table, both unable to start the conversation that would doubtless turn painful very quickly.

"Laina, can you get Skipper and Lady Aisha bowls of hotroot soup, please?"

Laina jumped, startled at the sudden command as she stood up. As she headed toward the door, Melator's soft voice piped up. "Can I have some, too?"

Swiftpaw felt a flicker of irritation. "No, now be quiet, son."

"But I-" Melator began.

"No," Swiftpaw snapped, cutting off Melator's argument. "You cannot have any, and you will only talk when you are spoken to. It is a privilege being here, not a right. Do you understand?"

Swiftpaw watched his son carefully, hoping he would take the rebuke for what it was, at last trying to be the father that he had to be. Swiftpaw sighed inwardly as he saw Melator's mouth open in reply, and Swiftpaw's irritation threatened to turn into outright anger.

"Why does he always presume that he has to have everything, just because it is there for the taking?"

Locking his gaze with Melator's and waiting for the reluctant nod, Swiftpaw turned his attention back towards his two guests.

"It is truly a pleasure to be seeing you both after such a long time, but I do not think this is a social visit."

Skipper raised his head and nodded mournfully as Aisha's eyes flickered towards Melator, who was fidgeting in his chair as he watched his father's every move, almost unblinking as he tried to absorb everything that his father was doing.

Hiding her half-smile, her gaze shifted towards Swiftpaw, who visibly braced himself as she opened her mouth to speak.

"We were sent word that Lady Maia and most of her troops has been captured by the fox Barkclaw. Immediately, we volunteered our assistance but we were told the best we could do was to head towards Salamandastron and reaffirm our alliance with you and the Long Patrol. With the Western Shores now nearly undefended we will help guard the mountain, although it will take some time to assemble our otters."

Swiftpaw sat for a long moment, seemingly staring through Aisha as Melator let out a gasp of horrified shock.

"Is mother-"

"How did you come by this information?" Swiftpaw interrupted, turning his head to glare at Melator as he did so. Melator took the not so subtle rebuke with an over-exaggerated sigh as Skipper finally spoke for the first time, doing his best to ignore the increasing tension.

"A huge owl suddenly appeared in front of our holt, which was well and good, considerin' that we were about to 'ead off for a few weeks."

Pausing for a moment, Skipper put his paws under the table and began to struggle with something. Waving his mate away, he yanked out a long vial from his belt with a grunt, the vial containing a piece of paper that seemed to be reason as to why Skipper had come to the mountain. Yanking the cork open and pulling out the paper, Skipper stood up and walked around the table, smoothly dodging the opening door as Laina hustled in, holding two steaming bowls of hotroot soup in either paw.

"This 'ere is a letter that Karth wrote," Skipper murmured as he offered it to the Badger Lord. Snatching it from his grip, with shaking paws Swiftpaw began to read, his eyes skimming the contents in a few moments and widening as he reached the end of the letter.

"Melator, leave now."

Melator's face turned dark as he began to complain, which was cut off by Swiftpaw's paw slamming into the table, drawing everybeast's attention as he rounded on his son.

"Why can't you do what you are told! When I give you an order, I expect it to be obeyed, without hesitation. Laina, take Melator to his room; he is to be confined there until supper."

Eyebrow raised at Swiftpaw's brusqueness she gestured to Melator, who stood up and walked out without a word, ignoring her held-out paw as he walked slowly, past Swiftpaw, glaring at him. When he reached the door, he slammed it behind him, the sound cutting through him as Swiftpaw put his paws on his face, temporarily unable to bear it all.

"Swiftpaw..." Skipper began uncertainty.

Swiftpaw raised his head, and smiled sadly.

"Ignore my troubles old friend, please just tell me everything that you know."


Maia stood silently, completely unhindered as she was moved slowly towards Barkclaw, one side of her face fully bruised with one eye forcibly shut. She moved unsteadily, her natural grace seemingly gone as she stood in front of Barkclaw for a long uncomfortable moment, unwilling to break the silence that had covered the entire clearing like a cloak.

It had been close to four days since the battle, and this was the first time she had been summoned; the excruciating wait between the four days was filled with waiting and pain as she found herself subjected to random beatings, which succeeded in keeping her up throughout the night and giving her little rest. She didn't know what was keeping her on her paws, but it wouldn't last forever. Something had to be done.

Finally the moment had arrived, and she could hold herself back no longer.

"Yes?" Maia asked, her tone forcibly neutral as her body shivered slightly, trying to contain her anger and hate.

Barkclaw smirked at Maia's obvious attempt at placidity, and he pointed one of his new claws towards his tent, which was nearly at the end of the camp.

"Please, join me. I would like to show you your new home."

He turned to walk, but Maia didn't move, an expression of confusion etched across her mangled face as she uttered a single word that few like to hear, and even fewer like to answer.

"Why?"

Barkclaw stopped, his smile slowly disappearing as he turned back towards her.

"One," he whispered.

A small rat guarding a hare at the front of the line drew his sword and thrust it through his prisoner as soon as it cleared its sheath. The blade went clean through the hare's belly, and Maia could only watch in horror as the young hare fell to his knees, his lips opened in a silent scream as the vermin drew back his sword; the only sound in the entire clearing was the whisper of a gasp from the hare as he fell forward in an almost graceful motion. All Maia could see was the hare's face, so determined and stoic in life, now frozen in shock as he fell face first onto the forest floor.

Maia roared in anger, unable to believe what she had just witnessed. She whipped her head around and took a step forward towards Barkclaw, but instead of saying anything else he raised his fist and smiled disarmingly, a smile that did not reach his eyes. This stopped her as she stared at it, her rage replaced by fear for the first time.

"Good, you learn quickly."

Maia swallowed a retort as she began to move forward towards Barkclaw, whose expression was still dangerous as he watched her carefully.

She said nothing, but Barkclaw's eyes narrowed as he stared at her. He turned and chopped his fist down roughly, his face lighting up in a hideous grin as he uttered a single word.

"Two."

Tears running down her face, Maia turned away from her hares, unable to watch the same scene repeat itself. As she walked away, she heard the same foreboding sound of a sword being pulled from its sheath, and the muted cry of agony as she walked away from those she had sworn to protect. The fact that her hares had said or done nothing this entire time had made it even worse. They knew the true depths of her betrayal, and how this was her fault. She couldn't hide, for the truth was all around them; the two dead hares added another burden for her to bear.

Her insides abruptly twisted and her whole body flared in pain. There was nothing she could do, and the fact that she was completely helpless was driving her to the edge of insanity. It was all she could do hold to whatever was left, to fight on, even though she had already lost.

But now she had to pick those fights carefully, or more would pay the price for her stupidity.

"Lead on, fox," Maia growled, her voice betraying her as it trembled slightly, nearly breaking from the strain.

Barkclaw's smile disappeared as quickly as it had come and was replaced by something far more subtle. For a moment, Maia thought that she had done something wrong, until the fox beckoned her onward, the only sound in the clearing the dying gurgle of the second hare as the rest of the Long Patrol stood silently, shocked by both the senseless violence and how Maia could do nothing about it, even though she was unbound.


Karth slumped backwards, unaware that he had been leaning forward in the first place. He could not believe that the situation had already deteriorated to this point, but frankly a part of him was surprised that the situation was not ten times worse.

"Where are they taking her?" Stubb whispered, to which Karth closed his eyes, temporarily ignoring the question.

"Colonel?"

Karth opened his eyes slowly, trying to capture the scene in his mind: the deaths of two hares that had given their life in service of the Badger Lady. He realized that he had ignored the question, and answered it quickly, speaking as quietly as he could so that his voice would not carry to the vermin that were only thirty steps away from their position, as they lay concealed within the shrubbery and other protection provided by Mossflower Woods.

"He is going to take her to his tent in order to privately talk Lady Maia... and bend her completely to his will."

Stubb digested the information for a moment as Karth began to crawl backwards carefully, ignoring the stabbing pain in his shoulder as he made sure the hare next to him copied his movements, which he did, as he recognized his vast superiority in all things reconnaissance and leadership.

"What are we going to do, Colonel?

Karth paused at the question and looked back at Stubb, whose eyes shone in a mixture of fury and desperation as he appealed to the one creature who could solve this problem.

"We call forth some old allies, and we will attack where we are least expected."


Edgar flew in a tight spiral far above the vermin camp, anger increasing with every wingstroke. The only thing stopping him from launching an airborne assault was the fact that he'd spotted some hares in the underbrush beating a hasty retreat, one of whom he recognized from the old days, when the Long Patrol was truly a force to be reckoned with. The fact that there were both captured Long Patrol hares in Mossflower Woods and Dibbuns from Redwall meant only one thing: that the rumours of invasion were true.

The barn owl silently swooped down, intent on listening in to see if he could find more information as the fox and badger slowly walked through the camp, both of them talking quietly as Edgar landed on a branch and tilted his head, lining up his ears so that he could eavesdrop on the conversation taking place within three wingstrokes of him.

"You understand that you will never be released from your captivity, Badger. If you make an attempt to escape, or do anything that even hints to me of rebellion, I will keep killing until I find somebeast that you truly care about."

Edgar seethed inwardly at the words, but ignored his anger for the moment as he listened carefully for the badger's reply, wondering if in fact she was as wise as she was proclaimed to be, something that now was in doubt, considering that she had been captured by this vermin.

"Why not bind my paws up from the beginning then? How could you possibly know that I would not try to kill you the moment that you killed two of my hares?"

The fox smiled, a truly gruesome smile that seemed to stretch from ear to ear, full of malice and something else that Edgar could not place as he stopped, forcing Maia to stop as well as both of them awaited the fox's answer.

"I didn't. I have soldiers out in the trees with bows aiming at you as we speak, their arrows coated with the most deadly poisons that could possibly be found. You would have been dead the moment you took two steps towards me, which would have been a pity. I want you to personally feel what it is like to be free on the outside, but on the inside chained with invisible strings that are harder than the strongest metal. I want you to know my pain, to take the place of the one who should be enduring your agony ten times over. I want you to suffer, as he should."

Maia took a step back, a horrified expression embedded on her features as the fox leered at her, his smile turning sadistic as he spread his paws wide, gesturing to both sides of the camp.

"Look around you, Badger. This is now your prison, and the only way you can leave this place is either when you are dead or all of those that depend on you are gone, obliterated by your own paw. Every step you take from now on will be one that I tell you to take, and they will all be filled with pain and suffering, your constant companions as you watch Barkclaw the Defiler destroy everything that you know and love."

Maia screamed, her paws tearing at her face as her cry echoed throughout the entire camp, her whole body quivering uncontrollably as she fell to her knees, her cry only growing in volume as Barkclaw stood watching with a smirk on his face.

Enraged at being able to do nothing to help, Edgar threw himself off of the branch, angling himself towards Salamandastron as the scream followed him like an accusing spectre, demanding why he hadn't done anything to help those he had once sworn to protect.

"I will do my part, I promise you; nothing will stop me from doing my duty," Edgar thought, taking a momentary detour from his path as he once again spotted his old friend and flew down towards him. Edgar noted with smugness the shock on the hare's face next to him as he landed down beside Karth, and the younger hare yelped out uncontrollably in shock as the owl landed right next to him, taking him completely unawares. Edgar noted with annoyance that Karth hadn't even blinked at his sudden arrival. He had always been cool-headed, which truly made him dangerous.

Almost as dangerous as when he was enraged.

"It's been a long time, Edgar," Karth said quietly, his eyes smouldering with nearly forgotten anger.