Book 1: Chapter 10

The resentful Warlord, the tired Commander,

Both fighting for so long they cannot remember.

Their battles never cease, and the struggle never stops,

Their final destination… an embittered Redwall.

The siege of the Abbey must be lifted; the war must be won.

You alone have the strength to do this: save one other.

The progeny must live, for there are others that must be saved.

The Defiler and his son, two sides of a single coin: a coin that must be paid.

Karth stopped suddenly, breathing hard while mentally cursing both his age and health as his shoulder twinged painfully with each movement. Overhead, the night grew a little brighter as the moon rose, its light piercing through the branches of a budding tree, reminding Karth of a long-repressed memory. Despite himself, he shuddered.

"Are you alright, Colonel?"

"Never better," Karth mumbled, bringing out a small chuckle from Stubb, who then looked over with some alarm as Karth sat down heavily, his back leaning against a tree.

"Don't you think that we could be spotted, wot?"

"I highly doubt it. After all, we have tracked the guard's movements the last few days, and they have been nothing if not regular."

"Still, don't you think we should move, sah?" Nodding his agreement to his younger subordinate, the Colonel forced himself to stand, unable to hide a grimace as he moved deeper into Mossflower, farther away from the enemy camp where they would not be spotted.

After a few minutes of growing more and more exhausted, Karth found himself in front of a small cave, more than large enough for one to crawl into.

Giving the interior the most cursory of glances, Karth crawled inside, ignoring the dirty floor as he turned himself over with a grateful sigh.

"I'm going to stand guard outside, Colonel. Get some rest; we still have a few hours before the meeting."

With a muttered thanks, Karth immediately shut his eyes, which closed almost on their own accord with his exhaustion. He had slept little in the past four days and had eaten even less. He fell asleep quickly, snoring softly as his consciousness expanded and shrunk, mentally preparing for the trials ahead.

Running through the smoke-filled street, Karth could not help but marvel at the chaos he had helped to create. It felt good: bringing down an evil that had been plaguing Mossflower and beyond for close to a season. With Greyfang dead, the vermins' sense of leadership was crippled, and his patrol regiment was trying to mop up the remnants of what remained of the fox's forces, although strangely they had not tried to surrender. Instead, they had continued to fight on as if possessed by madbeasts, and Karth found himself somewhat respecting their misplaced efforts, if only marginally and with a great deal of smugness.

Glancing around the village, he smiled at the husks of homes, devoured by the flames that had spread in a surprisingly quick fashion. That and the battle had all but destroyed a village which shortly before had been seemingly unassailable with his small force.

"Greyfang was foolish to let us in," Karth thought.

Although Karth would have liked to watch and glory in the destruction, the fighting had become increasingly desperate, making that an impossibility. Right now, he needed to set alight as many houses as possible before dawn, to make sure this skirmish didn't devolve into a long-standing battle. Victory had to be claimed, tonight, or it might not ever be.

Behind him, there was a shuddering roar, dwarfing all other sounds. Karth stopped, winded, knowing that he shouldn't halt, but he wanted to see for himself. It truly was the culmination of all the Long Patrol had worked for.

Greyfang's former residence had been almost completed before this night, and even in its final moments, it remained impressive. There had been much grumbling from his hares when they spotted the house, and everybeast, himself included, took it as a form of vanity, that Greyfang had to have the bigger house. Typical vermin.

Distracted from his thoughts, he glanced up as the biggest and tallest house in the village groaned, its few intact beams struggling under the immense burden of keeping an entire house erected. For a moment, Karth was inclined to believe that the dead fox's residence would stay up, but before his eager eyes, the building crashed down, the encroaching flames eagerly lapping up its remnants.

For a moment, the air was clogged with flying dust and ashes that obscured the village beyond from Karth's view, but as the debris settled, Karth finally saw the true devastation beyond of what he had personally wrought. The dead and dying numbered scores, and Karth put a paw on his own blade, knowing that it was by his actions that this battle had been waged.

The smell was even worse: the smell of enflamed flesh driving out what little air was in his lungs. It hurt to breathe it in; he had to escape it.

Looking wildly around him, Karth found a building still mercifully intact, for some reason completely untouched by the fires or fighting. Renewing his sprint, he made his way towards it.

He reached the house within moments, his throat dry and his eyes leaking tears which fell down his face slowly, clearing some of the dirt and ash. Nearing the door, he noticed it still stood stolidly, unaffected by the fighting or by the chaos surrounding it.

Grunting, Karth shouldered through the door, wheezing heavily from the exertion. After giving the interior the most cursory of glances, he slammed the door and leaned on a chair, letting his weapon drop to the floor as he tried to catch his breath. Bowing his head from exhaustion, he noticed that there was still a meal on the table, reminding him of the fact that he had not eaten in quite some time. Moving his thoughts away from the prospect of satiation, he thought of what he still had left to do.

The last quarter hour after killing Greyfang, he had expected the vermin who still remained to surrender immediately, or at least see the fight go out of them. Instead, they fought on, redoubling their efforts as the fire began to spread throughout the entire village. It had turned into a slaughter, and his hares had become drunk off of it as they roamed the village. He could not stop them in good conscience. They had fought long and hard to get to this day.

A distinct feeling of pride welled up in his chest as he remembered how the Long Patrol had stood firm, killing any who opposed Salamandastron. Despite what he would say to anybeast else, he had reveled in it; it simply made him more alive, and that made him slightly uncomfortable.

But only slightly.

Behind him, he heard quiet pawsteps, and Karth whirled around to see a young rat, looking terrified and holding a knife, his paw whitened from how tightly he gripped it. As soon as Karth turned towards him, the vermin shifted into a run, doubtlessly hoping the element of surprise could give him the upper paw.

"Even their young are killers," Karth thought angrily, his fury finally blowing over this time as he did not bother to try reining it in. His rage gave him strength, and he relished the prospect of killing this vermin.

Disregarding his weapon, Karth blocked the swinging arm in mid-strike, causing the knife to fall out of the rat's grip as he shoved the vermin backwards with his other paw, causing him to crash into the wall and moan in pain, clutching his neck as he slowly slid down to the floor.

Snarling, Karth swiftly knelt and grabbed his sabre to finish his job, but instead he swung it desperately as another knife flew towards him, barely managing to deflect it. The redirected weapon flew through a nearby window with a smash, rendering the rat unable to defend himself.

"No!" the rat screamed hoarsely, raw terror in his voice as he leapt towards Karth with a strangled cry.

Elated, Karth leveled his weapon, watching as the sabre punched through the rat's chest and abruptly stopped; the only thing keeping him up was the Captain's own tight grip upon his weapon.

The two stared into each other's eyes for a brief moment, one panicked, while the other was smug. In his final moments, the rat glanced towards another door that Karth had not noticed in his fleeting search. The terrified look momentarily reappeared on the rat's face again, his paw lifting slowly towards the door, and falling as he began to twitch uncontrollably.

Yanking on his sword and ignoring the muted scream, Karth realized that the blade had gone through the rat's ribcage. Spitting in the face of the soon-to-be corpse, Karth pulled with all his strength. He watched in satisfaction as the rat gasped in agony in his final moments, which quickly turned into a sigh as his eyes dimmed.

Contemptuously, Karth pushed the falling body away from him as he glanced at the door, noting it in his mind before he set to work.

Taking a flint from his pack, he moved to the fireplace in the side of the room, lighting the piled wood in the hearth, glancing behind periodically as he did so.

When the logs were good and lit, he waited a few more moments before grabbing a nearby poker and dragging the logs from the flame, jumping back as they rolled towards him. In a few moments, that part of the room was alight.

Smirking, Karth redrew his bloodied sabre and began to slowly move towards the open door, aware that anybeast could be waiting back there, waiting to strike. Excitement welled up within him, and he hoped that he would be able to kill more in Salamandastron's name.

Opening the door, he stood there for a moment in surprise, unable to believe what he was seeing.

An ancient rat, coughing heavily as he leaned over a cradle, was desperately trying to pick up a squirming baby stoat that would not cooperate with his whispered pleas to remain still. As Karth moved forward cautiously, he realized that the rat was blind, his eyes completely filmed over. Although the rat could not see, he was not deaf, and he called out to Karth as the hare made his way over to them.

"Koial, is that you? Are you injured?"

Not answering, Karth walked up to the side of the crib and picked up the baby stoat, who smiled brightly at him, her eyes watering from the deepening smoke.

Ignoring the increasingly frightened tone of the old rat, Karth shifted the bundle in his arms to his left paw, his right paw inching towards his belt.

In the other room, there was a loud bang, followed by an even louder snap, as the flames truly engulfed the house. He would have to be quick, if he wanted to escape with his life.

A worried look on his face, the old rat placed a paw on Karth's shoulder, his grip surprisingly firm. He tried to shout over the growing cavalcade of falling timbers in the next room, but the Captain of the Long Patrol did not hear, his focus on the now-squirming bundle in his arms.

Her protests became weaker as the smoke began to overpower her. All he would have to do was hold her still for a little while longer…

The wizened paw on his shoulder slowly moved down, and Karth knew the rat would discover the deception. His hand slid down to his upper chest, and he felt the rat stiffen and recoil.

Adjusting the grip on his sabre, Karth hefted it and shoved it towards the rat's throat, now slightly unsure of himself and his actions at the sight of the helpless creature under his blade. He was used to fighting snarling vermin with weapons to the point that he had neglected to consider other possibilities. Possibilities such as this.

Staring at Karth sightlessly, tears streaming down his face, the rat spoke, his whisper somehow audible over all the commotion.

"Please- she is the only family I have left."

The words, meaningless in all of its variations spoken earlier this night, now struck home; it was as if a haze was lifted from his mind, and it screamed at what he had done, and what he had been about to do.

Still holding the baby, Karth turned away, unable to look at him as he thrust his knife back into his belt.

"What are you-"

"There is no time," Karth interjected, swiftly moving out of the room and leaving the vermin spluttering in indignation.

He wasn't sure if he was trying to avoid the rat's questions or the sinking feeling in his gut.

Opening the back door, Karth hurried out. Behind him, the entire house shuddered, the wood moaning as it began to crack, now completely unstable and liable to fall at any moment.

"Come on!" Karth shouted behind him, feeling a burst of concern and guilt for the old rat.

The rat hesitated, looking torn as he faced him. "But my grandson…"

Karth stopped, and looked down at the baby. It did not look that much different from a young leveret, a creature who could not possibly have committed any wrongs against him, but that he had now condemned to a life of hardship and squalor, all because of a personal vendetta…

"Is this truly my doing?"

"I killed him. It happened so fast, I don't-"

The rat laughed harshly, smiling a deadbeast's grin that contrasted with the deep sorrow in his expression and posture.

"Spare me your lies, Captain. Yes, I know who you are, I still remember the stripes well enough to know by touch. You have destroyed almost everything I have left to live for, and you hold what's left of it in your paws."

Disturbed, Karth placed the baby in the open paws of the vermin and gripped his arm tightly as he spoke haltingly.

"Let me- let me lead you to safety, at least."

Sneering derisively, the rat nodded his head, allowing Karth to lead him forward.

"Stay ahead of me, Captain. I don't want to put my back to you."

The words hurt, but what hurt even more was the realization that the rat was correct.

Huffing, the rat followed him towards the back door. As they went, Karth heard a loud crack from behind him. Not thinking, he dove towards the door, barely escaping as the entire building caved in on itself. For a moment he felt relief at his lucky escape until the hare whirled around, a cry of horror on his lips, but the old rat and stoat were already lost in the debris and smoke.

Watching the flames, Karth stood, his grip on his sabre slackening as he realized what he had done. It fell to the ground, the small thud it made nearly unheard over the crackling wood, which still could not drown out the growing horror that he felt.

This really would have been a place for vermin to grow and thrive, but not in a way that meant they were a threat to anyone.

And he had taken it away from them.

He looked upward, at the now brightening sky as the moon's dwindling light shone through the branches of a flame-scarred tree. Karth shut his eyes and opened them, as if trying to process what he had just done and the acts he had just committed, purposeful or not.

"Greyfang was right all along… They only wanted to be left in peace."

His conscience screamed futilely but his body moved on; his only thoughts were the faint hope that Dusktail was still alive.

"Colonel, wake up. We're late for the meeting."

Karth sat up with a strangled cry, all the deaths still as fresh in his mind as the day they occurred. In his peripheral, Karth saw Stubb recoil at his sudden movement and watched as the Private's paw unconsciously strayed to the hilt of his sword.

"I've trained him well," Karth thought, feeling a brief moment of pride.

Karth could sense the rigidness of the hare next to him and the doubtless shame he must be feeling. His lips twitched in the beginnings of a smile at the thought. He sensed Stubb relax the tension in his paw, as Karth's initial look of blind panic faded into something more subtle as he became aware of his surroundings and what Stubb had done.

Karth chuckled as he saw the look of regret on Stubb's face and stopped as he was forcibly reminded of something else at the sound of Stubb ramming his blade back into his sheath. Shaking his head roughly, Karth forced himself to focus on the matter at paw.

"Don't worry about your reaction, Stubb, as your instincts were good and true. Focus only on the task ahead."

Visibly calming himself, Stubb moved back so that Karth could actually get out of the cave. Grabbing the Colonel's weapons belt, he put it in Karth's waiting paws as he exited the cave. With a nod of thanks, the Colonel reattached the belt to his waist, speaking softly as he did so.

"You will wait here for me, while I go and meet Edgar."

The younger hare started to protest, but Karth cut him off with an upraised paw, his expression hard.

"You will do as I say, young Stubb."

Stubb paused and then nodded, still looking somewhat reluctant.

Karth put his paw at his side, brushing against the grip of his weapon, one of the few things that had never failed him over the seasons, even if the wielder was not so infallible.

He began to move onward but stopped. He turned and looked at his younger companion, who gazed at him steadily, a slight frown on his face.

"You are a true Long Patrol hare, Stubb. You have done us all proud."

"For Salamandastron," was the whispered reply, and Karth saw the brightest and proudest smile he had seen in seasons.

Smiling himself for the first time in what felt like weeks, Karth nodded to the hare and took a deep breath.

The madness was about to begin, and he was not ready.

Over halfway from where Edgar had said they would meet, Karth felt a distinct tugging in his gut. Familiar images flashed before his eyes, and he cursed inwardly. It was foolish to think his dreams would let him escape so easily, no matter the occasion.

Trying to ignore the pitiful screams, he continued into the wilderness, willing himself to move slowly and carefully, despite the distractions that his mind was providing him.

Breathing in and out slowly, he tried to thrust down his fears and other intrusive thoughts, interferences that would not allow Karth to reach the awareness in which all practitioners of stealth thrived. When at his peak, his thoughts were a pond, undisturbed in its stillness and existing in a state of perfection and tranquility; but today was different.

On this day a steady rain fell, the individual raindrops as piercing as they were fleeting, disrupting the state of mind that Karth sought to achieve.

The perfectionist in him felt disappointment, but the more logical part of him concurred with his findings. He could not hope for much better tonight, not after what he had relived after so many seasons. It would have to be enough for what he had to do.

Never standing in the open, he moved from tree to tree, rock to rock, sometimes moving in a crouch and other times crawling on his belly, as Karth continued towards the Barn Owl's location. In a previous encounter, Edgar had told him that there were many patrols in this part of the woods, and Karth did not want to meet any of them, especially when he could not count on anybeast for assistance.

An ugly and darker side of his self, the increasingly small sliver that still gloried in the massacre that he had committed, warned him not to fully trust the owl. A few weeks past, he would have been more inclined to believe this line of thinking. Now, after a few long and private conversations between just the two of them, Karth felt sure of Edgar's innocence but unsure of how the others would react to his sudden reappearance. Edgar's 'betrayal' had not been forgotten, and many still bore a grudge that had only grown stronger as the seasons went on.

He would just have to trust in their professionalism, just as he had fallen back into his old instincts of silent movement. Remaining in a crouch, he moved his eyes without moving his head, looking for any sign of movement around him. Seeing nothing, he shifted his head slightly, careful not to disturb the foliage around him as he did so. The spot that he had chosen to stop and survey his surrounding was a good one, but he could not afford to grow careless.

Underestimating his enemy, or any enemy, was a quick way to get himself killed.

Karth glanced upward, staring at the startlingly bright light of the moon, and was reminded of something else that had been bright: a blade held by a foe whose innocence had been forcibly taken, who had seen things that no creature should bear witness to. What he had also borne witness to.

He still remembered their cries: one harsh and guttural, the other soft and spluttering. The realization that the whole thing was his doing. He still remembered the temporary madness and how his mind had threatened to break apart completely, followed by a wave of pain and fear that had never entirely dissipated. They were his burden, and Karth carried them as best as he could.

He would carry the heavy weight of those lives that he had stolen with him forever, as it was his duty to see that he conducted himself honorably and honestly throughout the rest of his life, with nothing to relieve him of this duty but death itself, where he would be judged by those he had wronged.

"What are you going to do?" a familiar voice whispered, repeating a question formed so long ago, one that still haunted him.

Just as he was about to fall beneath the waves and into the depths of his own remorse, his vision grew brighter, if only slightly. Confused by this, Karth leaned forward in his hiding place, and waited.

A rattling noise arose from somewhere nearby, with its owners' soft pawsteps echoed by an even fainter clinking sound. A vermin patrol, and armored, like they were expecting resistance.

Instantly, Karth became fully alert, not allowing himself to stiffen in surprise by instinct, as many untrained stalkers would do, but instead remained limber and flexible. Taking a deep breath to calm himself once more, he carefully drew his weapon from its sheath, trying to minimize the amount of noise it would make. It hissed as it emerged, almost like it was eager to begin the slaughter. Around him, the surrounding area brightened rapidly, doubtlessly from a torch.

He emerged from his refuge, stepping lightly towards a nearby tree, quickly putting his back to it and feeling comforted by it and its implacability. It was nearly eternal and enduring, while whatever happened beneath it was a sheer blink of an eye, a sleeping giant before insects.

Closing his eyes, he listened carefully to their movements, noting through all the noise that they were making that there were three of them, their loud and uncaring pawsteps making that fact easy to determine. The problem was that they were coming his way and would be upon his position in a few moments, with nowhere to properly conceal himself in time.

Gripping his sabre tightly, he waited for the opportune moment to either strike or flee, the latter becoming more and more impractical as the vermin unknowingly advanced upon his position.

Mere pawsteps from his position they stopped, the three rough voices loudly conversing as Karth found himself split between two decisions. He could either try to move around the tree-trunk to try to evade their line of sight, or to rush them and attack while he had the element of surprise. If their torch was burning low, he would be more inclined to try to hide, but with their torch burning so brightly…

As he stood in indecision, the wind picked up slightly, tempting Karth further to action. Meanwhile, not caring in the slightest for stealth, two of the vermin continued to argue, their voices rising in pitch as their accusations became more inflammatory. Apparently, the vermin to the left of his position thought the other was trying to make a fool out of him and sabotage his chances for promotion, something that the vermin to the right of Karth argued vehemently against. The third was now quiet, having been shouted down when he had offered a reasonable compromise. With the both of them cursing at each other repeatedly, it looked like this could escalate into violence, which would most likely draw attention from other patrols. His position was growing more tenuous by the moment.

Karth hoped it would end soon; although many were waiting for him, even more lives were at risk. He didn't even want to move, as the nearness of their position mixed with the quietness of the woods around them would serve to amplify any sound that he made. One mistake and it could be his last.

As the standoff continued, the Colonel found himself becoming more and more impatient. Above him, the tree rustled, the branches and leaves shaking and only reminding him of his inactivity, also pausing the conversation briefly and confirming Karth's suspicions. They were exceedingly paranoid, and they would spot him if he did not act quickly.

Leaping out from behind his cover, Karth sprinted towards the passive rat, covering the distance between them in seconds. The stoat and rat who had been arguing stared at him in shock, their mouths hanging stupidly as they gaped at his unexpected appearance.

As Karth closed in, the three of them started back, the torch dropping from the stoat's paw, with the light spluttering as it hit the forest floor. The three of them drew their weapons, but all Karth could see for a moment was the flickering flame, all-encompassing and eternal.

He was grateful for the downpour of a few days previously, because otherwise the whole forest could have gone up in moments and there would have been nothing he could have done.

Enough of this.

A sword swished through the air towards him, and Karth snapped back into the present, ready to kill as his instincts kicked in. Instincts that had been drilled into him repeatedly on and off of the field of battle. The instincts of a killer.

He threw himself to the side, grunting in pain as he came up in a roll, his wounded shoulder still bothering him. He couldn't let it slow him.

As the rat swung his weapon again, he knew what to do.

He went with the strike, weaving into it and blocking it with his own weapon. The sound was like a bitter music to his ears as the two blades screeched in a rough symphony, seemingly angry at the opposition from the other.

Twisting his wrist, Karth wrenched upward with all his strength and disarmed the rat, and the blade flew through the air. Time seemed to slow, and the rat's surprised expression turned into one of pain as Karth rammed his sabre into the vermin's gut. It sank deep, nearly straight to the hilt, and the sharp rasp of pain from the rat told him that it was a mortal wound, one with which the vermin wouldn't walk away.

Releasing his own blade, he caught his former foe's weapon in mid-air, his paw clutching desperately at the hilt as he swung in the same motion. He managed to block the strike from the other rat, while matching his snarl with one of his own. Karth was losing control, and he was enjoying every moment of it.

He moved the double-handed blade upwards, letting his opponent's weapon lock against his hilt before suddenly shoving his blade forward, making the rat stumble.

As he fought, Karth's vision grew sharper, and the slight wind that caressed him like a hug from someone dear, and the ever-present rage that dwelled deep within bubbled up. He had to end this quickly, and not just for time alone.

Bending down, he snatched up a dead branch and hurled it at the stoat, who had been trying to sneak behind him. The stoat cursed, his girth providing him protection from the branch, but he was still caught by surprise, giving Karth a few precious moments. His shoulder ached from the throw, but he ignored it. There was too much at stake to fail now.

Grasping his hilt with both paws, he lunged towards his adversary, blade held above his head as he sought to finish the fight before it consumed him.

The rat scrambled backwards, but Karth pursued, knowing that neither of them could be allowed to escape.

"Intruder!" a voice roared from nearby, stalling Karth. He glanced where the voice had originated from, hoping that it wasn't what he thought it was. One look confirmed his suspicion, even though they were still relatively far off.

It was another vermin patrol, and they had stumbled right into the midst of the skirmish.

Cursing his luck, Karth threw himself at the still-retreating rat. The vermin nervously leveled a sword at him, not daring to do anything else, knowing that in a few moments Karth would be overwhelmed by sheer numbers.

Stretching, Karth batted away the blade tip, presenting an opening that he had to exploit. Twisting his body, the hare heaved with all his might at the rat's head, trying to ignore the now terrified look on his face. An expression that knew the certain doom coming towards him, knowing that nothing could be done.

Karth knew that feeling all too well.

The vermin tried to parry the strike, but Karth smashed through, unrelenting. He felt the blade cut through skin and bone, decapitating the second rat.

Despite this victory, he knew he had taken too long with his kill, which could perhaps be his last.

A part of him wished he could go down with them, fighting until the last, but he had a job to do; death could not stop him from doing his duty.

Behind him, he heard the stoat advance warily, knowing how he had not been able to sneak behind Karth before, but understanding that the hare was weakening. He was right.

"I begin to grow tired of all this," Karth thought wearily, watching the vermin's blood slowly drip off his blade.

But he was still the best; he had to be. Salamandastron needed him, along with so many others.

He slowly raised his blade and faced the stoat, smiling slightly. If it had to be, this was as good a place to die as any. Stubb would do what he had to, and Maia and the Long Patrol would be freed, along with the Dibbuns.

It was perhaps a foolish hope, but it was all he had; it was comforting in its own way. He had made mistakes, but he accepted them. It was who he was, and who he could still be. If he lived.

"I will go down fighting, and that's the best I can hope for."

As Karth prepared for the end, he heard a familiar sound: a flapping of wings, followed by a faint metallic echo that promised both death and destruction upon his foes.

Karth felt renewed at the prospect of surviving this skirmish. He straightened and smiled grimly at the stoat.

Edgar had arrived.