It was dusk when Drakul approached the abbey gates.
He bellowed to the gatekeeper.
"Send forth your leaders Redstone beast. Let them know of and fear the indomitableness of Drakul the Mongoose!"
Brother Markin the mouse sent Krayn the otter to the abbot.
"Father Abbot, there's vermin-a-plenty out yonder gates. What's our plan of action?" Krayn asked politely.
"Take me to the gates." Abbot Mordalfus wheezed.
Assisted by Constance, Matthias and Briarflower, Krayn led them to the wall.
On the ramparts they saw Drakul.
When Drakul was seen, Abbot Mordalfus shouted,
"Which one is your leader?"
Drakul laughed.
"Right here, old one! Tell me, do the rat traitors live in yonder fortress? My claws are thirsty for blood."
"You have the guile of a fox, yet the body of a stoat!" Constance mocked. "Which half fights best?"
Drakul was angry, yet he held his temper.
"You know, I have never seen such a small fully-grown Bear in my life." He retorted.
His horde sniggered audibly.
Constance growled then barked back,
"I'll 'bear' you! Fight Badger to Fox-stoat if that is what you are."
Drakul had her eating from his claws. He rolled his eyes and shook his head making out he was in disapproval.
"Badger! If you haven't seen a Mongoose 'ere before, I pity you." He said, trying to emphasize the 'sympathy' in his voice.
Matthias had seen enough teasing, he shouted,
"We survived Cluny and Slagar! What makes you so special?"
Drakul laughed manically.
He looked as if he'd stepped out of a nightmare. No, Drakul was a living nightmare!
When Drakul stopped laughing, he replied,
"Those Milksops? Pah. They were tormentors, Aye like me. But they were easily held sway by their superstitions and old rodents' tales."
Drakul gagged with laughter.
The beasts on the ramparts drew to one side,
"It has been almost a year since Slagar stole Mattimeo" Constance whispered. "How could news travel that fast?"
"News travels on the wind." Said Briarflower.
Any hushed talk was stopped by,
"Give me the rats and you'll be spared a painful death." Drakul sneered.
Drawing herself up onto the ramparts, Constance roared out,
"We don't have any sort of rat in here, and if we did, we wouldn't let scum like you kill it on our abbey front!"
This made Drakul crazy.
He signalled to Darkbane, his standard-bearer who began to beat the standard into a rhythm. The spears and pikes beat on the ground.
His standard was that of a bloodied carcass of a dead cobra sewn into stoat pelt. Drakul's personal standard.
"Attaaack!!" roared Drakul, his blood-lust storming into his mind.
Rusty swords, bloodied spears and loose pikes flew up to the ramparts.
Drakul brought Killnose to him.
"Have you got Slaya yet?" he demanded.