RECAP: Last tome, Discord appeared to Brome and Bossy and tolled them he had a plan to help them free the other claves in Nightmare Fortress. No we must look back on Martin and his friends in the shrew village.

It was the next morning although it has actually been many months since the writing of the last chapter in this story. Martin and his friends were supervising some baby shrews' breakfast, but the pigmy shrew Dibbuns were more interested in throwing food than eating it.

"Great seasons, they've got the table manners of a wolfpack," Rose sighed.

"I definitely wasn't that badly behaved when I was a Dibbun," Martin agreed.

Grumm was trying to wipe off Dinjer's sticky whiskers. "Cumm yurr, you'm- 'orrible liddle toad. Thoi whisker'n be full o' oatmeal."

Dinjer responded by dumping his bowl of oatmeal over the mole's head. Then he ran outside.

"Come back here and eat your breakfast!" Celestia called after him.

Dinjer stuck his head in through the doorway and chortled, "Jaja, can't catch Dinjer, caballo!" Then he was off like a shot.

"I suppose we'll have to bring the little rogue back," Martin said. "Come on, Celestia."

Martin and Celestia ran out into the street. Dinjer was nowhere to be seen.

Suddenly Celestia cried, "There he is, the little blaggard. Look, climbing!"

Dinjer had taken a notion to scale the wall that surrounded the village. Martin's patience snapped. He ran over to the wall, pointing at the miscreant.

"Get down from there, you stupid little beast, or you'll fall!"

A rock hit Martin sharply on his back. "Don't talk to mi hijo like that, bigmouse bigmouth!" Martin turned to see Queen Amballa standing behind him.

He was about to make some reply when there was a loud screech. "Yeeeaaakkk!"

A great gannet swooped down and snatched Dinjer from the top of the wall. The infant pigmy shrew was carried high into the air, held by his tail and the hem of his loose robe in the bird's lethal amber beak. He wriggled and squealed like a midget piglet.

Amballa's wails rent the air. "Dinjer es muerte! No more Dinjer!" She slumped to the ground and wept inconsolably.

Martin grabbed her by the paws, pulling her upright. "He's not dead yet. I'll save him for you!" He grabbed a sword from a passing shrew and scooped up a net lying on the ground. With the sword he sliced through the rope binding him to his hobblewood. Then he raced off toward the wall.

The gannet's nest was in a high tree just on the other side of the wall. Dinjer lay limp between the big bird's well-clawed and webbed feet. He set up a piercing cry. "Ayudame! Ayudame!"

Martin quickly scaled the wall, with the sword between his teeth and the net slung over his shoulder. Soon he was at the top and the tree was only a short jump away. He leaped right into the gannet's nest.

Below, the whole of the pigmy shrew tribe had gathered, along with Celestia, Rose, Grumm, and Skalrag. Amballa hid her face for fear of what might happen to her little son. Rose put a comforting paw around her shoulders. "Don't cry. Martin is a mighty warrior. He will get your Dinjer back, you'll see!"

Amballa uncovered her eyes. "Mi esposo, Dinjer's padre, was taken by a big bird like that. That was the last we saw of him!"

The gannet turned its bright dangerous eyes on Martin as he took the sword from his mouth. It took a stalking stride towards Martin, lowering its lethal yellow beak. The young mouse swung with the little sword. It clacked harmlessly off the great bird's beak, but caused the gannet to stop where it was. Now Martin shook the net out and swished it at the bird's feet. It took a step back. Behind him he could hear Dinjer sobbing with terror.

Suddenly the gannet stepped back too far and overbalanced the nest. The nest tipped over and fell from the tree, taking Martin and Dinjer with it. Martin thought he was gonna die. Just before he struck the ground he landed on something soft and furry. He sat up and looked around. He and Dinjer were on Celestia's back, and Celestia was flying again!

"Celestia!" Martin exclaimed. "I thought your wing was too injured for you to fly!"

Celestia smiled. "That's what I thought too. Then I saw you about to fall to your death and I was in the air before I could stop myself!"

She took them back down to the ground. Amballa ran and scooped her son up and Rose ran over to Martin. "Are you hurt, Martin?"

"No, Celestia caught me before I hit the ground," Martin said.

Dinjer was in his mother's arms. He waved a paw at Martin. "Gracias, senor!"

"I never thought I'd hear him say that to anybeast," Amballa said. "I guess we all owe you our thanks. I was wrong about you, Martin. You risked your life to save my son even though we were your enemies. You're not an evilbeast like the vermin living in Marshank after all."

"That's right," said Celestia. "We were actually on our way to my home, Equestria, to raise an army of ponies and free the slaves there."

"Okay then," said Amballa. "I will let you fulfill your quest. You're all free to go."

"Thanks a lot!" said Martin. "By the way, we also have two other friends, a mouse called Brome and a hare called Joshy. Keep an eye out for them, okay?"

TO BE CONTINUED: Speaking of Joshy and Brome… what are they up too now? Find out necks time!