XLIX.

FOXGUARD

It was a grim and determined Sword who emerged from Foxguard's main fortress, set to play a hunch as far as he could. But for this he would need the full backing of his brigade, and so, as a few of his swordfoxes escorted every vixen on the premises outside the wall under armed accompaniment, Tolar mustered the totality of his remaining forces, from the veterans of Salamandastron all the way down to the greenest recruit and every fox in between.

Jaffox and his own crew were by this time back inside the wall too, the big Northlander eager to monitor the situation with Vermilya, who'd disappeared into the building encircling the base of the tower and had yet to reappear. Joska and her sisters had elected to remain out in Bryn's camp, preferring to keep as much distance between themselves and the vengeful Sword as they could, but the arrogant Jaffox harbored no such qualms, and was thus on paw to witness the rounding up and enforced eviction of all the vixens he and Joska had worked so hard to insinuate into Foxguard. But it was the massed force of black-clad swordsbeasts, threescore strong, approaching across the grounds with clear confrontation on their minds that had the big fox realizing that all his plans and schemes were about to be thrown into disarray.

"Looks like trouble, Red," Jaffox said through the side of his muzzle to his longtime cohort Redrovan. "Stay cool, follow my lead, an' keep yer blade in its scabbard … fer now."

The other fox was in no hurry to draw, having seen how the duels between the two squads had gone. "Aye, boss," Redrovan acknowledged, turning to spread the order to their fellow Northland vulpines.

Tolar halted three paces before Jaffox, all his swordfoxes at his back and at the ready. "I'm expelling you from Foxguard, you and every fox you brought along with you."

"Oh? An' why's that, Sword?"

"Vermilya confessed. To everything."

"Oh, well, this oughta be int'restin'. Just what, 'xactly, did she confess to?"

"You killed Sappakit."

Jaffox's face darkened. "She toldja that?"

Tolar allowed just a moment's hesitation before replying, "She did."

"Okay, now I know ye're just flat-out lyin'. She couldn'ta testerfied t' somethin' she never saw. You pushed this gambit too far, an' now it jus' blew up in yer face like a defective stormpowder keg. That vix toldja no such thing."

Tolar stepped right up to Jaffox, fighting to keep the snarl out of his voice. "You killed Sappakit. I know you did."

Jaffox was hardly intimidated by the head-shorter Sword. "An' I says I didn't. An' if you could prove otherwise, you'd be takin' lots sterner action now than jus' threat'nin' to kick us out. So have a care what accusations you go throwin' around."

"You're wrong about one thing: I'm not just threatening to kick you out. From this day forth, you and your foxes - and your vixens - are barred from entry to Foxguard."

"You can't do that. Lord Urthblood's orders, 'member? We're stuck with each other."

"Those orders only go so far. I'm still Sword of Foxguard, and the day-to-day operations of this fortress are still left to me - including matters of discipline. If I so much as suspected any member of my brigade, regardless of rank or tenure, of doing what I'm certain you did, I'd remove them from the chain of command and relieve them of all authority in a heartbeat. So that's what I'm doing with you … and I don't give a damn about Lord Urthblood's orders."

"An' if I refuse t' leave?"

"Then you're a rebel force staging an insurrection within the walls of one of Lord Urthblood's military garrisons … and you know how that badger views rebellion from within his own ranks. So choose your next words - and your next deed - carefully, because if you force this to a fight, we will hold nothing back. And I will come straight for you. And I can assure you, you'll not find me as easy to deal with as Belsis."

This barked reminder of the ambidextrous junior swordfox who'd bested Jaffox in their one-on-one contest finally broke through the Northlander's calm, brusque reserve, turning the tables of this verbal confrontation fully Tolar's way. For all that Jaffox and his crew might have been quick to ridicule their disciplined, black-clad counterparts for their prim devotion to protocol and procedure, their incessant dress battle drills and their lack of any real combat experience over the past several seasons, they'd seen enough of Tolar's brigade here to know that these more highly-skilled bladesbeasts could slice them to ribbons if it came to an all-out brawl. So, as much as it galled Jaffox to do so, he backed down.

"If that's yer position, then we'll leave. Can't have strife 'tween fellow foxes of Lord Urthblood's forces, can we? Even if one of them's disregardin' orders."

"Don't talk to me about orders, Jaffox. For that matter, don't talk to me at all. Just get out of my sight."

"Whatever you say, Sword. It's yer fortress, as ye've made clear - tho' p'raps someday our badger master'll be by t' remind you o' just where your power comes from. Oh, an' what about Vermilya? She free t' leave now, or is she bound fer yer dungeons?"

"She'll be put out too, since our dungeons are rather full of rats at the moment, with that latest bunch the Gawtrybe brought in yesterday - as you well know." On top of everything else that had been going on with the investigation of Sappakit's death, fate had chosen this inopportune moment to hit Tolar with the latest wave of prisoners for transfer to the coast. Fortunately, the Gawtrybe had seen to getting them all settled into their cells with only minimal oversight required from Tolar's foxes. Even now Captain Choock's shrews busied themselves out on the canal and river to make ready for the transport of these rats by Moss out to the coastlands, preparations which would keep them too occupied to involve themselves with this inter-vulpine conflict and spare them the awkwardness of perhaps having to choose sides in any of this.

Motioning to his foxes, Jaffox led them across the grounds and out the descending tunnel egress under the wall, making their unified and symbolic departure from Foxguard. Tolar's brigade followed them in a large crescent of paws-on-hilts foxes in an equally symbolic show of force, until the unrefined Northlanders were fully out of the stronghold, after which the Sword assigned triple the usual number of sentries to guard the entrance - including, for the first time ever in Foxguard's brief history, a pair of foxes down in the murder holes, each equipped with multiple loaded crossbows.

"You really think this might be needed, sir?" Haddican asked as the assigned foxes took up their stations. "That Jaffox and his gang might try to force their way back in after being expelled?"

"You saw his bearing just now. You saw his eyes. Even now that he stands openly accused of the crime he almost certainly committed, he acts as if he still holds the upper paw, and isn't the least intimidated … unless we threaten him with a fight he knows he'd lose. If he'd had that horde of his in here with him, I half-suspect he'd not have backed down at all, and would have tried to take over Foxguard through pure force of arms. That's why I felt it was important to stress that refusing to leave would make him part of rebellious insurrection in our view - to hopefully disabuse him of any such notion. Hopefully."

"It might have helped if that vixen actually had confessed. However Jaffox arranged things with Sappakit - if he was truly behind it at all - he knew Vermilya wouldn't be able to give you anything you could hold over him."

"Oh, he was behind it all right. Sapp did not just get drunk and fall into the canal and smash his head on the side of a raft. We just have to find some way to prove it."

"And if we can't, sir? If Jaffox was too careful about covering his tracks?"

"Then he still stays outside. He's made it clear he never really considered himself and his foxes a part of our brigade, and not fully subject to my commands. I can't have an element like that inside Foxguard, much less one who almost certainly had Sappakit murdered. This has gone too far, and I'm putting an end to it now." Tolar glanced up at the battlements over the fortress entrance. "Make sure we always have a couple of tods up there as well, to give a shout of warning if they see Jaffox's crew or any sizable number of those hordebeasts approaching … and tell them to keep their heads down and offer the lowest-profile target possible. Jaffox might not have any decent archers or slingers amongst his bullies, but we can't be sure about that horde of Bryn's."

Outside the walls, Choock's shrews out on the canal looked up from their preparations at the sight of Jaffox and his squad streaming out of Foxguard and marching around the curve of the wall to join the valley horde encampment, but none broke away from their labors to inquire into the matter; this was fox business, between Tolar and Jaffox, to be worked out between them. The shrews had over twoscore rats to transport, and that would keep them quite busy enough without sticking their pointy snouts into a power struggle which was none of their affair.

The Gawtrybe watching from the walltop, however, most definitely did see Jaffox's expulsion as their affair, and two of them slipped down the climbing rope strung out over the south wall face and jogged off toward the trees, where they soon took to the forest canopy in their haste to deliver news of this latest development to Captain Custis.

Bryn came out to meet Jaffox as the Northland foxes approached the encampment, quickly gathering from their expressions that all was not well. "What 'appened?"

"Got put out, is what happened," the big fox grumbled.

"Can … can they do that?"

"Jus' did. Our fancy Sword's got it in his head that I had sumpthin' t' do with his clumsy oaf of a lieutenant gettin' tipsy an' fallin' inta the canal, an' this's how he's punishin' us."

"Well, didja?"

Jaffox shot the ferret a dangerous glance. "You oughta know better than t' ask anything like that, Lieutenant."

"Uh, yes, sir." For the life of him, Bryn couldn't tell whether this reprimand was an admission of guilt or a protestation of innocence, but he knew he would never ask about this matter again.

"Where's Joska? Got some things t' discuss with 'er."

"Over with the other vixens, sir - includin' th' ones who just came outta th' fortress. Looked like alla them. Assumin' they got th' boot too?"

"Aye, they did. Seems our trust has worn thin with our hosts - which wouldn't be so bad except fer th' fact that in my case, Tolar's s'posed t' be more'n just my host. He went an' reshuffled Lord Urthblood's approved chain o' command all on 'is own, castin' me out against orders. We'll see how long THAT stands."

"Well, what can y' do abut it? It's 'is fortress, an' he's in charge 'ere."

"You just wait an' see." Saying no more, Jaffox took his leave of the ferret and his fellow foxes to seek out Joska. Finding her right where Bryn has indicated, he took the false seer aside, discovering her mood to be little better than his own.

"This ruins everything!" the vixen vented. "We worked so hard to get all our vixens inside, an' now you went an' got 'em all chucked out in one fell swoop!"

Jaffox's eyes narrowed. "Don't go puttin' this on me, vix."

"Well, who should I put it on? It was your brilliant idea to go an' kill - ERK!"

At that word, Jaffox's arm shot out, his paw tight around Joska's throat. "Careful now, sweetie. Don't wanna be sayin' such things aloud, do ya? 'Specially without any proof."

Seeing she'd gotten the point, he released her, leaving her rubbing at her neck fur. "So, what's next? Wait until they come for us here? Will Bryn even stand with you if he does? An' where's Vermilya? They haven't executed her, have they?"

"Naw, they ain't me. They're Lord Urthblood's well-behaved foxes, 'member, bound to th' courtesy of laws an' rules. She'll be out soon 'nuff, an' good news is she didn't break. Tolar tried accusin' me o' murder, an' that's when I knew he was lyin', 'cos even if our dear Vermilya had folded, she couldn't told him that. He was bluffin', an' I called it, an' he didn't like that, not one bit, but what could 'ee do, without proof he ain't got? He's gettin' desperate, jus' like I toldja he would. Now we bring the Gawtrybe in, an' watch him crack just a liddle bit more. Won't be long now, m'dear, won't be long … "

With his swordfoxes defensively deployed to his satisfaction and drills suspended for the day in favor of an actual battle footing, Tolar withdrew into his quarters to ponder his next move, and try to anticipate what Jaffox's might be. There he found both Mona and Tibball awaiting him, if for different purposes. The Sword took his seat at his usual place, looking across the conference table at vixen and rabbit; while he admitted inwardly that these were two of the creatures currently at Foxguard whose presence he least minded, they nevertheless represented intrusions into the solitude he sought at the moment, and thus did he accept their audience with a thinly-veiled trace of begrudgement.

In spite of this, the corners of his mouth could not help but lift at the sight of the rabbit Ambassador - his Ambassador - decked out in his full uniform. The seamstress sisters of Redwall had done themselves proud with a fancy tunic that displayed enough flavor of a Long Patrol jacket to suggest those famous fighting hares without outright imitation or mockery. The dark blue fabric would hide stains and dirt if Tibball should ever opt to wear this outfit on his diplomatic outings, and also blend well enough with the forest shadows to provide a kind of rudimentary camouflage effect while still standing out as proper finery in any room or chamber where he might take his meetings with the good folk of Mossflower. The gold pipings and accents on sleeves, cuffs and pockets could also be easily turned inside out to hide the gaudy accents when Tibball wished to present a less ornate aspect. All in all, a fine and thoughtful piece of tailoring.

Mona, knowing she had matters of greater depth and length to discuss with Tolar, bade Tibball to go first. Twiddling his paws nervously, the rabbit began, "Thank you for seeing me, Sword. I know this is not the most opportune time for you, with all that's going on and the tragic loss of one of your brigade, and all those vixens, and that horde outside, and Jaffox and his - "

"How can I help you today, Ambassador?"

"Um, er, yes. I was feeling, or thinking, well, it had occurred to me that it's getting to be time to make another diplomatic excursion into Mossflower on your behalf. You know, the purpose you've engaged me here for. There are still huge stretches of Mossflower I haven't toured yet, and, well, the time seems right for it, um … "

"Yes, I imagine it does. I'm sorry you've had to be here to experience the recent tensions and unpleasantness; such was certainly not what I'd envisioned when I took you on for your duties here, and I can well understand your desire to be away from it all. This might well prove an appropriate time to embark on your second foray, and I would encourage you to do so if you feel the time is right for it. However, I'm afraid I will be unable to spare any of my foxes to accompany you this time."

"Um … what?"

"In case you haven't noticed, Ambassador, these are fairly crisis times here at Foxguard. One of my most trusted foxes has died under highly suspicious circumstances, and the matter is far from resolved to my satisfaction. Elements of discord and dissent and perhaps outright hostility have entered my stronghold, and I must be prepared to meet them at every front. I cannot be shortpawed at such a critical time, and will need my full force present at my command."

"Well, what about Roxroy, and Stillafax? They worked out well last time, and I was just assuming … I mean, surely two junior brigade members would not be missed … "

"What part of 'I can spare none of my foxes' did you fail to understand?"

As Tibball shrank back at Tolar's reprimand, Mona spoke up in the rabbit's defense. "Mind yourself, My Sword - this is your own appointed and recruited Ambassador you address. He deserves civility, even if other beasts in our midst do not."

Tolar took a deep breath. "My apologies, Tibball. My own patience may be wearing thin these days in any number of ways, but that's no reason for me to show you disrespect, even if others around here have earned it. That said, my answer must remain the same. I regret that I can spare none of my brigade to accompany you."

"Ah. Hmm … er, well maybe in that case I should delay any further diplomatic excursions in Mossflower for the moment, until things here have been … um, resolved?"

"On the contrary, I think this may be the ideal time for you to be away from Foxguard for a while, since it's impossible to tell just at the moment precisely how things will 'resolve,' and how nasty they may get before they do - and perhaps afterwards as well. If lives are being taken, this could get ugly. Perhaps you could have the Gawtrybe serve as your escorts instead?"

"Um … you'd like me to take along a couple of the Gawtrybe, in the stead of your foxes?" the rabbit clarified, wanting to make sure he'd heard the Sword correctly, and hoping he hadn't.

"What I'd like is for you to take all of them with you," Tolar grumbled, almost under his breath, pinching the bridge of his snout with eyes closed.

Seeing that he'd caught Foxguard's commander at a particularly awkward crossroad, Tibball voiced a rather radical proposal even as it occurred to him. "Uh, perhaps I should resign from my position, if only temporarily, until everything here has settled down a bit? Leave Foxguard, and return to my home, or perhaps to Redwall …?"

Tolar opened his eyes again to look fully at Tibball. "Yes … yes, Redwall. I think that might be the ideal solution. And you wouldn't even have to resign your post, necessarily. While we do enjoy good relations with the Abbey, and wouldn't need you to serve as Ambassador to them for us on top of that, it could be a temporary, ceremonial posting, one which would safely remove you from any possible strife here while allowing you to remain officially engaged as our representative to wider Mossflower. How does that sound to you, good Tibball?"

The rabbit blinked at the swordfox. "You … want me to serve as your Ambassador … at a place where you don't … need an Ambassador?"

"You do make it sound rather redundant and unnecessary, when you put it like that. But then again, we know how fond you were of Redwall, and how much you enjoyed your time there. Your fellow woodlanders, and the Long Patrol … "

Tibball instantly brightened at this mention of the legendary fighting hares he so idolized. "Ah, well, yes, now that you mention it, there is all of that to consider. And if you'd not view it as any dereliction of duty on my part, then yes, I think … I think I should like to return to Redwall, and dwell there again for a while. By your leave, of course."

"Of course. And my leave you shall have. Why don't you go begin preparing at once, and I can have a couple of the Gawtrybe escort you to the quarry - or a couple of my weasel laborers, if you'd prefer them over our squirrel guests, Once you're at the quarry, you'll be in the company of the Abbeybeasts and their Guosim allies, and they'll see you the rest of the way to Redwall. Our recent high watch reports indicate the workers there have now started transferring the cut stone across the Moss and to the building site of Freetown, where preliminary foundation work has already begun, so you shouldn't have to wait too long for a crossing."

Tibball all but jumped out of his chair in excited anticipation. "Yes, I'll go see to that at once, Sword … although in all honesty all I'll have to bring with me are my regular clothes, since I assume you'll take care of whatever provisions I need?"

"Of course, although it shouldn't be too much - just a canteen and some bread, perhaps, since it's less than a half-day's journey to the quarry, and the Redwallers and Guosim will see to your needs after that, I'm sure."

"Oh, yes, I'm sure they will. So, uh, do you think I should make the journey in my uniform, or change back into my civilian garb to spare wear and tear on it?"

"That's entirely up to you, Ambassador. You've made the trip from Foxguard to Redwall before, so you know what's entailed, and what would best suit you."

"Ah, yes, that's a fair point, yes it is. I think I'll change out of this, then, and carry it with me in the sack it was delivered in. I mean, it wouldn't do for me to show up in the dress jacket they went to such trouble to make for me with it all torn and stained from hard travels, would it? Yes, I'll go see to that right away. Um, excuse me, Sword. Madam Mona. And thank you for the suggestion. Um, goodbye!" Tibball scampered out of the chamber, leaving the two foxes alone.

Mona gave a wry smirk. "Your suggestion? I seem to recall Tibball proposing he perhaps return to Redwall - you just agreed with the idea."

"Either way, it solves that one small aspect of this present dilemma, and should safely remove him from any further unpleasantness which might transpire here." As he spoke, Tolar gestured with his paw, and Mona rose and crossed the chamber to firmly close the door Tibball had left open in his excited haste to start making ready for his departure.

"Then again," the vixen said, resuming her seat, "he'll tell Redwall all of what's been going on here: Sappakit's death, and the expulsion of Jaffox … "

"Maybe that's not such a bad thing. Anything that convinces the Redwallers to steer well clear of Foxguard at this time might be welcome. We'll have quite enough to deal with here without Abbeybeasts inserting themselves into the midst of it too."

"So, you don't think it's over?"

"How can it be over? With Jaffox and his horde massed outside our walls, brewing up who knows what trouble to throw at us next? Are you sure you've gotten everything from Vermilya that you can?"

"I used the most reliable truth potion on her that I know of, and she revealed nothing of any plans against Sappakit. It appears her primary concern was to romance him, and gain standing at Foxguard through her attachment to him."

Tolar snorted. "Didn't exactly work out that way for her, did it?"

"No. And … I'm not convinced that going out to the canal was entirely her own idea."

"Oh? You mean Sapp himself wanted … "

"No, not him either. I suspect some suggestion was planted in her, through hypnosis. She can't fully explain where the idea came from, only that she always found being on the water romantically stimulating, but she expressed it in some vague, unfocused manner. I don't think luring Sappakit out to the canal was her idea, but she can't fully grasp that it wasn't her idea."

Tolar stared hard at Mona. "Jaffox can't do anything like that."

"No. But I'm betting Joska could."

"Then she'll be the next one I bring in for questioning."

"You think Jaffox will allow that? If Joska really did such a thing, and at his bidding, do you imagine Jaffox will let you anywhere near her? We just kicked him and his foxes and vixens out of Foxguard. They're all together now, one united front along with that valley horde, set apart from us and taking orders from Jaffox now. If you went out there and tried to bring Joska in the way you brought in Vermilya, I suspect you'd not find it quite so easy as last time."

"So, what? Jaffox gets away with murder? Again?"

"He's very good at that, it seems … with the help of Lord Urthblood looking the other way in such matters."

"Lord Urthblood couldn't have meant for Jaffox to murder Sappakit!"

Mona was silent for many heartbeats, then spoke in a very soft voice. "Can we be so sure of that?"

The fox Sword stared at her, aghast. "No, don't even suggest … His Lordship would never … you yourself argued against that very idea after Sappakit died!"

"That was then. I've had time to reflect on the matter. How can we be sure Jaffox isn't doing exactly what Lord Urthblood sent him here to do?"

"Mona, that's … no, I cannot accept that. Sappakit was a loyal, dedicated, long-serving soldier in Lord Urthblod's forces, whose skills and devotion to our cause made him an invaluable member of that badger's army."

"Maybe the cause has changed, or Urthblood's view of it has. Who ever would have imagined, when we were taming the Northlands and fighting the searats, that we and the Gawtrybe would ever be called upon to carry out something like this Purge? That seems to be all he cares about these days, even to the detriment of relations with Redwall .. that, and Southsward, which has conveniently called him away to that distant land while we're left to contend with Jaffox and Custis on our own. It's almost like he set it up that way … that he means to undermine you."

"We have had this discussion before, and nothing has changed in my mind since our last conversation, even if it may have in yours. I cannot - I will not - credit that Lord Urthblood has seen fit to unleash Jaffox upon us to the extent of tacitly sanctioning that brute to assassinate valued members of the very fox brigade for whom this fortress was built and named."

"Jaffox is a fox too. Maybe our Lord thinks it's time for Foxguard to have a new master … or for its current one to prove he's up to the task of keeping this stronghold for his own. Maybe this is a test … a challenge … to see if you're still worthy of being Sword."

Tolar stared hard at Mona. "You don't seriously believe that, do you?"

"Would you absolutely deny it as a possibility? All present circumstances fit such an explanation. And, if true, you must not be found wanting. Not in the eyes of your swordfoxes, not in the eyes of Jaffox and his rabble, not in the eyes of the Gawtrybe, and not in the eyes of Urthblood."

"Then what would you have me do, that I haven't done already?"

"You went too lightly on Jaffox, even if we couldn't prove he was behind Sappakit's death. Yes, you expelled him, and stripped him of his authority within Foxguard, but that still leaves him outside our walls, with his horde … which still leaves him as a problem. He's shown his true colors here now. And if he's willing to put one of your senior foxes - one of the original Twenty - in the ground, you must be prepared to put Jaffox in the ground."

"I was prepared to do just that, outside just now. But he backed down."

"Maybe giving him a chance to back down was a mistake."

Tolar looked at his mate askance. "Mona, you are a healer. It distresses me to hear you speak so. Your entire life has been devoted to easing the hurts and suffering of others, not causing them hurt."

"Foxguard is the one suffering now. Jaffox has seen to that. I speak now in support of Foxguard. I speak in support of my Sword. And I will not stand by and see either of these things I hold most dear fall. Not to somebeast like Jaffox."

Tolar sighed. "I would tell you to stay out of this, and to leave everything to me, except that now I'm not sure we have that option. I think everybeast at Foxguard is a part of this now, whether they want to be or not. That's one reason I felt it was important to banish Jaffox and his foxes and vixens, even if we had no direct proof that they killed Sappakit. As long as they remained within our walls, regardless of what precautions we took, they might have tried to target more of us. Sapp was singled out because he was my second-in-command before Jaffox came, and would resume that station if I kicked Jaffox out of Foxguard. Now that Sapp's gone, his replacement Haddican might have been next on Jaffox's list … " Tolar's gaze went to Mona. "Or you, if his aim is to leave me feeling isolated and bereft of the key foxes I need to support me."

Mona snarled. "He'd know better than to come after me. I know how to defend myself."

"Sapp knew how to defend himself, as well as any member of my brigade. And look where he is now."

"But now we know how far Jaffox is willing to go, and to be on the defensive."

"Didn't we always know what Jaffox was capable of? We just assumed he'd never be so bold as to try it here, against members of the brigade. And he might not have it in mind to target you directly. If he thought eliminating Sappakit might cripple me, he might view Kyslith in that same light in regard to you. And a lone glassmaker untrained in the defensive arts, only an apprentice himself until recently, would present a very soft target indeed."

"I am quite fond of Kyslith, true, and have been assisting him with his labors in my free time." Mona rose from her chair and came around to Tolar's side of the table, taking the Sword's muzzle tenderly in one paw and tilting his head up so that they could look each other in the eye. "But you are my mate, Tolar. Compared to you, Kyslith is nothing. I would mourn his loss, as a good-hearted beast and talented artisan, and as a friend, and as a potential ally against Jaffox. But you are my rock, the one true foundation of sure footing for me in any storm. And as long as we have each other, I am certain we cannot fail or fall."

Tolar affectionately patted Mona's paw with his own; had these been normal times, he might have taken her gesture as an invitation for a daytime tryst behind their locked bedchamber door, but now such thoughts were far from his mind. "Thank you for that reminder, Mona. In times such as these, it's important to keep in mind what really matters."

"We will weather this, Tolar. We are stronger than Jaffox, and his vixens, and his horde, and anything they can throw at us. Foxguard will not fall, not to the likes of them. No matter what."

Tolar's brow knit in worry once more, his thoughts returning to their previous line of contemplation. "Belsis might not be safe either. If there's any fox among us Jaffox feels he has a score to settle with, it's that junior swordsbeast, for showing him up during the drills. Yes, I think we'll have to take special care to see to it nothing happens to him."

"That reminds me. I'd best go check on him again. He's up and around, which is an encouraging sign, but we don't want him overtaxing himself or suffering any relapse by pushing himself too hard before he's ready. I'll leave you to your strategic ruminations … "

Mona padded out of Tolar's study, closing the door softly behind her to leave him in peace. But she did not seek out Belsis, instead proceeding directly down the four flights to the cellars, where she sought out Kyslith in his workshop. Along the way she encountered Choock's shrews and several of the Gawtrybe as well, descended to oversee the transfer of all the current rat prisoners to the rafts waiting above to bear them away to Salamandastron. Pressing herself to the wall and refusing to make eye contact with any of the bound rodents as she squeezed by, she gained the central chamber, knocking five times to let Kyslith know to slide open the lock bolt - a precaution they'd gotten into the habit of using with Jaffox on the premises.

It took the glassmaker fox, no doubt immersed in his work, some moments to unlock the door and admit her. Once inside, she saw to relocking the bolt herself, then turned to face him. "Time may be shorter than we thought. We need to work faster."

Kyslith gave a worried frown. "Have the recall orders been issued from Salamandastron?"

Mona shook her head, her gaze going to the half-filled metal tub dominating the center of the chamber. "No, I'm afraid the problem is much closer to paw than that."