Somewhere in the sand dunes, Pickle Folger searched the corners of his knapsack and came up with a single wild oat scone, which he wagged in Mara's face.

"The last bally scrap of tuck between two stout 'n' starvin' travelers, would y'believe it, old chum! Looks like we'd better head back to Salamandastron, now that the scoff's run out, wot!"

Mara slumped moodily. "Huh, Salamandastron- I wish I never had to go back to that dreary mountain, Pickle. Day and night, dawn to dusk, it's watch y'manners, learn your badger lore, keep your room tidy, sit up straight, don't slouch, do this, do that, don't do this, don't do that. I'm sick to the stripes of it all! I wish there was somewhere I could do what I want and have fun all day, without my dad making me do silly boring things."

"You should try spending an hour with my dad sometime," said a voice. Mara looked around in surprise and saw a weasel standing behind her.

"Does your father make you do things you don't wanna do too?" Mara asked the weasel.

The weasel shifted from foot to foot. "Well, I wouldn't say they're things I don't want to do… but he's always so bossy and controlling. Things would turn out so much better if I could make my own decisions instead of always having to do what he said."

"Sounds just like my dad," Mara said. "He won't let me play football with the other hares on the mountain, or have a TV in my room."

"My father gave me a wren egg once. I took good care of her from the moment she hatched. I taught her to land on my shoulder and do all sorts of things." The weasel paused and took a sharp breath. "And then, when she was fully grown, he made me kill her. He said destroying the thing I loved would make me strong."

"Wow," said Mara. "I guess your dad is worse than mine."

"But I've been rude," said the weasel. "I haven't introduced myself. My name's Klitch. What's yours?"

"I'm Mara and this is my friend Pickle. We live at Salamandastron."

Klitch whistled softly to himself. "Salamandastron! Hell's teeth! That's a right old mouthful of a name. What sort of place is it?"

"Oh, it's the most wonderful place in the world, wot wot!" Pickle cried. "A giant fortress inside an extinct volcano, full of hares just like me. We've got the finest food in Mossflower- except perhaps for the food at Redwall Abbey, but I've never been there, so I can't judge."

"Well, that does sound nice," Klitch said. "I haven't tasted good food in a while."

"Well, why don't you come back there with us and have dinner?" Mara suggested.

Klitch's brow creased. "But I thought you said you didn't want to go back."

"Oh, we moan and groan a bit, but we always return there. It's our home, you see," Mara said.

"All right." Klitch looked over his shoulder and called, "Goffa!"

A ferret came bounding up from behind the next dune. "This is my friend Goffa," Klitch said. "He goes everywhere I go."

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That evening, Rainbow Dash was sitting outside when she saw Mara, Pickle, Klitch, and Goffa approach the mountain. "Hi there!" she called to the badgermaid. "Are you Mara?"

"Yes I am."

"Your father's been real worried. I think he was about to send search parties out looking for you. You're Pickle Folger, I guess?" Rainbow said, nodding to the hare.

Pickle puffed out his chest with pride. "Well, I see my reputation precedes me, wot wot. No doubt you've heard m'name bandied about hither and yon."

But then Rainbow Dash got a good look at the other two. "Who are you?"

Klitch made a courtly bow. "I'm Klitch and this is Goffa. Mara invited us to stay."

Rainbow Dash shook her head doubtfully. "Not sure how Lord Earthstripe is gonna like that." But she let them in anyway.

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"The reason Dash and I came over here," Ember said, "is because we heard an evil weasel warlord named Farrago the Assassin is in the area. He tried to attack Equestria a few months ago, but us dragons helped the ponies drive him off, and he fled back into Mossflower with his army. We just wanted to make sure he's not bothering you."

Lord Urthstripe paced back and forth around his study. "My scouts haven't reported any sightings of weasels on this coast."

"Okay. Well, everything is probably fine, then. Let's go get some dinner." The Dragon Lord and the Badger Lord headed for the dining hall together.

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The tables were piled with good mushroom soup, vegetable pasties, mountain pear cordial, salad, and beechnut cakes preserved in honey. But Urthstripe wasn't looking at the food. He was looking at his daughter- and the two creatures on either side of her. A weasel and a ferret.

Goffa had spread meadowcream on top of a beechnut cake and stuck a pair of vegetable pasties on top of it. Now he was spreading it with honey. As Urthstripe watched, the ferret placed another cake on top and tossed the whole thing into his mouth.

Pickle's eyes were wide. "And I thought I was a world class scoffer!"

Suddenly Klitch became aware of the Badger Lord's eyes on him. He stood up, his blue eyes shining with sincerity.

"Lord Urthstripe, I believe. I hope I find you well, sir. Goffa and I both wish to thank you for your good food and kind hospitality."

"What is a weasel doing inside my mountain?" Urthstripe's voice was dangerously quiet.

"We met 'em on the dunes!" Pickle piped up. "They're rather jolly…"

Ember interrupted. "He looks just like the bad weasel, Farrago the Assassin, who used to lie again and again."

"Assassin? I don't know any assassins." Klitch's face was a picture of innocence.

Urthsripe regarded Klitch and Goffa for a long time. Finally, he spoke. "If you have finished eating, my sergeant will show you to a room where you will spend the night. After breakfast tomorrow you must leave Salamandastron. You will be given food for your travels. Now I bid you both a good night. Sergeant!"

Sapwood came smartly to attention. Grim faced, he grasped Klitch and Goffa by their arms.

"How can you be so rude to those two young creatures?" Mara burst out. "They are my friends!"

Urthstripe slammed his fist down on the table. "Friends? A ferret and a weasel, they are not friends, they are vermin!"

Rainbow Dash flew between them. "Okay, let's all calm down."

"You don't want me to have any friends!" Mara yelled. "You never let me do what I want to do! I can't play football or have a TV!"

"Football is a waste of time," Urthstripe said. "And we live inside a giant crater. What happens when it rains? You gonna watch the water run all over your brand-new TV. All of a sudden you got so grown that your daddy doesn't count around here no more. You got so grown to where you gonna take over. You gonna take over my mountain? Is that right? You gonna wear my pants? You gonna go in my room and stretch out on my bed? How can you be so ungrateful after everything I've given you?"

"What did you ever give me?" Mara demanded.

"Them feet and bones! That pumping heart, stripedog! I gave you more than anybody else is ever gonna give you!"

"You ain't never done nothing but hold me back. All you ever did was try and make me scared of you. Wondering all the time… what's Papa gonna say if I do this? What's he gonna say if I do that? Well, I'm not putting up with it anymore! I'm leaving! Come on, Klitch!"

Mara stormed out. Klitch and Goffa pulled themselves free of Sapwood's grip and followed her.

"When you get out there on the shore, you can forget about this mountain!" Urthstripe yelled after her. "Because this is my mountain. You can forget about this. Cause this is mine. You go and get your own home cause I'm through with doing for you!"

As soon as she was gone, he started to cry. He instantly regretted saying those things to her, but it was too late.

Rainbow Dash saluted the Badger Lord. "Sir, with or without your permission, I'm goin' to follow 'em. It looks like Mara's heading for trouble."

Urthstripe wiped his eyes. "Thank you, my friend."