Icebright stood at the foot of the mountain, gleaming in her spike-studded armor and helmet. Her favorite weapons, two mace and chain and a saber, were lashed to her belt and wrapped around her massive blue-gray paws. The one hundred hares she had collected herself were spread out, each with six- day rations and weapons. The door of the volcano creaked open. Five score hares marched out at a time, sand crushing beneath their footpaws, various blades and other weaponry splayed across the mighty horde of Salamandstron.

After what seemed like a season to the Badger Lady, the last hare stamped out of Salamandastron. She held up her saber, named Steelslay, and roared, "Euuaillliaaaaaaaaaa!"

The battle cry echoed her back. "Euuuaiilliiiaaaa!"

Mooneye waved, and swept away a threatening tear. Turning, the harecook, Neallem, handed her a napkin from the table, all set for dinner. "Now, Lady, your sister will come back, she's a tough old bird, wot! Just like your mater, Cregga Rose Eyes."

The badger took the cloth, and dabbed at her cream colored eyes. "Oh, Neallem, what was my mother like?"

The hare stood up tall, proudly. "Hah! She could slay anybeast, and live to tell the tale! Just like your sister, Icebright!"

(A/N I know Cregga had no daughters, but it fits with the storyline, so go along with it.) Mooneye stared at the damp kercheif. "But she died, didn't she?"

The female cookhare sadly pulled out another kercheif. "Yes, marm, but died for another cause, to be peaceful. She will meet your father, Swordstripe, and live peacefully."

Mooneyes looked at the distant dustcloud. "I hope Icebright won't soon, Neallem."

Ruggan had ordered his clan to move deeper into Mossflower, for shelter from Salamandastron. Still thinking about the omen, he slashed at the overgrowth. His saber whistled a mournful tune and it sang and cleared the foilage.

Ruggan trekked through the deep grass, undergrowth and piled up leaves. Ordering his clan to go on the road north, he grabbed a ferret called Rustclaw. "Track ahead. Search for food, shelter and fresh water. Now!"

Rustclaw saluted with her red claw, scarlet from a bad incident with wolfbane, and ran off. Ruggan pawed his saber as her trotted. Ermrath was fixing a bone pattern on a necklace as she went. He wished that Rustclaw would find shelter soon for it would a bad night. He noted the storm clouds, alluding to rain and thunder.

At dinner, ShadowSong was the amazment of the Abbeybabes. They tugged at her ears and tail, never seeing a wolf so up close before, besides the war council meeting.

"Whurr you acomin from, marm?"

"Hehe, dis tail, it softie!"

Abbess Mhera shooed the curious Dibbuns away, apologizing to ShadowSong. "Those Dibbuns, no manners. I'm sorry they never learn."

ShadowSong smiled. "Oh, I don't mind. The pups at the den never got over a wandering squirrel that once visited. It's the same thing."

Nimbalo plopped next to her and nodded. "Aye, me matey Tagg- er, Deyna, ate snakyfish pie. Mmmm, elvers are delicious!"

Deyna nodded, hiding a grin. "Hamsing goldie ate them all to, didn't you?"

Nimbalo made a face and scooped up a bite of the strawberry fritter that was resting on Deyna's plate. "He's a cruel un, teasing me!"

ShadowSong liked the carefree manner of the harvest mouse and the warrior likeness of Deyna. She ate some of her fritter and pastie, watching the Dibbuns stuff each other. Redwall had a mix of careing elders, officious adults, warriors and children. She had gained admiracy for the Abbey, for all the few hours she had been there.

The Abbess, seated on the female wolf's right, asked her a question. "What did your pack do? I saw beautiful stones in your sling pouch, and well kept weaponry. They are indeed exquisite!"

ShadowSong took a sapphire out of her dockleaf bag and handed it to the otter. "Moonsky wolf pack is known for their mining and smithing. We had many mines, searching for precious gemstones to trade for metal. We had large amounts of silver, gold, steel mines-- the largest mine was steel. The gem mines were smaller, but the stones were all together. We foraged blades of all kinds, and added the minerals from the mines to make a magnificent sword, rapier, saber, scimitar, and cutlass, anything with a blade. The stones, if too large for weapon or disfigured in some way, we use for slinging."

The Abbess sighed, looking at the azure stone, shiny from polishing and candlelight. "Such a wonderous pack. It is a shame it was destroyed."

ShadowSong nodded. "We were mining gold. At a break, I was practicing with my glaive when they struck. My pack numbered fifty. They had three hundred. Struck by ambush. I managed to take a few with them... about a score. But I was knocked unconcious and thought to be dead. They didn't plunder the mines, raid the den, or anything. Just slew and left."

The Abbess wiped a small glistening speck away with a webbed paw. "If you want, you could live here, since your pack is at rest."

ShadowSong smiled, wiping a tear away. "I would love that, Mother Abbess."

A glass windowpane shattered--- a slingstone from the outside. ShadowSong grabbed her weapons and ran to the battlements, other beasts following.

Suru glanced from the ground up. "Keep slinging, Cuttail."

Cuttail whirled his sling, and shot. A stone soared, then landed in the broken pane. A shout, scream and shriek sounded at once. Then a Dibbun cried out.

"Wake up, Gulbur! Dat stone hitta Gulbur!"

At the walltop, ShadowSong heard the cry-Gulbur was the Dibbun that had first came to her when being introduced, not at all afraid of her. Howling, she launched a stone with a cry like a wounded beast.

The ruby left the stone like gossamer, and slammed into Cuttail's skull. Redwallers for seasons to come would speak of what came next. The stone tunneled through Cuttail's skull, through his brain and out. He died with a hole through his head, clear through.

ShadowSong loaded another stone, this one a silver nugget with mixed minerals in it, but Deyna put his paw on it. "No more. I think they got the picture."

ShadowSong shook with rage. "Hurting a Dibbun, the scum!"

Deyna stared at the aperture in the rat's cranium. "Marm, that stone... it went through his noggin!"

Nimbalo, with a bow, nodded. "Stuff they need--- to clear their head out!" He shot a shaft down, and was rewarded with a scream. Suru yelled. "Sling, me hearties, sling!"

A hail of stones shot upward, clattering on the sandstone wall. The Abbess poked her head up. "I think... Unkkhhh!"

Deyna scooped up his struck sister. "Everybeast but Nimbalo, ShadowSong, Log-a-log, Skipper, the otters and Guosim inside!" The group of creatures left. Nimbalo loosed two more shafts.

"ShadowSong, only a beast of your strength could make a rock go straight through a beast's head!" He heard a curse and yell, and launched another shaft.

ShadowSong smiled grimly. "Aye. My strength was once said by a stranger to match a full grown male badger. My father-" she paused, and launched a stone, a yelp and curse following. "My father said no male in the pack could best me."

Nimbalo nodded, loosed a shaft, and nodded again, satisfied with a scream. "I agree with yore pater. 'E musta been a great beast."