Oloe's patience was wearing out. In fact, it was gone. He snapped at anyone he came in contact with, and none of his crew could avoid him completely. The sea rat captain had thought his plan to travel back the way they had come had been wonderfully thought out, but his nightmares were beginning to affect him more than before. He was barely getting any sleep, and he found himself constantly looking over his shoulder, sure that he would see Gonff standing behind him, ready to attack.

Oloe had just been startled awake by another nightmare. The last thing he remembered was Gonff lunging at him. The sea rat shook himself and finally realized he had to do something different. His crew was more confused than ever before when he ordered them to turn around and change course yet again. He knew they were losing faith in him, but he didn't care. All he cared about was getting away from the horrible area of Mossflower and getting rid of his nightmares. As for his captives, he no longer had any glamorous plans for them. He would just stab them and throw them over the side when they got closer to the sea. He wanted revenge, but even more than that he just wanted the open seas and peaceful sleep without nightmares of enemies coming after him.

Columbine opened the door and eagerly pulled Delpa when her friend knocked to bring them their lunch. She took the tray out of the hogwife's paws and set it on the bed. Then she brought her friend over to the corner and pulled away the cover.

Columbine hugged her friend as she saw the look of surprise. "I actually did it! It's not much, but you can see through it now."

Delpa smiled warmly at her friend. "It looks like all your hard work is beginning to pay off," she said. Then she looked serious. "You still have to be careful, though. Especially now," she smiled. "You must be excited."

Columbine grinned. "Excited? I'm far beyond excited," she said, hardly able to contain herself. "I finally have a chance at escape! And it should be much easier now that there is an actual hole. I can just trim around the edges instead of hacking into it again and again." She paused. "I still don't know what I'm going to do once it's big enough, but now if for some reason I really have to get off the ship immediately, I can." She grew serious. "But that won't stop the captain. He'll still be out to get Gonff. I know my husband is out there somewhere, but I'll have no way to warn him."

Delpa patted her back reassuringly. "At least you're making progress, though. Keep working on the hole and try not to worry about anything else."

Columbine appreciated her friend's advice. "You're right. Worrying won't help with anything. I'm just going to keep cutting through this wall, if for no other reason than to keep myself busy," she looked up, excited again. "If I work hard today, I might be able to fit my head through it by tonight!"

Delpa smiled and then sat down with Columbine and Gonflet as they ate their lunch. When she left to go back to work, she felt happy for her friends. Even the thought of facing the vermin again didn't seem so hard when her friends were a step closer to escape.

Gonff continued to talk to Martin, Dinny and the otters, filling them in on his plan. Then the otters went off by themselves to sit under a tree as they made a map of Mossflower river and the surrounding land. Martin had been doubtful at first, but he was now impressed with his friend. It still had details to be worked out, but he agreed with Gonff in that it was the best plan they had at the moment. He went over the plan again to make sure he had it straight.

"So, our plan is to follow them as fast as we can till we see them, and then follow them until we approach a large bend in the river. Then we're going to travel across land so that we reach the river on the other side of the bend before they do. We set up a trap for them in the water so that they can't go forward. While that's going on, you slip aboard while Dinny and I wait on shore in case something goes wrong. You're going to free Columbine and Gonflet and then the three of you are going to get off and sneak back to where we are, safe and sound."

Gonff nodded. "I know it's got some problems, mate, but it's better than nothing. Are there any obvious problems that you can see?"

Martin stared at his friend. "Yes, there's definitely a problem. It's a very large problem if you think for one second that you are going on that ship without me!"

Gonff looked surprised. "But you were going to wait with Dinny, and---"

"And let you get killed because you were foolish enough to try it all by yourself?" Martin smiled and shook his head. "Gonff, my friend, there's no way you're going on by yourself. No one, especially me, is going to let that happen. Now, you can choose for yourself. You can have all four otters and Dinny go with you and let the whole group get noticed and caught, or you can smuggle yourself aboard, accompanied only by me, and actually have a chance at your plan succeeding. What will it be?"

Gonff grinned. "You just have to charge into everything, don't you, matey?"

Martin pretended to think. "Well, it's either that or let my best friend do something reckless and stupid and get himself killed. I just don't know, what should I do?" he put up his hands in mock despair.

Gonff feigned indignation. "And when was the last time I did something reckless, O fearless warrior?"

Martin acted as though he was pondering the question. "Well, I seem to remember you running straight into the wildcat Tsarmina and her vermin when we were trying to escape Kotir. And I have a glimmer of a memory of you dancing with a large ferocious crab. And---"

Gonff pretended to be insulted. "I'll have you know that you pulled me in that direction when we were escaping from Kotir. Don't forget the fact that I was the one who got you out in the first place. As far as the crab goes, how dare you insult my dance partner!"

Martin laughed as he remembered more of Gonff's antics, but the truth was, although they were sometimes the cause of trouble, Gonff always had a few tricks up his sleeve that got them out of the toughest situations while still amusing them all with his stunts that were both daring and hilarious. The warrior mouse gazed thoughtfully at his friend, who had abandoned their discussion to amuse Dinny and the others with a comic ditty he had probably composed just seconds earlier.

Martin shook his head in wonder at his friend. Even in the hardest of times, the irrepressible Gonff could always find a way to keep up everyone's spirits, including his own. Martin was still worried about the situation that lay ahead of them, but when he saw the determination in his friend, he knew Gonff would stop at nothing to rescue Columbine and Gonflet.

It was late when Columbine heard the knock at her door. Straightening up, she put the cover back in place, having no time to admire her work. She hurried to the door, and whispered, "Who is it?"

She was relieved at the familiar answer of, "It's me, Delpa."

Columbine pulled her friend in and closed the door again as always. She excitedly pulled her friend over to the wall and showed her the ever- growing whole. It was now large enough where Columbine could fit her entire her entire head and shoulders through it.

Delpa was impressed. "This is really coming along," the hedgehog said, poking her head through. Even with spikes, the hole was large enough to comfortably allow Delpa's head. Then she paused and looked at Columbine. "What do you plan on doing once it's large enough for you to fit through?"

Columbine looked uncertain. "I'm not really sure. I'm mostly just doing this to give myself something to do. But I'm also doing it because somehow I just know that my Gonff is out there somewhere." The mouse looked at her friend, and the hogwife saw her friend's feelings written clearly on her face. There was determination, but also something else. Delpa realized it was love. Love for her husband, and love for her son. Columbine looked down at the sleeping Gonflet. "I'm also doing this so that if it came right down to it, I could have Gonflet go through and try to make it to shore. It would be an awful thing to have to do, but Gonflet's a strong swimmer. He'd make it if he had to." The mousewife looked up. "I'm not going to let that evil sea rat get my son, and he's not going to lay a paw on my Gonff, either, if I have anything to do with it."

Delpa saw the fierce look on her friend's face and knew that Columbine would do exactly that if it came down to it. With a surge of pride the hogwife realized the strong love her friend had for her loved ones, and believed that she would indeed do anything she had to do protect her family.

Delpa looked at her friend seriously. "You must be scared."

Columbine spoke again, her voice trembling with emotion. "I am scared, Delpa, but I know I can face it. I lie awake every night, thinking of my Gonff and remembering all the good memories I have of being with him and Gonflet, all the precious moments we've shared. When I finally go to sleep, I dream of my family and friends. I dream of all the good times at Redwall, and the ones that are yet to come with my friends that I know care about and would do anything for me. I dream of picking berries with my son again, out in the free air and off of this ship. And most of all, I dream of Gonff. I dream of him finding me, and of going with him back to our home with our little son. And I dream of living there safe and sound with him to protect me and love me always. They may be only dreams, but they seem so real, and I somehow just know that they're real, and that they will indeed happen. I know they will. I'm going to believe in them and make them happen."

Looking at the expression on her friend's face, Delpa had no doubt that Columbine would indeed do anything she had to in order to be reunited with her family once more.

Thump! Oloe was jolted into awareness as he fell from his bed onto the floor. He shook himself. It had been another nightmare... The sea rat captain slammed his paw into the bedpost and cursed his enemy. What did he have to do to banish these nightmares? They continued to haunt him at night, while during the day he was constantly peering over his shoulder.

Captain Oloe pounded against the floor, against the bedpost, and finally against his head in a last effort to drive the nightmares away. He worked himself into a rage, and then collapsed onto the floor, exhausted. The sea rat trembled with fury. Before, he had decided to just let the captives die easily. It hadn't mattered, as long as he got to the wide open sea. But now his need for revenge came back full force. He would make those two mice suffer. And if Gonff ever ended up in the sea rat's sight...the mouse would be wishing desperately that he had met the easier fate of his family.

Oloe stood up, a calm, insane grin on his face. He would kill the two captives, but that would not be the end. Somehow, someday, he would find Gonff. And that was where it would end.

Gonff stared at the river that stretched on ahead of him as he waited to see just the smallest glimpse of the ship. Wyst and Topra had gone ahead of the others to scout the river for it. Gonff's eyes were beginning to feel blurry when he saw Wyst and Topra's boat spin around and come heading back to them, the two otters waving excitedly. When they were close enough, Wyst gave a shout. "We've found'em, mateys!"

Topra confirmed the statement. "Aye, they're straight ahead," the pretty ottermaid said, "And they're about to go around a bend in the river!"

Wyst was excited. "And not just any bend, mateys. This bend is well- known for the sharp turn it makes in direction. We can cut across land right here and come out at the river long before they get there!"

Gonff could not contain his excitement. "Then what are we waiting for mateys? Let's go catch ourselves some vermin!"

His companions cheered loudly at this. They steered the boats over to the bank and then hauled them out. Once they were all on dry land, they began the trek overland to find the ship, carrying the boats and supplies with them.

Even Dinny was excited. "Burr aye, usn's gotten the vurmin naow!"

Martin was excited, but he also realized the danger of the situation. It was especially dangerous for Gonff, but his friend didn't seem to notice. Martin looked over at the mousethief. Gonff was grinning broadly, but his eyes had a grim look to them. Martin knew his friend was thinking about what he would do to the vermin who had taken his family away from him. It was a long trip, but they all knew it was much shorter by land than it would have been by water.

Finally Mlira held up a paw. "We're getting close, mates. I can feel it!"

Drakk nodded in agreement. "Aye, I can feel the river in my paws."

The otters were quickly proven correct. Only a few moments later, the strange-looking group burst through the trees to find the river flowing by them as they stood in front of it. They looked up and down the river, but saw no sign of the ship.

Wyst was confident. "They'll be passing through around sunset, probably just before."

Mlira was practical. "Let's get these boats hidden somewhere in the trees. We don't want them to give us away."

The group pushed the boats farther back into the trees and covered them up with foliage. They stood back to admire their work.

Gonff smiled approvingly. "Good. Now Drakk, are you and your fellow otters able to rig up a trap that'll stop the ship, at least temporarily?"

Drakk nodded. "Sure can. I'm not sure at the moment what we'll use, but we'll think of something. Meanwhile, you, Martin and Dinny should try to make a type of shelter for us to keep cover in. You might want to either make a few of them, or else one long one that will stretch down the bank."

Gonff thought. "We'll make a few separate ones, with openings into the trees so that we can move from one to another without being seen."

Mlira nodded. "Sounds good. We otters will get together and think of something to stop the vermin in their tracks."

With that Drakk, Wyst, Mlira and Topra headed off and sat down the bank aways, considering various ideas. Gonff, Martin and Dinny began to construct the shelter. They took fallen limbs and leafy branches, lashed them all together, positioned them sturdily in the trees, and spread the makeshift shelter down the bank.

While they were working on that, Topra and Mlira came back to tell them that they had thought of the trap they were going to use. They would find a fallen tree and wedge it crosswise in the river. Everyone agreed to this, and the twins went back to help their fellow otters construct the trap. Gonff, Martin and Dinny continued to work on the shelter, creating openings in the back to travel along the banks without being seen.

When they were just about finished, Dinny stood up and wiped a bead of perspiration from his snout. "Hurr, them vurmin be's in fur a surproise!"

Gonff nodded in satisfaction. "You're right, Dinny, those vermin certainly will have a surprise waiting for them." He added in a soft, grim voice that only Martin heard, "Me."

"Dinny," Martin said. "Would you keep working on the shelter? I just need to talk to Gonff for a moment."

He led Gonff away further down the bank. Gonff winked at him. "What is it, matey?"

Martin regarded his friend seriously. "We've got the shelter and the otters are working on a way to trap them, but what are you going to do once that happens? What's your plan?"

Gonff avoided his friend's eyes. "I dunno, matey. I figure I'll just---"

Martin interrupted. "We. I told you before, you're not going on alone."

Gonff grinned. "All right, matey, I figured we would just go on board while they're trying to figure out why they're not going anywhere. Then we could find where they've got Columbine and Gonflet, get them loose, and escape."

Martin frowned. "And how do you plan to escape?"

Gonff shrugged. "Go back the same way we came."

"And you don't think they'll notice two escaped prisoners?"

Gonff sank down on the bank. "Look, matey, I don't know exactly what we'll do. I can't think straight when I'm all worried about my Columbine and little Gonflet. I just---" Gonff put his face in his hands.

Martin sat down and put a paw on his friend's shoulders. "I know, mate. I know it's hard. But we have to think of something. We can't just go charging in there and do whatever idea just popped into our heads. It won't help us, and it won't help Columbine and Gonflet."

Gonff looked up at his friend. "Then what are we going to do?"

Martin patted his friend. "We're going to come up with a plan."

However, they had no time to think of a plan. The otters came running back just then.

"The trap's set!" Wyst yelled.

"And just in time," Topra added. "The ship's coming."
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