Skipper stood as still as a statue, watching in a state of amazement as
Cain's sword cleaved its way through the neck of the Stormrat. Only a
moment before, the mouse had tried to leap the hideous beast from behind in
an attempt to save Skipper's life. The otter had escaped unscathed, but
only because he had dropped his battleaxe and scrambled away from the
Stormrat's blow.
Cain hadn't been so lucky. The giant rat had caught the mouse in midair, and with all of his considerable strength, flung Cain to the ground. Skipper had been certain that he heard the poor beast's skull crack when it struck the ground, and any hope of his survival had vanished when the Stormrat thrust his sword through Cain's stomach. All of Skipper's willpower seemed to vanish in that moment. He had never been particularly fond of Cain, but the mouse had been one of Redwall's greatest warriors. If the Stormrat was able to kill him so easily, what chance did Skipper have against this monstrosity?
Then, the unthinkable happened. Only a second after the Stormrat's sword pierced Cain's flesh, the mouse opened his eyes, squinted, and began to rise to his feet. At first, the giant vermin had been to astonished to fight back, but as Cain moved slowly and surely toward the Stormrat and brought his sword over his shoulder, the huge rat tried to pull his sword out of Cain's stomach. He wasn't fast enough. With a strength that Skipper had never seen a mouse display, Cain brought his sword down on the Stormrat's neck.
Cain's opponent let out a fearful scream even more forceful than the one the rat had uttered when Skipper sliced open its stomach. The brave mouse didn't seem to notice, however, and kept his blade moving through the Stormrat's neck. The sword's movement seemed to slow as it neared the center of the neck, but Cain grit his teeth and seemed to focus all his strength on the sword. Slowly, the blade cut through the monster's spine. After cleaving through this barrier of bone, Cain's sword easily passed through the rest of the muscle and flesh in the Stormrat's neck.
The giant was sent tumbling to the ground, its severed head landing first, with a squishy plop that made Skipper gag. The immense body of the Stormrat fell beside it. At the same moment, Cain's knees gave way beneath him, and the mouse sank to the ground.
It was as if the mouse's fall broke some enchantment that had taken hold of Skipper. The otter rushed forward, ignoring the wounds inflicted on him by the now-dead behemoth and the metallic clash of steel against steel that filled the cavern. Passing by his battleaxe with hardly a thought, he knelt down next to Cain and gently straightened the warrior's limp body. Skipper had known that Cain was dead the moment the mouse fell, but the sight of his body sprawled awkwardly on the cavern floor and the loose, unresisting feel of it as Skipper attempted to lie the body down in what would be a comfortable position confirmed that Cain was lost.
The high pitched sound of steel slicing through the air behind his head was the only thing that informed Skipper of a swift and lethal attack. The otter reached out for Cain's paws, and removed the sword they held. Skipper leapt to his feet, spun around and swung Cain's sword in an attempt to intercept a blow that, although not aimed highly enough off the ground to decapitate the standing otter, still had the ability to carve a deadly gouge into his flesh.
A harsh ring sounded out as the weapons clashed, and Skipper's strength and the desperation that fueled it sent his attacker reeling away from him. The vermin who attacked him - a muscular searat - seemed to regret choosing Skipper as a target now that the otter wasn't helpless. Licking his lips, the rat took a careful step forward, swinging his blade cautiously at Skipper. The otter caught the blow easily with Cain's sword, and Skipper Skipper lashed out with his rudder and swept the searat's legs out from under him. Almost valiantly, the searat rolled toward Skipper and straightened himself, but a slash of Cain's sword cut a deep gash in the beast's stomach. With a cry of pain, the rat stepped back and clutched his wound. A brief surge of pity assailed Skipper's heart, but the memory of Cain's limp body was fresh in his head and gave him all the incentive he needed to dispatch the rat.
Glancing at the searat now dead at his feet, Skipper backed up. Over half the vermin were dead now - less than a score remained fighting the continuous onslaught of the Redwallers. Gormin, who had sped to Skipper's aid while he fought the Stormrat, had the upper paw in a duel with a courageous stoat. Near the exit of the cavern, Candice, Colin, and two mice charged toward a gathering of five vermin. It dawned on Skipper that those five beasts were among the last of twoscore beasts sent to stop the Redwallers. As brief as this skirmish may have been, it was a victory. The Redwallers had come out on top.
Skipper cupped a paw to his mouth and called out in the loudest voice he could manage. "Lay down your weapons, vermin, and your lives will be spared!" To his dismay, the noise of battle, although dying, still managed to drown out his cry. The otter watched stoically as the last of the vermin were slain, wondering if these final casualties could have been avoided but not giving much thought to the idea before dismissing it as unimportant.
When the last foe fell and the cries of battle had faded, Gormin raised his paws into the air to attract the attention of the Redwallers. Some stared at him expectantly, their eyes betraying weariness and fatigue. Others shuffled excitedly, not quite believing what had happened and eager for more. Those who had lost friends wept silently, knowing that this respite would be their only opportunity for some time to mourn them.
"We must press onward!" cried Gormin, projecting his voice so even those who were still outside the cavern could hear him. "This mountain's Badger Lord is dead, but the Long Patrol may yet be alive! We need to pursue the vermin and make them suffer for what they've done!"
The beasts that had fought organized themselves, preparing to continue through Salamandastron's tunnels. Skipper retrieved his battleaxe, and placed Cain's sword by the dead warrior's body. Cain's son, Andrew, may have wanted the sword, but Skipper thought it far more likely that Andrew would have preferred his father to take his weapon to the grave.
Skipper strode toward Gormin, who was standing at the front of the column, prepared to lead the Redwallers into yet another battle. His heart tightened as he passed the corpses of two otters, but he allowed nothing but fierce determination to show on his face.
"Ready?" Gormin asked quietly when Skipper reached his side. Not only was the squirrel warrior's voice filled with determination, Skipper could hear a promise of vengeance in the single word he spoke. It was not a tone of voice which he would expect to hear from great warriors such as Martin or Matthias. Skipper shook his head and shoved that thought aside.
"Yes, I'm ready," confirmed Skipper. He, Gormin, and the other Redwallers resumed their march.
~~~
Danni ran as quickly as her legs would carry her, trying to catch up to the army marching through Salamandastron. She knew that the vermin who made up this attack force would be fine without her help, but she felt an urgent desire to be in control of the coming battle. Sunai was relying on this attack to take control of the mountain, and although Danni would not make much of a difference in the battle that was to come, she would never forgive herself if the Stormbringer lost because she was not there to assist his soldiers.
Less than a minute passed before she could make out the shape of several beasts marching forward through the tunnels. Danni's argument with Meist had seemed to take forever, but it seemed that it had taken less time to convince him to stay behind than Danni had guessed. The brutish Stormrat had been unwilling to stay behind to guard that cavern, but Danni had insisted. After all, the badger and the other hares had been ready to attack them - there was nothing to guarantee that other hares wouldn't try to take them from behind.
"There's nobeast your brother would choose for this duty over you. You slew a badger. You're an exceptional warrior." Danni had attempted to both flatter him and call on whatever awe Meist held his brother in. Another beast might have seen through her words, but Meist wasn't another beast. Meist was Meist - huge, fearsome, prone to fits of unreasoning rage, and none too intelligent.
Which was exactly why Danni wished to leave him behind. Aside from the Long Patrol, Meist was the greatest threat to the plan Sunai had described to her. In battle, Meist attacked regardless of whether his target was friend or foe. He was as dangerous to the Stormbringer's own warriors as he was to the enemy.
Beasts moved aside swiftly to allow the vixen to pass them. Every one of them recognized that she was in charge of this attack. After several minutes of moving between Sunai's fighters, she reached the front of the column.
"Are we going in the right direction?" she asked, drawing up beside the beast who was leading the column. He was a stout weasel, physically fit and seemingly cunning. Danni couldn't recall seeing him before, which wasn't surprising, since she didn't associate with many beasts aside from Sunai and the beasts he trusted. This weasel, though, had the look of an excellent commander. Maybe she could find out his name and notify Sunai.
"I'm pretty sure we are," said the weasel, keeping his voice low and respectful. "Th' tunnel seems t' be headin' upwards - unless my sense o' direction is deceivin' me, we're headed straight toward where the Stormbringer asked us to attack."
"Alright," said Danni, nodding her head in satisfaction. "Just one more question - what's your name?"
"M' name is Esmiel," said the weasel. "Why do y' ask?"
Danni suppressed a smile. "I like to know the names of the beasts I'll be working with. You're to lead these fighters into battle. Perform well today, and I'll see that you're rewarded." If you're as capable as I think you are, thought Danni, Sunai will consider your presence here at Salamandastron a reward.
"Thank y', ma'am," said Esmiel. "I'll do m' best, for the glory of the Stormbringer." Somehow, Danni could sense sincerity behind those words. It fueled her conviction that Esmiel could be made into a reliable commander, and, more importantly, one that Sunai could trust. As disciplined as the Stormbringer's soldiers were, they were still vermin, with all the savage tendencies that set them apart from woodlanders. Anybeast who could be trusted was to be valued - and Esmiel seemed loyal and honest enough that Danni was sure the Stormbringer would value his contribution to his forces.
~~~
Other than a short walk to dispel the restlessness from his footpaws, Merlin hadn't let his attention stray from the dark shoreline. He clutched his longbow in both paws. A quiver of arrows sat on the ground next to him, and Salamander was worn across his shoulders, in a sheath which was kept in position by leather straps. He had tried keeping Salamander sheathed at his belt, but it had been unwieldy to keep the blade hanging from his waist to the ground. Lord Rocketh had presented him with the sheath shortly before talking with Sergeant Maxwell without a word, and up until about a minute ago Merlin hadn't been aware that the straps on the sheath were designed so he could wear the sword over his back..
Colonel Jeffrey moved back and forth among the Long Patrol hares, asking whether they had noticed any movement and looking over their shoulders down the mountainside. Although he kept his voice steady and his movements firm, Merlin was sure that he was nervous. But then, so was he, and every other hare present on the mountainside.
Jeffrey came to a stop behind Merlin. The younger hare turned his head to look at his superior. "Have y' seen anything outta th' ordinary?" asked Jeffrey. Merlin shook his head. "Are y sure?" pressed the colonel. "No movement on th' shoreline? No beasts climbin' th' mountainside?"
"No, sah," answered Merlin. "Everythin' seems alright."
Jeffrey moved on, continuing to survey the shoreline and questioning the hares that stood as sentinels. So intent was he on keeping the vermin on the shoreline from attacking, he failed to notice what was occurring behind him until it was almost too late.
"Sah! Colonel Jeffrey!" shouted a hare, who had just emerged from Salamandastron's tunnels. More hares followed her. Merlin couldn't get an exact count, but he guessed that the group ranged from ten to twenty beasts.
"Yes, what is it?" asked Jeffrey, whirling around and focusing his attention on this hare. The beast, although not panting for breath, seemed as if she had been running for some time. Forgetting his duty to watch the shoreline, Merlin watched and listened as Jeffrey spoke with the hare.
"Vermin are coming through th' tunnels!" exclaimed the Long Patroller. "A giant rat slew Lord Rocketh, an' Sergeant Maxwell stayed behind t' fight it. He mus' be dead, 'cause the rest o' our soldiers were picked off by vermin."
"Damn!" exclaimed Jeffrey. He turned around to address those hares that hadn't already turned to listen. "Forget about th' mountainside! Vermin are comin' through th' blinkin' tunnels!"
The Long Patrollers, almost as one, turned away from the mountainside and reached for their quivers. This response came too late. By the time the hares had arrows nocked to their bowstrings, beasts were rushing out from the tunnel toward them. Merlin strained his muscles, drawing back the bowstring of his longbow as far as he could. Aiming as carefully as he could in the darkness, he released the bowstring, sending an arrow plunging through the night toward the opening to the tunnel.
Merlin didn't know whether or not his arrow hit. A flurry of arrows shot out from the hares gathered on the mountain, but most either overshot their marks or fell short of the vermin. Those missiles that did strike their targets brought down the first some of the charging vermin, but the enemy kept pressing forward, paying no heed to their fallen comrades. Merlin shot another arrow and had the satisfaction of seeing it pierce the chest of a burly searat. Arrows from the hares gathered on the mountainside shot forward, and at least twoscore vermin must have fallen.
The hare was about to reach for another arrow, but the vermin were rushing toward the hares too quickly. Knowing that they would be close enough to fight paw to paw in the next few seconds, Merlin discarded his longbow and reached over his shoulder and gripped Salamander's hilt. The sword might be his, but that didn't mean that Merlin couldn't use it to fight. With one powerful tug, he yanked the sword free from its sheath. Gripping the weapon in both paws, Merlin brought it up in front of him and waited for the enemies to approach him.
He didn't have to wait long. A weasel and a searat sprung toward him, and Merlin brought up Salamander to defend himself. The sword was difficult to fight with, and Merlin found himself struggling to parry the blows his opponents rained on him. The searat slashed at Merlin with his scimitar, and only the realization that he was fighting for his life and protecting Salamandastron from the Stormrats gave him enough strength to fend off the searat.
However, he could not fight both the weasel and the searat at the same time. Not with Salamander as his weapon. Merlin would have fought with his dirk, but he was not yet used to moving with the weight of Salamander on his back, and that would have slowed down his movements. As far as he could see, it was better to move slowly with a large weapon than to move slowly with a smaller weapon. But he began to regret his choice of weapon as the weasel's staff began to move past Salamander and pepper him with stinging blows.
If it weren't for his promise to Lord Rocketh, he would have cast Salamander aside and fought with his dirk. But he felt bound by the badger's words, and felt that throwing away the blade the Badger Lord had crafted, even for a moment, would be betraying him. So he fought stubbornly, thrusting and parrying with Salamander even when it became apparent that the sword wasn't the right weapon for the job. Despite his best efforts, Merlin's muscles began to ache, and his blows became slower and more sluggish.
Just as Merlin was about to say his prayers, a blade thrust through the chest of the searat. Not bothering to see who his rescuer was, he switched his focus from the searat to the weasel, bringing up Salamander's blade just in time to block a strike from his staff. The weasel recovered quickly, drawing back his staff for another blow. Merlin strained his muscles, lifting Salamander back over his shoulder. The weasel whipped his staff across the hare's stomach, but Merlin wasn't fazed by the stinging blow. With one final test of his strength, he brought Salamander down on the weasel, slicing through the vermin's shoulder. When the blade reached the weasel's heart, Merlin drew it back, letting his enemy slump to the ground.
"Nice," said a voice behind him. Merlin turned to look at the speaker, letting Salamander's blade slump to the ground. He recognized the speaker as the hare who had alerted Colonel Jeffrey of the approaching vermin. Judging by her bloody dirk and the searat dead at her feet, she was the one who had saved him.
"Thank y', marm," said Merlin, placing Salamander's point on the ground and letting the blade lean against him. "Would y' mind protectin' me for a couple seconds? I'll be with y' when I get my dirk out." The hare nodded, and turned away to fight off the vermin.
His paws trembling from the excitement of battle, Merlin slid out of the straps that held the sheath on his back in place. Bringing the sheath in front of him, Merlin carefully lifted Salamander and placed it in the sheath. Placing the straps over his shoulders once again, Merlin stood with Salamander strapped to his back. Drawing his dirk from his belt, the Long Patroller hurried to assist the hare that had helped him.
"I'm not sure I got your name," said Merlin, moving to stand beside the hare. Maneuvering with Salamander on his back was not as difficult as he had feared, but he still wished that he was unencumbered by the sword's weight.
"It's Mianel," answered the hare, thrusting her dirk out at a searat who stepped in front of her. She fought with the ferocity of a seasoned Long Patroller, swiftly parrying the rat's blows with her dirk. Realizing that he was outmatched, the searat stepped back, holding his cutlass out to ward off Mianel. She was content to let this vermin escape, and turned to a fox that was making his way toward Merlin. He held a dagger in each paw, and more weapons hung from the belt at his waist.
Gesturing toward the fox with a nod of her head, Mianel turned again to face an approaching stoat. Merlin and Mianel were now back to back, facing an onslaught of attackers from the tunnels. Other hares fought along the mountainside with varying degrees of success. But none of them were prepared for what happened next.
~~~
Sunai leapt over the outcropping of rock that separated him from the battle. It had been a long climb up the side of Salamandastron, and it had been difficult having to remain silent and unseen for more than half the time it took to reach the hares. But despite the energy he had spent coming up the mountain, the Stormbringer was ready to fight. So were the thirty vermin he had chosen to climb up the mountain with him.
Stormbringer sliced through the air and ended its short journey with a thud as the blade dug into a hare's side. The beast staggered, attempting to turn around to face his attacker, but a brutal kick from Sunai sent him sprawling. There was no time to make sure this beast ended up dead, but the Stormrat rusted that one of his soldiers would put the beast out of its misery.
Looking at the commotion taking place on the mountainside, Sunai was pleased to note that Danni had carried out his plan as effectively as he hoped she would. Her attack had taken the Long Patrol by surprise, and distracted them enough to allow Sunai and the other climbers to hasten up the mountain. Now, they would be trapped between two parts of his army, unable to escape and forced to fight to the death.
The Stormrat looked only briefly over his shoulder, noting that his warriors were beginning to haul themselves over the mountainside as he had just done. His eyes moved beyond them, to the shore. Laskit would be moving now, directing the rest of his troops to follow Sunai and the other climbers into battle.
Snapping his head forward again, Sunai charged into battle, swinging his sword with a plain fury that would have frightened any hare that was looking his way. But by the time they realized that there was a threat approaching from behind, Stormbringer had been thrust through a hare's heart and was already being withdrawn.
"Stormrat!" cried a hare that had been standing next to the beast Sunai had just slain. "Attack from behind! The Stormrats are -" Sunai impaled this hare in the same manner as he had the previous one, relishing the fear in his enemy's eyes. His adversary opened his mouth as if in shock, and Sunai grinned wickedly at the Long Patroller. He wanted the triumphant expression on his face to be the last worldly thing this hare ever saw.
As soon as the hare's eyes rolled up into his head, Sunai pressed a footpaw against his chest and pushed the hare off his blade. Red blood was smeared across Stormbringer, but Sunai didn't mind. His only regret was that he wouldn't be able to relish the death of every hare he faced. Now that the Long Patrol would be alerted to his presence, he would have to fight with care.
Two more hares ran toward him, screaming the war cry of Salamandastron. Swiftly, Sunai brought Stormbringer's blade up in front of him, and waited for the hares to attack. One of them slashed at him with his dirk, but Sunai easily sidestepped the blow. The other hare, bolder than his companion, charged at Sunai, screaming incoherently and attacking fiercely with his saber. Sunai blocked the first few blows without trouble, but when the hare's companion joined the attacker, the Stormbringer began to find it difficult to hold his ground.
Retreating might have been a wise move, but Sunai would not allow these hares the satisfaction of seeing him falter. With a ferocity born from pride and thoughts of his dead father, the Stormrat redoubled his efforts, battering both hares with blows from Stormbringer. The sword was easily double the weight of either hare's saber, and the strength of the beast wielding the blade was great enough to drive both hares backward.
After delivering a crushing blow to one of the hare's feeble sabers with his sword, Sunai dropped his weapon and dove for his enemy. The hare was caught completely by surprise, and could do nothing but soften his landing with an extended paw. With a roar of fury, Sunai raked his claws across the hare's face. Screaming in pain, the Long Patroller reached both paws up to clutch at the wounds, which were gushing blood. Resisting the temptation to continue attacking this helpless target, Sunai turned around to face the other hare.
It was only because of his swift reflexes that Sunai did not end up with a gouged out eye. When he saw the saber sweeping toward his face, the Stormrat had only a second to twist his head to the side and let the blade cut deep into the side of his face instead. Warm blood began to flow down Sunai's cheek, slipping easily over his fur and leaving deep red stains. But he paid no attention to the sting, or the blood. Sunai leapt up while this hare was still unprepared, and slammed his skull into the beast's face. The hare stumbled away from him with a pained whimper, and Sunai turned his attention again to the other hare, who was beginning to climb to his feet. A swift kick sent him down to the ground again, and Sunai leaped back to where he had left Stormbringer unattended on the ground. Wrapping both paws around its hilt, he dashed toward the hare who he had slammed his head into. A swing of Sunai's sword sent the hare to the ground, clutching at his bleeding throat. The other hare received a stab in the chest, an assurance that he would plague Sunai no more.
Sunai heard the sound of metal slicing through air, and moved away from where the noise had come from. He saw a weasel, taking another dagger from his belt and looking beyond his leader. Turning, Sunai saw the beast the weasel had targeted. A fat hare clutched at a dagger hilt protruding from his stomach, glaring angrily at the weasel. Stepping back and turning his attention away from this battle, the rat sought out new targets.
The first battle to catch his eye was between two hares and an assortment of his own soldiers. The hares stood back-to-back, each holding a dirk and holding off their attackers. One of the hares, a male, had a sword the size of Stormbringer strapped to his back. Something about the weapon gave him chills. He moved to join the efforts of the vermin attempting to slay the pair of hares, but before he could reach them, a more pressing concern came to his ears.
A noise seemed to be coming from a hole in the wall. Sunai had not been present to witness the arrival of his troops, but he assumed that they had come through that tunnel. The sound became more clear to his ears, and although he could not hear it exactly over the din of battle, he heard it closely enough to recognize it from the Stormrat War.
The noise came from a group of beasts growing larger by the minute. Sunai couldn't see them through the shadows, but he could imagine them in specific detail. Woodlanders all of them, the beasts stood together and struck what they must have imagined resembled a noble pose. "Redwall!" they cried, and sprung forward, attempting to bring Sunai's carefully laid plans crumbling to the ground.
Cain hadn't been so lucky. The giant rat had caught the mouse in midair, and with all of his considerable strength, flung Cain to the ground. Skipper had been certain that he heard the poor beast's skull crack when it struck the ground, and any hope of his survival had vanished when the Stormrat thrust his sword through Cain's stomach. All of Skipper's willpower seemed to vanish in that moment. He had never been particularly fond of Cain, but the mouse had been one of Redwall's greatest warriors. If the Stormrat was able to kill him so easily, what chance did Skipper have against this monstrosity?
Then, the unthinkable happened. Only a second after the Stormrat's sword pierced Cain's flesh, the mouse opened his eyes, squinted, and began to rise to his feet. At first, the giant vermin had been to astonished to fight back, but as Cain moved slowly and surely toward the Stormrat and brought his sword over his shoulder, the huge rat tried to pull his sword out of Cain's stomach. He wasn't fast enough. With a strength that Skipper had never seen a mouse display, Cain brought his sword down on the Stormrat's neck.
Cain's opponent let out a fearful scream even more forceful than the one the rat had uttered when Skipper sliced open its stomach. The brave mouse didn't seem to notice, however, and kept his blade moving through the Stormrat's neck. The sword's movement seemed to slow as it neared the center of the neck, but Cain grit his teeth and seemed to focus all his strength on the sword. Slowly, the blade cut through the monster's spine. After cleaving through this barrier of bone, Cain's sword easily passed through the rest of the muscle and flesh in the Stormrat's neck.
The giant was sent tumbling to the ground, its severed head landing first, with a squishy plop that made Skipper gag. The immense body of the Stormrat fell beside it. At the same moment, Cain's knees gave way beneath him, and the mouse sank to the ground.
It was as if the mouse's fall broke some enchantment that had taken hold of Skipper. The otter rushed forward, ignoring the wounds inflicted on him by the now-dead behemoth and the metallic clash of steel against steel that filled the cavern. Passing by his battleaxe with hardly a thought, he knelt down next to Cain and gently straightened the warrior's limp body. Skipper had known that Cain was dead the moment the mouse fell, but the sight of his body sprawled awkwardly on the cavern floor and the loose, unresisting feel of it as Skipper attempted to lie the body down in what would be a comfortable position confirmed that Cain was lost.
The high pitched sound of steel slicing through the air behind his head was the only thing that informed Skipper of a swift and lethal attack. The otter reached out for Cain's paws, and removed the sword they held. Skipper leapt to his feet, spun around and swung Cain's sword in an attempt to intercept a blow that, although not aimed highly enough off the ground to decapitate the standing otter, still had the ability to carve a deadly gouge into his flesh.
A harsh ring sounded out as the weapons clashed, and Skipper's strength and the desperation that fueled it sent his attacker reeling away from him. The vermin who attacked him - a muscular searat - seemed to regret choosing Skipper as a target now that the otter wasn't helpless. Licking his lips, the rat took a careful step forward, swinging his blade cautiously at Skipper. The otter caught the blow easily with Cain's sword, and Skipper Skipper lashed out with his rudder and swept the searat's legs out from under him. Almost valiantly, the searat rolled toward Skipper and straightened himself, but a slash of Cain's sword cut a deep gash in the beast's stomach. With a cry of pain, the rat stepped back and clutched his wound. A brief surge of pity assailed Skipper's heart, but the memory of Cain's limp body was fresh in his head and gave him all the incentive he needed to dispatch the rat.
Glancing at the searat now dead at his feet, Skipper backed up. Over half the vermin were dead now - less than a score remained fighting the continuous onslaught of the Redwallers. Gormin, who had sped to Skipper's aid while he fought the Stormrat, had the upper paw in a duel with a courageous stoat. Near the exit of the cavern, Candice, Colin, and two mice charged toward a gathering of five vermin. It dawned on Skipper that those five beasts were among the last of twoscore beasts sent to stop the Redwallers. As brief as this skirmish may have been, it was a victory. The Redwallers had come out on top.
Skipper cupped a paw to his mouth and called out in the loudest voice he could manage. "Lay down your weapons, vermin, and your lives will be spared!" To his dismay, the noise of battle, although dying, still managed to drown out his cry. The otter watched stoically as the last of the vermin were slain, wondering if these final casualties could have been avoided but not giving much thought to the idea before dismissing it as unimportant.
When the last foe fell and the cries of battle had faded, Gormin raised his paws into the air to attract the attention of the Redwallers. Some stared at him expectantly, their eyes betraying weariness and fatigue. Others shuffled excitedly, not quite believing what had happened and eager for more. Those who had lost friends wept silently, knowing that this respite would be their only opportunity for some time to mourn them.
"We must press onward!" cried Gormin, projecting his voice so even those who were still outside the cavern could hear him. "This mountain's Badger Lord is dead, but the Long Patrol may yet be alive! We need to pursue the vermin and make them suffer for what they've done!"
The beasts that had fought organized themselves, preparing to continue through Salamandastron's tunnels. Skipper retrieved his battleaxe, and placed Cain's sword by the dead warrior's body. Cain's son, Andrew, may have wanted the sword, but Skipper thought it far more likely that Andrew would have preferred his father to take his weapon to the grave.
Skipper strode toward Gormin, who was standing at the front of the column, prepared to lead the Redwallers into yet another battle. His heart tightened as he passed the corpses of two otters, but he allowed nothing but fierce determination to show on his face.
"Ready?" Gormin asked quietly when Skipper reached his side. Not only was the squirrel warrior's voice filled with determination, Skipper could hear a promise of vengeance in the single word he spoke. It was not a tone of voice which he would expect to hear from great warriors such as Martin or Matthias. Skipper shook his head and shoved that thought aside.
"Yes, I'm ready," confirmed Skipper. He, Gormin, and the other Redwallers resumed their march.
~~~
Danni ran as quickly as her legs would carry her, trying to catch up to the army marching through Salamandastron. She knew that the vermin who made up this attack force would be fine without her help, but she felt an urgent desire to be in control of the coming battle. Sunai was relying on this attack to take control of the mountain, and although Danni would not make much of a difference in the battle that was to come, she would never forgive herself if the Stormbringer lost because she was not there to assist his soldiers.
Less than a minute passed before she could make out the shape of several beasts marching forward through the tunnels. Danni's argument with Meist had seemed to take forever, but it seemed that it had taken less time to convince him to stay behind than Danni had guessed. The brutish Stormrat had been unwilling to stay behind to guard that cavern, but Danni had insisted. After all, the badger and the other hares had been ready to attack them - there was nothing to guarantee that other hares wouldn't try to take them from behind.
"There's nobeast your brother would choose for this duty over you. You slew a badger. You're an exceptional warrior." Danni had attempted to both flatter him and call on whatever awe Meist held his brother in. Another beast might have seen through her words, but Meist wasn't another beast. Meist was Meist - huge, fearsome, prone to fits of unreasoning rage, and none too intelligent.
Which was exactly why Danni wished to leave him behind. Aside from the Long Patrol, Meist was the greatest threat to the plan Sunai had described to her. In battle, Meist attacked regardless of whether his target was friend or foe. He was as dangerous to the Stormbringer's own warriors as he was to the enemy.
Beasts moved aside swiftly to allow the vixen to pass them. Every one of them recognized that she was in charge of this attack. After several minutes of moving between Sunai's fighters, she reached the front of the column.
"Are we going in the right direction?" she asked, drawing up beside the beast who was leading the column. He was a stout weasel, physically fit and seemingly cunning. Danni couldn't recall seeing him before, which wasn't surprising, since she didn't associate with many beasts aside from Sunai and the beasts he trusted. This weasel, though, had the look of an excellent commander. Maybe she could find out his name and notify Sunai.
"I'm pretty sure we are," said the weasel, keeping his voice low and respectful. "Th' tunnel seems t' be headin' upwards - unless my sense o' direction is deceivin' me, we're headed straight toward where the Stormbringer asked us to attack."
"Alright," said Danni, nodding her head in satisfaction. "Just one more question - what's your name?"
"M' name is Esmiel," said the weasel. "Why do y' ask?"
Danni suppressed a smile. "I like to know the names of the beasts I'll be working with. You're to lead these fighters into battle. Perform well today, and I'll see that you're rewarded." If you're as capable as I think you are, thought Danni, Sunai will consider your presence here at Salamandastron a reward.
"Thank y', ma'am," said Esmiel. "I'll do m' best, for the glory of the Stormbringer." Somehow, Danni could sense sincerity behind those words. It fueled her conviction that Esmiel could be made into a reliable commander, and, more importantly, one that Sunai could trust. As disciplined as the Stormbringer's soldiers were, they were still vermin, with all the savage tendencies that set them apart from woodlanders. Anybeast who could be trusted was to be valued - and Esmiel seemed loyal and honest enough that Danni was sure the Stormbringer would value his contribution to his forces.
~~~
Other than a short walk to dispel the restlessness from his footpaws, Merlin hadn't let his attention stray from the dark shoreline. He clutched his longbow in both paws. A quiver of arrows sat on the ground next to him, and Salamander was worn across his shoulders, in a sheath which was kept in position by leather straps. He had tried keeping Salamander sheathed at his belt, but it had been unwieldy to keep the blade hanging from his waist to the ground. Lord Rocketh had presented him with the sheath shortly before talking with Sergeant Maxwell without a word, and up until about a minute ago Merlin hadn't been aware that the straps on the sheath were designed so he could wear the sword over his back..
Colonel Jeffrey moved back and forth among the Long Patrol hares, asking whether they had noticed any movement and looking over their shoulders down the mountainside. Although he kept his voice steady and his movements firm, Merlin was sure that he was nervous. But then, so was he, and every other hare present on the mountainside.
Jeffrey came to a stop behind Merlin. The younger hare turned his head to look at his superior. "Have y' seen anything outta th' ordinary?" asked Jeffrey. Merlin shook his head. "Are y sure?" pressed the colonel. "No movement on th' shoreline? No beasts climbin' th' mountainside?"
"No, sah," answered Merlin. "Everythin' seems alright."
Jeffrey moved on, continuing to survey the shoreline and questioning the hares that stood as sentinels. So intent was he on keeping the vermin on the shoreline from attacking, he failed to notice what was occurring behind him until it was almost too late.
"Sah! Colonel Jeffrey!" shouted a hare, who had just emerged from Salamandastron's tunnels. More hares followed her. Merlin couldn't get an exact count, but he guessed that the group ranged from ten to twenty beasts.
"Yes, what is it?" asked Jeffrey, whirling around and focusing his attention on this hare. The beast, although not panting for breath, seemed as if she had been running for some time. Forgetting his duty to watch the shoreline, Merlin watched and listened as Jeffrey spoke with the hare.
"Vermin are coming through th' tunnels!" exclaimed the Long Patroller. "A giant rat slew Lord Rocketh, an' Sergeant Maxwell stayed behind t' fight it. He mus' be dead, 'cause the rest o' our soldiers were picked off by vermin."
"Damn!" exclaimed Jeffrey. He turned around to address those hares that hadn't already turned to listen. "Forget about th' mountainside! Vermin are comin' through th' blinkin' tunnels!"
The Long Patrollers, almost as one, turned away from the mountainside and reached for their quivers. This response came too late. By the time the hares had arrows nocked to their bowstrings, beasts were rushing out from the tunnel toward them. Merlin strained his muscles, drawing back the bowstring of his longbow as far as he could. Aiming as carefully as he could in the darkness, he released the bowstring, sending an arrow plunging through the night toward the opening to the tunnel.
Merlin didn't know whether or not his arrow hit. A flurry of arrows shot out from the hares gathered on the mountain, but most either overshot their marks or fell short of the vermin. Those missiles that did strike their targets brought down the first some of the charging vermin, but the enemy kept pressing forward, paying no heed to their fallen comrades. Merlin shot another arrow and had the satisfaction of seeing it pierce the chest of a burly searat. Arrows from the hares gathered on the mountainside shot forward, and at least twoscore vermin must have fallen.
The hare was about to reach for another arrow, but the vermin were rushing toward the hares too quickly. Knowing that they would be close enough to fight paw to paw in the next few seconds, Merlin discarded his longbow and reached over his shoulder and gripped Salamander's hilt. The sword might be his, but that didn't mean that Merlin couldn't use it to fight. With one powerful tug, he yanked the sword free from its sheath. Gripping the weapon in both paws, Merlin brought it up in front of him and waited for the enemies to approach him.
He didn't have to wait long. A weasel and a searat sprung toward him, and Merlin brought up Salamander to defend himself. The sword was difficult to fight with, and Merlin found himself struggling to parry the blows his opponents rained on him. The searat slashed at Merlin with his scimitar, and only the realization that he was fighting for his life and protecting Salamandastron from the Stormrats gave him enough strength to fend off the searat.
However, he could not fight both the weasel and the searat at the same time. Not with Salamander as his weapon. Merlin would have fought with his dirk, but he was not yet used to moving with the weight of Salamander on his back, and that would have slowed down his movements. As far as he could see, it was better to move slowly with a large weapon than to move slowly with a smaller weapon. But he began to regret his choice of weapon as the weasel's staff began to move past Salamander and pepper him with stinging blows.
If it weren't for his promise to Lord Rocketh, he would have cast Salamander aside and fought with his dirk. But he felt bound by the badger's words, and felt that throwing away the blade the Badger Lord had crafted, even for a moment, would be betraying him. So he fought stubbornly, thrusting and parrying with Salamander even when it became apparent that the sword wasn't the right weapon for the job. Despite his best efforts, Merlin's muscles began to ache, and his blows became slower and more sluggish.
Just as Merlin was about to say his prayers, a blade thrust through the chest of the searat. Not bothering to see who his rescuer was, he switched his focus from the searat to the weasel, bringing up Salamander's blade just in time to block a strike from his staff. The weasel recovered quickly, drawing back his staff for another blow. Merlin strained his muscles, lifting Salamander back over his shoulder. The weasel whipped his staff across the hare's stomach, but Merlin wasn't fazed by the stinging blow. With one final test of his strength, he brought Salamander down on the weasel, slicing through the vermin's shoulder. When the blade reached the weasel's heart, Merlin drew it back, letting his enemy slump to the ground.
"Nice," said a voice behind him. Merlin turned to look at the speaker, letting Salamander's blade slump to the ground. He recognized the speaker as the hare who had alerted Colonel Jeffrey of the approaching vermin. Judging by her bloody dirk and the searat dead at her feet, she was the one who had saved him.
"Thank y', marm," said Merlin, placing Salamander's point on the ground and letting the blade lean against him. "Would y' mind protectin' me for a couple seconds? I'll be with y' when I get my dirk out." The hare nodded, and turned away to fight off the vermin.
His paws trembling from the excitement of battle, Merlin slid out of the straps that held the sheath on his back in place. Bringing the sheath in front of him, Merlin carefully lifted Salamander and placed it in the sheath. Placing the straps over his shoulders once again, Merlin stood with Salamander strapped to his back. Drawing his dirk from his belt, the Long Patroller hurried to assist the hare that had helped him.
"I'm not sure I got your name," said Merlin, moving to stand beside the hare. Maneuvering with Salamander on his back was not as difficult as he had feared, but he still wished that he was unencumbered by the sword's weight.
"It's Mianel," answered the hare, thrusting her dirk out at a searat who stepped in front of her. She fought with the ferocity of a seasoned Long Patroller, swiftly parrying the rat's blows with her dirk. Realizing that he was outmatched, the searat stepped back, holding his cutlass out to ward off Mianel. She was content to let this vermin escape, and turned to a fox that was making his way toward Merlin. He held a dagger in each paw, and more weapons hung from the belt at his waist.
Gesturing toward the fox with a nod of her head, Mianel turned again to face an approaching stoat. Merlin and Mianel were now back to back, facing an onslaught of attackers from the tunnels. Other hares fought along the mountainside with varying degrees of success. But none of them were prepared for what happened next.
~~~
Sunai leapt over the outcropping of rock that separated him from the battle. It had been a long climb up the side of Salamandastron, and it had been difficult having to remain silent and unseen for more than half the time it took to reach the hares. But despite the energy he had spent coming up the mountain, the Stormbringer was ready to fight. So were the thirty vermin he had chosen to climb up the mountain with him.
Stormbringer sliced through the air and ended its short journey with a thud as the blade dug into a hare's side. The beast staggered, attempting to turn around to face his attacker, but a brutal kick from Sunai sent him sprawling. There was no time to make sure this beast ended up dead, but the Stormrat rusted that one of his soldiers would put the beast out of its misery.
Looking at the commotion taking place on the mountainside, Sunai was pleased to note that Danni had carried out his plan as effectively as he hoped she would. Her attack had taken the Long Patrol by surprise, and distracted them enough to allow Sunai and the other climbers to hasten up the mountain. Now, they would be trapped between two parts of his army, unable to escape and forced to fight to the death.
The Stormrat looked only briefly over his shoulder, noting that his warriors were beginning to haul themselves over the mountainside as he had just done. His eyes moved beyond them, to the shore. Laskit would be moving now, directing the rest of his troops to follow Sunai and the other climbers into battle.
Snapping his head forward again, Sunai charged into battle, swinging his sword with a plain fury that would have frightened any hare that was looking his way. But by the time they realized that there was a threat approaching from behind, Stormbringer had been thrust through a hare's heart and was already being withdrawn.
"Stormrat!" cried a hare that had been standing next to the beast Sunai had just slain. "Attack from behind! The Stormrats are -" Sunai impaled this hare in the same manner as he had the previous one, relishing the fear in his enemy's eyes. His adversary opened his mouth as if in shock, and Sunai grinned wickedly at the Long Patroller. He wanted the triumphant expression on his face to be the last worldly thing this hare ever saw.
As soon as the hare's eyes rolled up into his head, Sunai pressed a footpaw against his chest and pushed the hare off his blade. Red blood was smeared across Stormbringer, but Sunai didn't mind. His only regret was that he wouldn't be able to relish the death of every hare he faced. Now that the Long Patrol would be alerted to his presence, he would have to fight with care.
Two more hares ran toward him, screaming the war cry of Salamandastron. Swiftly, Sunai brought Stormbringer's blade up in front of him, and waited for the hares to attack. One of them slashed at him with his dirk, but Sunai easily sidestepped the blow. The other hare, bolder than his companion, charged at Sunai, screaming incoherently and attacking fiercely with his saber. Sunai blocked the first few blows without trouble, but when the hare's companion joined the attacker, the Stormbringer began to find it difficult to hold his ground.
Retreating might have been a wise move, but Sunai would not allow these hares the satisfaction of seeing him falter. With a ferocity born from pride and thoughts of his dead father, the Stormrat redoubled his efforts, battering both hares with blows from Stormbringer. The sword was easily double the weight of either hare's saber, and the strength of the beast wielding the blade was great enough to drive both hares backward.
After delivering a crushing blow to one of the hare's feeble sabers with his sword, Sunai dropped his weapon and dove for his enemy. The hare was caught completely by surprise, and could do nothing but soften his landing with an extended paw. With a roar of fury, Sunai raked his claws across the hare's face. Screaming in pain, the Long Patroller reached both paws up to clutch at the wounds, which were gushing blood. Resisting the temptation to continue attacking this helpless target, Sunai turned around to face the other hare.
It was only because of his swift reflexes that Sunai did not end up with a gouged out eye. When he saw the saber sweeping toward his face, the Stormrat had only a second to twist his head to the side and let the blade cut deep into the side of his face instead. Warm blood began to flow down Sunai's cheek, slipping easily over his fur and leaving deep red stains. But he paid no attention to the sting, or the blood. Sunai leapt up while this hare was still unprepared, and slammed his skull into the beast's face. The hare stumbled away from him with a pained whimper, and Sunai turned his attention again to the other hare, who was beginning to climb to his feet. A swift kick sent him down to the ground again, and Sunai leaped back to where he had left Stormbringer unattended on the ground. Wrapping both paws around its hilt, he dashed toward the hare who he had slammed his head into. A swing of Sunai's sword sent the hare to the ground, clutching at his bleeding throat. The other hare received a stab in the chest, an assurance that he would plague Sunai no more.
Sunai heard the sound of metal slicing through air, and moved away from where the noise had come from. He saw a weasel, taking another dagger from his belt and looking beyond his leader. Turning, Sunai saw the beast the weasel had targeted. A fat hare clutched at a dagger hilt protruding from his stomach, glaring angrily at the weasel. Stepping back and turning his attention away from this battle, the rat sought out new targets.
The first battle to catch his eye was between two hares and an assortment of his own soldiers. The hares stood back-to-back, each holding a dirk and holding off their attackers. One of the hares, a male, had a sword the size of Stormbringer strapped to his back. Something about the weapon gave him chills. He moved to join the efforts of the vermin attempting to slay the pair of hares, but before he could reach them, a more pressing concern came to his ears.
A noise seemed to be coming from a hole in the wall. Sunai had not been present to witness the arrival of his troops, but he assumed that they had come through that tunnel. The sound became more clear to his ears, and although he could not hear it exactly over the din of battle, he heard it closely enough to recognize it from the Stormrat War.
The noise came from a group of beasts growing larger by the minute. Sunai couldn't see them through the shadows, but he could imagine them in specific detail. Woodlanders all of them, the beasts stood together and struck what they must have imagined resembled a noble pose. "Redwall!" they cried, and sprung forward, attempting to bring Sunai's carefully laid plans crumbling to the ground.