Once Alma had finished packing they began their trek to Salamandastron. Swift, Alma's hawk friend decided to join them and sat on her shoulder most of the way. Of course Lucky became jealous of Swift for not having to fly or anything and both argued most of the way. Finally Strider had to threaten Lucky by telling him that if he did not knock it off he would let some vermin handle him. That shut the hare right up.
Two weeks later, they finally reached the shore. They all noticed how much warmer the weather near Salamandastron was and they noticed the huge mountain too.
"So that's Salamandastron, interesting that it's only one mountain sticking out of the ground and no mountains are that close to it," said Nathanial.
"Yes it is very interesting, well let's go I am ready to meet my father," said Strider who then began to sprint across the sand. The others tried their hardest to keep up.
Strider soon came over a small hill and saw a lone hare coming back from the beach with a bucket of water. The hare did not notice Strider until the badger called to him.
"Hey, do you live here?" asked Strider.
The hare looked up at the badger and saw his many companions and the sword around his waste. He then ran to them.
"Have you come to rule this mountain?" asked the hare.
"Uh I'm not sure actually, you see my father came to me in a dream and said that he needed me here," said Strider.
"So you are the son of Lord Blaze the Mighty?" asked the hare.
"Yes, may I see him please?" asked Strider.
"Yes come with me then, I am Axbow a member of the bally Long Patrol Hares in jolly Salamandastron," said the hare.
"And I am Strider the Warrior of Redwall. My companions are Lucky, Billy, Milly, Nathanial, Swift and my mate Alma," said Strider.
"Redwall you say, hmm I have never heard of a badger wielding the sword of Martin before, very interesting. And it is always good to have a jolly mate with you in the mountain," said Oxbow who then eyed Alma and took her paw.
"It is a pleasure to meet you too, and what beautiful eyes you have wot," said Oxbow who then kissed her paw.
"Thank you very much sir," said Alma.
"The pleasure ma lady, now come with me into the bally mountain, I will take you to your father," said Oxbow.
Strider and the others followed the hare to the mountain. They came to a big boulder that Oxbow tapped on. "Let a nice flippin fellow in, it is I Oxbow and I have brought visitors wot wot," said Oxbow.
For a minute everything was quiet until the boulder moved aside as two hares pushed it. They then saw Strider and both smiled in happiness.
"You mean we have a new Lord again?" asked the youngest who only seemed to be about ten seasons old and was called Sandbrush.
"Yes, now step out of the bally way, he wants to see his father," said Oxbow.
"But Oxbow shouldn't we break the news to him first wot?" asked the other hare, a female named Maggie.
"I will tell him once I bally get there, now cater to everyone else while I take him down there wot," said Oxbow.
"Yes sir," said both of the hares who then lead Striders friends down a long hallway.
Strider then turned to Oxbow. "What do you mean you'll tell me?" he asked.
Before Oxbow could say any thing another hare appeared. This one was much larger though and had an eye patch on his right eye.
"I see you found a new badger for us," said the other hare was actually the leader of the Long Patrol and called Pawflash.
"Yes I have, Colonel Pawflash wot," said Oxbow.
"Very good, let me take him down there and take care of him, you have done bally enough today any way," said Pawflash.
"Yes sir," said Oxbow who then saluted him and ran off.
"Now what is your name?" asked Pawflash.
"Strider sir, and where is my father everyone keeps changing the subject," said Strider.
"Oh that would be Oxbows fault, he hates telling the bad news. You see, your father was a great warrior with a flippin bloodwrath to match. He would keep bally fighting no matter what. This past summer, well the last part of it any way, fall was almost here. Your father and the Long Patrol battled at least around seven hundred flippin vermin lead by a pine martin. We used to have eight hundred and twenty-seven jolly hares in this mountain but that battle was so fierce that only three hundred and sixty-two are left, yes I did count. I lost my blinkin eye in that battle. And your father, well, see for yourself wot," said Pawflash as he opened the door to a dark chamber.
Strider walked in and saw a box like the one of Martin the Warrior when he was younger. Wielded into it was an ax and an inscription at the top that said.
Here lies Lord Blaze the Mighty
Leader of Salamandastron for countless seasons
May he rest in peace.
Strider then fell to his knees and began to cry. He had traveled all this way to find that his father had died two seasons ago in a battle.
Pawflash placed his paw on the badgers shoulder and patted him. "I'm sorry about this. He survived for a while though after the battle, took about three bally arrows to the chest and was stabbed there many times too. He tried to hold on afterwards for quite a while. He kept saying that in a few days he would be ready to get up and work around the bally mountain. He passed away peacefully though one night, it was quite a sad day when we found out too wot," said Pawflash.
"Pawflash, can you leave me alone for a while?" asked Strider in quite a powerful voice.
"Yes sa," said Pawflash and quickly ran off.
Strider sat at the edge of the coffin crying and wishing that he would have met his father before he died. He knew he had to lead the mountain now but he wondered if he would be as good as his father. He had never fought more than a hundred vermin and wondered if he could actually do it.
Suddenly something tapped him on the shoulder and he looked up to find himself staring at his father and every other badger who had ruled Salamandastron. From Brocktree to Hightor. From Spearlady Gorse to Russano.
"I thought you were dead," said Strider in amazement.
"I am but I have come to comfort you in your sadness," said Blaze.
"Why did you not call me sooner to help you?" asked Strider.
"Because I did not know you were still alive, once I reached the dark forest I noticed your mother waiting for me but you were missing," said Blaze.
"So when you found that out you came to me in that dream," said Strider.
Blaze nodded while the other badger lords and ladies walked closer over to Strider.
"An interesting thing about you is that you are one of the youngest badgers to ever lead this mountain," said Sunflash.
"And the only one to wield the sword of Martin," said Urthstripe.
"Really, that is quite interesting," said Strider.
Suddenly he felt the sword leave his waist and enter the hands of Boar the fighter who inspected it happily.
"I fixed it up pretty good didn't I, has not rusted in the many seasons since Martin used it," he said happily.
"Yes, and ever since Matthias kept it, it has hung over the tapestry," said Strider.
Boar smiled and handed the sword back to him.
"Now we must leave you alone for now and let you ponder the drawings on the wall for a while, but don't worry we will see you again many seasons from now in the dark forest," said Blaze.
"Yes father but..." said Strider but before he could finish his sentence, the badgers were gone.
Strider looked quite surprised by this but soon shook it off when he found the drawings on the wall done by all the lord and lady badgers before him. He followed the drawings starting with the first badger.
Then he followed it to Brocktree and pictures of hares showing that he was the badger who started the Long Patrol.
Then he came to Boar which showed him a giant badger wielding the sword of Martin. Then it showed him holding the sword high into the air. He followed the point of the sword and noticed that it was pointing to another sword, and then another and another. Strider followed the line of swords and reading about the other badgers until he came to the end where hit showed him grabbing the sword and standing next to Salamandastron. Did some other badger know he was coming? It was quite strange to him.
Strider stared at the inscriptions for quite a long time before he finally took a small knife he found nearby and began to carve something while in a trance. Slowly shapes began to form and time seemed to stand still.
Finally after quite a long time, Strider came back into the real world and looked at his art. It showed him fighting with the Long Patrol and his friends helping him beside him. Far from the fight stood a wolf holding a dagger. Strider stared at it wondering if it meant that the wolf would be the next enemy. He would find out one day, as for now he was hungry and wanted some food.
Strider walked down the hall and quickly found Lucky chasing after Maggie the young hare they had met when he opened the mountain for him.
"Please Maggie, be my mate, I bet I can be just as good as bally Greyfur wot," said Lucky who seemed to be in hysterics.
"How many times do I have to bloody say no to you. No one will ever replace my Greyfur, no one," said Maggie who then threw a rock at Lucky hitting him in the head. She then disappeared down the hall.
Strider chuckled and walked up to Lucky who was rubbing his sore head. "I guess the women don't like you here," said Strider.
"Yeah they don't, and what took you so bally long in that chamber?" asked Lucky.
"What do you mean I was only in there a few hours," said Strider.
"More like four days wot," said Lucky.
"What, are you sure because I don't feel the least bit tired or hungry," said Strider.
"Well it's true, come with me to the dining area and you will find all the jolly hares there waiting for you wot," said Lucky.
Strider then followed Lucky up a flight of stairs and through a doorway that led to a large dining area and where most of the hares were sitting and talking. When they saw Strider enter, they stood still and watched him except for Pawflash who came running up to him.
"I thought you would never leave that place, you were in there for four blinkin days. No matter all badgers do that when they first arrive here. Now please sit down on your chair and greet the Long Patrol wot," said Pawflash.
Strider sat down and looked at everyone. Alma and the others had found a nice place to sit only a few feet away from him and were quite glad to see him after he had been in a trance for four days. Strider then decided to address everyone.
"I hope I will be a good lord to everyone, I will try all my hardest to protect this place when danger threatens. And if any one has problems just come to me and I will fix it," said Strider.
Everyone then cheered as food was then brought out and the hares ate it hungrily.
Strider watched them as Swift flew over to his shoulder.
"Strider, I decided to do something for you," she said.
"Yeah and what's that?" asked Strider.
"I will fly to Redwall whenever you want me to, to make sure everything is going well I will also scout the lands to make sure no vermin are heading this way," said Swift.
"That is a wonderful idea, when the first day of spring arrives you can go and head on out and tell them that I arrived safely and that I wish them well," said Strider.
"I will do that for you then, now if you will excuse me, I am off to dive into that lovely pudding next to Alma over there," said Swift and few off his shoulder and landed in a big bowl of pudding that Nathanial was about to take a bite out of. He lost interest when Swift shed a few feathers in it.
Strider then decided to take a bite out of some delicious cheese bread that Lucky was eating also.
"Isn't it bally delicious," said Lucky.
"Yes it is, so why won't Maggie be your mate?" asked Strider who had actually been quite curious since he saw her running away from Lucky.
"Well her husband Greyfur was killed in that bally battle with your father; she loved him very much and told me she never wants to marry again. I think she should change that rule because I think she is very lovely wot," said Lucky.
"Don't worry about it, maybe she will learn to like you," said Strider.
"Well I hope it is bally soon then," said Lucky who then took a huge bite out of his bread.
"I do too," said Strider who then stared at Alma happily. Alma just winked at him and smiled. Strider smiled back.
Strider then looked up at all the hares that were eating and hoped that he could take care and lead the gluttons well as he protected Mossflower.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Man that was a hard chapter to write. I hope I ended it okay for you guys. And I hope to get more reviews in soon. Just so you know if you review my story I will review yours. So please review. That is all I really have to say for now so have a great day.