Chapter 2
At Redwall, the mood was different. The midsummer feast was soon to begin; preparations had been going on for weeks. In fact, other then a very faint, almost invisible glow to the west, there was no sign of what was taking place at salamandastron.
Silently, each redwaller waited for the feast to come.
"Eulaliaaaaaaa! 'S death on th' wind!" Hares poured from the mountain, charging the landing force from the vermin. With the fire mountain in flames behind them, they thought of those who had just died, and seeking revenge.
The vermin uttered no war cry; they charged the hares. To them, the hares of the long patrol seemed disorganized.
"Now!" A shout from a hare in the front caused the hares to stop, and drop down. Arrows andspears rained upon the vermin; onlya few were killed, as, quickly the vermin brought their shields up. They continued thier charge, undaunted.
"Long Patrol! Draw Steel! Charge!" Ths same hare who had issued the first order yelled. Various deadly looking swords, daggers, and axes appeared.
The two forces met. Swords slashed out at each over, axes cleaved creatures, and daggers put an end to many lives.
Greystripe moved out from his protection. A ghastly image of Greensabre was burned into the wall.
His fur was singed. He heard the sound of fighting out below, but smoke from alower level kept him from seeing it. He quickly left his room, and headed for the forge room. Hares were helping each other, as many were injured. He saw the hare who was his second in command, named Rupert, running up a flight of stairs. "Rupert, I need a report!"
The hare,who had been thinking about the situation, jumped, startled. He quickly regained himself, and made his report. "We can't go down more then one level; the stairs have been ripped out. For the levels I can get to,we have 23 dead, 16 wounded, and another 25 missing who were on post here."
"Can we get up to the crater?" The badger Lord inquired.
"No." The hare looked down. "I'm afraid were trapped here."
"Isn't it possible to jump the distance between levels?"
"Not for the injured. And we can't leave them."
The hares of the Long Patrol fought bravely, and slew many vermin, but they were being pushed back towards the mountain. As the fog cleared, they saw that they were vastly outnumbered. Vermin would soon be able to enter Salamandastron. They fought on, hoping to seal off the mountain, when they were hit from behind by vermin that were getting past them. The hares were doomed.
Silently, each redwaller waited for the feast to come.
"Eulaliaaaaaaa! 'S death on th' wind!" Hares poured from the mountain, charging the landing force from the vermin. With the fire mountain in flames behind them, they thought of those who had just died, and seeking revenge.
The vermin uttered no war cry; they charged the hares. To them, the hares of the long patrol seemed disorganized.
"Now!" A shout from a hare in the front caused the hares to stop, and drop down. Arrows andspears rained upon the vermin; onlya few were killed, as, quickly the vermin brought their shields up. They continued thier charge, undaunted.
"Long Patrol! Draw Steel! Charge!" Ths same hare who had issued the first order yelled. Various deadly looking swords, daggers, and axes appeared.
The two forces met. Swords slashed out at each over, axes cleaved creatures, and daggers put an end to many lives.
Greystripe moved out from his protection. A ghastly image of Greensabre was burned into the wall.
His fur was singed. He heard the sound of fighting out below, but smoke from alower level kept him from seeing it. He quickly left his room, and headed for the forge room. Hares were helping each other, as many were injured. He saw the hare who was his second in command, named Rupert, running up a flight of stairs. "Rupert, I need a report!"
The hare,who had been thinking about the situation, jumped, startled. He quickly regained himself, and made his report. "We can't go down more then one level; the stairs have been ripped out. For the levels I can get to,we have 23 dead, 16 wounded, and another 25 missing who were on post here."
"Can we get up to the crater?" The badger Lord inquired.
"No." The hare looked down. "I'm afraid were trapped here."
"Isn't it possible to jump the distance between levels?"
"Not for the injured. And we can't leave them."
The hares of the Long Patrol fought bravely, and slew many vermin, but they were being pushed back towards the mountain. As the fog cleared, they saw that they were vastly outnumbered. Vermin would soon be able to enter Salamandastron. They fought on, hoping to seal off the mountain, when they were hit from behind by vermin that were getting past them. The hares were doomed.