A/N: Sorry that this one won't be as long. It's late at night and my ideas are all dried up, so right now there will basically just be plot development and some conversing. So without further ado, here is Chapter 5:

Chapter 5

Good job. No ideas yet. Come back to forge. Leave trusty hare in charge.

Lord Redfury the Brave of Salamandastron

Ferrimord read the letter over a few times then grunted. He crumbled it up and stuffed it into one of his pockets in his green coat.

"Very well," he murmured. "Hey, you there!"

"Me?" questioned Podgerom.

"Yes you," grunted Colonel Ferrimord. "I have business to attend to in the mountain forge. I will leave you in charge until I come back up, wot. Remember: keep the hares looking to that jolly ol' sea. Got it?"

"Yessah!" he shouted as he saluted the higher ranked creature.

"Good. I hope you do a bally good job too, wot!" The colonel messed around with his hat to make it looked right, and then patted Swiftpaw on the shoulder.

"Okay, I'm ready to go down to ol' Lord Redfury's forge now, missy!"

"Great! I'll lead the way, wot!"

Together the two hares walked down from the mountain's rim and into the hallways that led ever downward, deeper into the mountain of the badger lords.

Redfury dropped his hammer and lost grip of the red-hot axe blade that he held in his paw as there was a loud knock on the forge door. Sweaty from the forge's fires, he made his way to the door that the knock had come from. The door opened with a creak to reveal Colonel Ferrimord and Swiftpaw the hare.

"Swiftpaw, thank you for your kindness as to assisting us."

"Thanks? I should be the one thanking you! I'd rather carry messages than stand guard and look at the jolly ol' sea all day long any day, wot!"

"Well, then, I'm sorry to say this, but you are excused to go back to guard duty now," said the badger lord with a smile.

"Ah, well, you can't win 'em all, wot!" Swiftpaw noted to herself as she left the forge and went back up the staircase towards the mountaintop.

"Well, milord, what is it that you wanted me for?"

The badger put his paws together at his waist and sat down at a table, gesturing for the colonel to do the same. "I have something to discuss with you. Say that those ships are vermin. The Long Patrol is gone on missions, and they will not be within messaging range. In other words, there is no way we can contact them until they get back, which might not be until next season. And note when I say ships. We have only two hundred fighting hares here. They might have thousands of vermin. I know that I am the badger lord and it is my duty to make sure that Salamandastron is safe, but there is nothing that I can do! I'm empty of ideas! That's why I've called for you, Colonel Ferrimord. I need you to help me with battle plans."

The hare smiled with hidden excitement. "Well, I was schemin' on my way down to the jolly forge. I have a few battle plans up my sleeve, wot!"

"Well what are you waiting for? Tell them to me!" said the badger eagerly.

"Yessah! Well, here's what the ol' colonel's been cookin' up…"

A/N: Well, I like to leave you in suspense like that. Once again, I'm sorry that it was so short, but hopefully I'll get to writing another one tomorrow. See you then!