Chapter 4
The battlecry of the Long Patrol was ringing as vermin swarmed up the mountain to fight them, "EULAAAAAAAAAALIAAAAAAAAAAAAA. BLOOD 'N' VENEGAAAAAR!"
Colonel Chester was running towards the 12 score vermin at the head of the force not fearing anything while fighting the army of vermin. The Long Patrol was fairing badly every searat, stoat, or weasel was taking out two for their lives while the hares were barely taking out one. Only Radion and Chester could survive more than 1 kill, they each had as much as 7 or 8 hares. As the battle raged on they heard to different voices yelling at the same time, "Stop you idiot vermin." With that no vermin fought as a Marlfox and Searat came walking towards them. The Marlfox stepped forward first.
"I am Damuggon I am the head of this army and a Marlfox. This is Colonel Icarus he is the other leader of this army."
"I am Badger Radion the Mace and Colonel Chester the other leader. I rule this mountain."
"We want this mountain or you die. I suggest you give the mountain to us"
"Never!" yelled Radion.
"Then you will fight. Hand me my ax!" said Damuggon calmly.
With his ax he lunged at Radion swinging at his legs. Radion backed up and brought his mace crashing into Damuggon's side. With Damuggon lying on the ground Radion fell back to get some air. When he fell back Damuggon seized the opportunity and got up and swung his ax into Radion's arm which was now flopping against his side not cut off but severely broken and bleeding profusely. Icarus laughed at Radion's arm and in response to that he saw a lance growing out of his chest. He fell to the ground senseless as Radion looked up.
"Take the mountain… just let me go in and fix my arm I willn't get anything."
"Okay, you can only take one person in and the rest will be held here."
"Then come one Colonel." As they walked in Radion murmured, "Get the stuff I have to go to my quarters." They walked in separate directions and when Radion arrived at his quarters he found what he was looking for a golden ring that was worn by Lord Brocktree himself. He walked back out bandaged his arm and walked out. Damuggon was waiting for him and let them go. They started running towards Redwall as the vermin went into their mountain. Salamandastron had fallen.
"Are you sure that this message is from Martin and not just a daydream?" asked the Abbot.
"I'm sure of it. I saw him saying it." Angelina said.
"Okay, so it's a riddle… that'll be okay. We've done plenty before." Alexander said sure of himself.
"I say we have a contest any baking goods to whoever wins it," said Jordan Churchmouse the Recorder of Redwall at the time.
"Good idea!" said Brother Sain.
As they set about trying to decode what the message meant, the dibbuns had secretly been listening and set about it themselves. By the time it was time for all of the older beasts to go to bed the dibbuns had figure most of it out and had it written in their weird script: in the city once made of stoneLoamhedge
in a small pile of bonesbones
search in it you will findsomewhere in the bone pile
the key to Damuggon's mind?
In the morning they found the Abbot and presented it to them.
"Farrver h'Abbot. We's been decoding the message!" they all yelled as they handed it to them. He read it and seemed appreciative and told them that they had figured it out and would win 3 platters of scones. When he showed it to all of the other beasts they seemed to think that it was pure lunacy but Abbot knew most of it was true. At the moment no one knew that Salamandastron had fallen and the long patrol was coming to Redwall Abbey.
