Tara emerged from the changing room dressed as a fox. The costume looked incredibly evil. The little ones cheered as Tara came out, her comical snarl causing them to dissolve into helpless laughter. It wasn't actually very funny but young otters would laugh if their bottoms caught fire.

'Be there any beast on land or sea brave enough to challenge me?' Growled Tara in a rough but sing-songy voice to the onlookers.

'I do oh fox, you evil fiend, I'll teach you a lesson for being mean!' This voice came from the tent as another otter shambled out, clad in bark that was meant to resemble armour. This was Alga Brookslicer, one of Tara's friends from the Mossflower region. When she knew Tara would be putting on a show, she just had to help.

'Algae, Algae, Algae!' The little ones chorused. They couldn't say Alga's name to save their lives. The babes had seen shows like this but with their two friends it promised to be better than any other.

Alga and Tara circled each other warily as excitement coursed through the audience which had now increased and held a number of fully grown otters. Both of the entertainers knew this sequence and it always ended with the "death" of the fox. Tara's curved wooden scimitar crashed against Alga's wooden broadsword. The two friends jabbed and ducked, slashed and parried, but the timing and moves couldn't have been perfected. In the end Alga pushed her sword at Tara who grabbed it under her arm making it look like she'd been stabbed. Tara crashed to the ground and every otter present cheered and clapped as Tara popped up to take a bow.

Tara and Alga had been eating some cheeses and a selection of wines when the arrows zoomed past their heads. A few otters fell transfixed, arrows sticking out of them. All chatter ceased as a huge ship loomed into view. Hundreds of vermin stood on the decks, every one with a bow or javelin poised, ready for the kill. Otterwives and their children hurried into the forest, a few being cut down. A few otter javelins where thrown back as a retaliation and they were rewarded as a few ferrets and rats splashed into the water. All were running now, but that didn't stop the vermin killing. A few more volleys were loosed into the crowds and loads more helpless otters fell. Tara and Alga ran through the trees, pursued by the awful laughter of the searat ship's crew.

Tara and Alga had hidden under the cavernous roots of a tree that were lifted up into a cave-like shape. A few more otters were with them, some sobbing for the loved one seen cut down, some contended with injuries of others. None dared venture out of this well hidden cave for fear the vermin would be searching for them. The gloom did nothing to help the disheartened otters who were seeking refuge. Suddenly a squirrel's head popped from the bushes concealing the cave. Tara spoke immediately.

'My friend, do you know Redwall Abbey?'

'Yes, yes, that I do my dear.' The squirrel chattered with a kindly voice.

'Please take this message: There are vermin about so beware, also we will need a lot of able-bodied creatures to bring carts and they must also be armed.'

'What are the carts for my dear?' asked the squirrel, regarding her with curious eyes.

'The dead.' Tara answered simply. The cold fear snaked up her spine as she realised she had no idea where her family was. Were they dead too? The squirrel rushed off leaving the otters in the confined loneliness of the root-cave. Tara stood up, not having to stoop down as she was rather small for an otter. Without a word she slid out of the cave and into the woods.

It took her awhile to adjust her eyes to the blinding light and she wondered how long she had cowered in the cave. Cowered. Coward. She was furious with herself for not going out sooner to help her family or other otters. Perhaps she would see the vermin and show them a thing or two. She hated herself. 'You could have helped others but you chose to be a coward. Well done you stupid coward. Loads will have died because of you' she thought. With the horrible things she had seen burned into her memory, she ran towards the beach where the attack had been carried out on helpless creatures. Then a paw grabbed her shoulder and with amazing strength pulled her into the undergrowth. She couldn't scream as a huge paw gagged her mouth and she was dragged through the forest.