They were in a huge mountain hall. At its center was a mighty furnace-like forge. A towering column of rockwork took it up to the ceiling, away out of sight. Surrounded by hares, there stood the father of all badgers. He was pure silver from tip to tail with a double broad creamy white stripe on either side of his forehead. As the badger stumped across to them, Martin could almost feel the reverberations through the rock floor. He towered above them, extending a calloused paw that resembled a chunk of rock.

"Welcome to Salamandastron, friends. I am Boar the Fighter," he boomed.

His paw enveloped by Boar's, Martin felt very tiny. Now the full impact of Bella's words came to him. Here indeed was one to save Mossflower; the silver badger looked as if he could tear Kotir to pieces with his paws.

"I am Martin the Warrior. This is Bugs Bunny, and these two are Gonff and Speedy Gonzales. I have traveled from Mossflower with my friends to bring a message from your daughter, Bella of Brockhall."

"All this I know," Boar said. "Come, let us go to my cave. It is more comfortable there. My hares will bring you food and drink, and you can clean yourselves up."

As they followed Boar, Gonff whispered to Martin.

"How does he know, matey? Is he a magic badger?"

"Shh," Martin silenced the mousethief. "Watch your manners. We'll get to know soon enough."

Boar's cave was indeed comfortable. There were ledges to sit or lie upon covered in velvety moss. Plants grew around the walls and hung from the ceiling. There was a rough rock table and a pool in one corner with steam rising from its surface.

"The pool is heated from my forge," Boar said, noticing their surprise. "You may bathe there later. You will observe that it is never cold here, again thanks to the forge. But please be seated. Here comes the food."

Lola and some other hares were bringing in new bread, fresh salad, baked fish, mint water and a selection of last autumn's fruits crystallized in honey. The four travelers ate like a regiment many times their number. Boar watched them with something approaching amusement on his gigantic face.

Bugs gave him a friendly wink. "So, the flames of the forge carry up that rock flue an' shoot out the top o' Salamandastron, eh, Doc? An' that's what makes people think there's dragons here?"

Boar winked back at Bugs. "You are a very perceptive little fellow, Bugs Bunny."

"So, there are no actual dragons?" Gonff asked.

"No. There used to be dragons here, centuries ago. But by the time the first badger lords came to the mountain, the dragons had all left for the land called Equestria."

Gonff breathed an audible sigh of relief.

As they ate and rested, Martin told Boar how he came to Kotir, the plight of the woodlanders, and Bella's plea for Boar to return to his birthright and free the land.

"So, you see, Mossflower has need of you, Boar," he concluded. "You must come back with us."

Boar shook his massive head. "I can't do that, Martin," he said sadly.

"Why not?"

Instead of answering Martin's question, Boar asked one of his own. "Did you say Tsarmina's father was Lord Verdauga Greeneyes?"

"Yes, but I don't see what that has to do with…"

"Did you know that Verdauga once had an older brother? His name was Ungatt Trunn. A long time ago, he came to Salamandastron with his evil army, the Blue Hordes. He tried to conquer this mountain, but my father Lord Brocktree fought him. And even though in the end Ungatt Trunn was defeated and slain, his second in command, a rat named Ripfang, survived."

"Ripfang- I know that name!" Speedy interrupted. "He was the pirate captain who held me and the other Loamhedge mice as slaves!"

"Then you know how terrible he is." Boar pointed seaward. "He's out there now. He's been sailing from north to south of here all spring, waiting his chance to attack Salamandastron. That is why I cannot leave. I would be leaving my mountain undefended."

"Then I guess we'll stay here and help you defeat Captain Ripfang," said Martin. "Afterwards, you can come back to Mossflower with us and reunite with your daughter."

Boar smiled. "If you're going to fight the sea rats, you'll need a proper weapon. If you give me that sword hilt around your neck, I can give it a new blade that will not be broken by anything."

"Sounds good to me," Martin said.