Sunflash the Mace surveyed his troops. They had come from far and wide. Perilous hares, mighty dragons, fierce griffons, courageous otters, swift squirrels, feisty shrews, and bold mice. Surely this was a force that could withstand any attack.
"For those who don't know me, let me introduce myself. I'm Lord Sunflash the Mace of Salamandastron, commanding this entire operation, though your orders will probably reach you through your own leaders and chieftains. Now I'll make this as short as possible. According to Rainbow Dash, Swartt Sixclaw's forces are on the move, and headed straight for this mountain. We must defend Salamandastron at all cost! We'll be outnumbered by more than three to one, but we won't be outclassed! We won't be outfought! And as long as I can stand with a mace in my paw, we won't be driven backward a single pace!"
Every creature listening leapt up cheering and brandishing their weapons.
"No surrender! No retreat!"
"Eulalia! 'S death on the wind!"
Sunflash gestured for silence. "Thank you, friends. But as you know, not all of us will come marching home. War is war, and that is a fact. So if there are any of you with families or young 'uns to look after, well, nobeast will think less of ye if you go home to them now."
A mouse named Bunfold who had come from Redwall Abbey stood up. "Beggin' yore pardon, Lord, but I got a family back at Redwall, an' if I didn't go with ye then I'd think less of meself. 'Cause we ain't fightin' the vermin just to protect Salamandastron, we're facin' 'em to make the land safe an' rid of their kind."
Bella trundled up through the army ranks. She halted in front of her son and presented him with a cloth bundle. "Indeed to goodness, you can't have an army without a flag to march under."
Sunflash unrolled the bundle. It was a dark green banner with a big red letter S embroidered on it that stood for Salamandastron and also for Sunflash. Sundew the hare grabbed a long pike and fastened the flag to it. Sunflash took the banner from her and waved it high over the crowd. Back and forth it fluttered in the sunlight as the massed shouts rose to a concerted roar:
"Eulaliaaa!"
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The absolute size and majesty of Salamandastron staggered Swartt Sixclaw when he first saw the mountain. But he kept his cool. His plan was to take the mountain from behind in a pincer movement. Little did he know that Sunflash could clearly see him and his horde from his bedchamber window. The badger watched the movements of the vermin in company with Colonel Sandgall, Sundew, and Dragon Princess Ember.
Sandgall adjusted his monocle. "D'you know, I do believe the blighters've brought enough troops along to make a decent scrap of it, wot?"
"Well, if they fight as sloppily as they drill, we shouldn't have to worry too much," said Ember.
Sunflash smiled at Sundew. "Afraid, missie?" he asked.
She looked up at the Badger Lord, his golden stripe showing through the open visor of a high black war helmet, massive chest covered by a fine chain-mail tunic, and the great mace balanced easily over his broad shoulder.
"Not while you're around, Sire!" she said.
Now the horde was fully marshaled with the neap tide protecting their rear and a forest of spears and lances pointing skyward. Hordebeasts stood shoulder to shoulder, covering the whole lower beach, so that not even the sand below the tideline was visible. Swartt came to the forefront. The Warlord's face and teeth were freshly stained with bright plant dyes, and his heavily chain-mailed sixclaw glittered brighter than the switchblade thrust into the pocket of his jacket. He drew his blade and pointed at Salamandastron. That was the signal. The horde began marching slowly forward, splitting into three groups as it did.
Sunflash hurried from the chamber, threading his way through the mountain passages to the left side, where he knew Swartt was heading, followed by the griffons and most of the hares. Ember led the dragons to the front entrance, while Bella and Rainbow and some other creatures headed to defend the right side of the mountain.
Zigu the Corsair, a ferret captain in Swartt's horde who was revered among the vermin as though he were a god, mounted a charge at the front entrance of Salamandastron. He and his command were hardly upon the soft sand above the tideline, when the ground rose up in front of them. Thirty hares leaped from a shallow trench covered by sand spread over the top of rush mats- these were the Sleepers that Sandgall had spoken of. They sprang up from hiding when the front line of vermin was less than twenty paces away. A wild cry went up as they launched javelins into the front marchers.
"Eulalia!"
Completely taken by surprise, half the front rank were slain. The Sleepers fled back to the mountain, taking care to leap over the disguised trench that contained sharpened stakes. Zigu flung himself to one side, avoiding the rain of javelins, then, leaping upright, he drew his rapier.
"After them. Charge!"
The words had scarcely left his mouth, when the sand another score of paces away heaved upward and four dozen hare and squirrel archers opened fire upon the vermin. Again Zigu's lightning reactions saved him. Flinging himself flat, he heard the screams and felt the thudding weight of two horde soldiers as they fell dead on top of him. Pushing the bodies roughly aside, the Corsair sprang up, and, grabbing a spear from one of the slain vermin, he hurled it at the fleeing backs of the retreating Sleepers. It was a lucky throw. Fordpetal, a young female hare, went down with a scream, the spear sticking out of her back.
Zigu looked around for another spear to throw as the hordebeasts charged past him. Fifty paces farther on they vanished into the covered stakepits; agonized yells rent the hot air as vermin soldiers plunged onto the sharpened stakes.
Zigu roared at those still alive, "Back! Back, you fools, can't you see it's a trap?"
As they retreated, the Corsair ran to where Fordpetal lay groaning. His face tight with rage, Zigu lashed at her with the long blade of his rapier.
"Hit and run, eh hare! Well, I'm hitting now, let's see you run!"
She screamed as he lashed her mercilessly with the thin blade.
"Hey filth face, why don't ya try doin' that to somebeast who can hit back?"
Zigu looked up to see Princess Ember striding purposefully toward him, followed by scores of other dragons, all armed with swords. The dragons could breathe fire but Sunflash had told them to just use their swords in the battle because the fire could get out of control.
Zigu grinned evilly, calling to his hordebeasts, "Leave this one to me, she carries a blade!"
Ignoring the gaping hordebeasts, Ember leapt the stakepit. Drawing her saber, she confronted Zigu.
Nobeast had ever bested the Corsair in swordfight. Flexing the long steel blade between his paws, he stared contemptuously at the dragon, who stood alone before him. "Zounds, you're a bold lizard and no mistake. Come and be spitted!"
Ember shot forward, her narrow curving saber striking the rapier blade with a force that sent shockwaves tingling through her opponent's paw. She smiled recklessly. "Defend yourself, ferret!"
Balancing lightly on their feet, both beasts took up the en garde position, sword points flickering like snake tongues as each sought an opening. Momentarily the front shore of Salamandastron grew silent. Hordebeasts on the sand and defenders from the mountain stood stock still, watching the two swordbeasts battle to the death.
Zigu pressed forward, step, step, step, his rapier seeking the elusive foe. Ember backed and went sideways, the saber a bright blur as it slashed and took the ferret's ear. Scarcely believing what had happened, Zigu clapped a paw to the side of his head, glaring venomously at the dragon. One hand behind her back, Ember stood with her legs bowed. "Can you still hear me, vermin?"
With a roar of rage, Zigu charged, flailing the rapier in front of him. The two blades met, and sand flew about their feet as they locked in a dance of death. Blade clashed upon blade as they battled across the beach. Zigu managed to grab Ember's sword arm with his free one, and as the dragon pulled away, the Corsair struck a downward slash at her head, hissing triumphantly.
"Sssssdeath!"
Ember flicked her head to one side, avoiding the blade slicing at her throat. She came up smiling, running a hand along the fine scar tracing her cheek.
"Not quite. Want to try again?"
Zigu plunged forward once more, but the dragon was ready. Locking hilts with the ferret, she wrenched down and gave a powerful twist upward. The rapier described a glittering arc in the noon sun as it left Zigu's paw, then a swift kick to the stomach left the Corsair sprawling, unarmed.
Panic glistened in Zigu's eyes, he had met his match. Gasping for breath, he pleaded for his life, "Mercy, a boon, a boon, spare me!"
There was no mercy in the face of the Dragon Princess. "You ask for mercy, ferret? You who moments ago whipped a wounded creature with your blade? You have lived the life of a coward, now die like a soldier!"
Zigu slid lifeless to the sand. Princess Ember tucked her sword beneath her elbow like a stick and flew boldly off. While the fight had been in progress, two other dragons had sneaked out and retrieved Fordpetal's body.
