Midnight was approaching. Marelda lay awake on her cot, awaiting the right moment to strike and contemplating her day with Ferahgo. When his temper was soothed by information and tales of old, he did not seem so bad as his reputation would have one believe. But that was about as far as her compliments to him went. His deep blue eyes were mesmerizing and deceiving, and his mood swings were as deadly as a bear awoken prematurely from it's hibernation. A monster of mythical proportions. His crew were scared of some old wives' tale about a beast called Veruim, but they had more reason to shake and cower and run from Ferahgo. But it was hopeless to try and make nut brained scoundrels like the Corpsemaker band see any sort of sense.

She slipped out quickly once she felt the time was right. She was still not about to escape. Not with her family's murder still hanging over her head like a dark, vengeful cloud, with Klitch's voice egging her on with every step of her plan. She slunk in the bushes around the camp, being careful to be as silent as she could. And then hopping out into plain sight and scaring the vermin guarding Garynne and Kesare half out of their wits.

"Hello ladies and slaves. I'm going to count to ten…"

-----

Ferahgo was in an outrage. You could hear his cries of fury from miles away. He held Garynne and Kesare's guards at sword point in his tent. Outside there was a crowd gathering. Marelda was one of the onlookers, but not obviously so. She was afraid their blood would end up on her hands.

"You bone heads! You could not contain two weak, demoralized, unarmed, unskilled, stupid, fox maids! They were chained in iron while they slept and surrounded on all sides, you imbeciles! It's practically a talent to be able to let them escape!" He roared.

They all started blubbering at once, on the ground groveling and trying to explain their situation. But Ferahgo was not in the mood to stop and listen. He was in the mood to kill his entire horde. But they would just have to do.

"You know, perhaps I should wait until my tracking team comes back, and let Gary and Kes…something or other skin you alive themselves! Two pathetic girls could be of better use to me than you five are!"

"We'll never do it again sir. It'll never happen again, sir. Please don't kill us sir. It's not our fault!"

"Oh, really? Well whose fault is it then? The fang fairy?!" His deep blue eyes sparkled with danger and made them cower under his fixed glare. And with good reason. They were dead within seconds. Marelda turned her back to the crowd and silently grieved what she had done.

She went to Ferahgo's tent later that evening, despite his horrid mood. He did not seem displeased to see her, but he certainly wasn't happy. He didn't greet her, he just sat on his cot and stared down at a crude map of his kingdom.

"Does the stupidity amaze you more than it frustrates you, or the other way round?"

He looked up. "The frustration comes from how amazed I am that someone could be that stupid. I am emperor of a thousand worlds but not one of my subjects serves me. If they do, they do it incorrectly."

Perhaps because no one would dream of wanting to serve the scum of the earth so devotedly as you require. "That is the price of cunning, my lord. On one side you are the smartest and the most powerful, on the other side, everyone you meet is less intelligent and you are utterly alone."

"You speak wisely. What is it you want?"

"There is a spy among your horde. They scared the guards away and set the slaves free to thwart you. I also cannot swallow the fact that the guards- imbeciles that they are- could honestly be so careless and dumb. I felt you should hear that I am also on the look out for him."

"Yes…that crossed my mind as well. Although I already have my suspicions on who it could be." He looked at her with a knowing glance. Marelda could only hope that that didn't mean that he was actually onto her plan. Throwing the blame quickly onto someone else would get suspicion off herself. But, perhaps she'd underestimated him..

-----

"They're so cute, don't you think, Marelda? With their tiny swords, and their little bickering, and the way that they always have so much confidence that they can defeat beasts three times their size. I think we should take them. Just for fun, get morale boosted. See if you've got what it takes…"

Marelda was disgusted at his sentiments, looking down at the shrew tribe from their place on a hill. They could never defeat the Corpsemakers, and they didn't deserve to die. She felt sick to her stomach, but a little voice in the back of her head- one that sounded uncannily like Klitch's- was telling her to accept the challenge.

"What kind of test do you have in mind? I love a challenge."

Ferahgo smiled. "I want you fighting on the front lines. If you're as cunning as I believe you are, you'll pull more than your weight. If not, well, I can't use you if you can't fight anyway."

"Will I receive any help, considering I've never wielded a weapon before, or will I have to develop my own skills and technique?"

He looked at her. "If you need help, I'm sure you'll find a way to get it. That's half the challenge in itself."

"And how are you planning to defeat the shrews? Not that one really needs a plan…" She snickered and felt sick. Maybe they're tougher than they look. She thought hopefully.

Ferahgo smiled evilly and nodded. "War is a game of strategy, Marelda. An addictive, high stakes game, and I enjoy playing it to the best of my ability, no matter how small the battle. My plans are simple, however. We let them work out their own battle plans as we advance into their line of sight. While a small team of skilled fighters surrounds them on the other side. We storm in, the other half traps them. A simple, efficient slaughter of innocent lives, with a little plunder to boot. It'll be a good day. Speaking of plunder, I wouldn't mind a new knife for the occasion. Is there a stash hidden around here, or am I being led from the diamond path by Redwall?"

"Between the trees that are mighty but small, look under the rock that's tall. Sparkles wait near there for you, take three paces west after you speak to the shrew." She quoted. "Do you see those bushes over there? The ones with the thick branches? They're only a few footpaws high, but they're the thickness of a tree. Mighty but small. I think that riddle pertains to here."

"I expect you back in one hour. Bring me something I can be proud to wear in battle, fox."
Marelda scuttled away, despising the thought of him holding the family treasure in his hands, but also not wanting to fail. Perhaps that was the real test he spoke of. Not the battle plans. She slowly made her way through the undergrowth to the edge of the shrew camp. An especially officious looking one with a sort of crown on his head spotted her instantly. She soon found herself with a shrew sword to her throat.

"Please, come closer to me, hidden by the trees. If he sees me here doing anything but speaking to you about diamonds, I will be killed. But if you do not speak to me, your tribe will die. Please, trust me. Feragho and the Corpsemakers are planning to exterminate you."

A small crowd gathered before her, all of them drawing their swords. Then, the one she considered to be chief uttered one single string of syllables…