Ferahgo was still watching from the hill as the shrews tried to impale her, shouting their battle cry and jabbing threateningly at her with their short swords. He smiled. If she could get out of that one, she would be worthy. If not, well, she'd been hopeful at the start. If he didn't know any better, he'd say he almost felt sorry to see her go. He turned to one of his right hand commanders.

"Remove the carcass if there's a carcass left to remove by the end of it. I don't want my front lines to have to jump over any excess trash as they stomp out that sad little tribe."

The shadowy stoat nodded, smiling greedily. "As you say master." Ferahgo turned and walked back to his tent, his blue eyes glinting in the sunlight.

Marelda didn't have time to think, only to react as she was surrounded by the surprisingly fierce warriors. She jumped and took hold of a high branch, hoisting herself up to momentary safety. But the little buggers were good climbers too. She scrambled upwards, to give herself time to think, shouting down all the while that she meant no harm. What would Klitch do? Hot tears built up in her eyes and dripped off her whiskers. She wasn't cut out for such a life. She wanted to go home. Suddenly, an idea came to mind.

Marelda turned to the ever approaching shrew and turned up the waterworks. "Please, please don't hurt me! Feragho kidnapped me and took me away from home! I just want some food and water and a place to sleep! Please don't hurt me! I'm too young to die."

Their chief held up a hand at her emotional plea and stopped the mob silently. Even Ferahgo didn't have that kind of control over his army, that a mere gesture could control them.

"You said you had information! Why would you change your story now? Come down and talk, fox. But be assured we do not trust you."

She jumped down and was escorted to a place by the fire, obviously nervous, with tears still lingering in her eyes. One of the women handed her a bowl of soup, despite the other's scowls. At least she had one person fooled. She sipped at the steaming liquid hungrily, burning her tongue in the process.

"I am Logalog, leader of the guerilla union of shrews in Mossflower. Your name? For all of us to know."

"Marelda, an advisor to…that horrible monster of a beast up on that Southern facing hill. I've said it a thousand times and I'll say it once more, I mean no harm. My tribe was killed-"

"I asked for a name, child. No narrative." He ordered her, but in a softer tone. "You alluded to having information."

"I know how he is going to attack you. I don't know how you'd defeat him, but…The least I can do is warn you."

"We are stronger than we look. How do we know that you're not just a spy?"

"The shrews will tell all, look for the greatest, he will show you the herb, and dig by three o'clock at the latest." She quoted, truthfully then.

Logalog looked at her for a good while. The bickering between the other shrews seemed to fall away under his steady gaze. She did not shift or flinch, but simply presented herself as she was. She was not weak and helpless completely, but she had no one else. He finally nodded, understanding what she was telling him with her eyes.

"Tell us the battle plans, and I will show you the diamonds. Although why you let Ferahgo reap the reward of your ancestors discipline I know not."

"I will gain it all back. Klitch and I have a plan…"

-----

The tyrant lounged comfortably on his cot, bored and discontent, but still in a good mood. His deep blue eyes stared deep into the red wine he'd saved from the foxes' lair, and that seemed to be the source of it all. His trouble started with those foxes. And Redwall. He thought about it obsessively, and although he would never admit a fault, that began to worry him. He was strong minded and cunning, not an insane evil overlord. He put down his drink and fell back onto his pillow, listening to the sounds of the forest and the bickering of his commanders. He enjoyed pitting them against one another occasionally, just to hear how egotistical they really were. Of course, they were better behaved than the other Corpsemakers, and were consistently deadly, but they were still vermin. If only they had brains, they could be great. He'd only met one beast who had the brains…

"Your knife, Ferahgo."

He jumped up quickly and stared at the ghost at the entrance of his tent. Marelda was dead. She had to be. But there she stood, a gleaming, fatal weapon in her paws. She had done it, somehow. He was too shocked to decide whether she was then a threat or an asset, after apparently showing her fighting skills. Marelda grinned. She almost had him wrapped around her finger, and he didn't even know it.

"What, you thought you were sending me to my death? Sorry. Here is the item you asked for. Anything else you desire?"

"I want you with me on the field, defeating the shrews tomorrow. Meet me here at dawn. We strike then." Marelda bowed and left, confident and terrified at the same time.

Dawn came all too soon, but Ferahgo was ready with his legions. She was more than intimidated by the hordes of heavily armed vermin surrounding her. It reminded her of her capture. Not to mention creatures as idiotic as they were should never have been given sharp, pointed objects in the first place. She could very well die that day, if Ferahgo managed to figure out she'd let on to the shrews their plan. Hopefully Logalog was as trustworthy as he seemed.

"It is quiet there. I would not have assumed that they would still be sleeping. That'll make it almost too easy."

"It was too easy to begin with, wasn't it?"

"Of course. What did you say to them when you were down there yesterday?"

"Just enough to get to the diamonds. They assumed nothing of me as soon as I turned on the waterworks."

He suddenly held his knife to her throat. "I will give you one chance to tell me the truth and get a quick death. How much have you betrayed of our plans?"