A/N: Many thanks to Auda for her lovely review. Apologies for the late update; I lost track of time and didn't realize it's been almost a month since the last chapter was posted.

All mistakes are mine. Enjoy!

Chapter 9

Culy could not tear her eyes away from the fearful sight. All armed to the fang with an assortment of weapons, vermin snarled and hissed at the shocked woodlanders. She wondered how long they had been standing there, watching them. Her neckfur rose when she heard one of them murmer, "Mm, riverdog! I 'aven't had that in seasons!"

The young ottermaid instinctively stayed close to her parents, heart thundering in her chest. Alddon whispered to her father, "We're completely outnumbered. It'd be suicide to fight these vermin."

Semser replied out of the side of his mouth. "We're already in enough trouble, mate. Offer t'go peacefully an' they'll attack, but if'n we run they'll cut us down one by one. Ye know vermin; they love nothin' more than a bloody battle."

A tall hooded creature strode out from the group. Culy recognized them as the beast who had insulted her father that morning on the walltop, and she gave a low growl.

Although Kren had put on a show of bravado earlier at Redwall, in reality he was terrified of the ottermaid. Unable to meet her fierce glare, he motioned to the beast who was standing in front of her. "You there, riverdog. You look like the leader of this party. What business do you have out here?"

Semser, for it was he the fisher was addressing, snarled at him. "Business? Mossflower is not yours an' never will be. It is a free place for peaceful-loving creatures to roam."

His adversary's fur bristled slightly. "You are trespassing on Hooded Clan territory. Give me a better reason as to why you're out here and I might let you live."

The Warrior was not impressed. "Stop playing the fool; you know why we're here. Give us the young shrew an' we'll return to our Abbey."

Kren laughed mockingly. "Sorry, but I'm afraid I can't do that. Your foolishness will cost you and your friends dearly, riverdog."

Without warning he lunged at Semser, but the Warrior was prepared and simultaneously tripped Kren whilst neatly stepping to one side. That single move ignited the battle. Cloaked vermin bullied their way through the ranks, eager to snatch up a piece of the battle. Emroon slew what appeared to be a rat with a throat slash from Martin's sword, and she quickly found herself being forced backwards by two ferrets who were threatening to stab her with their spears. Having lost sight of Kren in the melee, Semser quickly dispatched a foebeast with his javelin and came to his wife's rescue. He leapt in front of her and knocked one vermin out with a mighty whack from his powerful rudder before impaling the other with his javelin. The ferret gave a screech and fell backwards.

Emroon accepted her husband's outreached paw. "Thanks m'love. I thought I was done for."

Semser gave her a swift wink. "Not while I'm still alive."

Husband and wife fought back-to-back, screaming war cries as they wrecked havoc upon the foebeast. All around them the scene was pure chaos. Several shrews and an otter had fallen, but the vermin casualties were far greater. Although the Redwallers had been caught totally off guard by the ambush they fought bravely, knowing they were battling for their very lives. Mahdis was everywhere at once, flinging the vermin high into the night air as he swung to and fro with his massive paws. Many seasons had not hindered the badger's strength, and with teeth bared he threw himself at the enemy. Vermin ran willy-nilly; they did not want to be caught in the path of such power, for it would surely mean death.

Ignoring the blood flowing from several wounds on her body, Gala handed Taffa - whom she had kept hidden from the violence underneath her tunic - to one of the birds who had come with the Redwallers. "Take the little 'un back to the Abbey!"

Santalo, for it was she, glared at the stoat with her unblinking eyes. For a moment Gala thought the bird was going to lash out with her wicked beak, but after a few tense seconds she bowed and gently took the young shrew in her talons.

Taffa opened his mouth to protest, but Gala placed a gentle paw to his lips. "I'll see ye agin soon, friend."

Without a word Santalo was in the air, Taffa securely between her talons. Gala waved to her companion as they disappeared above Mossflower's canopy.

Asnkew, who was standing beside her, gave the stoat a sideways glance. "'Tis unusual for a foebeast to show such tenderness towards a woodlander."

Gala sniffed. "Aye, but I'm not like other foebeasts. So are ye goin' to slay me right 'ere, or are ye goin' to put that beak an' talons o' yores to good use?"

The fierce red-tailed hawk chuckled in amusement and spread his powerful wings, screeching a warning to the vermin. "Kreeeeearrrrr! Prepare for your journey to Hellgates, scum!"

Death was upon the enemy in an instant. Askhew was a blur, his fearsome weapons slaying countless soldiers. Dull thuds could be heard as swords and daggers fell to the ground alongside their wielders. Some of the more brave vermin fired off arrows, but this did not seem to stall the powerful hawk as he tore his way through the ranks. Snarling in frustration, Kren snatched an arrow from the archer standing beside him and threw it at the hawk. Askhew dodged to one side and, with remarkable reflexes, caught the missile in mid-air with his talons as it sailed past him.

Sneering at Kren, he easily snapped the arrow in half and let it fall. "Try again, coward!"

While all this was going on, Gala unleashed her own fury upon the clan. Hatred for Mortaza and all that she stood for boiled the stoat's blood, and she was not about to let the fisher's cronies slaughter more innocent creatures. With a wild scream, she slew a charging rat. She pulled her spear from the body and was about to aim it at another vermin when she spotted a group of them beginning to overpower a squirrel. One of the vermin neatly tripped the woodlander, and he went crashing to the ground. A dagger flashed in the moonlight, and Gala knew that if she did not help the squirrel he would surely perish.

Gritting her teeth in anger, she bolted over and took immediate action. As the wielder was about to stab the squirrel, Gala grabbed his wrist and wrenched it backwards. The unfortunate vermin, a weasel, screamed in agony and dropped the dagger. Without missing a beat, the lithe stoat cracked the skulls of the other vermin with a single powerful whack from her javelin. The weasel whose wrist had been broken tried to snatch up the fallen dagger with his free paw, but the end of Gala's javelin found him first. He died without a sound.

Alddon was beyond shocked, and he stared at his saviour with widened eyes. "You...you saved my life."

It was then that Clawing spotted the stoat. She had insulted him that day at the vole camp, and now he saw the opportune moment to exact revenge. Flapping up into the overhanging trees, he hopped from branch to branch so that she couldn't see him until it was too late. Launching himself off the tree, Clawing extended his wicked talons and prepared to strike at the stoat's unprotected back.

At the last possible second Alddon simultaneously pushed Gala aside and grabbed her spear. The raven's beak was mere inches from his eyes when he whacked him hard on the side of his head. The blow instantly sent Clawing crashing to the ground but surprisingly did not render him unconscious. Gala made to lunge at the raven, but Alddon scurried to his footpaws and held her back.

Gala's eyes burned with raw fury. "Yellow-bellied scum! Jus' try an' fight me one-on-one; then we'll see 'ow tough ye really are!"

Clawing barely heard her. Struggling, he rose to his talons and wobbled for a brief moment. Alddon was not about to slay a defenceless creature, so he jabbed at the air threateningly with his spear as a warning. "Get out o' 'ere, ye mangy pile o' feathers!"

The raven managed to spit out a retort. "This isn't over, stoat. One day I'll slay you and your friend!"

Gala sneered in contempt. "Not if I slay ye first. Now git out o' me sight afore my pal changes his mind about sparin' yore miserable life!"

Clawing flew off, glaring over his shoulder at the two creatures. In reality he was actually terrified of them and watching to make sure the squirrel kept good on his promise. He quickly vanished into the forest canopy.

Knowing they didn't have much time, Gala gratefully shook Alddon's paw. "Thank ye kindly, mate."

The good Friar gave a broad wink. "An eye for an eye."

Synno too was in the midst of battle. He viciously slashed down any woodlander who tried to attack him, laughing evilly as his sword claimed lives. A Guosim shrew leapt onto his back and started biting at his fur, causing Synno to howl in pain. He reached over his head and, grabbing the shrew by the scruff of his neck, lifted him off. With a sneer, Synno held the shrew out in front of him and impaled him with his sword. Tugging his weapon loose, he tossed the dead creature aside. That's when he saw him: the otter warrior, the one who had given him the scar. The one they called Semser. He was fighting a rat, his back to him. Smiling wickedly, he made his way towards him and, as he inched closer, swung his sword high.

Culy sprang into action. Finishing off a fox, she grabbed Martin's sword from Emroon and reached her father just as Synno was about to slash at his back. Semser, who had successfully slain the rat, turned his head to see Synno standing there with the weapon above his head.

Metal clashed upon metal, and Synno found himself staring into the fiery eyes of a young ottermaid. He instinctively knew she was Semser's daughter, and he laughed wickedly. "So ye need yore pretty liddle daughter to 'elp ye, eh?"

Upon seeing the stoat, Semser's eyes widened in horror. "Culy, get out o' here! Run!"

Synno laughed again. "Culy, that's yore name? Wot a pretty 'un!"

But Culy ignored his plea and continued to lash out. "Leave my father alone, you filthy scum!"

She was strong, but Synno was bigger and more powerful. As she made to swing the ancient blade, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her in. His foul breath made her wince. "Yore mine now!"

Culy struggled in his grasp, but she knew it was pointless. She caught him eyeing Martin's sword and instinctively dropped it right at her footpaws. Before Synno could react, she kicked the weapon to her father.

Semser's warrior spirit rose at the sight of his daughter in grave danger. Picking up the sword, he charged at Synno. But the stoat was prepared and lashed out with his powerful hind legs, catching his enemy hard in the stomach. Semser doubled over in excruciating pain, struggling not to retch.

With lightning speed Synno swung his captive around so she was facing Semser and pressed his sword to her throat. Emroon was now there, hovering over her husband and a dangerous gleam in her chocolate eyes.

Synno ignored her presence and snarled at Semser. "Don't ye try anythin' stupid, riverdog, or I'll slice open 'er gizzard wid this 'ere blade."

A bead of sweat trickled down the side of Culy's head. She didn't dare move, eyes silently pleading with her parents. Semser and Emroon knew they could do nothing to help their daughter. The former's eyes blazed with fury at his enemy.

Synno pushed the swordtip a little further into Culy's neck, causing a drop of blood to appear. He was obviously enjoying watching the otter family suffer. "Ye think ye kin defeat me agin, eh Semser?"

Still on his knees, the Warrior gritted his teeth. "Leave 'er out o' this, Synno. This is jus' between us."

His adversary spat on the ground near his footpaws and bared his yellowed teeth. "Short-sighted fool! Ye kin 'ave 'er back when Lady Mortaza is done wid 'er. Although ye kin bet she'll be in liddle pieces by then!"

Semser made to get up, but a hooded figure stepped into his path. The battle came to an abrupt halt as all eyes fell upon Mortaza. She had appeared out of nowhere and was now standing in front of the two otters, eyes boring into their spirits.

She was forced to take a step back when Semser suddenly charged. He was immediately restrained by Emroon, but this did not stop the enraged Warrior from spitting out warnings to his enemy. "Spineless scum! Ye lay a single paw on 'er an' I'll send ye all to Hellgates!"

Mortaza, or none of the vermin for that matter, had never seen such ferocity in any creature. Gala's words echoed in her mind, and she made the wise decision to keep well away from the angered otter.

The Redwallers who had not been injured in the battle assisted Emroon in restraining Semser, who was still attempting to get at the hooded fisher. To make matters worse, he was also hurling insults at her. "Why don't ye take that hood off an' fight me one-on-one? Then we'll see who the real warrior is!"

Alddon hissed at him. "Stow the gab mate, or they'll hurt Culy!"

A dangerous smile crossed Mortaza's lips. "Best listen to the squirrel. You wouldn't want to see anything happen to your beloved daughter, would you? Now slink on back to your precious Abbey and agonize over the fact that you can't save your own kin. You make any more stupid rescue attempts, I skin her alive and feed her to my army."

Semser and Emroon were totally helpless. There was nothing they could do for their daughter, who was now being dragged away in Synno's powerful arms. Any move would mean certain death for them and Culy. As she was vanishing from their sight, Semser called out to her. "Be strong, daughter! I swear on Martin's sword we'll rescue you."

Culy was about to reply when her captor's paw clamped over her mouth, preventing her from speaking. Her eyes never left her parents until she disappeared into the black night.