The dinner bell rang loud and clear throughout the extensive rock-hewn hallways of Salamandastron. Many hares jumped at the noise, realized its significance once again, dropped anything at hand, and ran to dinner. The beating of footpaws battered its way through the rock to the dining hall where the head cook, Frieda, was veraciously ringing the bronze bell. Dinner was laid out on the tables, not very sophisticated fare, but in enormous quantities. Gigantic bowls, heaped full of salad teetered on the table, threatening to fall and dump their contents upon the stone floor. Frieda knew the bowls wouldn't tip though; they never had the time to anyways.
The first of the hares burst through the doors, young recruits eager for a meal like they had been missing at home. Their eyes bulged at the mounds of salad, vegetables, and fruits. Frieda laughed to herself as she watched them begin to gobble up the food as if it was their last meal.
Next came the veterans, anywhere from two seasons up to twenty seasons of service under their belts. They walked slower than the recruits, but were still eager to eat. They sat down at different tables than the recruits, almost appalled by the gusto at which the recruits were eating.
Finally, the permanent residents hobbled in. These veterans of old no longer fought with the Long Patrol, or even guarded Salamandastron. No, these hares were now enjoying the fruits of their long seasons of labor, sitting in Salamandastron reminiscing of days of old. The recruits motioned for the seniors to come sit at their tables, so they could hear them tell extravagant tales of bravery and despair.
The dinner bell rang clear one last time, and the hares in the dining room fell silent. It wasn't everyday that the badger lord joined them for dinner. The back doors of the hall opened and through them walked Alanbrow. The great badger lord sauntered along the aisle leading between the two rows of tables, making his way up to the front to the designated table for him and his high ranking officers. As he reached the table he turned and addressed his legions. "Good evening goodbeasts, I hope you are all enjoying your dinner."
A small cheer of gratitude was released by the recruits, but was quickly smothered.
"Now please, resume your eating, I would hate to have starving hares at my command. Now wouldn't that be useless?!" A hearty chuckle came deep from inside the badger lord, and the hares laughed with him, and then went back to stuffing their faces.
On the far side of the room, the recruits and seniors began to slow their eating, and began to chat casually. Many of the recruits wanted to hear stories of the Long Patrol back in the glory days. The seniors just laughed at their youthful energy and over time humored the excited hares with a story or two. The recruits gazed on with eyes wide open, gawking at some of the fabulous escapades these relics had gone on. "Wow," Baen, a young energetic male hare exclaimed, "It must have been the greatest adventure ever! Just you gallant hares fighting alongside an enormous badger lord, slaying all the vermin in your path! Were you ever scared Rennek?"
"Hmmm, it definitely was an adventure, but lad battles and slaying aren't things to be excited about. Fighting kills. I lost many a dear friend to those vermin." Rennek paused, his eyes misting, "Yes," he continued, "I was very scared at times." The old hare pursed his thin lips together, in an effort not to cry. "It was hard, seeing your best pal being cut down by a foebeast. I only wish that we never have to fight again." Rennek put his face between his paws and breathed deeply.
Across the aisle, Matte heard Rennek's story and wish. He slowly turned so he was facing away from his own table and placed a paw on the old hares shoulder. Rennek turned around. "Well Rennek your wish has come true. Seeing as we have defeated the polecats, they are now our mercenaries. We never will have to fight again!"
Rennek's eyes darkened. The hair on the back of his neck stood upright, "What!" he glowered, "What good is the Long Patrol then? How do we know that they will do as we order? I say kill them. There is only evil coming from those beasts."
Matte stiffened. Trying his best to keep his temper in check he replied, "Well Rennek, what do you want then? First you say you never want to kill or have someone close to you killed again, and then you say that we should kill our mercenary fighters. How do you expect to get both what you want without the help of others?"
Rennek continued to glower, "They aren't helping us! Right know our own badger lord has sent them to attack Redwall! Do you not see something wrong here?!"
"I heard they were going to check on Redwall and assist them with final preparations!" Matte replied, nearly yelling.
More of the veterans turned around, agreeing with Matte. While the seniors turned with the recruits following, supporting Rennek. The two hares at the centre of the argument glared at each other in an attempt to stare the other down. Rising from his chair at the front of the room Alanbrow broke the angry silence. "Alright gennelbeasts, this is no way to acting at dinner. I say you two settle it a civilized way. Apple pudding is coming out for dessert. You each get five bowls, whoever finishes first wins. The loser then has to stop arguing and accept the others point of view. Understood?"
Both hares nodded. Neither one of them thought this was a very good way to end the argument, but Alanbrow had spoken and they weren't about to challenge his ruling.
The trolley holding the pudding came out of the kitchen, being pushed by Frieda. She doled out five portions to each of the contestants, making sure each bowl was filled to just below the brim ensuring equality. Matte and Rennek set their bowls in front of themselves. They were now sitting of the far side of each table. They looked across their own table, the aisle, and the opposite table into the opponent's eyes. Frieda raised her ladle, "Alright boys, once mah ladle hits the floor you may begin you eatin'."
Slowly she looked at Rennek, he nodded, she looked at Matte, and he nodded as well. Then, without further ado, she tossed her ladle high in the air. The large metal spoon spun and flipped in the air, glinting as it caught light from the many torches lining the dining hall. Reaching its apex, the ladle began to plummet towards the stone floor. Clang! The spoon hit.
Immediately Matte and Rennek began to scoff down the pudding. Not even using his spoon, Matte slopped the hot apple pudding into his mouth with his own paws. He finished his first bowl within seconds. Rennek's old paws were working furiously, each with a spoon digging into the apple pudding and shoveling it into his mouth like lightening. He finished his second bowl. He spared himself a quick glance at Matte, noticing that the younger hare was already on his fourth bowl. Matte looked up and locked eyes with Rennek a quick second. Even though Matte was concentrating hard of finishing his pudding, his eyes still had time to laugh at Rennek. Wham! Matte slammed his final empty bowl of pudding on the table in front of him, shaking the entire table. "Ha! You old beast! Did you really think that you could beat me in a pudding eating race? Well, we sure know now don't we?" Matte laughed.
The veterans began to clear out of the dining hall, all in a group around Matte.
Rennek stared into his fourth bowl, it was only half empty. It wasn't even close. He glanced up at Matte, seeing the younger hare being congratulated by his peers as he walked out the door. "Don't worry mister Renn; I still think you're the better beast." Tayla, a female recruit consoled. "And I think that you are right too, we shouldn't be allied or even associated with those good for nothing polecats."
The old hare looked up with sad eyes. "Thank you Tayla that means more than you know."
"I'm with her." A voice called out.
"Me too." another voice volunteered
"As well as me"
A great chorus of voices joined in support of Tayla's choice.
"Well," Tayla said, shrugging her shoulders "Looks like we're all with you."
Rennek smiled.
Back in their dormitories, the recruits jabbered nonstop about their newfound "alliance" with the seniors and how the veterans had no idea what was really good for them. "I think Rennek is right," Tayla said once again, "Why do we use the polecats? If we defeated them, then why do we let them live?"
"'Cause Lord Alanbrow said so," a voice volunteered.
"Why did he say that?" Tayla countered "Maybe," a hush fell over the room, "Maybe there is something wrong with Alanbrow!" Tayla whispered.
A number of voices shouted out with distaste. No!
Tayla quickly quieted them with a hurried "Shhhh!" the group calmed down. "Now honestly goodbeasts, why would Alanbrow let the polecats live? They say he didn't even go into the Bloodwrath when they attacked us. Something is wrong with our badger lord."
Once again a hush fell over the room as the facts sunk in. "But remember," Tayla added, "No one speaks of this ever! We have already lost. If we get caught we could get kicked out of the Long Patrol, even out of Salamandastron!"
The recruits slept and uneasy sleep that night.
Over in the senior's quarters, Rennek and the other hares discussed what had happened at dinner, and what it meant. "This can't be good," Rennek began. "Alanbrow singled me and Matte out because he knew that Matte would win. That means he is in favor of the fighters."
"That must mean that he thinks we are useless old crones who only tell wild tales to the recruits." Somebeast offered.
"Yes, but no," Rennek paused, "It would seem that Alanbrow is trying to separate us into factions. But why? A group of hares that don't get along is worse than a group of starved hares."
"Maybe it ain't him."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, maybe someone is pretending to be Alanbrow."
"Impossible! How many other badgers do you know of? Especially ones like Alanbrow, with only half a white stripe?"
The crowd quieted, this definitely was a dilemma. Seeing no plausible solution at such a late hour, Rennek closed the discussion. "Well lads, it doesn't matter at this very moment anyway. Go to sleep now."
Just like the recruits, the seniors slept an uneasy sleep.