Chapter 15
A funeral was held at the base of the mountain. They laid Harlee's body on a pyre. Each hare grabbed a torch and placed it on the pyre. The logs of wood burned hot and bright, and so that it wouldn't get out of control, even more hares were equipped with buckets of sand and water. They doused the wood. Two hares grabbed shovels and started digging Harlee a grave. Orlando didn't look sad or angry, but more disappointed. He was disappointed in that his youngest Lieutenant disobeyed his orders, his lust for vengeance was his downfall.
The logboats were approaching the coast, Flugg ordered his shrews to dock the shores. They all complied, eventually after tying down their boats, they placed bushes and other sorts of flora on the boats. Elmtail inhaled the air.
"Mmmmm, aaah. Smell that fresh air. The smell of the sea mixed with the sap of these trees."
"Yes, now let's continue onward."
Sam stated. Everybeast grabbed their weapons and marched to Salamandastron.
Sibo eventually awoke and he saw half of his pirates slaughtered and slain by the Long Patrol. Dry blood cakes weasel's snout, whiskers, and upper lip. He onlooked in horror, his Corsairs were spread out, some floating in the water, some spread all over the beaches. The only ones that were still alive were him, Tavadar, and a few Corsairs, at least fifteen.
"By the seas, our whole crew has been wiped out, they will pay, tenfold for each Corsair they snuffed out, by my oath as Corsair, I will skin them all alive."
Sibo's voice trembled, he held back the tears, for pirates were not allowed to cry, it showed weakness.
"Cap'n, what do we do know?"
"We wait here, and hope for a miracle. Salamandastron shall be mine."
Sibo was even more dead set on taking Salamandastron from Orlando and his hares. He picked up his cutlass and placed it back in the scabbard.
The Mossflower Patrol hiked the path for a few hours, hard and fast. Sam was so eager to reunite with Orlando, he was way ahead of the otherbeasts. Everybeast there including the more spry of creatures were getting winded.
"Sam... wait... need... rest."
Harlan wheezed out. Sam smirked and slowed his pacing down to a light jog, so everybeast could eventually catch up. Sam awaited his troops at the top of a step hill, as soon as they got there a few beasts, mainly voles, and dormice fell on their bottoms, panting, sweating, and fanning themselves.
"Look, everybeast. We're almost there. All we need to do is rest up here for a while, we got here in one piece, we had very few casualties."
Elmtail tried to keep things optimistic. Everyone that heard the squirrel all nodded in agreement. Elm continued onward.
"Also, you've got a Log-a-Log and his tribe of Guosim to thank for rescuing us from the clutches of those dastardly vermin."
Everybeast nodded and murmured to each other. Their murmurs grew in sound and soon they began cheering their four leaders: Sam, Elmtail, Harlan, and Log-a-Log. Though most of them were still tired and hungry, they decided to go forth and go all the way.
Orlando sat on his fine throne, tapping the arm rest impatiently. He took a sip honey mead and licked his chops from any residue left from the beverage. Alvadian knocked on the large twin doors.
"Permission to enter, sir?"
"Permission, granted."
Alvadian stood to attention and adjusted his monocle.
"Speak, my old friend."
"Ahem, righto, sir. I have a few visitors, they say they know you from awhile back, wot. Claim to be friends of your Daughter, Auma."
Orlando's spirits lifted, he was happy to hear who they were.
"Is it Mattimeo, Matthias?"
"Um, no, sir. It's actually a squirrel, goes by the name of Sam. Says he's the son of Jess."
Orlando jumped up and did a hopskip in the air. He was pretty athletic for his age and height, however, in doing so, he cause a small portion of the mountain to rumble. Alvadian wobbles and almost sat on his tail.
"Mind not doin' that, sir?"
"Sorry, it's been seasons since I've seen them."
Alvadian nodded, he and Orlando walked to the mountain's entrance to greet his friends. Two hares rolled a large boulder that was their door, and awaiting the Badgerlord was Sam, Elmtail, Harlan, and Log-a-Log Flugg. Sam pounced on his old colleague.
"Orlando!"
"Sam, it's been ages, how are things at Redwall?"
"Great, just keeping the peace, you?"
Orlando set the grown squirrel on the ground and responded.
"The same, we have a bit of a situation on our paws: on the Western shores, there is an army of Corsairs, we were able to take a majority out, but, we had to make a tactical retreat. They may have reinforcements and are on there way now."
Sam cocked his eyebrows and scratched his head. The only question he could ask was.
"Why let them gain reinforcements, if they were so easy to deal with?"
"Because, my son. These seasons of mine are becoming limited and I want my final battle to be extremely big. I want our enemy to grown in numbers, so I can slice up each and everyone, even if I go down swinging, I'd rather die on the battlefield than in a soft cozy bed."