Back at the holt, Abruc's wife Marinu and another otter called Sork stitched up Joshy's wounds. They washed the area of the scar gently with valerian and sanicle to deaden any pain. Then they laid him down on a big bed of silver sand and moss.

Next morning Joshy was feeling well enough to walk about. Wizards heal fast. He sat with the otters beneath an overhanging bank canopy, enjoying breakfast.

Old Sork inspected Joshy's facial scar. "A luckybeast is what ye are. 'Tis healin' better'n I hoped. But you'll have that scar across your face forever."

Joshy accepted the news with equanimity. "Well, a scar can come in handy for a wizard. I knew a chap once who had a scar on his knee that was a perfect map of the London Underground. An' sometimes girls think scars are sexy, wot wot." He took a bite of food. "I say, this is what I calls a real sea otter chowder." He held out his bowl for a refill.

Marinu ladled another helping of chowder into the bowl. "You're as big a flatterer as my husband Abruc! All it takes is clams, mussels, an' shrimps, with some beans, chestnut flour, seaweed, carrots, an' a few pawfuls of sea salt an' hotroot pepper. 'Tis simple to cook up."

"You know, I'm somethin' of a chef myself," Joshy said.

Abruc looked over the rim of his bowl at Joshy. "Tell me about your run in with Raga Bol."

Joshy shrugged. "I just happened to bump into him. I was walkin' along the seashore when I saw his ship wrecked on the rocks. Bol an' about fifty vermin crew came ashore. When Bol saw me, he attacked me for no reason why so ever."

"Raga Bol don't need a reason," said Abruc. "They say he kills for fun."

"Be that as it may, he slashed at me with a big sword. I fell down. He must have thought I was dead, because he turned away. So, I got back up an' blasted him with my wand. I was aimin' for his head, but I blew off one of his hands instead. He ran at me an' hit me with the sword again. Then I blacked out. When I woke up, he an' his crew were gone, but you already know that."

"I'll wager they went westward, inland to where the weather's fair an' the pickin's are easier," Abruc's friend Shoredog said.

Joshy jumped up. "Oh corks! If they keep goin' that way, eventually they'll end up at Redwall Abbey! Do you fellas know of Redwall?"

Abruc nodded. "Never been there, but I've heard of it."

"I've got to go after 'em! Every moment I sit here, Bol gets closer to Redwall. Somebeast has to stop him… but how am I gonna stop him when my wand's broken?"

Stugg came up to Joshy. "I fixed your wand for ya last night, mister. I taped it back together wiv scotch tape." He held the wand out to Joshy.

Joshy took it and inspected it. "Hmm. I don't know how well this will hold, but we'll see, I guess. Thanks for puttin' in the effort, wot."

"If you want to get to Redwall before Raga Bol does, you'll need Garfo Trok," said Shoredog.

"Right, mate, good ole Garfo!" Abruc agreed.

Joshy stared from one to the other. "What are you talkin' about- who's Garfo Trok?"

Shoredog rose. "Skipper o' the Northeast Riverdogs, that's who Garfo is. He runs a riverboat. Garfo will take ye westward along the waterways, much faster than you could go by foot. I'll go fetch him. I can be back with Garfo by midday."

"Okay, sounds like a plan," said Joshy. "I'm comin' for you, Raga Bol, as surely as night follows day!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo stood outside the main gate of Redwall Abbey. Scootaloo was staring at a statue of a ferret on the path in front of the Abbey. "What's this?" she wondered. "This wasn't there the last time I was here."

"That's Princess Kurda," said Rainbow Dash. "She was an evil ferret who tried to conquer Redwall."

Scootaloo wrinkled her brow in confusion. "Why would the Redwallers put up a statue of her, then?"

"They didn't. What happened was, a cockatrice that had wandered down from Equestria turned her to stone. And there she stands to this day, all alone, unless the birds perch on her. Her statue serves as a warning to all vermin not to mess with Redwall." (For more on Kurda, see my previous story SHANGHAIED.)

Two animals came out of the Abbey to greet the ponies. One was an old mouse and the other was a haremaid in a wheelchair.

"I bid you a good morning," said the mouse. "I am Father Abbot Carol. This young maid is Martha Braebuck. It's been a long time since our Abbey was last graced by the presence of ponies."

"Nice to meet you," said Rainbow. "I'm Rainbow Dash and she's Scootaloo."

Scootaloo was looking at Martha. "Why are you in a wheelchair? Have you hurt yourself?"

"No," said Martha. "I've always been in a wheelchair. I've never been able to walk since I can first remember, though 'tis not for the want of trying. I collapse every time I do, as if my footpaws were held by two pieces of wet string."

Scootaloo's voice was extremely sympathetic. "That's a hard thing for anybeast t'bear. You're sorta like me. I can walk, but I can't fly, like most Pegasi can. My wings haven't worked since the day I was born. I don't know why. The doctors in Equestria have never been able to find what was wrong. I just have to make do with scootin' around on my scooter. That's why they call me Scootaloo."

Martha smiled. "Well, at least I have my brother Horty to push my wheelchair for me, though I can wheel myself around if I need to. I do a lot of reading and studying too."

"Just like our friend Twilight Sparkle!" said Rainbow Dash.

The Abbot said, "Today is a special day. It's the first day of summer, so we're having a sports day and a feast."

Rainbow flapped her wings. "Sports day- that sounds all right to me!"

"We're gonna have nut and spoon races, and pole climbing," he said. "And in the afternoon, we'll run a race around the Abbey wall."

"Sign me up!" Rainbow Dash said.