Song slept heavily. It was long past dawn when the young shrew called Dippler flicked rainwater at her head.
"Come on, dozychops, wake up or you'll snore until autumn!"
The squirrelmaid had chummed up with the Guosim shrew, who was roughly her own age, on the previous evening. Now Song opened one eye and lay unmoving as she threatened her newfound friend.
"You've just done three things that really annoy me. One, you flicked water on me while I was asleep. Two, you called me dozychops. Worst of all, though, is number three. You said I snore. For that, my friend, you're going to take an early bath in the stream!"
Leaping up, she dashed after Dippler, who was very agile and could duck and dodge with ease. They flew past Janglur and Log a Log, showering them with the wet banksand churned up by their paws.
"Aye aye, steady on there, you young rowdies!" The shrew Chieftain shook sand off himself, grinning at Janglur. "Wish I had the energy o' them two. 'Tis good that your Song's palled up with Dippler. That young 'un ain't got many friends. He was the one doin' guard duty when our boats went missin'."
Janglur dodged smartly aside as the pair chased by him again. "Well, he won't go far wrong with Song. She's a good 'un, mate, an' she don't make friends lightly."
Song and Dippler dodged about a bit more on the bank, then flopped down on the ground grinning at each other. Dippler held up a paw, panting fitfully. "Truce?"
Song nodded. "Truce it is. Look, the rain's almost stopped!"
Last night's high wind was gone and the downpour had slacked off to a fine drizzle, though the skies were still slaty gray. Log a Log called out to his shrews, "Break camp, mates, grub's all gone. We'll be headin' fer Redwall in comp'ny with Swifteye an' his family. Mayon, Bargle, stick with Gran'ma Ellayo, an' lend 'er a paw. Fenno, douse the fire. Splikker, take two scouts an' march ahead of us. Bit o' luck an' we should make the Abbey sometime in the late noon."
The woodlands dripped water all morning as the party followed a trail left by Splikker and his scouts. Song and Dippler walked slightly ahead of the main group. Suddenly, a big otter emerged from the trees and approached Log a Log.
The shrew scarcely gave him a glance. "Mornin', Skip."
The big otter returned the greeting noncommittally. "Mornin', Log."
Log a Log nudged Janglur. "This's Skipper of otters. Skip, meet Janglur Swifteye. We're goin' to Redwall."
Janglur nodded at Skipper, who winked back in reply.
"So'm I, matey. Me an' the crew went over the waterfalls, three days from 'ere, 'cos of the hot dry weather. Huh! Hot'n'dry? Never expected this liddle lot. Any'ow, I've left the crew at the falls havin' fun. I decided to drop back this way an' see if everythin' was shipshape over at the Abbey after the storm. Where's yore boats, mate? 'Tisn't like the Guosim to be hoofin' it through the woods."
Log a Log rolled his eyes skyward, making light of his misfortune. "Oh, we lent 'em to a crowd o' water rats an' a couple o' Marlfoxes. Don't worry, though, we'll get 'em back an' make those vermin pay for the hire of six good logboats, take my word for it!"
The conversation was interrupted by Splikker, who came trotting back on his own tracks, gesturing with a paw over his shoulder. "Left the scouts further along the trail, Chief. There was all sorts o' noises comin' from the edge of the marshy area. Come an' see wot we've found. Y'won't believe yore eyes!"
He turned and ran off the way he had come. Their curiosity roused, the entire party hurried after him.
Florian Dugglewoof Wilffachop made a brave figure as he stood on the seat of the half-submerged cart like the captain of a sinking ship. In one paw he held the long sword with which Runktipp had menaced the Marlfoxes. It was only a trick stage prop and kept bending in the middle of its blade. Notwithstanding this drawback, Florian brandished it at the grinning shrews.
"Laugh all y'like, you scurvy villains, you'll not take me alive! By the cringe an' fur you won't, not while there's breath left in this poor body to defend the ladies an' the infant, wot!"
One of the shrews laid his rapier on the ground. "We ain't gonna hurt ye, mate, ye've got my word on it . . . Yowch!"
Dwopple hung over the back of the cart. Loading another stone into his small sling, he announced with an innocent smile, "I'm a h'infant. I shooted ya wi' me slinger. Heeheehee!"
The shrew rubbed furiously at his swelling nose. "You liddle pot-scrapin' . . ., that ain't fair! We came 'ere in peace!"
Florian waved the flapping blade of the sword at him. "A likely story, sah. Peace me flippin' whiskahs! I'll have y'know you are dealin' with a band of expert warriors, trained to slay with a single bally swipe, wot!"
Skipper, Log a Log and Janglur arrived on the scene at this point, closely followed by Song and Dippler. Song i mmediately went to the injured shrew and held a pawful of damp moss to his nose.
"What's going on here, may I ask?" she said.
At the sound of a sweet musical voice, Florian was transformed. Sweeping off his straw hat, he bowed so low that he almost fell into the mud surrounding the cart. "Faith, miss, your tones are music t'me ears, wot! Pray dissuade those small surly rogues from attacking us. We are innocents lost. A simple troupe of strolling players, ravaged by an unseasonable quirk of the weather and unjustly menaced by savage spikefurred persons."
The shrew took the damp moss from his nose long enough to argue back. "You flop-eared ole fraud, you was the one goin' to attack us!"
Deesum showed herself, wringing a large flowered kerchief anxiously. "Oh, desist from bickering and help us, please!"
Gallantly Skipper and Janglur helped the troupe from the cart, taking care to swing them out clear of the mud. Introductions were made all around as the Guosim rolled their canvas sails into long bands, attaching them to the cart like tow ropes. Skipper and Janglur found a good stout yew limb to use as a lever. The cart rocked back and forth, making wet sucking noises, as the team of Guosim pulled and Skipper levered. Janglur found the shaft and the crosstree beneath the mud and hauled. With their combined efforts they soon had the cart back on firm ground. Skipper shook mud from himself as Florian thanked him.
"My my, what a stout feller you arestout fellers all, in fact. Let us put on a performance for you in gratitude for your sterlin' services in recoverin' our jolly old transport, wot!"
Skipper could not help smiling at the effusive hare. "Lucky y'never went any further afore ye got stuck, matey. That's a swamp out there, an' there wouldn't have been a trace of you creatures or yore cart in the middle of the marshes!"
"Oooooohhh!"
Deesum did a graceful swoon and fainted. Janglur indicated her prone form with a nod at Ellayo. "Bring 'er round, Mum. Mister Florian, yore performancell have to wait till another time. We've got to get to Redwall Abbey afore dark."
Florian did a comical double take. "Redwall Abbey, sah? Capital! The very place we are proceedin' to. Mayhap we can wend our way togetherstrength in unity, y'know. I can defend you from any blackguards, rogues or hardpaws we may encounter on the way. Lead on, my good fellow, lead on!"
Deesum gave a yowl and sprang upright. Borrakul looked in awe at Ellayo. "You soon brought 'er outta that faint, marm. You must 'ave good medicine."
Ellayo clambered up into the cart. "Good medicine nothin'. I could tell she was fakin', so I just bit the tip of 'er tail. That brought 'er round all right. This's a good little cart, save my ole paws a bit. Move over, young 'un!"
Dwopple moved, scowling at the old squirrel. She scowled right back. "Just put a paw near that slingshot o' yourn an' I'll bite yore tail clean off to teach ye good manners!"