Gawjo had taken the last night watch on deck. The rain slacked off to a steady drizzle before dawn when the old squirrel warrior returned to the cabin. Checking that the stove fire was burned down to white ashes, he unshuttered both windows.
Megraw stirred from his perch on a shelf. "Ah ken et'll be a big day taeday, auld 'un?"
Gawjo Swifteye was still nimble and strong, despite his many seasons. He took down a short lance from the motley array of weaponry hanging from the wall. "Aye, friend, 'twill be a big day, shorter for some than others before 'tis over. Come on, crew, stir yoreselves, the island of Marlfoxes is in sight!"
Song stared around herself in the half-light. Her grandpa and the hedgehogs were ready and armed.
Burble sat up rubbing sleep from his eyes. "Well, wotever happens later can wait, yiss yiss, I'm hungry right now, so I am!"
Dippler and Dann were already at the table, helping themselves to warm fruit cordial and oatcakes that had been baked the night before.
Megraw hopped up to an open window. "Nae use a-waitin' for yon maggypies tae find us, ah'm thinkin'. This time ah'll catch them nappin'. Guid luck, see ye later!" Launching himself from the windowsill, the great eagle sailed off into the rising dawnstreaked skies.
Gawjo addressed his remaining crew. "Friends, you all know wot t'do. Dann, we'll give you an' Torrab until midmornin'. Is the Siuallow ready?"
Dann strapped the sword across his back, nodding to Torrab and the other four hedgehogs he would be traveling with. "She's ready, sir, well stocked with weapons too."
Gawjo shook the young squirrel's paw heartily. "Luck go with ye, Dannflor Reguba!"
Song, Dippler and Burble pushed the boat out from the raft's port side. Sitting behind the hedgehogs, Dann waved his paddle. "See you later, mates, I hope!"
The three friends waved to him silently, then stood by their poling positions at the side rails. Gawjo called out from the stern, where he sat plying the tiller, "No time to waste, crew. Let's get there quick as we can!"
All eyes were fixed on the mysterious island looming up, dark and forbidding, with Castle Marl dominating its rocky landing plateau.
Owing to the previous day's events, when the rule of the island had changed so swiftly, the castle courtyards, front and back, lay silent. Mokkan had let the guards celebrate, and they were not yet up and about. In the slave pens the captives were beginning to stir. An old mouse stood with his face pressed to the bars. Behind him a grizzled otter hauled himself stiffly up from the damp straw that served them as bedding. "Wot's 'appenin' out there, matey?"
The mouse was joined by a sturdy hedgehog maid. "Well, it ain't brekkfist, that's for shore. Where's the guards today? Still sleepin', I suppose."
"They'll appear all in good time. After all, we ain't goin' nowheres, are we?" called a squirrel slave from the back of the pen.
The mouse chuckled humorlessly at his dry remark. "Right enough there, friend. We may's well make the best of our extra rest. Better'n toilin' in the fields drenched by that rain we had yesterday. I'm still damp all over."
They sat in silence for a while, watching the clear dawn rise, thankful that the rain had ceased. The otter suddenly cocked his head on one side, listening. "Wot was that noise? I 'eard a funny sound."
"Prob'ly my stomach tellin' me mouth it's time to eat."
Catching the hedgehog's paw, the otter silenced her. "No, it wasn't that, mate. Lissen!"
Something metallic clinked against the back walltop, then clinked again as it fell back. There was a whirring noise, followed by a brief silence. A thick knotted rope flew down past the bars with a three-pronged grappling hook tied to its end that hit the courtyard stones with a ringing clank. Dumbfounded for a moment, they stood looking at it, then the hogmaid moved swiftly. Grabbing a piece of wet sacking, she lay flat and flopped it through the bars. It caught on the grapples, and she pulled it back in until the hook was in her reach. Her paws shook with excitement as she held on to the rope and the grappling hook.
The old mouse gazed at it in disbelief as the other slaves crowded round. "Why'd anybeast want to throw that to us?"
Wedging the hook firmly between the bars, the otter gave the rope three sharp tugs. He too was shaking all over. "One thing's shore, it ain't Marlfoxes, water rats or magpies. Whoever 'tis they must be friends. Let's 'elp 'em!"
Dann came shinning over the back wall. At the top he gave a swift look around, then signaled down to the hedgehogs below. A moment later he had dropped down into the courtyard and was staring into the pen at the emaciated slaves pressing forward to the bars. Unshouldering his sword, he flashed them a quick smile. "Good morrow to ye, mates. I'm Dann Reguba. Anybeast fancy bein' liberated today?"
Raising the sword high, he swung it down energetically, shearing the lock from the slave pen door with one mighty swipe. Slaves stood gawping in amazement. Dann swung the door open as they found their tongues.
"Did y'see that? He chopped off the lock an' his blade ain't even nicked. By thunder, that's some kind o' sword, mates!"
"Dann Reguba, wot sort o' name is that?"
"I know, I've 'eard it afore. That 'un's a mighty warrior, I'm with him. Woe t'the beast who stands in the way of a Reguba!"
A shudder of pride ran through Dann. He strode into the cage and was surrounded by creatures trying to shake his paw, all of them with tears in their eyes at the unexpected arrival of help. Torrab followed with her hedgehogs, bundles of arms strapped to their backs. They passed out spears, slings, blades and javelins to the eager captives. An otter spoke for his fellow slaves as he loaded stone into sling. "Just say the word, Dann. We're with you all the way, mate!"
Dann closed the door, hanging the broken lock back in place. "Sit tight here, friends, you'll get the word soon enough!"
Overhead a harsh screeching of birdcall cut the morning air, followed by a mighty flutter of wings and the hunting call of an eagle. Feathers fell like a miniature snowstorm into the courtyard. Dann had no need to look. He knew the Mighty Megraw was wreaking vengeance upon his enemies. Magpies shrieked harshly with terror, more feathers swirled to the courtyard stones and floated into the pen. Slaves ran to the bars, clutching at them as they struggled to catch a glimpse of retribution being visited on the hateful birds, straining and craning their necks upward, pushing against the bars.
"An eagle, 'tis a great eagle up there, huntin' magpies!"
There was a thud on the pen roof, and the huddled carcass of Athrak rolled off onto the stones below.
"The eagle's slain Athrak! Look, look!"
From above, the osprey's war cry could be heard as he pursued magpies out across the lake.
"Remember me, mah bonny bairns, ah'm no half asleep an' helpless now, ah'm the Mighty Megraw, death on wings tae ye! Krrreeeeegaaaaah!"
Guards came tumbling out of their barracks, still sleepy-eyed, buckling on armor and stumbling over weapons. Dann kicked open the slave pen door, and hurtled out with an army of slaves brandishing weapons behind him.
"Chaaaaaarge!"
The raft thudded in against the rocky plateau. Song and her grandpa leapt ashore as mooring ropes snaked out behind them. Securing the raft, Gawjo was forced to duck as a small cloud of magpies sped low overhead, pursued by the Mighty Megraw. They fled out across the lake with the eagle hard on their tails like some avenging beast.
Gawjo gripped Song's paw as the sound of Dann and his slave army giving their battle cry rang out from the castle above. "Stay by me, pretty one. The family'd never forgive me if anythin' happened to you. On the double, crew!"
They charged up the slope toward Castle Marl, slamming the gatehouse door shut as they passed and locking the half-awake guards inside. As they burst into the front courtyard, Song caught a glimpse of Mokkan at an upper chamber window. At once she remembered the original purpose of their quest.
"Dipp, Burb, there's the Marlfox. Come on, that's where the tapestry must be!"