show you a dozen more like it before this day's through. Pick up your sword,
on guard again."
This time the silver badger ducked in under die blade, catching Martin's sword
paw. Locking the point with the flat of the fire iron, he flattened the
warrior mouse against the wall with the edge of the sword across his throat.
"See, just another bit of trickery."
That second day of summer, Martin learned more of swordplay than in his whole
life. Nobody was more adept with a blade than Boar the Fighter.
Dinny, Log-a-Log and Gonff tried jointly to lift Boar's own sword, but they
could hardly manage to get the big battle blade off the floor. It was immense,
a real full-grown male badger's war sword, with double crosstrees and a
ripping edge that had two sets of curved prongs halfway down die length of the
extra-wide blade.
Boar performed tricks with it, slicing apples in the air and taking a
whiskertip from Lupin as she stood stock-still. Martin noticed that the
badger's mood became more light-hearted and jovial when he was around weapons,
even allowing himself to be flattered by Harebell, Honeydew and Willow, who
imitated Trubbs and company by speaking alternately.
"Ooh, you are clever, Boar old chap."
"And strong. My word!"
"We ladies would never be able to lift your big heavy sword."
Three special daggers had been forged for Gonff, Log-a-Log and Dinny, who wore
them proudly about their waists. Gonff delighted the occupants of
Salamandastron with his impromptu ballads.
Harebell, Honeydew and Willow, Each a pretty thing; Bold, brave and fearless,
Wother, Trubbs and Ffring; Lupin, Buffheart, Starbuck, Breeze,
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Swift as winds across the trees; Rule o'er land and sea herefrom,
Sala-manda-stron.
Harebell and company fluttered their eyelids madly.
"Oh, Mr. Gonff, you are clever."
"And so handsome, too."
"You have a lovely voice."
Gonff waved a modest paw. "Save it for Trubbs and company, ladies. I'm
promised to my Columbine."
"Is she pretty?"
"Very pretty?"
"Prettier than us?"
"Well, she's certainly prettier than Gonff," Martin, Dinny and Log-a-Log
chimed in impudently.
"I'd say half as pretty again."
"Oi'd say twoice as pri'ee, hurr hurr."
Boar roared with laughter and raised his battle sword. "Cheek, shall I chop
off their heads, Gonff?"
The mousethief flushed scarlet beneath his fur. "No, just their legs will do,
Boar. They need their mouths to eat and make silly remarks with."
To ease Gonff's embarrassment, Buffheart beckoned the friends.
"Have you seen our fire lizard?"
"Fire lizard? No," Gonff chipped in quickly. "Let's go and have a look!"
They followed Boar and the hares, trooping up more flights of stairs until
they were somewhere near the echo cave. Buffheart took them into a side cave
that had a big open window slot. By the side of the window lay a great stone
carving of a fearsome head, a grotesque parody of what its maker had imagined
a dragon should look like.
"Nobody knows how it came here," Starbuck said, stroking it fondly. "Sometimes
Boar lifts it up to the window at night and lights a fire in its mouth to
frighten off the sea rats."
Boar exerted his great strength and picked up the stone head. "Yes, I put it
about here, facing out to sea."
He rested the head on the window sill, then went strangely
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quiet. Boar the Fighter stared hard to seaward. The rest joined him at the
window to see what it was.
Halfway between the skyline and the shore, a ship was sailing in toward land.
It was a large black galley with double oarbanks and twin square-rigged sails.
At the tip of the prow was the bleached skull and fin of some large sea fish,
standing out like a figurehead.
Boar whispered a single chilling word.
' 'Bloodwake!''
He was oblivious of all about him, remaining with his gaze riveted on the
craft in the water.
Martin turned to Lupin. "Is that Ripfang's ship?" he asked.
She nodded distractedly, pulling at Boar's heavy paw. "Come away, Boar,
please. Can't you see he's taunting you again?"
The silver badger shook her off and dashed through to the echo cave.
Even though they shielded their ears, they could hear Boar in the other room,
roaring out like thunder at the vessel, "Ahoy, Bloodwake. Ripfang, are you
there? This is Boar the Fighter. Why don't you show your rotten hide near my
mountain again? How about tonight? I'll be waiting, seascum!"
As they watched, a red flag embellished with a scourge was hauled to the
foremast peak. It dipped up and down twice.
Buffheart's teeth ground angrily together. "He'll be here, make no mistake
about that."
Boar strode heavily in from the echo cave, stretching himself up until his
head brushed the ceiling. He gave a huge sigh of satisfaction then recited
aloud,
The second night of summer, The second visit since spring, The rat from the
seas Meets the Lord of the rock, To settle everything.
Martin saw the wild light of battle in Boar's eye. "Then you're going to fight
Ripfang tonight?" he surmised.
Boar departed from the cave, calling as he went, "No, I'm going to kill him!''
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They pursued him down the stairs to the forge hall. Taking a rough file, the
badger began putting a slashing edge to his war sword.
The happy time was at an end.
Martin picked up his own sword. "We're coming with you, Boar."
The badger shook his head. "No. This is not your fight. This one was written
long ago on the wall behind my father. It must be."
Martin was obdurate. "Say what you like. Boar. When night falls, I'll be there
at your side."
"Aye, and I."
"Me too."
"I'm coming with you."
"And me, matey." " "Boi 'okey, an' oi too."
"Count me in, old chap." 'j "Rather, what ho!"
"Wouldn't miss it for the world, what?" . Boar put the file aside. "So be
it. Come if you feel you Imust, and thank you, my friends. But you, Buffheart,
and
-j you, Lupin—you must remain here with your young ones. '•The fires must be
kept burning, you understand?"
Buffheart nodded, biting his lip so fiercely that a trickle of blood coursed
from the side of his mouth.
"As you say, Boar," Lupin spoke for both of them.
*- The silver badger stood with his paws resting on the top crosstree of
his sword, every inch the commander.
"The rest of you, listen to me. No matter what happens, you must obey the
warrior's code. I give the orders, no one else. I know it may be difficult for
you to understand, but you must trust me completely. If you obey me, then you
are my true friends; disobey, and you are my enemy. Do you understand what I
say?"
The heads nodded in silence. ' Boar hung the great sword back on its wall
spikes.
"Good. Now go and rest," Boar told them. "But first see ; to your weapons and
eat.' * ; When they had gone, Martin lingered awhile with Boar.
•: "That verse you spoke," he said curiously. "It was writ-.ten on the
wall. Did you recite it all?"
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Boar shook his head. "Not all. The last lines are only for me to know. Once
again, Martin, thank you. It will be good to have a real warrior at my side
tonight."
They clasped paws, the mouse's dwarfed by the badger's.
"Good luck, Boar, my friend."
"Luck has little to do with fate, Martin. You follow the warrior's star. Be
true to yourself and your friends."