Thrugann mopped sweat from her brow and sat down on the bed where Abbess Vale lay.
Faith Spinney was at her side in an instant. "Thrugann, are you all right, my dear?' *
The otter staggered up and crossed to the window. "Aye, all I need is a breath of fresh air. Help me with this window catch. Mister Furgle, I feel weak as an otter kitten."
' 'Redwaaaaaaallllll!''
"Great acorns, what was that?" Faith Spinney sat bolt upright on the dormitory floor.
Thrugann flopped down beside her. "Now I know I've got that pesky Dryditch FeverI'm seein' things. I just saw Baby Dumble go flyin' past that window!"
Furgle jumped up and down, pounding the windowsill. "I can see him too! He's sitting in a haversack and the biggest bird on earth is carrying the thing in its claws!"
Faith Spinney and Thrugann went skeltering down the stairs toward the main door, yelling aloud.
"Murder! Help! A big bird's got Baby Dumble!"
"I don't care 'ow big the bird is, I'll wring its neck if it 'urts one 'air of that infant's liddle 'ead!"
Tudd Spinney hurried up from the cellars and hobskipped on his cane after them. "Ain't things bad enough without an attack of big birds!"
The Wild King MacPhearsome beat the air with his gigantic wings as he set the haversack carefully down on the lawn of Redwall Abbey.
"Oh, ye didnae tell me ye lived in sich a braw nest, Dumble!"
The infant stumbled from the haversack wreathed in lector Flowers. "It notta nest, birdie, it's a Habbey called Red-waaaaaalllll!"
In the island cave Mara listened with amazement to the tale that Loambudd told.
"My son Urthound was the strongest and wisest badger in all the Southwest Lands, and his wife Urthrun was famed for her beauty and gentleness. They ruled and protected the Southwest and were loved by all. Urthound's father Urthclaw had been dead many seasons. I was alone and there was trouble in the land, so Urthound took me in his home to live with him. It was autumn and Urthrun had given birth to two beautiful badger babes, male twinswe named them Urthwyte and Urthstripe. The trouble was called Ferahgo the Assassin and his gang of Corpsemakers. He was young and evil, a blue-eyed weasel who murdered for pleasure, with an army of vermin to back him up.
"That winter, the babes were scarce one season old, the snow was deep and the weather hard. If I had known that Ferahgo was in the area of my son's home I would never have gone out into the woodland that day to gather snowdrops. But I think that my son had arranged some sort of meeting with Ferahgo. It was Urthound who asked me to go and gather the snowdrops for his wife, though I know now that he only did it to get me out of his home lest I should attack FerahgoI was a mighty fighting badger when I was younger. Be that as it may, off I went into the winter woodlands to gather snowdrops.
"When I returned it was to find an awful scene of Ferah-go's treachery. The beautiful home was wrecked, my son Urthound lay dead, murdered by the blue-eyed one, and his wife Urthrun, too, was terribly slain. Of the two little ones there
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was only the white one Urthwyte. As for Urthstripe, I never knew what became of him. Did Ferahgo carry him off? Or did he wander away into the woodlands to perish in the winter? I never knew until this day when you came here, Mara. Fate sent you here to let me know that my grandson still lives. I might have known it, he was a tough little thing, more like his grandfather, fierce and warlike. He must have survived
somehow.
"Urthwyte is like no other; he can be gentle at times but savage when needs be. 1 have told him the story of what happened many a time throughout his growing, hoping that someday he might have a chance to avenge the death of his parents. That winter day I fled, taking Urthwyte with me. We wandered the woodlands for many seasons. That is where we met our goodfriend Ashninshe was the slave of wandering foxes. I fought them off and freed her, then the three of us traveled together, looking for peace and a better life. One summer day many seasons ago we found it here, an island paradise where we lived in safety until now."
Mara touched the old badger lady's paw.
"Why don't you forget the past and stay here, Loam-budd?"
"Because you have brought the past walking in through our door and because my grandson and I are both badgers, fighting beasts. Besides, how do you think I could stay here, knowing that kin of mine may be battling for life in the lands by the big sea? When you go, we will go with you, on the day after tomorrow."
Pikkle looked up from his cherry cordial. "Why the day after tomorrow, marm?"
"Because a great storm is brewing. It will hit the lake tomorrow and nothing will be able to get on or off this island
all day."
Mara rose. "I must go and tell Log-a-log so that he can pull the logboats up to safety."
The old squirrel, Ashnin, spoke, "That would be wise. The rock ledge they are camped on will be battered by heavy waves when the storm comes. Go and wake Urthwyte. He
will haul the boats up to the woodlands for you. Tell your shrew friends to come and visit us until it is time to leaveI would like to know what sort of creatures I will be traveling with to the shores of the great sea."
"You'll be goin' too, marm?" Pikkle was surprised.
The ancient squirrel took a bow and arrows from the chimney corner. "I certainly will, young feller. I've never missed a good fight in my life. I'm a dead shot too!"
Pikkle rubbed his head where the cherry stones had struck. "I can already vouch for that, marm!"
Log-a-log and the Guosssom shrews yelled in alarm when a large white badger head poked over the cliffs at them, until Pikkle came bounding down paw over paw on a rope.
"Panic over, chaps. This is old Urthwotsit, a pal of ours. He's offered to haul the boats up to high groundapparently there's goin' to be a whizzo storm tomorrow and all this ledge where you're standin' will be underwater. Hey, Mara, come down an' show old Log-a-thing what you've brought for him!"
Mara slid down the rope. Without a word she hung the Blackstone around Log-a-log's neck. Immediately all the Guosssom shrews raised their paws in the air and gave a mighty roar.
' 'Logalogalogalogalog!''
One by one they filed past their leader, touching the Black-stone and bowing respectfully. There was not a shadow of doubt who the absolute leader of the Guosssom was now. Log-a-log clasped Mara's paws in both of his.
"I will never forget this, Mara." His voice shook with emotion. "No matter what the time, day, or season I am yours to command."
Nordo placed his paws over those of his father. "And I also. Mara, friend, words cannot thank you enough!"
The badger maid smiled at them both. "Then save your words, friends. Show me by your actions when we reach Sal-amandastron and face the hordes of Ferahgo!"
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The white badger was a great source of amazement to the Guosssom. They watched openmouthed as he wrapped his huge paws around the damaged logboat. Bracing himself, Urthwyte gave a single grunt and lifted the entire vessel. He carried it five paces, then deposited it neatly on the trestles they had set up for its repair.
Nordo hesitantly touched the powerful corded muscle and sinew which stood out through the badger's snowy coat. "By the log of my father's boat! It would have taken at least fifteen shrews to even budge one of our craft. You have the strength of a giant, Urthwyte!"