Oxeye was now in sole command of the Long Patrol. He used all his warrior cunning and skill to contain the horde within the lower levels; hares appeared, attacked, then vanished like smoke along the winding tunnels. Big Oxeye used the forge room as his center of operations, issuing instructions as he stayed close to the delirious badger Lord.
"Moonpaw, take Lingfur an1 Penny. Stay at the south stairwell an' give 'em blood 'n' vinegar. I'll send a relief as soon as Catkin an' Barfle get back."
Moonpaw took the two younger hares, saluted and set off at a trot for the stairwell. Oxeye watched them go, shaking his head despairingly as he slumped down beside Bart Thistledown. "It's no good, Barty old lad. We can't hold 'em back for everthere's too many of the vermin."
Wounded and battered from his defense of the opening, Bart grinned iopsidedly through a half-open eye. "No use shiverin' over lost fur, Ox. What'd you sooner die of, old age or battle?"
Oxeye shook his head admiringly. "Battle, I suppose. By the left, Barty, you're a cool one!"
His friend stroked a lancebutt with an injured paw. "Cool nothin'I'm quiverin' like a jolly jelly inside, but don't tell old Urthstripe that."
Oxeye took a damp cloth and bathed the badger Lord's heated brow. Urthstripe was oblivious to all about him. He lay struggling against the restraining bandages, muttering,
316
Brian Jacques
badger. Samkim drew the sword of Martin as he hurried along with the frontrunners; Arula waddled alongside him, swinging a loaded sling. Automatically Pikkle made for the main entrance. He groaned softly as he saw the unblocked fissure yawning wide.
"Oh no, it looks like Ferahgo's stinkin' lot have found a way inside!"
At the opening, Samkim held up a paw for silence. "Hist!" Badtooth had taken an arrow in his paw. Hauling himself painfully through the opening, the stoat sought a soft resting place on the sand. He was halfway through the opening when a huge white paw seized him by the throat. Badtooth gave a terrified gurgle as he was dragged out onto the rocks. Samkim held the edge of the sword across his throat, growling viciously, "One false move or a wrong word and you lose your head! Now speak up, what has happened here?"
The unfortunate stoat gulped and whimpered out all he knew. "The horde are in there, tryin' to fight their way through the mountain..."
Pikkle grabbed him by the ear. "Where's Ferahgo an' Klitch?"
"Klitch is in there, an' Crabeyes, an' Dragtail an' the rest. I 'aven't clapped eyes on Ferahgo since the attack started, I swear it!"
Urthwyte and Samkim exchanged glances.
"We'll have to take his word for it," the white badger grunted. He knocked the stoat senseless with a sweep of his paw, looking about as if undecided what to do next.
Samkim took charge, coming up with a fast and workable solution. "It's going to be light soonwe'll have to move fast. Pikkle, tell Loambudd that we've gone up the mountain to reinforce those inside. If she brings the rest up through this opening we can mount a two-pronged assault."
Alfoh clapped him on the back. "Good idea. Are you sure you've never done this sort of thing before, young squirrel?"
Samkim shouldered Martin's sword with a wry grin. "There's a first time for everything, matey!"
Pikkle was gone in a spray of loose sand. Strapping his
Salamandastron
317
mighty club to his back, Urthwyte began climbing. Arula threw up her paws in resignation as she started the ascent.
"Burrhoo! Oi doant loik 'igh places, bein' naught but 'ee mole. Bohurr, yur goes one cloimbin' young beast."
Dawn broke in roseate splendor over Salamandastron as Mara and Loambudd thundered over the sands with the Guosssom of Log-a-log hard on their heels. Pikkle rested a moment as they surged by him. Eventually he regained his breath and grabbed a paddle.
"I say, chaps. Wait for me!"
Moonpaw was slain defending the stairwell. The gallant hare placed Pennybright and Lingfur behind her. The two young ones thrust either side of Moonpaw with their lances at the ravening pack of vermin that pressed its way forward up the stairs.
Wounded in a dozen places, Moonpaw yelled to the two young ones, "Get back to Oxeye quickly. Tell him to send reinforcements." She gazed for a moment at Pennybright's tearstained face. "Don't stand there gawping, young Pen. Do as I say. Go on!"
Moonpaw had a double-pointed javelin. Wildly she broke it in haif over the head of a ferret. Brandishing both halves, she dived headlong into the press of foe-beasts, yelling a last warcry.
"Eulaliaaaaaa!"
Breathlessly the two young hares sobbed out their story to Oxeye. He sat them down, keeping his voice calm.
"Well, it looks as if we've lost the lower levels. Sorry I haven't any food or drink to offer you two. Sit there and rest awhile. I say, Barty old thing, how're you feelin'?"
Bart Thistledown flexed his paws. Nodding to two other hares, he picked up his bow and quiver of arrows and limped off. "Oh I suppose I'm about ready for another scuffle, Big Ox. Come on, you chapsduty calls, an' all that. Oh, if I don't manage t' make it back, you'll know its bye-bye Barty. Under those circumstances you'd be best movin' His Lordship
318
Brian Jacques
Salamandas iron
319
out of here an' up to another chamber, wot? Toodle-oo!"
The sounds of yelling, chanting vermin stamping about inside the mountain was growing louder. Big Oxeye threw a paw about Lingfur's trembling shoulders and chuckled. "Noisy old lot, aren't they?"
In the full flood of bright morning sunlight, Urthwyte's party neared the top of the crater.
Alfoh was staring at something up above as he fitted a rock to his sling. Whirling the weapon, he called out to Samkim, "Look, that's a rat up there. Hey you!"
The rat's head was barely visible, but as Alfoh shouted he turned and showed himself. The slingstone took him under the ear with a distinctive thud. The rat screamed and toppled over the crater top. Instantly there was a mob of vermin, hurling rocks and firing arrows down on them.
"Where did they come from? Who are they?" Ferahgo could be heard yelling from the top of the mountain.
Arula aimed a rock from her sling in the direction of the voice. She was rewarded with a cry from the Assassin. "Ow, my paw! Kill them, whoever they are!" A shrew stood to whirl his sling but an arrow took him through the eye and he fell back dead. Urthwyte picked up a sizable boulder and hurled it upward, taking out a rat and injuring a fox.
"Charge! Eulaliaaaaa!" The great white badger went surging forward regardless of arrows and stones.
Samkim and Arula took up the cry. "Forward, Red-waaaaaallll!"
"Logalogalogalogalog!" The shrews broke cover and began scrambling up the rocks, slinging as they went.
Klitch led a band of Corpsemakers along a twisting rock passage toward the stairwell. He trod scornfully on the body of Moonpaw as he mounted the stairs.
"Kill! Kill! Kiiiillll!"
Standing to one side, he let his attack force sweep up the stairs, smiling craftily as he heard the death screams of the
front rank who had walked into the range of Bart Thistledown's bows. "Come on, you lucky rabble. It's only a couple of hares. Rush them!"