A huge grin cracked the white-clayed face. "Muther of all the seasons, now ain't that a mercy! By the spikes o' me fat uncle, does that fine pudden taste as good as it smells? Could y'not serve me up a large morsel of the luverly stuff, an' could meself not sit next t'that pretty darlin' hogmaid while I show her the powers o' me tumble appetite, sir?"
Martin was smiling as he extended a paw. "I'm Martin the Warrior of Redwall, and these are my friends, who no doubt will introduce themselves."
The hedgehog shook the proffered paw vigorously. "An' 'tis pleased I am to meet ye, Martin sir. I'm Murfo, son o' Chief Dunespike, Allcoast Champion Spinetussler."
Gonff immediately took to Murfo. Sensing in him a kindred spirit, he exchanged a wink with the newcomer. "Don't y'think you'd better ask yore dad an' the others in out o' the weather, Murfo? They'll catch their death o' cold, stumpin' about in long white nighties on a night like this. Go on, give 'em a shout."
Murfo stuck his head outside and roared, "Hoi, da, these beasts are friends, an' they've got pudden on the hob. Bring the boyos over, will ya!"
In the blink of an eye, the shelter and the beach surrounding it was packed with hedgehogs, all untying stilts from their footpaws and casting aside their long white ghost robes. Murfo's father, Dunespike, was possibly the biggest hedgehog Martin had ever set eyes on. Introductions were made all around, with Dunespike offering his apologies for frightening them.
"Ah, 'tis sorry I am for puttin' the fears into honest craturs like yerselves, but we've seen that sleek boat of yours afore, so we'd be forgiven for thinkin' that you were the durty scut of a fox an' his flotsam that usually sail in it. Ah yis indeed, Martin me ould son. Well now, isn't this all grand?"
As one all the hedgehogs nodded and chorused, "Ah, 'tis grand, grand indeed, sir!"
Furmo scraped his ladle around the big pan, commenting, "Sorry there ain't enough pudden t'go round all yore tribe."
Chief Dunespike accepted the last bowl and passed it to his son, shaking his head ruefully. "More's the pity, but those who get none'll never know what they missed an' be no worse for the missin' of it! Here, me son, get that down yer gob an' don't go tellin' your ould da how grand it tastes. Bad cess t'this rotten tooth o' mine, it won't abide the sweet stuff an' torments the very life o' me if I go near anythin' sweetish, so it does."
All the hedgehogs' spikes rattled as they shook their heads and chorused in unison, "Ah yis, the ould tooth torments the big feller tumble!"
Trimp could not resist asking a question. "But why do you parade around the shore at night dressed as ghosts?"
While Dunespike sat nursing his tooth, Murfo explained, "Sure, to scare off the sea vermin. They're all superstitious wretches. Scarin' them is far simpler than gettin' the half of our tribe slain in battle. It works just grand, missie. Ain't that right, boyos?"
Again all the tribe nodded their heads and spoke together. "Ah yis, 'tworks just grand, grand, grand!"
Still nursing the side of his jaw, which looked painfully swollen, Dunespike glanced admiringly at Martin's sword. " I5y the spike of the great hog himself, 'tis a grand an' powerful blade you have there, Martin sir!"
Martin unsheathed his sword, holding it forth for all to see. "Aye, that it is. The hilt was my father's and the blade was forged by a Badger Lord from a piece of a star that fell from the skies. This sword is a magic weapon!"
Dunespike shook his huge head in amazement. "Magic, you don't tell me! How so?"
He did not see the wink that passed between Martin and Gonff. Martin turned the sword, so that the red pommel stone at its hilt top twinkled in the firelight. "This stone can soothe pains and heal wounds!"
The big hedgehog Chief stared reverently at the stone. "And toothaches?"
Martin smiled. "Aye, toothaches, too!" Digging a hole in the sand with his swordpoint, he pushed the sword in upside down. He held it in the deep wet sand until he judged the stone was cold enough. "Sit down here, sir. Gonff, will you get the other side of the Chief and hold his head?"
Dunespike sat down gingerly. Gonff braced the hedge-warrior's head still by leaning against the uninjured side. The hog looked uncertainly at Martin, who was withdrawing his sword from the sand. "You wouldn't be goin' to hurt me now, would you, Martin?"
The Warrior smiled reassuringly. "Me, hurt you? I'm not even going to touch you, Chief. 'Tis the pommel stone does all the magic. Sit still and relax." Very gently, Martin began moving the cold stone in slow circles around the patient's swollen jaw, murmuring as he did so, "Easy now, easy. How does that feel, nice and cool?"
Dunespike closed his eyes, leaning heavily against Gonff. "Ah, 'tis grand, grand, like a butterfly's breath on a morn in spring. Don't stop, Martin, keep doin' that, 'round an' 'round me ould rotten, achin' tooth."
Martin whispered soothingly in Dunespike's ear. '"Round and 'round with the magic stone, that's the stuff. Is your tooth in the middle of this area I'm circling?"
Dunespike sighed contentedly. "Yis, so 'tis, so 'tis."
Gripping the crosshilt with both paws, Martin whacked the pommel stone, hard and sudden, right at the middle of the swelling, where the tooth was located. Thump!
"Yaaaargooooogh! I'm destroyed, he's killed me! Aaargh!"
The entire tribe of Dunehogs leaped forward. Martin swung his blade aloft, halting them with his fearsome war cry. "Eulaliaaaaa!"
Dunespike stopped roaring. He opened his eyes, felt the side of his jaw, then spat out a blackened molar. "Haharrharr! Look at that now! I'm free of painme ould tooth's out! Oh, seasons preserve y'grand name, Martin sir!"
Trimp put a pawful of sea salt in warm water and stirred until it dissolved. She gave it to Dunespike, saying, "Take this and swish it around where the tooth came out, sir. 'Twill clean the hole and help it to heal."
The big hedgehog patted Martin's back so heartily that he almost knocked him flat. "Sure, an' I wish ye'd done that when we first met, then I would've been able to tackle that grand pudden of yours. Martin of Redwall, yer a mighty cratur, sir, heroical, y'are."
The Dunehog chorus echoed their Chief's sentiments.
"Ah yis yis, heroical indeed!"
"Isn't he the grand mouse!"
"Oh, that he is, grand, grand!"
Murfo appealed to his father. "Da, would y'have Martin an' his friends sittin' the night out under some battered ould boatwreck? Sure an' 'twould only be good manners to invite them back t'the roundhouse."
Chapter 14
Trimp walked ahead of the main party with Murfo and a party of admirers, all of whom, it seemed, wanted to hold her paw lest she slip. They were deep among the dunes when Murfo stopped and tapped the side of his nose. "Well, missie, what d'you think of our roundhouse?"
Trimp looked round. All she could see was sand dunes. "Where? I can't see any roundhouse."
The hedgehogs danced with glee, highly amused.
"Can ye not see it at all, pretty one?"
"Ah sure, maybe she's got her eyes shut!"
"An' the roundhouse starin' her right in the face!"
"She's pretty all right, pretty short-sighted. Hahaha!"
At that Trimp lost her patience. "Very funny, I'm sure. Now would one of you stilt-legged, clay-faced buffoons show me this roundhouse?"
Murfo stepped forward to the side of the biggest dune and slid aside a screen of brushwood and dead grass, revealing an opening. Bowing low to Trimp, he bade her enter. "How d'you like it, me beauty? This whole big dune is our roundhouse, an' none can find it except the Dunehogs."
It was an ingenious structure, built from stones, timber, clay and wattle, completely disguised as one massive sand dune. Inside, it was lit by lanterns and a fire glowing beneath a stone oven, with secret air vents to the outside. Everybeast sat upon woven rush mats, and a silence fell as Dunespike entered and threw up his paws. "Do we know who we are?"