Bryony felt the shaft of the javelin strike her hard across her back. She was knocked flat.
“Hahah! Gotcher, mouse! Whatre ydoinere?
Swartt seized her roughly and dragged the mousemaid upright. Sunflash was coughing and gagging on the liquid trapped in his throat as Veil came racing around the fire.
“Yer scummy liddle sneak, you was tryin to set im loose! Swartt roared.
Veil struck Swartt hard in the face, tearing the captive from his grasp. “Bryony, get out of ere. Run!
Swartt flung himself on Veil, and, while the ferrets fought, Bryony ran to where the knife had fallen from her mouth. Grabbing it, she began hacking at the ropes binding the Badger Lords paws, screaming, “Get up! Sunflash! Get up!
Swartt threw his son down and raised his javelin for a throw he could not miss. “The badgers mine! he yelled.
Bryony turned and saw him throw the javelin. Something blurred across the front of her, shouting, “Leave er alone! Uuuuuhh!
Then Veil lay across her footpaws, the javelin protruding horribly where it had exited at his back. Bryony opened her mouth, but no scream would issue forth.
As Swartt ran forward, clawing at his sword, there was an earsplitting roar.
“Eeulaliaaaaaa!
Both spear shafts snapped like twigs as Sunflash shot up from the rocks like a thunderbolt, eyes crimson, teeth bared, the ropes bursting as his huge chest swelled and he flung his paws apart. The sentries turned and, standing like frozen statues, they watched the awful conflict between Warlord and Badger Lord.
Swartts curved blade flickered in the firelight as he struck, gashing his enemys side. Then he raised the sword and swung it a second time, aiming at Sunflashs head. Two great paws caught the blade in midair; the berserk badger tightened his grip on the blade, regardless of the blood that flowed as he did, the warrior spirit of his ancestors rising. The ferret stood open-mouthed as the badger snapped the sword blade, the sharp metallic clang echoing around the mountaintop. Still grasping both halves of the sword, Sunflash came forward with a bound, whirling both paws. He struck Swartt a blow that sounded like a plank hitting a rotten fruit. The force of the blow was so great that Swartts footpaws left the ground, and he fell poleaxed. Nobeast could come near Sunflash the Mace; filled with the bloodwrath, he seized the ferret in a grip of steel. Heaving Swartt high over his head, Sunflash stood at the plateau edge, bellowing as he flung his enemy out into the night.
“Eeulaliaaaaaaaaaa!
The terrified sentries who had clambered over the plateau edge slid down the shale and scree on their tails. They were met by the vengeful hares of the Long Patrol, who had been racing upward since the first sounds of combat from above.
Helped by several bats, Togget emerged onto the plateau and hurried to Bryonys side. The mousemaid was sitting with Veils head resting in her lap. The young ferrets eyes were clouding over, his breath was hoarse and shallow; almost from the gates of Dark Forest he heard Bryonys voice echoing, “Oh, Veil, my Veil! You saved me.... Why?
“Go ... back to your Abbey ... shouldnt ave followed me... Go way ... let me sleep!
Bryony rocked him gently as she had done when he was a babe. The young ferret closed his eyes.
Thus ended the lives of father and son: Swartt Sixclaw die Warlord, and Veil Sixclaw the Outcast.
45
Three days they camped on the rivers edge at the foot of Bat Mountpit, the full hospitality of Duskskin and his bats at their disposal. Wounds were dressed and weary limbs rested; they were brought fresh fruit, white mushrooms that had never seen the light of day, caveshrimp, and many other strange delicacies from the depths of the curious realm within the mountains.
Sunflash kept making Bryony and Togget repeat anything they knew of his mother, Bella of Brocktree, the great silver badger. He marveled that she was still living, and kept repeating her name over and over. “Bella, Bella, I must see her, I will go to Redwall with you.
For the first time in three days, the mousemaid smiled. “What with my injured back, your cracked skull, and Toggets wounded shoulder, we should just about make up one whole creature to go walking through Redwalls gates.
Sunflash gave orders to his Long Patrol. “Sabretache, you and Colonel Sandgall will command all at Salamandastron until my return. On your way back, search and find my hawk Skarlath, take him to the mountain and bury him high on a sunny slope overlooking the sea. Rockleg and Reetrunn, you will accompany me and our friends to Redwall Abbey.
Lord Duskskin called them from the edge of the cave entrance. “You will leave tonight, tonight. My scouts will go with you and guide you, guide you. I have sent out requests to my friends, friends. The Pollspike raft awaits you two days hence, two days hence. Go in peace, in peace!
A full moon hung like a burnished shield in skies of deep velvet blue, watching the friends making their good-byes. Tog-get had become very fond of the bats and promised he would return to visit them someday. “Hurr, youm watch owt furr Togget, gudd flyen mouses, burr aye!
As the five marched off on a secret route that would take them around the waterfall, hundreds of bats wheeled around them in the night, whispering, “Safe seasons, seasons. Goodbye friends, good-bye, friends,
Skirting the high rocks at dawn, Bryony looked back at the white mist with its rainbow. Sunflash helped her over a small gurgling brook, saying, “Thinking of anything special, mis-sie?
Bending, the mousemaid let the brook water run through her paws. “Oh, yes, sir, Ill never forget the waterfall as long as I live. It was so beautiful, but so dangerous. Ill hear those waters in my dreams for many a long season.
The going was easy, and late summer weather proved pleasant. A leisurely pace was dictated by their healing wounds and the fact that Sunflash wanted to take cuttings and young plants from practically everywhere. Togget taught Rockleg and Fleet-runn to tug at their noses and speak in a rustic manner. Bryony could scarce stifle her laughter at the two hares and the mole, chewing on long straws and presenting the Badger Lord with the strangest things as they affected the tone of bumpkins.
“Oo arr, Lordy Sunnyflash, yurr be a wunnerful stone, may-ap ifn ee plant it, twill grow into a bootiful pebblebush!
Sunflash played them well at their own game, tossing the stone up and batting it out of sight with his mace, aping their speech: “Whoi thankee, gaffer Rockleg, praps if yon pebble sticks up inna sky twill become a shiny star one night!
Early in the morning of the third day, they arrived at the junction of the river and slipstream. Immediately the bankvole Ilfril poked his head out in high bad temper. “Dye know yer tres-passin? Who are yer?
The metal-studded end of a huge battle mace thudded down near the hole entrance, and Ilfril found himself staring into a great, gold-striped badgers face, whose voice boomed out, “I am Sunflash the Mace, Badger Lord of Salamandastron, and I like a bankvole for breakfast each morn. Who are you?
There was a frantic scuttle of paws as Ilfril fled down into his home, followed by a nervous squeak. “Er, haha! Just a pore creature who lives down here an minds his own business, Lord, feel free to walk anywhere!
They sat laughing at the rivers edge, watching the sprawling raft pull up to the bank. Duddle cried out heartily:
“Welcome friends, an jump aboard, Yore welcome to all we can afford, Theres the wife, two liddle uns, an meself, An plenty o vittles upon the shelf!
Arundo came dashing from the hut in the center of the raft. He stared in awe at the badger and said, “Can I jump on yore thtomach, thir?