Dawn found a happy party taking breakfast on the foredeck of Freebooter. Grath patted the rail, saying, "Y'did well t'save this 'un, mate, she's a beauty. Martin, wot about ole Waveworm there?"
Wordlessly Martin thrust a torch into the breakfast fire. He leapt the gap between both ships, landed neatly on Waveworm's deck and drew his sword. The searat Gowja screamed in terror as the blade whizzed past his head, severing the chain that tethered him to the mainmast. Martin hauled him to the side and booted him overboard.
"I give you your life," he said. "Swim for the shore, rat!"
The Warriormouse set fire to the sails before pitching the torch into the hold. Leaping back aboard Freebooter, he severed the ropes holding Waveworm to its side. A loud wail of despair arose from the vermin nursing their injuries on the beach. Grath reached for her bow, but Martin stopped her.
“ Let them be, friend. They are marooned here for life, with no ships, no wood or trees growing. They could not even build a toy boat."
Viola was sitting next to the Abbot. He was awake now, sipping hot soup, still wrapped in the velvet wall hanging. The volemaid wiped Durral's chin with the tattered hem of her apron.
"They've got better than they deserve," she said. "Fruit, fish and running water. Let them learn to farm the earth, like we do at Redwall. I'd say they were lucky to be alive, wouldn't you, Father?"
Durral sat up straight and smiled at Viola. "I'd say we were lucky to be alive, young 'un!"
Clecky sniffed, helping himself to a fourth bowl of soup. "Indeed. Well, I'd say it's jolly lucky for all here present with two ears! I lost one doin' battle with the lizard thingees. I say, d'you suppose a chap's ear'd grow again if he ate enough, wot?"
Viola checked the hare's ear stump, shaking her head. "No, but if you like I could make you quite a nice ear with some of this red velvet backed with canvas. You've got enough ear left for it to fit over."
Clecky snatched a chunk of shrewbread from under Plogg's nose. "I say, what a spiffin' wheeze, but that red velvet, it'd look a bit odd on parade, a chap with a red velvet ear, wot?"
Martin stifled a smile. "It's not like you to be so picky, friend. How about if Viola makes it like a decoration, a sort of bravery badge?"
Clecky's single ear stood straight up next to the wad of bandage wound round his stump.
"Top hole! I could dine out on somethin' like that for seasons t'come, wot!" He imitated a female hare's voice. "Oh, mister Montisle, I do like your ear, so picturesque! ... Ahem, thank ye, marm, 'tis an old war wound. Pass me the salad and I'll tell you how I jolly well came about it. There was I, surrounded by five hundred monstrous reptiles, armed only with a good breakfast under me belt..."
The crew of Freebooter dissolved into laughter.
"Haaaaaawm Ma'tan, feryooday!"
They looked up to see the seal king waddle aboard. He turned to Inbar and held a lengthy conversation, then stood by, head held high and both eyes closed, nobly, as befits a real seal king.
Inbar explained what he had said. "The king said it is not the way of friends to desert each other, so he decided to return and help out. He is pleased your Abbot is safe and well, and he and his sealfolk would be honored to tow your ship to Ruddar-ing."
Martin shrugged, slightly puzzled. “But we are going to Redwall."
Grath twanged her bowstring and shuffled her tail awkwardly. "Er, Inbar's only told the king so far, but, er, y'see, me'nTnbar, we're goin' back to Ruddaring t'live there. Sorry fer not lettin' y'know sooner, Martin."
The Warriormouse seized both otters' paws in delight. “This is the most excellent news! May your seasons be long together with all the happiness that fortune sends you both!"
Congratulations were given all round to Grath and Inbar. In his strange seal language, the Hawm barked out the good news to his sealfolk, who somersaulted in the water, flapping and clapping their flippers in celebration.
Then Martin asked Inbar to translate a message to the Hawm. "Tell his majesty we will be pleased for him and his seals to accompany our ship to Ruddaring straight away!"
Inbar passed on Martin's information, conversing awhile with the Hawm before turning back to the Warriormouse, who was holding a short conference with the Abbot.
"Martin," Inbar said, "our friend the Hawm says that he will be honored to conduct your ship to within sight of Mossflower country when you leave Ruddaring. He knows secret routes and fast currents that can have you back home in half the time it would take any landbeast to navigate that distance."
Hawm bowed regally, slapping the deck hard with an enormous flipper and gesturing at the seas in a wide arc to confirm the truth of Inbar's words. Martin and the Abbot approached him, Inbar translating Martin's words as he proclaimed: "Haaaaawm! Truly you are king of all sealfolk! Please accept this gift from the Father Abbot of Redwall Abbey."
Unlooping the crown of Ublaz from his belt, Martin passed it to Durral, who with quiet dignity placed it upon the Hawm's head. The king clambered up onto the forepeak wearing the heavy gold ring that had once graced the head of the tyrannical Ublaz. There was a moment's silence, then the crew joined voices with the sealfolk massed about the ship.
“ Haaaaaaawm! Manyahooday, Haaaaaaaaaawm!"
Wearing his new crown like a true king, Hawm did a sleek dive from forepeak to sea. He vanished beneath the waves, to emerge in a rush of water balancing the crown upon his nose, much to the amusement of everybeast present.
Lines were thrown out amidships and for'ard. Then, with a single slash of his sword, Martin severed the anchor cable as Clecky stood by shouting, "I rename this vessel Seaking, may her cookin' fires be always lit an' the whole jolly crew well fed! Set a course for Ruddaring an' then head down for home, me beauties!"
Plogg and Welko had found an old attack drum in the hold. They beat on it with ladles and broke out into a Guosim voyaging song.
“ Let the birds fly high before us,
An' our wake trail straight behind,
When yore heart is yearnin' for it,
Home is not too hard to find.
May our way be bright an' sunny,
Back to where the campfires burn,
There our friends an' families waitin',
For the warriors to return.
Are the old ones happily livin',
An' the young ones tall an' grown?
We will soon see smilin' faces,
Of all those we've always known.
Far we've traveled, long we've wandered,
Morn till night an' dusk to dawn,
But there's no place we'll rest easy,
Save the land where we were born."
Martin leaned over the stern rail with Viola and the Abbot, watching the tropical island of Sampetra fade into the distance. Its inhabitantsthe strange lizards, searats and corsairswere marooned, left to fight and scheme among themselves, whilst their dead Emperor, Ublaz Mad Eyes, lay stripped of his crown in a dark cellar with a poisonous snake to guard his eternal sleep. Plumes of black smoke still smudged the azure-blue sky from behind the palace and from the north cove.
Tears flowed openly down Viola's face as she listened to the shrews' song. Abbot Durral gave her his wide sleeve to dry her eyes.
"Hush, little maid, think of the autumn harvest in Redwall Abbey. You'll be there with your friends to help gather it."
The volemaid wiped her face and smiled. "I'll never leave there again as long as I live, Father!"
Chapter 55
Summer trailed off in glory as the season turned to autumn. Misted mornings gave way to mild days, shortened by scarlet sunsets and nights lit by harvest moons. Trees wore brown-gold leafy finery, promising the earth a fine crisp carpet of russet, which would whisper wistful messages as it shifted on the gentle breeze. It was the time when Tansy was visited in her dreams by Martin the Warrior of old. Dawn light filtered softly across the dormitory as she awoke with his message clear in her mind.