Skipper, Benjo, Barbowla and several stout young otters of the Boulderdog family came hurtling out through the south wallgate, running toward the haremaid who was speeding toward them. They shot right past her, halted, then flung a salvo of otter javelins. Unable to stop, the Brownrats stumbled over the bodies of the leading seven vermin who had fallen to the deadly, light throwing weapons.
It halted the horde only for an instant, but that was the short, vital time that saved Maudie and Yik. They were hauled through the gateway by willing paws, who slammed the little door shut as soon as the otters were safe inside. Now slingstones pelted like rain from the walltops, driving back those they did not slay or injure. A great cry rang from the ramparts. "Redwaaaaaaalllll!"
A shrewmum took little Yik from Maudie's shoulders as the haremaid collapsed upon the ground. She was sucking
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in great gulps of air, her entire body quivering from the heroic efforts of her mighty run. Rangval and several of the Guosim defenders hastened from the walltop to congratulate Maudie.
The roguish squirrel pumped her paw and pounded her back heartily. "Ah shure, that was a grand ould run, with a horde o' rascals behind ye, an' carryin' a passenger, too. Not even their arrows could keep up with ye!"
Osbil was among the welcoming committee, Maudie passed Luglug's rapier to him. A silence fell over the shrews. Osbil stared at the blade for awhile, then his eyes met Maudie's gaze. Their exchange was subdued and brief. "Luglug?"
The haremaid nodded. "He was slain by an arrow. I had to leave him by the riven oak. They were almost upon us, I had to run with the little 'un."
Osbil ran his paw gently along the blade. "Did he die instantly?"
Breathing easier now, Maudie hauled herself upright. "He did indeed, or I wouldn't have left his side. We might've made it if he hadn't insisted on carryin' Yik. Right up to the moment he was hit, he refused to pass the little chap over to me. Why?"
Osbil was blinking back tears, but his voice was steady. "Because every Guosim is the responsibility of his chieftain. Luglug was duty-bound to carry Yik. Now I must go an' tell the rest of my tribe. Thank ye for bringin' me his blade, miz."
Maudie watched Osbil ascending the wallstairs. "Wonder why Luglug wanted me t'give him the sword?"
Teagle, one of the coracle paddlers, explained. "Luglug wanted Osbil t'be our new chieftain. That's Guosim law, the father passes his title on to the eldest offspring."
Maudie was surprised. "You mean Osbil is Luglug's son?"
Teagle wiped a paw across her eyes and sniffed. "Aye, an' a good son, too, miz, an' he'll make a fine Log a Log,
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just like his ole dad. Ye'll excuse me now, I've got to join my tribe for the Bladechant."
Piqued by curiosity, Maudie followed Teagle up to the south rampart, where she witnessed the strange Guosim ritual. Osbil was standing up between the battlements, in full view of the attacking Brownrats, singing a loud, dirgelike challenge, kissing the rapier blade, then pointing it toward the foe as he sang out threateningly. The Guosim warriors swayed slowly, chanting the chorus.
"I am Chieftain, son of Chieftains, look upon my father's blade, hark you vermin, spawn of darkness,
Guosim come now, be afraid!
"Hi hey oh Log a Log
Guosim hi hey ooooooooh!
"We will send your bones to Hellgates, every single evil one, bitter tears with blood must mingle, ere your debt is paid and done!
"Hi hey oh Log a Log
Guosim hi hey ooooooooh!
"We are Guosim, born of Guosim, all our words and steel are true, none of ye will be left standin'
that's a warrior's vow to you!
"Hi hey oh Log a Log
Guosim hi hey ooooooooh!"
It was the most eerie thing Maudie had ever heard. Osbil was pointing at the Brownrats with his rapier, as the Guosim fighters either side of him swayed like a field of corn before the gale. So uncanny was the sight and sound that both the Redwallers on the rampart and the Brownrats
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below on the common land ceased fighting, they stood silently watching.
Then Osbil broke the spell. Leaping down from the battlements, he shook his blade on high, and roared in an ululating voice, which was taken up by all the shrew tribe, "Logalogalogalogaloooooog!"
Then the horrifying reality caught Skipper, he thundered down the wallstairs, shouting, "Bar the gate, they're goin' to charge out an' meet the vermin head-on!"
Rangval swiftly shot the bolts tight on the wallgate. Maudie, Skipper and Benjo ran ahead of the Guosim to render assistance. Barbowla and some of his family joined them, the big otter shook his head in disbelief. "Those shrews must be mad. They're outnumbered by vermin at least ten to one, an' they want to charge out an' do battle with 'em!"
Osbil came pounding down to the gate backed by his tribe, every one of them brandishing drawn blades. He bared his teeth at the guardians of the gate. "Stand clear, ye can't stop a Guosim once the Bladechant's been given. We'd be cowards if'n we didn't fight those stinkin' vermin after our Log a Log's been slain by 'em!"
Maudie stood forward until Osbil's blade was touching her. "Aye, and you'd be fat-headed dead fools if you did. Take it from me, old lad, you ain't goin' anywhere, an' I'm jolly well sayin' that for your own good, wot!"
It was a tense moment. The haremaid could feel the rapier point at her throat. Osbil meant business.
"Put that sword down at once. How dare you raise a weapon at a friend inside my Abbey? Put it down, I say!" Abbot Daucus pushed his way through the massed shrews, his face a mask of icy severity. Disregarding the rapier, he struck it to one side.
Osbil scowled darkly. "This is a Guosim thing, Father. It ain't yore quarrel!"
Daucus thrust his chin forward fearlessly. "Oh, isn't it?
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Well, I'm making it my quarrel. As Father Abbot of Red-wall Abbey, I command that you cease this foolishness forthwith. Is that clear?"
Osbil began to wilt. He was still a young shrew, and in the face of the Abbot's superior authority, he became unsure of himself. He replied with a touch of pleading in his tone. "But Father, we've sung the Bladechant, we lose face an' honour if'n we don't go now!"
Daucus began to feel pity for the young shrew, who had just been made Log a Log of his tribe. However, he was not about to back down to Osbil. "Hmm, loss of honour and face, I see. But are there no exceptional circumstances which might call the whole thing off, can you think of anything?"
On a flash of inspiration, Maudie interrupted. "Beg pardon, Father, I've just thought of a jolly wheeze, er, I mean, an answer to the problem." The haremaid edged a little closer to Osbil. "Er, suppose, just suppose I say, that you, bein' the bloomin' high old Logathing, were incapacitated?"
Not comprehending the word, Osbil repeated it. "Incapacitated?"
Maudie edged closer. "Indeed, incapacitated, you know, too hurt or injured to lead the charge. Could your chaps go out there to battle the vermin?"
Osbil shook his head. "Not unless they were led by their Log a Log, our law wouldn't allow that y'see ..." Suddenly he sagged, Maudie quickly supported him, but he was unconscious, out cold. The haremaid's face was the picture of innocence.
"Good grief, the poor chap's just swooned. Fainted away as sudden as y'like, wot?"
The Guosim began crowding round anxiously, but Rangval took over officiously. "Shure, have ye got no sense, crowdin' round the pore beast like that, give him some air. Skipper, will ye take 'em up on the walltops agin, at least
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they can fight the durty ould vermin from up there wid slingstones. Go on now, buckoes, the Father Abbot'll do a grand job of lookin' after yore chief, hurry along now!"
The Guosim hesitated a moment, until Skipper mounted the wallsteps, goading them. "Don't waste yore breath, friend, there's plenty o' our Redwallers up there, if'n the shrews are afraid to go!"