"Waveblade's not too far out, Cap'n Riptung. May'aps we can swim to 'er an' use 'er to bring back the other three ships!"
Riptung retrieved his sword. "That's the way, matey. Some of yer go with 'im. Any good swimmers?"
Seven searats gripping daggers in their teeth waded into the sea.
Hookfin pointed in the direction of the crude trail which led up into the high rocks. "Look, it's the badger!"
Dandin glanced down to the yelling hordes racing across the shore to the rocks. "We've been spotted, here they come!"
Lord Rawnblade set his back against a rock, raising
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the sword Verminfate in both paws. "Get running, I'll stop them!"
Dandin stood in front of the upraised sword. Rawn-blade was beginning to breathe heavily, his eyes glazing over as he watched the searats below. The young mouse took the badger's paw.
"There's no need for you to stay. Come with us. They'll never find us you'll see!"
The badger Lord took considerable moving, all four tugging and pushing him farther up the trail and behind an overhanging outcrop of rocks, where they were out of sight of the rats. Durry went across to a big craggy boulder. He pushed it, moving it easily to one side. Tarquin gasped in astonishment at the tunnel that yawned before them.
"Golly! That's jolly clever, Durrya secret tunnel. How did y'manage to move that whackin' great boulder with one single shove?"
Durry swelled his chest out. "I ate a good breakf'st."
Dandin laughed. "Take no notice of that little fibber. Come inside and I'll show you how easy it is."
They filed into the tunnel, Rawnblade stooping to get his great size through the opening. Dandin was last in. Quickly he set flint and tinder to a dry brush torch and passed it to Mariel. "Hold this and watch."
Leaning out of the cave entrance, Dandin gave the boulder a light push and sprang back. The massive rock tottered slightly and rolled back into its former position, blocking the tunnel entrance. He took a wedge of ship's timber and slammed it tight against the bottom of the boulder. "There, that'll stop anybeast moving it. The whole thing works on a fine balance, you see. Now stay quiet and listen!"
oo
Hookfin and a bunch of searats rounded the rocky outcrop. Before them the winding trail ran upward into the high hills, completely devoid of signs of life. The searat Captain looked hither and thither without suc-
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cess. "This is the way they came. I'd stake me oath on it. Where've the scurvy blaggards got to?"
"They've vanished, Cap'n!"
"Stow yer gab, biscuitbrain. Nobeast just vanishes. They're round 'ere somewheresI know it."
"Well, my old dad used ter say that badgers were magic beasts. Maybe they 'ave vanished, Cap'n!"
Hookfin aimed a kick at the speaker. "Huh, your ole dad must've lived up a tree with a branch growin' through both ears. Don't talk such bilgerot. No, they're round 'ere, I can feel it."
"May'aps they're be'ind that big boulder, Cap'n."
This remark did not improve Hookfin's temper.
"Aye, an' mayhaps I'll beat your brains out agin that great boulder if yer make another stupid suggestion. Spread out an' look around."
As they searched, one searat close to the boulder nudged his mate. "Can you smell burnin', matey?"
"No, but it'll probably be Cap'n 'ookfin's old brainbox tryin' ter figger out where the badger went. Heeheeheehee!"
"You two over there, stop sniggerin' an' start searching or I'll lay me sword blade across yer backs!"
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Rocking back and forth with silent mirth, the creatures in the cave listened to the searats outside. Even Rawnblade had to stifle a few chuckles. Finally Dandin took the torch and went off down the winding rocky tunnel.
"Come on, we can't stop here all day listening to those buffoons."
The tunnel sloped gently downward. Mariel stared at the rough rock walls in the flickering torchlight as she followed Durry Quill. "Where are we going, Durry?"
"Down to the main cave, missy. That's where us Trag warriors meet."
"Trag, what's that supposed to mean?"
Durry Quill flourished a fearsome dagger, muttering darkly, "Terramort Resistance Against Gabool. Trag
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see, first letter o' each word. You'll like our Chief though, he knows you very well."
Mariel was mystified. "Knows me? How?" Durry smiled in the shadows as he answered, '"Cos he's your daddy, Joseph the Bellmaker!"
Dandin felt the torch snatched from his grasp as Mariel dashed past. She disappeared down the winding tunnel, leaving them groping in the darkness as the mousemaid's voice echoed about them at a screaming
pitch.
"Father! Fatheeeeerrr!"
cxo
It was an immense cavern, high above the tidemark on the sheer rock coast, facing the open sea and well lit by the summer sun. Free creatures, former oarslaves and Fort Bladegirt drudges, sat about on rocky ledges, cleaning and preparing weapons, cooking over fires and readying meals. All activity ground to an immediate halt as the mousemaid came hurtling down the tunnel into the cavern.
Heedlessly dropping the flaring torch, she threw herself into the paws of Joseph, hugging him fiercely as her tears flooded into the silver-gray fur of his broad
shoulder.
"Father! Oh, Father! I always knew I'd find you again
someday!"
Joseph the Bellmaker held his only child, the pain and anguish of many long days and nights turning to unbounded joy as a happy smile lit his strong face, banishing the glistening dew which threatened to spill from his proud eyes. "Mariel . . . Mariel my little maid, how you've grown! I never knew all this time whether you were alive, but in my heart I refused to believe that you were dead and I always knew you'd return somehow, my little Mariel!"
The others stumbled out of the tunnel, Durry Quill dabbing tenderly at his swelling snout, which he had banged against the rock walls in the darkness.
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"Well, wait'll I tell my ol' nuncle, dashin' off an' leavin' a young 'og in the dark like that. Ain't you got no feelin's, missy?"
oo
That night the fires blazed merrily in the cavern of the Trag warriors, huge platters of shrimp and shellfish were served, with wild oat and barley bread, hot from the rocks it had been baked on, casks of preserved fruits taken from searat ships were opened and a fine barrel of daisy and dandelion beer tapped. The friends sat around as Joseph related his story.
"Gabool pushed me from a high window of his banqueting room. Luckily for me I did not strike the rock-face on the way down. I hit the water hard and was knocked senseless; I was weak and ill from being starved and imprisoned, otherwise I might have stayed conscious. The sea must have washed me around the headland, and I came to jammed against a reef on a small inlet somewhere up the coast of Terramort. That's where I was found by that fellow." Joseph pointed to a vole who was seated on a rock ledge sharpening a sword. The vole stood up and bowed to them, introducing himself by name, "Tan Loc." He sat down and resumed sharpening the sword.
"Tan Loc is a fellow of few words," Joseph continued. "He broods a lot. His whole family were slain by searats when he was taken captive. He lives for only one thing: to meet the murderer, Hookfin, Master of the Blacksail. But back to my story. Tan Loc and I helped each other stay alive. We could not afford to be seen it would have meant certain death so we stayed on this side of the island, surviving as best we could. One day we discovered this place and its tunnelsI will show them to you in due course. The tunnels were a new lease of life to us. They led to places all over the island, so we could travel anywhere and remain unseen. Some nights we would steal supplies from the ships, weapons too, and other items which would be