"No, no. After you, old chap."
"Oh really, I insist."
Martin jumped up to the rungs of the ladder. "I'll go first, if it'll save you
three arguing."
"What a spiffing idea."
"Sensible chap, what?"
"Rather. Indeed he is."
At the top of the ladder they found themselves in a broad upward-running
passage hewn into the living rock. The ladder was hoisted and they walked up
the steep incline, lit by torches at regular intervals in wall sconces. From
somewhere above there was a steady roaring sound.
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"Wot be that gurt noise, maisters?" Dinny asked curiously.
"Could be the jolly old fire lizards."
"Then again, it might not be."
"You'll soon find out, old fellow."
Five flights of stairs hewn into the rock, one more cave and another steep
corridor led them to their destination.
The very heart of Salamandastron!
Bane the fox came down the dusty road from the north with his band of
mercenary plunderers.
They numbered about sixty in all, mainly foxes, with a scattering of rats and
weasels—a motley group, part tramp, part scavenger, mostly thieves. All were
well armed and capable, despite their ragged appearance. Food they had in
plenty: fish, birds, and vegetables to cook with them. By craft, guile and
murder they had crossed the boundless northern lands, seeking warmer climes
and easier living.
Bane was weary of living on his paws, always on the move. He was on the
lookout for some fat prosperous little community where he could hold sway
without much argument.
Then he spotted Kotir. A grand ruin that had seen better days, but the
possibilities were there. Backed by woodland, fronted by flatland, practically
skirting a road used by travelers—it was a dream come true.
Leaving orders for his band to camp in the ditch at the roadside out of sight,
Bane circled Kotir by himself to spy out the lie of the land. The more he saw
of Kotir, the more he fancied it. There would be no more winters in the
freezing northlands once he gained entry to this place.
Striding purposefully around the woodland edge at the south side, he
practically bumped into Tsarmina returning from the forest. It would have been
hard for a bystander to tell who was the more surprised, the fox or the
wildcat. As Tsarmina quickly nocked an arrow to her bowstring, Bane's paw shot
down to the curved sword he wore at his side. There was a moment's silence as
they both stood still, gathering their wits. Finally Bane cocked a paw toward
the fortress.
"Whose place is this?"
"It is mine. Who are you?" Tsarmina demanded haughtily.
255
"They call me Bane. I'm a fighter, but if there's an easier way of getting
what I want I'll always try it."
"Hmm, a fighter. My name is Tsarmina, Queen of the Thousand Eyes. That is my
headquarters; it is called Kotir."
"Thousand Eyes," Bane said thoughtfully. "There was only ever one with that
name, old Verdauga Greeneyes. He was a wildcat, too."
"Yes, he was my father."
"Was?"
"Verdauga is dead now. I alone rule here. If you want, you may come into my
service. Kotir is in need of fighters. Are there any with you?''
"Sixty in all. Trained warriors—foxes, rats and weasels."
"I don't trust foxes. Why should I trust you?"
"Ha, who trusts who these days?" Bane snorted. "I'm not particularly fond of
wildcats. I've fought alongside your father, and against him, too."
"No doubt you have, but that is in the past now. You say you have threescore
warriors at your command. What would be your terms if you came to serve
Kotir?"
"Make me an offer."
"I'll do better than that. I'll make you a guarantee, Bane," Tsarmina told the
fox. "There are certain creatures—otters, squirrels, mice, hedgehogs . . .
woodlanders. One time they used to serve my family, now they choose to live in
Moss-flower Woods and resist me. Once we have flushed them out of hiding
together and enslaved them, then you can have an equal place alongside me. We
will rule Mossflower jointly."
Bane's paw left the sword hilt. "Done! I'll take you at your word."
"And I will take you at yours," Tsarmina replied, clasping the proffered paw.
Their untruthful eyes smiled falsely at each other.
Tsarmina saw that at least Bane had told the truth about his followers; ragged
and unkempt, but fighters to a beast.
They entered Kotir together.
Bane felt as if the place had been built for him.
The uniformed soldiery of Kotir looked askance at the tattered but well-fed
band of mercenaries.
Bane's fighters cast scornful eyes over the ill-fed soldiers in their
cumbersome livery.
256
Tsarmina and Bane were closeted together in the Queen's Chamber. She listened
to his ideas with respect; treachery could come later, but for now she gave
the fox full credit as an experienced campaigner.
Bane's plan was simple. "Don't give *em an inch; show them you mean business;
forget about subterfuge and spies-thai only makes for prolonged war—strike
hard and be ruthless. We have the superior number of trained fighters. Start
tomorrow morning, have the full strength out in skirmish line, comb the forest
thoroughly, kill any who resist and take the rest prisoner. It's the only way
to get results, believe me."
"Bold words, Bane," Tsarmina told him approvingly. "But have you tried
fighting squirrel archers? They can vanish through the treetops as quick as
you can think."
"Then burn the trees, or chop them down. I've seen it all before. If small
creatures scurry off down holes, then block them up, fill every possible exit.
That's all they understand. You take my word, it works every time. I know, IVe
done it."
Tsarmina pointed out of the window at the fastness of Mossflower. "Could you
do it again out there?"
"With our combined forces, easily."
"Then we start tomorrow morning," she said decisively.
"At first light!"
Columbine was learning to use one of the smaller squirrel bows. Lady Amber had
set up a target while they patrolled the digging areas to protect the workers.
"Pull the string right back," Lady Amber instructed. "Look along the arrow
shaft with one eye. See the target? Good. Now breathe out and release the
arrow at the same time . . . Fine shot, Columbine!"
The shaft stood quivering near the target's center.
"Haha, I'm getting better at it all the time, Lady Amber."
"You certainly are. Keep it up and you'll soon be as good as me."
Foremole and Old Dinny came trundling up. The mole leader tugged his snout to
Amber.
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"Marm, Dinny an' oi filled up yon holler oak stump whurr 'ee got'n out Kotir
from,*' he reported.
Old Dinny plucked the arrow from the target and returned it to Columbine.
"Hurr, that we'ave," he agreed. "Doant want Sudden com men out thurr. We'm
gotter fludd cat place, not 'm woodlands."
Amber sighed. "It's a long dig. Let's hope we can do it before the cat and her
army make any surprise moves."
Skipper sprang dripping from the river.
"Never fear, Amber. My crew and I have done our bit. We've dug from under the
water clear to the floodgates your crew sunk into the ground, where the moles
began digging. Mind, I wish we could tunnel as well as Billum, Soilflyer and
Urthclaw. Strike me colors, you ought to see those lads shift earth."
Foremole and Old Dinny smiled with pleasure, but Amber slammed her paw against
the target.
"I just wish there was more my squirrels and I could do. Oh, I know we're