The kestrel preened a few crumbs from his pinions, saying, “Give me the talisman you wear around your neck, Sunflash, I will seek the help of otters and squirrels.
“Take it, and fortune fly with you, my good hawk! said the badger as he looped Elmjaks greenstone leaf around his friends neck.
Skarlath bowed his head slightly to the Officers, then he was gone, shooting like an arrow through the open window-space.
Then Sunflash addressed the hares.
“Our main fighting will be done from the mountain. We have supplies here, food and water to last us, and that puts the foebeast at a disadvantage. Their provisions are earned with them and cannot last long. Now, is there anything we can do to harass them while they are down on the shores in front of here? I am open to suggestions.
Sabretache, the hare who carried a long sword, put forward an idea that had worked in the past against invading searats. “MLord, we can dig long trenches, line em with sharpened stakes, an cover em with rush mats disguised by sand, wot?
“Good idea, but surely theyll see them.
A female hare called Hedgepaw held up a light javelin. “Not if mena few jolly old Sleepers give the blighters a taste of these. Theyll run straight into the blinkin pits.
The badger looked puzzled. “Sleepers? he asked.
The most senior hare, a rangy male named Colonel Sand-gall, winked knowingly at Sunflash. “Sleepers, sah, take too bally long to explain what they do, but rest assured that each of these blighters, who fondly call themselves Officers, have a job tdo an can do it rather well, doncha know. Beggin ypardon, mLord, but if you concentrate your efforts fortifyin all entrances an exits at ground level, then well see to the rest. Actually, I think the right form for the present is to marshal an arm all the troops, wot?
Sunflash was impressed with the confidence and ingenuity of his hares; he knew that despite their affected speech manner, they were dangerous beasts and expert warriors. But he had a final word. “Good enough, Ill leave you Officers to it. However, stay away from the Warlord, Swartt Sixclawhes mine!
Every hare in the forge room knew by the look on the Badger Lords face that he would brook no interference in the matter of his sworn enemy. They saluted smartly and went off about their duties.
Overnight, Salamandastron was transformed into a military garrison. The hares emptied both forge room and armory of weapons; and bows, arrows, slings, and rocks were stacked at every rock slit and window in the mountain. Young ones were taken deep inside to the central inner caves. Old ones took over the forge, repairing, sharpening, and creating weapons. Random trenches were dug halfway up the shoreline; sharpened stakes stuck up from the trenchbeds. Boulder piles began to grow from halfway up the mountain, ready at the removal of wedges to topple down on any foebeast.
Sunflash worked with a team he had selected. They move around Salamandastrons base, blocking off entrances and exits with boulders cemented together by powdered limestone and sand mixed with water. The main entrance was blocked by a large, rough-timber gate. Old harewives began baking extra food, readying the sick bay for wounded and manufac-oning poultices.
In the midst of all this activity, Sunflash stopped for a moment, to gaze sadly out at the areas he had cultivated. The salad garden had been stripped bare to allow the hares to set up a large, timber-framed rock catapult. He shrugged, sighing deeply. All this peace and beauty that he was trying to create would be ruined by war.
A war that would begin two dawns later.
27
“Where has my little blue honeypot gone?
Friar Bunfold wandered distractedly around RedwalFs kitchens, mixing batter in a bowl that he carried as he went, searching hither and thither. “Sister Orris, watch those pasties, theyre beginning to leak gravy on the floor. Has anybeast seen my blue honeypot? I had it with me on the cooling slab, just after breakfast. Bryony, did you move my honeypot? You know, the small blue one?
Bryony placed a tray of scones on the window ledge to cool. “No, Friar, Im sorry, I havent seen it. Maybe you left it in the wine cellars when you went down for damson juice.
Bunfold beat the mixture in the bowl furiously with his ladle. “No, it never leaves this kitchen. That pot was very special. It belonged to my mother, and she gave it to me when I became Friar here. Ahh! Young Veil, cmere, wheres that honeypot, eh?
Bunfold put aside the bowl and caught the ferret by one ear, shaking him vigorously.
“Yeeeaah! Lemme go! Yowch! Veil squealed. “I dont know anythin about your ole honeypot! Aaaaargh! Bryony!
The mousemaid was between the two like a flash, pulling Veil from the wrathful Friars clutches. “Leave him alone this very instant, Friar Bunfold! How dare you treat Veil like that! Why should he know anything about your honeypot? Youre always blaming him if anything goes missing!
Sister Orris looked up from her pasties. “Thats probably because Veil is usually the one responsible! she said.
Bryony turned on the Sister. “Thats not fair, hes changed! Veil only did things like that when he was a Dibbun!
Myrtle the hogwife shook her paw disapprovingly at the ferret. “Aye, well, he aint a Dibbun no more, but thingsre still goin astray.
Veil ran behind Bryony and, poking his head over her shoulder, he stuck out his tongue at Myrtle. “Yah, fatty ole spiky, go an boil your snout!
“What in the name of goodness is going on here, may I ask? Abbess Meriam had glided in unnoticed. Silence fell in the room. She looked from one to the other. “Please explain all the noise and shouting.
The explanations came thick and fast, everybeast trying to get their say in at once.
“That liddle robber, hes taken my honeypot!
“No, he never, Abbess, theyre always blaming Veil!
“Thats cos hes always to blame, missie!
“No, he isnt, youre all against him!
Meriam held up a paw for silence. “Friar Bunfold, did you see Veil take the honeypot? she asked.
“Er, well, no, I didnt, Mother, but I know it was him!
“He never, Mother, he never!
“Keep out of this, Bryony! Veil, did you take Friar Bun-folds honeypot?
“No, Mother Abbess, I never took it, an he twisted my ear!
Meriam pursed her lips at the Friar. “Please, do not ever do that again. There will be no violence in this Abbey. Come immediately to me if you have a grievance against anybeast.
She turned away from the chastened Friar and placed a paw under the ferrets chin, lifting his head. “Look me in the eye, Veil. Now tell me, and I want the truth, you have nothing to fear: Did you take the pot?
Veil blinked back tears as he tried to return Meriams gaze. “I never took it, Mother Abbess!
Meriams paws disappeared automatically into her wide sleeves. “Then the matter is finished and done with. Nobeast saw Veil take the pot; he should not have been accused without proof. I believe him when he tells me he did not take it. As for your honeypot, Friar, I know it is valuable to you, so we will instigate a search right away. Togget, you will recruit any Redwaller who is not busy at the moment, bring them here, and let the search begin.
Bryony felt so angry at Bunfold and Myrtle that she could not bring herself to help with the search. Putting a paw around Veils shoulders, she led him out into the orchard. The fruit trees and berry bushes were still; not a single leaf moved in the shimmering warmth of midday. Bees humming and the muted sounds of birdsong from beyond the walls in Moss-flower added to the tranquillity of the verdant glade. Bryony sat beneath a gnarled apple tree. The Abbesss reprimand to stay out of the dispute weighed like a stone on her heart.
She patted the grass beside her, saying, “Come and sit by me, Veil.
The young ferret remained standing, pulling the leaves, one by one, from a red currants foliage. “Weve missed lunch yknow. He sniffed.
Bryony folded her paws and hunched forward, head down. “I dont know how you could even think of food at a time like this. Id be sick if I tried to eat anything. Take an apple if youre so hungry.