Now the horde was fully marshaled with the neap tide protecting their rear and a forest of spears and lances pointing skyward. Hordebeasts stood shoulder to shoulder, covering the whole lower beach, so that not even the sand below the tideline was visible. Swartt came to the forefront, flanked by Zigu and the stoat Captain Aggal. The Warlords face and teeth were freshly stained with bright plant dyes, a multicolored cloak swirled about him, and his heavily chain-mailed sixclaw glittered brighter than the long curved sword thrust into his snakeskin belt. He drew his blade and pointed at Salamandas-tron. That was the signal. The horde began marching slowly forward, splitting into three groups as it did, Swartt leading the left, Aggal the right, and Zigu the center.
Sunflash had sighted his lifelong foe. He hurried from the chamber, threading his way through the mountain passages to the left side, where he knew Swartt was heading. Back in the chamber, Colonel Sandgall took a whistle from his tunic and blew three sharp blasts. The hares of the Long Patrol went into action.
Zigus command were hardly upon the soft sand above the tideline, when the ground rose up in front of them. Thirty hares leaped from a shallow trench covered by sand spread over the top of rush matsthese were the Sleepers that Sand-gall had spoken of. They sprang up from hiding when the front line of vermin was less than twenty paces away. A wild cry went up as they launched javelins into the front marchers.
“Eeulaliaaaaa!
Completely taken by surprise, half the front rank were slain. Hedgepaw and her Sleepers fled back to the mountain, taking care to leap over the disguised trench that contained the sharpened stakes. Zigu flung himself to one side, avoiding the rain of javelins, then, leaping upright, he drew his rapier.
“After them. Charge!
The words had scarcely left his mouth, when the sand another score of paces away heaved upward. Bradberry spat out grit as he called to his two dozen archers, “Quickfire, chaps!
Again Zigus lightning reactions saved him. Flinging himself flat, he heard the screams and felt the thudding weight of two horde soldiers as they fell dead on top of him. Pushing the bodies roughly aside, the Corsair sprang up, and, grabbing a spear from one of the slain vermin, he hurled it at the fleeing backs of the retreating Sleepers. It was a lucky throw. Ford-petal, the young female hare with the fluttering eyelashes, went down with a scream, the spear sticking out of her back.
Zigu looked around for another spear to throw as the hordebeasts charged past him. Fifty paces farther on they vanished into the covered stakepits; agonized yells rent the hot air as vermin soldiers plunged onto the sharpened stakes.
Zigu roared at those still alive, “Back! Back, you fools, cant you see its a trap?
As they retreated, the Corsair ran to where Fordpetal lay groaning. His face tight with rage, Zigu lashed at her with the long blade of his rapier.
“Hit and run, eh, hare! Well, Im hitting now, lets see you run!
She screamed as he lashed her mercilessly with the thin blade.
“Hey, filthface, why doncha try doin that to somebeast who can hit back!
Zigu looked up to see the Long Patrol Captain Sabretache striding purposefully toward him. The Corsair grinned evilly, calling to his hordebeasts, “Leave this one to me, he carries a blade!
Ignoring the gaping hordebeasts, Sabretache leapt the stake-pit. Drawing his saber, he confronted Zigu.
Nobeast had ever bested the Corsair in swordfight. Flexing the long steel blade between his paws, he stared contemptuously at the hare, who stood alone before him, and said, “Zounds, youre a bold bunny and no mistake. Come and be spitted!
The hare shot forward, his narrow curving saber striking the rapier blade with a force that sent shockwaves tingling through his opponents paw. He smiled recklessly. “Defend yself, ferret!
Balancing lightly on their footpaws, both beasts took up the en garde position, sword points flickering like snake tongues as each sought an opening. Momentarily the front shore of Salamandastron grew silent. Hordebeasts on the sand and defenders from the mountain stood stock still, watching the two swordbeasts battle to the death.
Zigu pressed forward, step, step, step, his rapier seeking the elusive foe. Sabretache backed and went sideways, the saber a bright blur as it slashed and took the ferrets ear. Scarcely believing what had just happened, Zigu clapped a paw to the side of his head, glaring venomously at the hare. One paw behind his back, Sabretache stood with his legs bowed, saber in the salute position as he kissed its hilt. “Can ystill hear me, old chap, hard luck, wot?
With a roar of rage, Zigu charged, flailing the rapier in front of him. The two blades met, and sand flew about their nimble footpaws as they locked in a dance of death. Blade clashed upon blade as they battled across the beach. Zigu managed to grab Sabretaches swordpaw with his free one, and as the hare pulled away, the Corsair struck a downward slash at his head, hissing triumphantly.
“Sssssdeath!
Sabretache flicked his head to one side, avoiding the blade slicing at his throat. He came up smiling, running a paw along the fine scar tracing his cheek.
“Not quite, old lad, try again, eh!
Zigu plunged forward once more, but the hare was ready. Locking hilts with the ferret, he wrenched down and gave a powerful twist upward. The rapier described a glittering arc in the noon sun as it left Zigus paw, then a swift kick to the stomach left the Corsair sprawling, unarmed. Sabretache leaned on his saber as if it were a walking stick, and he nodded toward the rapier as the horrified ferret scrambled to get out of blade range. “Pick it up, vermin!
Zigu was scared; he knew he was facing a swordmaster, but the Corsair stilt had a trick or two in him. Reaching down to retrieve his blade, he snatched up a pawful of sand and hurled it in his opponents face. As Sabretaches paw shot up to his eyes. Zigu bulled forward, throwing himself upon his foe. and they went down together. However, the hare was nol finished. His long legs shot out like two pistons, catching the ferret in his stomach and sending him flying over Sabretaches head. He landed with a bump that winded him. The hare was up; pawing sand from his eyes he went for the ferret. Zigu staggered upright in time to raise his blade, but not to stop the lightning attack. He staggered backward, blade clashed upon blade as, thrusting, hacking, and swinging, the hare drove his foe skillfully around the stakepit, maneuvering the ferret until he was backed up to a rock. Then both blades locked, saber guard against basket hilt. Eye to eye, whisker to whisker, and jaw to jaw they swayed.
Panic glistened in Zigus eyes; he had met his match. Gasping for breath, he pleaded for his life, “Sirrah, a boon, a boon, spare me!
There was no mercy in the face of the Long Patrol Captain. He knocked the rapier to one side and thrust forward with the curving sabertip. “You ask for mercy, ferret? You who moments ago whipped a wounded creature with your blade! Tchah! You have lived the life of a coward, now learn tdie like a soldier, sir!
Zigu slid lifeless to the sand. Sabretache tucked the sword beneath his elbow like a pace stick and marched boldly off. While the fight had been in progress, Bradberry and Blogg-wood had sneaked out and retrieved Fordpetals body.
Aggal and his band came marching around to the sloping right side of the mountain. It was completely deserted. The stoat Captain had expected to meet some resistance, but there was nothing, just a solid rock face soaring upward, with no sign of entry visible, A weasel called Bandril shrugged his shoulders in bewilderment and said, “Well, were ere! Wot dwe do now, Capn?
Aggal cuffed the hapless weasel a quick clip over his ear. “Do, what dyer think we do, peabrain? We climb up an try tfind a way in, o course. Now git climbin, all of yeh!
Encumbered by spears, shields, and various weapons, the hordebeasts began clambering, not too enthusiastically, up the rockface. Aggal was well ahead of the rest, energetically scaling upward and calling back in a loud whisper, “If we kin find us a window or some way in, well battle our way down tthe main entrance an unblock it fer Capn Zigu.