“Long Patrol, give em bloodnvinegar! Eeulaliaaaa!
Soaring through the air like hungry eagles, they cleared the horde-filled trench in a mighty leap and went crashing into the midst of the startled vermin who were surrounding Sunflash. Swartt vanished down the far side of the rocks and ran toward the sea as if pursued by demons.
Hordebeasts fell like leaves before a winter gale. The veteran warriors of Salamandastron took no prisoners; javelins flashed in the sunlight, and metal-filled slings thudded savagely into their targets. Sabretache took a tattooed rat through his midriff with the saber, yelling as he did, “Cut through the canvasfree Lord Sunflash!
Swiftly the vermin who were left alive fled, and a tight circle of hares, javelins pointing outward, surrounded the big canvas bundle. Then keen-edged hare-blades sliced the canvas to shreds. Sabretache and his Captains pulled Sunflash from his stifling prison. The badger was limp and unconscious; Reetrunn was at his side, unhinging the helmet roughly. Supporting the Badger Lords head, she called to Bloggwood, “Bring water, hurry!
Swartt had regained his courage. Gathering a crowd of hordebeasts, he led them up the back of the rock groyne and around to the front of the mountain. They massed across the big rough timber gate at the main entrance, blocking the way back into the fortress.
Swartt issued orders to his archers in the trench further down the sands. “Dont let em pass, drive em down to the sea with yore arrows! He turned his attention to his own group. “About face an give those in the mountain plenty o rocks an shafts. Thatll keep their heads down!
The Warlord was trembling with frustration. He had almost taken Sunflash and won the battle; but the badger would not elude him a second time. The ferrets plan was simple and good: Once he had the Badger Lord and his hares up to their waists in seawater, he could slay them at his leisure.
34?
Fresh water splashing over the gold-striped face brought Sunflash slowly back to his senses. Bruised, scarred, and weakened, he lay still, allowing Fleetrunn to pour the life-giving water over his head.
The female hare Captain allowed him a few sips. “Let it wash over you, Sire. Dont drink too much or yll feel-pretty bad. Thats the ticketjust wet ymouth, eh.
Sabretache rapped out commands as a hare fell beside him, slain by a barbed shaft. “Keep yheads down! Back up to the rocks, troops, theyre shootin at us from that flippin trench!
Dragging Sunflash with them, the Long Patrol hares fought their way to the line of rocks stretching from the mountain to the sea. Swiftly digging the sand with their long legs, they formed a temporary barricade, a low sandy hump between themselves and the vermin archers. Arrows hissed viciously, some burying their points in the sand, others hitting the rock, while some found targets among the beleaguered hares.
Colonel Sandgall had to draw back from the window: Arrows and slingstones from Swartts hordebeasts were whistling through the opening, ricocheting around the chamber.
He sniffed disdainfully and, adjusting his monocle, he waggled one long ear at Sundew. “Out ygo, missie, no sense in gettin yself injured here, wot. Go an make yself useful elsewheres, theres a good gel.
Sundew had collected the slingstones that came in, and now she was sending them out with a vengeance. Whirling her own sling, she dashed at the window and hurled down a quick one at those below. “Im stayin here with you, sah, she said. “They wont make me shift!
Sandgall took a bow from a wallpeg and, notching one of the fallen shafts to its string, he nipped smartly to the window and fired, nodding as he was rewarded by a scream from below. “Good gel! True bluennever fail, eh! Come on, lets return fire with their own gear. Long time since I put ash to yew an twine. Never forget the old skillsgood show! Squinting through his monocle, he loosed another arrow.
Sabretache crouched low with Rockleg at his side, assessing their perilous situation. “Looks bad, old chum, the blighters have got us well pinned down here. Not much chance of get-tin back to the jolly old mountain either, just look at that evil rabble all ganged up in front of the main gate! Absolute rotters!
Rockleg twitched an ear in the direction of the sea. “Right yare, Tache, ysee their strategy, doncha, they want to drive us down to the water, stop us gettin back to the mountain. Huh, look at that dirty great mob of vermin waitin for us on the waterline. Bad show if yask me. Theyve got us trapped here like frogs in a bucket!
Sabretache flicked his head to one side as an arrow whizzed by. “Well just have tsit it out, old boy, wait until Lord Sun-flash is up t the mark again an hope for some sort of a miracle tpull our chestnuts out of the fire, wot.
Sunflash had begun to tear at the confining chain mail tunic; Fleetrunn tried to hold his massive paws still. “Best leave it on, Sire, she said. “Better feelin a bit uncomfortable than bein stuck all over with arrows.
As if to confirm her words, a shaft glanced off the chain mail and buried itself in the sand. She winked at the badger. “No disrespect, Sire, but ysee what I mean now!
Evening shades began to fall; the hot day cooled with a breeze from the incoming tide. Still trapped against the rocks, the hares crouched and waited. The arrows and slingstones had slowed somewhat, though now the horde in the trench were sniping, taking more careful aim. It was a frustrating and dangerous time. Rockleg poked his head over the sandy barricade and took a quick peek seaward.
“Oh, dash it all! he groaned. “That lot down by the water are startin to sneak up here. Stand by, chaps, I think were about to be ambushed shortly. Itll soon be darkthats when theyll come. He licked a wound on his shoulder and poured dry sand on to seal it.
“ Logalogalogalogalooooooog!
Sabretaches ears shot up. “Whatn the fur was that?
Sunflash struggled upward and grabbed his mace. “Its the Guosim shrews! Theyve arrived by sea!
“Guosim, Guosim, Guosim! Logalogalogalooooog!
Rockleg pointed with his javelin. “Look, theyre givin those blighters down by the water a hard time of it. Up here, chaps! Up here!
Sabretache turned toward the mountain. “Hurrah! he cheered. “Look, theres a gang of ottersnsquirrels batterin the livin daylights out of the vermin!
A great roar went up from the warriors at the mountain front.
“Heyaaah! Hoyaaah! Firjak Greenstone! Whump! Whump! Whump!
The otters and squirrels had come around the mountain from both sides, hurling themselves on both flanks of Swartts hor-debeasts with clubs and spears. Guosim shrews charged up from the tideline, cutting a swathe through the vermin pack with flashing rapiers.
With the blood of his ancestors rising in his veins, Sunflash came bulling out at the head of the hares. Joined by the shrews, they went crashing heedlessly over the heads of the trench archers, scattering vermin left and right.
Swartt took flight once again, and the demoralized hordebeasts broke and fled, rushing straight to the safety of the rocks or the tide shallows. The rough-timber gates swung open. Sun-flash stood by them, brandishing his mace until everybeast was inside and safe. Sentries were posted at every lookout post to watch the horde, while the rest crowded into the banqueting hall.
Food was rushed in to the returning warriors and their allies, the best that Salamandastron could serve. Mounds of pasties and great barrels of Mountain Ale, thick seasoned stews, crusty hot bread, and new cider were carried to the tables, and full justice was done to the victuals that night.
Sunflash sat with Colonel Sandgall, Log a Log, the two otters, Folrig and Ruddle, Sabretache, and the other Captains. Sandgall wagged a reproving paw at the Badger Lord. “Ahem, Sire, yll kindly let us know before you go chargin off again to take on a whole filthy horde single-pawed.