Song rounded on the pair and pulled them into a darkened alcove, beckoning them to silence as the sound of clanking spears against breastplates reached her ears. “Somebeast dashing down to the courtyard. Stand by!”

Toolam and the two water rat sentries came into view, hurrying clumsily down the slope. Song whispered, “One each, wait until they pass!”

No sooner were the three vermin past the alcove than Song and her two friends hit them from behind. Amid a resounding jumble of weaponry and armor the three rats crashed headlong into the wallstones and slid down senseless. Song could not resist a slight giggle.

“Sounded like somebeast tripping into a broom closet at Redwall Abbey. Come on, the Marlfox’s room must be somewhere up this passage. Go careful now, he’ll have heard the noise.”

There were other chambers either side of the torchlit passage, but Song knew right away that the one with ornate double doors would be the chamber where the Marlfox had been sighted. Dippler and Burble had armed themselves with the sentries’ spears. Brandishing her Leafwood stick, Song gave them a quick nod. They charged the doors yelling their battle cries.

“Logalogalogaloooog! Waylahoooo! Redwaaaaaalllll!”

The doors were not locked, in fact they were not even closed properly, and they slammed inward under the force of the charge. Song, Dippler and Burble exploded into the chamber, heads over tails in a mad jumble. The squirrelmaid was first upright, ready to do battle, but feeling rather foolish at the instant realization that she was facing an empty room. Dippler and Burble sat up, gazing around the chamber in awe. Silken hangings, burnished metal mirrors, incense burners and satin cushions were everywhere. The watervole scurried over to the large carved oaken chair that was serving as the High King’s temporary throne and plumped down on it. “Yiss yiss, this is a grand ould chair, so ’tis. I always promised meself one of these. I think I’ll plunder it!”

Song and Dippler were not listening. They were staring at the great Redwall tapestry, hanging in all its glory. Martin the Warrior’s likeness seemed to smile down on them both.

Dippler clasped his friend’s paw. “Wait’ll Dann sees this, missie. You’ve completed yore quest!”

Pride flooded through Song. It had been a long and perilous journey, but they had completed it successfully.

Snapping out of her reverie, she rousted Burble from his plundered throne. “Come on, cushytail, up with you, we need this chair!”

She and Dippler dragged it over to the wall where the tapestry hung. Climbing onto the seat, they began taking down the heavy object, with Burble hopping about protesting. “Ah go easy now, don’t scratch the woodwork, watch how y’treat me lovely ould chair, yiss yiss, be careful!”