Ullig did not hesitate. He slew the vermin who had been singled out with a sharp spear thrust. Turning on the rest, he shook his head pityingly. “Him, what did he know about it? Barrack room gossip! You all know me an’ Wilce ’ere. King Mokkan asked us to pose as common soldiers for a while, just to sniff out any traitors or rebels who was still loyal to the impostor Lantur. We’re still in command ’ere, so pick up yer weapons an’ follow us, or it’ll go hard on you!”

Gawjo and his party were about to enter the castle when the main barrack doors burst open and vermin began charging toward them. The old squirrel warrior turned to face the foe, backed by his ten big hogs, and rushed the enemy with a bloodcurdling shout.

“Gawjoooooooo!”

Their quills bristling with the madness of combat, the hedgehogs threw themselves headlong into the water rat ranks, flailing out with long heavy clubs, smashing any spears that came close, hacking and thrusting with short broad cutlasses.

“Rollin’ circle, form a rollin’ circle!” yelled Gawjo above the melee.

The water rats did not fight with the same ferocity as their opponents, but they outnumbered them more than ten to one. Two of the hedgehogs were down before Gawjo succeeded in joining his small force into the rolling circle. Shoulder to shoulder, cheek by jowl they fought, facing the vermin horde, turning like a wheel, plowing hither and thither into the foebeast ranks. A spearblade slashed down across Gawjo’s paw as the hedgehog on his right side was overwhelmed by the crushing force of vermin. The old squirrel sighed as he slid in the blood flowing from his paw. They had underestimated the number of enemies. In a short time his column would go under.

“Regubaaaaaaaa! Strike for freedom!”

Dann and his slave army came charging to the rescue. They hit the vermin’s flank like a tidal wave, changing the face of the battle completely.

Ullig and Wilce had fallen to the rear, careful not to be in the front line. Now, when the huge mob of reinforcements arrived, they saw defeat looming.

“That’s torn it. Let’s get out of here!” Wilce muttered to her companion.

A huge paw smacked down on Ullig’s shoulder, and he was knocked flat by a burly hedgehog maid. She smiled grimly at him as she raised a loaded sling and spoke the last words Ullig was ever to hear in his life. “Well well, if’n it ain’t Ullig the Slave Cap’n!”

A crowd of slaves cornered Wilce. She had nowhere to run.

“Look, mates, ’tis madam ’igh’n’mighty, Lantur’s ole pet!”

“Aye, she ’ad me beaten just for lookin’ at ’er!”

“Remember she ’ad our rations cut when ’twas too cold for us to work?”