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Chapters (79)
  1. CHARGE!
  2. THE REDWALL BOOKS
  3. Dedication
  4. Map
  5. PROLOGUE
  6. ACT ONE
  7. 1
  8. 1
  9. 2
  10. 2
  11. 3
  12. 3
  13. 4
  14. 4
  15. 5
  16. 5
  17. 6
  18. 6
  19. 7
  20. 7
  21. 8
  22. 8
  23. 9
  24. 9
  25. 10
  26. 10
  27. 11
  28. 11
  29. 12
  30. 12
  31. 13
  32. 13
  33. ACT TWO
  34. 14
  35. 14
  36. 15
  37. 15
  38. 16
  39. 16
  40. 17
  41. 17
  42. 18
  43. 18
  44. 19
  45. 19
  46. 20
  47. 20
  48. 21
  49. 21
  50. 22
  51. 22
  52. 23
  53. 23
  54. 24
  55. 24
  56. 25
  57. 25
  58. ACT THREE
  59. 26
  60. 26
  61. 27
  62. 27
  63. 28
  64. 28
  65. 29
  66. 29
  67. 30
  68. 30
  69. 31
  70. 31
  71. 32
  72. 32
  73. 33
  74. 33
  75. 34
  76. 34
  77. Epilogue
  78. Epilogue
  79. What’s next onyour reading list?

A mighty cheer arose from the freed slaves. The water rats stared blankly for a moment, then joined in wholeheartedly. The young hedgehog maid sat inspecting her footpaw and Song sat down beside her, eyes shining with admiration. “That was a mighty throw, miss, you must possess great strength. What do they call you?”

“My name is Nettlebud.”

Song shook her paw warmly. “I know your father well! He’ll be overjoyed to see you!”

Burble scurried about, reassuring slaves and water rats as Megraw came swooping down to land on the plateau. “Don’t fuss now, me friend won’t harm ye, he’s on our side, yiss yiss, an’ we’re thankful for that!”

Folding his massive wings, the osprey nodded at Song. “Weel, lassie, ah tek it the battle’s o’er. Ye’ll no be seein’ maggypies round here nae mair!”

Nobeast doubted the fierce fish eagle’s word.

Dippler eyed his logboat, floating empty out on the lake. “I could take a dozen or so in the logboat when we gets it back to land. Anybeast want to come with me? I’m goin’ home.”

Home!

The beautiful word meant everything to the creatures gathered by the lake’s edge. Some of the freed slaves broke into sobs and wept at the thought of it. Gawjo was one of those who could not hold back a tear. Dann thought of Redwall and his father, and his own eyes filled.

“Look at ’em blubberin’, Song,” Dippler whispered. “Bet you can’t start everybeast weepin’ by singin’ somethin’ nice an’ sad?”

Song tweaked the Guosim shrew’s ear. “You heartless little horror! Bet I can. Just give me a moment to dry my eyes.”

There on the rocks of the sunlit island the young squirrelmaid’s voice rang out into the late-summer afternoon.

“Please gaze round our garden, remember me there,

And always be faithful and true,

Then look to the sunset and know that somewhere,

’Tis I who’ll be thinking of you.

Home, home, I will come home,

Back to the ones I love best,

Home, home, no more to roam,

My weary heart will find rest.

So leave the door open and keep the fire bright,

As I recall it was always,

It may be evening or dawn’s welcome light,

I’ll wander back one of these days.

Home, home, I will come home,

Ere the long seasons have passed,

Home, home, no more to roam,

Peace we will find there at last.”

In the hush that followed, Song noticed Dippler weeping.

34

34

Rimrose sat at the Abbey pond’s edge with Cregga, Sister Sloey, Ellayo, Deesum and Gurrbowl Cellarmole. Between them they were candying nuts and fruit, shelling hazels, almonds and chestnuts, slicing apples and pears, removing stones from plums, damsons and greengages, and selecting berries. These they layered in pottery jars, pouring in honey, then sealing the tops with bark circles and beeswax.