“Ellayo, Rimrose, you look well. Hah! I’ll wager that’s yore daughter, Janglur. A lot prettier’n you, but she’s got yore long eyelashes. Come here, son, I want you to meet my ole pal Janglur an’ his family. This is Dannflor Reguba, son of a warrior!”

Song shook Dannflor’s paw. “I’m Songbreeze Swifteye, but they all call me Song.”

“Pleased to meet you, Song. I’m Dannflor, but they call me Dann.”

“Where’s your mother, Dann? Is she here?”

Dannflor looked down awkwardly. “She died when I was very small. I don’t even remember her.”

There was a moment’s embarrassed silence, then Dippler bounded up. “Hello, you’ve found another pal for us, Song. Don’t introduce him—I’ll guess his name afore the season’s done.”

Song gave the shrew a playful shove. “This is Dippler, he throws water on squirrels when they’re trying to sleep. Dippler, meet our new friend Dann!”

Brother Melilot had been holding a whispered conversation with Badgermum Cregga. She nodded in agreement with him. Melilot banged the main gate timbers with a copper ladle to get attention.

“Friends, guests, travelers, whoever ye be, welcome to the Abbey of Redwall. Now, d’you want to stand out here gossipin’ an’ backslappin’ until dark, or would you like to come along inside an’ get somethin’ to eat?”

Florian’s voice rang out over the general chorus of approval. “Eat, sah! Did my ears deceive me or did somebeast mention victuals? Lead me to the jolly old table an’ I’ll show you what a peckish thespian can accomplish armed only with mouth and appetite, wot!”

Foremole Gubbio murmured to Gurrbowl Cellarmole, “Hurr, woe be us’n’s, oi’ll wager yon creature’s gurtly ’ungered!”

Sister Sloey, who had heard the remark, nodded agreement. “That hare looks as if he could strip the orchard bare on his way to clean out the kitchens!”

The visitors were seated on the lawn, close to the Abbey pond, while numerous Redwallers hurried off to the kitchens to prepare food for them. Log a Log, Janglur and Florian sat apart from the rest, and quietly reported the Marlfox sightings to Cregga, Friar Butty and Nutwing. The blind badger listened carefully to what they had to say before giving her verdict.

“I’d always thought Marlfoxes were a legend, some kind of bogeybeast whose name is used to frighten naughty Dibbuns. But in the light of what you have told us I think there could be great danger in their presence around Mossflower.”

Nutwing preened his wing feathers thoughtfully. “Hmm mm. What’s to be done about them? Log a Log says that they’ve got a considerable number of water rats, and that means extra trouble.”