Friar Butty looked around the group. “We need the advice of an Abbey Warrior. Trouble is, old Abbot Arven was the last Redwall Champion, but he’s passed away. Er, I don’t suppose any of you creatures would have a suggestion?”

Janglur’s slitted eyes betrayed little as he spoke his piece. “Here’s what y’do. First you shut that Abbey gate tight. Nobeast leaves Redwall, except for scoutin’ patrols. Our friend Log a Log can organize his Guosim shrews fer that. Meanwhile, we’ll use what warriors we have to organize defenses. Skipper, Rusvul an’ myself.”

Cregga’s heavy paw patted Janglur’s shoulder. “Thank the seasons we’re not without sensible warriors. You arrived at Redwall not a moment too soon, friend. Friar Butty, what do we know of Marlfoxes? Is there anything in the Abbey recordings that might help us?”

“I’ll take a look, marm. Mayhap you’ll help me, Nutwing?”

The owl began polishing his spectacles on his breast feathers. “Hmm mm, of course I will. I’ll do my best to remember all you say.”

Janglur had another suggestion to make. “If’n you want to know about Marlfoxes, I’d start by askin’ my ole mum, Ellayo. She’s never spoken too much about it, but I’m sure she’s got a couple o’ tales concernin’ such beasts.”

Meanwhile, over by the pond, Dann scooted a flat pebble out over the surface, counting the number of times it skipped. “I make that five. Of course, I’m pretty used to this pond. See how many times yours bounces, Song.”

The flat brown pebble Song had found skimmed out while they watched it.

“Four, no, four and a little one. Oh, go on then, we’ll call it five. Righto, Dippler, let’s see if you can beat five!”

The young Guosim shrew picked up a pebble, not bothering about its shape or weight, and slung it almost haphazardly, turning to face his friends as the stone skipped on its journey across the water. “Eight! But y’must remember that I was born around water, been skimmin’ stones since afore I could speak.”

Dannflor was watching the main Abbey door from the corner of one eye, and now he noticed Brother Melilot emerge with a ladle and a flat pan. The young squirrel smiled slyly at his companions. “Hmm, you two are pretty clever at most things, aren’t you. Well, let’s see how good you are at bein’ first in for scoff!”

He took off from them at a dead run on the same instant that Melilot began banging the ladle against the pan and shouting, “Vittles ready in Great Hall, come and get ’em one an’ all!”

Song and Dippler pursued Dann, berating him.

“You crafty rotter, wait for us!”

“Treewalloper! Least you could’ve done was give us a level start!”

*

Mokkan the Marlfox pointed to a sheltered creek at the streamside, raising his voice.