“Pity we never had time for a proper look around. I reckon Redwall’s stuffed with treasures.”

“They’re not so tough. I slew a big owl, stupid creature!”

“Huh, the three we laid out are prob’ly dead by now too. I whacked a shrew wearin’ armor so hard that my ax paw still tingles.”

Ascrod stood over Gelltor, smiling whimsically. “So, how did the attack go? Not too well, by the look of you lot.”

Gelltor flexed his shoulder to get the movement back in it. Grim-faced, he spat viciously into the fire. “Allag, what’s the head count?”

Farther down the streambank the water rat called back to Gelltor. “A hundred an’ seventy-three, sire. I’m just numberin’ the wounded.”

Gelltor lay back, watching the blue-gray campfire smoke wreathing among the shafts of sunlight between the trees. “That’s nearly a score of rats lost. Then there was Ziral too!”

Vannan tossed aside her food and stood upright. “What? You mean our sister Ziral was slain?”

“Oh, she was slain sure enough. I saw her head lyin’ on the ground. The one who did it was a big squirrel, looked as if he was half asleep. Janglur, they called him. I’ll remember that one’s name!”

Ascrod stroked the tasseled tapestry border thoughtfully. “A Marlfox slain. High Queen Silth won’t be well pleased to hear that. What about our glorious leader Mokkan and his grand plan?”

Gelltor kicked a branch hanging from the fire, sending sparks showering as the dead pine crackled. “Mokkan! Don’t talk t’me about him. He left it too late for a quick ambush, wanted to stand round chattin’ with the Redwallers. It was them who attacked us. There’s no doubt about it, they got some fierce warriors an’ they were quick too. For a while there we thought we had ’em, they were outnumbered. But then we were hit from behind by gangs of those Guosim shrews, don’t know where they came from. That was when we lost the advantage. Next thing Mokkan’s yelling for everybeast to retreat, and we had to run for it like a ragtailed bunch of amateurs. I’m not surprised Mokkan hasn’t shown his face around camp yet. Bungler!”