With the passing of the rains, hot sunlight lanced through the upper foliage, and white steam tendrils curled and wraithed, climbing between the golden sunshafts to escape on the warm thermals. Mattimeo grunted with exertion as he pulled his paws from a morass of earth and leaves which the dragging limbs of the column were laboriously pounding into thick mud. Chained paws, warm soggy habits and the driving canes of the slavers gave little relief to the caravan of young animals. The running chain snagged between branches, got caught around bushes and tripped them when they least expected it. Sam caught a quick drink of water trickling from the broad stems of wild rhubarb, and he managed to grab a pawful of cloudberries as he passed, signalling to the others where they grew so they could follow his example. Auma munched the pitiful repast as she conversed with Tim in low tones.

“I’ve lost all sense of direction. All I know now is whether it’s night or day,” she remarked.

Tim trudged stolidly on. “We’re travelling south. Where to, I don’t know. I’ve been watching the signs my parents taught me to look for if ever I got lost in the woodlands; moss on trees, the position of the sun, even the earth down this way is different, more stones in the soil. You can take my word for it, Auma. South it is.”

Mattimeo joined in the conversation. “I know we’re tired and worn out, but pass the word along. Keep alert for the chance to escape. Slagar and his band must be as weary as we are.”

Tim shrugged. “How are we supposed to escape, chained together like this?”

Cynthia Bankvole listened to them talking and began to get very upset. “Please, don’t escape and leave me here, I couldn’t bear it.”

Mattimeo ground his teeth together. “Don’t worry, Cynthia. If we escape we’ll take you with us.”

“Oh, no, leave me here,” Cynthia begged. “Slagar would catch me and beat me and break my legs and leave me to die in a ditch. I’d be too afraid to escape.”

Mattimeo was about to ask Cynthia just what it was she really wanted, when he checked himself.

“Hush now, Cynthia,” Tess soothed her. “Don’t you fret, we won’t make you do anything you don’t wish to do. Listen, there’s probably a whole army from Redwall out searching for us. Who knows, they might not be far behind us.”

Auma became excited. “Of course! Mattimeo’s father is a great warrior. I’ll bet he’s gathered all his fighting friends together and is hot on our trail. I know my father will be searching, though he’s a plains badger and I’m not too sure whether he knows his way about in woodland.”