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Chapters (64)
  1. CAPTURED!
  2. Other Books
  3. Title Page
  4. Map
  5. Introduction
  6. BOOK ONE
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. BOOK TWO
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. BOOK THREE
  46. 38
  47. 39
  48. 40
  49. 41
  50. 42
  51. 43
  52. 44
  53. 45
  54. 46
  55. 47
  56. 48
  57. 49
  58. 50
  59. 51
  60. 52
  61. 53
  62. 54
  63. 55
  64. What’s next onyour reading list?

Mrs. Churchmouse toyed with the toast and honey. “It’ll take them some time to be as good at it as my Tim’n’Tess, though. Poor mites, I do hope that fox isn’t making them suffer.” A tear fell into the bowl of milk alongside the little mousemother.

Cornflower put a brave face on. “What, those two rascals! If I know anything, they’ll have him run ragged. The things these two get up to with my Matti and Sam Squirrel!”

“Seek the Founder in the stones where the little folk go.”

Silence fell upon the table. Ambrose Spike turned to the Abbot. “Funny thing to say. What does it mean?”

Constance shrugged. “We don’t know. Martin the Warrior spoke to the Abbot a short while ago, and that’s all he said: ‘Seek the Founder in the stones where the little folk go.’”

Mordalfus stood up. “I’m going to get dressed. See if any of you can make head or tail of it. It may be a message to help us find our young ones.”

Winifred the otter shook her head. “But Matthias, Basil and Jess are out looking for them. They must be far away by now. Supposing we did find any clues, how would we let them know when we don’t even know where they are?”

Constance wagged a toast crust thoughtfully. “Good question. I’ve had an idea. The rain has cleared now and the weather is good, so why don’t we send Warbeak and the Sparra warriors out? There are enough of them, and if they fly off in different directions following the general path Matthias took, surely they must find them sooner or later.”

Cornflower poured milk for herself. “Sooner, I hope.”

Mrs. Churchmouse got up busily from the table. A look of resolution had replaced the sadness upon her face. “Well, at least we can be doing something instead of sitting around moping and leaving it all to Matthias, Basil and Jess. Everybody search, hunt, seek, high and low. Try and find something out about Martin’s words. What were they?”

“Seek the Founder in the stones where the little folk go,” Constance repeated.

*   *   *

A short time later, Cavern Hole lay deserted. Paws sounded upon stairs, doors slammed, walls were tapped, and all round Redwall Abbey voices echoed:

“Seek the Founder in the stones where the little folk go.”

17

Though the captives were hurried along, the going became easier. Thick forest gave way to grassy clearings, and rocks were much in evidence now, with here and there a large stony hill rearing out of the woodlands. As they marched, Mattimeo and his friends were able to gather fair quantities of cloudberry and pennycress, supplemented with hard pears and crab apples. Slagar was becoming more cautious, forever watching ahead and detailing guards to cover their tracks from the rear.

Vitch caught up with Threeclaws. “What’s the fox watchin’ out for, more slaves?”