“It’s a shame,” Auma clucked understandingly, “that’s what it is. Look, why don’t I mind that big clumsy spear? You sit down on that rock and rest for a while. Sam, you’ll mind Browntooth’s old rusty sword for him, won’t you?”

Sam smiled at Browntooth. “Of course. Anything for a friend. You slip me your sword and go and get yourself a little rest with Badrag.”

The two stoats were nearly taken in until Slagar’s voice called harshly from the head of the column, “Badrag, Browntooth! Stop yammering and get those prisoners moving. Come on, liven yourselves up!”

Badrag spat on his paws and rubbed them into his eyes as he quickened the pace. “Think you’re clever, don’t you, tryin’ to get us in trouble with the Chief.” Browntooth snarled at Sam and Auma. “Move along there. Come on, get those paws trottin’, you slackers!”

*   *   *

Matthias was first at the scene of the battle, with Jess close behind him. Twelve hedgehogs were attacking a badger, nipping and bulling from all sides with claw, tooth and spike. The badger was a huge male, even bigger than Constance. He carried a large double-headed battleaxe, but he was only using the long wooden-poled handle to ward off his attackers. Time and again they would charge, hurling themselves at the big badger with savage grunting noises, but still he did not use the battleaxe blade. Squealing hedgehogs were tossed high into the bushes by long powerful sweeps of the handle, and now and again he would lash out with his paw, causing them to ball up and roll away. Regardless of the size and obvious danger of the badger, the hedgehogs continued to fight him aggressively. They were strong fighters. One of them, an old male, would call out at intervals, “You great stripy varmint, give us back our Jubilation or we’ll spike you dead, so we will!”

The badger’s patience was wearing thin, but his great strength was unabated as he bared his teeth and yelled back, “What in thunder’s a jubilation? You’re all mad. Get back or I’ll use this axe properly, on my oath as a warrior I will!”

Matthias, Jess, Basil and Cheek stood on the outskirts of the fight, completely ignored. The warrior mouse turned to Basil. “There seems to be something wrong here. Woodlanders don’t usually fight each other this way. Maybe they know something about which way the fox has gone. I’m going in to break it up.”

“Keep out of the way, young feller,” Basil told Cheek. “Right, Matthias me old scout, lead on.”

Matthias, Jess and Basil leapt into the fray, placing themselves around the badger. The warrior mouse brandished his sword and roared out, “A Redwall, a Redwall!”

Basil’s voice joined Matthias’s. “Blood’n’vinegar, mud’n’fur, up and at ’em!”

Jess’s voice joined them both. “Treetops and timber. Redwallllll!”