Amber was delighted with the suggestion.

“Righto. I’ll get Barklad and Oakapple onto it. They could rig tree hoists. Thanks, Skip.”

* * *

Chibb had flown a wide patrol merely for the exercise, but soon he grew weary of such energetic practices. Perching on a branch not far from the sleeping Argulor, he listened to the eagle talking in its sleep.

“Hmm, pine marten, one little pine marten, that’s all, maybe they taste like pine, hmmmmmm.”

Despite the feeling of awe, Gonff could not help smiling to himself. After watching Salamandastron from afar, seeing the column of fire that spouted from its top, and recalling the very name meant “mountain of the fire lizard”, the little mousethief immediately saw it was a trick worthy of some mind as clever and resourceful as his own. There were no fire-breathing dragons here, but there was something equally as impressive in this great cave.

It was more than a cave, he decided. It was a huge mountain hall. At its center was a mighty furnacelike forge. A towering column of rockwork took it up to the ceiling, away out of sight. Surrounded by hares, there stood the father of all badgers. He was pure silver from tip to tail with a double broad creamy white stripe on either side of his forehead. Above the thickly muscled limbs and barrel chest, a pair of wild eyes surveyed the newcomers. Giving the mighty bellows handle a powerful downward swing, he tossed a red-hot spearpoint with a quick flick of his bare paws. It landed in a water trough with a boiling hiss of bubbles.

As the badger stumped across to them, Martin could almost feel the reverberations through the rock floor. He towered above them, extending a calloused paw that resembled a chunk of rock.

“Welcome to Salamandastron, friends. I am Boar the Fighter,” the big voice boomed and echoed about the hall.

His paw enveloped by Boar’s, Martin felt very tiny. Now the full impact of Bella’s words came to him. Here indeed was one to save Mossflower; the silver badger looked as if he could tear Kotir to pieces with his paws.

“I am Martin the Warrior. This is Young Dinny, and these two are Gonff and Log-a-Log. I have traveled from Mossflower with my friends to bring a message from your daughter, Bella of Brockhall.”

Boar unfastened his apron and shed it.

“All this I know. Come, let us go to my cave. It is more comfortable there. My hares will bring you food and drink, and you can clean yourselves up.”

As they followed Boar, Gonff whispered to Martin.

“How does he know, matey? Is he a magic badger?”

“Sshh,” Martin silenced the mousethief. “Watch your manners. We’ll get to know soon enough.”

* * *

Boar’s cave was indeed comfortable. There were ledges to sit or lie upon covered in velvety moss, plants grew around the walls and hung from the ceiling. There was a rough rock table and a pool in one corner with steam rising from its surface.