Tsarmina was right beside the fox leader. She was not about to stop out in the woods with her soldiers, leaving Bane to take over Kotir in her absence.

“Right, Bane. I’ll leave Brogg with some of the others to get on with the job. The rest of us will go back to Kotir with you.”

As they marched off through the morning brightness of Mossflower, one of Bane’s foxes sniggered as he trod on the back of Ratflank’s cloak.

“Yah, I think your pussycat Queen’s frightened of us locking the fortress door on her.”

Ratflank tugged his cloak free, sneering. “Oh yes? Well, you just try calling her pussycat to her face, hero!”

* * *

The first Bella knew of the attack was when the Corim leaders regathered their crews at Brockhall. Abbess Germaine and Columbine organized bandages and herbs, Loamhedge mice bustled about ministering to the wounded. Skipper refused to stand still, and Goody Stickle chased about after him, dabbing at his injury, trying to get a bandage around it.

There were tears of rage in the otter’s eyes. “Six lost, by the fur. Where did they come from? Who was that fox with all those scruffy murderers? Tsarmina could never have done this on her own.”

Lady Amber adjusted the bandage around her head so she could see properly.

“I heard someone call him Bane,” she told him. “Get Chibb. Tell him to go to Kotir. He’ll have to be very careful, but we’ve got to find out all we can about this other lot.”

Foremole tapped a digging claw upon the table.

“Us’ll avter do summat ’bout Urthclaw, Soilflyer ’n’ Billum. They’m stucken down ’oles. Oo be a-tellen wot they villyuns do to ’ee.”

“Yes,” Bella agreed, “it’s most important that we rescue the moles from the tunnels. Next on the list is to make sure that the area around Brockhall is completely hidden. If they don’t know where we are, they can’t attack us. Furthermore, we will need to find a second hideout, somewhere deeper into the east of Mossflower. If ever Brockhall is discovered, another refuge will be very necessary.”

Messengers were sent out to find Chibb, and the woodlanders set about erasing the tracks around Brockhall, while Germaine and her mice tended the wounded with dedicated care.

The memory of the murderous ambush still lingered.

Lady Amber was not one to forget.

Neither was Skipper.

* * *

Before noon, Chibb had reported back to the Corim, but the news was not good.

“Er, ahem. Very serious, very serious. It seems that this fox Bane is an expert, a mercenary with a band of about sixty. Harrumph. ’Scuse me. Evidently they are planning another ambush, as deep as they can get into Mossflower in one early morning march. Tomorrow, they plan to set out at dawn in a skirmish line, killing or capturing all before them.”

Columbine held up her paw. “Then we must not give them any targets. Everyone should stay here, completely out of sight, in case Brockhall is discovered.”