"Princess Kurda told some of us to try an' force a way in through the liddle east wallgate. While we was tryin' i'do i'do it, the rabbit an' his pals dropped a big fishin' net over us an' snarled us up in it. We was trappedthey battered us wid slingstones an' anythin' they could drop on us. Banged big long poles on our 'eads, an' we couldn't get away. The rabbit was callin' us vermin cads an' rat bounders an' sayin' 'wot wot' all the time. We just 'ad to lie there an' take it, until they allowed us t'crawl away, still all knotted up in that big net!" it, the rabbit an' his pals dropped a big fishin' net over us an' snarled us up in it. We was trappedthey battered us wid slingstones an' anythin' they could drop on us. Banged big long poles on our 'eads, an' we couldn't get away. The rabbit was callin' us vermin cads an' rat bounders an' sayin' 'wot wot' all the time. We just 'ad to lie there an' take it, until they allowed us t'crawl away, still all knotted up in that big net!"

Plugg kicked the agonised rat away from him. Picking up his battle-axe, he pointed it at Kurda, his eyes slitted coldly. "You've got no room to curl yore lip at me, missie. I 'eard wot you was doin' while all that was goin' on. Skulkin' back in the trees, far away from it as ye could get, ye white-spined coward. At least I went back t'the ditch to 'elp me mates get away from the slingstones, ain't that right, Slitty?"

Slitfang could scarcely move his head because of the poultice of wet mud and dock leaves covering his back from tail to ears. "Aye, Cap'n, ye did that, you 'elped yore crew!"

There was a brief silence while both Ratguards and Freebooters watched their leaders. Plugg remained seated, but Kurda rose slowly, sabre in paw.

"n.o.beast calls der Princess of de 'Ouse of Riftgard coward/The silver fox came upright, gripping his axe haft. "Oh, is that so, me darlin'? Well, I just didme, Plugg Firetail, an' I ain't pertickler who 'ears it. Yore a coward! A snooty-nosed, lily-livered, cringin', crawlin', gutless, spineless coward!"

Injured and wounded vermin scrambled to get out of the way. Danger hung on the air as Plugg and Kurda began circling each other, weapons raised. The parting of their ways had finally come, and one was bound to die.

Kurda locked eyes with Plugg as she returned his insults. "You are de sc.u.m of der sea, a common stupid foxbeast mitt not even a tail to your idiot name! You shtink, Plugg, de smell of you is all around us, even now! I t'ink dat smell gets stronger because you fear me, you are de coward!" With a roar the Freebooter Captain charged. "Yoooo- haaaaarr!"

Kurda swung her sabre, but the Freebooter's huge battle-axe head struck it, turning the blade and sending the sword spinning from her grasp into the bushes. Carried on by his own momentum, Plugg rushed as she dodged aside. His battle-axe head thudded deep into a sycamore trunk. Kurda ran into the bushes after her sabre, as Plugg gave the axe a tug, but it was buried too deep, caught fast in the sappy wood. Growling with rage, the silver fox left it there and sped after Kurda with teeth and claws bared. Before the Princess could retrieve her blade, the Freebooter was on her.

Saplings swayed, leaves and gra.s.s flew in the air as they battled tooth and claw. Everybeast watched in fascination as shrieks, roars and growls rent the air. Plugg came stumbling backward out of the undergrowth, blood pouring from his wounds. He gave a mad laugh and charged back in, throwing himself at Kurda, who was lying flat on her back, recovering from the Freebooter's first sally. As the silver fox descended on her, she threw up all four paws rigidly. They struck Plugg, knocking the breath from him in a loud whoosh, and he went sailing over her, deeper into the bushes.

Scrabbling wildly, Kurda found her sabre. She wielded it and turned to face her adversary:The Freebooter jumped upright, ignoring his injuries. Everybeast present was witness to what happened next.

There was a loud hissing, and the bushes parted. Plugg half turned to see what was behind him. The three snakes. .h.i.t him with terrifying force, sinking their fangs deep. The silver fox was wrenched screeching into the air, vanishing backwards into the woodland thickets with eye-blurring speed.

"Mates, 'elp meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

His piteous last cries hung on the still air. Then there was total silence. Plugg Firetail, famous Freebooter Captain of the Seascab, Seascab, was gone forever. The sabre dropped from Kurda's nerveless grasp. All around her, Ratguards and vermin crew stood or lay, open-mouthed in shock. was gone forever. The sabre dropped from Kurda's nerveless grasp. All around her, Ratguards and vermin crew stood or lay, open-mouthed in shock.

Grubbage's small whimper broke the stillness. "It's took our Cap'n."

A concerted wail arose from the Seascab's Seascab's crew. crew.

Riggan picked up the fallen sabre and placed it back in Kurda's paw. "Blood, fur an' 'ellgates! Did y'see that thing, marm?"

Still staring into the woodlands, Kurda replied, "You can track it, Riggan?"

The slavecatcher gulped. "Ablindbeast wid only a nose could trail that smell, but who'd want to track that thing?"

The sabre point was suddenly forcing Riggan's chin up. "Unless you vant to die here, you vill track it. Dat is mine command. De t'ing vas vearing de crown of Sarengo. Dat crown is mine by right!"

Morning arrived with pale skies and a light drizzle. The Abbot and Malbun followed the breakfast servers around the walltops, issuing blankets to the defenders. Scarum accepted his blanket and saluted.

"Drizzle shouldn't last long, sah, it'll break before noon."

Scanning the sky, the Abbot nodded. "You could be right, there. Enjoying a full breakfast this morning, I see?"

The young hare dipped his spoon into an outsized bowl of oatmeal. "I should jolly well say so, an' I ain't sharin' it with any vermin, sah. I say, those rotters don't seem to have shown up this mornin', wot?"

Malbun chuckled. "No, perhaps you scared them off altogether, after the brave show you put up yesterday."

Scarum made an elegant leg and allowed her a slight bow. "Only doin' my duty, marm, far too modest t'men-tion it. Though if they have turned tail, one would've thought the blighters'd let us know. It ain't much fun standin' atop of a bally wall for a couple o'days, wot?"

Patting Scarum's paw sympathetically, the Abbot replied, "You're right, of course- Mayhap you'd be better off inside the Abbey, looking after the Dibbuns. They get a bit restless after a few days indoors ..."

Scarum shot to attention, his eyes roving theatrically over the woodlands, as if expecting immediate attack. "Wot, an' leave the little ones unprotected? Not I, sah. Never can tell, the flippin' bounders might be sneakin' up on us even as I speak. I'll hold my post, if y'don't mind. Faithful unto death an' true blue, that's me, sah!"

Triss was sitting within earshot of Scarum, taking breakfast with her friends. Sagax laughed. "Listen to him, the rogue, he could talk his way out of a beehive with that silver tongue of his!"

Kroova remarked drily, "Aye, after he'd eaten the honey."

The squirrelmaid chided them. "I think you two are being unfair to Scarumhe's very brave and dependable. I've grown to like him a lot since we met/'

Shogg put aside his empty bowl. "Well, that's nice of ye, Trissy. Per'aps you'd like to go an' mind the Dibbuns. It'd save the Father Abbot havin' to ask Scarum again."

Triss murmured as she applied herself to the oatmeal, "There is such a thing as stretching friendship too far, y'know."

Scarum had not heard the conversation, but he sniffed haughtily at the sound of their laughter. "Hmph, glad there's some chaps enjoyin' themselves, stuck up here on a drizzly mornin', wot!"

Over at the south walltop, Mokug and Crikulus took their blankets from the Abbot and made a small tent by draping them across the battlements. Mokug and Crikulus heard the laughter of Triss and the others. The golden hamster remarked to the Abbot, "Good t'see they're keepin' in 'appy spirits, Father. I likes to see that. Young Triss there, she told me she was a slave at Riftgard since she was a babe. Nice to know a pretty maid like 'er can come through it all an' still smile."

The Abbot watched Triss bantering and joking with her friends. "Yes, there's a lot more to that young squirrel than any of us realise. See how she carries the sword of Martin the Warrior, as though it were part of her. I think that our Triss will leave her mark upon Redwall Abbey, one way or another."

Crikulus paused over his bowl of oatmeal. "I'll second that, friend, that young 'un looks bound for greatness!"

36.

Without Plugg to lead them, the Freebooter crew was hopeless. Huddling together at one end of the camp, they sat about, slack-jawed and dull-eyed. Kurda watched them as she discussed the next moves with Vorto and Rig-gan. The Princess had little else than contempt for the Freebooters, and she showed it openly.

"Tchah, look at dem, stupid bunch of mudbrains!"

Vorto was inclined to agree with her. "Aye, marm, they ain't foraged for food, nor lit a fire. Sc.u.m like that are no use to anybeast, eh, Riggan?"

The slavecatcher was not so quick to condemn the crew-beasts. Riggan was a thinker, with a wide knowledge of animal habits.

"Mebbe they do seem in a bit of a mess, but look at our own Ratguards. They ain't farin' much better, are they? We've all 'ad an 'orrible shock today. They're frightened, an' wid good reason, too."

Kurda respected Riggan's advice, though she tried never to show it. "So, den, tell me more."

Riggan explained, sure that Kurda would take her advice. "Well, first we needs to break camp an' find some-wheres where that bad serpent smell ain't hangin' about. Wot everybeast needs is a strong leader, like yoreself, marm. Settle 'em down in a new camp, get a good fire goin'not two fires, but one good blaze for all. Post sentries, get foragers searchin' fer vittles. Crack 'em back into shape."

Kurda was nodding as she listened. "Gutt, gutt, go on."

Riggan warmed to her scheme. "When everybeast's lookin' better, you got to make it clear that yore chief, marm. Don't take no backtalk or nonsense from Plugg's ole crew. Y'see, I know yore bound to 'unt that monster down an' git yore crown back. That's goin' to mean a lot o' deaths. So why waste the lives of me 'n' Vorto an the Rat-guards, when there's a full gang o' seasc.u.m fer ye to use?"

The Pure Ferret allowed Riggan one of her rare smiles. "Yarr, ve might even spare der liddle deaf 'un, Grubbage, to sail de Seashcab Seashcab back to Riftgard for us, eh?" back to Riftgard for us, eh?"

The slavecatcher bowed her head briefly. "Yore idea is a good 'un, marm. Right, Vorto?"

The Ratguard Captain agreed immediately. "Good idea, marm!"

Kurda patted her sabre hilt. "All mine ideas are gutt!"

n.o.beast objected to moving camp. Riggan chose a spot closer to the path, a clearing in a fir grove with a clean smell of pine. By nightfall things were beginning to look up; a large fire burned in a freshly dug pit and the foragers had brought in berries, roots and several fat wood-pigeons. The weasel Tazzin and a female ferret, aptly named Fatty, were self-appointed cooks. They set about providing a meal for everybeast. Riggan played her part well, jollying both sides along.

"Ahoy, look at this, mates, the Ratguards just brought in fresh water an' three nests full o' coots' eggs. Keep a good big fire burnin' there, Freebooters, snakes don't like fire. We'll keep it goin' an' sleep round it tonight. Wot's that you got there, Sc.u.mmy?"

The stoat had been laboriously scratching away at a piece of slate with a shard of flint. He held it up proudly.

" 'Tis a poem I writ fer our good ole Cap'n an' pore Prince Bladd, just to remember 'em by."

Vorto could not help sneering at the stoat. "Hah, yew writin'? Rubbish. Freebooters can't write."

Riggan stamped on Vorto's paw and glared at him. "Leave Sc.u.mmy alone, of course 'e can write. I'll wager 'tis a good poem. Come on Sc.u.mmy, mate, read it out!"

The Seascab's Seascab's crew enjoyed the fact that one of their number had some learning. They encouraged him heartily. crew enjoyed the fact that one of their number had some learning. They encouraged him heartily.

"Aye, go on, Sc.u.mm, you show 'em, mate!"

The stoat stepped into the firelight and began reading his efforts, slowly at first, but gaining confidence as he rendered his eulogy to Plugg and Bladd.

"Cap'n Plugg 'ad an 'eart o' gold, He was good at lootin' an' slayin'.

Plugg could lay out some whacks, wid his battle-axe, An' laugh, just as if 'e was playin'.

Aye, but 'e was like a father to us, Ain't a single beast 'ere can say They didn't enjoy a kick from the Cap'n, Once the Seascab Seascab got under way! got under way!

But I tell ye, mates, I cried salt tears, When 'is tail fell off in me paw, Robbed of 'is tail, by a foul sneaky trick, Far from 'ome, on some foreign sh.o.r.e.

Whenever I thinks of dear ole Plugg, The sight'll haunt me mind, Of me an' Grubbage, fixin' that tail, Wid sticky stuff, to his be'ind.

But our Cap'n is gone, an' everyone, Must curse those 'orrible snakes, An' live in 'opes, Plugg was tough as ole ropes, An' killed 'em wid stummick aches!

But 'earken, mates, to the tale o' pore Bladd, All fat'n'white, wid pink eyes, Slayed by a cauldron of oatmeal, Ain't that an orful surprise?

Whacked on 'is royal 'ead, by a big iron pot, Bladd liked oatmeal as much as the next, But not the full lot, served up pipin' 'ot, I'll bet yer 'e felt rather vexed!

Aye, Cap'n an' Prince, we ain't seen 'em since, Wot a sad gloomy story it makes.

One killed at lunchtime by brekkist, An' the other et up by snakes!"

Sc.u.mmy took his bow amid fervent applause from both sides. Many of the Freebooters wept openly, tears coursing down their ugly, bewhiskered faces. Under Vorto's watchful eye, the Ratguards bowed their heads, bodies shaking, as if racked by grief. However, they had difficulty controlling their laughter, as none of them had been particularly fond of the fat, spoiled Prince.

Kurda felt it was time to make her announcement. She stood by the fire, leaning on her sabre.

"Listen to vot I haff to say. No more do I go up against dat Abbey, Now ve must seek vengeance against der shnakes, der monsters vot slayed de good Captain Plugg! Hear me, tomorrow I hunt de serpints to der death, und you vill be at my side and make dem pay for our friend Plugg. Yarr?"

Slitfang emerged from behind the firelight and put the crew of the Seascab's Seascab's view bluntly. "We ain't goin'." view bluntly. "We ain't goin'."

Vorto hurried forward, spear at the ready. "Silence! The Princess is the leader of this group now!"

Slitfang drew his cutla.s.s and pointed it at Vorto. "Shut yore mouth an' keep outta this. Leaders, eh? I'm the leader of the Seascab's Seascab's crew when the Cap'n ain't 'ere, an' I say we ain't goin' on no snake 'unt, see!" crew when the Cap'n ain't 'ere, an' I say we ain't goin' on no snake 'unt, see!"

Kurda curled her lip scornfully at him. "So, you are de coward now, you don't care nodd.i.n.k about de Captain. Seasc.u.m, you are not fit to lead!"

Kurda was a bit taken aback when Slitfang laughed in her face. "Haharr, lissen to 'er, mates, she loved our Cap'n so much that she wants revenge fer 'im? Who do ye think yore foolin', pink eyes, I 'eard you an' Riggan talkin' together when Plugg got taken. Vengeance, me eye, you saw the crown on the snake's 'ead. Now ye know where the treasure lies, in the serpent's den! That's wot yore after, missy. Don't lissen to 'er, mates, she'll get the lot o' ye killed!"

Kurda was trying to hold her rising temper under control. "All right, all I vant is de crown, an' a pawring dat belongs to mine family. You can haff all der rest, shplit it like booty betveen you. It is mine command dat ve go, so obey!"

Slitfang was beginning to enjoy baiting the Princess. "Ho, we'll go all right, first thing tomorrer, straight back to our ship. We're Freebooters, not fools. I'll tell ye somethin' else, too: Don't try an' stand in our way. Right, crew?"

The Seascab's Seascab's company rose, cheering with him to a beast. company rose, cheering with him to a beast.

"Aye, we've 'ad enough, let's ship out!"

"Yore givin' the orders, Cap'n Slitty!"

" Tis wot Plugg would've wanted!"

Kurda seemed to wilt under the weight of opinion against her. She lowered her sabre. Shrugging and smiling ruefully, she skirted the fire, her paw held out to Slitfang.

"So, you are a Freebooter who knows his own mind, yarr. Go if you must, no hard feelinks, eh, Slitty?"

The weasel chuckled. "Aye, an' good luck wid yore snake 'unt, Princess." Lowering his cutla.s.s, he held forth his paw.

It was as if Kurda were back at Riftgard, chopping turnips in the armoury. Two lightning-swift strokes of the sabre, one across, one down. Tazzin reached for her dagger, but dropped her paw as a blade touched the back of her neck and Riggan whispered in her ear, "Just try it an' yore a deadbeast for sure!"

Kurda stepped over Slitfang's headless carca.s.s, flicking his severed paw to one side. She nodded to Vorto. "Take diss out of mine sight!"

Later that night, Kurda lay down at the edge of the firelight to sleep. Riggan and Vorto spread their cloaks on either side of the Princess. She watched the flames reflecting off the pile of weaponry taken from the Seascab's Seascab's crew by her Ratguards. These would only be reissued at her command. The Pure Ferret sighed with satisfaction. "None of de Freebooters challenged me after I make de example mit Slitfang, yarr." crew by her Ratguards. These would only be reissued at her command. The Pure Ferret sighed with satisfaction. "None of de Freebooters challenged me after I make de example mit Slitfang, yarr."

Riggan half closed her eyes, ever watchful as she murmured, "None would even look yore way, marm, you was quicker'n any snake wid that sabre!"

Triss stood on the northwest ramparts, sipping a beaker of hot vegetable soup and watching a silver sickle moon peeking out from behind a small, fluffy cloud. Seated with his back against the battlements, Shogg yawned wearily and stretched.

"Didn't come back, did they? I'm not complainin'. 'Tis good to 'ave a day's peace after wot we've been through."

Scarum slid his empty beaker on the walkway and picked up the otter's half-full one. Shogg nudged him gently. "I saw that, mate. You go on an' finish it, though. It might get yore ears out of their grumpy position."

The young hare's ears half rose, then fell back. "Grumpy? Who said I'm blinkin' grumpy, wot? Stuck up here for the flippin' rest o' me life with nothin' t'do. Huh, I volunteered myself for duty in the kitchens, an' that bloomin' Friar Gooch said he'd sooner have the vermin helpin' out there instead o' me. The nerve!"

Log a Log watched a moth hovering round the glint from his rapier blade. "Never mind, Scarum. I'll tell young Furrel to pack ye an' extra-big lunch tomorrow."

Scarum nodded. "Friendly little molemaid, I like her.

Lunch, did you say lunch, old lad? Why would she be packin' me a lunch, am I goin' anywhere?"