"They went up that way an' into the woods." Runn pointed north.

"An' they was carryin' those big bows an' lots of arrers too!"

327.

35.

Gabool unsheathed his sword and glared suspiciously at the three Captains who had stridden into Fort Blade-girt at the head of their crews.

"What are you three doin' here? What d'yer want?"

"You told us to come back here, Gabool."

"King Gabool. You call me King, d'ye hear. Anyway, what news?"

"No news. Graypatch an' that dratted Darkqueen have vanished from the seas-no sign of 'em anywhere."

Gabool tugged absently at his matted beard. "That's no news. I've taken care of Graypatch an' Darkqueen long ago. Belay, have you three swabs been sinkin' ships in Terramort cove?"

"Ships, what ships?"

"Two of 'em, haharr, but never mind that. Have ye heard the bell? What about the great badger, did yer clap eyes on him?"

Riptung looked from Hookfin to Grimtooth. All three raised their eyebrows and shrugged. They watched as Gabool went across to the bell.

"See that! They don't hear ye, so why should I?"

"So it's right, he's mad as a gaffed fish," Riptung whispered to Grimtooth.

328.

Gabool spun round. "Avast, don't you three start plottin' behind me back!"

Riptung took a cask from one of his crew. He banged it down upon the table, stoving its head in with the hilt of his sword. "n.o.beast's talkin' about yer, King Gabool. Come an' share a beaker o' this wine that I won!"

Grimtooth strode to the window. He stood drinking his wine and looking out to sea, then turned, laughing, to the others.

"Hoho. Lookit, mates, 'ere comes the Waveblade, sailin' inter the cove like a stranded sardine. Haharr, I'll wager ol' Orgeye's still in his bunk snorin'."

They crowded to the windows to watch. Hookfin tugged Riptung's sleeve urgently. "Did you leave any watch aboard yer vessel, matey?"

Riptung swung a claw back over his shoulder. "No, they're all up 'ere with me. Why?"

Hookfin pointed down at the three ships. "Then who's movin' those vessels out ter sea?"

Riptung drew his sword and faced Gabool. "This is one o' your tricks. What's yer game?"

But Gabool did not hear the angry Captain, he was staring wild-eyed at the hulking figure that paced the deck of the Waveblade, distant but unmistakable.

"Aaaaah! It's him, it's the badger!"

Immediately the three searat Captains and their King started bellowing orders to the packed hall.

"Get down t' the cove, stop the Blacksail puttin' out t' sea!"

"Kill the badger. I'll make any rat a Cap'n who slays him!"

"Stop the Nightwake, some scurvy slob's tryin' to steal her!"

"The badger! Kill the badger, shipmates!"

"Get after the Crabdaw, buckos. Bring 'er back t' me!"

"Whoever kills the badger is a rich rat, you got Gabool's oath on that!"

329.

Mariel stared at the three searat ships as Wavebladc sailed into Terramort cove. Rawnblade swung the tiller, navigating between them.

"Strange, they've just arrived yet they're going out again."

Tarquin shaded his eyes and peered across. "Aye, an' those aren't searats who are sailin' them. What d'you think's goin' on?"

"Ahoy there, Mariel!"

The mousemaid gasped. There standing on the sh.o.r.e of the cove, waving at her, was Dandin. She jumped up and down, waving back.

"Dandin, Dandin! Stay there, we're coming ash.o.r.e!"

They plunged over into the shallows and waded onto the beach.

Dandin hugged and patted Tarquin and Mariel, who in their turn squeezed him tightly, ruffling his whiskers and patting his paws as if they could not believe it was really him. Smiling happily (and sniffling a little), Dandin managed to extricate himself from the welcoming huddle.

"I thought you were dead, I was certain you'd been drowned, though there wasn't much time to think about that with the fix me and Durry found ourselves in. I tell you, don't ever become an oarslave, it's worse than being captured by the Flitchaye!"

When the reunion was finished and Lord Rawnblade had been introduced, Mariel looked about. "Where's Durry?"

No sooner had she spoken than, in company with two hooded shrews, Durry came pounding down the path to the cove. The young hedgehog looked very dashing, wearing a broad leather belt with several daggers bristling from it and a hood on his head.

"Oh, Durry, you do look a proper swashbuckler and no mistake!" Mariel laughed.

However, Durry Quill was in no mood for banter. Puffing and blowing, he waved back over his shoulder.

330.

"Phew! Quick, 'urry up, there's about five 'undred searats 'ot on me trail. They're comin' after you, I think. Mikla, Flann, get that ship out to sea. I'll take these friends to the caves. Hurry!"

The two shrews Mikla and Flann waded out to the Waveblade to take her out of the searats' reach with the other three ships.

Mariel, Tarquin and Rawnblade followed Durry and Dandin as they raced off in the opposite direction to Bladegirt, toward the sheer rocky coast which veered up on the west side of the cove.

00.

The searat frontrunners, with Riptung and Hookfin in the lead, came rushing down the path to the sh.o.r.e of the cove.

Riptung threw his sword down in frustration. "h.e.l.l's tail! They're too far out, we'll never get to 'em now!"

Hookfin raced about on the sh.o.r.eline, searching for a dinghy to pursue his ship in. "Thunder 'n' blood! Ain't there nothin' we can give chase in?"

An enterprising rat called Felltooth stripped off his more c.u.mbersome weapons, thrust a dagger in his headband and entered the water.

"Waveblade's not too far out, Cap'n Riptung. May'aps we can swim to 'er an' use 'er to bring back the other three ships!"

Riptung retrieved his sword. "That's the way, matey. Some of yer go with 'im. Any good swimmers?"

Seven searats gripping daggers in their teeth waded into the sea.

Hookfin pointed in the direction of the crude trail which led up into the high rocks. "Look, it's the badger!"

Dandin glanced down to the yelling hordes racing across the sh.o.r.e to the rocks. "We've been spotted, here they come!"

Lord Rawnblade set his back against a rock, raising 331.

the sword Verminfate in both paws. "Get running, I'll stop them!"

Dandin stood in front of the upraised sword. Rawn-blade was beginning to breathe heavily, his eyes glazing over as he watched the searats below. The young mouse took the badger's paw.

"There's no need for you to stay. Come with us. They'll never find us -you'll see!"

The badger Lord took considerable moving, all four tugging and pushing him farther up the trail and behind an overhanging outcrop of rocks, where they were out of sight of the rats. Durry went across to a big craggy boulder. He pushed it, moving it easily to one side. Tarquin gasped in astonishment at the tunnel that yawned before them.

"Golly! That's jolly clever, Durry-a secret tunnel. How did y'manage to move that whackin' great boulder with one single shove?"

Durry swelled his chest out. "I ate a good breakf'st."

Dandin laughed. "Take no notice of that little fibber. Come inside and I'll show you how easy it is."

They filed into the tunnel, Rawnblade stooping to get his great size through the opening. Dandin was last in. Quickly he set flint and tinder to a dry brush torch and pa.s.sed it to Mariel. "Hold this and watch."

Leaning out of the cave entrance, Dandin gave the boulder a light push and sprang back. The ma.s.sive rock tottered slightly and rolled back into its former position, blocking the tunnel entrance. He took a wedge of ship's timber and slammed it tight against the bottom of the boulder. "There, that'll stop anybeast moving it. The whole thing works on a fine balance, you see. Now stay quiet and listen!"

Hookfin and a bunch of searats rounded the rocky outcrop. Before them the winding trail ran upward into the high hills, completely devoid of signs of life. The searat Captain looked hither and thither without suc- 332.

cess. "This is the way they came. I'd stake me oath on it. Where've the scurvy blaggards got to?"

"They've vanished, Cap'n!"

"Stow yer gab, biscuitbrain. n.o.beast just vanishes. They're round 'ere somewheres-I know it."

"Well, my old dad used ter say that badgers were magic beasts. Maybe they 'ave vanished, Cap'n!"

Hookfin aimed a kick at the speaker. "Huh, your ole dad must've lived up a tree with a branch growin' through both ears. Don't talk such bilgerot. No, they're round 'ere, I can feel it."

"May'aps they're be'ind that big boulder, Cap'n."

This remark did not improve Hookfin's temper.

"Aye, an' mayhaps I'll beat your brains out agin that great boulder if yer make another stupid suggestion. Spread out an' look around."

As they searched, one searat close to the boulder nudged his mate. "Can you smell burnin', matey?"

"No, but it'll probably be Cap'n 'ookfin's old brainbox tryin' ter figger out where the badger went. Heeheeheehee!"

"You two over there, stop sn.i.g.g.e.rin' an' start searching or I'll lay me sword blade across yer backs!"

00.

Rocking back and forth with silent mirth, the creatures in the cave listened to the searats outside. Even Rawnblade had to stifle a few chuckles. Finally Dandin took the torch and went off down the winding rocky tunnel.

"Come on, we can't stop here all day listening to those buffoons."

The tunnel sloped gently downward. Mariel stared at the rough rock walls in the flickering torchlight as she followed Durry Quill. "Where are we going, Durry?"

"Down to the main cave, missy. That's where us Trag warriors meet."

"Trag, what's that supposed to mean?"

Durry Quill flourished a fearsome dagger, muttering darkly, "Terramort Resistance Against Gabool. Trag 333.

see, first letter o' each word. You'll like our Chief though, he knows you very well."

Mariel was mystified. "Knows me? How?" Durry smiled in the shadows as he answered, '"Cos he's your daddy, Joseph the Bellmaker!"

Dandin felt the torch s.n.a.t.c.hed from his grasp as Mariel dashed past. She disappeared down the winding tunnel, leaving them groping in the darkness as the mousemaid's voice echoed about them at a screaming pitch.

"Father! Fatheeeeerrr!"

cxo It was an immense cavern, high above the tidemark on the sheer rock coast, facing the open sea and well lit by the summer sun. Free creatures, former oarslaves and Fort Bladegirt drudges, sat about on rocky ledges, cleaning and preparing weapons, cooking over fires and readying meals. All activity ground to an immediate halt as the mousemaid came hurtling down the tunnel into the cavern.

Heedlessly dropping the flaring torch, she threw herself into the paws of Joseph, hugging him fiercely as her tears flooded into the silver-gray fur of his broad shoulder.

"Father! Oh, Father! I always knew I'd find you again someday!"

Joseph the Bellmaker held his only child, the pain and anguish of many long days and nights turning to unbounded joy as a happy smile lit his strong face, banishing the glistening dew which threatened to spill from his proud eyes. "Mariel . . . Mariel my little maid, how you've grown! I never knew all this time whether you were alive, but in my heart I refused to believe that you were dead and I always knew you'd return somehow, my little Mariel!"

The others stumbled out of the tunnel, Durry Quill dabbing tenderly at his swelling snout, which he had banged against the rock walls in the darkness.

334.