Library6

I saw the ship on the horizion a few days back. At first it was not a threat, and we forgot about it. Until to late.
Me and my band silently wiped sweat off our brows. We were watching the sea, watching the ship. Finally I snapped out of my torper and signaled the group. "All right. We won't kill this thing by staring at it. I want A, B, C, and D group to those boats! E group, come with me! Grab that pot!" I had prepared for this. I ordered A group to carry a huge pot full of boiling oil into their boat and mine. I knew it was dangerous, but that ship had to be stopped. "All right, cast off lads! B and D group, go around back and distract the vermin! A, C, and E group are coming with me. With any luck, we will be sending the whole lot of them to the dark forest before nightfall. Go!" We pushed off the shore, and I watched my two brave B and D groups paddle off. I knew that I hadn't bothered to tell them that the odds for them surviving were very slim. I sighed and ordered our troops to hasten their rowing. I watched B and D as they approached the front of the large war-ship. "Any time now, when you see the scouts on this side leaving their posts, our time has come!" I watched as B and D group passed to the opposite side of the ship and out of sight. I wished I could save them. I washed my face with water and watched patiantly. The guards on the starboard side of the rat's vessel hadn't moved. "Any time now...any moment..." my teeth gritted together. I suddenly heard the noise of battle. This was it! I watched the guards. They didn't move. Had they spotted us? Suddenly, a huge flame of Greek Fire flew over our heads. "Move move! Move the boats! Mo-" The Greek Fire hit head on. An intense fireball explosed out of the area where C group had been. Sreams of the crewmembers were suddenly silent as the burning boat was caught in the inferno. Tears streaming down my face, I screamed, "Give 'em blood and viniger! ATTACK!" I ordered my groups forward. Another huge fireball came soaring towards us, but we moved safely out of the way. 2, 3, 4 more shots were launched, but all we recieved was a few burnt paws. Then our side was quiet. What was going on? Where their more then we suspected? I squinted, hoping to see the battle better, when suddenly it happened. I saw, on the Port side of the ship, a gigantic fireball arising into the sky. B group! D! I could hear screams of pain. My face was suddenly full of feirce anger. They killed them! They KILLED THEM! "ATTACK! PUT YOUR BACKS TO IT!" We were close enough that now I could see the bodies of the slain; black spots in the water, floating. Their Greek Fire was once again launched in our direction, while I fought to stay out of the blast. Arrows! Fire arrows! We were less then 100 feet away! Come on... Suddenly, as if in slow motion, I saw the leader of A group being hit by an arrow. He fell backwards, into the pot. It tipped, spilling, and then... "NOOOOOOOO!!!!" I watched as my own creatures were killed by their very own weapon. Fire erupted over entire A boat. I paused, suddenly realizing, as the A boat began to sink, that I was Salamandastron's last hope. I armed my bow; we were now only 10 feet away from the boat. I killed 10 or 12 in a few brief seconds. I grabbed the large pot, and lept onboard the rat ship. I slew many with my stick, and finally yelled, "See you at the Dark Forest!" and dumped my boiling oil onto their Greek Fire. The explosion was amazing. I was launched clear off the ship, 100 meters away, and fell head first into the water, where I quickly was senseless. I awoke in a stony room. Salamandastron! Had we...won? I tried to stand up, but my foot paws were bandaged and I couldn't move. I looked over to see Irongrip and Tammo speaking silently. "But...what if he doesn't awake? Then what?" "Then, we will preform the funeral as soon as possible." "How could anyone survive a blast like tha-" "Hey? What?" I mumbled. Irongrip looked amazed, and even Tammo was awestruck. "Good job, very good job Tajon." Irongrip smiled. Tammo looked at me with admiration. "Come, the feast is ready, wot!"

I was planning how we would ever get the 1000 gold coins we needed. At first I thought maybe we could ask Redwall Abbey if they could help. But Redwall doesn't use money so they couldn't help us. Birtail, a young hair that although had just joined the Long Patrol was advancing through the ranks, quickly strode in. "What's going on, sah?" he asked. I told him that we had to come up with 1000 gold coins pronto. "Fer those mercenaries, I guess," hesaid, replying, "You jolly well guessed right wot." Then he gave me a piece of parchement, it read: "Help! A robber band is stealing all we had. Help! We live directly behind Salamandastron, please help!
"A robber band! That's it!" I nearly shouted, before Birtail could ask anything I told him to get his spear and three other hares ready for combat. He shot off like an arrow from a bow. Soon, all of us were marching towards the forest behind Salamandastron. Hearing noises we started to go slower taking time to avoid noisemaking. Finally we came upon a small meadow, in which were about ten rats who were pillaging a small house. Charging in we quickly routed the robbers, who had dropped everything at our warcry. The family who had apparently thrown the letter in the bottle that had floated out to sea, came out to thank us. After thanking us they offered us anything that we wanted. "Do you have about 1000 gold coins on you? I asked. Laughing the family pointed at the robber's sacks. The sacks were completely full of gold! "YES!!" I yelled. "Birtail, go inform Lord Tammo to hire those mercinaries, we have the gold!" Birtail shot off again. Picking up five of the ten sacks, I thanked the family and started to march off towards Salamandastron. My squad picked up the rest. 500 more soliders for the Long Patrol!

I knew time was running out. It had to be a quick plan that would work. From what I heard, the vermin was as black as a shadow. I remembered reading the scrolls of records of long ago. When Ferhago the Assassin was attacking Salamandastron, a poisoner had gotten inside the mountain, and added poison to the food, killing several hares. The Lord of Salamandastron had used a wise way of pairing up hares and having them search the mountain from top to bottom. I decided that it was the best idea. I told Lord Tammo, and he agreed with me. Talling me that he would take two hares and wait at the bottom-most level of the mountain, he left the rest to me. I gathered all of the hares, and had them all come to the top. I paired them up and set each one at each flight of steps in the mountain. Paring myself up with another young hare with the name of Fleetscour, I set off down my flight of stairs. Fleetscour and I searched every nook and cranny, making sure there were no vermin about. At the bottom level, where all the stairs met, I saw that all of the hares had reached the bottom at the same time as us. We all saw a shadow running towards the room that Lord Tammo was in with his two hares. We all crowded around to that door, making sure the vermin couldn't get out. Lord Tammo, satisfied, had his two hares stand aside him, making sure the vermin couldn't run. He handed the vermin a sharp rock tied to a vine that was long enough so that the rock could be swung about, and a short staf. He supplied himself with identical weapons. He faced the vermin and started speaking. "You, vermin, will fight by my rules. This is a fight to the death! No other weapons but these, or my hares surrounding you will kill you right away." The vermin nodded, obviously frightened. He jumped at Tammo, trying to catch him by surprise. Tammo quickly struck out with his staff, catching him just below the midriff, knocking the wind out of him. Allowing the vermin to rise, he waited. The vermin threw a handfull of sand at Lord Tammo's face, who shut his eyes to avoid the dust getting in them. At this, the vermin swung out with his vine rope, trying to his Lord Tammo over the head. All of the hares were surprised at what happened next. Lord Tammo, who still had his eyes shut, ducked and shot his staff hand up, allowing the vine rope to twirl around it. Opening his eyes a crack, he quickly pulled the vermin in a little bit, and swung out with his vine rope. The rock hit the vermin's head, killing it instantly. All of the hares started whooping and clapping. I went to Lord Tammo and saluted. "Well, M'Lord, I think the mission is done, wot! Thanks to you, mainly!" Tammo nodded and patted me on the back. "Thank you, Hon Rosie. We are rid of our vermin pest in this mountain!"