passalong3

Here is the 3rd Pass-along-page, starting on chapter 7. If you want to write the next chapter, email me, please!

Chapter 7 Written by Tajon

Things looked bad within Salamandastron. Lord Stonepaw looked over the mountainside, frowning and shaking his head.
   "Things have gone from bad to worse. Most of our hares of the Long Patrol left before news of Bloodclaw arrived. We have few to defend the mountain. Even with two warrior badgers, I don't think we stand a chance." Stonepaw muttered.
   Ceteruler looked at his son, feeling very old. "I believe that we could last out for a few weeks, maybe a month or two with our troops. Remember, we do have the mountian, my son."
   Stonepaw slammed his paw on the table. "But we don't have enough time! While the Long Patrol is feasting in Loamhedge, we will be fighting for our lives in a battle we cannot win! Do you not see that? Are you blind with age?" He slumped forward and put his paws in his hands. After a long pause he sat up, looking very depressed. "I'm sorry father...I didn't think...I should respect you."
   Ceteruler put a large grey paw over his son's back. "That is all right, son. It is true that two badgers find difficulty living together. We must think of our options."
   "To die. Or..." Stonepaw suddenly looked less depressed. "If...no...still...we could send a party out. Find the Long Patrol and bring them back here."
   "Alas, my child, even with the Long Patrol we are still outnumbered 6 to 1."
   "Let me finish! Then, with our troops, we could go to Loamhedge and pick up able bodied troops. Also, we could find many new recrutes, I know we could! Don't you see? With the Long Patrol and other recrutes, we would have a chance."
   "Son, your idea appears to be the only option. I will prepare food and drink for you and your party."
   "Me..my party?" Stonepaw's cheerful face fell into a frown. "But...father...in all due respect, I do not believe that you are the warrior you were a few years ago."
   "I'll admit that too. But if our choices are to die or die trying, I would be honored to die waiting for my son to return to me."
   Stonepaw's eyes filled with tears as he embraced the ancient badger. "I am so proud to have you for a father."
*****
The Backstabber was having quite a good time. His scouts had reported that the mountain was very lightly armed, and that they would own the mountain in less then a month. Just a few hares, and the two badgers. Well, the one, the old one, won't last long. The younger one though... Bloodclaw silently sighed, then smiled with a toothy grin. That one he would kill and frame the head. 'And when I get into the mountain,' he thought, 'I'll have all the badger treasure to buy new recruits, and then I'll rename the mountain! Bloodtop, I'll call it.' He silently motioned to Deathgrip.
   "All right, scum. Move the troops so that the mountain is surrounded by day-break. I want no one to escape and go for help. Understood?"
   "Y-yes sah, I'll do it right away sah." mumbled Deathgrip.
   "There's a good fox. Go!" He watched Deathgrip scuttle away and turned back to the mountain.
   "I'll have your head, badger. You wait. Your pitiful army won't survive against the mighty horde of Bloodclaw!"

Chapter 8 Written by Hon Rosie

Stonepaw and his small group of hares snuck out of the mountain. Walking silently so that the vermin wouldn't notice them in the dark, they reached the coast behind the dune. Looking back over his shoulder, Stonepaw's eyes brimmed with tears. H...his father had done a brave thing, knowing that he might not last out long enough for Stonepaw to return with the number of hares and other recruits that would be needed to defeat the vermin. Turning, Stonepaw stuck out his jaw with determination, vowing that he would return and kill the evil scum. He trotted down the coast, his hares following him. The mountain was still within sight after an hour's march. Now he had to be extra careful, for the main body of the vermin horde were all camped near here. Trying to sneak past, the great badger and his little band of hares flighted from sand-dune to sand-dune. Suddenly the sound of battle cries reached his ears. They were coming from Salamandastron! He heard his father yelling from the Chamber of Echoes. "YOU VERMIN WILL NOT HAVE MY MOUNTAIN WHILE I AM ALIVE TO DEFEND IT! EEEUUULLLAAALLLIIIAAAA! RALLY TO ME, MY FAITHFUL HARES! COME! LET US DEFEAT THIS FOEBEAST AS FATE WISHES! EEEUUULLLAAALLLIIAAA! MY SON! COME BACK SAFELY! THE MOUNTAIN WILL STILL BE STANDING!"
Tears coursed freely down the cheeks of Stonepaw, listening to the war raging behind him. He wanted to go back, but he knew that he had an important journey to travel. Breaking into a run, he and his hares dashed along the coast, making sure to stay behind dunes and keep quiet so that the vermin wouldn't hear them.
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Lord Ceteruler had several hares posted at every window, shooting arrows and javelins down into the seething horde. The vermin wouldn't try to capture the mountain yet, for the wise badger knew that Bloodclaw would be playing with his time, thinking that there were no other hares to come and aide the aging badger. The old badger lord shot arrows from his great longbow into the army below, slaying a vermin with every shot. He would buy all of the time that could be saved, giving more time for his son to return...if he did before the mountain was gone. Lord Ceteruler ground his teeth. Of course the mountain would wtill be standing. He would never let those vermin take it! He would give up his own life to protect the mountiain, its hares, and its legacy. The great badger sighed at his own thoughts, for it was written that he would perish before his son came back....
*************
A group of hares defending a lower window were chatting away. A young hare, Blossem, was scared stiff, for it was her first battle. She hadn't left with the Long Patrol a few seasons back. "The...the vermin...they won't get us, w-will they?" Her teeth chattered as she spoke. Sergeant Fleetjab pasted an assuring grin upon his face at the young hare. "No, ole gel, wot wot! We're too tough foh them to just bally well get at us! Don't worry yor pritty fer over it, lass. Salamandastron will stand as long as there is a hare in this mountain to defend it!" All of the hares listening nodded. Inside, though, behind his disarming smile, Serbeant Fleetjab was worried. Would Lord Stonepaw ever come back in time with enough reinforcements? There were more vermin then she had thought, and this was only part of their great horde. How would any of them live through this? Well, she didn't care if she died in battle, but it was just that if vermin controlled the mountain, then they would soon be all over the area of Mossflower and the western coasts. Sergeant Fleetjab promised herself that she would make sure that Salamandastron would still be standing when Stonepaw came back, dead or not.