13

To Tammos utter amazement, when all the hares returned to camp, he counted only eleven, including Perigord and Rubbadub. The Major was amused by the look on his new friends face.

“I can see what youre thinkin, laddie buck. Well, let me tell you, the Long Patrol counts quality high above quantity, wot! Here, let me introduce yto our happy band. This is our Galloper, Riffle, fleet of paw and fastern the wind. Sergeant Torgoch, a walkin armory, collects weapons, specially blades. These twore TarenTurry the terrible twins, cant tell em apart, eh, never mind, neither cn I. Lieutenant Mono, our Quartermaster, can steal a nut from a squirrels mouth an make him diink hes jolly well eaten it. My sister, Captain Twayblade, charming singer but rather perilous with that long rapier she carries. The delightful Pasque Valerian, best young medico tcome off the mountain, Ive seen her fix a butterflys wing. That chap theres Midge Manycoats. Hes our spy, master o disguise an deadly with a noose. Then theres Rockjaw Grang, Giant o the Norm, bet yve never seen a hare that size in a seasons march. That leaves mself, whom yve met, an Corporal Rubbadub, the droll drummer.

Rubbadub smiled widely, clapping his ears together twice and issuing a drum sound so that it looked as if the ears, and not his mouth, had made the noise.

“Boomboom!

Russa nudged Tammo and, nodding toward Torgoch, murmured, “That uns carryin yore blade, mate!

Amid the array of daggers, swords, and knives bristling from Torgochs belt, the young hare identified his own weapon, its shoulder belt wound round the blade.

Tammo braced himself and faced the hare. “Beg pardon, old lad, but I rather think thats my dirk youve got.

The Sergeant took Tammos weapon from his belt. Balancing it deftly on his paw, he smiled ruefully. “I oped it wouldnt be, young sir, tis a luvverly blade. I took it orf a vermin oo didnt look as if Vd be usin it agin. Youd best ave it back, ydont see knives like thisn a lyin about every day. A proper officers weapon tis, Id say a Badger Lord couldve made it.

Tammo was about to put on the belt when he suddenly sat down hard on the ground and began shivering. The ache in his head had become overwhelming. The tall saturnine Lieutenant Mono nodded gloomily at Pasque Valerian and said, “Ill light a fire an heat some water. Youd best see to that young un, hes got a touch o battle shock. I recall mself bein like that first time I saw serious action.

Pasque sat alongside Tammo, rummaging in her herbalists pouch. “Lie back now, easy does it. Here, chew on thisdkmt swallow it, though. Spit it out when youve had enough.

It was a sort of sticky moss, bound together by some type of vegetable gum, with a taste reminiscent of mint and roses. Tammo chewed slowly, and through half-closed lids he watched Pasque mixing herbs by the fire. She was the prettiest, most gentle creature he had ever encountered. Tammo resolved that he would get to know her better, then his thoughts became muddled as he drifted away into warm dark seas of slumber. Night had fallen when he awakened, and a delicious aroma of cooking reminded him he was very hungry.

Perigords sister, Twayblade, patted the log beside her. “Feelin better now, young un? Come an perch here. Rub-badub, bring this beast somethin to eat, wot.

Instinctively, Tammo reached to touch his injured head. A massive paw engulfed his, and he found himself staring upward into the fearsome face of the giant hare, Rockjaw Grang.

“Nay, lad, thart not to touch thy ead yet awhile. Best leave alone what our little lass as patched up. Sithee, coom an set by tfire.

Rockjaw picked Tammo up as if he were a babe and sat him down between Twayblade and Pasque, who smiled quietly at him and said, “I hope youre feeling better this evening.

Tammo flushed to his eartips and muttered incoherently, feeling completely awkward and embarrassed for the first time in his life. He wanted so much to talk with Pasque, yet his tongue would not obey his brain. Rubbadub saved the situation by marching up with a bowl of hot pea and celery soup with fresh-baked bread to dip in it.

He winked and grinned broadly. “Drrrmrr tish boom!

Russa raised her eyebrows. “Oh, he does cymbals too?

The young Galloper Riffle refilled the squirrels beaker. “Aye, marm, bugles also, an flutes when hes a mind to. Ol Rubbadubs a full band when the mood takes him.

Major Perigord turned to his troop good-humoredly. “Stripe me, but youre a dull bunch o ditch wallopers! We aint welcomed our guests with the anthem yet.

Tammo looked up from his soup. “The anthem?

Midge Manycoats took out a tiny flute and got the right key. “Humm, humm, fa, sol la te, fa, fa, fa, thats it. Right, troop, the Song of the Long Patrol. Like to hear it, Tammo?

The young hare nodded eagerly. “Rather, Id love to!

With Midge acting as conductor and choirmaster, the little woodland camp with its flickering fire shadows, echoed to the famous marching air of the Salamandastron fighters.

“O its hard and dry when the sun is high

And dust is in your throat,

When the rain pours down, near fit to drown, It soaks right through your coat.

But the hares of the Long Patrol, my lads,

Stout hearts they walk with me

Over hill and plain and back again

To the shores of the wide blue sea.

Through mud and mire to a warm campfire,

Ill trek with you, old friend,

Oer lea and dale in a roaring gale,

Right to our journeys end.

Aye, the hares of the Long Patrol, my lads,

Love friendship more than gold.

Well share long days and tread hard ways,

Good comrades, brave and bold!

Rubbadub completed the anthem with a long drumroll and a double boom as Tammo and Russa thumped out their applause on the tree trunk.

The terrible twins, Tare and Turry, called out to Tammo, “Come on, come on, youve got to jolly well sing us one back!

“Aye, so yhave, sing up, Tamm, you look as if ycould belt out a good ditty!

Russa Nodrey noted the horrified look on Tammos face, and smiled wryly at Perigord. “Hah! Look at im, thatn would sooner be boiled in the soup than sing wid yore pretty Pasque sittin next to im!

She spared Tammo further embarrassment by volunteering herself. “Ye cant expect that hare tsing whilst es recoverin from an injury. Ill do my anthem for you, tis called The Song of the Stick. Though I usually sings it when Im alone.

Leaping up, Russa began twirling her small hardwood staff, tossing it in the air, catching it on her tail, flicking it back overhead into her paws, and spinning it until it became a blur as she sang:

“This aint a sword, it aint a spear,

An arrow, nor a bow,

Tis just a thing I carries round

With me where eer I go.

It cannot talk or grumble,

And never answers back,

But it can sniff out vermin

An land em such a crack!

O my liddle stick o wood, my liddle stick o wood,

Whacks herenthere an everywhere,

No weapons half so good,

An I am tellin you,

My friend so stoutntrue,

This liddle piece o timber

Has always seen me through.

Itll wallop a weasel, sock a stoat,

Or fling a ferret from is coat,

Twould knock a fox clean out his socks,

My liddle stick o wood!

The hares gathered round, applauding Russa, who was still performing tricks with the hardwood, which seemed as though it had a life of its own.

Tammo waved at her. “Thanks, matey, that was great!

Russa came over to whisper in his ear. “I wouldnt do it fer any otherbeast, Tamm, performin in public aint my thing. So remember, you owe me one, pal.

When the meal and the entertainment were over, Major Perigord gave out his orders.

“Heads down now, chaps, we move out at dawn. Rockjaw, take first watch. Riffle, Midge, reeky round a bit, see if ycan pick up the vermin trail for the mornin. Compliments an gnight, troop.

Russa and Perigord sat by the fire, long after the rest were asleep, conversing in low tones.

“What brings you an the Patrol over thisways, friend?

“Rapscallions an Lady Cregga Rose Eyess commands. We travel on her orders, Russa. Last winter we did battle with old Gormad Tunn an his army, never seen so many vermin in me life, wot! Well, we gave em the drubbin they richly deserved an sent the scum packin. Great loss o life on both sides, but Rapscallions got the worst of it, by mleft paw they did! Our Badger Lady was like a pack o wolves rolled into onebeast when the Bloodwrath came upon her. They took off like scalded crabs an we pursued em almost into deep water, hackin an smashin at their fleet, did a fair part of damage to it. Hah, off they sailed, screamin an cursin something dreadful!

Russa stared into the fire. “Evil murderin beasts, twas all they deserved!

The elegant Major stroked his mustachios reflectively. “Trouble is, nobeast seems tknow where the blighters went. We know Rapscallions dont sail out on the open seas, they hug the coasts an make raids from their ships. So were certain they cant have had their fleet sunk out at sea an got themselves drowned, worst luck. Lady Rose Eyes is extremely worried, ysee theyve dropped completely out of sight, over a thousand Rapscallions, with Gormad Tunn and those two evil sons of his, Damug an Byral. Our Badger Lady figures that the cads are layin up someplace, plannin a major comeback. Huh, they wont come near Salamandastron again, but shes of the opinion, an rightly so, that the great Rapscallion army11 find a target easier than our mountain. Russa, I tell you, with a mob o that magnitude they could create a veritable bloodbath anyplace!

Russa nodded her agreement. “So she sent you an yore troop out to track em down?

Perigord stirred the embers with his sabertip. “That she did, old friend, and we searched most o the winter until we located todays gang. But theyre only a blinkin fraction of the main band, mustve had their ship blown off course an wrecked. I think theyre travelin overland to join up with the others, thats why were trailinem. Pity we had to show our paws by attackin them today, but I couldnt let you an young Tammo be slain by those foul blackguards.

Russa patted the Majors left paw gratefully. “Thanks, Perigord. I wasnt greatly bothered, but itd be a shame tsee a fine young hare like Tammo butchered by vermin. I brought him along with me because tis his lifes ambition to join the Long Patrol. E idolizes you lot.

The hare squinted along the length of his saberblade. “I could see that. Bear in mind, both Tammos maternpater ran with the Patrol once. He comes of good fightin stock, that young un. Officer material, I shouldnt wonder, wot?

Both beasts sat silently, watching the flames die to embers. Russa finally stretched out in the shelter of the beech log and said, “If you take him with yer Ill come along for the trip. Promised his ma Id look out fer im. Wots yore next move?

The Major unbuttoned his tunic and lay down. “Sleep whats left o the night, I spose, then carry on trailin the vermin an see where they go. Though if they persist in trav-elin south Ill have to stop em permanentcant have those killers wanderin up the path to Redwall Abbey. Lady Creggad have an absolute fit if she knew wed let a gang o bloodthirsty thieves anywhere near the Abbey.

Russa rolled over so that her back was warmed by the embers. “Fits right in with my plans. I was plannin on visitin ole Abbess Tansy, an of course theres always the famous Redwall kitchens, no grub better in the land!

Major Perigord Habile Sinistra licked his lips dreamily. “Im right with you there, old sport!