Chapter 2: The five ferrets outside the gate DID look injured and tired, especially with the dim light. One, obiously the leader managed to gasp out,"We were almost slain by birds, horrible birds." His eyes widened as he recalled the night. Abbot Helit sighed. He looked over at Tharmal. "Tharmal, we are an abbey of peace, and of kindness to all creatures." He looked at the lead ferrert. "Bring your friends inside, leave your weapons." He psread his paws wide. "You may only stay till you are healed." "Thank you, your kindness will never be forgotten."
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Sister Cerna looked over the fierace beasts in the sick bay. She walked to the cabinet to get some poultices for the scratches. "I presume you will all be better by mornin." She flounced around, still talking, while Stainteeth, the leader, slipped a hidden dagger out of his belt. Cerna turned to administer the medicine and her spikes stood on end. "Oh, Martin save us!" were her last whispered words.
Chapter 3- Zephyr Starsinger, Badger Lady of Salamandastron, stood in her chambers, looking out onto the open sea. Her male kestrel, Shreath Ironclaw, Littleburd, sat on her right shoulder. Her axepike, once owned by Cregga Rose Eyesm was held in her left paw. Noises arose from putsde her room from the hares that lived in the Fire Mountain, but nothing could draw her gaze away from the three masted ship that sat on the ocean, riding the waves. Blayze-eye the Wild had come to pay a call! Shreath shifted. "They'ms comin'?" he asked in his strange bird speech. She nodded. Tearing her eyes away from the fearsome sight, she walked through the halls, looking for her second in command, Juniper Arrowlance Swiftfight Arone III. the femlae squirrel warrior knew how the hares could work better than themselves, and she would rather have her as her general than any other beast she knew of. She found June training some young hares in a large room. She motioned to her and the squirrel stepped out into the hallway. "What is it you need, m'lord?" she asked her. "Blayze-eye is out there, Juniper," she told her. Juniper nodded, biting her lip. "I'll prepare the hares, Zephyr. We'll be prepared for the,." She then smiled. "Don't worry. We could take them any day; we've never had more hares, ever, in the mountain. There's no way they can beat us!" The Badger Lady smiled slightly and returned to watching the rats; waiting on the tide, coming closer and closer every minute.
Chapter 3: Jonis sat up as a cherry stone went thump on his head. He looked around to see Caina grinning. "Wake up, sleepy bottom." Jonis sat up and shoved Caina. "Sleepy bottom yerself." He saw the small cooking fire and grinned. "Wot's for brekkist?" Raven, who was cooking, shook her ladle. "Scones, berries, and roots, but ya don't get any if ya don't help. See that pot? Go down to the river and fill it right now sah, and that's an order." Jonis saluted, picked up the pot, and marched down to the River Moss. Frostfur came out of the bushes holding a basket of berries. He looked around nervously. "I don't like it here. Tis too quiet, wot." Raven nodded. "I've noticed that myself. We should be careful." Caina was about to toss a berry into her mouth when a yell came from teh river's direction. A few moments later, Jonis ran into their camp. Caina laughed. "Are you okay Jonis? You look as if you've seen a ghost." Jonis shook his head. "It wasn't a ghost, it was..." As he was about to finish his sentence, eight ferrets stepped out of the surroudning foliage. Jonis pointed. "It was them." The ferrets raised an odd assortment of weapons and advanced on the friends.
Chapter 5- "Come on, be lively now! Step up, grab your weapons, we'll be reaady for ol' Blaze-eye!" Juniper yelled at the hares of the mountain. Hares scrambled to do as she bid, pushing and rushing. Gossip floated up to Juniper's ears. "Jolly o' Blaze-eye? Attackin' th' mountain?" Unheard of, wot!""they won't live ter attack us again chaps!" Juniper shook her head. Too much jabberin', she thought. Sighing she headed upmto face the Badger Lady. "M'lady?" "Yes? What's the news?" Zephyr asked without turning her face from teh window. Blaze-eyes sjip was coming in faster, propelled by various slaves. Blaze-eye'll stop at nothin tah get th' mountain. Well fix him! Zephyr vowed. "M'lady? M'lady?" Zephyr snapped to attention. "What is it?" she growled. Juniper gulped. "Well, er, everythin' is goin' okay, 'cept the rumors and gossip. Talk about not fightin', talk about diening, talk about backin' out, talk about bravery." Juniper shook her brown head. "It's awful an' I don' like what they be suggesting." Zephyr fixed her with a cool stare. "It's only talk," she replied shortly. "Yes but..." Juniper trailed off. It's no use arguing with a badger once they've made up their mind. "He's no fear of me, of the mountain, of my hares. He wants my mountain!" The badger lady's voice wad rising. "Well, we'll teach hima lesson." She turned abruotly away from the window. "Get my armor!" Juniper walked away to find the huge badger armor. Lady Zephyr sat and began to polish her axepike, always watching the window, always watching.
Tharmal walked in the sickbay to check on the patinets. He gasped. Oh they killed her! he thought wildly. "Sister Cerna, oh sister!" he sobbed. Abbot Helit stepped in. "What?" Tharmal didn't move. The Abbot moved closer. "Oh no!" he breathed. A shiver swept throughout his body. HE turned to the young male squirrel, Kreptir, who was always following him. Kreptir wanted to be Abbot and followed Helit whenever he got the chance. "Get all able-bodied beasts together in the Great Hall." Kreptir turned to ho. Abbot Helit placed a paw on his shoulder. "First bring me four fighting beasts. One otter and one squirrel. The hare." Kreptir grimaced. A hare was staying at the Abbey and he was eating like this would be his first time to eat in 8 seasons, and it would be another 6 seasons before he ate again. "And the Abbey Warrior, Traylia Squirrel." Kreptir nodded and rushed off. He found what he needed in the Great Hall, where the party was still goign on. He told a mouse to tell everybeast in the Great Hall and make sure no one left. Then he got Skipper of Otters, Lady Capralla of Squirrels, and Jrodrin the ever-hungry hare. Jrodrin was still eating. "Come." Kreptir told him firmly. "No, gotta finsih this helping. No sense in lettin' good tusker go t' waste, wot, wot!" "Some now, the Aboot needs t' see you." Kreptir whispered so only Jrodrin could hear. Jrodrin nodded and bounded over to Skipper and Ca[ralla. NOw to find Traylia, Krepkir told himself, trying to repressa shiver. He liked Traylia a lot. He found her and led them to teh sickbay. "Thank you," Tyalia told him. Kraptir blushed bright red. Abbot Helit motioned them inside. Lookuibg around they saw that the ferrets were gone. "Go aroudn the Abbey with some others. I want everybeast in the Great Hall, adn those ferrets found! You two," he instruscted, pointing to Traylia and Jrodrin, "are to stay with me at all times. We are holding a council of war. When you two are finished roundign the rest up, appoint guards in the Great Hall and join us." Everybeast there nodded, and Capralla and Skipper left. Abbot Helit sat down heavily. "This is going to be tough. Now I believe nobeast should go anywhere without one other and one fighter. Since it is onlt ferrets, I don;t expect it to take too long. Now............"
"When 'ull the others get 'ere?" Cracklefire asked. "Oh the horde will be up in two days." Stainteeth laughed. "I'd alike t' see the abbey bumkin's pu' up a fight!" The toher four ferreys alughed venemously . This abbey was a good as theirs!
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