Salamandastron (1992)

Salamandastron is a fantasy novel by Brian Jacques, published in 1992. It is the fifth book published and eighth chronologically in the Redwall series.

Plot introduction

Ferahgo the Assassin, a terrible weasel warlord, and his son Klitch lead their army of Corpsemakers to Salamandastron, to take over from the Badger Lord, Urthstripe the Strong. Meanwhile, at Redwall Abbey, two stoats run off with the Sword of Martin the Warrior after accidentally killing Brother Hal with a bow and arrow left out from a carnival the night before, and young Samkim, a mischievous squirrel, and his partner Arula the molemaid set off to claim back the sword. As the young squirrel and mole attempt to restore the symbolic weapon, a deadly fever ravages Redwall Abbey. The only hope to stop the disease is an otter named Thrugg and his partner, young Dumble the dormouse. At the same time, Mara the badgermaid leaves Salamandastron with Pikkle Ffolger, her friend the gluttonous hare, only to be tricked by Feragho's son Klitch and his lackey, Goffa. The two join forces with the Guerilla Union of South Stream Shrews of Mossflower (Guosssom) to take the Blackstone from the mysterious badger ghost.

Plot summary

The book follows the tale of the Badger Lord Urthstripe the Strong and his battle against Ferahgo the Assassin the least weasel. Mara, Urthstripe's young adopted daughter, and her hare friend, Pikkle, befriend Klitch, a young weasel, and Goffa, a ferret. They invite the two into Salamandastron but they are made to leave the following morning, after which Mara and Pikkle decide to leave the great mountain stronghold, Mara especially having become tired of the strict ways of Salamandastron.

Meanwhile, two stoats, named Dingeye and Thura, have recently deserted Ferahgo's army and are unbeknownst to them are being tracked by a group of six vermin from the horde, led by a fox, Dethbrush. They manage to find their way to Redwall Abbey and are taken in by the kind beasts that reside there. While tensions mount as to their presence, the ruling beasts of the Abbey decide they may stay: the two stoats, while uncouth, have done no harm.

Mara and Pikkle, meanwhile, follow Goffa and Klitch, who turns out to be the son of Ferahgo. They are nearly led into a trap but are saved by Sergeant Sapwood, who was sent by Urthstripe to follow them. They are ambushed by Ferahgo's horde, but escape, taking refuge in a cave. Unfortunately, the cave is inhabited by a sand lizard called Swinkee. A fight ensues, and Mara accidentally pulls off Swinkee's tail. After the fight, Mara and Pikkle ask Swinkee if he can take them to Salamandastron. To get Swinkee to do it, they promise him a large bag of live swampflies and marshworms. Swinkee double-crosses them, however, and leads them straight to a tribe of cannibal toads. They are presented to the chieftain, a large, repulsive, fat toad called King Glagweb. He throws them into a pit where 36 young shrews are kept captive as well, one of these is Nordo, son of Log-a-Log of the Guosssom (Guerilla Union Of South Stream Shrews of Mossflower). The shrews explain what the toads are going to do to them and their escape plan.

Later, when they are nearing a feast day, a black acorn drops into the pit, signalling the captives to throw whatever they have at the toads. After a few minutes of hard fighting, Log-a-Logs shrews come and free the captives while fighting and killing the toads. Mara attacks Glagweb, only to be stopped by Log-a-Log, who throws Glagweb into the prison pit, along with a large, healthy, young pike. Later, Log-a-Log asks a boon of Pikkle and Mara, asking them help in retrieving the Blackstone, the symbol of leadership among the Guosssom. He explains he had been ruling only through sheer strength, and that a badger ghost had taken the stone. The trip to the island was treacherous because of the appearance of the Deepcoiler, a large monster residing in the lake that terrorises the Guosssom, along with a conspiracy against Log-a-log launched by a shrew named Tubgutt, whose life is saved by Mara when the Deepcoiler attacks them. Tubgutt apologizes to Mara, and pledges to always assist her for saving his life. When Mara and Pikkle and the Guosssom reach the island, they delve into the islands forest, meeting the 'ghost' badger, who is really a living badger named Urthwyte, the long-lost brother of Mara's father, Urthstripe, and Urthstripes' grandmother and Mara's great-grandmother, Loambudd. Loambudd tells them of how Ferahgo the Assassin, years ago, had murdered Urthound and Urthrun while she was out collecting berries, Urthound telling her to do so not wanting her to be present at what he thought would be a peace conference with Ferahgo. When Loambudd returned, Urthstripe was missing.

Back at Salamandastron, the hordes of Ferahgo have begun to clash with Urthstripe. Throughout the conflict, Klitch and Ferahgo frequently argue with one another, Klitch complaining of Ferahgo's old age and Ferahgo pointing out Klitch's naivete, both nitpicking each other's methods of invading Salamandastron. Ferahgo decides to secretly send in a fox, Farran the Poisoner, to poison the food and water supplies in the mountain. Later, he also discovers a closed-off kitchen outlet, where he has his horde use to tunnel into Salamandastron.