On the shore outside Salamandastron, Stiffener Meddick, an old boxing hare, was just completing his daily exercise on the sands above the tideline. Though he was well on in seasons, Stiffener never neglected his daily routine. He had finished his dawn run, lifted stone and log weights, and was onto the final part of his duck and weave drill. Throwing a final few combination jabs into the mist, he retrieved his champion's belt from a rock and began fastening it about his hard-muscled waist.

Stiffener's scarred ears picked up an unfamiliar sound on the ebbing tide. He looked and saw a group of vermin coming toward him. Twelve blue rats and another creature covered by a cloak. Or were there two cloaked figures? He blinked again. No, it looked like only one.

Stiffener nodded toward the newcomers aggressively. "Ahoy there, mates, who are ye an' what do ye want 'ere?"

One of the rats arose and walked over to face Stiffener. He was a big, evil-looking creature, clad in armor under a tabard embroidered with a sickle hook insignia. The rat's voice was heavy with contempt as he addressed the old boxing hare.

"Koyah! Creatures of the lower orders are not allowed to speak with the Grand Fragorl. Kneel before her and stay silent until I address ye further!"

Stiffener smiled dangerously at the armored rat. "I think you'd better kneel t'me, laddie buck. A lesson in good manners wouldn't go amiss in your case."

A smart whack to the jaw caused the rat to totter groggily. Stiffener clubbed down with his left paw on the rat's shoulder, forcing him into a kneeling position. Suddenly the boxing hare found himself hemmed in on all sides by the swords of the other rats. One of them looked toward the hooded figure, who made a few gestures with her shrouded paws. The rat turned back to stiffener and spoke.

"Nobeast ever raises paw to the chosen ones and lives. You are fortunate that the Grand Fragorl has spared your miserable life, for she wishes to deliver a message to your chief, he who rules the mountain. You will take us to him."

Stiffener was not about to argue with twelve blades. He nodded to the cloaked figure, speaking as he turned to go. "Y'best foller me, marm. I'll take ye to Lord Stonepaw, though I doubt he'll offer ye breakfast if'n yore bound to keep actin' all 'igh an' mighty."

So he went in and got Lord Stonepaw, the current Badger Ruler and Brocktree's father. Then Stonepaw came out with Stiffener and three other hares.

The spokesrat staggered forward. Toying arrogantly with his sword hilt, he looked Stonepaw up and down.

"Are you the one in charge here? Speak!"

Lord Stonepaw brushed past him as if he were not there, and pointed a great gnarled paw at the cloaked one. "Who are you and why do you trespass upon the western shore with armed soliders?"

Removing the cowl of her cloak, the hooded one revealed herself. She was a blue furred ferret wearing a nose ring, from which hung a gold sickle hook amulet. Her voice carried with it the haughty tone of one used to being obeyed.

"I am Grand Fragorl to Ungatt Trunn, Ruler of the Earth. You are one of the inferior species, but he has given me permission to deliver his message to you."

Feeling his hackles begin to rise, the Badger Lord growled, "Inferior species, eh?"

"Yes, the inferior species are hares, otters, shrews, moles, mice, squirrels, ponies, and badgers. You are a badger, so you are of an inferior species." Drawing a scroll from her robe, the ferret read aloud: "Be it known to all creatures of lowly order, the days of Ungatt Trunn are here. All of these lands and the seas that skirt them are from hereon in his property. You have until nightfall to vacate this place. You must take nothing with you, neither victuals not weapons. You will also leave behind you any serving beasts who are of use. This is the will and the law of Ungatt Trunn, he who holds the power to make the stars fall from the sky and the earth to tremble. Obey or die!"

Stiffener Meddick raised his javelin. "Just say the word, m'lud, an' we'll give 'em blood 'n' vinegar. Us lower orders are pretty good at things like that, y'know!"

Stonepaw touched Stiffener's javelin so that it pointed down to the sand. He heaved a sigh of resignation as he replied to the Grand Fragorl.

"Deliver this message back to whatever lunatic scum you serve. Tell him that Lord Stonepaw of Salamandastron is accustomed to the blowing of windbags, as your master will find to his cost if he dares to land here. Now get out of my sight and take these blue-painted idiots with you!"

Wordlessly the ferret and her soldiers retreated to their boat and rowed off into the mists.

Sailears, a garrulous old female warrior, twirled her lance nonchalantly. "Nice little parlay, wot. Well, is that it?"

Shaking his grizzled old head, Stonepaw turned and stumped back into his beloved mountain. "I wish it was, friend. I wish it was!"

The first thing he did when he got back inside was to find Fleetscut, his right paw hare. Fleetscut was eating stuff. All hares eat a lot.

"It looks like our mountain is about to come under attack," Stonepaw said.

Fleetscut nodded, his cheeks bulging. "I know, sire, I heard everything from inside," he said as he shoveled oatmeal into his mouth with his paws.

"Have you still got the ability and wind to be called a runner, Fleetscut?"

The ancient hare laughed mirthlessly. "S'pose I could still kick up a bit o' dust, m'lud. Why?"

Stonepaw lowered his voice to a whisper. "All the hares on this mountain are old. The young ones left long ago. I want you to search the countryside for young warrior hares, or any creatures you can find. We need help as we've never needed it before. Find them and bring them back to Salamandastron, as fast as you can!"

Fleetscut bowed dutifully as he flexed his paws. "I'll give it a jolly good try, sire!"

Lord Stonepaw hugged his old friend briefly. "I know you will, you old grasswalloper. Good luck!"