Salamandastron


 * This article is about the book. For the mountain, see Salamandastron (mountain).





Winner:


 * Lancashire Libraries Children's Book of the Year Award

Nominated:


 * Carnegie Medal

Book Divisions (English)

 * Book 1: Questors and Runaways
 * Book 2: Warriors and Monsters
 * Book 3: Destinies and Homecomers

Summary
The young badger Mara runs away with her best friend, Pikkle Ffolger from her home, the mountain of Salamandastron, displeased at her father Urthstripe's treatment of her. Urthstripe is worried about her and he waits that the young badgermaid would return.

Later Mara and Pikkle return to Salamandastron in the company of a weasel called Klitch and a ferret Goffa. Urthstripe is angry, because Mara took two vermin to the mountain and they argue fiercely after Klitch and Goffa is locked in their rooms.

In the camp of Ferahgo the Assassin and his horde, a fox Dethbrush and his six trackers report that two stoats Thura and Dingeye hasn't been found yet. Ferahgo sends the trackers on the journey again.

At Redwall Abbey, a young squirrel called Samkim and his molefriend Arula are punished from the frightening of a kind hedgehogwife Faith Spinney in the orchard. Samkim is warned about the careless using of the bow and arrows. Samkim and Arula are escorted to the infirmary of the Abbey to complete their punishement.

Next morning after the breakfast Klitch and Goffa are guided out of Salamandastron. Mara doesn't like it and she and Pikkle ran after their friends. Klitch asks Mara about the treasure of the badgers, but she says that she knows nothing about the treasure. Urthstripe asks two hares, Sapwood and Big Oxeye to follow Mara and Pikkle.

Two stoats, Dingeye and Thura, who has deserted Ferahgo's army, end up near the Redwall Abbey. They sneak inside the Abbey and they are caught by the otter Thrugg. The stoats cry and plead that they could stay in the Abbey and Abbess Vale agree. Stoats are forced to do the work in the kitchen.

Mara, Pikkle and Goffa set up camp and Klitch steals away, saying that he is going to scouting the land ahead. Actually Klitch goes back to his father, Ferahgo's camp to report. They are planning to capture Mara and Pikkle and keep as hostages to get the treasure of the badgers.

Sapwood who has followed Mara and Pikkle warns them about Ferahgo and Klitch and says that they have to escape. Two youngster obey and Sapwood leads some of Ferahgo's horde to other direction. Pikkle and Mara hide inside the cave among the dunes. They hear that they are pursued by three trackers Migroo, Sickear and Dewnose. Pikkle tries to sleep and his friend takes the guard duty, but Mara falls asleep.

Two friends are woken up by a lizard named Swinkee, who attacks upon them. The fight follows and Swinkee loses his tail. The lizard is angry that the badger and the hare have pushed in his cave. Pikkle promises that they'll repair the cave and give a lot of insects the lizard for breakfast if Swinkee guide them to Salamandastron. Swinkee agrees.

At Redwall, Abbess Vale names the season "The Summer of the Lazy Trout". Redwallers arrange the big feast and for the new season. During the sport contest, the storm ruins the fun and all the creatures go to inside the Abbey. Tudd Spinney notices that he forgot his glass on the stairs of the west wall and Samkim and Arula promise to get back. Whilst they walks across the lawns of the Abbey grounds, the lightning strikes on the weathervane and the sword of Martin the Warrior falls from the roof.

Two stoats, Thura and Dingeye wake up before the others and they go to Great Hall. They begin to play with the bows and arrows, which are used in the sport contest. They accidentally murder the Abbey Recorder, Brother Hal. The stoats flee from the Abbey and take the sword of Martin with them.

Samkim wakes up and he finds the body of Brother Hal. The young squirrel is found by Friar Bellows, who is shocked when he finds Samkim near the dead Brother. Samkim is falsely accused of the murder of the Abbey Recorder. With Arula, he sets of to retrieve the sword of Martin the Warrior, which had been stolen.

Thura dies of Dryditch Fever and Dingeye leaves him behind. Later Arula and Samkim find the dead stoat and they meet a woodvole Furgle the Hermit. He tells the youngsters to bury the body of the stoat and the vole goes off to Redwall to warn its dwellers about Fever.

Mara and Pikkle wake up and find out they are the "foodslaves" of the toadking Glagweb, because of the betrayal of Swinkee. They meet a shrew Nordo, who is a son of Log-a-Log. Nordo tells them that his father and Guosssom are coming to rescue them.

Samkim and Arula stop to eat lunch and they are attacked by angry wasps. An old hedgehog called Spriggat saves them. While Samkim and Arula camp, Spriggat finds the body of Dingeye, who is killed by Dethbrush and his trackers.

Not long after Samkim leaves, the denizens of Redwall realize they are contracting Dryditch Fever. The otter Thrugg and a Dibbun named Dumble quest for the fabled Flowers of Icetor to heal the afflicted.

Ferahgo with his horde arrives in Salamandastron. Urthstripe and ten Long Patrol hares parlay with Ferahgo. A battle erupts. Urthstripe and the hares retreat to the mountain and block the entrance.

Guosssom rescues "foodslaves" from King Glagweb and marshtoads. Glagweb is thrown into the slavepit with the pike.

Ferahgo makes a plan and his horde attack the mountain while a fox Farran the Poisoner sneaks into the mountain and poisons the drink and food supplies. Farran kills a female hare called Windpaw. Later a young hare Shorebuck is killed by the poisoned food.

Mara and Pikkle arrive at the home of Guosssom. Log-a-Log tells Mara about the Blackstone, which is lost by Nordo in the island of Great Inland Sea. He asks Mara to help retrivie it and she agrees. Guosssom begins the journey to the island.

Thrugg and Dumble meets a young falcon Rocangus, who is injured. Thrugg bandages his wing and the falcon agrees to lead them to Northern Mountains. The trio continue the journey. Later they are attacked by the crows and are saved by the father of Rocangus, Laird Mactalon and his falcons.

On Great Inland Sea, Guosssom is attacked by Deepcoiler and a shrew called Tubgutt attempts mutiny against Log-a-Log. Log-a-Log battles him and the mutiny is stopped.

Ferahgo's horde begin to tunnel to Salamandastron, but the attempt is failed, when Urthstripe floods the tunnel with boiling water. Sapwood, Big Oxeye and Pennybright go to scouting to the shore. Sapwood and Oxeye are captured by Klitch, but Pennybright manage to escape back to Salamandastron.

Deepcoiler attacks upon Guosssom again and the most of shrews survive, but they are injured. Mara rescues Tubgutt from Deepcoiler and he becomes a friend of Mara. Shrews arrive in the island and they hear the cry of "Eulalia!" in the night.

Sapwood and Oxeye free themselves and Oxeye pushs Sapwood out with the piece of the wood to the sea. Oxeye battles with the horde and escapes. Later he arrives to Salamandastron, bringing food with him.

Thugg and Dumble climb the Nothern Mountains to meet Wild King MacPhearsome, who guards the Flowers of Icetor. Thrugg asks Wilg King to give him some of Flowers of Icetor. King disagrees and Dumble attacks him. Amused by the Dibbun, he gives them Flowers of Icetor. Wild King Phearsome flies to Redwall with Dumble.

Tubgutt, Mara and Pikkle meets Ashnin, Loambudd and Urthwyte, who is a twin brother of Urthstripe. Mara tells Loambudd about Urthstripe and the old badger tells Mara how Ferahgo killed Urthwyte and Urthstripe's parents. Guosssom stays in the island for while before they set off for Salamandastron to aid Urthstripe against Ferahgo.

Samkim, Arula and Spriggat with the aid of the rivershrews, catch up to Dethbrush and his trackers on Great Inland Sea.A battle ensues, interrupted by the Deepcoiler. Dethbrush and his rats are slain. The Deepcoiler is killed by Martin's sword, which is embedded into it's mouth. The sword is lost with the Deepcoiler into the depths of the lake. Later Spriggat died due to the wounds taken from Deepcoiler during the attack.

Wild King Phearsome and Dumble arrive in Redwall with Flowers of Icetor. All the dweller of the Abbey are healed.

Mara and Samkim's paths eventually cross, and the badgermaid gives Martin's sword (which she found from the shore of the island) to Samkim. When the entire group returns to Salamandastron, they find that Urthstripe, seized by the Bloodwrath, has leapt from the top of the mountain, taking Ferahgo with him. Urthwyte stays on as Badger Lord; Samkim and Mara go back to Redwall.

Characters in Salamandastron

Release details

 * 1992, UK, Hutchinson Children's Books Ltd., ISBN 0091764335, Pub. Date: August 1992, Hardcover
 * 1993, US, Philomel Books, ISBN 9780399219924, Pub. Date: March 1993, Hardcover
 * 1994, UK, Red Fox, ISBN 0099143615, Pub. Date: January 1994, Paperback
 * 1994, US, Ace, ISBN 9780441000319, Pub. Date: March 1994, Paperback
 * 2007, US, Red Fox, ISBN 1862301417, Pub. Date: August 2007, Paperback
 * 2007, UK, Red Fox, ISBN 1862301417, Pub. Date: August 2007, Paperback