With the trapping pit complete and the lookouts, Egbert, Max, Degar and Pretus on their way to the Scarlet compound, everyone back at the camp in front of the Crimson Rose took the opportunity to relax. Almost everyone. Ozab had become quite a task-master to the six beasts who would be infiltrating the enemy camp. Winky and Groggs were feeling deprived, seeing their fellow friends lounging around, relaxing, while they were being put through the same marching drill for the tenth time.

"Dis is stupid, we been doin' dis dumb march fer hours. I needs me some chow," a disgruntled Winky muttered to his cousin.

"Yeah, I know what'cha mean. I'm marchin' in my sleep. And what about all dem stupid dings we gots to say, what's dat all about?" Groggs whispered back, none too quietly.

Ozab, who had been standing nearby, overheard the mutinous chatter and stepped in front of the two stoats.
"So you think I'm wasting your time?" he asked directly.

Groggs looked down at the ground and answered meekly.
"Not wastin', exactly, but overdoin' it a bit."

"Is that so? Do you agree?" he asked Winky.

"Kinda," the stoat answered unenthusiastically.

Ozab smiled.
"So how much effort is your life and the lives of your friends worth, because make no mistake, if we are discovered for the tiniest mistake in our actions or responses, we will all be killed."

Winky looked guilty as he answered.
"I'm sorry mister Ozab, I'm just real hungry is all, my brain gets all angry when my stomach is hollow."

Ozab couldn't keep himself from chuckling. He approached Winky and gently put his paw on the stoats shoulder.
"An honest answer, my friend, but you must understand that how you act and respond to their questions is a matter of life and death. How about we practice the responses to the challenges one more time and if you can answer them, we'll quit for today and get something to eat?"

Winky looked up, slightly ashamed.
"Okay, mister Ozab."

The old mongoose stepped back a few paces and shouted out the challenges.
"Who goes there?"

Winky thought hard before answering.
"The brothers of the mater holies," the stoat replied.

"Martyred holies, martyred...," he corrected.

"Martyred, got it."

"And thou art?" Ozab continued.

"A lonely warrior for a new world."

"Good...What are the three rules?"

Winky thought hard.
"Obedience to our priest...su...sub...suberv..."

"Subservience," Ozab assisted.

"Right...Subservience to Xenophus...and...let's see...devotion to the prophecies of your...right?"

"Almost, it's 'devotion to the prophecies of  'Neure', Neure, not 'your'," Ozab said almost sadly.

Winky smiled broadly.
"Neure, right. I did good didn't I?"

Ozab looked the stoat in the eye. He knew the beast was trying.
"You still need work, but yes, you did good. Everyone go get some food and rest, we'll meet again tomorrow after breakfast."

The squad dispersed. Groggs slapped Winky on the back in congratulation for the fine job he had done. Ozab watched them walking back to the beach. He shook his head.

"We are doomed," he said quietly to himself.

Back at the camp, the main group of the outcast force, had finished eating and sat around a bonfire. Hopeful laughter filled the air and strains of crude songs and makeshift instruments drifted along the beach. Orange Willum, in charge while Egbert was on patrol, sat next to Wilbur and Zian, drinking grog from a flagon Gella had found for him. Ursamus, the snow-bear, sat across the fire, enjoying the camaraderie and bad music.

Willum chortled loudly after an old sea-salt sang a ditty about a foul-mouthed maid he had loved as a child, he turned to Wilbur.
"I'm not sure you should be a'listenin' to this vulgar birdsong, me young rip. Yer uncle would be right upset if'n I let yer sensibilities get corrupted," the orange cat said chuckling.

"Oi'm almost grown full, Cap'n Willum. Us poirates haven't got any sensibilities," the young mole said almost seriously.

Willum smiled and slapped Wilbur heartily on the back, sending him tumbling forward.
"It's true matey, we ain't known fer our sense and usually it's us what does the offendin'."
The pirate stood and called out, "Enough songs about lost loves and sad stories, any of you coves know a good pirate ditty? I'd sing meself, but I got a voice like a dyin' dragon and if'n I sang I'd likely as not send some of ye runnin' into the sea and we needs all the men we can muster. Well? Surely one of ye hard sea-dogs knows a pirate song?"

Wilbur tugged on Willum's sleeve.
"Oi do!" he said excitedly.

Willum looked down at the anxious mole and helped him stand.
"Well then maestro, the floor is yours. Nuthin' too sweet now, a rough and tumble pirate song."

Wilbur grinned wickedly.
"No, nothing to sweet...," he cleared his throat and then began to sing loudly.

"It's a poirates feast,
That's what it be,
With gizzards, lung, and heart,
And it's pumpin' still,
So Oi'll eat my fill,
Though the blood tastes kind of tart.

Now, a villains guts be tasty,
Served fresh with  a poundin' heart,
When Oi see it there,
Ya best beware,
For the feastin' gonna start.

It's a poirates feast,
That's what it be,
Served with some grog and rum,
So Oi'll sing a song,
And it won't be long.
Till the poirates feast is done,
Till the poirates feast is done..."

Willum stared slack-jawed at Wilbur for an instant, then broke into loud laughter.
"Why you blood-thirsty little ground pirate! If'n I tell Eggy ya sang that shanty, his fur'd go white. Well done, young mole, that's the goriest song I ever set ears on. I means ta keep an eye on ye, lessen ya decide ole Willum's lookin' tasty."

Wilbur sat smiling proudly. He glanced over at Gella, who was giving him a severe look. His good humor melted and he felt slightly guilty until he looked once more in the pretty rat's direction to see her laughing and clapping loudly. More songs were sung, jigs danced, and friends made. When the festivities finally ended, a symphony of snores echoed along the beach. There were dangerous times ahead, but for now, at least, an air of happiness encompassed the sleeping souls.

Degar and Pretus, the two human sailors accompanying Egbert and Max to the Scarlet Brotherhood as lookouts, walked up ahead of the big mole, animatedly discussing some previous voyage the two had taken together as deckhands. Egbert couldn't hear the particulars, but the interchange had reached a level of disagreement that threatened to escalate into an exchange of fists. Egbert hastily scrambled forward with Max on his shoulder and placed his bulk between the two outraged mariners.

"Gois, calm down!" the mole said urgently, "They can hear you all the way in Thoth, be quoiet! Dere are beasts here that would have us dead, we have a job to do."

The two men stopped fighting immediately and went silent. Degar spoke for them both in a level, calm voice.

"We're sorry, Pretus and I, for makin' a racket. It won't happen again. We don't much like each other." At this point Pretus nodded vigorously. Degar continued, "We each got the bad fortune of always endin' up at the same place together, it's a curse we gots to endure, but don't worry, we'll be quiet now. We kin fight when we gets back." With that the two men continued up the hill to the plateau on which the monk's compound and the Deev castle stood. Max turned on Egberts shoulder and let out a squawk and a laugh.

"How'd we get stuck with them, with them?" he asked.

Egbert smiled.
"Just a curse we have to endure, Oi suppose."

When they reached the edge of the plateau, Egbert halted the advance. He removed a spyglass from his belt and looked in the direction of the looming castle in the distance. It stood about three miles ahead across a flat meadow. The edge of the erstwhile monastery could barely be seen behind it. After viewing the scene carefully, the mole replaced the spyglass in his belt and remained quiet in thought. He fingered the Asherouboros tooth which hung from his neck and considered his options. Finally he spoke.
"We can't see the compound's entrance from here, we need to get closer and further north so we have a clear view. There is a stand of trees about a moile into the plateau...there!" He pointed north towards a patch of greenery on the relatively flat terrain which was only sparsely dotted with groups of trees, most of them closer to the castle than Egbert wanted to approach.

"We'll have to wait here till it gets dark, it's all open ground between here and there and we can't risk being seen. Oi'll keep watch till we can go, you two troi to get some sleep...you'll be awake a long toime on watch. Max, till we get set up where we can watch for the Gleaners, Oi want you to do a floi-over above the monastery every half an hour to make sure the patrol doesn't leave under our noses. Is everybody clear?"

"Will do, Eggy, Eggy," Max replied.

"We could do with a nap," Pretus added.

Eggy found a boulder he could sit up against while watching for the Gleaners. He made himself comfortable for the hours ahead and re-opened the spyglass, placing it at his side. Looking up at the sun, he estimated it would be four hours till dusk and six until they could move to the forward position. Max sat at his side for a while before beginning his first run over the enemy's stronghold.
Now, thought Eggy, we wait.