Mossflower

Elsewhere, surrounded by the tranquility at Gingivere’s farm, Germaine is sketching plans for a structure she would like to build—an abbey where all would be welcome to live in peace once Mossflower Woods is free.

Back inside Kotir, the soldiers are scrambling to save themselves: “Beneath their paws, Kotir rumbled and crumbled in its death throes. The whole place was beginning to disintegrate into the massive, rapidly rising lake which surrounded it” (404-05). Tsarmina saves herself by floating out of the fortress on an overturned table, abandoning Brogg in the process. Other survivors are hauled out of the water by the armed woodlanders, and the Kotir soldiers surrender immediately.

While this happens, Martin travels up the shore to wait for Tsarmina to reach land. When she does, a vicious fight ensues between the two combatants: “Tsarmina retreated, backing off as the little warrior came toward her, bloodied but unbowed, the mouse who would not lie down and die. Martin, the one that fought like a great male badger” (412). The wildcat unintentionally backs too far into the lake and drowns. Martin himself is seriously wounded and passes out on the riverbank. The mouse’s friends belatedly realize he is missing and come searching for him. By now, Martin is unconscious, and his wounds are too grave for Bella to treat. Instead, she runs at top speed to Gingivere’s farm to fetch Germaine.

The following day, Bella returns with the old Abbess, who sets to work immediately on Martin’s wounds. She says he will live, but it will take some time for him to recover. Elsewhere, the woodlanders have rounded up the remaining Kotir soldiers and marched them to the forest’s edge. Their former enemies are warned never to return. They are given two days’ rations and sent on their way, “each one feverishly hoping that, regardless of the others, he would be out of sight by sunset, away from Mossflower and its grim horde of dangerous woodlanders” (424).

Ten days later, Martin finally returns to consciousness and finds the woodlanders celebrating their freedom from tyranny. He is informed that during his illness, Gonff and Columbine got married. They now have a cottage near what will be the future site of Redwall Abbey once it gets built. The river has been unblocked, and Wuddshipp refloated.

The story returns to the present moment as the aged Bella of Brockhall concludes her tale for the young mouse, who is fast asleep. His father arrives to claim him. This is the son of Gonff and Columbine, who is also named Gonff.

In the book’s final chapter, the scene shifts to a badger warrior approaching Salamandastron. He is greeted by two hares who ask his name: “Some call me Sunflash the Mace. I am the son of Bella and Barkstripe. I’m a traveler” (431). The hares are not surprised to meet Boar’s grandson. They say his coming was depicted in the wall painting in Boar’s chamber: “both hares stood in the cave entrance. They bowed to the badger. ‘Welcome to your mountain, Sunflash the Mace, Lord of Salamandastron’” (431).