In the kitchens of Redwall Abbey, Mattimeo and Cornflower fights Vitch, who is a spy for Slagar. Slagar gains entry to Redwall disguised as a leader of a troupe of magicians.
To finally lift the siege, Constance creates a special crossbow to snipe Cluny dead, only for the warlord to learn of the plan and use it to his advantage.
Cluny seizes the family of a dormouse and threatens to kill them unless their father, Plumpen, betrays Redwall and opens the gates to his huge army of rats.
Matthias fights the slave master monster but falls into the abyss. Hanging onto a rope, Matthias falls into a basket after it was cut and meets Malkariss himself.
Redwall Abbey awakes to find their young ones are gone, and as they piece the previous night together realize that Mattimeo was right and that Vitch was the slaver's spy.
Mattimeo realizes that the slaves are headed South and will get no help from their parents who are following false trails - they must escape by themselves or not at all.