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.
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.
At Redwall, little Sister May comes up with a potion to drug the birds with food, and at the river it is a frightened Cheek who finally risks swimming, saving Matthias and company by eating vast numbers of nibbling fish.