Mossflower

“For a moment his eyes met those of Tsarmina’s. His voice was clear and unafraid. ‘Your father made a just decision, but yours was the right one. You should have killed me when you had the chance, because I vow that I will slay you one day.’”

Martin is addressing Tsarmina after she has just advised her father to kill the mouse. Verdauga respects Martin’s courage and spares him. The warrior mouse makes this statement very early in the novel, but he will use these same words in his final battle with Tsarmina when he makes good on his threat. Unlike her father, she is incapable of recognizing strength in others when she sees it.

“Verdauga coughed painfully. He lay back on the pillows. ‘If you think that, daughter, then you have made a grave mistake. I have seen courage before; it comes in all shapes and sizes. Just because he is a mouse does not make him less of a warrior than me. He has a fighter’s heart—I saw it in his eyes.’”

Tsarmina has made the critical mistake of underestimating her enemy. Because of Martin’s small size, she assumes he could never win in combat against her. Aside from Tsarmina’s greed, arrogance is her other defining characteristic. She has contempt for her soldiers, the woodlanders, the mercenaries, and anyone else who isn’t her. This tendency to underestimate others will be her downfall.

“Martin clasped Gonff’s paw warmly. ‘I’m sorry, Gonff. All I did was stand here making stupid remarks. You are the expert. From now on you have an assistant who is willing to learn from your experience. In fact, you’ve got a real mate, matey.’”

Martin and Gonff are locked in a prison cell together when Martin makes this remark. It offers an interesting contrast to the preceding quote that reveals Tsarmina’s arrogance. Although Martin considers himself a mighty warrior, he is humble enough to recognize that he is no master thief. He is willing to take a back seat to someone else who possesses a skill he does not.

“Peace is not found like a pawful of nuts or an apple. The wildcat is here, and Kotir won’t go away if we close our eyes. Sooner or later we will have to fight to rid the land of them. Only then can we talk of building and peace.”

Martin has just made this remark to the woodlanders, many of whom want to shut their eyes to the threat that Kotir presents. Aside from Skipper’s and Amber’s troops, it should be noted that most of the woodlanders aren’t armed soldiers. They are farmers. Their peaceful ways make them easy targets for Tsarmina’s minions. As a warrior, Martin recognizes the need for even the most peaceful of folk to become assertive to keep what is theirs.

“We’ve got time on our side. I know that Kotir larders must be run down considerable since we all left. Huh, the cat and her soldiers can march about all season, but there’s no one left to order about and they ain’t no farmers, that’s sure. They’ll starve without others to do their labor.”

Ben Stickle makes this shrewd observation about the enemy. While everyone is terrified of warriors with weapons, the woodlanders have yet to realize the parasitic relationship that the army occupies relative to the peasant farmers. Those who have no skill but fighting must exploit those who can grow crops, or they will starve.

“‘Mice, two silly little mice, have escaped my prison. Together with a rabble of woodlanders, they have made fools of you all.’ Nervous paws crunched the gravel as Tsarmina’s fury and scorn lashed them. ‘I’ll take revenge for the insult to my majesty. Mossflower will be drenched in the blood of any creature who will not obey me.’”

Once again, this quote demonstrates Tsarmina’s supreme arrogance. Not only is she dismissive of Martin and Gonff, but she is also insulting to her own troops. Her willingness to refer to “her majesty” is yet another indicator that she considers herself a superior class of being to everyone else. However, she is vulnerable to insult and wants to exact revenge for it.

“Tsarmina widened her eyes in mock horror. ‘How awful! We attacked ourselves in the dark. No doubt it was all a little mistake.’ ‘That’s right Milady, just a bit of a mistake, it could have happened to anyone, really.’ Fortunata’s protest sounded hollow.”

During a night mission in the woods, Fortunata and Ashleg end up attacking each other’s soldiers in the dark. While the episode is a clear indication of incompetence, as Tsarmina’s comment suggests, it is also a good indicator of the morale in Kotir. Tsarmina likes to play her underlings against each other. So, it’s no surprise that they would attack each other even without the excuse of a dark night.

“You must think all the acorns have dropped off my tree, Cludd. I know where you’ll be, mate—grabbing all the glory for yourself. ‘Yes three,’ Milady, no Milady, three bags full Milady. I saw them first, Milady, so I’ve sent daft old Scratch off chasing the odd three.’ Hoho, I’m on to your little game, weasel.”

A soldier named Scratch is arguing with his commanding officer, Cludd. As his comment suggests, he is worried about Cludd taking credit for Scratch’s exploits. This statement mirrors the dispute between Fortunata and Ashleg in the preceding quote. Tsarmina’s abusive attitude toward her minions trickles downward so that they all abuse each other to the same degree.

“‘Did you hear who their boss is, matey? Old Cludd the clod. He couldn’t order his own two ears to stand up straight.’ Martin put his supper to one side. ‘Maybe not, but he was smart enough to spy on us without our knowing it. I think we should treat them as enemies. That way we won’t be caught off guard.’”

In this quote, Gonff is making the same mistake as Tsarmina. He is ridiculing his enemy and assuming that Cludd doesn’t pose a serious threat. Martin wisely counsels that even an incompetent enemy can get the upper hand. Later events in the story will prove this assertion true. By treating Cludd as an enemy and not a buffoon, the travelers stand a better chance of keeping themselves from being harmed by him.

“The stores are getting lower, since we were unable to levy tribute from the few that lived around our walls. That’s the trouble with being a conqueror and having an army to feed: soldiers are no good at providing anything unless they can snatch it away from the helpless.”

Tsarmina is complaining to her council about the difficulty of providing rations for her soldiers. As in Ben Stickle’s earlier comment, she recognizes the vulnerability of armed warriors who can’t feed themselves. In this statement, she also highlights their general uselessness. Their only strength lies in instilling fear in the helpless. Tsarmina fails to see the limited effectiveness of fear. Peasants eventually get tired of being afraid and move away, leaving soldiers to starve.

“You are the only one I can really rely on. I never forget those who serve me well. I haven’t forgotten that you helped me to be Queen with your knowledge of herbs. This is a big area to rule, and it becomes lonely. I could do with someone as wise and clever as yourself to share that rule.”

Tsarmina is flattering Fortunata into undertaking a dangerous mission on the queen’s behalf. This same tactic is employed on multiple occasions with other underlings. Tsarmina uses her minions until they no longer serve a purpose. Then, she discards and replaces them. It should be noted that this tactic only works because Tsarmina’s followers are just as greedy as she is.

“‘Spare me your lies, fox.’ Amber’s voice was flat and harsh. ‘You have lived the life of a traitor and earned the reward of treachery. Tell your deceitful tales to whoever meets you at the gates of Dark Forest.’”

Fortunata has just been ambushed by Amber’s archers and is about to die. During her surveillance mission, she hatched a duplicitous plot of her own involving Mask, so her death is well deserved. As Amber notes, Fortunata has not only betrayed the woodlanders but was on the point of betraying Tsarmina as well. Of course, the queen would have betrayed Fortunata in a similar manner if given the opportunity. Trust does not exist among the inhabitants of Kotir.

“Tsarmina’s grisly plan for victory over the woodlanders did not bear thinking about: enslavement, death and imprisonment. Nor did the expression of fiendish delight upon her face every time she talked of separating woodland families, locking infants in cells as hostages, wreaking a murderous revenge on otters and squirrels, putting the old and infirm out to the fields as enforced labor.”

Tsarmina has just confided her plans to Mask. In his fox disguise, he has been appointed a commander in her army. Ironically, Tsarmina trusts him because he seemed on the point of returning her hedgehog hostages. Of course, this was a sham display meant to fool her, but Tsarmina is impressed by Mask’s cold-heartedness in betraying children. She assumes that they share the same ruthlessness.

“All things being equal, we must have plans of our own. Merely sitting waiting on Boar’s return will not help Mossflower; we must all act to the best of our abilities.”

The abbess makes this important statement when it seems that reinforcements won’t arrive anytime soon. In most heroic literature, the noncombatants wait passively for the hero to return and battle on their behalf. The wise old abbess realizes how foolish such a tactic is. All the woodlanders possess various skills that can serve the cause of self-defense, even if they don’t wield swords.

“‘Congratulations, Corim. I think it is a good plan,’ she announced. ‘Best of all, it will save open warfare and loss of life.’”

Here, Bella is expressing her unwillingness to engage Kotir in a war. Just as the preceding statement subverts expectations about who will save Mossflower Woods, this quote also upholds the value of life instead of the glory of combat. Killing one’s enemies is not glorious, but preserving life is. Bella will express a similar sentiment later as well.

“‘Since it was broken I have felt like half a warrior carrying half a sword.’ [...] ‘You are a real warrior, a full and true one. You have the heart—I can see it in you. But when I make this sword anew, you must always remember that it is not the weapon but the creature that wields it.’”

Martin equates his status as a warrior with the weapon he carries. Such a comment indicates that his hero’s journey isn’t over yet because he has failed to grasp the importance of inner values rather than outer trappings. Boar rightly points out that a fighter isn’t defined by the grandeur of his weaponry but by the conviction in his heart.

“They clasped paws, the mouse’s dwarfed by the badger’s. ‘Good luck, Boar, my friend.’ ‘Luck has little to do with fate, Martin. You follow the warrior’s star. Be true to yourself and your friends.’”

Martin and Boar are about to face Ripfang and the sea rats. At this point in the story, no one but Boar knows that the destined outcome of this confrontation has already been inscribed on his chamber wall. He is prophesied to kill Ripfang and die himself. The badger seems perfectly resigned to his fate. At the same time, he reminds Martin of what holds the greatest meaning in life. This is the essence of what heroes must learn on their journeys.

“This fox forced his way in here while we were distracted by the woodlanders. He countermands my orders and whispers lies about me to my soldiers. Do you realize that if he had not barged his way in with his ragged mob, I was going to promote you to act as Supreme General?”

Tsarmina is talking to a commander named Brogg. This is the same sort of flattery and bribery that she used with Fortunata earlier. Tsarmina’s tactics never change, but her underlings constantly do because those who succumb to her bribery end up paying with their lives. In this quote, Tsarmina frames herself as the aggrieved innocent after Bane arrives to undermine her authority. Brogg doesn’t see her transparent motives because he is greedy for more power, just like his queen.

“Tsarmina watched as both creatures plunged earthward. Two enemies defeated in a single brilliant stroke.”

This statement reveals Tsarmina congratulating herself for her cleverness because she has just managed to get Argulor and Bane to kill each other. Importantly, she accomplishes this feat through her keen observation of the weakness of each creature. Argulor wants to eat a pine marten and assumes the red-cloaked Bane is the prey he craves. For his part, Bane likes swaggering around in a fine new cloak as a mark of his rank. Tsarmina recognizes weakness in others and exploits it, but she never sees strength.

“Foremole rose and came to the table. Taking the two broken halves of the wooden bowl, he held them up. ‘We be loik this hobjeck—splitted up we’m baint much use. But if’n us sticken t’gether, then we’m useful, hurr.’ He pressed the two halves together for all to see.”

Germaine has just accidentally broken a bowl during a dispute among the Corim about what path the woodlanders should take next. The leader of the moles is quick to use the dish as an example of the divisiveness that is beginning to tear the woodlanders apart. His comment reinforces the importance of community and its value in overcoming enemies.

“Martin took command instinctively. The warrior mouse seemed to have grown in stature and confidence since his return, every woodlander now looked upon him with a respect that bordered upon awe.”

Martin has just returned from his quest to Salamandastron. All hero’s journeys are meant to test the mettle of aspiring heroes, and Martin is no exception. His various trials and victories along the way have given him confidence and wisdom. Upon his return, this new gravitas is apparent to all the woodlanders.

“Bella shook her head sadly as she picked up the limp form of a squirrel who had been a former oar slave. ‘You did right, Martin,’ she told him. ‘There is no greater evil than killing. I don’t care whether they call it war or justice. Life is precious.’”

After yet another skirmish with the Kotir soldiers, Martin doesn’t command the woodlanders to slaughter their enemies. Some question this forbearance, but Bella endorses it. As in her previous quote, she emphasizes the value of life over military victory. Significantly, the woodlanders find a way to succeed in destroying Kotir without destroying everyone inside the stronghold.

“‘You’ll see, we’ll win yet. It’s that traitor brother of mine, Gingivere. He must still be alive. A single mouse couldn’t have thought all this up. I should have killed them both and made sure they were dead when I had the chance,’ she ranted.”

Tsarmina is making a last-ditch effort to rally her troops. Once again, she exhibits her arrogance. Unlike Martin, who knows better than to underestimate an enemy, Tsarmina believes the only creature capable of taking her down is her own brother. In her diatribe, she also neglects to give credit where it is due. All the woodlanders thought up the tactic of flooding Kotir. It was a joint effort of tiny creatures acting together to make a big impact.