[1][2] The story opens with the Gabool the Wild, the nefarious King of Searats, standing at the top of a cliff, watching a small mousemaid struggling to stay afloat in the rough seas below.

The pirate king returned to his fortress, Fort Bladegirt, where one of his captains named Bludrigg demanded a share of their most recent plunder.

This fails, but Gabool was able to successfully persuade the Bellmaker to interpret the mysterious symbols on the bell in exchange for promises of a reunion with the latter's daughter.

After successfully fending off a gull with her trusty rope and unsuccessful attempts to retrieve her forgotten identity, the amnesiac mouse named herself Storm Gullwhacker.

Storm revealed that her real name was Mariel, and recounted her journey aboard the Periwinkle with her father, Joseph the Bellmaker.

Mariel snatched up Skullgor's sword from the ground and managed to stun Gabool, but was knocked out by the pirate king's henchmen before she could deal the killing blow.

Embarrassed by his unexpected loss to a mere mousemaid, Gabool tied a heavy rock to Mariel's leg and threw her into the sea.

After a nerve-wracking encounter with an adder and long hours of walking, the four found the "otter and his wife," monolithic sculptures that were mentioned in the Terramort poem.

After making their report to Lord Rawnblade, Clary, Thyme, and Rosie investigated the wreck of the Greenfang and traced its destruction to the Darkqueen, which has been left unguarded by Greypatch.

Greypatch arrived at Redwall and parleyed with the Abbot in a bid to have the Abbey's gates opened, but was injured by a rock-hard turnip.

The party fell asleep, and awoke to find themselves trussed to a tree, surrounded by creatures shrouded in barkcloth and weeds.

Mariel broke them free of their bonds and beat furiously on the oak until help arrived in the form of a massive barn owl, Stonehead McGurney.

After introducing Mariel and company to his savage wife Thunderbeak and their four ravenous chicks, Stonehead offered to take them to the next location, the "swampdark", mentioned in the poem the next morning.

The pirate Kybo went to the east wall with grappling hooks to mount a surprise attack, while Greypatch's company fired a barrage of projectiles as a distraction.

After introducing them to his pet newt Firl, Bobbo told them his life story— he was captured by Gabool the Wild and became a galley slave, but was left for dead.

As the rest turned in for the night, Mariel asked Bobbo for directions to Terramort, who told her about a swallow ornament that "cannot fly south", a primitive compass.

The five animals threw food into the water to satiate the crustacean's appetite, and Mariel and Dandin descended into the murky, forbidding depths to retrieve the swallow.

However, Colonel Clary, Brigadier Thyme, and Hon Rosie made their way to the Abbey and constructed special arrows out of yew staves.

As the creatures of the Abbey put up a valiant defence, Dandin and Mariel encountered unexpected difficulties in their pursuit of the swallow.

Mariel found that the metal swallow was wedged firmly between two rocks, and her vigorous motions to free it attracted the attention of the lobster.

Mariel caught the sword and dealt the lobster a terrible blow, allowing Dandin to be rescued, hauled up on the rope around his waist.

Though Redwall was secure from any pirate assault, Mother Mellus voiced her concern about the mistreated oarslaves held captive by Greypatch.

As for Mariel and Tarquin, they struggled to stay afloat and held an animated conversation until they are lifted aboard the Waveblade by Lord Rawnblade.

Heavily armed, they approached Greypatch’s camp and ordered Oak Tom, Treerose, and Rufe Brush to spirit away the oarslaves at their signal.

Upon hearing the news of the long patrol's last stand, Mother Mellus and Flagg set out in the direction of the searat camp.

As Durry broke the news to Mariel that her father was alive, the exuberant mousemaid, thrilled beyond measure, snatched the party's sole torch and rushed down the tunnel only to be met with the hundreds of Terramort Resistance Against Gabool fighters.

Mariel and Joseph's slingers were cut down by arrow fire, Tarquin provided a loud distraction by ramming the gates.

The spirit of Martin, however, took control of Rawnblade and prompted the badger to fling the poisonous creature out of the pit and onto the face of Gabool.

Durry, Tarquin, Dandin, and Joseph each commandeered one of the abandoned pirate ships, and set sail for Redwall with the Trag warriors and the bell.

Dandin's friend Saxtus became Abbot, and Rufe Brush tied Martin's sword to the roof of the Abbey, where it was later found by Samkim in the book Salamandastron.