Martin, son of Luke the Warrior, is captured by the evil Badrang. Seasons later, when Martin gets in a fight with Hisk, one of Badrang's horde, he is tied on top of Marshank in a storm. Bandrang hopes the seagulls eat Martin in the morning. But in the middle of the night, Rose the mouse and her friend Grumm the mole hear Martin crying out in the storm; the reason she and Grumm go to Marshank is to rescue her brother, Brome, who was captured by Badrang. She calls out to Martin whether he has seen him. She tells Grumm that they should help the poor mouse. So in the morning they use slings to ward off the seagulls to hope to free Martin, somehow.....
As Martin and his new friends languish in Marshank's Prison Pit, Rose and her companion, Grumm, hide from Clogg's advancing seaborne corsairs. Badrang and Clogg finally meet, pretending to be the other's friend, but they both soon skirmish and Clogg retreats intending to take Marshank from his rival. Druwp, one of the slaves, become a traitor to Badrang; he identified the slave ringleader to him. As Badrang posts extra guards the news reaches Martin. Outside, Grumm conspires with Rose to tunnel to their rescue. Meanwhile in the prison pit, Brome tells of his and Rose's home, the idyllic region called Noonvale. If his father the chief can be alerted, he will surely rescue them. Grumm continues to dig hard to complete the tunnel. Under the cover of Clogg's battle against Badrang Grumm breaks into the Prison Pit to help Martin, Brome, and Felldoh escape.
