Bescarum
Species: Hare Place of Origin: Salamandastron Gender: Male Weapon: Sharpened window pole, Dagger Death: Unknown
Books Appears: Triss

Contents 1 Introduction 2 Escape from Salamandastron and journey to Redwall Abbey 3 Defense and escape from Redwall 4 Aftermath

IntroductionEdit

Bescarum Lepuswold Whippscut, also known as Scarum, was a male hare, the son of Colonel Whippscut and Dunfreda. His constant companion and partner-in-crime was the young badger Sagaxus, known as "Sagax", who was the son of Badger Lord Hightor and his wife Lady Merola. Scarum was also a friend of the young otter Kroova Wavedog, and later Trisscar Swordmaid.

Scarum is known as one of the most gluttonous hares in the entire Redwall series. He is constantly hungry, and often does not regard others in that matter. He is also fond of rambling on and on about his hunger, and complaining loudly to all that will listen that he never receives enough food. Scarum, though having a terrible singing voice, likes composing songs, mostly heroic ballads about himself (although he saves his and his companions' life by doing this).

Scarum, however, has more to him than simply being another glutton. He can be brave to the point of recklessness, even when threatened with death, as well as crafty, well-disciplined and resourceful in battle. Towards the end of the book, his companions end up relying on him more and more.

Escape from Salamandastron and journey to Redwall AbbeyEdit

Scarum and his best friend Sagax both desperately wanted to leave Salamandastron and travel the world on adventures of their own, as they found mountain life tedious and boring. When permission to do so was refused by their parents, they escaped on their own along with Kroova Wavedog, an otter who owned a small boat (the Stopdog). The three of them decided to try and sail to Redwall Abbey, as they had heard much of it.

Along the way up the coast, the three travelers encountered several creatures, including a horde of sand lizards, the otter Raura Shellrudd and her seal friend Slippo, and the Migooch tribe of hedgehogs. They eventually sailed to the mouth of the River Moss. While making camp there, however, they were set upon by Slitfang and a band of Freebooter pirates, who took them captive and brought them to their Cap'n, Plugg Firetail. Scarum here proved to be very crafty and resourceful, and managed to lead his friends to escape by hoodwinking Plugg and the companions onto a smaller ship. He then overwhelmed Plugg (as well as the ferret Prince of Riftgard, Bladd) with the help of the otter Shogg and Trisscar Swordmaid.

Hotly pursued by Plugg, as well as by Princess Kurda of Riftgard, the five friends met up with a tribe of Guosim and, with their help, managed to make it to Redwall. The vermin caught up to them just before Redwall's gate, however, and it was only through Scarum's tactical decisions that no lives were lost on the Redwallers' side.

Defense and escape from RedwallEdit

The next morning, Kurda and Plugg attacked the Abbey. Triss, who had come up with a plan involving dumping oatmeal on the enemy (and knowing that Scarum would never allow such a waste of food that he could otherwise eat), sent Scarum to be in command of the guard at the opposite wall. Scarum immediately showed even more tactical intelligence, beating back an attack there as well using a net.

When the vermin moved away from Redwall to try and track down the adders Zassaliss, Harssacss and Sesstra, and the Redwallers sent a party out to follow them, Scarum was left behind at the Abbey to be in charge of the guard there. Scarum fell to gluttony again, and the Redwallers condemned him to cleaning and a restricted diet. Indignant, Scarum escaped the Abbey and wandered off into Mossflower Woods, hoping to find the company that was searching for the vermin. He ran afoul of Princess Kurda, however, who had just suffered a major defeat at the hands of the Redwallers, and decided simply to kill the hare out of pure bad temper. Scarum was saved at the last minute, though, by the timely intervention of Sagax, Triss and Log-a-Log Groo of the Guosim.

AftermathEdit

Scarum went along on the voyage back to Riftgard to attempt and free the remaining slaves there. Not being permitted to become ship's cook, Scarum was forced to write the ship's log. Oddly, Scarum wrote the entire log in hare accent, down to the very last "wot wot". After this undertaking, Scarum decided to live at Redwall Abbey, visiting Salamandastron and his parents every season.