Greypatch is the secondary antagonist of the book Mariel of Redwall, the fourth book within the Redwall novel series. He is the former right-hand of Gabool the Wild who ended up betraying and abandoning him by stealing one of his ships out of fear of the King of Searats' growing insanity while taking a crew with him. When he and his crew arrive at Mossflower with the ship's oarslaves and discover Redwall Abbey, they resort to extreme measures to conquer it.
History[]
Greypatch initially started off as the right-hand of Gabool, having been shiprats together with him since their young days, Gabool commanding, Greypatch obeying and has served him for some time, like when he helped Gabool capture a scorpion and take it from its island which Gabool would then take to a pit of his and name it Skrablagg, using it to brutally kill whoever he deems his opponents. At one point, after Gabool, Saltar, and their crews were pillaging a ship crewed by shrews and a bellmaker named Joseph, having killed the whole crew, imprisoned Joseph, and made his daughter, Mariel (the protagonist of the book), their servant, Greypatch tells Gabool that Mariel should be used to make his father obey to his commands of building him a bell tower only for Gabool to reprimand him by telling him that he is King of Terramort Isle and that he alone gives the orders and will starve Joseph to bend him to his will and that it is his decision, not Greypatch's. Greypatch seems to display a hint of dislike towards Gabool here, Mariel having thought that he didn't based on her notes of him.
He makes his first appearance running over to Gabool giving instructions to three fortslaves, informing him that the Darkqueen's sails have been sighted to the north with Saltar on it and that the ship should drop anchor there by dawn. Gabool tells him that he has served him well and offers him a cup of wine and some sweetmeats, him planning on killing Saltar the next day since he had killed his brother Bludrigg. As they go over to the window to watch the Darkqueen sail in upon the tide, Greypatch watches him and reflects that Gabool was becoming more difficult to tread around. For some time then, Greypatch had been looking more to his own ends, becoming suspicious of Gabool going insane and drunk with his own power with how quick he was to kill his own captains on the slightest pretext and began making plans to escape him as he laughed and joked with Gabool.
After Saltar arrives and departs the ship to confront Gabool for killing Bludrigg, Graypatch takes advantage of this to steal the ship and escape Terramort Isle with his own crew that he rallied after throwing a searat who objected to this overboard. Gabool would find out about this and send some searats to go and hunt down Greypatch and bring his head stuck on the bowsprit and his crew in chains, promising to make whoever does this Seacaptain of his fleet. After sailing for a while, Greypatch eventually anchored offshore while a longboat was lowered to take his crew ashore. Greypatch stays aboard with Frink, his lookout, to keep an eye out for any signs of Gabool in pursuit before calling down to Deadglim to see if he can find a good spot with fresh water and cover in plenty. However, Deadglim ends up returning due to countless hostile toads appearing, having killed the member with him Gurd with a trident and trying to kill him with a trident, informing Greypatch of this, who then orders another course to be set northeast.
After having sailed the ship through the night for a while, Greypatch gives commands to his crew, threatening to kill whoever he catches napping before drawing his own map of the coast they were nearby from memory on a scrap of parchment. During the day, one of the searats Kybo, who had been checking provisions, reports to him that only a few breaktooth biscuits are left and they have no more fresh water. Angered, Greypatch orders him to stow the gab so that they'll find vittles and fresh water right when Fisghfail gives the signal for land which Greypatch sees as they make it ashore. Once they do, Greypatch takes the view in before ordering his crew to haul the ship into the river within the forestlands, commenting on how no one will find them there, there'll be lots of fresh water, fruits, and good meat only for Bigfang, one of the crew, to tell him that they'll never drag the ship due to the river being too shallow to which Greypatch responded by telling him to stow that kind of talk and that it is either haul the ship or get themselves caught by Gabool's ships. He then has all of them and whatever slaves are in the galleys to be ashore, split into two groups, and pull on the ropes.
The crew would continue pulling the ship with the oarslaves as Greypatch yells at them and once it buries its nose in a sandbank, many of them wade into the river and begin drinking the fresh running water much to Greypatch's anger as he draws his sword out and orders them to get out and get back on the ropes only for Greenfang, the ship of one of Gabool's captains Garrtail, to show up. Noticing this, Greypatch roars orders at his crew to massacre every rat aboard the ship, engaging in a battle against them. When Garrtail, who was out ahead of his crew, makes his way towards Greypatch challenging him, Greypatch throws an iron marlinspike at him and kills him instantly. Garrtail's crew proceeds to retreat back to their ship as Bigfang and Kybo inform Greypatch of the two galley slaves they found while all four being laden with pikes, long boathooks, and bow and arrows. Greypatch then orders Kybo them to use those weapons to kill whoever of the Greenfang crew tries to get ashore. After this, Greypath proceeds to sadistically kill off the remaining helpless rats trying to swim for the ship with fire arrows he had just made, laughing as one creature sank with a sizzle and a scream. Greypatch then orders his crew to make sure there is none left alive to tell the tale so that Gabool will never know what happened to them or any of the ships. Unbeknownst to him, Bigfang and Kybo begin getting suspicious of him getting too big for his seaboots and how he yelled and screamed to kill Greenfang's entire crew even though some of them might've joined them. Greypatch then wanders over and slaps him with the flat of his swordblade and has him board the Darkqueen to continue sailing.
As they continue sailing the ship, Greupatch forces the oarslaves brought up from the galleys to use the long oars to punt the massive vessel upriver constantly while he stands at the helm, supervising the movements before they eventually land on an inlet far upriver and Greypatch then gives orders to his crew to patrol the forest and report back to him. While they were searching, they capture a squirrel named Pakatugg who had been playing tricks on them and bring him to Greypatch who, feigning politeness towards the squirrel, tries to get information out of him regarding Mossflower (the land they arrived on). When Pakatugg merely tells him to go up north and calls him and his crew vermin, Greypatch, still smiling, kicks him in the stomach and has his crew haul him upside-down on a rope in midair and sadistically prepares to have his crew cut him up into pieces and feed him to the fish to which Pakatugg then reveals the locations of Redwall Abbey nearby and all the food, shelter, plunder, etc. within it. Graypatch then decides to let him live and instead has him be chained up with the other oarslaves, essentially enslaving him as well, and tells him that when he's ready, he'll have him take them to the abbey.
As Pakatugg reluctantly leads them on, Graypatch hears Bigfang talk about how it's a bad omen that they are lost in the forest and that the Darkqueen is left without a guard to watch it, irritating Greypatch who tells him that he permits him to go back and mount sentry on Darkqueen and laze about while they march if that's what he wants. Though Bigfang knew he was trying his patience, he continued, telling him that there's still a chance and that it's not right leaving their only ship undefended. Greypatch tugs on the halter around Pakatugg's neck and tells him that if one of Gabool's ships were there, they wouldn't stand a chance with three or four before ordering them to continue marching as he leads them on whilst muttering dire threats to Pakatugg on the consequences of leading them astray. Upon arriving at the abbey, Bigfang suggests they rip them apart and take the place, resulting in him being tripped by Greypatch who holds a sword at his throat, accusing him of trying to make himself captain. Bigfang reminds him that he said it was a cozy berth and that he's merely scared to which Greypatch explains that he's being careful not scared due to how many there might be behind the walls and then reminds the crew that it was he who rescued them from Gabool before having the crew camp for the night with plans to conquer the abbey at dawn before tying Pakatugg's neck to a tree limb, warning him not to make any funny moves.
Later, Greypatch notices one of the infant moles of the abbey (Grubb) wandering outside and attempts to capture him using his noose with the intentions of holding him hostage only for Mother Mellus, unaware of the searats, to find Grubb, pick him up, and return him to the abbey. Greypatch and his crew then continue to await the arrival of dawn. Once it arrives, Greypatch wakes up his crew and explains his plan to his searats where some of them would hide in a ditch while Greypatch and the others greet the Redwallers with a friendly facade to trick them into opening the abbey's gates for them where the crew in the ditch would then come out to invade, kill any who try to stop them, and have the rest live to serve them, unaware that Flagg, an otter within Redwall Abbey, had overheard this conversation and alerted the others of them and their plan. This results in Greypatch's attempt at tricking the abbey to fail with his crew members in the ditch being exposed by Flagg slinging a pebble at Bigfang, who would pop his head up while clutching his nose in pain. With the gig being up, Greypatch orders his crew to get out and threatens to kill whoever serves as a threat to them if they do not surrender, to which one of the Redwallers, Cockleburr, would repsond by slinging a turnip into Greypatch's good eye, causing him to fall down humiliated as Ringtail declares war before they depart to the shelter of Mossflower.
Back at the camp, Greypatch gets into an argument with Bigfang over whether they should've rushed the place or not, ending with Bigfang taking the majority of Greypatch's crew on his side under his leadership to leave back to the ship Darkqueen to set sail for the open waters, leaving only Fishgill behind who stays with Greypatch, who tells him that they'll see who's the real captain of the ship Darkqueen as well as the best steersrat. Bigfang and the crew end up coming across Clary, Brigadier Thyme, and Hon Rosie on the island of Salamandastron, who defeat them to prevent them from potentially trying to take it over, forcing them to retreat and return to Greypatch. They tell him about the whole debacle that occurred before Greypatch then rallies them up to continue trying to conquer Redwall. He then reveals his plan to have Bigfang and some members rush and burn the gates like he suggested with the oarslaves while Greypatch and some others would be on the front on the flatland firing arrows and slinging stones to make the attack look like it's coming from the front while the rest use ropes and grapnels to climb over the walls to open the wallgate for all of them to enter, everyone cheering at this, except Bigfang.
Upon hearing the bell of Redwall Abbey ring, Greypatch sent the rope and grapnel dashing into the woods on the east side of the path before commenting on how rushing them and burning the gates was Bigfang's idea and tells him to go to it and Bigfang, while initially deperate and afraid knowing Graypatch was trying to get him killed, gave a half-hearty cackle and gave a reply he tried to sound belligerent in that he will succeed at it. Greypatch then converses with Saxtus, who asks him what he wants, to which Greypatch responds by declaring they want the abbey and their surrender. When Saxtus refuses, Greypatch raises his sword, yelling, "Attack! Kiiilll!" to his crew, setting the plan in motion. It winds up being foiled by the Redwallers though, resulting in Greypatch holding Pakatugg hostage to force them to withdraw and call a temporary truce before he departs with his crew.
Greypatch and his crew wind up returning to Redwall sooner than expected and, having smarted from their previous defeat, Greypatch reveals his next plan to get out on the flatland and fire fire-swingers, which they would make from cutting up the lengths of rope they used for grapnels, tie rocks to the ends, all wrapped in dead grass and soaked with lamp oil, which they would light up and then haul at the abbey to set some part of the building on fire to coerce the residents into talking terms to avoid being roasted alive. Once they carry this plan in action, Greypatch seems to have the upper hand as Saxtus, Flagg, and Rufe Brush fire arrows at them only to miss miserably, receiving mockery from the searats for this while they continue launching the fire-swingers. However, Clary, Hon Rosie, and Brigardier Thyme (three fighter hares who are known as the Long Patrol of Salamandastron) would arrive and help them, foiling the searat's attempt by landing some arrows on a few of them, prompting them to retreat as Greypatch attempts to stop them before preparing to launch a fire-swinger at the abbey himself only to wind up accidentally letting it go after ducking an arrow shot at him, the fire-swinger losing momentum right at its peak and landing onto his footclaws, burning them and causing Greypatch to yell in pain and humiliation before he retreats as well.
Unbeknownst to him, the Redwallers had begun making plans to rescue the oarslaves Greypatch had, who had been starving to the point of becoming underfed and thin, and as such, while Greypatch was berating his crew for their cowardice back at their camp, Rosie and Clary, who had arrived nearby with Brigardier Thyme, imitate members of his crew and insult him, starting a fight amongst the crew, allowing them the opportunity to rescue two young shrews from the oarslave ranks. However, Rosie winds up giving them away with her laughter, causing Greypatch to order his crew to get them though they managed to escape before he could even give the order. After this, Greypatch worked on making the searats' woodland camp secure against intruders by having his crew set up tripwires hidden in the undergrowth all around the edges of the camp rigged to rope traps in the trees before they hold the oarslaves in the center of the camp surrounded by the crew. Bigfang then began complaining about the food they have (roots and sour apples) and asks where protecting the oarslaves will get them to which Greypatch responds by viciously prodding him in the ribs with his curved sword and tells him that the Redwallers will come back to try to save the slaves and that they'll have the upper hand due to the traps they set up before talking about how if they stick with him, they could be rulers of a whole slave army of Redwallers that they could have be either mercenaries, spearfodder, and/or an army they could use to build themselves another fleet and conquer Terramort, kill Gabool and seize his island where that way, they'd be rulers of both Redwall and terramort.
However, the hares were listening to this conversation nearby and manage to rescue six more of the slaves later on that night, which would be caught by Fleawirt who woke up to them doing this and alerted Greypatch of this. The three hares then reveal themselves, leading to Greypatch ordering his crew to get them only for them to fall right into the very tripwires they set up (which had been carefully set up anew by the hares) before Greypatch and several others follow the hares who were scurrying away and as he looks back to call his crew for their idiocy, he himself falls into a rope trap with the others, defeated once again. Bigfang then gets into another argument with Greypatch in regards to the food they have and suggests they instead use their weapons to get food rather than fighting the abbey or guarding the oarslaves which Greypatch agrees to but on account of them building a cage to put the oarslaves in to prevent them from being nabbed away by the Redwallers. Bigfang responds by declaring that he can do what he wants while they go to get food, angering Greypatch and resulting in a swordfight engaged between the two which, while something Bigfang initially had the upper hand on due to his strength and size, is something Greypatch ended up winning by turning Bigfang's back to the fire before forcing him backward and causing him to step on it, allowing Greypatch the opportunity to snatch a spear one of the searats was holding and finish him off with it before challenging the rest of the crew on who wants to be captain and then proceeding to have them build a cage made from plenty of stout wood for the oarslaves before they go to find vittles within the woodlands.
As the searats milled about the fires trying to get cooking space since there had been no fish or meat taken due to the activities of Oak Tom (a squirrel who had come to assist the Redwallers) in the area though they were able to find wild pears, apples, and dandelion roots, the hares arrive amongst the noisy crew to rescue the slaves within the cage and kill a few of the searats before Greypatch orders his crew to kill them, resulting in a battle between the hares and the searats. Meanwhile, Pakatugg, who had become thin and gaunt in captivity, offers to be handed a dagger for him to cut the ropes at the back of the cage as Clary hands him a freshly sharpened knife from Redwall's kitchen and while the battle continued, Pakatugg manages to save the slaves and take them to three Redwall squirrels who had arrived to help rescue them. He then decides to stay behind himself afterwards to help the hares fight off the searats and the whole battle ends with Clary, Pakatugg, and Thyme dying in battle while Hon Rosie gets severely injured, though she would be healed back at Redwall.
In the aftermath, Greypatch limped badly from an arrow that had pierced his leg as he gazes around at the effects of the battle, surprised that three hares and a squirrel caused all this before Deadglim tells him that they now have eighteen of their crew left alive. As he stares into the surrounding forest, having come to hate Mossflower country due to the catalogue of disaster it turned out to be, he orders the crew to pack up, lock, stock, and barrel with the intentions of finding the ship Darkqueen to get it seaworthy and sail out to the open sea. They wind up being lost in their search, however, before they decide to split into groups and course a different way, though one of the groups winds up unintentionally heading back to Redwall Abbey before being confronted by Oak Tom who kills one of them to force the others to turn back and leave. Soon, one of the searats informs him of a ford up ahead much to Greypatch's relief as he then tells him to take the crew and scout the lay of the water as he is getting weary and will rest until they get back.
However, just as Greypatch begins to rest, a killer heron called Iraktaan kills off the searats as Greypatch cuts east into the woodlands avoiding him and following the course of the steam, trying to find Darkqueen only to sent sprawling into the stream by a blow from a lance butt launched by a vengeful Oak Tom who seeks to avenge the hares who died due to Greypatch. Greypatch tries to tell him to leave him alone, saying that he only wants to get out of there and that he won't bother them anymore if he is let go, though his request falls on deaf ears as Oak Tom raised the lance and stabs him with it, finishing him off and avenging the deaths of the hares as his corpse then floats into the flowing stream, winding up in the sea fully three days later.