Dippler spat out dead leaves and grit. "We ain't foolin' nobeast, mate. Our tracks lead right to this tree. I bet they're doin' some kind o' victory dance up there, prob'ly gettin' the cookpot ready fer us!"
Burble was inclined to agree with his shrew friend. "Yiss yiss, sad but true, I say. Still, I think it'd be better gettin' captured by some ould reptiles than layin' under this rotten stinkin' thing all night. It's worser'n when we was hidin' up the creek from the River'eads. Wait, what's that?"
Dann listened carefully. "Silence, that's what it is, Burb, silence. Maybe they didn't know we were here after all. What d'you think, shall we go out an' take a look?"
Dippler started scrabbling at the soggy loam to free himself. "Anythin's better'n this. Lead the way, Dann!"
The dried-up streambed was deserted save for the carcasses of several reptiles. The three friends hurried off into the undergrowth, where they sat wiping themselves down and breathing the sweet night air gratefully. Burble tugged a woodlouse from his fur. "Away with ye, wriggly thing, I ain't no rotten treetrunk. Well, 'tis thanks to whoever drove the reptiles off back there, yiss yiss, a thousand thanks!"
"Ach, save yer thanks, laddie, there may still be some o' they sleethery reptails aboot!"
An osprey emerged from the bushes. Surveying them with a distinct twinkle in his rather fierce eyes, he raised his beak and called, "O'er here. They're sair bedraggled an' stinky tae, but they're o'er here!"
There was a lot of bush rustling and pawsteps, and then, unbelievably, a figure they'd lost hope of ever seeing again emerged from the undergrowth at a full dash and threw herself upon them, bowling them over in a laughing, joyful heap.
"Song!"
"Hahaha! So here y'are, you foul-smelling, lovely creatures!"
A fat, stern old squirrel and a big rough female hedgehog hauled Song swiftly off her companions. Dann, Dippler and Burble lay sprawled on the ground as the old squirrel wagged a paw at Song.
"No time for that now, missie. Let's get 'em out o' here. You can introduce us when we're downriver. Whew! An' downwind of 'em too. They smell pretty ripe!"
Song glanced at the muddy state she herself was in from embracing her lost friends, and turned to the old squirrel. "Looks like I'll have to take a bath too, Grandpa."
There were more hedgehogs, over a dozen of them, hulking, rough-looking beasts. They surrounded the friends as the party hurried off through the woodland at the watermeadow's edge. Dann trotted alongside Song, amazed by the turn events had taken.
"Did I hear you call that ole squirrel Grandpa?"
"You surely did. Soon as I saw him I recognized those lazy eyes. He's my father's father, Gawjo Swifteye. Take a look at him yourself. He's much older than my dad, of course, but you'll see the resemblance is unmistakable!"
Dann snatched a peep at Gawjo as he turned to converse with the leading hedgehog. "Aye, now I see him properly the likeness is clear. Who's the big rough-lookin' hedgehog he was talkin' to?"
"I know you'll never believe this, Dann, but she's my aunt!"
Dann stumbled and almost fell. "Your aunt?"
Song was still smiling as they trotted steadily through the night-shadowed woodlands. "Aye, my aunt Torrab. It's a long and complicated story, but here's roughly what happened. My grandpa, Gawjo, was a prisoner on the island in the secret lake for many seasons, but he managed to escape, says he's the only beast who ever did. Anyhow, he made it back to the mainland, but he was completely lost. Then he stumbled upon Torrab and her band of friends, fourteen in all, half-grown young hedgehogs from three different families. Their parents had been slain by Marlfoxes. Grandpa had lost his family toohe didn't know where Ellayo and little Janglur had got to. So he became their dad and has lived with them ever since, and Megraw and I just bumped into him yesterday. I still can't quite believe it."
The odd-looking group had now reached the river on the watermeadow's far fringes, and they turned south along the bank.
Dippler looked back fearfully at the huge osprey hobbling in the rear, protecting the group's back. "I 'ope that big fish eagle's on our side, Song."
The young squirrelmaid winked at the apprehensive shrew. "That's the Mighty Megraw. I have trouble understanding all he says, but since we went over the falls together we've become the best of pals. You'll like him, Dipp. You will too, Burb, once you get to know him."
The watervole glanced back at the fierce-eyed Megraw.
"Ah yiss yiss, missie, I'm sure I will, 'tis a fine powerful bird he is. We'll have t'keep him well fed though, yiss yiss, I'd hate t'be around when that feller feels hungry!"
They halted before dawn at a hidden inlet, a screen of bushes and trees was pulled aside, and Dann, Dippler and Burble gave a delighted shout. "The Swallow!"
The beautiful little boat was in the process of being repaired. It stood upside down on the wide-planked deck of a sprawling hedgehog raft. Torrab and the hedgehogs were about to dash aboard when Gawjo held forth a javelin, barring their way. "Remember yore manners. We've got guests!"
Torrab made an impatient curtsy to the friends. "Prithee, come ye aboard an' welcome!"
Once they were aboard, the hedgehogs charged on to the raft and fought to get through the narrow doorway of a big cabin built at the vessel's center. Gawjo shook his head wearily. "Back! Get back all of you. Now, what've I taught yer?"
Sheepishly the big spiky beasts stood away from the cabin door, the males bowing reluctantly to the females.
"Marm, I pray thee enter."
Once Torrab and the other hogmaids were inside, the males began fighting each other in the doorway again.
Gawjo smiled. "You'll 'ave to excuse 'em. They're fine hogs, but they love to fight. Huh, the trouble I 'ad rearin' 'em was nobeast's business. A squirrel dad with fourteen hedgehog sons an' daughters, who'd believe it. Still, I got me a pretty young granddaughter now, so things are lookin' up, eh, Song?"
Song hugged her grandpa, while Dann looked the Swallow over. "How did y'find her, sir?"
Gawjo stroked the sleek resin-varnished hull. "Swept downriver out o' the mountain she was, full o' holes an' almost broke in two pieces. That's why we were searchin' round the watermeadow. I figgered if'n you were still alive, then that'd be the place you'd land in. Enough jawin' now, you young 'uns. Time to eat, but first y'must jump in the creek an' wash the dirt off. Y'ain't comin' to my table smellin' the ways you do. Megraw!"
The osprey waddled up and dealt Song a buffet with his good wing, toppling her over the deckrail into the water. "Ah ken yell get a guid scrub, lassie. Who's next, eh?"
However, before he could raise his wing again, Dann, Dippler and Burble had thrown themselves into the water.
"Ah now, ye've no need to be helpin' us in, sir, we'll be after scrubbin' ourselves, thank ye, yiss yiss!"
Morning sunlight streamed through the cabin's two unshuttered windows as they took breakfast with Gawjo Swifteye and the hedgehogs. The food was good: hot cornbread with hazelnuts and apple baked into it, and a salad of celery, lettuce, shredded carrot and white button mushrooms, with beakers of hot mint and dandelion tea to wash it down. Megraw took himself out onto the river for a fish breakfast. Gawjo peeled a fat pear with his dagger, outlining his future plans to the reunited friends.
"Everybeast I've come across has a score to settle with the Marlfox brood, meself, Torrab an' the family, Megraw an' yoreselves. So I've decided that the time's come when we travel over to that island. Queen Silth an' her offspring have come to the end of their bullyin', thievin', murderin' rule. I'm out t'clear the earth of their blight!"
Torrab stared at Gawjo over a steaming beaker of tea. "Thou hast tried it before, Father. 'Tis too difficult."
Gawjo tapped the tabletop with his dagger. "Aye, we've always been defeated. Not by the Marlfoxes, but by the lake, a day and night's long sail, with the water teemin' with pike an' that Athrak an' his magpies patrollin' the skies. The Marlfoxes were always waitin' with their water rats once we'd been sighted by magpies, an' they could stand us offshore with arrow an' sling until we were forced to turn back. By the fur an' fang! If only I could get onto that island an' free the slaves, we'd overrun Silth and her forces. I never figured how t'do it, until my pretty Song arrived with 'er secret weapon!"