Mossflower for us? She will have to do something before next winter; she has a
full army to feed. Martin, I feel that we are living on a knife's edge here.
Ben Stickle wants peace, Skipper wants war, the Abbess wants peace, Lady Amber
wants war. Boar the Fighter is the rightful ruler of Mossflower. I cannot
leave here; I have responsibilities to our friends the woodlanders and the
Corim. Who could I send? Martin, there is only you. You have traveled, you are
an experienced warrior, you are the one I will stake my trust on. Don't rush
to give me your answer now. I want you to think about it. This is a very
dangerous mission, and I will understand if you wish to stay here. My home is
your home!
"I believe that my father still lives. You must bring him back to Mossflower
to break Tsarmina's regime. Together under the leadership of Boar the Fighter
we will defeat Tsarmina."
The spell was broken by Lady Amber, who came striding in with a face that was
so grim it heralded bad news.
"Ferdy and Coggs are lost for sure. We've scoured high and low, all of us.
It's as if the forest has swallowed them up."
Bella scratched her stripes reflectively. "Have you seen Chibb?"
"Yes. He's been around Kotir. Nothing to report, really. I sent hun on a wide
patrol of the woods. Maybe he'll bring news before nightfall."
The searchers returned at noon. Goody had busied herself setting out a salad
luncheon on the sward outside Brockhall. Woodlanders ate in silence, avoiding
any mention of the lost young ones while Goody was about. Shortly they set off
again to resume searching. It was not a happy day in Mossflower. Martin was
torn with a desire to help the searchers and curious to find out more about
the mysterious place called Sal-amandastron. The former won; by early noon he
was out searching with the others, knowing that Bella would tell him more that
night.
102
Tsarmina stood at her high chamber window, watching the perimeter of the
woodland where the trees thinned out into shrubs and bushes. There they were,
at last!
The ragged columns tramped out of the woodlands with Cludd bawling orders at
them.
"Come on, you sloppy mob, smarten yourselves up into proper ranks. Right
markers, lead off. Tidy that pace up there. . I'll not have you lolloping into
the garrison like a load of hedgehogs on daisychain day. You there! Yes, you!
Liven your ideas up, me laddo, or I'll liven them up for you with my spear."
The Captain's voice drifted up to Tsarmina. She could see plainly that there
had been no losses among her troops. Neither had there been any mass of
captives taken. In a sudden outburst of vicious temper, she slashed a wall
curtain from top to bottom with her wicked claws, before storming out down the
stairs to the parade ground.
The three platoons staggered to an untidy halt in the courtyard. Wearily they
bumbled their way into formation, shouldering weapons and showing Thousand Eye
shields front and center. Tsarmina checked her rush in the doorway and strode
gracefully out with sinuously waving tail and baleful eye. A tremor rippled
the ranks as they stood stiffly to attention, all eyes front. They saluted
jointly.
"Hail, Tsarmina, Wildcat Queen of the Thousand Eyes, ; Ruler of al! Mossfl—"
"Save your breath, fools. You'll get your chance to speak when I say and not
before." Tsarmina prowled between the : ranks, missing nothing, not even the
two pitiful forms that • lay bound on the gravel.
Fortunata stood rooted to the spot, feeling the Queen's " feral breath raising
the hairs on the nape of her neck. v,1 "Well, fox, it seems that you all had a
cheery spring outing fv in the woods. I notice that half the patrols are
injured in one ;;•;; .way or another. Tell me, did those two small woodlanders
^J; put up such a ferocious battle?"
JL;. Tsarmina continued circling Fortunata, her voice at a level ;&£ of
dangerous calm. "No need to worry now, eh, fox? WeVe
103
caught their two champion warriors this time. What, if I make ask, was your
heroic part in all this?"
Fortunata's limbs trembled with the effort of standing motionless. "It was
Cludd who caught them, Milady. He found them asleep in a tent made from a
blanket. Ashleg and I helped to bring them in.' *
Tsarmina repeated the phrase slowly. ' 'You helped to bring them in. I see.
Good work!"
The pine marten was next to receive Tsannina's attention.
*'Ah, my fearless friend Ashleg, you must be in great pain. Did one of those
two bold rogues nibble through your wooden
leg?"
"No, Majesty. That happened when my patrol was attacked by Fortunata's command
in the night," Ashleg blurted out, surprised at the shrillness of his own
voice.
Tsarmina widened her eyes in mock horror. "How awful! We attacked ourselves in
the dark. No doubt it was all a little mistake."
"That's right Milady, just a bit of a mistake, it could have happened to
anyone, really." Fortunata's protest sounded hollow.
The wildcat turned her back on the whole scene. Paws akimbo, she stood staring
out toward Mossflower. When she eventually spoke her tones dripped sarcasm and
controlled rage.
"Get out of my sight, all of you idiotic scum. Down on your bellies and crawl
back into the barracks like the worms you are. That way I won't have to look
at your thick gormless faces slobbering excuses at me. Go on, clear off, the
lot of you! Fortunata, Ashleg, Cludd—bring the prisoners up to my chamber."
Less than a minute later, Argulor stirred on his spruce branch and blinked
owlishly, unaware that he had missed the chance of snatching a quick meal from
the parade ground. He dozed off again in the hot afternoon sun as Chibb shot
across the front of him, bound for BrockhaU and safety. The tiny red-breasted
spy had not missed a single word or movement of
what took place on the parade ground.
* * *
104
A group of sad-faced creatures sat in the main hall of Bella's home.
Gonff tossed the blanket and empty cordial jar on the table in front of the
Corim leaders. "Found 'em over to the west, about halfway between here and
Kotir. The place stank of weasel and ferret. Lots of tracks—a big party, I'd
say. Anyone got more news?"
Bella looked around the searchers who had returned, checking that the Stickles
were not present. She kept her voice low. ' 'Chibb saw them trussed up on the
parade ground at Kotir earlier today. There's no doubt about it: Ferdy and
Coggs have been taken prisoner. They were carried off to the wildcat's chamber
for probable questioning."
Skipper slammed a paw against the hearth. "Mates, it doesn't bear thin kin'
about, those two pore little fellers in the vermins' brig."
Columbine's voice had a sob in it. "What'll we tell Ben and Goody, poor
creatures."
Gonff was in no doubt at all. "Tell 'em we'll rescue little Ferdy and Coggs
back straightaway. That's what we'll do, mateys!"
There was a roar of approval.
Bella called for silence. "Please, Gonff, be sensible. I'm certain that the
Corim will agree to mount a rescue operation as soon as possible. But let us
not run off or do anything reckless in the meanwhile. It would only end up in
more prisoners being taken, or lives being lost."
"Bella is right." Abbess Germaine put in. "I suggest that you let me preside
over the rescue operation. We can use all of you, especially Chibb; he will be
of more value to us now man ever before. Meanwhile, let us keep our hopes high