Gonff shielded his eyes with his paw and played along. "Why yes, and there's
someone else too. It looks like your grandad waving his stick. He wants that
deeper 'n' ever pie that you stole from him."
"That wasn't Dinny," Martin yawned. "You probably stole it. See anything
else?"
GonfFs whiskers twitched. "Aye, those three vermin that are tracking us. Looks
like they've picked up our trail, matey."
Martin and Dinny leaped up, staring in the direction Gonff was pointing.
"There, see—a weasel, a ferret and a stoat. Now they've started to run. Why
are they in a hurry all of a sudden?"
"Prob'ly cos they'm soighted us'ns, now we studd up," Dinny suggested.
"Aye, matey, you're right. Well, what do we do now, warrior? Stand and fight?
You just say the word."
142
Martin gnawed his lip, stopping his paw from straying to die otter sling bound
about his middle.
"No, that's not what we're questing for. We'd be losing valuable time. It's
our duty to find Salamandastron and Boar the Fighter, so that he can return
with us to save Mossflower. The first thing a warrior must learn is orders and
duty."
Gonff strapped his pack back on. Dinny had not removed his. He was away and
running, small velvety paws pounding the grassland.
"Coom on, 'ee two,"he called. "Us'ns can lose they vur-min afore eventoid."
The three friends ran in silence, measuring their stride and conserving
energy. All that could be heard above the drumming of their paws was a
descending lark and the chirrup of grasshoppers in the dry grassland warmth.
The high sun above watched the scene like a great golden eye. The hunted
jogged steadily on, with the hunters rushing behind to close the gap.
There was no infirmary for the wounded at Kotir. Soldiers lay about in the
barracks, licking their hurts and tending to themselves as best as they could.
Cludd was quite pleased with himself. They had driven off the woodlanders and
the army had not retreated, so what was all the fuss about?
He put the question to Ashleg.
"Try telling her that, weasel. Here she comes." The pine flaarten's cloak
swirled about as he pointed to the stairs.
Tsarmina bounded into the barracks, crooking a claw at them. "You two, up to
my room. Right away!"
There was little" to be gained by arguing, so with sinking hearts they trooped
up the stairway.
Fortunata was already there, her ear painfully swollen from the arrow wound.
Ashleg could not resist a sly snigger. ' "Heehee, looks like you need a
healer, fox."
Tsarmina swept in, just in time to hear the jibe.
"One more remark like that, woodenpin, and you'll need il new head. Now, what
happened to my ambush in the ".- woods?" They stood dumbly, waiting for the
storm to break. 5 It was not long in coming.
The wildcat Queen cleared the table in one reckless sweep. }- Bell, dishes,
ornaments, linen and food crashed to the floor.
"Nothing! That's what we gained from it all."
$'
143
She raged around the chamber, kicking over furniture, tearing at wall hangings
and bending fire irons out of shape as her voice rose to a maddened howl.
"1 saw them. Me! I set up the ambush, warned you, marshaled the army, led the
charge and thought that you buffoons had the brains and courage to assist me.
What did I receive? Not one original idea or scrap of encouragement."
Her whole body quivered with dangerous temper, then suddenly she slumped into
a chair as if temporarily exhausted by her outburst. The quaking trio stood
staring at the floor for inspiration as she scowled at them.
"Aahh, what business is it of yours, anyway? You're not supposed to think,
only to carry out orders. It's my job to do all the brain work around here. I
suppose nothing will bother you three until the food supplies run out. Oh,
they won't last forever, you know. I've seen for myself; the stores are
getting lower, since we were unable to levy tribute from the few that lived
around our walls. That's the trouble with being a conqueror and having an army
to feed: soldiers are no good at providing anything unless they can snatch it
away from the helpless." She stretched and kicked moodily at a fallen goblet.
"Well, any ideas?"
"There's always the two prisoners I caught, Milady." Cludd sounded
half-apologetic.
Tsarmina sat bolt upright. "Of course, well done, weasel. Maybe you aren't as
stupid as I thought. Prisoners, hmmm, yes. What do you think the woodlanders
would pay as ransom for those young hedgehogs?"
Fortunata narrowed her eyes calculating^. "Well, I've had more dealings with
woodlanders than most. They're a soft, sentimental lot when it comes to young
ones. I think that they'd give quite a bit to get them back safe."
"Safe, that's the key," Tsarmina purred happily. "Imagine if the woodlanders
saw their babies exposed to real suffering or danger—we could practically name
our own terms."
The trio relaxed visibly, now that their Queen was in a saner mood.
There was one other listener to the conversation who had no cause to rejoice:
Chibb the robin, perched on the outside window ledge.
144
> Split nose was the first to slacken pace. He gradually slowed to
•;. an easy lope. Blacktooth joined him, leaving Scratch to make
the running. The weasel stopped and turned. He curled his lip
/ hi disgust at the pair, who were now sitting on the grass panting.
Scratch ran back energetically, drawing his dagger.
"Get up, you idle worms. Come on. Up on your paws, both of you."
Splitnose teased a passing ant with his claws. "Ah what's the point? They're
well away. We'll never catch 'em now." Scratch kicked out at Blacktooth. "I
suppose you think the same, lazybones."
Blacktooth kicked back insolently. "Oh, give it a rest. You can't make us
run."
"Right, so it's mutiny, eh!" Scratch looked from one to the other
disdainfully. "Then here's something for you two buckoes to think about. One,
if you don't get running, I'll stab the pair of you. Two, unless you decide to
run, I won't share my rations with you. And three, think about when I : make
my report. The Queen will be pleased to hear how you two lay down on the
job.'' Wordlessly they rose and started running again.
Gonff trotted alongside his friends, his quick eye noting the landscape.
"It gets a bit hilly further on, mateys. We could drop down 7 and hide in a
dozen places. What d'you say? Shall we give ; 'em the slip?"
Martin glanced backward. "I'd rather not risk it. They've got us in plain
view. No, best keep on until evening, then we can pick a good hiding place
when it's dark and camp there the night. Are you all right, Dinny?"
The mole wrinkled his snout. "Doant loik a-runnen. Lucky oi'm stronger'n most.
You'm keep a-goen, Marthen. Doant , wurry over oi."
The noon sun gained intensity. Birds soaring on the upper thermals passed over
the six tiny figures below, hunters and hunted.
tTo spur themselves on, Splitnose and Blacktooth played a f game, shouting out
their favorite dishes to each other. Scratch •-ran a length behind them,
keeping his dagger drawn as an
f.
145
insurance against further rebellion. Despite himself, the weasel had to keep
licking his lips, not being able to shut his ears against the ferret and the
stoat.
' 'Some of those candy chestnuts and a flagon of cold cider. Could you manage
that, Blackie?"
"Oho, could I! How about a baby trout grilled in butter with some of that
woodland October ale?"