The little bankvole pursued them, shouting from the opposite side as he skipped and danced along. “All smashed inta ferrety bits! Yeeheehee! Belly smashed, dinner all overa place, teeths everywhere, eyes smashed, eeyukka! Nose in bits, blood too, allover allover alloveraplace. Bloods everywhere off smashed ferret! Yeeheeheehee!
He continued in this manner until Togget put both digging claws into either side of his mouth, pulled his lips wide, and stuck out his tongue, making a grotesque face at the bankvole. Still jumping and skipping, the little bankvole returned the insult, squinching his nose and waggling his ears. Unfortunately, he did not look where he was going and went smack into an alder. Sitting flat on the ground, he nursed a bruised jaw and set up a fearful yowl. “Waaahaaah! Urted me face! Waaahaaahaaah! “
Bryony shook her head reprovingly at her molefriend. “Tut, tut, really, Togget, did you have to?
“Hurr, hurr, at least et stopped im a goin on abowt bits o furret, missie, oi wurr beginnin tfeel quoit ill.
When they reached the gorge top the afternoon grew hot, but as the sheer sides lessened, spray from the rapids hit the two friends like a welcome, cooling drizzle. Bryony looked at the wild rapids, foaming and leaping as they dashed downhill towards the mountains.
“Look at that water! No wonder Duddle said he wouldnt dare take the raft down this way. Its dreadful!
Togget pointed ahead. “Yurr oi think et wursens yonder, ark at ee roaren et makes!
A short distance farther on they saw the mist-shrouded rainbow, and the roar increased in volume until they had to shout aloud at each other to be heard above it.
Soaked and bewildered, they found a small cavelike crevice to one side of the waterfalls edge. Crouching inside, Togget dug out a turnip-and-watercress flan, and they shared it, together with a flask of cowslip cordial. They peered in fascination at the colossal torrent, falling so far down that it was lost in an almost solid white spray of mist.
“Whurr do et all go to, miz Broinee?
“Im not certain, Togget, but I think it must fall into some big lake below and stream off into the mountains.
Bryony suddenly realized how close to the mountains they were; the falls seemed to drop into their very side. “Well, Ill have to figure out a way to get down there to the bottom of this waterfall. If Veil was here, he couldnt avoid going over. What an awful thing to happen to anybeast, Togget.
“Hurr aye, missie, oi knows tis ard, but us doant sped to foind maister Veil still aloive, do us?
Bryony clasped the moles paw earnestly. “You dont have to go down there, Togget. I wont have you risking your life to find Veil.
The good moles face was earnest as he replied, “Oi doant go, then youm baint goen. Oi cummed this furr with ee, Broinee, burr, an oi baint aven ee riskin yore young loif furr ee wuthless vurmin alone, no zurr!
It was evening before they were ready to descend the slippery rocks. The two friends were ill equipped for their task; after an exhaustive search of the area, all they came up with was a few short lengths of vine. Using their belts and the haversack sling, they knotted them all together. Bryony fastened one end to Toggets waist and the other round her own, and wordlessly they set off down the slick, water-worn rock face, with the deafening din of the torrent ringing in their ears. Bryony went first, Togget taking the strain as she scrabbled and slid to a smooth ledge. She waited until he had scrambled down beside her before taking a look around.
There seemed no way off the ledge, except for a series of rocky protuberances on one side, half covered by the falling water. Carefully the mousemaid lowered herself to the first one, feeling Togget slip slightly as he was pulled by the tension on their lifeline. He waved a digging claw to show he was all right, and she began the descent to the next. Suddenly a chunk of driftwood hurtling past on the waterfall struck Bryony, and she slipped, but managed to grab on to a spur. Battered by the falls and fighting for breath, she hung on tight, barely able to hear her molefriend above the pounding cascade.
“Oim cummen, missie, old on!
As Togget climbed down to her, he edged too near the waterfall; it caught him and swept him away like a leaf in a gale. A split second later, Bryony screamed as the improvised rope tautened like a bowstring and catapulted her off the spur after him. Bound together, both mole and mousemaid were carried off by the raging waterfall.
Swartt had been going long and hard. He had cleared the big hills behind Salamandastron in two days, without either food or sleep, but now he had to rest, to stop awhile before he dropped. The Warlord crouched beside a stream flowing out onto the heathland, his tongue lolling from one side of his mouth. Panting like a winded dog, he awaited the arrival of the rest. The vixen fell in a breathless heap alongside him and splashed water into her open mouth with both paws.
Swartt kicked her. “Sbad for yer, itll make yer sick, ywont be able to run!
Nightshade lay back, her flanks twitching and quivering. “Makes no difference now, Lord. Im old, I cant run anymore, whether you want me to or not!
The ferret pawed water over the back of his neck. “So, whatre you goin tdo, vixen, stop here an be slain by the badger? Thats whatll happen if you dont move.
41?
Nightshade watched the rest lolloping up and dropping exhausted by the stream. “Ive got a plan, Sire, listen. You take five and twenty with you, leave me the rest with some bows and arrows. Look to the east theresee that fringe? Its woodlands. Keep low and stay in the stream; tis only shallow, but the water will cover your tracks. Once you make it to the trees, wait there for me. I still have poison. We will lay an ambush; those who are hunting us will be coming fast, with the badger in the lead. They wont be expecting a sudden shower of poison shafts. Well let fly at them, then well use the streambed to follow you. I think my idea is our best hope.
Swartt stared curiously at his seer. “Yer an odd one, vixen, why would you do this fer me?
Nightshade closed her eyes. “You are not defeated yet, Lord. I follow my visions. I see the badger laid low at your footpaws, you standing atop of a mountain, smiling and victorious....
Swartts eyes lit up, and he leaned toward Nightshade. “More, tell me more, what dyou see then?
The seer opened her eyes and shrugged. “Then it gets hazy and I see an old female badger, silver with seasons, very ancient and wise looking, then I wake.
The Warlord brought his chain-mailed sixclaw down hard. “The badger laid low, me victorious. This is a good dreamits not over yet. As for your old silver female badger, when Ive finished with Sunflash Ill find her an slay er!
Nobeast was more surprised than Sunflash the Mace when Rockleg and Fleetrunn caught up with him. He was facing the bottom of the final hill when the two hares came loping swiftly along and saluted him.
“Splendid day for huntin vermin, Sire, wot! The badger halted, his chest heaving as he sucked in air. “Where in the name of fur did you two spring from?
Fleetrunn gestured over her shoulder. “Actually, theres more followin, were the jolly old front-runners, makin the pace, scoutin ahead, an so on. She unslung a canteen from her back. “Here, Sire, care for a drop o the ole oatnbarley water? Rather good in this hot weather, yknow.
Gratefully, Sunflash took a brief sip, scanning the sky. Skar-lath came soaring out of the blue and landed beside him. “Kreeh! Eight vermin and the vixen are awaiting your arrival over this hill. They are laying an ambush, with archers!
“Well sighted, my friend. What of the Sixclaw, where is he?
“Swartt and the rest are following a shallow streambed toward the forest to the east, staying in the water so that they cannot be tracked.
Sunflash turned to the two horses. “Here is what well do. You wait here until the rest of your Long Patrol arrives; Im going off to skirt this hill and pick up the streambed south of here. Watch the sky; when you see Skarlath dive then you may charge the vermin, but do it carefully, keep out of arrow range. When you hear me attack then come in fast. Take your Long Patrol to this hilltop and watch for my hawks signal.