Mossflower Part 38

"Steady on with the name-calling there, O Mighty Leader."

"Indeed, we're hares, not bunny rabbits, d'you mind."

T. B. sat on the deck sharpening pikes. "Odd lot those hares," he remarked, "Seasoned warriors though," Martin said, as he counted swords and daggers. "Boar the Fighter taught them personally. Don't let their silly talk fool you. I wouldn't have them as an enemy at any price, and I was proud to fight alongside them against the sea rats."

314.

I Gonff sniffed the air. His whiskers twitched in the predawn < p="">

"Trees, Din. We must be in Mossflower. Dawn will soon -****

I: The young mole was painting a crude sign to cover the ,,pame Bloodwake. It bore the legend Wudds.h.i.+pp. He shook "Ibis head admiringly, wiping paint from his paws.

"Hurr, Gonffen, we'm 'ome again, oi'm a-feelen it." The gruff voice of a shrew in the crosstrees confirmed Din-'s words. "Sun arising eastward, trees growing close, we're n the forest."

> *'Keep her head straight," shouted Log-a-Log, standing lout for'ard. "Furl those sails in before they snag on the 'branches. Lively there!" f Martin joined him at the prow.

"At this rate we should make Camp Willow around mid-f(Jay. I never noticed us navigating the ford that crosses the Log-a-Log patted the rail. "I chanced it in the dark. Good ^tailoring, see. Old Wudds.h.i.+pp skimmed the shallows with ii^er flat bottom. Nice and deep here though, easy going on ffceoars."

4 The sun rose above the woodland mists, revealing another Ifcot summer day. Patterns of water light played along the Bulkheads, leaf and branch shadow mottled the decks. The Iftiars pulled strong against the deep slow current as the big thip nosed its course, further into the depths of Mossflower.

315.

45.

Brogg watched Tsarmina as she lay flat upon the parade ground with her ear to the floor.

One of Bane's former mercenaries, a rat named Chinwart, tugged at Brogg's cloak and asked, "What's she up to, Cap'n?"

"Can't you see, she's listening for water."

"Water?"

"Aye, water, wormbrain. What d'you suppose she'd be listening for, strawberry cordial?"

Tsarmina sprang up, hurried across the parade ground and lay near the wall of the building. Listening intently, she waved a paw.

"Brogg, over here!"

"Yes, Milady."

"Get down, press your ear to the wall-not up there, down here by the ground."

"Oh, right. Here, Milady?"

' "That's it. Tell me what you can hear.''

"Er, nothing, Milady."

"Are you sure, Brogg?"

"I'm certain, Milady."

"Well, I can hear water running."

"But I can't, Milady."

"Hmm, perhaps it's my imagination."

"Strange thing the imagination. Milady."

316.

'Are you sure you searched below the cells last night?"

'Positive, Milady."

'Brogg, if I thought you were lying to me ... You did irch there, didn't you?"

The weasel Captain noted the look of fear that flitted across tormina's features. He took full advantage of it. "Your Majesty, I personally went alone to the place be- -ath the cells where it's all damp and green with slime and w ngus. I searched around that underground lake where the fCjloomer lived. The place was full of strange echoes and dripping sounds. Maybe that's what you've heard. The place is ^*-vays full of odd echoes and dripping noises down there in blackness. Shall we go down there together and recheck Milady?" Tsarmina could not stop her whole body shaking; she sat - the ground, unconsciously wiping her paws across her xt. "No, no, Brogg," she said nervously. "I won't be go-down there. I'll be up in my chamber if you need me for nything."

%. She nurried indoors, brus.h.i.+ng roughly past Chinwart, who ffead been lingering nearby, eavesdropping on the conversa- Ilion.

f He winked knowingly at Brogg. "I was with you last night.

pfe never went anywhere near that place under the cells. What * pack of old fibs you fed her there, mate."

C Brogg grabbed the rat savagely by his ear and pulled him :fek>se, twisting hard.

"Listen to me, bonebrain. You keep your skinny mouth uit. I'm giving the orders now, not Bane." ^ "Owowowow, leggo, you're pulling me lug off!" Chinwart ^whined pitifully.

$ Brogg twisted the ear more cruelly. 'Til rip your tongue out too if I hear another word from prou," he said menacingly. "Let her go and search the deep 4ark places if she wants to. I'm not going down there, not :for all the cider in Kotir. Unless, of course, you're volun-Jeering to go down there alone?"

:* Brogg released the rat, who stood nursing his ear tenderly. */'All right, all right! I haven't seen nothing, heard nothing, >nd I won't say nothing. It's none of my business."

317.

Brogg contemptuously wiped the claws that had been nipping Chinwart's ear on the rat's tunic.

"Good. Now get about your business, pigsears."

When the rat had scurried off, Brogg stood sunning himself. He held the larder keys, had a new red velvet cloak and a-dangerous-looking curved sword. To all apparent purposes, he was the only Captain at present serving in Kotir.

Life was beginning to feel fairly good.

A packed lunch was served at the river's edge.

Bella tossed an apple core into the water, they watched it bob to one side then stick in the shallows.

Skipper plucked it out and flung it far. "All I can say is that somehow the River Moss is at a low ebb. Those holes were underwater when we dug them, and now they are high and dry."

Ben Stickle lay flat out on the bank, gazing up at the cloudless sky. "Must be the mild spring we had. Look at it now, hardly a week into the season and it's like midsummer. Huh, it'll be late autumn before we see a drop of rain at this rate." "So, what is to be done?" Abbess Germaine asked, putting her milk beaker aside.

Lady Amber stroked the s.p.a.ce where her ear had been, "What d'you think, Skip? Would it be possible to dam the river now that the level's fallen a bit?"

The otter picked up a pawful of banksand. It ran freely through his claws.

"Marm, even as things are now, it'd be like trying to stop the sunrise at dawn. We don't stand a chance of even trying to block off a river the size of old Moss."

"Er ahem!" Chibb perched on a young chestnut shoot. They continued talking, ignoring the robin. "Maybe if we dig the channels a bit deeper." "Tunnels, you mean."

"Channels, tunnels-it's all the same, isn't it?" "Ahemhem harrumph!" Chibb called again. "It is if you're a squirrel, but to a mole or an otter a channel and a tunnel are two completely different things."

"Humph, ahem, harrumph!" Chibb was becoming impatient.

318.

Hurr, that be correck. 'Oles is 'oles an* tuners is fur- "Harrumph, ahemhemhernhem!"

"What d'you mean, furrows, a channel isn't a furr- "

"Ahem!"

"Chibb, what's the matter with you? Some nut stuck in r throat, is it?"

*Er ahem, no. But I thought you'd like to know there's a jhip coming up the river."

"A s.h.i.+p!"

1 "What, you mean a boat?"

"Harrumph, I beg your pardon, but I'd have said a boat if ;;1 meant a boat. It is a s.h.i.+p, full size, all black, white skull Idling on the front, rolled up canvas sails, lots of oars. s.h.i.+p!" ? Bella leaped up, spreading her paws wide. "Every creature Itake cover. Abbess, you stay with them. Be ready to make a flash for Brockhall if you hear my signal. Skipper, Lady Am-, come with me. We'd better go and investigate. Chibb, id you see who was on the s.h.i.+p?"

"Ahem, 'fraid not. Soon as I sighted it I came here to Report."

;*" "Good work," Bella congratulated him. "Come with us. We may need you to carry word back fast to those in hiding." ;V The woodlanders concealed themselves behind trees, in bushes and under deep loam. The badger, the otter, the squir-tel and the robin struck out west along the bank, leaving the ricene apparently deserted.

light, they made swift progress. It was not far to Khe stretch of water where the s.h.i.+p was. f * Chibb was the first to sight it. He fluttered up and down txcitedly. "Ahem, see, I told you so. Look at those two big ;>oles sticking up above the trees. They're, er, harrumph, big poles that stick up on s.h.i.+ps." ;>- Skipper saw them, too.

' "Masts, they are, matey," he explained. "Let's get in Closer and take a better look."

On all fours, they crept to the river's edge, concealing themselves in the bushes as the s.h.i.+p hove into view. . "You there, come no further," Bella called from her hide-* wt, in the forbidding boom of a warlike badger. "If you 319.

mean harm to any creature in Mossflower, put back to sea- ordeal with me!" There was silence from the black s.h.i.+p.

On board Wudds.h.i.+pp, Martin and his friends lay on deck, hidden by the s.h.i.+p's sides.

Dinny clapped a paw to his mouth, stifling a chuckle. "Hurrhurrhurr, oi know oo that be a-shouten."

"Bella, good old Bella of Brockhall." There was a distant look in Martin's eyes. "For a moment there she sounded like Boar. *'

Log-a-Log nodded toward the sh.o.r.e. "Well, we can't lie here all day. Who's going to answer her?"

Young Dinny solved the problem by standing up and bellowing, "Yurr, thurr be a beast aboard oo's a-perishen frum luv fer one called Combuliney.''

The creatures in the bushes dashed out in time to see the mole hit the water with a splash as Gonff heaved him over the side.

"Oo arr, glub, 'elp! Oi baint much gudd at swimmen!"

"Hold fast there, Young Din!" Skipper called, and he was in the water like a flash. He held Young Dinny up as eager paws hauled them on board.

"Skipper, you old waterwalloper!"

"Gonff, you young piebandit!"

"Hallo, Bella. Ahoy, it's me, Martin!"

"Martin the Warrior, welcome home. Look who's here!"

"Lady Amber, where's your ear?"

Log-a-Log's voice rang out, and suddenly Wudds.h.i.+pp was swarming with shrews, mice, hedgehogs, squirrels and hares.

"Bring her hard over. Steady to the bank. Mind those masts on the trees. Steady that tiller. Watch her head in the shallows!"

Chibb flew to the s.h.i.+p and perched importantly upon the rail. "Ahem, I must fly and conduct good tidings to those languis.h.i.+ng in concealment."

As he flew off, Skipper chuckled. "Does that mean he's going to tell the others? Strike me colors, but this is a fine 'andsome vessel. I never seen the like of it afore on old River Moss. You didn't steal it, did you, Gonff? Is that two sails I spy? Wonderful. Blow me, look at the size of that tiller! This 320.

is a real seagoing craft, all right. What's that big skull on the for'ard tip? A fis.h.!.+ I don't believe there's a fish that big in all the world."

As Wudds.h.i.+pp berthed alongside the bank, Timballisto held up his paws laughing heartily. "Hold steady, otter. You must be Skipper. I'm Martin's pal Timballisto. We'll answer all your questions soon enough."

Bella and Lady Amber came aboard, gazing about in awe as they hugged Martin, Gonff and Dinny.

Bella smiled fondly at the warrior mouse as she patted his back. "Martin, you've grown. You really look like a full-blooded warrior now. What a beautiful sword that is! Is my father here? Where's old Boar the Fighter?"

A silence fell over the s.h.i.+p's crew. Martin gently took Bella's paw.

"Come into the cabin with me, old friend. I have a long story to tell you."

There were many stories told that summer afternoon while Martin and Bella remained in the cabin. Ferdy and Coggs, Spike and Posy sat among a group of woodlanders on the deck. The little hedgehogs wore bra.s.s sea rat earrings and carried a round s.h.i.+eld each. Their eyes were wide and mouths agape as Gonff related the events which had befallen the travelers since they left Mossflower to go questing for Salaman-dastron. Ben Stickle, Goody and the Abbess were equally impressed, smiling broadly when Gonff could not get his paw loose to ill.u.s.trate a point because Columbine was clasping it tight.

"Toads, mateys. You've never seen toads as wicked as this lot. But when that eel came slithering out of the Scream-hole ..."

"Was the eel as big as a tree, Mr. Gonff?"

"Twice as big, Spike. He'd have eaten you without even opening his mouth."