Part 22 (1/2)

With a series of wild whoops the squirrels sprang off into the trees, leaving the camp at peace once more. Martin stood listening to them as they shrieked and shouted off into the gathering night.

”The Gawtrybe, eh. I don't like that crowd one little bit. We'd best post a sentry tonight. I'll take first watch. Grumm, will you take second? You can use my sword.”

The mole brandished his trusty ladle fearlessly. ”Burr, this be all oi'll need furr they rarscally beasters!”

Rose placed damp wood on the fire to burn slowly 220.

through the night. She sat with her back against a pine and settled to rest. ”Martin, did you notice how they stopped when I mentioned Boldred? I know they joked and clowned a bit, but they're obviously scared of her. I wonder who Boldred is and where we can find her.”

Martin shouldered the small sword, his keen eyes questing around the night-cloaked woodland. ”Your guess is as good as mine, Rose. I don't think we've seen the last of the Gawtrybe, though.”

However, the night pa.s.sed uneventfully for the four travellers, the wooded foothills remaining calm and peaceful. The following morning was presided over by a hot blue cloudless sky, promising even greater heat as the day progressed. They breakfasted sparingly on cold water and some of Grumm's invention cakes before setting off to scale the mountain.

Three hours after dawn, they left the forest, entering a country of sloping shale scree carpeted with shrub, fern and lupin. As they toiled upwards in the oppressive breezeless warmth, Martin gritted his teeth. Jibes and insults were coming at them from all around, though they saw no squirrels.

”Heehee, I'll tell the Warden on you!”

”Bad-mannered hooligans, camp wreckers!”

”Heehee, still no sign of Boldred!”

”Please, Boldred, save us from the Gawtrybe, heehee!”

Pallum clapped a paw to his ear. ”Yowch! They're chucking pebbles at me!”

A small stone clacked off Martin's swordblade. He kept his eyes straight ahead, speaking in a voice strained by temper. ”Ignore them, the stupid vermin!”

”Ignore them, the stupid vermin, heeheehee!” a voice echoed back at him.

The young mouse was about to pick up a pebble and hurl it back in the direction of the voice when Rose halted. She muttered urgently to him out of the side of her mouth, ”Look up ahead!”

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The way was blocked by about fifty Gawtrybe squirrels. One, larger than the rest and obviously some kind of chieftain, stood forward. He scuffed the ground with his paw and pouted like a naughty infant as he spoke. ”This is Gawtrybe land. You've got to pay to pa.s.s through.”

Martin eyed him levelly. ”We have only some food for ourselves, nothing of any value. I am Martin the Warrior, this is Rose, Pallum and Grumm. Let us pa.s.s. We will be off your land by nightfall.”

The squirrel leader did a mincing little dance, holding his paws together imploringly as he mocked, ”Let us pa.s.s, please. Let us pa.s.s!”

Martin noticed that more squirrels had come up behind them, cutting off any chance of retreat. The leader squirrel had more feathers in his tailbrush than any of the others. He arched the bushy tail skillfully towards Martin.

”I am called Wakk, leader of the Gawtrybe. Give me your sword and I'll let you pa.s.s.”

The young mouse's eyes were cold as he answered, ”n.o.beast takes this sword from me!”

Wakk puffed out his chest and made his tail stand straight. ”Then I will fight you for it!”

Martin curled his lip derisively. ”Oh, you'll fight, my friend, backed up by all your bunch, I suppose.”

Wakk did not sneer or joke. He held up both paws to show he was not armed. ”No no, we two will fight together, just me and you. None of my bunch will interfere. Give your sword to the mousemaid, and let's see how good you are without a weapon.”

Instantly, the squirrels formed a large ring. As Martin pa.s.sed the sword to Rose he had his back turned to Wakk.

”Look out, Martin!” Pallum shouted.

He thrust the sword into Rose's paws and whirled around to see Wakk hurtling through the air at him, teeth bared and claws outspread.

222.

26.

Trapped!

The word ran back like wildfire along the creatures packed into the escape tunnel, and panic took over in the dark airless place.

”We're all going to die down here. Help!” ”Ooh, I knew we should never have tried to escape!” ”I can't breathe. Let me out of here!” ”At least we were alive in the stockade!” ”It's that Brome's fault, the stupid young fool!” Something within Keyla snapped. Suddenly the young otter was crus.h.i.+ng and pus.h.i.+ng, las.h.i.+ng out as he climbed over heads, squeezing and sc.r.a.ping past other creatures, bas.h.i.+ng out with all paws and his rud-derlike tail as he battled towards Brome at the blocked exit.

”Gerrout of my way! I never came down here to suffocate an' die. Let me by, you stupid snivellin' moaners!” Bulling and pus.h.i.+ng, kicking and shoving, the resourceful otter strove on through the packed airless tunnel until he felt Brome's corsair rags in his paws. ”Brome, what's the matter. Why can't we get out?”

His face touching Keyla's, Brome yelled in the darkness, ”We were nearly out, I'm sure of it, but the exit's caved in!”

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The otter pushed him backwards into the press of wailing slaves. ”Get out of my way and give me s.p.a.ce. I'll get us out of here!” With a surge of strength born of desperation, Keyla threw himself at the blockage, all four paws going like windmills. Despite the screams and cries of outrage from behind, he tore, bit, gouged, kicked, dug and flailed at the sandy earth as it sprayed around him in gouts and showers. His shouts could be heard throughout the tunnel as he flung his body forward.

”Eeyaahhh! What d'ycm want? Somebeast to dig? I'll show you how Keyla digs! Like this! And this! Wahoooooooooo!” The otter's nose fountained blood as it struck a large rock. Keyla wrapped his whole body around it and yanked, grunting and squeezing past the rock, he savaged the loose earth, sc.r.a.ping, biting and thudding until his head burst through into the hole on the sh.o.r.e between the rocks. Wriggling out, Keyla spat earth, and wiped his mouth out with a paw. Chuckling quietly, he shook with delight.

”Haha, just shows what you can do when you feel like it!”

Brome leapt from the tunnel, casting aside his disguise and hugging Keyla tightly at the same time. ”Keyla, you rogue, you did it, you got us free!”

Then it was Brome's turn to act sensibly. As he helped the first slaves out of the hole he issued instructions to Keyla.

”We were trapped down there quite a while. Time was lost, and it's not long until dawn. I'm going to run to the camp and get Felldoh with some others to help. I'll bring them back as quickly as I can. You must follow my pawprints, and move everybeast along as fast as you possibly can. Once the fortress is roused, Badrang will have his horde out after our blood!”

Dawn was crimsoning the grey from the sky as the ebb tide lapped gently on the sh.o.r.e. It was Bluehide's favorite time of day. He had catnapped most of the night 224.

through his sentry watch on the walltop of Marshank. Now he stretched gratefully in antic.i.p.ation of breakfast and a sleep until noon. Shortly his relief arrived, another ferret called Stumptooth.

Bluehide pa.s.sed the sentry spear over happily. ”It's goin' t' be a scorcher of a day, mate. You'll sweat up 'ere.”

Stumptooth took the proffered spear and leaned heavily on it. ”Aye, yer right there, Blue'ide. Tain't fair, is it, me stannin' up 'ere on guard all day while those bone-idle slaves lie round the compound scratchin' their-selves.”

”Hoho, don't you fret yer 'ead about the slaves, Stumpy.” Bluehide began climbing down a wall ladder. ”They're all down the prison pit. 'Alf of 'em will be dead afore the day's through!”

Stumptooth was pus.h.i.+ng past Bluehide on the ladder. ”Slaves in the prison pit? I never seen any an' I looks down there every mornin' when I pa.s.ses!”

Bluehide landed on Stumptooth's head. They b.u.mbled down the ladder to fall in a heap at the bottom. Scrambling on all fours, they both raced to the pit. Bluehide's jaw went slack in dismay.

”But, but, they was there last night,” he began explaining. ”I saw 'em go down with me own eyes. It was two of our horde put 'em down there ...”