[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
path that would take them due west, skirting Kotir on its south side. Columbine had walked with Gonff,
but now their paths were to part and she hurried away to join the others. As Cludd watched he made a
mental note to pay Scratch back for banging his nose down into the dirt. Unaware of his Captain s
displeasure, Scratch listened to the strains of Gonff singing his farewell to Columbine as she waved to him
with a kerchief.
Goodbye, Columbine.
Now your path and mine
Must part in the woods of Mossflow r.
Keep a lookout each day,
For I ll be back this way,
In the noontide or cool evening hour.
Scratch cackled. Fluttering his eyelids, he picked a daisy and sniffed it gustily. Aaahh, isn t that
romantic, now? The young mouse singing farewell to his sweethear & ouch!
Cludd rapped him smartly between the ears with the flat of his spearblade. Shut your trap, nitwit.
D you want the whole forest to hear you? Those three aren t going to Kotir. Oh no, they re bound for
somewhere else. Now listen, greasy ears, here s what I want you to do. Take two others and follow them.
Don t let them out of your sight. Find out where they re going and why, then report back to me.
Scratch rubbed the top of his head indignantly. Oh yes. Go off and follow those three. Who knows
where they re going, or how long it ll take? Huh, you must think all the acorns have dropped off my tree,
Cludd. I know where you ll be, mate grabbing all the glory for yourself. Yes three, Milady, no Milady,
three bags full Milady. I saw them first. Milady, so I ve sent daft old Scratch off chasing the odd three.
Hoho, I m on to your little game, weasel.
Cludd seized Scratch roughly by the ear and began twisting savagely. So! Open rebellion, eh, Scratch.
Now listen to me, you scruffy half-baked excuse for a soldier, if I have to report your disobedience to Her
Majesty, she ll have you staked out on the parade ground for eagle meat, d you hear me? Now get going,
wormbrain. Here, you two, Blacktooth ferret and Splitnose stoat, grab weapons and supplies. Go with
Scratch. Jump to it, that s a direct order from me.
The sulky-looking trio skulked off, muttering.
Old bossy boots Cludd, eh.
Huh, how he ever got to be Captain, I ll never know.
Take that spear away and he d fall over flat on his nose.
Aye, Tsarmina s pet, the baby-hedgehog catcher.
Cludd waited until they were gone, then shouldered his spear. Right, me laddos. Up on your paws.
We ll take the shortcut north back to the garrison, then Milady can arrange a warm welcome for her
woodland visitors.
Cludd put the remainder of his force into a swift jog trot. Soon the spot where the three paths had
crossed was deserted as the last soldier vanished into the bright leafy shades of Mossflower.
Toward evening, Tsarmina grew restless. She had the two prisoners brought up from the cells. The wildcat
Queen was reluctant to admit to herself that she could not get the better of two little hedgehogs. Hunger,
she decided, was a great tongue-loosener.
Ferdy and Coggs stood before her, their eyes riveted to the big tray of crystallized fruit and nuts.
Tsarmina popped one neatly into her mouth, delicately licking the sticky sugar coating from her claws
one by one.
Mmm, delicious! I ll wager that either one of you two young uns could eat this entire tray in one go.
Come on, now. Don t be shy. First to talk a bit of sense gets them all.
Coggs licked his lips. Ferdy grasped his paw and spoke out for them both.
Huh, I d swap all that lot for just one slice of our mum s apple pie.
Tsarmina smiled winningly. Of course you would. I suppose your mum makes the best apple pie in all
Mossflower?
Coggs wiped his damp whiskers with the back of a paw. Oh, I ll say she does. Hot out of the oven,
with fresh cream poured on until it floats.
Tsarmina nodded agreeably. Lovely. That s just the way I like it. By the way, what do they call your
mother?
Ferdy was caught completely off guard. Goody.
Goody what? The wildcat Queen kept up a friendly purr.
Coggs kicked Ferdy and interrupted, Goody, goody. We love our mum s apple pie, and that s all [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl freetocraft.keep.pl
path that would take them due west, skirting Kotir on its south side. Columbine had walked with Gonff,
but now their paths were to part and she hurried away to join the others. As Cludd watched he made a
mental note to pay Scratch back for banging his nose down into the dirt. Unaware of his Captain s
displeasure, Scratch listened to the strains of Gonff singing his farewell to Columbine as she waved to him
with a kerchief.
Goodbye, Columbine.
Now your path and mine
Must part in the woods of Mossflow r.
Keep a lookout each day,
For I ll be back this way,
In the noontide or cool evening hour.
Scratch cackled. Fluttering his eyelids, he picked a daisy and sniffed it gustily. Aaahh, isn t that
romantic, now? The young mouse singing farewell to his sweethear & ouch!
Cludd rapped him smartly between the ears with the flat of his spearblade. Shut your trap, nitwit.
D you want the whole forest to hear you? Those three aren t going to Kotir. Oh no, they re bound for
somewhere else. Now listen, greasy ears, here s what I want you to do. Take two others and follow them.
Don t let them out of your sight. Find out where they re going and why, then report back to me.
Scratch rubbed the top of his head indignantly. Oh yes. Go off and follow those three. Who knows
where they re going, or how long it ll take? Huh, you must think all the acorns have dropped off my tree,
Cludd. I know where you ll be, mate grabbing all the glory for yourself. Yes three, Milady, no Milady,
three bags full Milady. I saw them first. Milady, so I ve sent daft old Scratch off chasing the odd three.
Hoho, I m on to your little game, weasel.
Cludd seized Scratch roughly by the ear and began twisting savagely. So! Open rebellion, eh, Scratch.
Now listen to me, you scruffy half-baked excuse for a soldier, if I have to report your disobedience to Her
Majesty, she ll have you staked out on the parade ground for eagle meat, d you hear me? Now get going,
wormbrain. Here, you two, Blacktooth ferret and Splitnose stoat, grab weapons and supplies. Go with
Scratch. Jump to it, that s a direct order from me.
The sulky-looking trio skulked off, muttering.
Old bossy boots Cludd, eh.
Huh, how he ever got to be Captain, I ll never know.
Take that spear away and he d fall over flat on his nose.
Aye, Tsarmina s pet, the baby-hedgehog catcher.
Cludd waited until they were gone, then shouldered his spear. Right, me laddos. Up on your paws.
We ll take the shortcut north back to the garrison, then Milady can arrange a warm welcome for her
woodland visitors.
Cludd put the remainder of his force into a swift jog trot. Soon the spot where the three paths had
crossed was deserted as the last soldier vanished into the bright leafy shades of Mossflower.
Toward evening, Tsarmina grew restless. She had the two prisoners brought up from the cells. The wildcat
Queen was reluctant to admit to herself that she could not get the better of two little hedgehogs. Hunger,
she decided, was a great tongue-loosener.
Ferdy and Coggs stood before her, their eyes riveted to the big tray of crystallized fruit and nuts.
Tsarmina popped one neatly into her mouth, delicately licking the sticky sugar coating from her claws
one by one.
Mmm, delicious! I ll wager that either one of you two young uns could eat this entire tray in one go.
Come on, now. Don t be shy. First to talk a bit of sense gets them all.
Coggs licked his lips. Ferdy grasped his paw and spoke out for them both.
Huh, I d swap all that lot for just one slice of our mum s apple pie.
Tsarmina smiled winningly. Of course you would. I suppose your mum makes the best apple pie in all
Mossflower?
Coggs wiped his damp whiskers with the back of a paw. Oh, I ll say she does. Hot out of the oven,
with fresh cream poured on until it floats.
Tsarmina nodded agreeably. Lovely. That s just the way I like it. By the way, what do they call your
mother?
Ferdy was caught completely off guard. Goody.
Goody what? The wildcat Queen kept up a friendly purr.
Coggs kicked Ferdy and interrupted, Goody, goody. We love our mum s apple pie, and that s all [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]