only one way to rundown! I will be waiting in the cave where Shorebuck and Windpaw are lying. Off you go now!"
Ferahgo had been searching the base of the mountain, poking, sniffing and prying all around its mighty circumference. A sizable contingent headed by Doghead and Dewnose followed him. They watched as the Assassin halted at a spot on the north side and marked a cross in the sand with his dagger. ; "Here! See the cracks and loose boulders? It's a fault in the rock. This is where we'll tunnel in. Hah! They should . have eaten and drunk their fill by now in there. Thirsty work, heaving all those boulders about and defending a mountain against my horde. The poison should be working well, if I know Farran!"
Klitch perched on a rock slightly above his father's head. ;X "Tunnel in? Seems a lot of unnecessary work when we could ..find a window slit, or even attempt unblocking the main en-' trance. That'd save a lot of digging."
' Ferahgo toyed with the gold medallion around his neck. ft "Don't worry, Klitch my son, you won't be asked to get your dirty. We've got an entire horde to do the job. Have never heard of the element of surprise? If there is any-.ijbeast left alive in there and they still happen to be in fighting ?pi8tm, they'd expect us to try unblocking one of the entrances, we will be doing the unexpected. Doghead, Dewnose, inake a start here. There's loose boulders and lots of wide . Use spears, pikes, knives, swordsanything, but keep 3m at it."
,,,?r,_._ran the Poisoner knew that his mission had failed. All that ?ijfce desired now was to leave the mountain. But try as he
.*&* gt; *
lid, the black fox was frustrated at every turn. Salaman-stron was virtually alive with determined hares. Fully armed and alert, they scoured every nook and cranny from the top of the crater downward. Farran found himself running before them, down, ever down. Whenever he turned and tried going upward he was cut off by two pairs of angry, determined hares coming from each side. Scurrying along one of the mid-level
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corridors, he practically bumped into Sapwood. Turning, he dashed off down a flight of stairs with the Sergeant's voice ringing in his ears. "Run, you poisoner. We're givin' you more of a chance than you gave two pore 'ares. Go on, keep runnin', vermin!"
In desperation Farran concealed himself in a dark corner until Sapwood had passed by, accompanied by Pennybright. The ghost of a smile flitted across Farran's sombre face. Slipping out of his hiding place, he mounted the stairs, only to find himself facing the lance points of Bart Thistledown and Starbob.
Bart tapped his lancepoint on the steps. "Up y'come, laddie. Let's see what you're made of, wot?"
The black fox turned and fled, taking the opposite direction to Sapwood and Pennybright. Behind him he could hear Star-bob and Bart. Suddenly the passage ahead of him was cut off by Seawood and a hare called Moonpaw. Drawing his deadly greenhart dagger he backed off, snarling. The two hares made no move to attack, merely covered the bottom of the staircase so that he could not go up. Hugging the opposite wall, Farran slid past them and sped off. As he descended another flight of steps, he could hear four sharp lance tips tapping behind him.
On the ground-level corridor Farran glanced left and right. Two more hares were coming from the left, both with arrows nocked on drawn bowstrings. He ran to the right. Narrowly avoiding two more advancing members of the Long Patrol, the Poisoner went helter-skelter down a long spiral stairway carved into the rock. Tripping and stumbling, he staggered into the final passage leading to the lower caves. Farther along the way hares flooded down silently from another stairway in front of him, while at his back another group came down the spirals he had recently descended.
The sour taste of fear rose in the black fox's mouth. There was just one place left to go: the large cave in front of him.
It was a huge, rough-hewn place with torches placed plentifully in wall sconces. There was a pair of raised stone slabs at the far end.
Beside the bodies of Shorebuck and Windpaw, Lord Urth-stripe stood waiting in the well-lit chamber. He was unarmed, save for a wet strip of linen that had been knotted at one end. Farran's pale eyes watched him warily as the Long Patrol crowded in the cave entrance, blocking any possible way out. The badger Lord pointed to the two lifeless creatures laid out either side of him.
"See how you have murdered my friends, fox? Now the time for reckoning has come. You must face me. Sapwood, provide this vermin with any weapons he needs, then stand back, all of you. Nobeast is to lay paw upon the fox... . Nobeast, save me!"
25
As night fell, Thrugg began piling up pebbles. The otter moved stiffly, his whole body aching from the fight earlier that evening. Out on the open land the crows were beginning to stir in the cool night air. One or two were trying out desultory hops and caws.
Rocangus glanced over the bank edge of the dried-out streambed, his fierce eyes watching them keenly. "Och, yon birds are startin' tae work theyselves up again."
Dumble had fallen asleep. He muttered to himself and turned over.
A full moon rose like a dull gold platter. As Thrugg looked up at it, a dark winged shape swooped low out of the night. Grabbing his sling, the otter launched a hasty stone at the bird. It banked and circled, shrilling out angrily, "Ach, ye great lump-haided riverdog, can ye no see Ah'm a falcon?"
Rocangus cocked his head on one side. "Is that ye, Tamm-beak?"
The other falcon landed smoothly atop the haversack. "Aye,'tis. Whit ha' ye done tae yer wing?"
Thrugg stood to one side, listening to the falcons conversing in their quaint northland accent.
"Never ye mind mah wing, Tamm. Will ye lookit yon
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crows, mah cronies an' mahsel' are sair troubled by them. Are any of oor clan aboot tae lend a talon here?"
"Nae bother. Bide ye here a wee bit. Ah'll bring ye help." Tammbeak shot off into the night sky, screeching at intervals as he flew in a high wide circle.
"Krrreeeekah! Gather ye tae me! Krreeekah!"
Rocangus watched him. "Och, it's a braw thing tae be fjyin'. Dinna ye fret, Thrugg, yon crows'll soon be sorry they messed wi' the son of the Laird Mactalon."
The cawing and hopping from the crows had increased. They appeared to be working themselves up into a frenzy. Out on the open moonlit land they hobjigged and sang raucously. Thrugg covered the still sleeping Dumble with his jerkin as he watched them anxiously.
"Rocangus, matey, I 'opes yer pals gets here afore those birds charge us. We won't stand a butterfly's chance agin that mob!"
As if on cue, six falcons dropped out of the sky into the streambed.
Thrugg gave a startled jump. "Phew, that was quick!"
A tall, imposing elder with fearsome beak and huge talons folded his massive wings and winked at Thrugg. "Aye, 'twas an' all. Mah clan's speedier on the wing than anything in yonder sky."
Thrugg looked around doubtfully. "But there's only six of you. There's 'undreds of crows out there, beggin' yer pardon o' course."
The big falcon grinned fearsomely. "Ach, dinnae apologize, streamdog. We were searchin' for that young rip, mah son Rocangus, but six braw sojers like us wid be shamed if we couldnae give some crows a guid tanning!"