Meldrum the Magnificent was caught up by MarieFs urgency and sureness. His ears stood straight as he said, “Game? Hah, say on mgel, theres none gamer than this hare!
Mariel knotted the Gullwhacker securely about her waist. “Good! Now heres what well do ...
Queen Serena hugged little Truffen to her. He was weeping piteously, frightened by the sight and sounds of the horde led by the Dirgecallers and Nagru. They were in plain sight now, pouring along the streambank after the floating log. While the rest of the otters pushed the tree trunk through the water, Iris and Greenbeck, armed with javelins, climbed onto the log. Protecting the squirrels with their bodies, the two brave otters prepared to face the onslaught together.
Howling with triumph, the Foxwolf halted his horde on the streambank. The two ermine snuffled and wailed hideously. Eager to get at their prey but reluctant to venture into the deep stream, they wove back and forth at the waters edge. The otters had steered the log over to the far bank to distance themselves from attack. Some of the horderats were beginning to string their bows up and select arrows. Nagru turned on them with a snarl.
“Put those bows away. Arrows would spoil the sport. Ive got them now and I want them alive and unharmed. My Dirgecallers can have the otters, but I want those two squirrels alive. Stand ready and await my orders!
Without warning the rat called Mingol shrieked as, grabbing his head in both paws, he fell senseless to the ground. His partner Vengro stared down in puzzlement at him.
“Whats wrong with Mingol? He was just ... Unhh! Vengro slumped beside his companion. Nagru whirled about to see what the trouble was, and a slingstone thudded hard into his back. One of the Dirgecallers yowled in anguish as another stone slammed into its ribs.
“Get down. Were being attacked! the rat Captain Riveneye yelled.
More stones followed in quick succession, and a mocking laugh rang out from some bushes a short distance away.
“Hahaha! Keep those heads down, scum. Theres a whole army of slingers ready to pick you off!
The wolfhide had taken most of the impact of the stone that struck Nagru. He scrambled forward on all fours, peering into the bushes. Seeing he was not immediately hit, the Foxwolf ventured upright, ducking swiftly as a good-sized pebble lodged between the wolfskull and his brow. Grimacing with pain, he plucked it out and hurled it back at the bush. A short yelp was followed by the sight of two mice retreating to the deep cover of thicker foliage. Nagru grabbed stones from the ground, throwing them at the place where the mice had hidden as he ran forward calling, “Theres only two of em, its no army. Charge!
Dandin nudged Mariel urgently. “The games uptime we werent here!
They broke cover and began a mad dash, back the way .they had come. Mariel risked a quick glance backward. “Better shiftthe whole packs after us! she yelled.
Footpaws thrumming madly against the card), Mariel and Dandin ran for their lives, the breath rising ragged in their throats as the two Dirgecallers, heading the pack, sped on their tails, gaining by the moment. Nagru followed in the rear, hurling challenges and threats. “Tear them to bits! Stop and fight, mice! Dandin stumbled. Mariel, catching his paw quickly, pulled him upright and they dashed on together, side by side, dust and sand flying, hearts pounding wildly, with the Dirgecallers, slightly ahead of the horde, closing fast. Muriels head came up; she glimpsed the big eroded dune ahead, rearing up like a mighty wave of sand, the grassy crest projecting perilously over a huge inward-curving hill. Through her blurred vision she could barely make out the ponderous form of Meldrum perched far out on the grassy top. Putting on a final spurt she tugged Dandin along. “Not far ... Come on ... just a bit more!
Meldrum the Magnificent watched the tableau below, gritting his teeth with suspense. It looked as if the two mice would surely be stopped by the ermine before they made the slope. No! They had put on an extra spurt and pulled away a bit; now they were on the final stretch and, calling up stamina from some deep reserve, they actually broke into a headlong sprint. As Meldrum stamped his footpaw down with delight, the whole dunetop shuddered. He went still immediately, saving his move until the exact moment. Leaning out, he squinted downwardthere they were! Mariel and Dandin had made it to the hill. Sand flew from beneath their paws as they battled upward into the curve with the ermine and about ten front-runners of the horde beginning to close on them again. The two mice suddenly changed course, veering sideways to the right where the curve of the hill straightened, and Mariel shouted one word at the top of her voice.
“Now!!!
Meldrum instinctively knew the pursuers were climbing the hill directly beneath him, but Mariels voice confirmed it. The old hare jumped as high as he could into the air.
Whump!
The whole dunetop shook. He jumped again, harder.
Whump!
The earth trembled as he landed, grass roots tearing as they parted company with the sand. Gritting his teeth, Meldrum the Magnificent leaped high in the air a third time, yelling out the battle cry of hares and badgers.
“Eulaliaaaa!
Whoooosssshhh! Whooomph!
The entire top curve of the high dune fell with an almighty avalanche of weeds, grass, and sand. It seemed to hover in midair a fraction, then down it came like a thunderbolt, with the old warrior perched atop still yelling his war cry. The Dirgecallers and at least a score of the rat horde never knew what happened to them. Countless tons of sand wiped them out instantly.
Nagru came dashing up, pushing and kicking his way through the awestruck masses. He made his way to the front and gaped in amazement at the scene. Mariel and Dandin had escaped the worst, but they were trapped, buried almost to their necks in sand. Meldrum had fared little better; being immersed to his ample waist, he could only struggle helplessly and hurl insults at his enemy.
“Good wheeze, eh? Wished we couldve got the crummy lot of you under there with your stinkin rotten ermine and some of your other pals. Well, whatre ygaw-pin at?
The Foxwolf glared at the bold veteran. “My Dirge-callers, you killed them!
Mariel spat sand from her mouth and yelled defiantly. “Aye, dig me out of here and Ill give you a run for your acorns, too, you great two-headed, slop-mouthed, ring-tailed excuse for a toad!
Dandin joined in hurling imprecations. “Now then, scabby skin, just imagine if we had been an army? Hah! You and those other gray slime wouldnt be around to tell the story. Dig us loose, and youll find out that were not a couple of helpless squirrels!
Nagru controlled his rage. “Oh, well dig you out all right, but after a good spell of starvation in my dungeons youll find yourselves dangling by your footpaws as target practice for my archers. Then youll wish you had been a couple of squirrels. Wetchops! Go and get those squirrels. Take fifty archers and finish those otters off, then bring the Queen and her brat to me. The rest of you, dig those three out and bind them tight!
The three companions were dug out and tightly pinioned with ropes, though they continued their verbal abuse of Nagru and his horde.
“Hey, lily liver, tie my paws tighter, because if I get them around your filthy neck Ill throttle you!
“Zounds! Takes six of yeh to truss me up, eh? So it should, you frog-swampin, mud-scoffin, fly wallopers!
They were lugged down the hill and bound to carrying poles. All three lay in the sand as Nagru circled them, aiming the odd kick at their prostrate forms as he spoke.
“Youll wish youd never crossed trails with the Urgan Nagru when Im done with you. Two bold little mice, eh. Maybe well give you to the cooks after my archers have finished with your carcasses. Hmm, and a big fat hare. Ive never tasted hare. What dyou say, hare, will you be tasty enough to be served at a conquerors banquet?