Mossflower Part 10

"Well, I wish I knew where to begin. Fighting badgers have been going off questing for Salamandastron as far back as memory goes. My grandfather, old Lord Brocktree, went off when I was very small, then later he was followed by my father, Boar the Fighter."

"Is there any record of whether they ever found it, or are there any maps of the way to Salamandastron?" Martin interrupted.

Bella stroked her stripes thoughtfully. "There must be a map somewhere. Both Lord Brocktree and Boar seemed to know where they were going. One thing I do know, it would be far too difficult to find the place of dragons without some form of key or map. You would need directions."

Gonff smiled disarmingly. He picked up a bundle of scrolls from the desktop.

"Well, mateys, the solution is simple. Let's find the map!"

It had been a confused and frightening day for the two little hedgehogs. Since they had been taken by Cludd's patrol, not a word had pa.s.sed between them. Both lay on the floor of 106.

Tsarmina's room, trying to forget the pains that shot through their bound-up paws and the filthy-tasting gags tied roughly across their mouths. Ferdy snuffled through his nostrils for breath and exchanged glances with Coggs.

What must Goody and Ben be doing?

Would the Corim leaders organize a search and a rescue?

What lay ahead they could only guess, but it wasn't going to be very pleasant.

Tsarmina sat watching impa.s.sively as Ashleg cut the captives' bonds and relieved them of their gags. Ferdy and Coggs lay quite still, fighting back tears as the circulation was painfully restored to their swollen limbs.

Cludd stirred the inert forms with his spearpoint. "Huh, they're fit enough, Milady. Wait'11 their tongues loosen up, and we'll see what they've got to say for themselves."

Coggs rolled closer to Ferdy. "Don't tell the villains a thing, matey. Let's be like Martin and Gonff: brave and silent. '' His voice was barely above a whisper.

Fortunata kicked out cruelly at Coggs. She regretted it immediately as her paw came into contact with his sharp little spines.

"Silence, prisoner. Don't you know you're in the presence of Her Majesty Queen Tsarmina?''

Ferdy curled his lip rebelliously at the vixen. "She's not our Majesty-we're woodlanders."

Tsarmina leaned forward to the two little creatures lying at the foot of her chair. Bringing her face near them she slitted her eyes venomously. Baring her great yellowed fangs and extending her fearsome claws she gave vent to a sudden wild growl.

' ' Yeeeggaarroooorrr!''

Ferdy and Coggs clutched at each other, their eyes wide with terror.

Tsarmina laughed and leaned back in her chair. "Now, my two tiny woodland heroes, let's begin, shall we?"

The wildcat's expression became almost benevolent as she took a tray of food from a table and sat with it in her lap.

"You, Ferdy-or is it Coggs? Wouldn't you like some milk and biscuits? A rosy autumn apple, perhaps? Or maybe you prefer dried fruit and nuts? Look, they won't hurt you."

107.

Tsarmina bit into an apple, washing it down with a draught of milk.

The two small hedgehogs gazed longingly as she ate. They had not tasted food since dawn that morning.

Tsarmina selected a biscuit. Tossing the apple aside, she nibbled daintily, flicking crumbs from her whiskers.

Ferdy licked his lips. Coggs nudged him warningly. "It's probably all poisoned. Don't touch it."

Tsarmina placed the platter on the floor close to them. "Silly, if it were poison I'd be ill by now. Try it yourself, it's all from my special store. All I want is that you tell me about your woodland friends."

Coggs yawned and muttered wearily, "Don't tell her anything, matey. Not a word."

Ferdy yawned.

Tsarmina sat watching the two young captives. Their eyelids were beginning to droop, so she decided to try another angle. Stretching luxuriously, she yawned and snuggled deep in the big cushioned chair.

"I'll bet you two are tired. Mmmm, wouldn't it be nice to lie down on a bed of clean fresh straw and sleep for as long as you please? You can, too. It's quite simple, really. Just tell me about your friends-who they are, where they live, and so on. I won't harm them, you have my word. They'll thank you for it later when they are truly free. What do you say?"

Ferdy blinked hard, fighting back sleep. "Our friends are already free from you."

Tsarmina controlled her mounting temper by burying her claws in a russet apple. "That's as may be. But consider your own position. You two aren't free, and you're not likely to be, until you get some sense into your heads and answer my questions. D'you hear me?"

The wildcat's threats fell upon deaf ears. Ferdy and Coggs lay with their heads resting against each other, nodding slightly as they snored. They were both fast asleep.

Cludd touched them gently with his spearb.u.t.t. "Huh, it beats me why you don't string 'em both up and give 'em a taste of your claws, Milady. That'd soon make them talk."

Tsarmina's voice was tinged with heavy sarcasm. "You would think that, thickhead. How long d'you suppose they'd last with that treatment? These two are valuable hostages.

108.

Carry them down to the cells and lock them up for the night. We'll see if they are hungry enough to talk business tomorrow."

Gingivere heard the sound of an upstairs door opening. Someone was coming.

It was Cludd, accompanied by Ashleg and Fortunata. A key turned in the lock of the cell to the wildcat's immediate left. He heard Cludd's voice giving orders.

"Right. One in here, and one in the cell on the other side of the prisoner whose name must not be mentioned by Milady's order. They must be kept apart."

When the trio had departed, Gingivere reflected upon this new development. Whoever the prisoners were, he knew that Chibb the robin would be interested next time he visited Ko-tir.

109.

Young Dinny the mole knocked upon Bella's study door with his heavy digging claw.

"h.e.l.lo, who is it?" Gonff's voice rang out from within.

"Hurr, it be Young Din. Miz Goody sent oi with these yurr viddles furr 'ee."

Martin opened the door and admitted the mole balancing a tray of food. Young Dinny blinked. The inside of the study was a ma.s.s of dust, scrolls, open drawers and general confusion. As Bella took the tray from the mole, Gonff leaped upon him from the desktop. They rolled about together on the floor, wrestling and hugging each other at the same time. Gonff laughed joyfully.

"Young Din, whereVe you been keeping yourself, me old dtggin' mate?"

Dinny gained the upper paw and sat on Gonff. "Wurr you'm been, zurr GonfFen? You'm a-gettin' fatter, hurr."

Gonff introduced his mole friend to Martin while struggling to heave Dinny off. "Matey, this is Young Dinny, the strongest mole in Mossflower."

The young mole allowed Gonff to get up. He smiled modestly as he shook paws with Martin.

"Naw, oi baint the strongest. Moi owd granfer Dinny, 'ee be the moightiest mole in these yurr parts, even tho' 'ee seen many summers. Oi be 'onored to meet 'ee, Marthen."

Martin took an instant liking to the friendly mole. They 110.

sat and shared the food while Bella explained the nature of the search.

Dinny gazed around at the ma.s.ses of dusty scrolls littering the room. "Oi'd best lend a paw or winter'11 be upon uz afore *ee foinds owt."

The search was proving long and fruitless. Cupboards were turned out, the desk emptied, shelves were scoured without success. The bulk of the scrolls were mainly old Brockhall records. Some were Bella's recipes, others dealt with woodland lore-none of them filed in any system. Bella brushed dust from her coat and sighed.

"I'm afraid it's all a bit higgledy-piggledy. I Ve been meaning to put them in order for some seasons now, but I never had time to get around to it."

Martin banged his paw on the desktop in frustration. "If only we knew ex ... oof!"

A secret drawer shot out from the desk, catching the warrior mouse heavily in his stomach. He sat down, surprised and winded.

Bella took the single yellowed parchment from the drawer and read its contents aloud.

To the mountain of fire where badgers go, The path is fraught with danger.

The way is long and hard and slow, Through foe and hostile stranger.

The warrior's heart must never fail, Or falter on his quest.

Those who live to tell the tale, First must turn the crest.

Gonff looked bemused. "Is that all?"

Martin took the parchment and scanned it carefully on both sides. "Yes, that seems to be it."

Bella sat in her chair with an air of resignation. "Well, there doesn't appear to be much to go on."

Dinny tapped the parchment with his digging claws. "Hurr, It be a start, tho'. This yurr's a clue may'aps." ;- Martin brightened up. "Of course, it tells us how to start. Look: "Those who live to tell the tale, first must turn the >' 111 crest.' Bella, you would know, what does it mean by, "turn the crest'?"

The badger pondered awhile. "I think it refers to the Brockhall shield-that's the badger family crest. It takes the form of a shield with the great oak of Brockhall on one half and the stripes of a badger on the other. Beneath it is a scroll bearing our family motto: To serve at home or afar."

"But where is this crest and how do we turn it?" GonfF asked, scratching his whiskers.

Bella stood up. "I know of at least two places where it may be seen. The first is on the door knocker of Brockhall, and the second over the hearth in the main hall. Come on, let's try them both."

The four friends trooped out to the front door, where Bella seized the rusty iron door knocker and twisted it sharply. The old metal snapped under the considerable strength of the badger, who stood holding it in her paw with a slightly guilty expression.

"Oops! I think I've broken it."

Young Dinny shrugged. "Never moind, Miz Bell, moi granfer'll fix it for 'ee. Whurr's t'other un?"

The crest over the hearth was carved into the top lintel of the wide fireplace. Martin turned to Bella.

"I think I'd better try this one. My paws aren't as heavy as yours. Could you lift me up there, please?"

Bella obliged by picking the warrior mouse up as if he was a feather and placing him on the broad lintel.

Martin leaned over, gripping the protruding crest that had been carved on the fire-blackened oak-root beam. He tried turning it without success. Gonff climbed nimbly up beside him.

"Here, matey, let me try. Maybe you haven't got the magic touch." From his pouch the mousethief drew a piece of cheese and rubbed it around the edges of the crest.

* 'Give it a moment for the grease to work its way into the cracks. It shouldn't take long-this mantel's quite warm from the fire."

GonfTs talents had not been wasted. After a short interval he wiped his paws upon his jerkin and gave the crest a skillful twist. It moved!

112.

"Here, matey, lend a paw. Jiggle it from side to side with me, like this. Pull outward as you do."

Martin a.s.sisted Gonff. The entire crest started to move outward. Bella stood ready to catch the hollow wooden cylinder-it dropped into her waiting paws.

Martin and Gonff eagerly clambered down from the lintel.

Dinny danced about excitedly. "Gurr, do 'urry, Miz Bell. Is it the map of Sammerlandersturm?"

The badger looked gravely at the young mole. "Haste will only put us on the wrong track, Dinny. Let us take each step carefully.' *

Bella upended the cylinder and peered into its open end. "Here, Gonff, there's a scroll inside. Your paws are a lot more nimble than mine-see if you can get it out without damaging it."

The clever mousethief had the parchment out and opened in a twinkling. They studied the writing; it was a bold and heavy old-fashioned style. Bella smiled.

"The paw of my grandsire old Lord Brocktree did this. You must understand that only male badgers went to Sala-mandastron. Each one left clues for his son to follow. This was written for my father Boar to solve. Unfortunately, Boar had no son to leave a map for, so after he had solved Lord Brocktree's riddles he carefully replaced everything in the hope that one day another young son of our house would find mem."

Bella sniffed and looked away. "Alas, maybe my little one Sunflash might have followed these clues, had he been here today."

Young Dinny rubbed the back of his velvety paw against Bella's coat. "Hurr, doant fret 'eeself Miz Bell, us'ns foind it furr 'ee."

Martin had been toying with the wooden cylinder. He shook it and tapped the sides. Some leaves fell out.

"Look, Bella. What do you suppose this means?"

The badger shrugged. "They're just old leaves. Let's see what the parchment says,"

Boar is badger, named after wood, Not after forest but trees.

Where did you play on a rainy day?

113.

Where did I eat bread and cheese?