The big otter nodded grimly. “Fire. They’re goin’ to try an’ burn their way in ’ere! Janglur, go to the wine cellars. Over the door there you’ll see three great longbows an’ quivers o’ big clothyard shafts. Bring ’em ’ere quick. Rusvul, get Gubbio Foremole an’ some of ’is crew, fetch buckets too, start fillin’ ’em from the pond. We’ll put a spoke in their wheel if they wanna play with fire, mates!”

16

16

Night had fallen along the fast-flowing river. Dippler sat at the water’s edge, bathing his footpaws. Dann trotted back and tweaked the shrew’s ear lightly. “Come on, Dipp, you can’t stop here.”

The young Guosim shrew let the cold water flow over his weary paws. “Why not? They’ve got to rest too, y’know—don’t suppose they could travel far on fast water like this at night, too dangerous.”

Song walked back to join them. “He’s right, Dann. Perhaps we’d better find someplace where we can take a bite to eat and sleep till dawn.”

They continued walking along the riverbank until they found a likely spot. Song was loosing her pack when Dann called to her. “Song, come an’ look at this. What d’ye make of it?” He was standing in the shallows, hanging on to the trailing branches of a willow and gazing downriver. Song waded in by him. “See, further down the bank. Looks like firelight t’me.”

Song peered at the glow in the far darkness. “Aye, ’tis fire right enough. Dipp said they’ve got to rest too, maybe it’s them. Let’s go and take a look. Best go armed!”

Steering back from the bank a bit they stole swiftly through the woodland, Dippler and Dann with drawn swords and Song with her greenstone-topped club. Drawing near to the light, they could make out a warm glow, but no sign of the flames that made it. Careful now, they measured each pace, avoiding dead twigs, dry ferns, or anything that might make a noise and betray their presence to the enemy. Song gripped her weapon tightly, whispering to Dann, “What d’you think, is it them?”

A huge, bushy, brown-furred mouselike creature popped up in front of them and began chattering in a shrill voice. “Ah yiss yiss, it could be them, though t’be shore ’tis not. Why, it’s only ourselves an’ we’re not them, unless by them y’mean us, an’ if ’tis ourselves yer after, then we’re them yiss yiss!”

The three friends were taken aback. Dann was first to recover. Menacing the creature with his sword, he backed it up to a tree, only to have Dippler jump in and place himself between them. “Leave ’im alone, mate. ’Tis a watervole. They’re friendly!” The shrew held both paws out and wiggled his nose in a strange greeting to the newcomer. Grinning cheerily, the watervole returned the salute and continued chattering.