Dann thrust the swordpoint deeper into the soil. “You don’t understand. I’ve proved my father right. He called me a coward and I am. I deserted Dippler an’ Burble, left ’em t’be captured by those ferrets. I was terrified, and I ran!”

Song gave him a hearty shove and sent him sprawling. “Oh, I never. I stayed and got killed defendin’ ’em!”

Dann shook tears from his eyes angrily. “Oh, stop talkin’ stupid!”

The pretty squirrelmaid smiled and clasped her friend’s paw. “I will if you will, Dann. We did the only thing we could do, we escaped. Imagine if we’d stayed and got gallantly slain, now that would’ve been a great help to Dipp and Burb, wouldn’t it?”

Dann wiped his eyes with the back of a paw and sniffed. “Didn’t take much bravery to run away, though, did it?”

Song was beginning to lose her temper. She emphasized her words by prodding Dann in the chest with her Leafwood stick. “No, it just took a bit of common sense, mate. We’re still alive, y’see, and now we’re going back there to be brave when we rescue our two friends from those dirty vermin. Come on, Reguba, there’s other things to do with that warrior’s sword than stab the earth!”

Dann stood up then, and pulled his sword from the ground. He wiped it clean on his tunic front, gritting his teeth. “I’m glad I’ve got you for a friend, Song Swifteye. Let’s go an’ deal with some vermin!”

*

Dippler and Burble were hanging upside down by their footpaws from a thick willow bough, swathed practically from neck to tail in vine ropes. Raventail stood in the Swallow, flicking his scimitar in front of their faces.

“Wellawell, likkle frien’s, you likin’ da drinkmore?”

At his signal, four grinning ferrets leaned down on the bough, causing it to bend so that Dippler and Burble’s heads were forced down under the water, which amused the ferrets greatly.

“Givem lotsalotsa drink for longertime!”

“Kye arr, volers an’ shrewbeasts be’s much thirstynow!”

After a while they released the branch, and the two captives’ heads came clear of the murky water. Both were coughing and gagging. Raventail flicked the scimitar closer to their faces.

“Tellame now when youbeasts got ’nuff drinkdrink, den Raventail cutcha loose . . . from you necks, from you necks!”

Burble spat out creekmud and wrinkled his nose at Dippler. “Don’t give us much choice, do ’e, mate?”

One of the ferrets by the bough suddenly sighed and flopped down for no apparent reason. Raventail cocked his head quizzically. “Wotmarra wirra dat’n?”

Before he could inquire further, another ferret went down. This time the thud of the slingstone was loud and obvious.

“Redwaaaaaalll! Regubaaaaaa!”