Stonefleck looked at the sky. Twilight was arriving. He signalled a cease-fire.

“Wait, they’re in the water now. Let’s watch the sport before we open up again. But pick off any loose ones that you sight.”

The rat army packed to the water’s edge, gazing at the bobbing raft an arrow’s-length away.

*   *   *

Basil spat out a mouthful of river water as he clung to the side of the raft.

“Ambushed!” he said disgustedly. “Where in the name of fur and claw did that mob spring from? They’re no slouches with those bows, Orlando.”

“If I could reach them with my battleaxe, I’d show them I’m no slouch, the filthy assassins. Ouch, what was that?”

There were shouts and screams from the shrews.

“Ow! I’ve been bitten!”

“Ouch, ow! Me too!”

“Owooh! I’m bleeding!”

Matthias gritted his teeth. “Silence. Be still. It’s probably just a shoal of small fish.”

Jess changed places until she was by Matthias. “Owch! It’s like sitting on a beehive,” she complained. “Cheek’s got more sense. Look, he’s still on the raft.”

A shrew who had been bitten tried hauling himself out of the water; he took an arrow between the eyes. Another shrew tried swimming away from the raft; two arrows sank him. The rats were sniping from the bank at anything that popped up or moved.

Cheek lay sprawled flat in the center of the raft, ignoring Matthias.

“Come off that raft, Cheek. You’ll be shot,” Matthias said sharply.

“No fear. Lie low and cling tight, that’s what I’m going to do. I’m not going into that river.”

Basil sucked up water and spat it at the young otter.

“You little nuisance, come off that raft, sir. Off, I say!” he ordered.

Matthias felt tiny teeth bite his tail. He kicked out and was bitten again.

“Leave him, Basil. Let’s think of some way out of this. The raft is drifting towards those rats. Duck! They’re firing again.”

More volleys of arrows followed.

*   *   *

For the first time in a long while, Stonefleck allowed himself a tight smile of satisfaction. “We’ve got them. They’re sailing towards us. Keep up the arrows! Those who aren’t eaten will be shot. I want no captives. We’re not slavers; leave that to Slagar.”

*   *   *

Jabez Stump was being bitten on his unprotected paws.

“I can’t stand much more of this,” the hedgehog winced. “What’s to be done?”

“Hold the raft tight,” Log-a-Log called out. “Try backing water. We might just tow it off into the main current again and get washed away from this lot.”

They tried as hard as they could, and the raft backed off slightly.

“It’s heavy going. Cheek, will you get off that raft. We’re towing your weight down here,” Matthias said crossly.

Cheek lay flat, clinging tighter to the deck as arrows whizzed over him in flights.