“Why not one of our own?”

Bella pounded her chair until a heavy dust cloud arose and silence was restored.

“Gonff is right. No one could get closer to Kotir than Chibb. If he wants payment, then so be it, we’ll pay him. I think it’s a good idea.”

“Hurr, a burd ’tis, we’ns say let Chebb be a spoiy. Save us’ns doin’ the job. Asoides, we doant ’ave wingers to floiy wi’.”

The Foremole’s logic was irrefutable. Unanimous agreement was given by a show of paws.

Chibb it was to be.

Ben Stickle had the final word. Being one of the last to leave the shadow of Kotir, he received a sympathetic hearing.

“I don’t know much about fightin’ and spyin’ but I still think it’s a good idea. One thing I do know, me an my missus an our liddle family won’t be goin’ back to slave for no cat and her soldiers. We’d be as well off dead as havin’ to do that again. But we’d all best listen to the good Abbess here. Let’s not jump too hasty; war means creatures gettin’ theyselves killed. If it must come to that, then so be it, but meanwhiles let’s keep level heads about us, concentrate on safety for now. Aye, that an keepin’ ourselves an’ our families safe. I want to see my little ones grow to farm their own food and not have soldiers comin’ around to tell us that our land is theirs an’ takin’ toll and tax of over half the vittles we have. That ain’t fair nor right. Mind, though, we’ve got time on our side. I know that Kotir larders must be run down considerable since we all left. Huh, the cat and her soldiers can march about all season, but there’s no one left to order about and they ain’t no farmers, that’s sure. They’ll starve without others to do their labor.”

The sun beat down on the soldiers of Kotir as they stood in serried ranks upon the parade ground. Each creature stood stiff as a ramrod, and all wore every available piece of equipment, including heavy spears, shields and full packs stuffed with rocks strapped to their backs.

Blacktooth licked a drop of sweat that rolled past his lip. He muttered to Splitnose, “Huh, what’s all this about? It was the Gloomer lost the battle, not us. As far as I can see, we didn’t do too badly against those river wallopers and tree jumpers.”

Splitnose twitched his eyelid against an inquisitive fly. “You’re right there, Blackie. Sometimes I think I’d like to pack in all this soldierin’ lark at Kotir.”

Behind them in the next rank, Brogg could not resist a titter. “Heehee, just you try it, stoat. Where would you go on your own, eh? Nah, she’d have you dragged back and made an example of.”

Scratt in the rank behind Brogg agreed. “Aye, you’re right there, Brogg, but there’s not many would pass up a chance of sliding off from here and starting up somewhere else. Perhaps we might form a little group sometime and try it.”