She watched them slip out of the perimeter gate, armed with their own choice of weapons and equipped with rations. The wildcat Queen curled her lip in satisfaction. There was no need to try interrogating her two prisoners further at the moment; let them stay in their cells until they were starving. It was always easier to interview creatures who had not eaten for a few days. Two small hedgehogs trying to pit their wits against the Queen of the Thousand Eyes—what chance did they have?

* * *

Scratch was a fairly observant weasel. He jabbed skyward with his dagger.

“See that robin, Cludd?”

Cludd noted that Scratch had omitted to call him Captain. He looked up, but Chibb had flown from view.

“What robin? Where?”

Scratch sheathed his dagger. “You’ve missed him now. I could have sworn it was the same bird I’ve noticed hanging about outside the barracks a few times. Always ends up somewhere near the ground, hidden.”

Cludd was reluctant to believe that Scratch was more alert than he.

“Hmm, it might be summat or nothing. Woodlanders don’t usually have much to do with birds. Still, we’d best be on the safe side. Hoi, Thicktail, make your way back to Kotir and tell Milady about that robin. Don’t breathe a word to anyone else, though. I don’t want Ashleg or that fox stealing any of my credit.”

Thicktail saluted, and jogged off in the direction of Kotir.

Scratch looked at the thickly wooded area they were in. “Perhaps we’d better lie low here awhile. That way we can have a rest while we keep our eyes and ears open, eh, Cludd?”

Cludd knew the idea was a sensible one, but Scratch was beginning to annoy him with his insubordinate manner.

“Aye, I was just thinking the same thing myself. Right, lads, pick good hiding places and keep your eyes and ears open. But just let me catch anyone snoozing and I’ll have his tail for a bootlace. That goes double for you, Scratch.”

As the special patrol dispersed among the trees, Scratch stuck out his tongue at Cludd’s back, muttering beneath his breath, “Cludd the clod thick as mud.”

* * *

Thicktail did not like being out in Mossflower alone, even in broad sunny daylight. The stoat scurried through the trees looking furtively from left to right; as he went he repeated Cludd’s instructions aloud to himself, “Tell the Queen that there’s been a robin redbreast hanging about Kotir grounds. It flies down low and vanishes near the floor. Cludd thinks that it might be something to do with those woodlanders. Now, I’m to say nothing to Fortunata or Ashleg. Huh, if they ask me I’ll just tell them that I had to come back because I sprained my paw. I’d better practice limping on it just in case.”

Argulor was making a wide sweep from Kotir over the forest; this way he could fool anyone at Kotir into thinking he had flown away. He was about to circle back when he heard the voice below him and saw a stoat limping about in the undergrowth.