“There’s always the two prisoners I caught, Milady.” Cludd sounded half-apologetic.

Tsarmina sat bolt upright. “Of course, well done, weasel. Maybe you aren’t as stupid as I thought. Prisoners, hmmm, yes. What do you think the woodlanders would pay as ransom for those young hedgehogs?”

Fortunata narrowed her eyes calculatingly. “Well, I’ve had more dealings with woodlanders than most. They’re a soft, sentimental lot when it comes to young ones. I think that they’d give quite a bit to get them back safe.”

“Safe, that’s the key,” Tsarmina purred happily. “Imagine if the woodlanders saw their babies exposed to real suffering or danger—we could practically name our own terms.”

The trio relaxed visibly, now that their Queen was in a saner mood.

There was one other listener to the conversation who had no cause to rejoice: Chibb the robin, perched on the outside window ledge.

* * *

Splitnose was the first to slacken pace. He gradually slowed to an easy lope. Blacktooth joined him, leaving Scratch to make the running. The weasel stopped and turned. He curled his lip in disgust at the pair, who were now sitting on the grass panting. Scratch ran back energetically, drawing his dagger.

“Get up, you idle worms. Come on. Up on your paws, both of you.”

Splitnose teased a passing ant with his claws. “Ah what’s the point? They’re well away. We’ll never catch ’em now.”

Scratch kicked out at Blacktooth. “I suppose you think the same, lazybones.”

Blacktooth kicked back insolently. “Oh, give it a rest. You can’t make us run.”

“Right, so it’s mutiny, eh!” Scratch looked from one to the other disdainfully. “Then here’s something for you two buckoes to think about. One, if you don’t get running, I’ll stab the pair of you. Two, unless you decide to run, I won’t share my rations with you. And three, think about when I make my report. The Queen will be pleased to hear how you two lay down on the job.”

Wordlessly they rose and started running again.

* * *

Gonff trotted alongside his friends, his quick eye noting the landscape.

“It gets a bit hilly further on, mateys. We could drop down and hide in a dozen places. What d’you say? Shall we give ’em the slip?”

Martin glanced backward. “I’d rather not risk it. They’ve got us in plain view. No, best keep on until evening, then we can pick a good hiding place when it’s dark and camp there the night. Are you all right, Dinny?”

The mole wrinkled his snout. “Doant loik a-runnen. Lucky oi’m stronger’n most. You’m keep a-goen, Marthen. Doant wurry over oi.”

The noon sun gained intensity. Birds soaring on the upper thermals passed over the six tiny figures below, hunters and hunted.

* * *

To spur themselves on, Splitnose and Blacktooth played a game, shouting out their favorite dishes to each other. Scratch ran a length behind them, keeping his dagger drawn as an insurance against further rebellion. Despite himself, the weasel had to keep licking his lips, not being able to shut his ears against the ferret and the stoat.