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Back Salamandastron Save as PDF
Chapters (50)
  1. TRAPPED
  2. Title Page
  3. Map
  4. BOOK ONE
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. BOOK TWO
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. BOOK THREE
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44

Completely ignoring his fellow contestant, Pikkle polished off the twelfth pudding and chose another as he licked his spoon.

Bowley the cook watched Tubgutt carefully. “Can you raise spoon or paw, shrew?”

Tubgutt collapsed, his head squelching into the pudding in front of him. Pikkle blinked and tut-tutted at his table manners. “Is he finished already? Ah well, never mind, Tubbygutts. It’s not the victory but playin’ the jolly old game that counts. Anybeast want to take his place?”

A wild cheer went up from the shrews. Log-a-log laughed heartily. “Well done, Pikkle! I liked that little joke about anyone else taking Tubgutt’s place. Good, eh, Mara?”

Mara gave Log-a-log a blank look. “That was no joke. Pikkle meant it. Look, he’s on his sixteenth!”

The Guosssom shrews were laughing, patting Pikkle’s back and cheering him to the echo. Bowley the cook held Pikkle’s paw aloft.

“The winner by a clear four bowls of pudding, Pikkle the hare from Salamandastron is the champion!”

Amid the cheering and applause Pikkle smiled modestly, trying to pull his spooning paw from Bowley’s grasp. “Steady on, chaps. Leggo me paw will you, Bowley old lad. It’s bad form to stop a fellow in mid-scoff!”

*   *   *

Covered by a blanket, Pikkle lay on a ledge, snoring loudly. Mara sat with Log-a-log and his son Nordo. The other shrews had retired for the night.

Though Mara had been glad to escape Salamandastron she could not reconcile herself to the idea of Urthstripe being besieged along with the hares inside the mountain. A sudden yearning to be back there, giving what aid she could, caused the young badger maid to turn to the shrew leader.

“Log-a-log, I want to thank you and your tribe for rescuing us and showing us the hospitality of your home, but I am anxious to go back to Salamandastron. I have told you about what will be happening there, so why can I not go?”

“All in good time, Mara. All in good time.” Log-a-log patted her paw. “When you do go, the Guosssom warriors and I will be with you. I have crossed swords with this Klitch you speak of—aye, and his father Ferahgo. The blue-eyed ones are our enemies; we would wear out logboats traveling to fight against them.”

Mara nodded. “Then why do we not go now?”