BooksBarbecue
Back Salamandastron
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

The rabbits stamped their paws petulantly. “Oh, Mummy, we’re Fangslayer and Deatheye, not Clarence and Clarissa.”

She bustled over and seized them by their ears. “I’ll give you Fangslayer and Deatheye, you naughty bunnies. Didn’t I tell you to stop inside the burrow after being chased by that horrid fox and those smelly rats?” She tweaked their ears until they yelped. “Well, didn’t I?”

Spriggat made a courtly old-fashioned bow to her. “You’ll excuse me, marm, but we won’t harm your young uns. Did you say that a fox and six rats came by this way today?”

She turned on the hedgehog with a mixture of temper and impatience. “That’s right, an evil-looking fox and six filthy rats. The fox had a sword too. Would you credit it, he tried to chop up my little Clarence and Clarissa, the ruffian! What are the woods coming to? As for you three, be off with you. Beating little bunnies with sticks! Have you nothing better to do with yourselves? Now clear off, go on! The other lot went that way, southwest. You tell that fox if you see him that I’ll give him a piece of my mind when he passes this way again, verminous villain!”

She receded into the woodland, shaking the two rabbits by their ears and carrying on at them in a motherly way. “Straight to bed. That’ll teach you two. And no lunch for either of you until you learn to behave properly. Fangeye and Deathslayer indeed. Behaving like two little savages!”

“Waaah, leggo my ears, Mummy!”

“Wahahaaah! Don’t want to go to rotten ol’ bed, Mummy!”

When they had stopped laughing, Spriggat ate a passing butterfly. “Huh, all wings an’ no taste, those things. Well, yew tew, I ’opes all the enemies you meet be as ’armless as those, though if you stood lissenin’ t’ that mummy rabbit for long she’d wear you to bits wi’ ’er tongue. Right, young uns. Let’s press on.”

*   *   *

As soon as darkness had fallen on the previous night, Ferahgo put his plan into operation. The horde went charging towards Salamandastron, chanting as they brandished their weapons.

“Fer-ah-go! Kill! Kill! Kill! Ferahgoooooo!”

*   *   *

In the dining hall, Urthstripe sat with Sapwood and Oxeye taking supper. The sounds of the war chant reached their ears. Oxeye sighed wearily as he put down his beaker.

“Night attack, sah. Shall we just block all openin’s an’ sit doggo in here? They can’t harm us, and all that’s required is a score of defenders round the crater rim. We can relieve them through the night, wot?”