BooksBarbecue
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

The rat scratched his nose and stared at the fox. “Go?”

“Aye, go, matey. He’s down an’ injured. Now’s the time to slip a blade across ’is weasely throat, see wot I mean?”

Raptail gouged at a tooth crevice with a grimy claw, realization dawning on him. “Yeh, maybe yore right. Ferahgo couldn’t give orders with a slit gizzard, that’s fer sure. Say tonight, when it’s nice ’n’ dark . . . he’ll be sleepin’ deep then, eh?”

Forgrin tested the edge of his sword on a whelk he had disgorged. “We’ll make sure he sleeps deeper than ever . . . tonight.”

BOOK THREE

Destinies and Homecomers

29

Thrugg and Dumble had arrived at the mountain stronghold of the Laird Mactalon. They stood shivering among the high rocks, unconscious of the beauties about them.

The Laird Mactalon spread his wings wide at the snowcapped peaks. The setting sun had turned the ice and snow from white to a clear pink.

“Och, ’tis a sight tae gladden yer feathers, laddie!”

Baby Dumble spread his paws, gazing down at his fat little stomach. “I don’t avven no fevvers.”

“Ach, so ye dinna. Would ye no’ like to be a falcon?” Mactalon’s wide wing patted him, nearly knocking him over.

The dormouse sniffed as he climbed into Thrugg’s haversack, away from the cold. “Sooner be a Dumble!”

Mactalon chuckled fiercely. “Och, awa’ wi ye, mousie!” He turned to Thrugg. The otter was stamping his paws to keep warm. “Noo then, mah friend, ye’ll be wanting tae get your paws on some Icetor Flow’rs, mah son tells me.”

Thrugg swung the haversack to his shoulders. “Yessir, them’s the ones—Icetor Flowers. You tell me where they’re at an’ I’ll go an’ pick ’em.”

“Weel noo, aren’t you the bold creature?” Mactalon preened his neck feathers. “Pick them indeed. Yer a braw big riverdog, Thrugg, but yer a long ways frae hame. Icetors only grow aboot the nest of the wild King MacPhearsome. Och, nae bird or beastie ever goes up there, laddie. Yon eagle’s a verra unpredictable creature. I wouldnae fancy makin’ requests o’ him! But if ye be foolish enough tae try, I’ll fly up there on the morrow, but you’ll have tae climb, as ye have nae wings tae speak of.”

Rocangus showed Thrugg and Dumble to a small cavern where they were to spend the night. There was heather and bracken piled up in a corner, but the place was dreadfully cold. Thrugg put some of the bracken to one side, the rest he placed at the cavern entrance. Digging flint and tinder from the haversack, he soon had a small fire going. Rocangus was wary of flames, but the sight of Baby Dumble seated in front of the fire warming his paws soon had the young falcon perched between Thrugg and Dumble, enjoying the welcome heat. Rocangus had some words of advice for the otter.