Kovi stopped his band.
"We are approaching the forest of the painted ones. If you make a noise, you're dead! If you are not by the painted ones then I will kill you. If any one who is foolish enough to make a noise then run for your lives. Rats arm yourselves and surround the slaves." Announced Kovi.
The slave band slipped quietly into the forsaken forest of the painted ones, knowing nought of what lies before them.
"Ho if it isn't the old river dog Edinbar! "Shouted a voice in the bushes.
"And if it isn't my old friend LogaLog Okbo and his GUOSIM. How are ya matey? Answered Edinbar as he greeted his old friend.
"What are you doing in these parts? Asked LogaLog.
"Could ask you the same question, BoBo my brother was kidnapped from our village by slavers and we are following them to liberate their slaves. Their tracks lead into that forest over there," Edinbar relied, pointing to the dark forest.
"I would be glad to help you but first lets have lunch in my camp," LogaLog offered.
"Yes, that would be nice, thank you." Edinbar replied.
The travellers knew they were near the GUOSIM camp as they heard the shrews arguing.
"I am paddling on the right side this time!"
"No you ain't, I always paddle on that side!!"
"Neither of you will paddle there cause I claim that spot on the day I was born!!"
"Hey, that is my paddle, keep your filthy hands off it!!!"
"SHAPDAP GUOSIM WE HAVE GUESTS!!!!!" LogaLog shouted.
Instantly the noise ceased.
"That's better, Nac, make our guests some vittles and the rest of you clean up the camp!! We are leaving after lunch to liberate some slaves and kill some vermin.
"YAY," shouted the GUOSIM.
Turning to Edinbar, LogaLog said, "My shrews are getting restless and fat, what they need is the discipline of battle! You have a score of GUOSIM shrews added in your army, old river dog!"
"Thank you, now lets eat, I am starving!" Edinbar said.
"I will tell you about the forest during lunch" LogaLog said.
The travellers sat down and talked joyfully with the shrews as they ate their vittles.
"We can't go through the forest like the slavers, it is too dangerous. Half of us will get slain by the painted ones, who are cannibal rats! We can go around it and I think there is a tribe of otters who will be sympathetic towards our cause and join us. We will go around the forest in our log boats," LogaLog told Edinbar.
"So be it, we leave after lunch." Edinbar said, looking worried about his brother's safety.
"Dun fret my old friend. We get BoBo back for ya!!" LogaLog reassured Edinbar.
"GUOSIM pack up, and get in the Log boats, we're leaving!!" Shouted LogaLog
The journey down stream was an unpleasant one, in the rocky but extremely fast log boats.
"Rest now Edinbar, we have about a days journey ahead of us," LogaLog advised Edinbar.
"Aye," replied Edinbar as he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
Like ghosts Kovi and his slave band crept silently through the forsaken forest. They knew their lives depended on it. Suddenly a foolish rat accidentally jabbed the rat in front of him in the back.
"Arrggh," cried the rat in pain.
In less than a second, the rat was slain by a javelin, which impaled him through the chest.
"Argy, Screech, coo, killa!!!" screeched the painted ones above in the trees.
Instantly both the slaves and slavers broke into a sprint to the clearing.
"NNNNOOO!" cried an old mouse that was snatched from the ground into the branches. He was never seen again.
Two more rats and a mouse were slain by javelins before the band had made it to safety.
When they were a fair way from the forest, Kovi signalled for a stop and asked Deadeye, "How many dead?"
"Two slaves and three rats, sir," reported Deadeye.
"We rest here now for an hour, then we march!" Kovi shouted.
"Likkle BoBo scared stripy dog. Whats happen? BoBo cried.
"Hush now little one, my name is not stripy dog, it is Citer. Not much longer to march little one," the badger spoke doubtfully, looking into the evening skies.
"We are approaching the forest of the painted ones. If you make a noise, you're dead! If you are not by the painted ones then I will kill you. If any one who is foolish enough to make a noise then run for your lives. Rats arm yourselves and surround the slaves." Announced Kovi.
The slave band slipped quietly into the forsaken forest of the painted ones, knowing nought of what lies before them.
"Ho if it isn't the old river dog Edinbar! "Shouted a voice in the bushes.
"And if it isn't my old friend LogaLog Okbo and his GUOSIM. How are ya matey? Answered Edinbar as he greeted his old friend.
"What are you doing in these parts? Asked LogaLog.
"Could ask you the same question, BoBo my brother was kidnapped from our village by slavers and we are following them to liberate their slaves. Their tracks lead into that forest over there," Edinbar relied, pointing to the dark forest.
"I would be glad to help you but first lets have lunch in my camp," LogaLog offered.
"Yes, that would be nice, thank you." Edinbar replied.
The travellers knew they were near the GUOSIM camp as they heard the shrews arguing.
"I am paddling on the right side this time!"
"No you ain't, I always paddle on that side!!"
"Neither of you will paddle there cause I claim that spot on the day I was born!!"
"Hey, that is my paddle, keep your filthy hands off it!!!"
"SHAPDAP GUOSIM WE HAVE GUESTS!!!!!" LogaLog shouted.
Instantly the noise ceased.
"That's better, Nac, make our guests some vittles and the rest of you clean up the camp!! We are leaving after lunch to liberate some slaves and kill some vermin.
"YAY," shouted the GUOSIM.
Turning to Edinbar, LogaLog said, "My shrews are getting restless and fat, what they need is the discipline of battle! You have a score of GUOSIM shrews added in your army, old river dog!"
"Thank you, now lets eat, I am starving!" Edinbar said.
"I will tell you about the forest during lunch" LogaLog said.
The travellers sat down and talked joyfully with the shrews as they ate their vittles.
"We can't go through the forest like the slavers, it is too dangerous. Half of us will get slain by the painted ones, who are cannibal rats! We can go around it and I think there is a tribe of otters who will be sympathetic towards our cause and join us. We will go around the forest in our log boats," LogaLog told Edinbar.
"So be it, we leave after lunch." Edinbar said, looking worried about his brother's safety.
"Dun fret my old friend. We get BoBo back for ya!!" LogaLog reassured Edinbar.
"GUOSIM pack up, and get in the Log boats, we're leaving!!" Shouted LogaLog
The journey down stream was an unpleasant one, in the rocky but extremely fast log boats.
"Rest now Edinbar, we have about a days journey ahead of us," LogaLog advised Edinbar.
"Aye," replied Edinbar as he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
Like ghosts Kovi and his slave band crept silently through the forsaken forest. They knew their lives depended on it. Suddenly a foolish rat accidentally jabbed the rat in front of him in the back.
"Arrggh," cried the rat in pain.
In less than a second, the rat was slain by a javelin, which impaled him through the chest.
"Argy, Screech, coo, killa!!!" screeched the painted ones above in the trees.
Instantly both the slaves and slavers broke into a sprint to the clearing.
"NNNNOOO!" cried an old mouse that was snatched from the ground into the branches. He was never seen again.
Two more rats and a mouse were slain by javelins before the band had made it to safety.
When they were a fair way from the forest, Kovi signalled for a stop and asked Deadeye, "How many dead?"
"Two slaves and three rats, sir," reported Deadeye.
"We rest here now for an hour, then we march!" Kovi shouted.
"Likkle BoBo scared stripy dog. Whats happen? BoBo cried.
"Hush now little one, my name is not stripy dog, it is Citer. Not much longer to march little one," the badger spoke doubtfully, looking into the evening skies.