Sunlight streamed in from a small high window carved into the cave walls.
Azura sat up, rubbed her eyes and got to her paws. She ambled into the dining
cave, where everybeast was already up and about. Everybeast except the two
hares.
"Good you're here, mate. Do me a favour and wake the two foodbuckets,
will yer?" Whistle asked Azura.
"Sure." The ferret squinched both eyes shut and hollered into the next
room. "WAKE UP DOZYPAWS!"
No reply.
"THERE'S FOOD TER BE HAD!"
The two hares were in the dining cave in a flash. They looked around
for the vittles. "Where's the grub?" They said in unison.
Whitsle chuckled, putting down some hot flat oatcakes, apple pies and
beakers of chilled peach cider. "Why, bless yer heart, mates, 'tis right
here!"
Oceangale winked cheerily at Azura. "Food is th' only thing that gets
'em up nice an' proper."
Crosscreek, a husky female river otter, gave a barking laugh. "Haharr,
'tis true! Lookit them go!"
The two hares were stuffing the oatcakes and slices of pie down their
mouths at an alarming speed. It looked like they had survived a ten-season
famine.
After breakfast, Oceangale brought the three friends with him to another
cave. There was a big chalk circle in the centre. "Now fer a bit of sport,
mates. This 'olt is famed fer wrestlin. Wavespray an' Fordbattle, me best
mateys, are gonna wrestle t'day."
The burly sea otter and the sinewy river otter stepped into the ring.
Oceangale let out a harsh bark and the sport began.
The two circled each other for a while, then Wavespray charged recklessly
at Fordbattle. Fordbattle sidestepped neatly and locked his muscular arms
around the sea otter's neck, trapping him in a deathlock. The sea otter
thwacked his tail at his opponent's footpaws and punched thrice at the river
otter's belly. The river otter doubled up and let go of Wavespray's neck.
The crowds of otters surrounding the ring cheered on.
"Betcha a silver tailring to a copper coin that Ford 'll win!"
"I'll wager twenty bowls o' hotroot soup to a pawful o' mud that
Wave 'll win!"
"C'mon Wave, give 'im th' ole right-left!"
"Don't let 'im, Fordbattle, use th' tail, mate!"
Fordbattle emerged victorious as a well-placed headbutt and a hearty
thwack from the tail brought the sea otter down. Oceangale cheered loudly
for both his friends.
"Now ye see why 'is name is Fordbattle." Oceangale told the travellers.
"'E wos wrestlin' 'is older brothers when he was nought but a season old!"
Suddenly, a red-tailed hawk swooped in with an ear-splitting screech.
"Kyyyyyyyraaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
It perched on Oceangale's shoulder and started chattering to him.
The otter looked extremely worried as he pulled Azura aside to speak to
her.
"It's bad matey." He said in hushed tones. "Flaymfeather here has
come wid some news fer us and it ain't good. I'll tell th' crew about it
tomorrow, but I needs ter tell ye. The vermin rebellion that yer father's
leadin' is the only thing that's keepin' 'ordes o' corsairs and the likes
o' them away from this place."
"You and yer hawk know me dad?" Azura interrupted the otter.
"Know 'im? 'E wos passin' by 'ere when we ran slap-bang inter each
other. We became instant mateys. Wos all yer family good vermin?"
"I dunno. Dad an' mum was called to war when I was only a few seasons
old. I don't even know wot he looks like."
"'E turned many a vermin good. 'Twas a good season fer woodlanders.
As fer yer mum, goodness knows where she's got to. She an' yer pa were separated
in battle.
"As fer th' news, Firebrand, for that's yer ole pa's name, an' 'is
little force is disintegratin'. We needs reinforcements. The otter crew
will be ready, an' I ask ye to lead us, Azura Wildfyre, daughter of Firebrand."
Oceangale asked the ferret.
The ferret's amber eyes were like flames in a snowstorm. "Yes.
I'll lead th' army. We'll gather more beasts too. Together, we'll defeat
the foe."
Oceangale thanked her. He called a council of war that very night.
Oceangale, Crosscreek, Fordbattle and Wavespray, each commanding threescore
otters, were seated in the dining hall with Azura. Oceangale gave his speech.
"At dawn, we leave on our boats to gather an army. We're battling
somebeast ye all know, somebeast who just happens to be a sworn enemy of
mine. Gatten the Bloodthirsty."
Angry shouts followed.
"This fox destroyed three o' our good ships! This same fox an'
his scurvy hordes slew many o' our friends, children and comrades. Together,
we will fight him and end his reign of terror forever!"
Otters roared out their approval.
"Git some sleep, crew! We go at dawn!"
Azura sat up, rubbed her eyes and got to her paws. She ambled into the dining
cave, where everybeast was already up and about. Everybeast except the two
hares.
"Good you're here, mate. Do me a favour and wake the two foodbuckets,
will yer?" Whistle asked Azura.
"Sure." The ferret squinched both eyes shut and hollered into the next
room. "WAKE UP DOZYPAWS!"
No reply.
"THERE'S FOOD TER BE HAD!"
The two hares were in the dining cave in a flash. They looked around
for the vittles. "Where's the grub?" They said in unison.
Whitsle chuckled, putting down some hot flat oatcakes, apple pies and
beakers of chilled peach cider. "Why, bless yer heart, mates, 'tis right
here!"
Oceangale winked cheerily at Azura. "Food is th' only thing that gets
'em up nice an' proper."
Crosscreek, a husky female river otter, gave a barking laugh. "Haharr,
'tis true! Lookit them go!"
The two hares were stuffing the oatcakes and slices of pie down their
mouths at an alarming speed. It looked like they had survived a ten-season
famine.
After breakfast, Oceangale brought the three friends with him to another
cave. There was a big chalk circle in the centre. "Now fer a bit of sport,
mates. This 'olt is famed fer wrestlin. Wavespray an' Fordbattle, me best
mateys, are gonna wrestle t'day."
The burly sea otter and the sinewy river otter stepped into the ring.
Oceangale let out a harsh bark and the sport began.
The two circled each other for a while, then Wavespray charged recklessly
at Fordbattle. Fordbattle sidestepped neatly and locked his muscular arms
around the sea otter's neck, trapping him in a deathlock. The sea otter
thwacked his tail at his opponent's footpaws and punched thrice at the river
otter's belly. The river otter doubled up and let go of Wavespray's neck.
The crowds of otters surrounding the ring cheered on.
"Betcha a silver tailring to a copper coin that Ford 'll win!"
"I'll wager twenty bowls o' hotroot soup to a pawful o' mud that
Wave 'll win!"
"C'mon Wave, give 'im th' ole right-left!"
"Don't let 'im, Fordbattle, use th' tail, mate!"
Fordbattle emerged victorious as a well-placed headbutt and a hearty
thwack from the tail brought the sea otter down. Oceangale cheered loudly
for both his friends.
"Now ye see why 'is name is Fordbattle." Oceangale told the travellers.
"'E wos wrestlin' 'is older brothers when he was nought but a season old!"
Suddenly, a red-tailed hawk swooped in with an ear-splitting screech.
"Kyyyyyyyraaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
It perched on Oceangale's shoulder and started chattering to him.
The otter looked extremely worried as he pulled Azura aside to speak to
her.
"It's bad matey." He said in hushed tones. "Flaymfeather here has
come wid some news fer us and it ain't good. I'll tell th' crew about it
tomorrow, but I needs ter tell ye. The vermin rebellion that yer father's
leadin' is the only thing that's keepin' 'ordes o' corsairs and the likes
o' them away from this place."
"You and yer hawk know me dad?" Azura interrupted the otter.
"Know 'im? 'E wos passin' by 'ere when we ran slap-bang inter each
other. We became instant mateys. Wos all yer family good vermin?"
"I dunno. Dad an' mum was called to war when I was only a few seasons
old. I don't even know wot he looks like."
"'E turned many a vermin good. 'Twas a good season fer woodlanders.
As fer yer mum, goodness knows where she's got to. She an' yer pa were separated
in battle.
"As fer th' news, Firebrand, for that's yer ole pa's name, an' 'is
little force is disintegratin'. We needs reinforcements. The otter crew
will be ready, an' I ask ye to lead us, Azura Wildfyre, daughter of Firebrand."
Oceangale asked the ferret.
The ferret's amber eyes were like flames in a snowstorm. "Yes.
I'll lead th' army. We'll gather more beasts too. Together, we'll defeat
the foe."
Oceangale thanked her. He called a council of war that very night.
Oceangale, Crosscreek, Fordbattle and Wavespray, each commanding threescore
otters, were seated in the dining hall with Azura. Oceangale gave his speech.
"At dawn, we leave on our boats to gather an army. We're battling
somebeast ye all know, somebeast who just happens to be a sworn enemy of
mine. Gatten the Bloodthirsty."
Angry shouts followed.
"This fox destroyed three o' our good ships! This same fox an'
his scurvy hordes slew many o' our friends, children and comrades. Together,
we will fight him and end his reign of terror forever!"
Otters roared out their approval.
"Git some sleep, crew! We go at dawn!"