After a few minutes of silence, Bella stood up and turned to the three chosen to find the hares.
"We want you three to find the hares," she said shortly. Spring cocked her head in a playful way while Bark twitched his tail impatiently. But it was Chibb who spoke what was on all of their minds.
"Ahem, hurrumph, hem, well, ahem, how, might I ask?" Bella looked like she was about to tell them when Skipper held up a restraining paw.
"Let me do the honors, bucko. Now, you each have individual tasks, though part of them are together. Spring, your job is this: carry Bark through the Great South Stream, until you reach the mountain."
"At the mountain, Chibb comes into action," interrupted Bella. "He will inform the winged mice of your arrival and they will carry you over the waterfall and guide you through their lair and down the other side of the mountain. Once that is done, Chibb will return here." Gonff finished for them.
"Bark, matey, your job is for the marshtoads. You are to fire lots o' arrows, mate. After that is all done, you two travel through the marsh will the help of Snakefish, Spring will carry you, Bark, to the mountain of Salamandastron, upon where, mateys, you will find the hares, and bring them back here."
"What do we tell the hares when we get there?" asked Bark, pulling a twig out of his tail-fur.
"That's simple, mate," said Skipper. "You tell them that it is urgent, of course, and they come. Tell them we are afraid Martin our warriormouse is in trouble."
"What kind of --?" Spring started, but Gonff put a paw on her snout to keep her from finishing the question.
"You don't need to know that, matey. Have you talked to Perigold lately?" he asked slyly.
"Yes, she's wonderful, isn't she? I think Martin really likes her, and I say, mate, good for him."
"Exactly," said Bella, nodding thanks to Gonff.
"So what do you think this is all really about?" asked Bark to Spring, barely an hour after they had set out the next morning. Spring attempted to shrug her shoulders in a jolly manner, but Bark's weight on her back prevented her. Managing not to swallow water, she spoke.
"I dunno, mate. But I bet Bella and Skip got their reasons, even if Gonff has always been a bounder."
"Ahem, well, hurrumph, I suppose I'd like to know. Don't understand it, hem, simple job really, to be give all those chestnuts..." he spoke through a mouthful of the candied chestnuts that had been payment for the job.
"Well, when it's all done, it'll all be said, I s'pose," answered Bark.
After many hours of swimming, Spring was tired, but still as rambunctious as always. She bounded onto land, grabbed the water-proof haversack from Bark and thrust a paw into it.
"Nothing like some vittles, matey, after a hard day o' swimmin'!" Bark nodded, shaking water droplets off his damp paws.
"Tomorrow's another day," he reminded her. She nodded and said jovially that they were at least out of the hills now, for they had already passed the ford.
After another day of swimming non-stop, at a furious pace, they were almost upon the mountain of Lord Cravar's tribe. Chibb sped up and went to go inform the winged mice as Spring rested and Bark enjoyed the sun. It seemed to have taken a while, but Spring and her squirrel companion only supposed that the winged mice were simply feeding him and he was being to selfish to return quickly. After an hour or two, the robin returned.
"We want you three to find the hares," she said shortly. Spring cocked her head in a playful way while Bark twitched his tail impatiently. But it was Chibb who spoke what was on all of their minds.
"Ahem, hurrumph, hem, well, ahem, how, might I ask?" Bella looked like she was about to tell them when Skipper held up a restraining paw.
"Let me do the honors, bucko. Now, you each have individual tasks, though part of them are together. Spring, your job is this: carry Bark through the Great South Stream, until you reach the mountain."
"At the mountain, Chibb comes into action," interrupted Bella. "He will inform the winged mice of your arrival and they will carry you over the waterfall and guide you through their lair and down the other side of the mountain. Once that is done, Chibb will return here." Gonff finished for them.
"Bark, matey, your job is for the marshtoads. You are to fire lots o' arrows, mate. After that is all done, you two travel through the marsh will the help of Snakefish, Spring will carry you, Bark, to the mountain of Salamandastron, upon where, mateys, you will find the hares, and bring them back here."
"What do we tell the hares when we get there?" asked Bark, pulling a twig out of his tail-fur.
"That's simple, mate," said Skipper. "You tell them that it is urgent, of course, and they come. Tell them we are afraid Martin our warriormouse is in trouble."
"What kind of --?" Spring started, but Gonff put a paw on her snout to keep her from finishing the question.
"You don't need to know that, matey. Have you talked to Perigold lately?" he asked slyly.
"Yes, she's wonderful, isn't she? I think Martin really likes her, and I say, mate, good for him."
"Exactly," said Bella, nodding thanks to Gonff.
"So what do you think this is all really about?" asked Bark to Spring, barely an hour after they had set out the next morning. Spring attempted to shrug her shoulders in a jolly manner, but Bark's weight on her back prevented her. Managing not to swallow water, she spoke.
"I dunno, mate. But I bet Bella and Skip got their reasons, even if Gonff has always been a bounder."
"Ahem, well, hurrumph, I suppose I'd like to know. Don't understand it, hem, simple job really, to be give all those chestnuts..." he spoke through a mouthful of the candied chestnuts that had been payment for the job.
"Well, when it's all done, it'll all be said, I s'pose," answered Bark.
After many hours of swimming, Spring was tired, but still as rambunctious as always. She bounded onto land, grabbed the water-proof haversack from Bark and thrust a paw into it.
"Nothing like some vittles, matey, after a hard day o' swimmin'!" Bark nodded, shaking water droplets off his damp paws.
"Tomorrow's another day," he reminded her. She nodded and said jovially that they were at least out of the hills now, for they had already passed the ford.
After another day of swimming non-stop, at a furious pace, they were almost upon the mountain of Lord Cravar's tribe. Chibb sped up and went to go inform the winged mice as Spring rested and Bark enjoyed the sun. It seemed to have taken a while, but Spring and her squirrel companion only supposed that the winged mice were simply feeding him and he was being to selfish to return quickly. After an hour or two, the robin returned.
