Chapter five: Maiden's Peril
They had been travelling for some time now and had witnessed many strange things as they got closer to the castle: a horse with two heads, both with pink manes; a yellow waterfall; a rain of marshmallows. Their most recent encounter had been with a class of walking tin whistles on their school outing.
Hoggle sighed with relief. "At least we've bumped into harmless things so far."
Sarah looked at Hoggle, she was just about to ask something when a dreadful baying filled the air. "Looks like I spoke too soon," muttered Hoggle.
Suddenly the howling was all around them and huge wolves appeared. They were at least half as big as Ludo. Ambrosius immediately bolted, carrying an infuriated Sir Didimus with him. The wolves watched him go but didn't bother to chase after him. They advanced slowly, menacingly. Ludo attacked them, and whilst he was busy another lot of wolves appeared like shadows from another pass, separating Sarah from her two friends.
Sarah screamed as they backed her into a wall.
"Sarah!" Hoggle cried out in desperation.
Sarah shielded her face with her arms. "Help me, help me," she muttered. "Somebody, anybody help me."
"Sarah, call out to him!" Hoggle yelled, swiping at a wolf with a branch.
"No way!" Sarah yelled back.
"Either swallow your pride or be swallowed yourself!" Hoggle shouted.
Sarah saw his point - given that she was looking at fangs as long as her middle finger, sitting on a high horse suddenly seemed very stupid. In the distance, she could hear Sir Didimus shrieking at Ambrosius. He seemed to be getting nearer, but valiant as he was, even Sir Didimus with his death wish couldn't get them out of this one.
The wolf nearest to her snarled, opening his jaws and showing her a red red mouth with gleaming pointed teeth. Sarah forgot all pride and screamed.
They had been travelling for some time now and had witnessed many strange things as they got closer to the castle: a horse with two heads, both with pink manes; a yellow waterfall; a rain of marshmallows. Their most recent encounter had been with a class of walking tin whistles on their school outing.
Hoggle sighed with relief. "At least we've bumped into harmless things so far."
Sarah looked at Hoggle, she was just about to ask something when a dreadful baying filled the air. "Looks like I spoke too soon," muttered Hoggle.
Suddenly the howling was all around them and huge wolves appeared. They were at least half as big as Ludo. Ambrosius immediately bolted, carrying an infuriated Sir Didimus with him. The wolves watched him go but didn't bother to chase after him. They advanced slowly, menacingly. Ludo attacked them, and whilst he was busy another lot of wolves appeared like shadows from another pass, separating Sarah from her two friends.
Sarah screamed as they backed her into a wall.
"Sarah!" Hoggle cried out in desperation.
Sarah shielded her face with her arms. "Help me, help me," she muttered. "Somebody, anybody help me."
"Sarah, call out to him!" Hoggle yelled, swiping at a wolf with a branch.
"No way!" Sarah yelled back.
"Either swallow your pride or be swallowed yourself!" Hoggle shouted.
Sarah saw his point - given that she was looking at fangs as long as her middle finger, sitting on a high horse suddenly seemed very stupid. In the distance, she could hear Sir Didimus shrieking at Ambrosius. He seemed to be getting nearer, but valiant as he was, even Sir Didimus with his death wish couldn't get them out of this one.
The wolf nearest to her snarled, opening his jaws and showing her a red red mouth with gleaming pointed teeth. Sarah forgot all pride and screamed.