Chapter Seven: Ratscowl
Addie wheeled around, her dagger at hand; ready to fight the giant adder.
"Mattimeo!" Addie exclaimed.
"Shhh! Be quiet! He'll hear you!" Mattimeo was hiding in a ditch under some tree roots. They sat in silence until they saw the huge snake slither off just feet before them. "Whoa! That was close!"
"Mattimeo! Where have you been?" Addie gave Mattimeo a great big hug.
"Shhh! Someone's coming!"
"Oh, it's probably just your dad," Addie said to Mattimeo. Addie left their hiding place. And it wasn't Matthias who stood there!
It was a rat!
"Wh-Who are you?" Addie stuttered.
"Why shou' I tell you? Ya lil' scamp!" The rat hocked a loogie right at Addie's feet. Addie stood, terrified, by the opening to the hole. "Who are ya, scamp?" the rat asked viciously.
"Why should I tell a rat like you?" Addie asked bravely, staring at the hole hoping Mattimeo didn't move.
"Ya better tell me, mouse."
"You first, rat."
"OK, we'll play yer lil' games. I'm Ratscowl. Now, who are you?"
"I am Addie of Mossflower. This is my home, and I demand you tell me what you want here."
"OK, I'll tell ya, no use getting' mad, now, is there? I'm lookin' fer a young mouse, 'bout yer age. Boy, I thin'. Ya seen 'im?"
"Maybe. And if I did, why would I tell you, Ratscowl?"
"Cause, if ya don', I'll haf to kill ya" the rat said in a voice telling Addie that that's what hi wanted to do.
"Well, I would never tell you." This pleased Mattimeo, who was listening from the roots. "Besides, I live out here alone, and I have never seen another mouse since my mom!" Addie lied.
"Hmm. Then why do I smell another mouse 'round 'ere?"
Addie thought quickly, "Um. Because a Poisonteeth has just been a round here, and he probably ate one." This was true. The snake could nave eaten a mouse, but Addie wasn't sure.
"Oh, I see. Then why does it smell like two living mice?
"Uhhh, I don't know."
"Yer hidin' somtin', Missy. And it's right under that tree." Ratscowl started walking towards the tree. When he was standing beside Addie she took her dagger, and stabbed him in the side. "Yowowowowow!!!" The rat went flying through the air, and landed in a lump on the ground, dead.
"That was lovely, Addie," Mattimeo said when he emerged from the hole.
"Oops." Addie and Mattimeo headed back to the Abbey.
Addie wheeled around, her dagger at hand; ready to fight the giant adder.
"Mattimeo!" Addie exclaimed.
"Shhh! Be quiet! He'll hear you!" Mattimeo was hiding in a ditch under some tree roots. They sat in silence until they saw the huge snake slither off just feet before them. "Whoa! That was close!"
"Mattimeo! Where have you been?" Addie gave Mattimeo a great big hug.
"Shhh! Someone's coming!"
"Oh, it's probably just your dad," Addie said to Mattimeo. Addie left their hiding place. And it wasn't Matthias who stood there!
It was a rat!
"Wh-Who are you?" Addie stuttered.
"Why shou' I tell you? Ya lil' scamp!" The rat hocked a loogie right at Addie's feet. Addie stood, terrified, by the opening to the hole. "Who are ya, scamp?" the rat asked viciously.
"Why should I tell a rat like you?" Addie asked bravely, staring at the hole hoping Mattimeo didn't move.
"Ya better tell me, mouse."
"You first, rat."
"OK, we'll play yer lil' games. I'm Ratscowl. Now, who are you?"
"I am Addie of Mossflower. This is my home, and I demand you tell me what you want here."
"OK, I'll tell ya, no use getting' mad, now, is there? I'm lookin' fer a young mouse, 'bout yer age. Boy, I thin'. Ya seen 'im?"
"Maybe. And if I did, why would I tell you, Ratscowl?"
"Cause, if ya don', I'll haf to kill ya" the rat said in a voice telling Addie that that's what hi wanted to do.
"Well, I would never tell you." This pleased Mattimeo, who was listening from the roots. "Besides, I live out here alone, and I have never seen another mouse since my mom!" Addie lied.
"Hmm. Then why do I smell another mouse 'round 'ere?"
Addie thought quickly, "Um. Because a Poisonteeth has just been a round here, and he probably ate one." This was true. The snake could nave eaten a mouse, but Addie wasn't sure.
"Oh, I see. Then why does it smell like two living mice?
"Uhhh, I don't know."
"Yer hidin' somtin', Missy. And it's right under that tree." Ratscowl started walking towards the tree. When he was standing beside Addie she took her dagger, and stabbed him in the side. "Yowowowowow!!!" The rat went flying through the air, and landed in a lump on the ground, dead.
"That was lovely, Addie," Mattimeo said when he emerged from the hole.
"Oops." Addie and Mattimeo headed back to the Abbey.