Chapter Seven
After a long and fearful night, for the ferret and mouse anyway, the white wolf woke. She paused when she saw the lean ferret, as good as a swordsbeast he was, cooking breakfast.
"In all my life, I've never seen a ferret with an apron on!" Goldpaw turned around.
"Haha! Very funny!" he said sarcastically, "I always cooked breakfast for Lord Whatsisface! Don't be surprised of I add anything grodey, OK?" The wolf nodded, and went off into the woods to be sick.
"What's wrong with her?" the young mouse asked as she walked into camp with some firewood.
"Told her not to be surprised if something grodey was in the food!"
"Ha! You sly old ferret! Somebeast'd think ya was a fox in ferret clothing!" They both laughed until the wolf came back.
"Turnip and leek soup for breakfast, would you like some?"
"As long as there's nothing 'grodey' in it." The three just laughed. They ate the soup, and packed up.
"So, you comin' with us, wolf?" the mousemaid asked.
"Why not, ya got good grub. That's all I need to keep me mind off o' eatin' moles an' such."
"OK, you can come. Long as ya don't eat us. Promise?"
"Why not?"
"Three cheers for three.um.beasts!" Goldpaw roared.
The three yelled at the top of their lungs.
"So, where we headin'?" Jio asked.
"To Redwall Abbey, of course!" Jio stopped in her tracks.
"I can't go ta Redwall! They'll want ta kill me!" she exclaimed.
"Not if you change before you get there."
Goldpaw, Jio Blackpaw, and the mouse trekked through the forest of Mossflower. After a few hours of walking, Goldpaw decided to start a conversation.
"Mouse, what do you like better; squirrels or otters?" As he said that, little eyes popped out of the trees above, none noticed.
"Say otters and die!" a voice from the trees came.
"Show yourself!" Jio roared.
"What do you like better squirrels or otters?" the creatures in the tree mimicked.
"What if I said otters?" the mouse asked.
"You will die!"
"OK, then, I like otters better, but, you can't shoot me."
"Whoever said we'd shoot you?"
"Well, you're squirrels, obviously 'cause you're in the trees."
"OK, then. Why can't we shoot you?"
The mouse held up a bracelet that neither Jio nor Goldpaw had noticed.
"Wonder what that is, wolf"
"I know what that is."
The squirrels gasped at the sight of the medallion she wore on her wrist.
"What is it?" the ferret asked.
Jio stood in silence, watching the squirrels. They were hopping down from the trees. The squirrels formed a perfectly straight line. They stood in salute.
"At ease, men."
"Aye, marm."
"May I speak to your leader?" A tough looking squirrel stepped out of line.
"I'm the Chieftain of this tribe, marm."
"What do you mean be killing helpless beasts who prefer otters over squirrels?"
"Well, we are great enemies with them otters. We protect this land from them pesky waterdogs. If'n anybeast who favors them trespasses on our land, they deserve to die."
"I see, well, carry on your duties o' protectin' yer land, but no killin' innocent beasts 'cause they favor otters. Ya hear me?"
"Aye, marm!" the whole bunch of squirrels said, then scampered off onto the woods.
After a long and fearful night, for the ferret and mouse anyway, the white wolf woke. She paused when she saw the lean ferret, as good as a swordsbeast he was, cooking breakfast.
"In all my life, I've never seen a ferret with an apron on!" Goldpaw turned around.
"Haha! Very funny!" he said sarcastically, "I always cooked breakfast for Lord Whatsisface! Don't be surprised of I add anything grodey, OK?" The wolf nodded, and went off into the woods to be sick.
"What's wrong with her?" the young mouse asked as she walked into camp with some firewood.
"Told her not to be surprised if something grodey was in the food!"
"Ha! You sly old ferret! Somebeast'd think ya was a fox in ferret clothing!" They both laughed until the wolf came back.
"Turnip and leek soup for breakfast, would you like some?"
"As long as there's nothing 'grodey' in it." The three just laughed. They ate the soup, and packed up.
"So, you comin' with us, wolf?" the mousemaid asked.
"Why not, ya got good grub. That's all I need to keep me mind off o' eatin' moles an' such."
"OK, you can come. Long as ya don't eat us. Promise?"
"Why not?"
"Three cheers for three.um.beasts!" Goldpaw roared.
The three yelled at the top of their lungs.
"So, where we headin'?" Jio asked.
"To Redwall Abbey, of course!" Jio stopped in her tracks.
"I can't go ta Redwall! They'll want ta kill me!" she exclaimed.
"Not if you change before you get there."
Goldpaw, Jio Blackpaw, and the mouse trekked through the forest of Mossflower. After a few hours of walking, Goldpaw decided to start a conversation.
"Mouse, what do you like better; squirrels or otters?" As he said that, little eyes popped out of the trees above, none noticed.
"Say otters and die!" a voice from the trees came.
"Show yourself!" Jio roared.
"What do you like better squirrels or otters?" the creatures in the tree mimicked.
"What if I said otters?" the mouse asked.
"You will die!"
"OK, then, I like otters better, but, you can't shoot me."
"Whoever said we'd shoot you?"
"Well, you're squirrels, obviously 'cause you're in the trees."
"OK, then. Why can't we shoot you?"
The mouse held up a bracelet that neither Jio nor Goldpaw had noticed.
"Wonder what that is, wolf"
"I know what that is."
The squirrels gasped at the sight of the medallion she wore on her wrist.
"What is it?" the ferret asked.
Jio stood in silence, watching the squirrels. They were hopping down from the trees. The squirrels formed a perfectly straight line. They stood in salute.
"At ease, men."
"Aye, marm."
"May I speak to your leader?" A tough looking squirrel stepped out of line.
"I'm the Chieftain of this tribe, marm."
"What do you mean be killing helpless beasts who prefer otters over squirrels?"
"Well, we are great enemies with them otters. We protect this land from them pesky waterdogs. If'n anybeast who favors them trespasses on our land, they deserve to die."
"I see, well, carry on your duties o' protectin' yer land, but no killin' innocent beasts 'cause they favor otters. Ya hear me?"
"Aye, marm!" the whole bunch of squirrels said, then scampered off onto the woods.
