Chapter 2
"Lucky they didn't take my pack away. I'm starving!" I took a granola bar out and started munching. "You guys want some?"
"No thanks. I've got my own vittles," Gonff said, patting a pouch around his waist, "You keep 'em for yourself."
"Yeah, me too. You need them more than me." Martin said, though I could tell he really needed them; they must have been starving him! I finally got him to take a bag of trail mix.
"So this is the first time you have 'time traveled'?"
I nodded.
"You said-when you were there-and I was younger-that almost every morning that you woke up, you were somewhere else, be it another time, place, or both, but sometime you didn't change, and stayed in the same place for more than one day."
I nodded again. Then it hit me. "Oh!" I said jumping up and hitting myself on the forehead, "Oh! I got it! In my future, I'll go to your past!"
Gonff smiled and did a little jig. "Now we're gettin' somewhere, eh mateys?"
"Yup. Now we just have to find out where I'll be next, and what to do when I get there!"
We spent the rest of the day talking about us, our childhoods, and stuff like that. Gonff even let me try playing his flute!
I'd been able to play for about 2 ½ years. Although his wooden flute was a lot different than the metal one I was used to, and some of the keys/holes were different, I quickly got used to it and was able to produce a few songs. We sang some, too; him playing and me singing then vice versa. Martin just watched the whole time, letting us do the performing.
When Martin was talking about his past, he didn't meet my eyes; he knew that I knew that it wasn't true, for he had vowed he wouldn't talk to anyone about his real past, so none of his old friends would get in danger.
Towards eventide, something rattled in the slit window above us. In the semi-darkness, we groped around on our hands and knees until we found the object.
Martin couldn't conceal his disappointment when he saw what it was. "Goodness me, a stick. How helpful. We could take this place on single- pawed with a stick. What a useful thing to send us."
"Shhh," I said putting a finger to my lips, "Gonff knows what he's doing."
"Right you are, missy. They don't call me the Prince of Mousethieves fer nuthin'. This 'ere 'stick' is our ticket out o' here," Gonff said as he unbound a thin wire holding the "stick" together. It was not a stick, as Martin thought. It was a piece of bark around a slim dagger.
Gonff moved into the light where he could read the message. He read it aloud to us,
Gonff. Here are your tools. Leave by the woodland side of Kotir at the first sight of dawn. We will be waiting to cover for you.
Corim.
Gonff laughed quietly, and destroyed the message. "Good ole Corim (he had earlier explained to us about Mossflower's past and the Corim; the Council Of Resistance In Mossflower). Of course, they don't know about you two; the plan's only supposed to cover my escape, but I think we can manage to get all of us. Now, you see this silly bit of wire and small knife? They're how we're going to get out of here. The tools of an honorable thief."
Martin shook Gonff's paw warmly. "I'm sorry, Gonff. All I did was stand there and make stupid remarks. You are the expert. From now on you have an assistant who is willing to learn from your experience. In fact, you've got a real mate, matey."
Gonff laughed and winced at the same time. "Right-o, mate, but the first lesson in being a good un is learning not to break the experts paw when you don't know your own strength."
Martin laughed, "Sorry Gonff."
"S'all right," he said, shaking his paw out, and sitting down, "So? Shall we settle down a bit and wait for the right time to get out? About when is the next patrol, Martin?"
"I'd say, probably about." he tilted his head, thinking, "About an hour. Then they won't come again until about two hours after dawn, when they bring the bread and water."
"Good," I said, "That'll give us a little rest time. I'm exhausted!"
"You say that for both of us, then," Martin said, lying down in the straw. Gonff played a lullaby on his flute, and sang a song softly.
Pickalock pickalock, you'll regret the day, When you took a Mousetheif and locked him away. Sillycat, look at that, it's three for one, The thief, the human, and the warrior By dawn will be gone.
Martin lay with his eyes closed, "Who taught you that song?" he said opening his eyes.
Gonff shrugged, "Nobody. Songs jut pop into my head. It really is pretty silly. Old Goody Stickle sometimes says that it's Mossflower singing through me. Now and then she'll say that it's 'a sight of seasons the sun hasn't yet shone upon'."
We sat pondering that for a moment. I said, "I like that. Your friends sound like kind and wise creatures."
He chuckled, and said, "Yeah, I guess. Well, you probably wouldn't think that after you met some there. Haha. Like Skip. Or Lady Amber. Now there you've got a pair! Teeheehee. Those two. They're almost as bad as me! And then there's-"
He was cut short when Martin shoved him playfully, "I doubt anyone is as bad as you." Gonff pushed him back, and pretty soon, we were all in a pile of pushing, tackling, tickling idiots, giggling profusely.
After we had calmed down a bit, we started talking about what we would be doing, eating, or being with, if we weren't locked up.
"I reckon I'd be eating Goody's spring vegetable soup for a midnight snack. I think that you two would like her. If I ever did have a mother at one time, she couldn't have been any nicer than her; she's just like a mother to me. Not to mention her cooking. Wait till you taste her oat and honey scones, piping hot and oozing butter and honey, or her apple and blackberry pudding with spices and fresh cream, or just her new yellow cheese with hot oven bread and a stick of fresh celery, aye, and a bowl of milk with nutmeg grated on top of it." He talked himself to sleep.
I was glad he fell asleep. I could now have some private talking time with Martin. I just had to figure out how to word what I wanted to say
"Martin," I called to him, softly.
"Hmmm?" he said, his eyes closed.
"I-I wanted to ask you something."
"Ask away," he said, waving his paw.
"Well, I can't help but feel that I'm going to be at Marshank when I wake up."
"And?"
"I wanted to know."
"Yes?" he said lifting his head and looking at me.
"Well, I wanted to know if you thought it would be a good idea to. to."
"Spit it out."
"What happened to Rose?" I whispered hesitantly, "Did she. after Badrang."
He lowered his head, mournfully, "He sent her to the Gates of Dark Forest."
"Oh." we sat in silence for several minutes, lost in our own thoughts.
When I looked up, I saw a single tear roll slowly down his cheek. "Martin."
He held up one paw to silence me, "She was one of the kindest, most wonderful creatures I have ever met. I just wish that."
"What?"
He shook his head, "'tis too late now. Anyway, what was it that you wanted to ask me?"
I couldn't help but say, "You haven't talked of her to anyone else, have you? It must be very painful for you to do so with me. I thank you."
He nodded, "Anyway."
"Yes. As I said before, I have this weird feeling that I'll be there when I wake up, if what you said is true, and I go somewhere whenever I wake up. And I think that I could save her."
He quickly looked up, "You could? But how? And if you did, it could change my life, and other's, immensely! I might not be here when you come back, and some creatures might not be born, and-"
"Yes, I thought of that. As for you, I thought about telling you to go south no matter what. In the situation we're in, you may think that not coming here would be a good thing, but believe me; many great things are in store for you, more than you could imagine," I told him. Then I winked, "Don't worry about it. Just leave it all to me."
He sighed, "I guess you're right. There's nothing I or anyone else can do about it. Nobody, except you. Yes, all right. I trust you enough to make things right. I just hope nothing bad happens. We'd better get some shuteye, so we're all rested when we escape tomorrow."
We both lie down and shut our eyes, trying to get comfortable on the cold, hard stone floor.
"Night, Martin."
"Goodnight, Sarah."
"Lucky they didn't take my pack away. I'm starving!" I took a granola bar out and started munching. "You guys want some?"
"No thanks. I've got my own vittles," Gonff said, patting a pouch around his waist, "You keep 'em for yourself."
"Yeah, me too. You need them more than me." Martin said, though I could tell he really needed them; they must have been starving him! I finally got him to take a bag of trail mix.
"So this is the first time you have 'time traveled'?"
I nodded.
"You said-when you were there-and I was younger-that almost every morning that you woke up, you were somewhere else, be it another time, place, or both, but sometime you didn't change, and stayed in the same place for more than one day."
I nodded again. Then it hit me. "Oh!" I said jumping up and hitting myself on the forehead, "Oh! I got it! In my future, I'll go to your past!"
Gonff smiled and did a little jig. "Now we're gettin' somewhere, eh mateys?"
"Yup. Now we just have to find out where I'll be next, and what to do when I get there!"
We spent the rest of the day talking about us, our childhoods, and stuff like that. Gonff even let me try playing his flute!
I'd been able to play for about 2 ½ years. Although his wooden flute was a lot different than the metal one I was used to, and some of the keys/holes were different, I quickly got used to it and was able to produce a few songs. We sang some, too; him playing and me singing then vice versa. Martin just watched the whole time, letting us do the performing.
When Martin was talking about his past, he didn't meet my eyes; he knew that I knew that it wasn't true, for he had vowed he wouldn't talk to anyone about his real past, so none of his old friends would get in danger.
Towards eventide, something rattled in the slit window above us. In the semi-darkness, we groped around on our hands and knees until we found the object.
Martin couldn't conceal his disappointment when he saw what it was. "Goodness me, a stick. How helpful. We could take this place on single- pawed with a stick. What a useful thing to send us."
"Shhh," I said putting a finger to my lips, "Gonff knows what he's doing."
"Right you are, missy. They don't call me the Prince of Mousethieves fer nuthin'. This 'ere 'stick' is our ticket out o' here," Gonff said as he unbound a thin wire holding the "stick" together. It was not a stick, as Martin thought. It was a piece of bark around a slim dagger.
Gonff moved into the light where he could read the message. He read it aloud to us,
Gonff. Here are your tools. Leave by the woodland side of Kotir at the first sight of dawn. We will be waiting to cover for you.
Corim.
Gonff laughed quietly, and destroyed the message. "Good ole Corim (he had earlier explained to us about Mossflower's past and the Corim; the Council Of Resistance In Mossflower). Of course, they don't know about you two; the plan's only supposed to cover my escape, but I think we can manage to get all of us. Now, you see this silly bit of wire and small knife? They're how we're going to get out of here. The tools of an honorable thief."
Martin shook Gonff's paw warmly. "I'm sorry, Gonff. All I did was stand there and make stupid remarks. You are the expert. From now on you have an assistant who is willing to learn from your experience. In fact, you've got a real mate, matey."
Gonff laughed and winced at the same time. "Right-o, mate, but the first lesson in being a good un is learning not to break the experts paw when you don't know your own strength."
Martin laughed, "Sorry Gonff."
"S'all right," he said, shaking his paw out, and sitting down, "So? Shall we settle down a bit and wait for the right time to get out? About when is the next patrol, Martin?"
"I'd say, probably about." he tilted his head, thinking, "About an hour. Then they won't come again until about two hours after dawn, when they bring the bread and water."
"Good," I said, "That'll give us a little rest time. I'm exhausted!"
"You say that for both of us, then," Martin said, lying down in the straw. Gonff played a lullaby on his flute, and sang a song softly.
Pickalock pickalock, you'll regret the day, When you took a Mousetheif and locked him away. Sillycat, look at that, it's three for one, The thief, the human, and the warrior By dawn will be gone.
Martin lay with his eyes closed, "Who taught you that song?" he said opening his eyes.
Gonff shrugged, "Nobody. Songs jut pop into my head. It really is pretty silly. Old Goody Stickle sometimes says that it's Mossflower singing through me. Now and then she'll say that it's 'a sight of seasons the sun hasn't yet shone upon'."
We sat pondering that for a moment. I said, "I like that. Your friends sound like kind and wise creatures."
He chuckled, and said, "Yeah, I guess. Well, you probably wouldn't think that after you met some there. Haha. Like Skip. Or Lady Amber. Now there you've got a pair! Teeheehee. Those two. They're almost as bad as me! And then there's-"
He was cut short when Martin shoved him playfully, "I doubt anyone is as bad as you." Gonff pushed him back, and pretty soon, we were all in a pile of pushing, tackling, tickling idiots, giggling profusely.
After we had calmed down a bit, we started talking about what we would be doing, eating, or being with, if we weren't locked up.
"I reckon I'd be eating Goody's spring vegetable soup for a midnight snack. I think that you two would like her. If I ever did have a mother at one time, she couldn't have been any nicer than her; she's just like a mother to me. Not to mention her cooking. Wait till you taste her oat and honey scones, piping hot and oozing butter and honey, or her apple and blackberry pudding with spices and fresh cream, or just her new yellow cheese with hot oven bread and a stick of fresh celery, aye, and a bowl of milk with nutmeg grated on top of it." He talked himself to sleep.
I was glad he fell asleep. I could now have some private talking time with Martin. I just had to figure out how to word what I wanted to say
"Martin," I called to him, softly.
"Hmmm?" he said, his eyes closed.
"I-I wanted to ask you something."
"Ask away," he said, waving his paw.
"Well, I can't help but feel that I'm going to be at Marshank when I wake up."
"And?"
"I wanted to know."
"Yes?" he said lifting his head and looking at me.
"Well, I wanted to know if you thought it would be a good idea to. to."
"Spit it out."
"What happened to Rose?" I whispered hesitantly, "Did she. after Badrang."
He lowered his head, mournfully, "He sent her to the Gates of Dark Forest."
"Oh." we sat in silence for several minutes, lost in our own thoughts.
When I looked up, I saw a single tear roll slowly down his cheek. "Martin."
He held up one paw to silence me, "She was one of the kindest, most wonderful creatures I have ever met. I just wish that."
"What?"
He shook his head, "'tis too late now. Anyway, what was it that you wanted to ask me?"
I couldn't help but say, "You haven't talked of her to anyone else, have you? It must be very painful for you to do so with me. I thank you."
He nodded, "Anyway."
"Yes. As I said before, I have this weird feeling that I'll be there when I wake up, if what you said is true, and I go somewhere whenever I wake up. And I think that I could save her."
He quickly looked up, "You could? But how? And if you did, it could change my life, and other's, immensely! I might not be here when you come back, and some creatures might not be born, and-"
"Yes, I thought of that. As for you, I thought about telling you to go south no matter what. In the situation we're in, you may think that not coming here would be a good thing, but believe me; many great things are in store for you, more than you could imagine," I told him. Then I winked, "Don't worry about it. Just leave it all to me."
He sighed, "I guess you're right. There's nothing I or anyone else can do about it. Nobody, except you. Yes, all right. I trust you enough to make things right. I just hope nothing bad happens. We'd better get some shuteye, so we're all rested when we escape tomorrow."
We both lie down and shut our eyes, trying to get comfortable on the cold, hard stone floor.
"Night, Martin."
"Goodnight, Sarah."
