"Whould you like to tell me what has been going on since Camp Tussock was burned?"Katze said again.
"Um, sah, I still don't know wot you're talking about."
"You don't remember? Well, o' course you probably don't."
"No, sah, I don't. And to my knowledge, which probably isn't much, I'm not related to the Tussocks."
"First of all, young Tussock, you don't have to call me "sah". Second, you are related to the Tussocks, young Tussock, I've never gotten anybeast mixed up with another, living or dead. You are Tyra Divinia Tussock, one of the three-Nicole Aphic, myself, and you-who survived the burning of Camp Tussock by Predak."
************************************************************
Predak's troops were uneasy. It had been only a day since they had captured the nine, and nothing had happened otherwise. Finally, the signal they had been waiting for came in a shout for Akhal.
"AKHAL! Get over here NOW!"
He dashed heedlessly through the camp, to arrive panting in front of Predak.
"Now," she said,"You, and yes, you, are going to take half-yes half, that's eighty-of the troop you have with you to find the hare."
"Me?" he asked.
"Yes, you, you dunderhead! I want that hare at my feet in no more than seven days. Tommorrow would be perfect. Now, get out of here!"
Akhal turned and nodded.
"Oh, and ALIVE if that's possible."
Akhal left.
************************************************************
A stunned silence reined throughout Cavern Hole. Everybeast had known the fate Camp Tussock had met, but to find a sole survivor at their doorstep, and not know, had been a little too much. Breton was the first to speak.
"Well," he said,"That's a change of events, isn't it? Now we know."
"Yes we do. So now we also know where they all went," someone said, "They all went with her. It's obvious."
"So the leader, this Marlfox, must be the one who is leading the horde outside our walls," another said.
"Of course," the abbot said, "Now we need to do something about the vermin outside."
Chapter 20
Tyra was astounded by this news.
"But sa-um- I still don't know what you're talking about..."
"Again, you must be corrected, young Tussock, my name is not 'um', call me Katze, it doesn't matter to one as old as I.
And please don't tell me you have as bad a memory as I do."
"I'll call you Katze, sah," Tyra said, "If you stop calling me young Tussock, and just call me Tyra..."
Katze nodded to the box that Tyra had dropped in surprise.
"That might help you understand."
Mystified, Tyra picked up the box and opened it.
************************************************************
"I wonder where they're going," Tulia said.
"Out to get Tyra obviously," Muddy said smartly, "Right Vicy?"
"You know they won't rest until Tyra's in here..." Vicy added.
"Aren't you just the sunlight in the rain," Sassy said, annoyed.
"Be QUIET!" Katzey commanded, "It won't be any better for any of us if one is killed for talking and arguing!"
Silence fell as Akhal's patrol marched out of sight.
Suddently, someone hurried back. A question, no doubt. A few minutes later he rejoined the patrol, a smug grin on his face. They continued marching.
"Martin help Tyra..." Tulia said silently.
************************************************************
" What did she say?" Akhal asked the messanger.
"She said use any methods you can to find the hare."
Akhal stepped back and smiled.
"Continue marching," he said, "Tommorrow the clearing and the surrounding woods will be burned to the ground!"
Just then it started storming, complete with lightning and thunder.
"Or not," he added.
"Um, sah, I still don't know wot you're talking about."
"You don't remember? Well, o' course you probably don't."
"No, sah, I don't. And to my knowledge, which probably isn't much, I'm not related to the Tussocks."
"First of all, young Tussock, you don't have to call me "sah". Second, you are related to the Tussocks, young Tussock, I've never gotten anybeast mixed up with another, living or dead. You are Tyra Divinia Tussock, one of the three-Nicole Aphic, myself, and you-who survived the burning of Camp Tussock by Predak."
************************************************************
Predak's troops were uneasy. It had been only a day since they had captured the nine, and nothing had happened otherwise. Finally, the signal they had been waiting for came in a shout for Akhal.
"AKHAL! Get over here NOW!"
He dashed heedlessly through the camp, to arrive panting in front of Predak.
"Now," she said,"You, and yes, you, are going to take half-yes half, that's eighty-of the troop you have with you to find the hare."
"Me?" he asked.
"Yes, you, you dunderhead! I want that hare at my feet in no more than seven days. Tommorrow would be perfect. Now, get out of here!"
Akhal turned and nodded.
"Oh, and ALIVE if that's possible."
Akhal left.
************************************************************
A stunned silence reined throughout Cavern Hole. Everybeast had known the fate Camp Tussock had met, but to find a sole survivor at their doorstep, and not know, had been a little too much. Breton was the first to speak.
"Well," he said,"That's a change of events, isn't it? Now we know."
"Yes we do. So now we also know where they all went," someone said, "They all went with her. It's obvious."
"So the leader, this Marlfox, must be the one who is leading the horde outside our walls," another said.
"Of course," the abbot said, "Now we need to do something about the vermin outside."
Chapter 20
Tyra was astounded by this news.
"But sa-um- I still don't know what you're talking about..."
"Again, you must be corrected, young Tussock, my name is not 'um', call me Katze, it doesn't matter to one as old as I.
And please don't tell me you have as bad a memory as I do."
"I'll call you Katze, sah," Tyra said, "If you stop calling me young Tussock, and just call me Tyra..."
Katze nodded to the box that Tyra had dropped in surprise.
"That might help you understand."
Mystified, Tyra picked up the box and opened it.
************************************************************
"I wonder where they're going," Tulia said.
"Out to get Tyra obviously," Muddy said smartly, "Right Vicy?"
"You know they won't rest until Tyra's in here..." Vicy added.
"Aren't you just the sunlight in the rain," Sassy said, annoyed.
"Be QUIET!" Katzey commanded, "It won't be any better for any of us if one is killed for talking and arguing!"
Silence fell as Akhal's patrol marched out of sight.
Suddently, someone hurried back. A question, no doubt. A few minutes later he rejoined the patrol, a smug grin on his face. They continued marching.
"Martin help Tyra..." Tulia said silently.
************************************************************
" What did she say?" Akhal asked the messanger.
"She said use any methods you can to find the hare."
Akhal stepped back and smiled.
"Continue marching," he said, "Tommorrow the clearing and the surrounding woods will be burned to the ground!"
Just then it started storming, complete with lightning and thunder.
"Or not," he added.
