Martin pointed at the vague imprints on the grass below. "Look, down there, see?" Meldora looked. And saw nothing. Blog strained his eyes as he peired short sightedly at the "normal" looking grass. Meldora glanced at Martin, her brow raised. " yes Martin. Grass. G-r-a-s-s." Martin sighed in resignation as he pointed out the answer, as if it was as obvious as daylight. "footprints. In the grass. See, its all flattened. It must have been some hoard or some thing. Whatcha sniffing the air for Mel?" Meldora held her nose high, sniffing whifs of an oderous aroma about her. " It smells funny here. I just noticed. It kinda smels like, garbage really." " Blog uttered one word that confirmed the were abouts of the missing badger. "Vermin." He paused momentarily. At first, Meldora thought he had stopped to give his one word a little more of a mysterious meaning, until he raised his ears in anticipation. " Eh? Whats that sound? Its coming from over there. Sounds like shoutin'." Forgetting the tracks momentarily, Meldora rushed forward, drawing her sword. The sound was (oh) so familiar to her ears. Martin rushed behind her immediately, drawing his sword, which was almost identical except for instead of sapphires, emeralds beamed up at him. Blog reluctantly followed, trotting at a slower pace as possible. He was not a beast for battle. Grasping the broken spear tighly in his paw, he pushed passed the bushes and shrubs, confronted by a scene of a nearly deserted battle field. The vermin and otters alike lay moaning and the path as as holt members nursed their wounds tenderly. Blogg sighted Martin and Meldora helping to carry those wounded into the cave, and noticed that Meldora looked quite crestfallen. "We missed it all! We just got there when the vermin retreated. Poo!" she sighed again. " if only..." Martin cuffed her soundly over the head. "don't be so bloodthirsty. Look at all these poor creatures." Meldora retaliated hotly. " well its nice to have some action once in a while. Don't you think that just walking around in the forest is boring? Its tedious! More than that actually! Boring boring boring! And it was your grass that stopped me. Hmf. So there." Martin shook his head. " what is going to become of her I don't know." He watched her stomping away, mumbling and grumbling away about time wasters. " Come on Blog. Help my lift her. Carfull no. don't touch her wounds. Taboosy smiled faintly as she watched her bearers through half closed eyes. "thankyou" she whispered hoarsly as she passed out.

************************** up in the hospital wing of the cave, the injured slept fitfully, all except Taboosy. Meldora had taken a liking to Taboosy, seeing much simalarity of her self in her. Taboosy chuckled as she read the parchment in which Meldora had writern her story on the plateue. "What a coinsidence. Taboosy and Betocks. You've never met Bethoks have you." Meldora was just about to answer when horror struck Taboosy. "BETHOKS! Oh-no Renos told be to go just before he was injured," she glanced at the still figure, lying on a neatly wrapped bed, illuminated by the moonlight. "I have to run to the dunes to get Bethoks and the badger!" she sat up right but Meldora pushed her down. " I'll go. If any one asks, than tell them where I am. Can I have some directions?"

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Bethoks lay on the woodern floor of the hut, while the badger slept in the arm chair by the fire. Bethoks had waited until dusk for his companion to arive to take them home, but he seemed to wait in vain. With a hopefull prayer upon his lips, Bethoks was about to drift into slumber when a loud knock issued from the woodern door. at last he thought. At long last. He thrust open the door and expected Taboosy to be standing in the door frame, but found himself staring into the face a young mouse, one he had never seen before. She held out her paw as she announced her title. " Meldora, worrior mouse, come as a replace meant for Taboosy the ma- I mean Taboosy the otter to take you home." Bethoks sighed happily. " right. Come on mr badger up on your paws. Were going home." Meldora peired around Bethoks's wide, musculy frame to catch a glimps of the badger she had heard so much of. Meldora had a suddern wanting to run up to the old badger and hug him, for he looked so cuddly and comforting. As bethoks held the door for the elderly badger, meldora flung herself upon him and cuddled him to her hearts content. The Badger, only just recovering from his shock, chucked a deep rumbling laugh. "hahaha there now little worrior. You'll crush the wind from my lungs with those arms of yours." Meldora released her prisoner and patted down his soft silvery fur. " sorry sir," she apologied sheepishly, "I hope you don't mind me, but I do have very stong arms, don't I." She flexed her muscles and compared them to Bethoks's and growed menecingly at him. The badger patted her gently and set her down in the sand. " come on, lets get home now and we can compare more muscles then." As they were just about half way home, sound of a camp fire cackling reached all ears. " duck down and be silent." Whispered the kindly Badger. Just as meldora was about to sit down, a chicken drumstick bounced off her head " ooh," she wooped admiringly at her luck and bit into it. "I thought mice were vegetarians." Inquired Bethoks curiously. "who shesh?" mumbled Meldora though a mouthfull of chicken. The badger stiffled there arguments with a heavy paw. "shhhhhhh! The fox is up there!" he hissed. The trio sat in silence, earsdropping on the infuriated warlords anger, berating his soldiers. " I leave you in charge for one battle. One! And you disert in the heat of war. You mangy excuses for captains! Deserted! I should just get rid of all of you. Well, you have one more chance to redeem your selves. In 3, no 5 days at dawn. We attack that holt. I saw them dissappear into that cave. But we must be prepared. Dimple?" a weedy voice that could hardly be heard replied, " yes 'melord?" " Dimple spy for me. See what is happening in the cave. Then report back an hour before dawn every day till I deside to attack.. We can prispone the attack till later if need nesscisary." One of the captains piped up, reluctance and fear in his voice as he asked, " ah, 'milord? Ah why not, ah why not attack 'morrow at dawn?" The war lord's vicsious voise answered angrily, teeming with anger, " Because the'll be execting that!ugh! now leave me you fools!" a loud scuffle of feet anounced the departure of the captains, in much of a rush to escape from the war lords wrath. " Oh dear," exclaimed Bethoks, " what must we do?" Meldora had already risen to her feet at the departure of the captains. " we must tell all those at the Holt! Thats what!" with a made scuffle, the remaining two ran off after her, raising sand behind there feet. The fox peired over from his camp and grinned as he watched the trio scamper off into the distance. "fools."

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