Chapter thirteen: Puzzled Minds and Plans
The feline ruler of Kotir, Tsarmina, ruler of the Thousand Eyes, stood at her elegant bedroom window, surveying the woods she knew the Corim headquarters was located. A slow, cruel smile spread on her evil features as she recalled their last battle, in which her soldiers had sorely defeated them. She felt that a good, well-fought battle from her side would finish them off once and for all.
Some movement down below in the shrubbery caught her eye. Argulor the hunting eagle flew out, having taken his afternoon nap, ready to hunt.
Tsarmina slapped her paw on the window sill. That blasted eagle! He was always interfering with her plans. He may be an enemy to the woodlanders, but he was no friend to Tsarmina, and it was plain that the great eagle would not take sides.
The wildcat reached for her bow and arrows, thinking maybe if Argulor swooped down close enough, she could get a shot in. But the eagle flew nowhere near her window, flying eastwards for a meal.
The Ruler of the Thousand Eyes slumped by the window, thinking. The eagle would be back, she knew it. But she wasn't sure if the woodlanders had decided to leave Kotir to its own devices, in fact, she hadn't heard about anything from them at all. It had been unbelievably quiet for the past three seasons.
Suddenly, an idea sprang into her mind.
"Ashleg! Come quickly! Now!"
The deformed pine-marten hobbled as quickly as his wooden stump would allow up the stairs. He saw Tsarmina staring out the window.
"Get the whole army ready. We can finish off those woodlanders if it takes my last breath. We know the area where they're hiding, all we have to do is look around in that area for it. Fortunata was there, but it's a pity she isn't alive to tell us exactly where it is."
Tsarmina recalled the death of Fortunata and spy Patchcoat.
Ashleg showed no emotion on his face as he bowed low. "Right away, Milady." Then he stumped off back down the stairs.
The Wildcat Queen cackled evilly, madness taking over her. "I'll get you little woodlanders yet! Oh yes, don't go to sleep, I'll be there soon, killing every last one of you. Then I can live in peace! That's right, Tsarmina will get you all!"
Ashleg had heard, and his mind was racing. He was almost at the point of thinking to escape, but thought better of it, and shrugged, carrying off to the soldier barracks.
And Bane's small horde of vermin drew closer.
Gonff skipped down the stairs in Brockhall. The plan was almost finished, and the time for battle was ticking closer.
He, Martin, Dinny, and Bella, all had come to the conclusion of the final battle plan: First they would do the original plan, separate the army into two sections, one would come from north, and the other from the east. The east section would have to fight harder, driving them a bit west so that section of fighters could move south, and the north and east-to-south sections would meet together squeezing the band of vermin west, like icing squeezing from a tube. Then Martin, Gonff, and Dinny would go on ahead, keeping right behind them, making sure they go straight to the sea.
Gonff thought it was a wonderful plan, but Bella wasn't very happy with it. She had given her consent, but she still had her worries. What if the whole band noticed the three followers and attacked them? They were only three creatures, and three against sixty? It would be suicide!
Gonff just chuckled and reassured her that no vermin would look back twice if they knew the Prince of Mousethieves was following them. Then Dinny quietly remarked something about the vermin wanting to keep their food and rations to themselves.
Jorell was worried. His cousin Santhe hadn't been looking very well in the past two days, and he couldn't figure out in the world why. The rest weren't that worried, the mousemaid was tough, she could take care of herself. But lately, she was very quiet and spoke little, mostly sitting by the pond, thinking, and pondering over various little things. Jorell had tried to get Santhe to play with them, but she gently pushed him away, asking to be left alone.
Jorell hid in the bushes by the pond, where Santhe was dabbing her footpaws in water, her mind lost somewhere in another world.
Dallum crept up to Jorell as quietly as he could and whispered. "So, is she still... you know..."
Jorell nodded quietly, keeping his eyes on Santhe.
Dallum sat up and blew out a sigh of frustration. "Nothin' seems to get through to her. D'you know what caused her t'be like that?"
Jorell shook his head, still watching Santhe. "Though I asked Aunt Rose why, an' she didn't tell me. I think that Aunt is upset too."
Dallum looked surprised at these words. "Huh, d'ya think it's about Santhe's daddy?"
Jorell shook his head again. "I'm not really sure, but I don't think so. He's been gone for a long time, and I think they expected that. He might not be back for another 7 seasons."
"Hm, so what c'n we do 'bout it?"
"Beats me, I don't know how long Santhe will stay like this, though eventually she'll have to talk to us. It's been two days already."
"Has it only been two days? It seems longer than that."
"Yep, and Dammy, Nytestripe and Bungo aren't much help either."
"Hm, I wonder what we can do?"
"Nothing right now. Maybe later she'll cheer up or something."
"You sure?"
"Positive."
"Really?"
"Yep. Don't worry, I know my cousin like the back o' my paw."
"Really truly positive?"
The answer came back irritated. "Yes Dallum, I told you not to worry. I've got it all under control. We'll have Santhe back in no time."
"Are you really sure about this?"
"DALLUM!"
"Oh all right, I'll be quiet."
"You better be."
"Oh don't worry, I'll be the quietestest 'og in Noonvale."
"Oh really?"
"Yep. Really."
"Then be quiet!"
"Okay. I'm quiet now."
The feline ruler of Kotir, Tsarmina, ruler of the Thousand Eyes, stood at her elegant bedroom window, surveying the woods she knew the Corim headquarters was located. A slow, cruel smile spread on her evil features as she recalled their last battle, in which her soldiers had sorely defeated them. She felt that a good, well-fought battle from her side would finish them off once and for all.
Some movement down below in the shrubbery caught her eye. Argulor the hunting eagle flew out, having taken his afternoon nap, ready to hunt.
Tsarmina slapped her paw on the window sill. That blasted eagle! He was always interfering with her plans. He may be an enemy to the woodlanders, but he was no friend to Tsarmina, and it was plain that the great eagle would not take sides.
The wildcat reached for her bow and arrows, thinking maybe if Argulor swooped down close enough, she could get a shot in. But the eagle flew nowhere near her window, flying eastwards for a meal.
The Ruler of the Thousand Eyes slumped by the window, thinking. The eagle would be back, she knew it. But she wasn't sure if the woodlanders had decided to leave Kotir to its own devices, in fact, she hadn't heard about anything from them at all. It had been unbelievably quiet for the past three seasons.
Suddenly, an idea sprang into her mind.
"Ashleg! Come quickly! Now!"
The deformed pine-marten hobbled as quickly as his wooden stump would allow up the stairs. He saw Tsarmina staring out the window.
"Get the whole army ready. We can finish off those woodlanders if it takes my last breath. We know the area where they're hiding, all we have to do is look around in that area for it. Fortunata was there, but it's a pity she isn't alive to tell us exactly where it is."
Tsarmina recalled the death of Fortunata and spy Patchcoat.
Ashleg showed no emotion on his face as he bowed low. "Right away, Milady." Then he stumped off back down the stairs.
The Wildcat Queen cackled evilly, madness taking over her. "I'll get you little woodlanders yet! Oh yes, don't go to sleep, I'll be there soon, killing every last one of you. Then I can live in peace! That's right, Tsarmina will get you all!"
Ashleg had heard, and his mind was racing. He was almost at the point of thinking to escape, but thought better of it, and shrugged, carrying off to the soldier barracks.
And Bane's small horde of vermin drew closer.
Gonff skipped down the stairs in Brockhall. The plan was almost finished, and the time for battle was ticking closer.
He, Martin, Dinny, and Bella, all had come to the conclusion of the final battle plan: First they would do the original plan, separate the army into two sections, one would come from north, and the other from the east. The east section would have to fight harder, driving them a bit west so that section of fighters could move south, and the north and east-to-south sections would meet together squeezing the band of vermin west, like icing squeezing from a tube. Then Martin, Gonff, and Dinny would go on ahead, keeping right behind them, making sure they go straight to the sea.
Gonff thought it was a wonderful plan, but Bella wasn't very happy with it. She had given her consent, but she still had her worries. What if the whole band noticed the three followers and attacked them? They were only three creatures, and three against sixty? It would be suicide!
Gonff just chuckled and reassured her that no vermin would look back twice if they knew the Prince of Mousethieves was following them. Then Dinny quietly remarked something about the vermin wanting to keep their food and rations to themselves.
Jorell was worried. His cousin Santhe hadn't been looking very well in the past two days, and he couldn't figure out in the world why. The rest weren't that worried, the mousemaid was tough, she could take care of herself. But lately, she was very quiet and spoke little, mostly sitting by the pond, thinking, and pondering over various little things. Jorell had tried to get Santhe to play with them, but she gently pushed him away, asking to be left alone.
Jorell hid in the bushes by the pond, where Santhe was dabbing her footpaws in water, her mind lost somewhere in another world.
Dallum crept up to Jorell as quietly as he could and whispered. "So, is she still... you know..."
Jorell nodded quietly, keeping his eyes on Santhe.
Dallum sat up and blew out a sigh of frustration. "Nothin' seems to get through to her. D'you know what caused her t'be like that?"
Jorell shook his head, still watching Santhe. "Though I asked Aunt Rose why, an' she didn't tell me. I think that Aunt is upset too."
Dallum looked surprised at these words. "Huh, d'ya think it's about Santhe's daddy?"
Jorell shook his head again. "I'm not really sure, but I don't think so. He's been gone for a long time, and I think they expected that. He might not be back for another 7 seasons."
"Hm, so what c'n we do 'bout it?"
"Beats me, I don't know how long Santhe will stay like this, though eventually she'll have to talk to us. It's been two days already."
"Has it only been two days? It seems longer than that."
"Yep, and Dammy, Nytestripe and Bungo aren't much help either."
"Hm, I wonder what we can do?"
"Nothing right now. Maybe later she'll cheer up or something."
"You sure?"
"Positive."
"Really?"
"Yep. Don't worry, I know my cousin like the back o' my paw."
"Really truly positive?"
The answer came back irritated. "Yes Dallum, I told you not to worry. I've got it all under control. We'll have Santhe back in no time."
"Are you really sure about this?"
"DALLUM!"
"Oh all right, I'll be quiet."
"You better be."
"Oh don't worry, I'll be the quietestest 'og in Noonvale."
"Oh really?"
"Yep. Really."
"Then be quiet!"
"Okay. I'm quiet now."