Meanwhile, in the kitchen at Brockhall, Bella was talking to Martin.
"War is coming to Mossflower, Martin. I can feel it. Now that we are all at Brockhall, the defenseless ones are safer, but I listen to the voices at Corim meetings. The squirrels and otters are not satisfied with merely resisting Kotir's rule- they want to challenge it."
Martin felt the broken sword hanging around his neck. "Maybe that is no bad thing, Bella. Mossflower rightfully belongs to the woodlanders. I will do all I can to help my friends live without fear."
"I know you will, little warrior, but we are not strong enough. We have few who are trained in the art of war. If only we had a badger warrior among us."
"Well, we've got you. You're a badger, aren't you?" Martin said.
Bella got a sad, faraway look in her eyes. "I'm a thinking badger, not a fighting badger. No, what we need is a Badger Lord, like my father, Boar the Fighter. He was a mighty warrior."
"Well, what happened to him? Is he still alive?"
Bella shrugged. "Who knows? He followed his father, old Lord Brocktree, to go off questing. This was before Verdauga and his army arrived in Mossflower. My husband Barkstripe was slain in the first battle against the cats and my son Sunflash wandered off one day and was never heard of again. Now I'm the only badger left in Mossflower."
Just then Goody Stickle came in, rubbing her paws together anxiously. "Hey, Goody, why are you looking so worried?" Martin asked.
Goody fussed with her apron. "'Ave you seen ought of those two liddle 'ogs of mine, Ferdy and Coggs?"
"Ferdy and Coggs?" Bella shook her head. "No, Goody, I'm afraid we haven't. Is anything wrong?"
The hedgehog gnawed her lip. "Well, they ain't slept in their beds last night. Asides that, there's two oatcakes, a good wedge o' cheese, and some of my best blackcurrant cordial missin' from the larder."
"I wouldn't worry too much, Mrs. Stickle," Bella said. "They're probably somewhere nearby, pretending to be warriors like Martin. Knowing those two rascals, they'll be back by dinnertime for more food. Like new button mushrooms, they always turn up at a good meal."
Pepe le Pew and Foghorn appeared. "Bonjour, Madame Stickle, Monsieur Martin… and la belle Bella," Pepe said. "I 'ear zat Ferdy and Coggs are missing. We will 'elp you to look for zem, tout suite!"
"Yeah, Mon-seer an' I'll bring 'em back in no time at all," said Foghorn.
Goody knotted her apron strings anxiously. "Thank you, boys. Oh, I do 'ope they've come to no 'arm. I won't be 'appy until I see their mucky liddle snouts agin."
"Allons-y!" Pepe exclaimed.
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Tweety circled the crenellations of Kotir, looking in all the windows. He noticed something like a drain outlet down at the base of the castle wall. He flew down to investigate.
He saw iron bars on the hole and realized he was looking through a cell window. Gingivere was in the cell, sleeping.
"I taut I taw a puddy tat," Tweety said to himself. "But who's dis? It ain't Tsarmina."
He was about to fly away when Gingivere's eyes snapped open.
The cat jumped up and clutched the window bars. "Please don't fly away. I won't harm you. I'm a member of Birds Anonymous. My name is Gingivere."
Tweety cocked his head airily on one side. "You'll excuse my sayin' so, but ya don't appear ta be in any position ta harm me. What are ya doin' down dere, puddy tat?"
"I'm Tsarmina's brother. She killed our father and framed me so she could become queen."
"Gee, I'm weal sowwy ta hear dat. I gotta go now, but I'll drop by an' see ya anudder time."
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Goody, Pepe, and Foghorn searched Mossflower for Ferdy and Coggs. They came to a patch of open sward about halfway between Brockhall and Kotir, where they saw Cludd and a bunch of soldiers. And Ferdy and Coggs were there, gagged and trussed upside down to a couple of poles!
"We won't be returning to Kotir empty pawed," Cludd was saying. "Oh no, not us."
When she saw her children in danger, Goody could not control herself, and she rushed at Cludd. Before the weasel captain could see her, Goody butted him from behind with her head, sticking a lot of her spikes into him. Cludd screamed in pain.
"You thievin' varmint, give me back my Ferdy and Coggs or I'll spike you dead, so I will!"
"Seize her!" Cludd ordered while clutching his backside.
Foghorn stepped into the clearing, carrying Pepe le Pew. "Ah say, ah say, stand back! Ah've got a skunk, and ah'm not afraid to use it!"
But just then Fortunata and Ashleg stepped out from behind the trees. Each of them was holding a spray gun loaded with Dip. They fired off a couple of blasts at Foghorn and Pepe. The rooster and the skunk fell to the ground and started to disintegrate just like the cartoon shoe. They thrashed around in agony as they slowly melted.
Goody Stickle screamed in terror.