Chapter Thirty-Two: To Be a Squirrel
An image flashed into Beechtail's mind. Maplefur, lying dead, with the Rapscallion sword in her. As Nettleclaw drew back his sword for the cast, the squirrel drew on his last reserves of strength and leaped.
"Noooo!"
He collided with Nettleclaw, and they fell, not straight back, but sideways, off the beam. They struck the side of the Methuselah bell, and slid down it. Miraculously, Beechtail was able to catch himself on the rim of the bell.
The ferret was not so lucky. With a scream of terror that would haunt Beechtail for the rest of his life, he plunged from the bell, until the solid sandstone floor of the bell tower stopped his fall with a sickening crunch. Thus ended Nettleclaw, the last Firstblade of the Rapscallions.
Beechtail was hardly any better off. His fingers were already slipping from the rim of the bell. Maplefur tried to climb onto the bell to help, but it was too smooth. If she tried, there would be two squirrels dangling from the bell. She did have some advice though, "Beechtail, jump to the bell rope!"
Beechtail looked at her like she was crazy, "Me? Jump? I can't jump! You should know that by now."
Maplefur glared at him, "You don't have a choice! Just do it!"
Beechtail gulped and nerved himself up for the leap.
"JUST DO IT!"
Beechtail swung on the rim of the bell to gain momentum, and let go.
He grasped at the Methuselah bell's rope.
He missed, and his momentum carried him past the rope.
Maplefur screamed, "BEECHTAAAIL!"
Beechtail shut his eyes tight, hoping that dying wouldn't hurt too much. Something whipped past his face, and he lashed out at it instinctively. Then he realized he was no longer falling. He opened his eyes to see where he was.
He was on the Matthias bell's rope.
But he was not yet safe, he was exhausted, and his acrobatics had opened the wound in his side even more; causing him to feel light-headed from loss of blood. Some part of him knew that he needed to get lower. He slid down the rope.
The world started to spin, and then blurred. He felt his paws slip from the rope, and heard Maplefur calling his name.
And then…darkness.