Fahari heard Princess Kurda and her Ratguards advancing toward the door that separated them from her. A heavy knock fell upon the door and at the same instant she was startled by a noise behind her- a noise at the little window at the far end of the room.

Turning to face this new danger, she was startled into a little cry of surprise to see the head and shoulders of her sister framed in the window.

Flurry looked into the room and saw the corpse of King Agarnu. She read much of the story of the impending tragedy at a glance.

"Cheer up, kid!" she whispered. "I'll be wid youse in a minute, an' Felch an' Kroova are out here too, ta help youse if I can't do it alone."

Flurry began blasting the area around the window with her horn, widening the hole so she could pass through.

Crash! Crash! Crash! Kurda was chopping at the door with a sword. But Flurry managed to break through the back wall before Kurda could break down the door. She flew to her sister's side. "Kroova an' Felch are waitin' outside," she said. "Now let's make like a drum an' beat it!"

Crash! The frail door burst from its rotten hinges and fell to one side. Kurda stepped into the room. "You killed my father! I'll chop you up vit my saber!"

Flurry floored her with a left hook to the jaw. "For da love o' Mike!" she cried to Fahari. "Beat it! Duck! Get out o' here!"

The two alicorns flew through the hole Flurry had made in the back wall. They went to the bush where Kroova, Felch, and the captive Blad were concealed.

"Good, you got her," said Kroova. "Now let's get back to the Stopdog."

"What do we do with the kid?" Felch asked, indicating Blad.

"Pass 'im up ta me," said Flurry. "I'll carry 'im on my back. After we get back to our boat, we'll toss 'im back to his pals. Sound like a plan?"

Princess Kurda came running toward them, followed by a bunch of Ratguards. With savage yells they leaped after their escaping quarry. The rats all carried long sharp spears. Their ancient armor clanked as they ran.

It was a strange, weird picture that the oddly contrasted party presented as they raced across the clearing of this forgotten isle. Flurry and Fahari led the way, with Flurry carrying Blad on her back. Felch followed behind the alicorns, and Kroova brought up the rear, while in their wake streamed Princess Kurda and her yelling pack of rats, clothed in brown shirts and wielding barbarous spears.

Three quarters of the distance back to the boat had been covered in safety when Captain Plug Firetail and his crew popped up in front of the heroes, cutting them off from the shore.

Flurry and her friends came to a halt. "Foebeasts behind an' before us," said Fahari. "Either way is trouble."

Plug raised his revolver aloft, but before he could shoot, Flurry did a spell and sent the gun flying out of his paw. A howl of rage went up from the pirates.

Then one of the Ratguards threw his spear at Kroova. The weapon transfixed the otter's thigh, bringing him down to earth. "Kroova's been hit!" Felch cried.

The two alicorns turned to look. "Are ya hurt bad, Kroova?" Flurry asked.

The otter tried to stand, but fell back down. "I can't walk!"

"You can ride on my back," Fahari said. "Here, Felch, help him get up there."

Before Felch reached Kroova, another rat spear hit the otter in the chest. Flurry started firing spells at the vermin pursuing her and her friends. Four Ratguards went down before the deadly fusillade, but Flurry cursed under her breath because she had been aiming for Kurda.

A sudden inspiration came to Flurry. "We got your brudder here!" she shouted to Kurda. "I'll croak 'im, if ya don't beat it, an' let us make our get-away!"

Kurda only smiled. "Gud. If Blad dies, den dere vill be nobeast to challenge me for der throne."

"Well, you've got an 'eart made of stone, don't you?" said Felch.

Flurry looked around. There was no getting back to the boat- the pirates were blocking the way. There was only one place left to go- into the woods. "C'mon, follow me!" she cried.

Felch hoisted Kroova onto Fahari's back, and climbed up there himself. Then the two sisters flew off into the woods, with Fahari carrying Kroova and Felch, and Flurry still carrying Blad.