| Subject: Chapter 5 |
Author:
Torleep
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Date Posted: 21:25:23 03/08/03 Sat
In reply to:
Torleep
's message, "Ok, i'm going to post this story again so anybeast who missed it can read it and then i'm going to post new parts and by crickey if no one replies i'll be fair peeved because i spent ages on this story for you chaps." on 20:46:23 02/20/03 Thu
Chapter Five
The shrews spoke with Som into the night, discussing all kinds of subjects, such as food, Som’s daughter, the weather and fishing. The shrews asked fro directions to Fort Tussock, though they did not mention why they were going there. Sam and merry kept quiet about the creature they saw. Eventually, Glippin fell asleep in his chair. Som yawned.
I think your friend has the right idea. Come on, you three, I’ll show you to your beds.’ Soon after, everyone else was sleeping fitfully.
When Brogo awoke the next morning, Glippin and Ham were already awake, sipping warm mint tea and nibbling scones fresh from Som’s oven. As he sat down to join them, Som came in from the kitchen. ‘Brogo, good morning! Did you sleep well?’
‘Just great thanks, Som. My, those scones smell delicious!’
‘They’re my own recipe. I’d be happy to give it to you after breakfast. Well, dig in, don’t be shy.’
At that moment, Berry walked in, yawning and scratching his head. Then, he sniffed the air, looked at the table and was sitting there in seconds, smothering a scone with strawberry jam and meadowcream. ‘Great, brekkers. No stew today, eh Glippin?’
‘Why have old stew when you can have top notch fresh scones, eh Berry?’ Glippin replied.
‘Top notch? I think not. My mother makes better.’
‘Berry, that’s not a nice thing to say in front of our host!’ exclaimed Brogo.
‘Hey, I was just kidding. My ole mum couldn’t cook if her life depended on it.’
After breakfast, Som stocked up their supplies as they prepared to leave. ‘Now remember,’ he said. ‘Follow the river until it turns west, then turn north east through the forest. Follow the path and eventually you’ll come to the desert plains. After you’ve crossed a few sand dunes you’ll come in sight of Fort Tussock. And if you ever need my help between here and there, call out in a poem and I’ll be there as fast as I can, no matter how silly the poem sounds.’
With that, the shrews said their goodbyes and went on their way. Outside, the sun was shining, all signs of cloud were gone and a light breeze blew quietly through the trees. The water levels in the river were still high, though they slowly lowered throughout the day. About an hour before noon, the river turned west. The shrews stopped for a snack. They each had a pie, a pastie and a beaker of dandelion and burdock cordial. Then, turning north east, they traveled into the forest.
The further they journeyed in, the quieter it became. The river noise ceased first, then the breeze disappeared. All movement other than their own seemed to stop. The birdnoise died off and they could no longer hear their own pawsteps on the leaf litter.
‘Wow, this is weird’ said Brogo. His voice seemed to die off quickly, though the others heard him.
‘Yeah, I know’ replied Berry. ‘What’s happening?’ Then he gasped and pointed. ‘And what’s that?!’
A pair of eyes appeared in the trees. Soon, more and more glittering, evil eyes appeared. Smoke began flowing towards them and a strange sensation reached their noses. A chant came from the trees, quietly at first, but slowly getting louder.
‘We, d’ Flitchaye, Flitchaye, Flitchaye!’
As the smell became stronger, Brogo felt his head begin to spin, while the chant got louder. Moments later, Brogo could not tell where the chant was coming from. As he began to black out, dark shapes started jumping out of the cover of the trees. Then, he fell into the depths of unconsciousness, as the chant became ever louder.
‘We, d’ Flitchaye, Flitchaye, Flitchaye!’
When Brogo awoke, he could barely see anything. He felt manacles rubbing against his wrists and ankles, attaching him to the wall behind. Two his right were two more chained beasts, yet another to his left. He correctly guessed them to be his friends. He could see fuzzy outlines of more dark shapes wandering nearby. He shook his head to clear his vision, but it instead caused him great pain. Suddenly, one of the outline creatures appeared in front of him.
‘Yoo! Angrymouse! Yoo in small party, not bigga group! Yoo tell Barrawack what yoo doin’ in da Flitchaye Forest, eh? Why yoo not near da snakeywaters like udda angrymouses, eh?’ The creature’s shrill voice magnified the pain in Brogo’s head. He reached down as far as the chains would go, only to find his rapier was missing. The creature spoke again. ‘Yoo not gonna talk, eh? Weel, yoo talk when yoo and yoo frinds be starvink!’ The creature walked away.
By now Brogo’s vision had cleared a little. He saw the Berry and Ham were to his right, Glippin to his left. Ham and Glippin were already awake.
‘Brogo, what are we going to do? They’ve taken our weapons!’ exclaimed Glippin.
‘We’ll have to call Som, won’t we? Be quiet and start thinking of a poem.’
All three hung their heads in thought. After a few minutes, Ham looked up. ‘I’ve got one.’
‘Help us Som
Yes Som the Vole
We’re captured in
This dirty hole’
A few Flitchaye gave Ham odd looks, as did Brogo and Glippin. ‘Well, you try and think of something better’ retorted Ham. Nothing happened for a short time, but soon after, some howls came from a nearby cell.
‘Yarr, d’ spikey’ogs ‘ave escaped!’ All the Flitchaye in the room fled through the door that led to the hedgehog cell.
‘Well, Hammy, that sure worked’ said Berry, who had woken just before Ham’s poem yet had not made it known. ‘You got rid of those creatures.’ At that moment, Som’s head popped up through a hole in the centre of the floor.
‘Forgot to warn you about those little beggars, didn’t I. Oh well, only put you behind a bit.’ He grabbed the keys and unlocked the shrew’s manacles.
‘Thanks Som.’ they all said. They grabbed their bags and weapons and Som led them through the hole. They discovered that they had been high in the treetops the whole time. They grabbed some vines which the Flitchaye used to get up and down and slid to the bottom of the tree.
‘Well, I’ll leave you here. Watch out for those Flitchaye.’ Som walked off through the trees. The shrews began walking northeast again. But, of course, it was not long until a shriek rang through the forest.
‘Yarr, d’ angrymouses ‘ave escaped!’ Moments later, the Flitchaye were streaming out of the trees. ‘Yarr, d’ angrymouses, catch’em, catch’em!’
The shrews ran. They ran as fast as they could, jumping tree roots and small bushes, though the Flirchaye were easily gaining. Brogo almost hit a tree and Glippin tripped over rock, but he was up immediately and running faster than before. Ham was sure the Flitchaye were going t catch them, but moments later he saw the trees break and they burst out of the woodlands and into the desert. When Brogo felt the need to look back, he noticed that the Flitchaye had stopped at the forest edge. Then he collapsed.
He woke soon after. The Flitchaye were chanting at the forest edge and his friends were lazing about. ‘Come one, guys, let’s keep going’ he said.
The sky was dark when they reached the opposite side of the last sand dune. There, not far ahead, was Fort Tussock. ‘About time’ said Glippin.
‘Let’s hope they have good food’ said Berry.
They walked forward on the last leg of their journey to the fort.
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