Urchin and the Raven War (13 page)

The island prepared for attack. Weapons were sharpened, bowstrings were fitted. At night, the youngest animals of Mistmantle slept in the arms of their older brothers and sisters as they were carried through secret ways to the old Mole Palace, or to hidden burrows and tunnels. The strongest moles dug deep in the damp-smelling earth, shoring up new tunnels and hanging lamps along them. Twigg the Master Carpenter mole sent apprentices running to the tower with wood for boarding up the windows, leaving just enough space for arrows. Animals crammed the stair to the armory as they lined up to collect their weapons.

Every animal who could fight was sent to defend the tower, the coasts, and the animals’ homes. Orders were sent out around the island—
Take food, water, blankets, and candles.
—
Get underground, or deep into hollow trees.
—
Block the entrances to make them too narrow for ravens.
—
Take particular care of the very young, the very old, and the frail.

Timidly, Pitter asked for an audience with the queen. Scatter went with her because she was nervous to approach the queen at such a busy time.

“Please, Your Majesty,” she said, “do you still have any mendingmoss?”

“Probably not enough,” said the queen. “I’ve cultivated it and it’s starting to grow, but if the ravens attack, we’ll soon run out of it.”

“The thing is, madam,” said Pitter shyly, “if you soak it and keep the water till the next day, it gets a hot, sour taste, and the ravens don’t like it. On Swan Isle, if you did that, they didn’t want to eat you.”

The queen seized a leaf from a basket beside her and tore her clawmark into it.

“Take that as my token,” she said. “Get the messengers to tell all animals to put something on their fur—the children’s first—to taste nasty. We can’t get enough mendingmoss distillation, but we can use whatever we’ve got. It’s what I used to do with Urchin on Whitewings. King Silverbirch was afraid of catching lice, so we pretended Urchin was crawling with them and had to be treated all the time. Well done, both of you.”

“Thank you,” they said in unison. They bobbed curtsies and ran away to give their message, while the queen lifted Princess Almondflower from her cot, wrapped her in a blanket, and kissed her before passing her to Mother Huggen to be taken into hiding.

Crispin sent another order through the island.
Don’t wear jewelry. The ravens are attracted to anything that shines and sparkles. Hide anything that would draw them to you.

Fingal took off the silver bracelet the king had given him as a reward, and hid it under his bed. The captains took off their circlets.

Hope the hedgehog trotted steadily up and down the tower stairs between Fir’s turret and the underground Chamber of Candles carrying blankets, pillows, and mattresses. When he had prepared everything he could think of to make Fir comfortable and happy, including flowers in a vase and bottles of cordial, he told Juniper, and together they carried Brother Fir from his turret down to the Chamber of Candles. The turret could be too easy a target for hard raven beaks, and if worse came to worst and he had to be carried from the tower, it would be easier to do it from the Chamber of Candles.

Sepia watched as Mother Huggen carried little Almondflower away.
She’ll be safe. I needn’t worry about her.
Sepia would stay in the tower, whatever happened. She knew she could be helpful to Juniper, and Juniper had so much responsibility to carry. She would take her place in the Chamber of Candles, where she could help to care for Fir, keep Hope and Juniper company, and pray. She could do that anywhere, but she found she could concentrate better in the Chamber.

She couldn’t bear to think of what might happen to her friends in the fight against the ravens. Quietly, she prayed for Urchin.

Swish, the quick and bright-eyed mole who had been sent to watch Catkin, arrived at the tower. She was taken to the Throne Room, where the king was giving instructions to Padra, Urchin, and Juniper.

“The princess is well, and she has a cave to hide in, Your Majesty,” said Swish, her voice soft and breathy. “And there are burrows and tunnels, so she can get straight underground. She’s as safe as she can be.”

“She could do with being farther inland,” said Crispin, “but the tunnels are full of animals being taken to safety just now. We don’t want any unnecessary movement cramming them. When everyone else has settled down, Swish, get her moved inland. Urchin, Juniper, I need you to witness that if the tower and everyone in it is lost, Catkin becomes queen. Cedar, Padra, and Arran should be regents for her, but if there are no captains left, it’ll have to be you.”

“But…” began Urchin.

“No time to discuss it,” said Crispin. “Obey orders.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” said Urchin.

“Juniper,” said Crispin, “we need prayer in every part of the tower and around it. No enemy is ever stronger than the Heart. And animals will want to come to you for a blessing.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” said Juniper. “I’ll go to the turret. It’ll be safe for the next few hours, then I’ll go to Fir. Heart keep Your Majesty.” He gave Urchin a quick pat on the shoulder as he left the Throne Room.

“Swish, you may go as soon as you’ve had some refreshment,” said Crispin. He took a leaf and scored his clawmark through it. “Take that to Brindle, tell him all I’ve told you, use that token if you need to prove the orders are from me. Heart keep you.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” said Swish. “Heart keep you, too.”

She ran away, swift and sure, through the tunnels. Was there a vibration somewhere near? But the earth to her left smelled freshly dug. New tunnels were being built all over Mistmantle, and old ones filled in so that the ground would not weaken. There was nothing alarming about somebody digging one more. She ran on, clutching her token.

Crispin, Cedar, Padra, and Urchin remained in the Throne Room. Still awaiting orders, Urchin could feel the readiness in the air.

“Urchin,” said the king, “go straight to Curlingshell Bay. I’m sending Heath, too. I need a couple of good animals to lead the defense of the bay, if the ravens attack it.”

Urchin’s heart slumped. He wasn’t sure if Crispin really wanted him to serve as a warrior at Curlingshell Bay. Maybe he was just being sent to a place of safety, like the youngsters. With an effort, he looked Crispin in the eyes.

“Do I have a choice, Your Majesty?”

Crispin placed both his paws on Urchin’s shoulders.

“I’ll insist if I have to, Urchin,” he said. “I’d rather not have to. Cedar and I will feel a lot better about Catkin knowing that she has you close by.”

Urchin swallowed hard and nodded.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” he said. “I’ll guard her, and I’ll guard the bay, and thank you, Your Majesty, for trusting me. Only—only I have to say this, sir—I’d imagined myself fighting beside you, and I want you to know that I’d give anything to do that, and die, if I had to.”

“I know, Urchin,” said Crispin gravely. “Are you grieved that I’m keeping you safe? Listen. You’re right, I don’t want you in the tower if the ravens take it. I need good Circle animals in safe places so they can continue the fight if I fall. We’ve sent Oakleaf and Almondflower to the Mole Palace. Oakleaf wanted to stay and fight, but he’s young, Urchin. I want him to live, and I want you to live so that my son will have someone to look up to. Away you go.”

Urchin shook his paw firmly, and Padra’s, and kissed the queen’s paw before going to find his cloak. He could still feel the press of Crispin’s paws on his shoulders as he knelt to receive Juniper’s blessing, and left by the tower stair, glancing up at the sky.

Padra and Crispin left the Throne Room together.

“Where’s Prince Crown?” asked Padra.

“He hasn’t been seen since he came to warn us of the ships,” said Crispin.

“I’d hoped that he’d stay by us,” said Padra.

“We don’t know his reasons for leaving,” said Crispin. “We mustn’t blame him. And that little squirrel, Pitter, who brought us the mendingmoss, there’s no sign of her, either. She told Cedar something about mendingmoss, and nobody has seen her since, so I suspect he’s taken her home. So, there you are. He’s looking after one of his own squirrels. May the Heart carry them safely past the ravens.”

“You’re a good king, Crispin,” said Padra.

It was the greatest thing Crispin had heard that day. There were times when he hated being king, especially at times like this, when he had to take risks with the lives of brave animals who were dear to him. But if he were to die today, it would not be a scrap of a life that was laid down. It would be the life of a king of Mistmantle, offered to the Heart in a cry for the island.

One squirrel ignored the instructions to hide underground. That one was Gleaner. Long ago, she had been the devoted servant of Lady Aspen, Lord Husk’s wife.
So Lady Aspen was dead. So she had done terrible things and planned worse ones.
Gleaner had long ago decided that none of it was Lady Aspen’s fault, and anyway, she still loved her ladyship. Now that she could no longer look after Lady Aspen and her beautiful robes and jewels and her chamber, she looked after her grave.

Lady Aspen had been buried in a clearing in the Tangletwigs, a wood so overgrown with thornbushes that few animals lived there. As Gleaner visited the little cairn of stones every other day, she had learned to get there and back without a scratch. The flowers on that cairn were always fresh; Lady Aspen’s silver bracelet was always polished.

Gleaner had heard about the threat of ravens.
Typical. Stupid Crispin can’t even go and kill a few birds without putting the whole island in
danger. What’s Swan Isle to do with us?
Muttering her way through the Tangletwigs, she took an old cloak to drape over the cairn. It must be hidden from the eyes of the ravens. They had no right to see it.

Dragging the cloak through the Tangletwigs was proving almost impossible. At every step it snagged on the thorns. Gleaner muttered at it and heaved it free again.

“Want any help?” asked a husky voice behind her.

Gleaner turned sharply, ready to snap that she could manage perfectly well, thank you. But really, she would be glad for a helpful pair of paws with this—she heaved again—
this stupid cloak, it’s doing it on purpose.
The gray mole was so close beside her that she jumped, then tried to pretend that she hadn’t.

“Let me give you a paw with that,” said the mole. His voice rasped as if he had a cough. “Are you Gleaner?”

Gleaner put her head to one side and twitched her mouth to mean, “What if I am?” The mole lifted a corner of the cloak to release it from a hawthorn twig.

“I’m only here to help,” he said. “My name’s Grith. Let’s get this moved, shall we? Is this for Lady Aspen’s grave?”

Gleaner glowered at him. Lady Aspen’s grave was nobody’s business but hers.

“What if it is?” she demanded, and bundled up the cloak, wincing as a thorn tore at her paw. “This island has too many busybodies.”

“But not you,” said Grith. “You just mind your own business and look after Lady Aspen’s grave, after all this time. She made her mistakes, but wasn’t she magnificent! My brother had the great honor of serving her. Loyalty’s a fine thing, Gleaner. Let me help.”