Butterfingers by J M Trewellard

Author:J M Trewellard
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9781407047522
Publisher: RHCP
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

From the shadow of the bushes emerged the dull red fur and long tail of a fox. It was a thin but rather handsome fox, with one ear.

The otter slunk back quickly and the mouse slipped quietly down Ned's neck.

"Your wood? Didn't know this wood belonged to anyone," said Tuff.

Ned got down off Dilly's back. "We want no trouble, and mean none," he said.

"We're just passing through."

"Passing through to where, hoy?" asked the fox in his low, slinky voice.

"Mr Ned to you, Foxy," said Tuff angrily.

"Mr Ned? Well, I didn't realize I was being honoured with Mr Ned," said the fox.

"Mr Ned from the court, I'll have you know, so you mind your ps and qs, Foxy!"

"From the court? Well, well, honoured indeed! You wouldn't think you were from the court to look at you, but then, one can never tell by appearances. Why, who would have thought such an odd little group would have been carrying treasure?"

"What treasure?" Ned quickly strode over to the fox, who casually extended a paw as if to fend him off.

"Ah, how impressive. So used to treasures that you can scatter them as you travel. Must be nice to have so many that you can lose one you like."

"What arc you on about. Fox? Have you found anything of ours?"

The fox grinned a wide grin. His teeth looked large and yellow. Then, from behind his back, he produced the golden ball and tossed it up and down.

"Give me that!" yelled Ned. "That's the Princess Bella's ball and I'm taking it to her."

Tuff started to growl again. "Hand it over, you villain," he said.

"Villain? Oh, charming! Catch!" Fox called to Ned, and he threw the golden ball to him. Ned grabbed lor it and missed. It rolled along the ground and he ran after it.

"You stole it from us!" barked Tuff.

"Stole? Me? Never," said the fox, and he laughed a low laugh. "I found it where you foolishly dropped it. Oh, I've been following your progress for a while. Such an odd group of friends. May I ask, pray, where you are going?"

"Er . . . we arc . . . like I said . . . just passing through." Ned quickly put the ball safely back in his pocket.

"Oh," drawled the fox. "Just passing through, are you? Dropping golden balls as you go. A little group of people, from the court" – he smiled his wide smile – "almost a little army, no less, a little more ragged and less well equipped than the army of knights that came through some time back, but a little army nevertheless."

"I don't like your smile," said Tuff.

"Don't you? What a shame. And 1 so like your scowl." The fox slowly looked round at the rest of the group. "Are you on the same useless venture as those knights, pray?"

"Yes, we are," said Ned. "But we don't think it useless. We intend to do a bit of—"

"Monster-slaying!" came the tiny voice of the mouse.

"Ah." The fox scratched his one ear nonchalantly.

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