[Redwall 15] -Triss by Brian Jacques

Author:Brian Jacques [Jacques, Brian]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2010-10-09T05:00:00+00:00

fast, easy lope over the wet sands.

Shogg and Triss headed east over the dunes, making for an outcrop of trees in the distance. The squirrelmaid got

slightly ahead of her otter friend. She stopped and waited for him to catch up.

He hitched the bundle of sailcloth higher on his back. “Runnin’ takes some gettin’ used to, matey, after all that

sittin’ on me rudder in a boat fer long days. Let’s keep on goin’, me paws are beginnin’ to feel better now.”

The land was mostly scrub grass, with patches of broom and thistle. They ran steadily, side by side, with Shogg

occasionally glancing back over his shoulder.

“We don’t know if they’re on our trail or not. This drizzle should blur our tracks, Triss. I ’ope it keeps up.”

The squirrelmaid indicated the trees ahead. “When we get to those, I’ll shin up one and scan the land.”

Riggan did not stop or even pause to check the pawprints. She knew she was on the right trail.

Kurda clipped a thistle bloom with her blade edge. “Vorto, ven ve find dem you do nothink, surround dem and

leave der rest to me. I vill show dem how I deal mitt runavay slave thieves, long and slow I show dem, yarr!”

Vorto could tell by the look in Kurda’s red eyes that she meant every word of it.

On reaching the tree fringe, Triss dropped her foodpack and went up the trunk of a sessile oak with all the skill of

a born climber. Vaulting and swinging, she passed the middle branches and was soon up in the topmost boughs. Shogg

craned his neck back and looked up to where she perched on a high limb.

“Wot’s the word, mate, any signs o’ the vermin?” His worst fears were confirmed as Triss called down, “Aye, I

can make out Kurda with about a score of Rat-guards coming this way fast. It looks like Riggan slave-catcher is

leading them—no wonder they got onto us so quick!”

Shogg bit his lip with worry, Every slave at Riftgard knew the name and reputation of Agarnu’s relentless tracker.

None had ever escaped Riggan.

“’Tis bad news for us, mate. The only thing we can do is t’keep runnin’ until they’re so far from their ship that

they gets tired o’ chasm’ us an’ turns back, maybe.”

As Triss began climbing down the oak, she suddenly noticed another squirrel climbing alongside of her. He was a

jolly-looking, fat beast, his shoulders crossed with webbing that was stuffed tight with hard green pinecones. She

nodded to him; he nodded back and struck up a conversation.

“So you’re going to run for it. Well, good luck to you, good luck, that’s what I always say.”

Triss noticed that there were many more fat squirrels, all climbing down from neighbouring trees. She arrived back

on the ground accompanied by roughly fifty of the creatures.

Shogg bowed politely.

“Good day to ye, friends!”

The one who had spoken to Triss was obviously their leader. He shook rainwater from his huge bushy tail. “Good,

what’s good about it? Nothing good about sitting up in a tree getting drenched, that’s what

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