Uki and the Outcasts by Kieran Larwood

Author:Kieran Larwood [Kieran Larwood]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780571342815
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Published: 2019-11-13T16:00:00+00:00

Word had spread quicker than a plains fire, and thewhole tribe were rushing out of their tents, pointingand shouting as they went. By the time they got toopen ground, there was a crowd of spectators ready, waving spears and cheering.

Mooka had been brought over. He gave a little neek when he saw Kree and hopped over to nuzzle her neck. ‘There’s a good boy,’ Kree whispered to him, scratching behind his ear. ‘You’re going to run fast as the wind for me, aren’t you? As fast as lightning.’

Uki moved as close to the jerboa as he dared and pretended to stroke him too. He took the chance to whisper in Kree’s ear. ‘Why are you doing this? Can’t we just let Jori talk her way out of it? That chief was scared of her, you know.’

‘This is a good plan,’ Kree winked at him. ‘The Miniki ride short-eared jerboas. Mooka is a long-ear. Everyone knows long-ears are the fastest runners. We will be back on our heroic quest in no time. Trust me.’

‘But, Kree, Mooka can’t run round corners! You said so yourself!’

Kree tightened the knots on Mooka’s bridle and hopped up on to his back. ‘It’s a challenge race,’ she said grinning. ‘Straight sprint, no corners!’

There was a cheer from the crowd as the Miniki champion arrived, already on her jerboa. She was a fierce-looking rabbit, her ears tied back and wearing a leather vest covered with animal bones. Her jerboa did have smaller ears than Mooka, but was larger in every other respect. Larger, and much more powerful. A long, tufted tail swished to and fro behind it as it glared over at them, nose twitching.

‘I’ve got a bad feeling about this,’ Uki muttered.

‘Me too,’ said Jori. ‘Do you think you could pick up a jerboa and throw it? If you can knock down the entire tribe in one go, we might have a tiny chance of stealing a ride and escaping.’

Uki gaped at her for a moment, and then spotted the wry smile on her face. A joke. But, jokes aside, it really did look as though they weren’t getting out of this one.

‘Uluk Miniki!’ Chief Gromak had been hoisted up on to a chair that sat on the shoulders of four sturdy warriors. ‘We are gathered here to witness a challenge! This brat of the Kalaan Klaa thinks she can outrun Sla-Shan, our champion rider!’

The crowd around them burst out laughing. Lots of plains words that Uki was pretty sure weren’t nice were shouted.

‘So the two will race,’ Gromak continued when the noise had died down. ‘The first to go round the flag and back will win the Challenge.’ He pointed out on to the plain where, a good three hundred metres away, a rabbit was standing holding up a purple flag tied to a spear.

‘Wait, what?’ Kree shouted. ‘Around the flag? Challenge races are always on the straight!’

‘Maybe in your tribe of ferret-licking weasel children,’ said Gromak. ‘Here, on the true plains, we always go around the flag.

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