Urchin and the Rage Tide

Read Urchin and the Rage Tide for Free Online

Book: Read Urchin and the Rage Tide for Free Online
Authors: M. I. McAllister
Tags: The Mistmantle Chronicles
definitely wasn’t Pottle’s dad, when Pottle scrambled back from the burrow, a bit out of breath, to say that Mom wasn’t there; she must be at her friend’s burrow, but he supposed it would be all right.
    “That’s better,” said Sepia. “Now I need somebody good to look after the icing sugar sifter. Will you carry it, Pottle? That’s right, in both paws. Mistress Crackle the pastry cook is most particular about it.” And the little procession finally set off with Pottle at the end, carrying the sugar sifter as if it were King Crispin’s crown. Needle and Thripple, who were bringing another batch of animals from the tower, joined them. From the baskets of brightly colored wools they carried, they were evidently clearing the workrooms. Myrtle the hedgehog and her little sister, Furtle—a wide-eyed, slender slip of a hedgehog—carried a rolled-up Threading under their arms. With her free paw, Myrtle led a tiny hedgehog clutching a paint box.
    “He’s my little brother,” she said proudly.
    “Heart keep him, he’s such a little dot!” exclaimed Sepia. “He can’t walk all that way!”
    “We’ll take turns carrying him when he’s tired,” said Needle, “but we’ll do it carefully. His prickles are as sharp as mine.”
    Myrtle’s little brother was gazing up at Urchin. He stretched up to whisper something to Needle as she bent to hear him.
    “Yes, that’s right!” she said. “That’s Urchin of the Riding Stars, and that’s Prince Oakleaf. And the lady squirrel is Sepia of the Songs.”
    “Ooooh!” said the hedgehog in a voice so soft and shy he seemed afraid to speak. Urchin knelt beside him.
    “Hello,” he said. “I’m Urchin. What’s your name?”
    “Ouch,” whispered the hedgehog.
    “Oh, are you hurt?” asked Sepia, and Urchin looked to see if he’d stepped on a thistle.
    “No, that’s his name,” said Myrtle. “Except it isn’t. Not really. Really he’s called Spirtle, but everyone calls him Ouch.”
    “Why Ouch?” asked Prince Oakleaf.
    “It’s because he’s so prickly,” explained Myrtle. “When he was little—I mean, even littler—if he cuddled up to anyone, they’d say ‘ouch,’ so it was the thing he heard most, and he thought it was his name.”
    “Come on, then, Myrtle, Furtle, and Ouch,” said Urchin. “We’re getting the underground palace all ready for you. You’ll like it in there. Needle, is there anyone else to come from the workrooms?”
    “Not exactly,” said Needle as they guided the animals inland.
    “There was one squirrel who said she had to ask somebody’s permission to go. She’d vanished before I could ask her whose permission she needed.”
    “I’ll go back for her, shall I?” offered Sepia.
    Needle turned, shading her eyes. “It’s all right,” she said. “Here she comes. Russet’s bringing her.”
    “That’s strange,” said Urchin. “Pottle the hedgehog just did exactly the same thing. Who gives them permission to obey the king’s orders?”
    “We’d better be quick,” said Prince Oakleaf. “The otters are saying that the rage tide will come sooner rather than later. Speaking of otters, here’s Fingal.”
    “Everybody move!” called Fingal. With a mischievous grin, he caught Furtle, hoisted her onto his shoulders, cried, “Last one up the hill’s a smoked haddock!” and led the small animals in an uphill charge. At the top, he put Furtle down, waved the others on, and ran back down, laughing, to help the stragglers. But there was no laughter in his face when he turned to Urchin.
    “It’s going to be worse than we could have imagined,” he whispered. “The currents are getting more powerful all the time, and the more they build up, the faster the rage tide will get here. Could be later tonight or early in the morning, if not before, and it’ll be devastating. Is everyone out of the tower?”
    “Russet’s bringing the last squirrel from the workrooms,” said Urchin. “She said she needed permission

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