Urchin and the Raven War Read Online Free Page A

you.”
    Urchin waited until the others had gone.
    “Your Majesty,” he said, “however we get there, we should attack by night. Not many birds are at their best at night.”
    “Well thought of,” said the king. “I’ll bear that in mind. And I need Catkin kept out of Lord Arcneck’s way before she force-marches him across the island.”
    “She needs to be kept busy,” said Cedar. “If we don’t watch her, she’ll jump on his back and try to fly off to Swan Isle on her own. Urchin, could you give her a little fencing lesson or something?”
    Urchin wanted to ask if that was a good idea, but didn’t feel he should question the queen where the princess was concerned. Crispin seemed to read his thoughts.
    “She does have to learn to use a sword, Urchin, if only in self-defense,” he said. “So she needs to know how to use it correctly. And with my orders that she’s not to try it out on anyone.”
    “Yes, Your Majesty,” said Urchin. In the past he’d faced a mad king and an evil sorcerer, and nearly died in a landslide. Now he had to teach Princess Catkin to use a sword. He had taught sword skills and tower duties to the deft and the clumsy, the bright and the dim, but he wasn’t sure if he could teach Catkin anything.

CHAPTER THREE
    WILIGHT SETTLED . Instead of the usual dinner at the tower, a banquet had been spread on the rocks, as the swans were much more at ease outside the tower than in it. Otters had been sent to fetch pondweeds, which the swans had nibbled delicately, and Fingal had managed—by a huge effort—to listen without yawning to Lord Arcneck’s stories of his mighty ancestors. Now the swans had flown to a pond to rest, the dishes had been cleared, and small Mistmantle animals were listening to stories and snuggling into their nests.
    In the highest turret of the tower was a faint light. Brother Fir was sleeping, watched over by Mother Huggen and Hope the hedgehog. In the royal chambers, candles and lamps glowed. Juniper and Urchin, who had snatched a few minutes at the end of the day to walk down to the shore and skim stones, glanced up at those lighted windows and wondered what was happening behind them, but they could see only two silhouetted figures with their backs to their window.
    Crispin and Cedar were in the window seat. Facing them, Princess Catkin sat on the floor with her elbows on her knees and her little pointed chin in her paws. The only other person in the room was Sepia of the Songs, a friend of Urchin and Juniper and a Companion to the Queen. She had been like a young aunt to Catkin.
    “We’re not angry with you, Catkin,” the queen was saying, “but this is important. You’ve been behaving in a way that simply won’t do. You can see that, can’t you?”
    Catkin wrinkled her nose and said nothing.
    “You do like to take over, don’t you, Catkin?” said Crispin gently.
    Catkin said nothing.
    “Sometimes,” said Cedar, “you don’t let anyone else get a word in.”
    Catkin looked up at last, her eyes wide and her lips parted in astonishment.
    “Yes, I know you’re being as quiet as a feather now,” said Cedar, “but that’s because you’re sulking. Yes you are, dear. You like to organize, don’t you?”
    “What’s wrong with that?” demanded Catkin.
    “Nothing, when things need to be organized,” said Crispin. “But most animals like to sort out their own lives, and they usually do it pretty well. But the swans ! They’re visitors! Sweetheart, you rounded them up and marched them into the tower!”
    “Well, I didn’t know they were that special!” cried Catkin.
    Crispin managed not to sigh. He wasn’t sure if any of this made sense to Catkin.
    “All guests are honored guests,” he said. “Just as all animals are your equals. How would you feel if you arrived in a strange place, tired and distressed, and they started bossing you about? Think, sweetheart, think of how other creatures feel. This island is a good place to live because we all