Belinda the bowstaff

1

Waddecar wood was in the grip of autumn the lowering sun on the horizon forced out golden shades of orange and red it almost looked like the forest was on fire old leaves were everywhere filling up all the caves and ditches of the woodland floor making travel almost impossible for all animals in the area waddecar wood was almost floor to ceiling in dying foliage and the only thing that broke this tranquil scene was the pounding footsteps of a footsore traveller .

A slow lumbering but powerfully built beast she was walking with the confidence of a badger twice her age and constantly looking back with sorrow for what we do not know ,but her footsteps were constantly being covered by a fresh leaf fall everytime she walked past a tree in front of her the meadows were flat and open and offered no cover she had to be careful where she was going . She suddenly caught the smell of burning wood nearby and decided to investigate after a while she realised she was getting cold from all the wind coming through the trees so she wrapped her cloak just a little tighter about herself and resting herself every time her bowstaff  got heavy she eventually decide to strap it to her back and keep on trudging ever onward .

The smell of death and poverty hung in the air and she was afraid despite her confidence she was not sure that this was the place she needed to be ,here and there were buildings of immense size and many mole hills ,mouse holes, hedgehog nests long abandoned a scratch built church on a hillside dark and foreboding was somewhere the forest animals did not visit as it put the fear of death into them this was how waddecar wood greeted Belinda the bowstaff  place of the bonestealer.

The smell of the fire was close to the chapel steps and in a conveniently placed hedgehog nest the bristle family were warming their paws around a peat moss and twig fire when there was a polite tap on the front door who's there whispered blaze too afraid to speak any louder afraid that one of the local patrols from bonestealers fort was here to evict them and take them prisoner . 

Blaze picked up a twig from the fire and issued a loud warning go away from here you have already pilfered half of my winter food stores there is nowhere near enough to feed me and my family let alone keep bonestealer in clover. Blaze it's me hank highwall open up lad it's brassic art here as blaze bristle carefully opened his door a generous black face with a lot of warmth greeted him come in old pal and warm your feet by the fire blazes children excited by the thought of someone new in the nest poked their heads round the door .

Hank speaking in a thick accent said a's Gor a warnin for thee bonestealer has sent art a night patrol lookin for folks thar are brekkin curfew and more food. Gladys's head went down in a forlorn way and she cried will we ever be out from under the shadow of fear we should leave this place and run into the woods like everyone else where in the woods Do we find good to feed ourselves and that tyrannical Fox ?

Blaze threw down the twig and said for crying out loud Gladys where in the woods do we run to winters coming and the kids won't survive that we may all be dead by spring .

Hank whispered to blaze I have a map to a group of animals that are trying to put an end to the darkniss and they are olus  looking for't like minded animals as recruits I have a map to their headquarters hidden in my jacket I will give it to thee provided you join up wit  waddecar warriors ok , fine said blaze  silver birch parchment was pulled from beneath hanks jacket  and on it was a simple topographical map showing a route into waddecar woods far from the chapel.

Blaze thought for a moment about the predicament he was facing leave his nest and continue under the yoke of oppression or move out int Waddecar woods  the agony was clearly written like a book on his face .

Boom Boom Boom open up night patrol , quiet soldiers said blaze blaze took another look  at the map and committed it to memory and proceeded to hand it back to hank as Gladys gleefully opened the door she was bowled over as the soldiers of bonestealer forced their way in to the nest . A weasel  named  brownhate and a stoat Called latwinkle  Looked to be the captains of this band of miscreant invaders  blaze tried to contain his rage  at this intrusion of his privacy but sighed with relief that they did not spot the map he handed back to hank .

Well Now spikebacks where is all the food you have gathered recently including  nettle bread ,elderberry wine  and  blackberries  it's been too long since any of that stuff has been in my larder due to your constant raiding  so that all you have left me is not even enough for my family latwinkle  spat into the fire that let out an awful hiss and decided to rummage through the pantry picking up a loaf of bread blaze was stopped from attacking by an array of arrow heads pointing straight at him one more move and you die  explained brownhate  gladys placed a worried paw on her husbands arm come away now blaze let the good gentlemen go about their business.

Ar lad theirs nowt tha can do agin arrers blaze brownhate turned on the spot suddenly recognising the coal black miner mole in the corner what are you doing here?  Then  as if incensed by the unwanted visitors one of blazes children appeared out of the doorway he came in from the cold you heartless monster you leave him be you hear.

Latwinkle  burst out laughing spraying crumbs of  hazelnut cake over everybody don't you know that was meant to be for bonestealer you feeble minded simpleton  lookout we have a case of  bravery on our hands here brownhate what Do we do with bravery ?, why we beat it out of them through hard labour in the fields at that point the rest of blazes children made a stand to protect the other brown hate sized them up big enough for a lifetimes slavery hey latwinkle  aye you're right their brownhate .

Gladys upon hearing this sprang up and leapt to her children's defence  leave them out of this they ain't harmed no one At this brownhate knocked the hazelnut cake from latwinkle,s hand and issued orders on the spot to finish clearing the larder and no munching on the side  or they would have to deal with bonestealer  deliver it to the stores when we get back to the base waving his short sword he ordered the patrol out of the nest  as he left brownhate spoke to blaze    You and your family show up in the fields tomorrow or face the winter in chapel's dungeons 

Hank highwall  kept an eye on the door watching intently as the patrol made its way into the night  towards chapel fort blaze wasted no time packing the house up and said with confidence you were right dear we should have left years ago so we go tonight grab the kids and off we go what do you say hank  the mole stood there in a state of shock eye still on the door  eeyar lad come  grab a butchers at this whilst the guys were watching  Gladys grabbed the kids  and wrapped them up against the weather .

They ain't coming back are they ,nay lass just look at this  see that punch that has just been landed on brownhate go on give em a thrashing lass  boris was excited by this who's punched who dad   What is happening blaze tried his best to describe the violent confrontation without all the gore it's a badger strong lass too she will take some beating I can tell you  within minutes the entire platoon of chapel fort had been laid waste  pity that she was being held down with her bowstaff  after a further few minutes the patrol had her in cuffs and was leading her away towards chapel fort.

Hank made the exclamation I tell thee what lad I ain't sin fightin like that sin gord  knows when they are gunna have  a reet job Gerrin her back to chapel fort I can tell thee.

A short while later a peat moss fire was burning to embers in an abandoned nest and five shadowy figures moved off into waddecar wood.