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Morning arose over the village, and the residents soon became aware of what had happened during the night. The village defence team had gone out and found three more rats, all of which claimed just to be bandits, stalking the tavern. The otters were very upset about being the potential bearer of bad tidings, but the snow leopard would not hear of it. Instead he praised the otters for deciding to take Kyyanno the whole journey, and thanked them for bringing the possibility of attack to the forefront of their minds. After this day, far more stringent measures would be put in place.

Kyyanno was still none-the-worse for his adventures of the night, sleeping soundly during the rest of the night, even after Keeper had finally gone back to bed. He was loath to leave Kyyanno's side, in case a second attempt at his life might happen, but the cheetah assured him that they had a long haul in the morning, and the otters were best if rested. After Keeper had gone, the cub had left the candle burning to create the illusion that he was still awake, just in case, but was so tired he slept without stirring until the otters came to wake him.

Leaving the village filled Keeper with regret that their departing had not been on happier terms, but the mayor reminded him that very soon they would meet again, and all the gossip about the cats of Windrush could be spilt. With a weak laugh, Keeper had agreed and the barge of post was loaded and set off for the next stop.

When Kyyanno had told Keeper it was a long haul to the next stop, he was only guessing. He soon found out just how right he had been, for it had been a long and boring morning with no sign of another village in sight. Every now and again Keeper would look back and check on the young cub to make sure he was not being attacked from the riverbanks. Every now and again he would call back to the cub, asking if everything was okay. Kyyanno had to shout in order for Keeper to hear him, but it was nice to break up the dirge of river transport whenever he was given the chance.

Judging by the position of the sun, and the grumble of his stomach, the cheetah guessed it was around mid afternoon by the time a pontoon was seen in the distance. Hours of rolling green fields, bushes, and trees had almost bored the cub into a coma, and he found himself a little over delighted by the sight of a landing point.

With all the care of previous landings, the troop of otters steered the barge alongside the pontoon and unhitched themselves so they could secure it and the barge together. This time, a good number of creatures met the otters. Rabbits, hares, sheep, and hedgehogs came down to the pontoon to help with loading, unloading, and to set up the meal area for the hungry otters. This was not what Kyyanno had expected, but all the others seemed to take this in their stride.

"Aren't we going into the village?" The cub asked the friendly otter, who was again positioned on the barge to help with loading and unloading. He shook his head.

"No, it's quite a way to the village of Glanyrafon," he said. "So they come and collect the post from us, and we camp the night here."

"I see," Kyyanno replied. "Don't you fear attack, out in the open like this?"

"Not at all," the otter smiled. "They send a few of their fighters to watch over us. So we stay protected throughout the night. I dare say if news of your cargo is spreading, they'd be sending out a couple of extra guards. We're getting close to those who would take great delight in owning what Keeper says you're carrying."

"I think I'll sleep with one eye open," Kyyanno muttered with a grimace. "Just to be on the safe side. I'm getting sick of being attacked and captured."

He need not have worried. Meal time was a bit of a shambles, but the otters made the whole scene an entertaining event, so no one minded some of the dinner being spilt on the floor and a new batch of vegetables to be scrounged up from nearby fields. The otters were apt at singing silly songs, and dancing little jigs that it kept everyone amused and in light spirits. A large fire blazed in the middle of their encampment, and Kyyanno could easily remember the nights he spent camping with the other cubs as they ran from the slavers. By the end of the next day, he should be past Avonwood and on the final leg to Windrush, Avonflow otters allowing of course. It all seemed a bit of a dream, having his quiet and comfortable life ripped out from under him only to be replaced by village after village of kindly creatures, all willing to lend a paw where needed. He then remembered the ferrets, and wondered how many of the friendly faces he saw were genuine, and how many were just out to gain whatever advantage they could. He put the thought out of his mind. They were nearly at the goal so it did not matter who came now; they were almost safe.

Once dinner was completed, Kyyanno was surprised by how tired he felt, even though he had spent all day doing nothing more than watching out for threats that did not come. Unlike the otters, who had gone a long time without a meal or rest, just to make sure that the post was delivered on time, and to ensure the safety of the cub. Curling up on the barge, Kyyanno found a couple of sacks to snuggle up in to, using his warmth to warm the fabric of the bags and use them as bed clothing. It did not take him long to be drifting off into a peaceful and undisturbed slumber.

In the middle of the night the sound of someone yelling Keeper's name woke the sleeping cheetah. More yelling and the clanking of metal immediately followed this. Battle cries seemed to come from every direction as animals surrounded the band of sleeping otters. Kyyanno was awake with a start, and stuck his head out of the barge to see what the commotion was. A full-scale battle had started. There was only a few fighters going against the otters, but they looked strong enough to defeat the lesser-armed river dogs. The otters were holding back well, and had formed a semi circle around the jetty, preventing access from the land.

"Get the cub," one of the fighters screamed to a weasel by his side. The slick creature needed no second bidding, and while his master kept two otters occupied, the mustelid slipped between them and ran along the pontoon and towards the barge. He jumped on to the barge with a heavy thud and turned to see where Kyyanno was. He never completed his mission, for a sai blade zipped through the air and impaled itself in his chest. The creature looked down at his chest, confused as to why there was suddenly pain. The look of realisation as he saw the blade washed over his face, as he fell forward, landing on his front and pushing the fatal knife in deeper.

"That's revolting," the cheetah groaned, as he moved forwards to fetch his weapon. The weasel looked almost at peace when he was turned on to his back. The cub yanked his blade free and wiped it on the fabric of the weasel's trousers. It was covered in blood, and even after cleaning it still felt a little sticky. Kyyanno knew it would need a good polishing as soon as he could find some metal polish.

"Unhook the barge," Keeper yelled to the cub, driving his own knife in to the throat of a stoat that was trying to pin him with a short sword.

"I'm not leaving you behind," the cheetah yelled back. He drew his second blade and jumped over the edge of the barge, landing on the riverside. A few of the remaining fighters instantly drew their attention to the cub, while the others held the otters at bay. Kyyanno took a few deep breaths as he tried to recall the master of the Pentreafon Training Ground and his words. He focused, making sure to not give in to rage, but to use the deep seated hatred to heighten his senses and sharpen his spirit.

The first sword swung in front of his chest, the cub dodged it easily and sprinted towards the attacker. The fox did not have time to react before a blade had been driven into his chest and pulled upwards, slicing him open from chest to throat. Using the body as a shield, Kyyanno turned towards the next attacker, a second fox, and threw the dying body towards it. The second fox used his own sword to slash the body away only to be stabbed in the gut and split sideways by the cub; he had followed the body. An aggressive looking mink armed with a knife attacked next. The pair matched each other for a few thrusts, each blocking and looking to counter attack before Kyyanno got the lucky strike in and ended the mink's life with a slash across the throat. The gurgling mammal fell to the ground, clutching his paws around the wound as the blood spilled freely from it.

A long sword came flashing into the cheetah's peripheral vision as a large stoat went to take the cub's head off. The blade was ducked under, and a sai blade found each of the stoat's feet, pinning him to the ground. The creature screamed in pain and dropped his weapon to extract the knives from his paws but he was pushed backwards and fell, his bodyweight tearing his feet from their bonds, shredding them. The scream was enough to cause the other attackers to stop and see what the fuss was about. They were just in time to witness Kyyanno end the stoat's life, in a cool, calm, and calculated fashion. There were many calls of disbelief before the attacking horde retreated for the hills. Kyyanno was alarmed to see that the creatures that were meant to be guarding them had been part of the attack squad. The denizens of Glanyrafon had betrayed them.

Keeper sank to the ground, panting hard. The other otters dropped their weapons and flopped on the floor, scrabbling for breath. Some were nursing minor wounds but no one was seriously injured. Kyyanno walked over to Keeper.

"They betrayed us," he said, between breaths. "Those who were meant to be guarding us, they set us up."

"What the, what on," Keeper panted, trying to get out a sentence. "What did you think you were doing?" he finally shouted with a quick breath. "You could have been killed."

"We all could have, Keeper," the jolly otter panted. He was still smiling, although he could not laugh through lack of breath. "I'd say that the little 'un's just saved us all."

"And what a way to go," another otter exclaimed. "How many dead? How old are you?"

"I don't know anymore," the cub sighed. "I don't think I can do this any more. I just want to get to Windrush and get this whole sordid affair over with."

"You and me both kid," Keeper said, drawing the cub in for a hug. "Don't worry. Let's lick our wounds and then set on. We can take it easy and get to Avonwood by mid-morning if we leave soon. Just be strong for a little while longer."

"I don't want to be strong any more," the cub shouted, burying his face into Keeper's chest fur and giving his shoulders a feeble beating as he spoke. "I just want to be a normal cub who doesn't have to keep killing beasts to avoid getting killed."

"Welcome to the world, little one," Keeper said, holding Kyyanno tighter still. "It's a cruel, harsh, nasty place, but it's all we've got. Let's get your blades cleaned up and get you back on the barge where you can get a decent sleep. We'll make sure no harm can come to you.”

***

The otter’s postal craft sped through the sunshine of the early morning. The scene of the battle was long behind them and the group were well on their way to Avonwood. Kyyanno did not know if Avonwood would be any safer than Glanyrafon was, but at least it would be the last stop before their final destination.

Avonwood was not the little village Kyyanno thought it would be. Buildings started lining the river long before the series of moorings started appearing. The typical stone and wood structures remained prevalent, but the number of them increased exponentially. It was as if a village had decided to give birth to another village next to it, and then join together to become a super village.

There were pathways next to the river too, between gaps in the buildings. All sorts of animals populated them; there were cats, dogs, foxes, and even a wolf or two. While some of the creatures wore very simple clothes, others walked around in very fancy and complicated regalia. They looked very important, and they walked with a stiff back and firm movements. They appeared to be full of confidence, and they had a reason to be going where they were going. Kyyanno watched them, amazed.

A tiger dressed in an important looking uniform guided the postal barge into a berth and helped the otters to tie it up. He gave the stunned cheetah a cheery smile as he worked, then offered a paw to help the young one from the barge.

“Welcome to Avonwood, little guy,” he said. His voice was low but soft. His words flowed like a thick caramel that the cheetah just wanted to lap up. “This looks like your first time in a city, eh? Well, I’m the harbour master here, but you can call me Samuel. I’m afraid you’re going to have to stow those weapons though. Only those working for the king are allowed to open carry.”

“That’s okay Samuel,” Keeper said with a smile as he shook the tiger by the paw in greeting. “The kid’s on His Majesty's business. Show him your cargo.” The cheetah delved into his pocket and retrieved the king’s stamp. He was hesitant to hand it to the tiger, but Keeper assured him it would be okay. The tiger looked at the stamp carefully and then handed it back with an even bigger smile.

“I had no idea the king had such young emissaries,” he said with a kindly nod. “So the ducks were telling the truth. I hear the cretins at Glanyrafon gave you a spot of bother last night.”

“Blimey,” Keeper exclaimed, rolling his eyes. “News travels faster than we do.”

“Yes it does,” Samuel agreed. “So do the Avonflow otters. They were here at first light, demanding that we allow the postal barge to go no further.”

“I don’t believe it,” sighed Keeper. “I knew they’d cause a fuss, those irritable, dirty, good for nothing—“

“Don’t fret, Keeper,” the tiger chuckled, interrupting Keeper’s outburst. “An armed guard is ready to take the young cheetah, and yourselves if you want to go too, to Windrush, where a royal messenger will be sent down to collect the stamp from the tribe's people. The king got a swallow yesterday telling him that his package will be collectable from Windrush in a few days time. He will be delighted to know it’s available that much sooner.”

“Well, that’s a relief,” Keeper said. “Well, come on little one. Time we were making tracks inland. See you when we return, Samuel.”

The other otters had already gone and left the trio in conversation. They knew the way to their favourite tavern, and a hearty breakfast was calling their names. The unloading of the post could wait until they had sated their appetites. With a spring in his step, Keeper followed their trails. The wet ground gave away which direction they had gone in up until the point where they had stopped dripping on the stone paved ground. Not that Keeper needed to follow the wet ground, he knew exactly where his team members would be.

Kyyanno could not stop looking at everything as they walked. The buildings were much bigger than he had ever seen. Some were so high he could swear they touched the sky, while others were so wide they looked like they might go on for miles. Some buildings were decorated with signs for all kinds of things, from bakeries, to florists, butchers, inns, and more than one tavern on the same street. Each shop was filled with customers or traders, as were the streets. It was a very populated place.

“Welcome to the city,” Keeper laughed, watching Kyyanno take it all in. “This must be the biggest place you have ever visited? Right?”

“I’ll say,” the cub exclaimed. “I have never seen so many beasts in one place before.”

“Oh boy, you’re going to love the tavern then,” Keeper said. “We’re going to City Hall first though, we have to announce your arrival.”

The pair walked through many different streets. Each one felt like it was the same as all the others, but with different colourings and signage. Before long Kyyanno felt quite, quite lost. Keeper seemed to know where he was going though, so the young cheetah made sure he stuck close to the otter. He did not want to get separated from his guide in this place.

It was quite obvious when they were getting close to the City Hall, however, for the buildings became very imposing, old looking, and grand. Kyyanno thought them very intimidating, and certainly did not want to have to ever visit them on account of being caught committing a crime. As it was, he was getting very strange looks from everyone for having his sai blades out on clear display. Or maybe they had heard who he was, and what his important task was? Maybe they were looking to steal the king’s stamp from him if he let his guard down. Paranoia washed over the cub again and he felt his paws hovering near the handles to his blades.

“Calm down Kyyanno,” Keeper whispered. “No one is going to try to hurt you here, just relax.”

“I’d love to,” the cheetah replied. “Really I would, but there is nothing relaxing here at all. These buildings are like monsters, the way they tower over everything, and everyone keeps looking at us. After all I’ve been through, I can’t help but feel more than a little on edge.”

“These old buildings really have a way of making you feel inferior, I’ll agree,” the otter replied. “Still, they are just stone and mortar, like every other building. There is nothing to get worked up about. Look we’re here now; let’s get this over with. I’m starvin’.”

The pair walked up an imposing set of stone steps to get the main door of the City Hall. The large wooden doors were wedged open and a steady flow of characters walked between them in two directional streams. With a little pushing, they managed to integrate themselves in the flow going into the hall. A vixen dressed in very formal looking clothes sat behind a reception desk, looking bored and sharpening her claws a little with a small file. Keeper dragged Kyyanno to the desk and gave a polite cough to get her attention.

“I understand the mayor is expecting visitors from Pentreafon on a personal matter for the king?” he said, in the softest, most polite voice Kyyanno had ever heard him use. The vixen went over a couple of pieces of paper before finding the one she needed. Opening a desk drawer she pulled out two pieces of paper and indicated for the pair of them to sign in two places, one sheet for Keeper and the other for Kyyanno. Once signed, she carefully cut the sheets in half and gave the lower half an ink stamp using a small block of wood with an intricate pattern carved into the base of it. These were then handed to Keeper.

“These are your visiting papers,” she said in a semi-interested drawl. The visitor’s suite is upstairs on the third floor, first room on the left. If the guards try to take your weapons, little cheetah, just show them your papers and they will leave you alone.”

With a nod of thanks, the otter took the papers with one paw and Kyyanno’s paw with the other, leading him towards the stairs and back through the throng of visitors to the building. Finding the visitor’s suite was not hard, and the helpful receptionist on the third floor saw them arrive and pointed them straight into the room.

The mayor was a large brown bear, dressed in what Kyyanno could only describe as the finest attire he had ever seen. Large deep red robes hung from the bear’s wide shoulders, complete with white fur lining around all the edges. A matching red waistcoat with a golden pocket watch, a white shirt, red bow tie, and matching deep red trousers with white fur trim completed the ensemble. Around his neck was a large gold chain, with the crest of the city embossed on it. He looked a very splendid sight.

“Welcome to Avonwood,” he boomed. His voice matched his stature. It was very large and important. It made Kyyanno take note even more than the costume did. “I have been reliably informed that you are here on your passage to the tribe of Windrush, are you not?”

“We are, sir,” Keeper answered, in a voice that was just as confident, but not as overpowering, as the mayor’s. “My young companion is in possession of a royal artefact which is to be collected from Windrush by a member of the royal guard.”

“Very good, very good,” the mayor commented. He looked at the young cheetah and then turned his attention to the otter. “See these fine gentlemen are suitably attired,” he barked at a secretary. The thin poodle, who had until then gone unnoticed by both Kyyanno and Keeper, jumped to her feet and scurried out of the door.

“Properly attired, sir?” Keeper asked, a little confused.

“Yes, you see, with all the talk about what your travel companion has on his person, and the attempts to get it, we were more than happy to let you go by river to Windrush and not get involved. We might be a royal city, but the king’s affairs are his own and the moving of the royal stamp is of no concern to us.”

“Understandable,” the otter agreed.

“Yes. However, the Avonflow otters came to us this morning and protested the use of the river for transporting, now how did they put it? Oh yes. Creatures that could, through no fault of his or her own, bring harm to the innocent citizens of the Avonflow Otter Tribe.”

“Those positive scoundrels,” Keeper interjected. His tone was displeasure, without an insulting edge, as if making it quite clear that he rejected what the otters had said, without objecting to the mayor repeating it. “How dare they say such things, and impose on your good self in such a way?”

“Quite so,” the bear replied. “So we have come to the arrangement that at the tribe’s expense, our young cheetah here will be escorted to Windrush, by foot, with an armed guard of a selection of our city’s finest foot soldiers to ensure that the royal stamp, and by that virtue you,” he looked at Kyyanno at that point, “makes it to its destination in a safe and unmolested manner.”

“All very good, sir,” Keeper said, but the bear was not finished.

“It has been decided that to deter any would-be attackers from being encouraged to attack en-masse, we will be making a royal event of this passage, hence your need for suitable attire. A swallow recently returned from the king expressing his desire for this young cheetah’s final leg to be a very formal affair. From my understanding, royal ties with Windrush have been at an all time low since our latest king took the throne, with all residents of the tribe and village forbidden to enter the royal courts of Sovereign Hill. This is the perfect way to get some of my men in the village to find out why without the king becoming suspicious of my motives and thinking I was out to commit treason.”

“I think I understand, sir,” said Keeper. “So, when are we leaving?”

“As soon as you’re fed, watered, and re-clothed,” the mayor replied. “From what I understand, you have been busy most of the night and would no doubt appreciate some breakfast.”

“You understand perfectly,” the otter noted. “What of my troupe, though? Are they to join us if they choose?”

“Which tavern are they in?” the mayor asked with an exasperated sigh. “The Swan’s Neck again? Well, I’ll get a message sent out that you have been called away, and they are to continue with the unloading and loading of the post as normal. We haven’t got time to make sure you’re all properly dressed. Now, if you’ll excuse me I must attend to a few matters before you leave. The ministerial tailor will be up soon to take some measurements I imagine, and a chef will be alerted to fix the pair of you up some breakfast. Otters and cats like fish, right? Good, that’s settled then. I will speak to you both soon.” Before either the otter or the cheetah could object, the bear exited the room, leaving the two friends alone.

“Whew,” Keeper exclaimed when he was sure they were not about to be disturbed. “It’s always a battle with him. Each mayor has their own ways of doing things, and being spoken to, but the formality he interacts with almost kills me sometimes.”

“We need to get to the tavern,” Kyyanno said, looking at Keeper with earnest eyes. “I want to say goodbye to the others if they’re not coming with us.”

“I don’t think we’re going to get that choice,” the head otter said with a sad expression. “Which is a shame. Still, once I’ve explained it they’ll understand. We all know what the mayor of this place is like, and once he has set a plan in motion, there isn’t much that can stop him. Still, we’re getting fed and some posh new threads so it isn’t all a terrible tragedy. Besides, it’s only a half-day’s walk to Windrush from here, so keeping in touch is never difficult. Post runs are roughly every five or six days, depending on if we sleep over or make a flying visit to our calls, and if you need us urgently you can always send a Swallow.”

“True enough,” Kyyanno mumbled. “Still, I’m going to miss you guys.”

“We’ll miss you too,” said Keeper. They hugged again, knowing that this was probably the last time they were going to be able to do so. The silent embrace said all the farewells and goodbyes that words never could. The three days they had known each other seemed almost like a lifetime. They had certainly been an action packed three days and now, in a grand ceremony, the last act of their relationship, but not their friendship, was about to be played out.

The tailor came in with a fine section of clothes for the two to wear. Various suits of all shapes and sizes were tried, and eventually both Keeper and Kyyanno were dressed in very pleasing suits, with slight modifications made to accommodate Keeper’s unusual shaped tail. The tailor even managed to find a matching sheath for Keeper’s sword, which made the overall outfit feel complete. Breakfast arrived next, and the two were forced by the tailor to change back into their normal wear while they ate, in case any was spilt on their new suits. The meal was fish based, which Keeper scoffed without a moment of hesitation. Kyyanno, who was used to meat, sniffed at the fish for a few moments before seeing how Keeper enjoyed it. Not wanting to lose his own meal into the bottomless pit of otter stomach, Kyyanno gulped the food down, to find that fish tasted rather good after all. Once Kyyanno had transferred the stamp to his new pocket, hidden his sai blades under his suit jacket through the belt keeping his trousers up, and stuffed his normal clothes into a small travel sack, he gave the nod to Keeper. It was time.

Once they were ready, and changed back into their suits, the tailor led them down the stairs to the reception room, where six German Shepherd guards armed with swords stood to attention. They mayor stood with them, tapping his foot with impatience and muttering small curses about the lack of hours left in the day. His demeanour improved when he saw the cheetah and the otter arrive.

“Ahh, splendid, splendid,” he cried as the two smartly dressed creatures walked into the room. “I see the tailor did an excellent job with the pair of you. Right, well, don’t keep your public waiting any longer. Farewell young cheetah, safe journey.”

“Farewell sir,” came the confident reply. “And thank you.”

The six guards seemed to walk in a formation that created two side barriers, three on each side of the pair, with two a few feet ahead, two a couple of feet alongside, and the final two a few feet behind. Sandwiched between then, there was not much room to manoeuvre.

“Don’t worry,” hissed the guard nearest Keeper. “As soon as we’re out of the city, we’ll spread out a bit and slow down. We just have to put a good show on for the crowd.”

From the crowd came a small collection of voices yelling for the parade to stop. Everyone turned to see a group of otters running towards the guards. The masses turned out to watch the parade leave soon parted to make way for the rough looking troupe, as they did not want to be barged past.

“Wait,” called the always-smiling otter, still with a smile on his face. “You can’t leave without saying goodbye!”

The guards motioned to draw their swords but both Kyyanno and Keeper stopped them. Understanding that the parade was now ruined anyway, the guard nearest the pair stood aside and let the band of otters say their final farewells to the cub. Each otter gave Kyyanno a large hug and a small kiss on the forehead to part with.

“I’m really going to miss you guys,” Kyyanno said when he was finally released from their grips. “Thanks for everything.”

“It was our pleasure,” replied the smiling otter. “Right lads, we’ve got post to deliver.” Shouting their final goodbyes and farewells over their shoulders as they ran, the bunch of postal otters ran down towards the shore, sounding as jovial and happy as ever. As the guards and crowds regrouped, and the walking restarted, Keeper nudged Kyyanno and whispered in his ear.

“They’re all crying on the inside.”

“As soon as your back’s turned at Windrush,” Kyyanno whispered back, “so will I.”

***

The march through the city was a short one, though cutting through the amassed crowds, which had seemed to spring from nowhere, slowed things down somewhat. Out on the paths, however, the guards were free to go at their own pace, and it was a pace that Kyyanno was finding hard to match. As soon as they had escaped all sight of an imperial crowd, however, the guards relaxed their beat.

“Phew,” said the guard on the left front with a loud sigh of relief. “I thought we’d never get out of there alive. Right lads, Windrush is half-a-day onwards and then half-a-day home. Meaning we’re stuck out here in the middle of the night. Thank you boss.”

“Well,” the dog opposite him said. “It’s good training for when we have to do tougher jobs. No offence intended,” he quickly added, turning to Keeper with an apologetic look on his face.

“Training?” the otter asked. “Are you all just rookies?”

“Yep,” the first guard announced with a slightly dirty grin. “You’re our first official mission, oops, I think I see someone in the distance. Look formal everyone.” The fast and stiff marching returned as the parade passed a pair of goats, who commented on how nice they all looked. As soon as the coast was clear, the guards relaxed again. This concerned Kyyanno. Looking up at Keeper, it was obvious he felt the same way. Still, the guards were new to the job, and were probably feeling a little upset that their first formal mission was little more than official babysitting. The rest of the morning passed without any unrest however, and by the early afternoon the six guards were chatting away quite pleasantly with Keeper. It was starting to hit mid afternoon when the path through the fields and hedgerows turned into a path in the forest.

“Windrush Forest,” the lead guard said with a happy sounding sigh. “Well little cheetah, how does it feel to have got so close, and yet been so far from your goal?”

“What?” asked Keeper as he reached for his sword. Kyyanno started to reach for his blades.

“Did you really think that us, being dogs, would stand for our king to be dethroned by cats?” The guards all unsheathed their swords and surrounded the two companions. “Oh no, we all joined the king’s guard at Avonwood so we might get a chance to strike out against the king with the support of the imperials at that wretched city. The mayor there doesn’t seem to care who rules over him, though, so we were getting ready to dispose of him first. Then what do we hear but news of a cub on a mission for the king. Sounded like the perfect opportunity, especially after we found out what he was carrying. The royal stamp, it’s the one thing that can make any royal document official. With it you can forge land ownership, and it all looks real. You can pass letters to foreign lands declaring war unless they pay riches beyond your wildest dreams, and because you’ve stamped it, it all seems genuine. So we had to have it, and now you’re going to give it to us, or else we’re going to have to make you a slightly smaller cub.”

“I don’t think so,” Kyyanno said, though he did not appear to be in complete control of his words. “I’m amongst friends.”

With a roar, two blurs flew out of the trees and separated the dogs, making them fan out instead of circling the cheetah and the otter. A large grey cat and an even larger leopard stood facing the dogs, both felines were armed with swords, and well armoured. Their canine opponents were not expecting to be attacked, and their dress was ceremonial, not functional.

“If you want a fight, dog,” the leopard growled, “I’ll be more than happy to help rip you apart.”

“Leave now, dogs,” the grey cat demanded. “The odds are against you. Go back to your master and tell him that you failed. The bear will live, and you will not topple the king. Or you can stay, and we’ll spill all of your blood so everyone will know you died fighting.”

“Oh, you think you can take us all on?” the lead dog mocked. “All six of us against the four of you? We would make mincemeat out of you.”

“Really?” the leopard snarled. “Want to test that theory?” In a flash the leopard had darted out and slashed one of the dogs on the sword paw with his own blade. The dog squealed and dropped his weapon before he had a chance to realise what had happened. The feline just smiled and looked at his foes. “Still fancy your chances?”

The dogs bunched together slowly, keeping the cats in front of them at all times, before running off towards the west with their tails between their legs. The grey cat laughed, and shook the paws of Keeper and Kyyanno.

“My name is ThunderClaw, a warrior of Windrush. My leopard friend is ThornClaw, and he too is one of Windrush Tribe’s warriors. We welcome you Far, err, Kyyanno, to the Forests of Windrush. I’m sorry, my otter friend, I am unaware of who you are.”

“I am Keeper Restante,” Keeper replied. “I am the lead otter in the postal delivery service between Souford and Avonwood. I have escorted young Kyyanno since meeting him at Pentreafon, and I can’t believe we’ve made it.”

“Well, you have,” said ThornClaw. “And on a personal note, I would like to thank you for helping him get here safely, as I expect the rest of the tribe would too. Come on, let us get to the village where you can have a proper rest before you embark on your journey home, dear otter.”

“Music to my ears, dear leopard,” the otter laughed, feeling properly relaxed for the first time on this final leg of the journey. “Music to my ears.”