Rat King was about to answer. But he repressed the dark thoughts which were a.s.sailing his mind. "No, no," he thought. "Not again, never again."

Instead, he shrieked in bursting anger, his eyes almost popping from his furious features. "Attack! Attack! But do not kill them. We will have them thrust up like the other. Attack, I say."

This time, the battle was brief and furious. Soon, b.u.t.tons and the two felines were sitting in utter exhaustion. Even the rats, many of whom still lived, had backed off, forming small cl.u.s.ters of equally tired rats. With heads down, their eyes still glittered with anger and hatred.

The shrill voice of King Rat was to be heard in the background, exhorting his minions on. "Attack, I say. Soon, they will be ours to do with as we wish."

The raven hopped up and down awkwardly, his harsh voice sounding above even the high-pitched tones of King Rat. "I told you we could do it. See! I told you. She's ours now. Nothing can interfere." He cawed loudly and repeatedly, his voice carrying across the swamp.

Carrying to several figures who approached as swiftly as their limbs could carry them. Two by air, two by water.

b.u.t.tons began to wash her paw again, abruptly stopping the exhortations of King Rat and the raven. King Rat looked about. He scanned the swamp, peered long at the sky. No. Nothing to be seen. As he dipped his head to better view the small dog, she raised her head. Slowly, very slowly she winked.

Turning to her companions who sat, exhausted beyond belief, she smiled through her bloodied features. "Come," she said. "Tired, yes, but now it's time for us to attack."

Cross-eye looked at Toby who could only stare back at his feline friend. Toby could only shrug as Cross-eye went on, "She's crazy, but she'll have her way, one way or the other. Come on, friend, Toby. We can only die."

Cross-eye slowly raised himself on three legs, and slowly dragging his right hind leg, he staggered after b.u.t.tons who had gone to stand before Sally.

Toby sighed. "Just too b.l.o.o.d.y much."

Cross-eye looked back and grinned. Whether the bobcat meant the day or the Scottie wasn't clear. But did it matter?

b.u.t.tons stood over the barely conscious beagle. Congealed blood was all around. The blood that could run, ran more slowly. Well, they would go together. The small Scottie whirled, and stepped forward, moving between Cross-eye and Toby.

The rats were beginning to group together, forming three large ma.s.ses. From their attack, no one would emerge alive. Nothing King Rat said made any difference. This time they would do it the old way. b.l.o.o.d.y and slowly, limb by limb. Grim satisfaction to those who lived, no honor to those who died. That was the rat way of killing. They moved to meet the advancing small black dog.

Then, it happened. A tiny shrill voice came from afar. King Rat and raven were frozen in their steps as they scanned the sky together, fear gripping evil hearts that suddenly pumped with an uncontrollable urge to run.

They did so, rapidly and with no thought for their fellows, as a brown figure appeared over the trees, steeply turning in a heart-wrenching second. It was the dragon. There could be no doubt of that. The figure of Iggy clung to her neck as before, one small fist raised in defiance.

As the small dragon pa.s.sed beneath a limb of a dead cottonwood tree, Iggy leaped to a large branch, racing along it to better view the havoc as Sara blew great clouds of flame and smoke down upon the milling crowd of rats.

b.u.t.tons could do no more, sinking in quiet relief to the sand beside Sally. Toby and the hobbling Cross-eye could and did, attacking with new vigor any rat who fled from beneath the flames. A scorched spot or two made no difference. This was their time.

Sara banked and turned flaming again and again until only a few rats remained. Quickly, she settled to the bloodied sand and rapidly approached b.u.t.tons, who rose, one limb at a time, to greet her great friend, Sarandra, Princess of the High Reaches.

"Sara, Sara," was all she could say as she looked anxiously at Sally whom Sara was quickly examining.

Sara's eyes were wide with wonder and fear. "b.u.t.tons, please, you must understand. I may be too late. I will do what must be done. You finish here."

With those few words, the small dragon quickly snipped the many lines that crossed the b.l.o.o.d.y body of the beagle. Sara then gently took Sally into her arms and, spreading her wings, quickly mounted into the sky. b.u.t.tons could only sit one more time, watching Sara until she disappeared into vault of blue above her.

The heroic measures of the young dragon could not be witnessed by those fighting on the sand below. Sally was only partially conscious, pain filling every muscle and nerve ending. The rats had worked slowly once they had the beagle pinned to the sand. A nip here, a tear there, whispers everywhere. It had been terrifying, and she could only struggle, but to no avail. They had sat back to watch her slowly bleed to death and await her friends in keen antic.i.p.ation. But of these things she couldn't think. Too much pain, even in the kind and gentle hands of Sara.

Sara rose higher and higher in the air as she held the beagle closely, but as she mounted the azure blue of the afternoon's sky, she could feel Sally beginning to shiver. But it had to be done. The rips and tears of Sally's skin were too terrible even for the healing cleansing of Sara's tongue. Somehow, the dragon must first slow the terrible bleeding, and then take on each wound individually.

Higher, the dragon climbed. Sally bled, but more and more slowly as the cold became more and more bitter, biting at the ragged wounds like so many sharp shards of ice. Sara knew it would be close. Could Sally hang onto life a few moments longer, or must she succ.u.mb to both the cold and the many wounds?

Sara began to lick one small wound after another as she climbed steadily into the sky. Geese can sail many thousands of feet into the sky on their long treks in the fall and spring, even an eagle would not tempt such heights without good cause. Sara's limit was unknown. It did not matter for she would die before giving up. She never ceased in her cleansing of the many wounds as her wings beat steadily, lifting her and her burden upward.

As Sally shivered and suffered, her blood began to congeal. The flow slowed and then ceased. Only then did Sara began to cleanse the larger wounds as she leveled off and began to slowly wheel and turn, her concentration solely upon the small dog which she held gently but firmly to her warm dragon's body.

Sally's healing did not occur rapidly, but it came. Only then did the dragon turned to look groundward. Her vision was extraordinary as were all her senses. As she scanned the distant earth, she knew matters had progressed rapidly. But to what end, she could not tell.

Sara, sovereign of the High Reaches, wanted desperately to join her friends on the beach, but knew she could not. Turning away, she wheeled and head west. Holding Sally in crook of her left arm, she swiped at something in her right eye. She snorted. Too old for such things. She hurried on. Sally had be to perfectly safe first, and then the young dragon would join b.u.t.tons and her protectors. To save or avenge, Sara did not know. But she would be there in time?

As Toby and Cross-eye attacked the lone survivors among the rats, the shrill voice of Iggy could be heard urging them on. Back and forth he bounced, danced, and weaved his way in leaps and turns, his joy at seeing his friends alive almost too much.

"Enjoy it while you can, my small one," came a soft, loathing voice. "You will not live much longer."

Iggy jumped a good three feet toward the end of the limb as he whirled to face the hated voice. It was a rat, neither large nor too small. One that was able to climb trees with his clever paws. The rat was smiling as he inched forward, his eyes never leaving the face of Iggy who was rapidly scanning his surroundings.

No. No other limb close enough to be reached even with his best leap. He and Sara had forgotten to consider this possibility as they approached Elderwood. Well, Iggy could solve it.

And, he did. He slowly backed up. Back and back. Each step taken slowly, carefully, his paws reaching for the limb beneath him. Soon, there was scarcely limb enough to grip. At that point, he stopped. He looked the rat directly in the face.

"Well, friend rat. We're at rope's, uh, make that limb's end."

The rat stopped scant inches from the small ground squirrel. "So? What do you do now?" He grinned wickedly, good humor getting the best of his evil mind.

Iggy grinned in return. "This, my short-lived friend. If I go, we go together."

With that Iggy bent and leaped into the air as high as he could. Up and then down, cleanly landing on the whipping branch. It bent, down, and down, until with a loud snap, it broke. Just behind the rat who shrieked as his footing disappeared from beneath him. Down and down they went, two small figures tumbling over and over as they fell.

The rat landed with a solid thud on a long, dead, and very hard tree trunk. Not even a second later, Iggy landed. But not with a solid thud of flesh on wood, but flesh on flesh.

Iggy leaped to his feet in complete surprise. Turning, he found himself facing an angry and very sore King Rat who was slowly rising. His back ached abominably. He glared at the small squirrel.

The insouciant Iggy was not one to be beaten in a verbal punch. "Well, if it isn't old friend, King Rat. You look terrible." Iggy stepped forward to better examine the surprised rat. "Hmmm, even your whiskers look awful. Burnt, I'd say. Simply stubs of their former grandeur, wouldn't you say?"

King Rat could only splutter. Words were not enough. A shriek rose to his lips, and then he pounced. Forgotten was escape. Forgotten were the dogs. Gone were even the felines whose caterwauling could be heard throughout Elderwood. Their voices ceased even as King Rat landed on the spot Iggy once occupied.

Then it became a race. Iggy's deft gymnastics among the fallen trees and the scrambling shrieks of King Rat who could only see the rump of the little beast who had brought the disastrous flaming of his grand whiskers down upon the unsuspecting Rat King.

As King Rat raced, awkwardly albeit, after Iggy, b.u.t.tons rose instantly from her reverie and raced toward the deep and forbidding portions of the dead and dying Elderwood.

Iggy was enjoying himself. No rat could catch him in this place. Too many limbs, too many logs to leap and race about. This was a game he and b.u.t.tons often played. Then, as he leaped for another log, it happened. He slipped, falling heavily to the earth below. He quickly rolled over for the rat would be upon him. It was too late.

King Rat stood at Iggy's feet. His eyes glittered with hatred, the l.u.s.t of killing this small creature clouded his mind. Then, as Iggy half-sat up and smiled, King Rat fearfully glanced around. It was too late. A small black figure hit him solidly in the side. The rat felt sharp teeth around his neck, and then he remembered nothing, ever more.

Iggy clambered to his feet. "Wow, took you long enough. Thought you'd never make it."

He ducked as Toby's broad paw appeared out of the dark shadows. Iggy bounced quickly to the top of the nearest log. "Hey, easy, p.u.s.s.ycat. You might have struck me."

As Toby settled for a leap, Iggy rapidly turned, only to find himself face to face with Cross-eye, whose eyes were clearly the most disconcerting set of eyes in the forest and field.

"Uh, good day, Cross-eye. You wouldn't mind, perhaps, if we discussed this further. After all, b.u.t.tons here..." he turned to glance down at his friend who was slowly sagging to the ground, "uh well, she appears somewhat frayed around the edges."

Cross-eye and Toby quickly forgot the small squirrel in their fear for b.u.t.tons. She was indeed beginning to wilt. Exhaustion, fear for Sally....

All three with one thought turned and made for the swamp's sh.o.r.e. What had happened? Sara had disappeared so fast. And then there was the fight to finish. b.u.t.tons had done what she had always done when she heard Iggy's voice as he fell. She knew what he would do. But, Sara? What had happened there?

As the three moved through the sand, Delph suddenly emerged from the swamp, a living torpedo of death roaring challenge upon challenge upon the inhabitants of Elderwood. He skidded to a halt as he viewed the three, with Iggy lagging behind. At least Iggy was glad to see him because as Delph burst into view, the small squirrel immediately raced for him, taking refuge between the eye k.n.o.bs of the alligator who was pleased by the greeting.

Toby and b.u.t.tons could only glance at one another and shrug. Cross-eye grinned. His pleasure was real for he loved the irrepressible squirrel in his own way. Iggy had always been with him when he was a kitten. For that, the cat would even take on his best friend, Toby. Both knew it would never be necessary.

b.u.t.tons grunted once again. The others turned to see who was approaching now. Ssserek moved into view and slithered up the sand more leisurely. He was saddened by what he saw, but he never mentioned his fears for each of them, or the many doubts that had a.s.sailed his mind as he moved north. Clearly, the two felines had managed. Best of all, the squirrel, that tiny morsel of a squirrel, that maddening creature, that... somehow, he had done the impossible, reaching Sara, the smallest of dragons and friend to them all.

The rattlesnake smiled broadly. Only those who truly knew him could face that smile and actually greet the snake with genuine warmth in their voices.

Iggy leaped from Delph's shoulders and raced to face Ssserek. "Wow, Ssserek, you should have seen it. The greatest battle I've ever seen. These guys were fantastic." Then, his head dropped. "But, I... I don't know about Sally. Sara took her up until... until even I couldn't see her."

b.u.t.tons simply sat and watched, never taking her eyes from the snake's face. With his appearance, doubt and fears had disappeared. Still, she couldn't completely dissipate the gnawing she felt deep in her body.

"Then listen my young friends. Listen well."

He looked down on the small black dog as Delph approached, laying his head so that his nose just touched b.u.t.tons's hind quarters. Iggy and the other two gathered about. Even JW, whose presence had been ignored throughout the fight, settled to the sand, his eyes wide with amazement. Of the relationship between snake and dog, he, like every inhabitant of the forest, knew, but never believed. From that time on, he would speak of it with wonder, and, for a crow, in soft tones.

"Delph and I met less than half of the way to our northern destination. We naturally compared notes, and as you will have guessed, the raven's small minion of a cowardly blackbird had told us similar but differing tales. They did indeed got our attention, but we embarked reluctantly. Only slightly later, one of J. Wellington Crow's friends caught us and told us the real truth."

JW smiled and nodded with great pleasure, but could only nod his agreement. "Harumph," he whispered. "Throat's sore from yelling alarms! You do see?" He gazed down upon b.u.t.tons who smiled happily.

She rose slowly, her muscles aching badly from the fighting. She approached the large crow who slowly backed away, his eyes wide with amazement as b.u.t.tons stopped before him. Rising to a sitting position, she simply licked his beak once and returned to her friends. She smiled once again, with all of her companions joining in. "I understand, JW. We understand."

The two felines would have joined JW, but Ssserek grunted. The two stopped immediately. As they looked at Ssserek, they both realized that JW had, indeed, almost more than he could tolerate. The excitement of the battle, b.u.t.tons, the bleeding and dying Sally, Sara, a dragon of all things, and two creatures such as Cross-eye and Toby, whose fights and roaming mischief within the Great Forest were already lengendary at their young ages. No! Those two he would best keep at a great distance.

Instead, Toby and Cross-eye simply nodded. "Our many thanks, great crow. You have done us, and b.u.t.tons, a great service this day. Many thanks."

As for JW, this was something indeed to crow over for many a year. And, to the dismay of his many friends, he did indeed do just that.

Ssserek had waited patiently as b.u.t.tons and the cats showed their appreciation. It was only fit that they do so. Delph was not so sure. Besides, he wanted to hear all of the story. He grumbled mightily, nudging Iggy who happened to be leaning against his snout into a rolling ball of mud, muck, and leaves.

Iggy leaped to his feet when Ssserek suddenly dropped his head to be on eyelevel with Iggy. Ssserek smiled, as Iggy shuddered, "Well, you see, we immediately realized the significance of what the small blackbird had reported and returned as quickly as we could. You, Iggy, can tell us what happened next. Right?"

Looking Ssserek directly in the eye at close range was not what Iggy would have preferred. He could only stutter. "Well, well, you see. Ah, gee whiz, Ssserek. You know, I don't know how I did it. When I really need her, she's simply there. You had a word for it. But, well, but... I can't remember things like that."

Iggy rapidly backed away so that he stood far enough back to see all of the great snake. That was close enough.

Ssserek smiled and was about to speak when b.u.t.tons looked up in quick antic.i.p.ation. She yipped as she began to wiggle, hope and fear chasing one another across her face.

Cross-eye nudged Toby who had had little experience with the smallest dragon. Iggy had told Cross-eye repeated tales about the dragon. Well, he could wait.

b.u.t.tons was standing straight and square as the small dragon leveled out above the swamp and drifted into a neat landing pattern. But she was watching for Iggy who had raced down to the water's edge. Just in time to see one of Sara's wings catch itself upon a tall clump of brush.

"Whoops," she yelped in surprise as she somersaulted into a splashing heap of soft brown fur tangled in weed and old broken tree limbs.

Iggy shrieked as he raced into the water, only to disappear beneath the surface of the swamp.

Toby took two quick bounds and was in the water, reaching beneath the surface as Iggy emerged atop Sara's nicely rounded skull, her small ears deceptively laid back along her head.

Toby's nose almost met Sara's directly on as he, too, rose from the water, decaying rottening vegetation hanging from his nose.

Sara could only giggle as she nodded in agreement, almost sending Iggy once again into the swamp.

"And, you must be Toby. Nice to meet you. Iggy has such tales to tell about you two. I'm most honored."

Toby could only mutter as Sara rose slowly from the swamp, Iggy's arms tightly clamped about her neck. She was impressive, even disheveled as she was. The young bobcat backed slowly up the beach, never taking his eyes from the form of Sara whose bright eyes and smile had totally captivated him.

Toby was even more impressed as Ssserek and Delph approached and slowly bowed.

"Good evening, Princess Sarandra. Once again, you have come to our rescue."

Delph pushed forward. Like the others, he loved the young princess. But he was, after all, an alligator. In this case, he spoke for all.

"Princess." His voice was filled with worry and deep anxiety. He knew both b.u.t.tons and Sally so well.

Sara placed one soft paw on Delph's head. "Not to worry, great friend to our b.u.t.tons and Sally. Our beagle recovers slowly, but will do well."

She looked around. "Indeed, we need to be underway if we are to return before sunset."

She beckoned to Cross-eye, "Come, my feline friend. You fight like a bobcat, almost."

Cross-eye smiled and grinned at his close friend. He displayed the claws upon his right paw. Wide for a tomcat, they in no way matched his friend's. "Well, if I chew his down a bit, I might make it." He grinned once again.

Cross-eye approached Sara as Toby was about to respond. Turning, he said to Toby, "Well, friend, you can hold on to me. Come on."

With that and a supple leap, he sat upon Sara's shoulders, just behind Iggy, who was grinning hugely, enjoying the scene as he did.

Toby began to back away, but found himself leaning against Ssserek who raised one eyebrow.

"Uh, guess you're right," he grinned as he quickly regained some composure. He was soon beside Cross-eye, and the two felines hugged Sara as best they could for they quickly found out that however sharp their claws, they could barely get a grip on her soft fur.

Cross-eye winked as they took flight. He had known. Nonetheless, like Toby, his stomach took off as they rose almost too quickly and could not meet Toby's sickish grin for several moments.

Ssserek heaved a sigh of relief. With the two cats and Iggy out of the way, it was only necessary to have b.u.t.tons mount behind Delph's eye k.n.o.bs, and they were off.

Above them, JW flew to and fro, announcing the great news to all the creatures of the Great Swamp. Ssserek could only smile as Delph and b.u.t.tons traded jokes. If JW had appeared to play a slightly greater-than-great role in the whole affair, why not? He deserved it.

Soon, they were approaching Brokenleaf Beach upon which Sally was now resting among Sara and those who came with her. It would be several weeks before she could again roam the field and forest. It was Iggy who spotted the snake and alligator with b.u.t.tons sound asleep between Delph's eye k.n.o.bs as he wandered toward the beach.

He had turned to watch Sara as she spoke with his friends. Normally, the small squirrel would have been miffed, if not outright jealous, at such a sight. Not now. He felt so happy seeing her again. His heart was full of her as he rambled down the beech. Spotting JW who stood watch alone at water's edge, Iggy strolled up, and leaning against the highly surprised crow, murmured, "Some day, old friend, huh?"

JW only nodded. He wanted to say something that would put the impudent scamp in his place. Instead, he simply nodded, "Indeed, indeed!"