Read Online Urchin and the Raven War by M. I. McAllister - Free Book Online

and began to gently wash away the moss and blood from the king’s deep wound.
    “Your Majesty,” whispered Urchin, “shall I fetch Catkin?”
    “No,” said the queen, then thought again. “Yes. She’d better be here. Squirrel, tell me about this moss.”
    Urchin bowed and slipped to the door. He’d fetch Catkin himself, praying that she would not be queen by morning. Juniper was just coming in with a small oval box in his hand. It was made of pale pink stone, with flecks of gold and silver.
    “The Heartstone?” whispered Urchin.
    “He needs it,” Juniper whispered back. “It has properties that none of us understand.”
    Around Crispin stood Russet, Padra, the queen, and the little stranger squirrel with her moss. Nobody cried, nobody fussed. Quietly, steadily, with watchful eyes and skilled paws, they attended the king. Juniper, joining them, took the Heartstone of Mistmantle from its box and folded Crispin’s claws over it.
    “Hold the Heartstone, Your Majesty,” he said. “Hold the Heartstone, and live.” But he had to hold Crispin’s paw closed. There was no strength in it.

    Animals gathered around the tower. From Fir’s turret to the Chamber of Candles, from Mistmantle Tower to the North Shore and the Rough Rocks in Anemone Wood. In the Tangletwigs, on hilltops and on sands, at the rivers and the waterfalls, candles were lit and prayers were said. Urchin brought Catkin to the royal chambers. Prince Oakleaf refused to leave his father’s side. Juniper, Padra, and Urchin took turns staying by the king as Cedar changed dressings, cleaned the wound, and raised the king’s head to give him sips of medicines and water from the Spring Gate. Animals left flowers, berries, and bottles of their best cordials at the tower for him. Every morning, Pitter looked out of her window and pinched herself to see if she had woken up.
    She was in awe of the queen, who seemed so efficient and so clever that Pitter adored and feared her at the same time. On that first day she had stammered out to the queen everything she knew about mendingmoss, please, Your Majesty, and how she had come to Mistmantle with the other animals because, please, Your Majesty, they didn’t know about it and she did. Then she had been taken to another room where somebody had brought her food and a drink, which was very nice—but she didn’t know what it was and what she would do next. Then a kind-faced squirrel had come in and said, “You’re Pitter, aren’t you? I’m Sepia. We’ve made up a bed for you in my room for tonight. I hope you don’t mind sharing, but it means you won’t be lonely.”

    A day passed, and the king fought to stay alive. Nobody saw the queen. She stayed beside Crispin, changing the moss, talking to him, urging him to live, praying, not telling anyone that she had never known anyone to survive a wound as terrible as this. Other Mistmantle animals had been wounded, and the healers worked steadily. Lord Arcneck and the swans were preparing to leave. Realizing how interested the queen was in mendingmoss, Prince Crown, who desperately wanted to help Mistmantle, promised to send bundles of it to Mistmantle as soon as he could find where it grew; but the swans knew little about it. It was, they said, a squirrel thing.
    Mistmantle animals knew that life must go on and it was best to keep busy, so they went back to their gathering, building, and fishing, and burrows, nests, and gardens. Needle and the other workroom animals sketched designs for new Threadings. Mistress Tay, visiting the workrooms to inspect the new designs, snapped at little Myrtle and demanded to know what on the island she thought she was up to, sewing a flower in the sea? Myrtle, who hadn’t realized what she was doing, shrank down, stammered out earnest apologies, and unpicked it.

    The Taloness settled on the high bare branch of a stricken tree and surveyed the ground beneath her. She had gathered together the remains of the raven army and settled