♪
(Laughing)
♪
♪
There’s dozens of them.
What are we gonna do?
Hmm.
(Yelling)
Invite them in, of course,
matey.
♪
CAPTAINPick your feet up,
you lily-livered slime.
GUARDYes, chief.
SOLDIERYou heard the
captain.
Psst!
Psst!
Huh?
Is everybeast all right down
there?
Weak but unbroken.
Who are you?
Keyla the Otter’s my name.
Keyla, can you tell us
what’s happening up there?
What’s all the commotion about?
I heard one of the guards say
the pirate Tramun Clogg and his
corsairs are headed here to
Marshank.
(Guards shouting)
♪
Hurry up, hurry up.
Move it, move it.
With all this confusion, I
can smuggle you some scraps from
the kitchen.
We’ve got to know what’s
going on up there.
Felldoh, climb up onto my
shoulders.
Can you see anything?
No, I’m still too low.
Brome, do you think you could
climb up onto Felldoh’s
shoulders?
(Grunting)
FELLDOHCan you see
anything?
Yes, I think they’re going
to open the gate.
What?
Ready?
Ready, sire.
Then open the gate.
(Both grunting)
Hmm.
(Yelling)
(Guards screaming)
(Laughing)
Caught you napping there,
mateys.
You’ve all gone soft, playing at
being landlubbers.
Anyone home to receive a poor
old seadog who’s down on his
luck?
Well, burn me bilges.
Captain Tramun Clogg.
How are you, you old wave dog?
Badrang, me old mess mate.
It’s good for these old eyes to
see you again.
And look what I’ve brought for
you.
(Both grunting)
Hmm.
(Laughing)
Ain’t poisoned, matey.
It’s damson wine.
(Laughing)
The best around.
And all for me and you.
(Belching)
(Laughing)
You always knew a good barrel
of damson, you rascal.
Just like the old days.
The old days.
Ah, yes.
That would be when you left me
stranded on a reef and sailed
off with me slaves.
More the other way around, as
I recall.
My vessel was wrecked and the
slaves lost.
Then poor old abandoned me
ended up at this place.
Aye, and look at you now.
Lord Badrang, if you please.
With a fine fortress and a
parcel of slaves, half of which
is mine.
I want what’s due to me,
Badrang.
I come for me share.
Your share is nothing, Clogg.
And that’s what you’ll get.
You don’t get it, old mate.
We ain’t here to beg.
We’s here to take!
Make a move and your
captain’s a dead one.
This blade is poisoned, like the
tips of my archers’ arrows.
Hold your rash, lads.
Put those carvers up.
(Laughing)
Never thought you’d use a dirty
trick like poisoned weapons.
But you will, matey.
Put up your blade and we’ll go,
peaceful-like.
I thought you would.
I’m going, Badrang, but
don’t rest easy, matey.
One dark night I’ll slit your
gullet, take your slaves, and
burn Marshank to the ground.
And that’s a promise!
Get going, before I use you
for target practise.
(Both laughing)
Double the wall guards.
And, Skalrag, slip out and
follow them.
I want to know what they’re up
to.
It looks like the pirates
have gone.
You want me to get down now?
Yes.
(Felldoh grunting)
How did you do that?
We do what we have to do,
like escape from this pit while
we still have the strength.
♪
(Guards muttering)
Hey, where do you think
you’re going?
Uh, to feed the prisoners,
sire, as Badrang ordered.
He did?
I thought the prisoners were to
be starved.
I’ll check again if you
like, sire, but Badrang may not
be too happy at being awakened.
Eh, no need for that.
Proceed with your duties.
You there, eat these scraps,
or else!
Badrang’s orders.
Mmm.
Thanks, Keyla.
What did they say?
Just that it’s cold down
there.
That’s strange, I think it’s
quite warm.
I hope they don’t have...the
fever.
The fever?
Aye, sire.
Those sea rats bring all kinds
of illnesses ashore with them.
Whisker crab, wobbly paws, the
dreaded flurgey twinge.
Flurgey twinge?
You’re not cold, are you,
sire?
Why?
Well, you look...shivery.
D-do I?
Maybe you’d be better off
indoors by the fire with a nice
beaker of wine.
Mm-hm, maybe I will go
inside.
I’d hurry if I were you.
Your eyes are beginning to look
a bit cloudy.
A bit flurgey-twingey.
(Teeth chattering)
He’s gone.
What’s flurgey twinge?
I don’t know.
(Both laughing)
Well done, Keyla.
Now we’ve got a plan.
Here’s what we want you to do...
Well, Miss Rose, what are you
supposin’ these villains wanted?
I’ve no idea, Grumm, but they
didn’t seem too happy leaving
here.
I think they’ll be back.
♪ I know a mouse called Martin
Shh, Rose, do we hear that?
Somebeast is singing.
♪ I know a mouse called Martin
And a young’n whose named
Brome ♪
♪ Captured by some vermin
scouts as he strayed from his
home ♪
Did you hear that, Grumm?
Brome is alive.
Aye, missy, but shouldn’t you
be answering his song?
♪ We’re here so we can help them
so please run tell to me ♪
♪ What we can do to aid these
two and try to set them free ♪
(Guard laughing)
♪ A vermin guard approaches
♪ Quick, get yourselves from
sight ♪
♪ I’ll try to get back to you
this time tomorrow night ♪
I tell ya, I heard somebeast
singing.
And who would be singing in
this dark place?
Must be the ringing in your
ears youse hearin’ from all the
whacks Badrang gives you.
(Laughing)
♪
(Panting)
Where’s the ship?
Where’s Clogg gone?
♪
All I know is that Martin,
Felldoh, and Brome believe they
can escape.
Well, we must help them.
If they escape, they’ll do all
they can to defeat Badrang and
free us.
We’ll need to get them
rations.
Hmm, we can all put a little
aside to help them.
Yes, we will.
And we should slow down the
completion of this fort.
Let’s work slowly.
But don’t get caught.
And try to steal anything that
can be used as a w*apon.
Kitchen tools, uh, sharp rocks,
anything.
We may need them soon.
Don’t listen to him.
It’ll only land us in trouble.
Aye, it’s that young Druwp.
Well, come on, if you’ve got
something to say, speak your
mind.
If we start stealing, we’ll
be punished.
You do what you want, but you
count me out.
Well, so be it, Druwp.
But if one word of this reaches
Badrang, you’ll answer to me.
Right, then, let’s see if we can
manage some breakfast for our
imprisoned friends.
With all those guards, we
can’t communicate with our
singing friend.
What do we do, Grumm?
There, there, Miss Rosie.
Don’t be frettin’ ya none.
Your friend be a clever beast.
He’ll think of something.
♪
(Chewing loudly)
Any more word from Rose or
Grumm?
There are too many guards to
try singing.
Any other ideas?
Hey, down there!
Are you talking to the
prisoners?
I’ll lay me spear handle across
your back if you is.
Not me, sire.
It’s these poor wretches in the
pit.
They say they’ve got the fever.
The flurgey twinge.
Wh--
The flurgey twinge?
I knew it.
Gurrad was shivering like a leaf
last night.
And this morning he was staying
in his bunk because of the pains
in his head.
Bah, there ain’t no fever in
this fortress, mate.
That’s exactly what I said,
sire.
But these three are convinced
they’ve got the fever.
We should know soon enough.
How’s that?
Well, sire, if they do have
the flurgey twinge, they’ll
start calling out for help in
voices that can be heard for
miles.
Good idea, Keyla.
Who’s got the loudest voice?
How’s this?
(Yelling)
Somebeast, anybeast, help us!
There’s fever down here!
(Brome yelling)
(Both laughing)
Stop that yelling or I’ll
come down there and kick your
tail until it’s blue.
BROMEYes, please, kick us!
b*at us!
Just get us out of this fever
hole!
(Yelling)
I ain’t going down there and
catching the...twinge.
There is no twinge.
Oh, yeah?
So, what’s that spot on your
ear, then?
What spot?
That yellow one on your left
ear.
Can’t you see it?
Loaf brain, how can I see me
own ear?
BROMEHelp us!
Get us out of here!
(Brome yelling)
(Moaning)
(Laughing)
That’s my little brother, all
right.
I’d know those lungs anywhere.
Ha, why don’t you let him
know we’s can hear him?
(Mimicking eagle screeching)
Oh, my, what a family for
"noisening."
That’s my sister Rose, all
right.
She can screech as good as any
eagle.
Good work, young’n.
Now, get ready to send her the
message.
♪
(Brome yelling)
What a racket.
Why don’t you go down there
and shut them up if there’s no
flurgey twinge?
Oh, why don’t you?
Not me.
Uh, um, uh--
I-I was told to keep watch for
Clogg’s ship.
And that’s exactly what I’m
gonna do.
BROMEAnybeast!
(Brome yelling)
But what are we gonna do
about all this noise?
We’ll just have to ignore it.
Ignore that?
Oh, listen to him.
BROMERosie, Rosie, Rosie!
Rah, rah, rah!
Listen to me!
Listen to me!
(Brome yelling)
(Both shouting)
Now!
(Whispering indistinctly)
In the middle of the gate set
your faces!
Walk south paces!
The fever, the terrible fever!
There are three of us in this
awful pit!
As deep as three mice in a fit!
The fever, oh, the fever!
Are youse a-gettin’ this,
missy?
Shh, shh, shh, shh!
BROMEWe need the claws of a
good old chum!
I know that you can do it,
Grumm.
The fever, I’m going to die of
the fever!
(Laughing)
(Mimicking eagle screeching)
Oh.
Claws, they mean a tunnel.
♪
Oh, ain’t it lovely and
quiet?
Think they’re dead?
I hope so.
Maybe that eagle just frightened
them into silence.
Oh, silence.
What a lovely word.
It’d sound better if you’d
shut your gob and give it a
chance.
Oh.
Twenty paces to the south of
the gate, three and a bit mice
down.
Can you do it, Grumm?
Dig them a tunnel with those
wonderful claws of yours?
Can I do it, miss?
Oh, can birds fly?
Can fishes swim in these seas?
Oh, it would be easier than
eating your momma’s apple
puddings.
If you rescue Brome and get
us home to Noonvale, Grumm, I’ll
see that my mama fills her
summer kitchen with more apple
puddings than you can shake a
stick at.
Ah, you wouldn’t be teasing
me, missy.
When we get home, it’s
nothing but Noonvale’s finest.
All right, then it’s best I
be’s a-starting.
(Sniffing)
Go on, Grumm!
Go get them!
Make your report.
Uh, Lord, I wandered far up
the northern coast and there are
no signs of Clogg and his ship.
They’ve gone, sire.
Uh, so, um, everything is quiet
and in order again.
Is it, now?
Then what was all that hollering
about?
Well, Lord, I was told the
prisoners in the hole may have
some sort of sickness.
The fever, perhaps.
A fever, eh?
Good.
Spread the word among the slaves
that any wrongdoers go into the
pit with them.
Ooh, what a good idea, Lord.
An excellent idea.
And here’s a better one.
If my fortress isn’t finished
soon, I might throw a few of my
captains in the fever pit with
them.
What do you think of that?
(Laughing nervously)
A-a-a sp-splendid idea, Lord.
Well, I should get going.
There are a few construction
problems to look into.
(All snoring)
(Muffled grunting)
Quit squirming, vole.
I just want to talk, understand?
Wh-what do you want?
Well, I was worried about
you.
Thought you could use a little
extra food.
(Gulping)
What’s this gonna cost me?
Just a little information.
Anything interesting happening
in the compound?
(Gulping)
There’s plenty happening in
the compound, but if the others
find out that I told you they’d
k*ll me so it’s gonna cost you
more than scraps for what I
know.
Such as...?
A proper whole roast fish and
none of this cheap wine.
I want a bottle of that dark
damson wine those corsairs
brought.
Damson wine?
How do you know about that?
You’ll be surprised at what I
know.
Do we have a deal?
Yes, yes.
Get on with it.
There’s a plot afoot.
Barkjon and Keyla and Hillgorse
the old hedgehog, they’re
stealing food and making
weapons.
Weapons?
There’s a plan to free the
prisoners in the pit.
How?
I’m not sure, but I know
Keyla’s part of it.
You’ve done well, Druwp.
I’ll make sure the fish and wine
are the best.
But find out more.
And I’ll see you tomorrow, my
friend.
I’m not your friend.
I’m nobody’s friend.
Ah, listen to all that lovely
quiet.
Turned into a peaceful evening,
didn’t it?
Not a soul stirring.
♪
Quietly now, me hearties.
We want to give Badrang a real
surprise.
(Laughing maniacally)
♪
♪