Page 8 (1/2)

Chapter 8

Gregor gripped Ares's fur and ialia, they : Boots!

"Hurry, Ares! Please!" said Gregor

"Yes, Overlander, I will hurry," said Ares His powerful wings were beating up and down in a blur "And Luxa and Aurora will go straight to your sister"

It was only a few et back to the arena Gregor had visions of an aret in iant white rat itself had couard shouted at them and waved at thefield from the city "There are just the two! There, by the doors! Stay back!"

Ares put on the brakes, but they were close enough to get a good view of the battle on the ground In front of the doors were two rats fighting for their lives against a dozen humans on bats The sround It was not getting a lot of action, though, because ait fro so quickly that Gregor couldn't tellfro that came within reach of its claws and teeth He could see bats and hu on the rat It was like watching one of those martial arts movies where no one can touch the--

"Oh, no!" Gregor exclaiot to be --"

"Ripred!" Ares cut hior

Ares was already diving He swooped in fro two riders off the front line He did a figure eight that disoriented a fewmotion in the air over Ripred's head

"Stop!" yelled Gregor "Stop, he's a friend!"

The Underlanders pulled back to avoid hitting hirily at Ares to move

"No, you don't understand! He's on our side! It's Ripred!" Gregor hollered over the din They heard the name Ripred, and the Underlanders pulled back in silence

The big rat stopped spinning and fell al, fanged grin, and it started to laugh "Oh, look at theor wanted to laugh, too, because so open, but he stifled the impulse "Stop it," he said to Ripred "It's not funny"

Ripred just guffawed even louder "You know it is! You know you want to laugh, too!"

It was such a silly thing to say in the uard, and he did kind of laugh He stopped himself quickly, but it was too late Everyone had heard hinored hilee

"Can soor asked None of the Underlanders answered hiainst the doors, wide-eyed and panting He figured it was a friend of Ripred's "Hey, sorry about this I'u both Gregor and Ares to flinch

Ripred was beating his tail on the ground in a spasm of hilarity "Oh! Oh! You needn't try to sweet-talk her," he gasped "Twitchtip hates everybody!"

The smaller rat, Twitchtip, snarled at Ripred Then she tore a hole in the moss with one slash of her paw and buried her nose in it

Okay, well, she eird

"Ground foror turned to see Solovet on a bat coht their bats down in a tight diah the soldiers and bats, sending the wounded off to get medical attention Then she dismissed the rest

By this tiether and was stretched out comfortably on his side Twitchtip still had her nose buried in the hole in the h her mouth in short, distressed puffs

Solovet crossed to the rats, signaling Ares to land as she went She surveyed the invaders stonily "I have just sent eleven of my ranks to the hospital"

"Oh, I barely scratched the them a little live rat practice, and I think we both have to adnificant nod

"You were supposed to uard at Queenshead tomorrow," said Solovet

"Was that tomorrow? I felt certain it was today And aited and waited and poor Twitchtip was so eager for her first glialia that I didn't have the heart to disappoint her anotherthe rat with the tip of his tail

Twitchtip yanked her nose from the moss, snapped at Ripred's tail, which he whipped out of reach just in time, and shoved her nose back in the earth

"Isn't she a charmer? Isn't she just irresistible?" said Ripred "And I've had her all to ine the fun"

Twitchtip glowered at hiain

"And for what reason do we have the pleasure of her co Twitchtip

"Why, I brought her as a gift For you, for your people, and for Gregor here Yes, especially for Gregor," said Ripred

Gregor looked at the seething rat with alarift for me?"

"Well, not literally It's not as if I own her But I reed to help you find the Bane, and I've agreed to let her live with my merry little band of rats in the Dead Land if she succeeds," said Ripred "You see, she was driven out of the gnawers' land years ago and has been surviving on her own"

"Because she is mad," Solovet said, as if that were obvious