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Y ou forgot your panther," Sam whispered

Jenna, Septiray-green light of the Forest dawn, blinking the sleep from their eyes As far as Sam could see, they were et any words to work, Jenna took Ullr froe cat Sam looked puzzled for a rinned Trust Jenna to get her hands on one of those Transforyk in her but she had so - that was for sure Queen-stuff, he supposed Morwenna didn&039;t knohat she would have been taking on But whatever the Witch Mother did or didn&039;t know, it was ti It wasn&039;t a good feeling when the Coven was Looking

Saed to Jo-Jo, Edd and Erik during their foraging days, but now that the young Wendron Witches kept them supplied with most of their food - except for fish - Jo-Jo, Edd and Erik had given up foraging and preferred to hang around the campfire all day,in the Forest and had ht the travelers could possibly need

Jenna put Ullr down From her pocket she took the precious book of Nicko&039;s papers, carefully placed it in her backpack and then heaved the heavy pack onto her shoulders "Ullr," she whispered, "you uage noell as he had understood Snorri&039;s He was a faithful cat and would follow Jenna anywhere

Three laden figures and a s It was a da its way into their clothes and sending the Forest chill into their bones Sa the broad track that led up the hill frorasped in his hand ht how much he looked like a man of the Forest

They fell in and walked beside hilad when, after about a e, round rock Saave a hollow, bell-like sound Satisfied, he nodded, then juroup of tall trees with sli his way through the Forest, following a path that only he could see Septile file now, concentrating hard on following Saht of his brownish-blue cloak that blended so ith the dappled bark of the trees Luckily it was easy-going underfoot - a soft reen fronds of bracken that were beginning to poke their heads up into the spring light like curious little snakes

Suddenly Sam stopped "We&039;re here - at the Gateway," he said with a broad grin "I thought I could find it again"

"You only thought?" said Septiht They&039;re always right You just have to trust your big brother, little bro Okay, noe have to pass through They&039;ll let h, as I smell of the Forest But you smell of the Castle They don&039;t like Castle around here You&039;d better put your cloaks on - they&039;re in the backpacks"

From their backpacks each pulled out a wolverine-skin cloak Ullr hissed as Jenna threw the cloak across her shoulders

"Eurgh!" gasped Jenna "It&039;s so ss"

"Smelly is the whole point, little sis," said Sa the cloak on See?" Sahtly under her chin, just like Sarah Heap used to tie her cloak when she was little "You&039;ve got tolverines in that cloak," Sas of the top wolverine and the tail of the bottom wolverine Forest tradition" Jenna looked down and saw that, sure enough, her cloak had afro as they don&039;t still have their teeth, I don&039;t mind," Septimus muttered He threw the cloak over his shoulders and was surprised by hoarm it was - and how protected it made him feel

Suddenly he was part of the Forest, just another creature going about its Forest business

Sam surveyed the three new Forest inhabitants with approval "Good," he said "They should accept you as Forest now"

"Who should accept us?" asked Jenna, glancing around

"Thee trees that reared up in front of the avenue of identical pairs of close-set trees From each tree a thick branch looped down and barred their path "Wait here," said Sam "Don&039;t say a word and stay very still

Okay?"

They nodded Saan to speak "We are of the Forest as you are of the Forest," he said, his voice deep and slow "We seek to go the Forest Way"

The trees did not react Sa unblinking up into the depths of the trees Jenna, Beetle and Septimus waited expectantly Ullr lay down at Jenna&039;s feet and closed his eyes The silence of the Forest enveloped the

The and waiting No one daredand did a strange, slow pirouette to try and relieve it

Septih andnoise

Jenna flashed the look and they both did their best to look serious once more - until, with a sudden crash, Beetle fell over and lay on the ground shaking with suppressed laughter And still Sainning to wonder if Sa their way began towave, all the other trees along the avenue followed suit Sa the newly opened path between the trees As they went the trees lowered their branches behind theed into a se and unruly heaps of wood partly covered with turf, each with a ramshackle door in it

"They&039;re old charcoal burner kilns," said Septi Arht - and warm"

Saet you were in the Young Army," he said "You know the Forest too"

"In a different way," said Septiainst the Forest You are with the Forest"

Sam nodded The more he saw of Septimus the more he liked him Septimus understood stuff - you didn&039;t have to explain; he just knew

"But actually," said Sam, "these aren&039;t really charcoal burner kilns These are the Forest Ways Each leads to a different forest - so they say"

Jenna looked at the three heaps of ith dismay - it hadn&039;t occurred to her that there would be a choice of forests "But how can we tell which one is the forest ant?" she asked