Urchin and the Heartstone Read Free Page A

someone moving on deck,” said Needle. She scrambled onto a rock and stretched onto her clawtips. “Wait a minute—yes, there’s a hedgehog.”
    Urchin hopped up beside her and stretched up on his clawtips to see. “And there’s a squirrel turning the wheel,” he said. “I can see its ear tufts.” A gentle splash nearby made him turn from the ship to the water, and Fingal bobbed up in front of him, his eyes bright, his whiskers dripping. He was enjoying this enormously.
    “Should we swim out and offer to tow her in?” he asked.
    Urchin looked around to see who Fingal was talking to, then realized it was himself. It wasn’t as if he were a captain or a member of the Circle. He was still a page, but he was also a Companion to the King, and other young animals seemed to think he’d know what to do. At moments like this, he asked himself what Padra would do.
    “Yes, go on, then,” he said. Fingal rounded up a few more otters by splashing them, and with twists, turns, and somersaults, they swam out to the boat.
    “Show-offs,” said Needle. Urchin turned to grin at Juniper, and stopped grinning when he saw Juniper’s face. There was a tight, anxious frown.
    “Are you all right?” he asked. His eyes on the ship, Juniper nodded. A squirrel and a hedgehog were leaning over the rail, stretching out to see the island; and something flashed so fiercely in the sunlight that Urchin had to squint. One of the hedgehogs must be wearing some sort of silver jewelry. Or was it a sword hilt? It flashed again as a hedgehog wearing a deep-purple cap leaned over the side of the ship and cupped his paws to his mouth, and Urchin saw the broad silver chain he wore about his neck. He was still too far away for his voice to carry well, but Urchin caught a few words.
    “What’s he saying, can’t hear a word. Is he talking funny?” demanded Apple.
    “Something about ‘wings’ and ‘birch,’” said Urchin. “I didn’t get the rest.”
    “Well, what’s that supposed to mean?” said Needle, leaning from side to side to get the best view she could. “They all look a bit a battered, don’t they? Those hedgehog spines need grooming, and the squirrel looks all, sort of—sort of washed out.”
    “Her’s had a wetting, bless her,” said Apple.
    “Yes, that’s what a soaked squirrel looks like,” said Urchin, who had been in a storm at sea himself and remembered it vividly. The otters had caught the ship’s ropes and, grinning hugely, were hauling her in. The hedgehog in the velvet hat and silver chain leaned forward, cupping his paws again, and Urchin waded into the sea to hear him.
    “We come from King Silverbirch, King of the Island of Whitewings,” shouted the hedgehog. “We are in great need, and beg to be taken with all speed to King Crispin.”
    Urchin supposed he was the one who should say something, but he wasn’t sure what. “King Silverbirch’s ship is most welcome,” he called back, because it was polite and harmless and gave him time to think. Something swished swiftly in the water to his left, and to his great relief he saw the gleam of a gold circlet.
    “Captain Padra, sir!” said Urchin. “They’ve just greeted us. They’re from an island called Whitewings, from King Silverbirch.”
    “And well and truly wrecked on the way,” remarked Padra, raising his head and shaking the water from his ears. “I’ve heard of Whitewings; we’ve traded with them in the past. Is that Fingal with the ropes?” He loped from the water to stand beside Urchin. “Fingal, bring her in in a straight line!”
    “She looks even more battered now she’s close,” said Needle.
    “Bad enough without Fingal ramming her into the jetty,” said Padra. “He never looks where he’s going. Shall we go to meet them, Urchin? Oh, you’ve met Juniper.”
    He turned to Juniper with a broad smile that turned to concern. “Are you all right, Juniper?”
    In spite of the summer morning, Juniper was shivering. He blinked,