“Of course,” said Anya. “Um, I think really you should be in charge and decide that sort of thing, Sir Malorak. I mean, I’m just a … a youngster, and I don’t really know anything about battles—”
“You are the Frogkisser, who brought us back to our human selves,” said Sir Malorak. “And Trallonia is your kingdom. You must be in charge.”
“It’s Morven’s kingdom, and I really don’t know what to tell everyone to do in a battle,” said Anya anxiously.
“I will take care of the details,” Sir Malorak reassured. “But you will still be in charge. You need merely say ‘seize that castle’ and we will work out the rest.”
“Oh,” said Anya, brightening. “That sounds all right.”
“I will send the two rangers and my sons to scout,” said Sir Malorak. “And, Hedric, do you have any ravens to spare?”
“Oddbins can fly ahead and take a look,” said Hedric, muttering to the raven on his shoulder. It cawed twice, then flew off to the east, towards Trallonia Castle.
“Before they go, Princess, tell me about the castle,” said Sir Malorak. “If you can sketch its walls and towers in the dust here, and tell me of their condition. There is a moat, I think? And are there any secret ways in or out?”
Anya drew a plan of the castle in the dust around the fire with the stirring stick.
“The walls have fallen down in places, and there are plenty of holes,” she reported. “The moat is deep, though. If they pull up the drawbridge, it will be hard to get across. As for secret ways in from outside, there’s the dog tunnel, but it only goes from the hall to the gatehouse—”
“There’s the very secret tunnel,” interrupted Ardent excitedly. His tail wagged so much it created a minor dust storm. “From the lower kennels to the mound in the c-c-corner of the water meadow.”
“The lower kennels?” asked Anya. “What lower kennels?”
“The ones under the upper kennels,” said Ardent. “Very c-c-ozy in winter. When everyone is in the big c-c-ave it’s—”
“You can lead us through this tunnel?” interrupted Sir Malorak.
“It is very secret.” Ardent scratched his ear thoughtfully with his back paw. “But I suppose … yes.”
“Good!” exclaimed the knight. “While our main force engages the weaselfolk and any other troops, a select group may enter and seize the gatehouse and let everyone else in.”
“And rescue Morven,” Anya added thoughtfully.
“I wantsh to shget the Dook,” said Smoothie, showing her teeth. She had a lot more teeth now that she was back in full otter form.
“We’ll do that as well,” Sir Malorak promised. “Bind and gag him! That’s my advice for dealing with a sorcerer, though as we all here can attest it’s never that simple. But opening the gate must be the first priority.”
“I’ll go with the group in the tunnels,” said Anya.
“No!” protested Sir Malorak. “We need you in the rear, ready to kiss transformees as they are brought back from the front line.”
“Someone else can do that. My mouth is sore anyway.”
“I believe it works better for a princess—” Sir Malorak began, before she was interrupted.
“So Princess Saramin can do it,” said Anya mulishly. “She’ll be staying back to treat the wounded anyway.”
“I suppose that’s true,” admitted Sir Malorak. “But the risk—”
“Am I in charge or not?”
Sir Malorak hesitated, then bowed her head.
“Good,” said Anya. “I will go with the group in the tunnel. We will sneak in, open the gate, and make sure Morven is safe.”
“I’ll come with you! I’ll save Morven!”
Denholm’s head bobbed up over Sir Malorak’s mighty shoulder.
Anya opened her mouth, but no words came out.
“I’ve got a quarterstaff,” said Denholm, holding it up. “And I know my way around the castle.”
“Definitely not,” said Anya. “I promised Morven I’d bring you back safe, even if she’s forgotten … even if she may have become … er … distracted. You can help Princess Saramin, Denholm.”
“But I’ll c-c-come with you!” barked Ardent.
“Of course, Ardent. Smoothie too. And Shrub, I suppose, if he comes back from wherever he’s lurking. It would be unfair to leave him out now.”
“You must have more force,” said Sir Malorak. “Tilvan, and perhaps half a dozen other knights—”
“I’ll ask the Seven Dwarves,” said Anya sleepily. “That ought to do it. But right now I need to lie down again and—”
She crumpled to the ground in midsentence, was caught by many hands, and was gently lowered the rest of the way.
*
When Anya awoke, the sun was setting. She sat up, surprised to find herself on a comfortable camp bed inside a tent. The movement also made her aware her clothes were strangely heavy. She looked down and saw that she had been washed and her clothes changed in her sleep, which must have been very deep indeed.
Now she was clad in hunting leathers, with a mail shirt over the top. There was a helmet and a short sword in a scabbard with a baldric at the foot of her bed, and a small ceramic pot. Anya stood up, put on the helmet and strapped on the baldric and sword, then opened the pot. As she had thought, it was anti-transmogrification lip balm. Perhaps enough for half a dozen uses. The bulk of the remainder from the cauldron would have gone to Princess Saramin. She slipped the pot into the top of her left boot and walked outside the tent, her mail shirt jingling.
Anya saw a very different forest clearing. It no longer looked like the shambolic site of a skirmish around a lone forester’s hut. There were six more bell tents in a row next to the one she was in, and outside them were chests thrown open showing a few remaining swords and suits of mail and helmets, tossed aside as being too large or too small. There were mostly empty stands of spears next to the chests. The dwarves had come prepared to equip an army, which showed either their experience or the Good Wizard looking in her Magic Mirror and accidentally telling them what was going on, since she wouldn’t have done so on purpose with the whole not-interfering thing.