In Which The Hedghog Is Found

As they cleared the edge of the forest Gorden stopped and stared. Before him lay a spread of green fields, slowly sloping down to a valley floor, which had some sort of wide black ribbon (difficult to see from this distance) along the base, which then sloped upwards again to woodlands just before the distant brow of the hill.

The group stood staring at the scene for a while, catching their breath. Plessey rushed forward to look at something only he had seen. He returned quite quickly.

"Gorden," he asked, "I think I've found the Hedgehog who's staff you're carrying.."

"Oh," said Gorden, disappointed to be loosing it so quickly. He'd quite got used to the stares and the comments.

"But, " Plessey continued, "I'm not completely sure that it's the same Hedgepig you described.." His voice was strange, so Gorden had to ask "Why?"

"It's the multiple stab-wounds, the pool of vomit and the number of maggots that he's housing at the moment." A choking sound came from Cola. David's eyes shrunk to tiny points as if he was trying to keep his feelings under control. Gorden shut his.

"You mean he's.." Gorden said, shaking his head. Plessey didn't answer.

Gorden raised his head. "Show me the body. I've got to be sure." Plessey nodded his eye-stalks and floated off. Gorden followed gingerly.

"He must have been like this for over a day," Plessey began, "He's not been found by anyone until now, but the blood has dried on this wounds. Someone did not like him. Not at all."

Gorden gently rolled the body over to get a good look at his face, he shook involuntarily as he uncovered a handful of maggots and jumped back a step.

"It's him alright. Um. How do we call the Undertaker?"

Plessey was silent for a while. Then;

"I'll cast a spell to summon him. I'd rather be gone when he got here 'though, so can you get everyone moving again. Head for the valley floor. I'll follow in a minute or two."

Gorden nodded and traipsed off to the others.

"Plessey said to go this way." He said, pointing. Cola rushed up to him,

"Are you alright?" She asked, "Was it him?"

"Yes." Gorden replied quietly. "It was." Then he was silent again.

Gorden went to pace on, but Cola took his arm and stopped him,

"Are you alright?" she asked again.

Gorden shook his head. "Not really. It's just," he shook his head again, "It's the second dead body I've ever seen. Why now? What was special about Bertram and this mad hedgehog?" He took a deep breath "Is someone following me and killing people I've met?"

Cola took on the voice of sense and responsibility

"This is an important quest we're on. It's not you that's a threat, it's the quest." Gorden didn't necessarily agree but he kept his silence as she tried to calm him. "That's why there are four of us, that's why you have friends. There's Joker, Cola, Plessey and Gorden, not just Gorden."

Gorden took a deep breath, raised his head and looked towards the valley floor.

"We'd better get on our way. " He beckoned to David, "Come on let's get to the valley floor."