[Arry]

‘Fetch the rest of our arrows from upstairs, Madoc,’ Andwise called to his brother. He’d lowered the bow he’d held just moments ago, when he and the others had expected an attack from the animals that now stood quietly in the room as if listening to what was being decided. He still had his eye on the bear, but the big hulking animal was busy now scooping some of the smaller animals toward the center of the room. Herding them, he thought, like a shepherd does those under his care . . . to safety.

‘And you, Willem, take the lad there and see if you can fetch some thin toweling and lamp oil.’ He motioned for Birger to draw near and gave him a few hurried directions.

‘We won’t be much use to you if we fight the wolves straight on. Too small for that,’ he said nodding his head at his assessment. ‘But I noticed when we first came that the Inn has a high gabled roof. If you, Carr, can get a ladder to set up against the eaves, then we’ll go up and defend from above.’

He looked toward the great owl and then at the two tall men. ‘And I had another thought, too . . . that is if the bigger birds would agree to it.’ He rocked a little on his feet, feeling awkward that he should be thinking of using a bird for defense and even more odd that he should be, in a manner, speaking to them about it.

Andwise ran his hand through his curls, pushing away the uncomfortable feelings. ‘Anyways . . . I was thinking that the kitchen probably has some small skin bladders they use for storing liquids in.’ He looked up at the two men, reassured that their attention was on him; that he had not been discounted. ‘If we fill them with cooking oil I thought the larger birds could drop them on the wolves as they charged near the Inn. The oil would soak into their fur. And the touch from a burning arrow would set the beast aflame . . . if we’re very lucky, the flames will spread as the burning wolves bump against the others.’

‘Of course, we can’t burn all of them, but it would surely decrease the number of attackers and distract a number of them, making the remaining beasts more manageable for us . . .’

Andwise’s voice trailed off as he looked about the room from man to bird to beast . . . waiting to see what they thought of this . . .