"Esther M. Friesner - Chicks 05 - Turn The Other Chick" - читать интересную книгу автора (Friesner Esther M)

Cobweb and Mustardseed watched them go. "Moth hasn't changed," Cobweb said. "As domestic as
ever, yet no kids of her own. Think she'll ever settle down?"

"If Throstle gets the gumption to pop the question. He's off with their Majesties on the Second
Honeymoon Tour, though."

Cobweb pointed to a hillock, where Peaseblossom was regaling a mob of fairies. "She hasn't changed
either. And to think she's currently got the infamous one on her string. Wonder how long that will last?"

"Oh, her new lovelight? I actually haven't heard much about him."

"Dewdrops! She's nabbed Randy Robin himself! She said he brazenly approached her at the last full
moon ceremony and whispered in her ear, 'Wanna Puck around?'"

Mustardseed suppressed the urge to flinch.I will not overreact; Webby has no idea Robin and I were an
item. It's over and done with, and Blossom's welcome to him. But it hurts to think of him with one of my
best buds."He probably used the 'let me put a girdle round you, baby' line, too. You'd think he could
come up with a new routine." She pulled up some grass blades and methodically shredded them.

"Uh, right," said Webby, giving Mustardseed a curious look. "Hey, here comes an owl-rider. Wonder
what's up?"

The ghostly white bird silently landed down by the brook, where its uniformed rider dismounted and ran
to the side of Lady Quill, the ranking official in the royals' absence. Clearly, something was amiss. Fairies
scattered like ants whose mound is disturbed, some flying, some running. Lady Quill herself zipped to the
center of the clearing and called for attention.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have grave news. The kobolds have attacked our border guards on the
northern edge of the forest. They've beaten back our first line of defenders and are coming this way.
They're expected by tomorrow night. I've sent messengers for additional support, but they might not
arrive in time. For now, all military personnel are to report to General Pard. Civilians, take cover in
Oberon's Glade."

"Rain and storms," said Mustardseed, "to think I was complaining it was too peaceful. My big mouth!"

***

The fairy forces seemed meager to Mustardseed's trained eye. A bare handful of archers, led by
Cobweb; a division of hedgehog armor, thirty owl-riders, and the resident fox cavalry, to which she and
Blossom belonged.We'd gotten complacent. We haven't been challenged since the reremice war. Half
the army's traveling with the royals or hunting that troll in the southlands. These blue-skinned Germanic
devils could be grimm. Er, grim.

As she mused over the coming battle, Mustardseed groomed her fox, Mr. Tod. Nearby, Peaseblossom
was doing the same. Her beast, a skittish vixen, suddenly snarled as someone approached. "Easy, there,"
said the newcomer. "Just came to say my farewells to two very foxy ladies. I'm off to bring word of the
invasion to their majesties."

"You!" Peaseblossom hurled her brush at Robin Goodfellow's head. It connected with a resounding