1.
"The Preceptor treated me with utter contempt but I can't say I blame him too much in the circumstances
2.
"The Preceptor and his Custodians are frightened of you
3.
"But I wasn't given the chance to explain anything, was I? Instead the Preceptor treated me like a two-moon cub
4.
The Preceptor could only manage a hoarse whisper
5.
The Preceptor lowered his head in respect
6.
The Preceptor would never accomplish that
7.
One friend Darkburst had made however, was Grindel, The Preceptor
8.
The Preceptor came and stood alongside Darkburst, pointing at the vast chamber below
9.
" The Preceptor beckoned the young badger to the very centre of the taproot chamber
10.
The Preceptor chuckled in delight, nodding his head eagerly
11.
The Preceptor nodded at the carvings
12.
The Preceptor stood before him, concern lining his snout
13.
Darkburst was shocked that the Preceptor did not believe him
14.
The Preceptor was wrong
15.
As unthinkable as that was, the Preceptor was wrong
16.
"Me? Preceptor?" Darkburst could hardly talk at the thought
17.
Come on, what do you say? Would you like to be Preceptor?"
18.
" The young badger stopped, staring at the Preceptor with a new understanding
19.
Then shaking his head slowly, he said, "No, I'm not going away anywhere, but I do have other plans to pursue, plans that leave no room for the responsibilities of being Preceptor any longer
20.
"It's traditional for the Preceptor to select his own replacement
21.
"From all your objections," he continued in a serious tone, "one would think you don't want to be Preceptor
22.
" The Preceptor nodded at the uncertainty that suddenly flared in the young badger's eyes
23.
The Preceptor could see the questions forming in the young boar's eyes even before he asked them and moved closer, a grim expression creasing his snout
24.
The Preceptor watched silently as the young badger left the Great Chamber, pleased with the results of the meeting
25.
How often is a chance like this going to present itself? The Preceptor probably won't leave the sett again this season
26.
"And what's the Preceptor going to do when he returns and discovers that I've stolen them?" Grey shot back angrily
27.
"I think I saw him with the Preceptor earlier on
28.
"Because the Preceptor would surely kill us rather than let us gain control of Boddaert's Magic," Soffen's clear tones cut across the argument with a ring of authority
29.
Snout creasing with anxiety, Grey wondered how long it would be before the Preceptor discovered the theft of the Sacred Roots and sent out a search party
30.
The Preceptor might even resurrect the ancient rite of Rock Piling, especially for him!
31.
He'd only set Grindel the task of following the group so that the Preceptor wouldn't see him using the special carvings
32.
The thought of her brother's one close friendship, with the Preceptor, Grindel, caused Broshee to shiver
33.
But Skelda's prodding insistence shattered the shimmering image and the Preceptor turned away from the roots
34.
A roar rose from the enraged mob, washing over the elated Preceptor as he beamed down at them
35.
"The Preceptor shall be our leader
36.
I say the Preceptor
37.
The Preceptor will lead us
38.
Cherva moved his considerable bulk nearer to the Preceptor, feeling uneasy at such closeness
39.
It was even rumoured that the Preceptor had magical powers
40.
They will not escape, Preceptor
41.
After being dragged before them by the guards, the Custodian was thrown to the floor at Grindel's feet, where the Preceptor glared down at the badger, his eyes full of contempt
42.
The Preceptor had ordered the boar to leave Brockenhurst Valley and never return, but the Custodian refused outright
43.
Either way, with the pragmatism of a survivor, Cherva immediately threw his strength behind the Preceptor and swore his allegiance
44.
"You'll soon loose that sparkle of fight when the Preceptor gets through with you
45.
After the Sacred Roots had been stolen from the Great Chamber, the Preceptor had come to visit him with talk of a diarchy and a promise of power
46.
Cherva had immediately recognised that the Preceptor was offering him the chance to become the first suzerain of Brockenhurst Sett, with the authority to rule a realm within a realm
47.
With these badgers Cherva would hold sway over the whole sett, second only to the Preceptor himself
48.
The throng waited for the Preceptor to appear, impatiently fidgeting and murmuring in subdued voices
49.
The Preceptor of Brockenhurst Sett would never have let such precious items out of his protection
50.
What makes you think the Preceptor of Brockenhurst Sett is aiming to take over Boddaert's Realm?"
51.
Cherva stood quite still, watching the Preceptor standing atop the fortifications
52.
If the Preceptor left his planned attack on Badachro Sett much longer, he'd be forced to postpone it until after the cold winter winds had relinquished their hold on the forest
53.
Leaving the Preceptor to his communion with the stars, he quietly slipped away
54.
Brokin guessed that this must be Grindel, the Preceptor of Brockenhurst Sett
55.
The Preceptor paused for a moment, licking his lips before continuing, as though savouring his next words before their delivery
56.
As the Preceptor paused again, the badgers assembled in the Great Chamber exploded into a cheer that almost deafened Brokin in his hiding place, and it was as well that they did, because the shock of hearing the Preceptor's words had wrung a loud gasp from his throat
57.
And how the Preceptor of his sett had given him a great task to carry out
58.
The Preceptor stared at her for a moment before speaking
59.
"Be quiet sow," the Preceptor cut short Soffen's explanation with a harsh growl
60.
Then turning to the giant boar, the Preceptor continued his conversation as though there had been no interruption
61.
All through the Healer's narration, the Preceptor listened intently, nodding his head occasionally, as though encouraging her to continue
62.
Cherva moved his considerable bulk slightly and the Preceptor barked a short laugh
63.
Guiding the Healer through the tunnels towards the chamber below Fire Rock where the other prisoners were kept, Cherva pondered on the reasons why the Preceptor might be so interested in the Healer's cub
64.
He was missing something important here and would do well to question the Healer about this himself, but how to do it without the Preceptor finding out was the problem
65.
When the Preceptor realised how bad things were becoming in the lower tunnels of the sett, he ordered Soffen's release from the chamber where she was incarcerated
66.
She would persuade the Preceptor to let her out on one last collecting trip
67.
When winter finally broke its hold on Brockenhurst Forest, the Preceptor cautioned patience when Cherva had suggested that they launch an attack on Badachro Sett as soon as possible
68.
The Preceptor had assured him that, given time, the troublesome badgers would come to Brockenhurst Sett, saving their own fighting force the trouble of a long trek out to Badachro, and he'd been right
69.
Cherva smiled contentedly, secure in the knowledge that he would soon rout the invading force and raise his credibility even further in the eyes of the Preceptor
70.
The Preceptor stared back down at the apparition, a sudden chill running along his spine
71.
If Brokin could infiltrate the sett and kill the Preceptor while his main force was fighting at the front, then the headless snake would quickly wither and die
72.
When he had suggested his plan to the Elders, they were less than enthusiastic, preferring instead to wait for the Preceptor to attack them and hope that they could negotiate with him
73.
They'd all expected the Preceptor to launch his attack as soon as the winter snows melted, but it was well into summer now, and still no attack had materialised
74.
Even so, the Elders had only given him permission to negotiate with the Preceptor, not attack the sett
75.
Once inside, he would seek out the Preceptor and kill him
76.
Unlike the Preceptor, he was covered in gore
77.
The Preceptor nodded and Thesa stared hard at him
78.
Staring the Preceptor defiantly in the eyes, Thesa slowly nodded his head
79.
"But this can't possibly be the Darkburst that the Preceptor was talking about
80.
"I don't know Preceptor
81.
Comfrey handed the stone to the guard at the entrance, requesting an audience with the Preceptor
82.
"From a badger drowning in the marsh, Preceptor
83.
"He said his name was Darkburst, Preceptor
84.
"We left him on the forest path, Preceptor," he answered nervously, sensing at once that they had made a terrible mistake
85.
"The boar was dying, Preceptor
86.
"Well I hope it's not too late," the Preceptor replied angrily
87.
Do you understand?" Cherva nodded as the Preceptor continued
88.
"As you wish Preceptor," Cherva agreed
89.
"Forgive me Preceptor," Cherva apologised in his most ingratiating tone, "but I was wondering why this badger is so important to you?"
90.
Cherva did his best not to react to this news, but his eyes let him down and the Preceptor chuckled
91.
"Do you know where that is Preceptor?"
92.
Chuckling throatily the Preceptor allowed a slight sneer to touch his lips as he turned away
93.
"I said the Healer is missing Preceptor
94.
"Oh the Preceptor eventually let them go," Comfrey answered
95.
It would be so easy to just give in: find some badger to take him to the Preceptor and throw himself on his mercy
96.
Could this be the badger called Darkburst that the Preceptor had been showing such an interest in?
97.
At that moment The Preceptor himself entered the Great Chamber and dismissed the guards
98.
"She is nowhere to be found Preceptor
99.
He'd come here to kill the Preceptor, so why did he hesitate? Many badgers had fought bravely and many had died so that he could accomplish this one task
100.
Molay and Geoffroi de Charney, who was the Preceptor of Normandy, slowly
