Let the adventure begin
Chitter opened his eyes. In the darkness of the dormitory room, he noted the heavy white sheets hanging on both sides of his bed. He stared at the ceiling beams above his bunk; his eyes traced the familiar wood grain by the light of a dim, but distant lantern. The soft snoring of the beast next to him made a steady rasping sound in Chitter's ears.
Wonder what time it is. Can I go back to sleep or should I just snuggle deeper under the blankets? Doesn't matter, school is out for the year so I can just let the spirit move me.
He burrowed deeper under the light blanket. The comfort of his own scent and the warmth of the straw mattress soon had his eyes drooping. His mind floated and he felt his body relax. Sweet oblivion overtook him and a soothing blackness settled over his mind.
A loud bang startled Chitter. He groaned. On both sides of him, he heard the movements of the other dibbuns stirring in the dormitory. As he finished yawning, he watched a young otter hustling off to the washroom. Overhead, the transom opened to the sounds of protesting wooden louvers that revealed a velvet sky. He threw back his blanket, swung his feet over the side, and gave a light shiver when his bare paws met the cold hardwood floor.
Every morning Mother Tassel wakes us by hitting that sounding board. One of these days I'm going to hide her mallet and sleep 'til noon.
A tall beast stepped up to the foot of his bed, blocking out the rest of the room. Chitter smiled at the male badger and nodded. Bruno moved to the next bunk in line after giving his customary good morning greeting. Chitter grasped the privacy curtain nearest to him, furrowing it against the back wall.
When he had the second cloth wall secured to the back wall, the mussed bunks of a dozen different creatures appeared. Some of the other occupants had retreated to the washroom for grooming while the rest slipped into garments laid out last night. Chitter sat on his footlocker and dressed while scanning the dormitory.
At the far end of the room the queen of this domain stood. Like the tall male who passed earlier, she too was a badger. Though a bit smaller in stature than her mate, within these walls he knew Badgermom Tassel reigned as the undisputed ruler.
Over the nine years he spent living in this place, Chitter grew accustomed to the disfigured features of the sow badger. He learned over those years that this ugly beast had a loving heart and felt honored Tassel kept her face exposed within this room. His schoolmates claimed the badger's gravelly voice sent shivers up their spines, and he too thought the same when he first met her, but no more. Now her voice gave him a sense of security.
While Chitter fastened one sandal, he felt a light slap on the back of his head. Without looking around, Chitter scrunched over to one side of his footlocker and patted the cleared spot. He didn't have to see who struck him such a playful blow; her favorite perfume preceded her by several seconds.
"Morning Highclimber, I see you managed to secure another bottle of Jasmine at yesterday's market."
"Don't you think a pretty girl should have a distinctive scent?"
Chitter gazed at the female squirrel sitting next to him. When first he came here, the one-year difference in their ages seemed an insurmountable barrier with her playing the role of mature elder to his incompetent kit. Today, Highclimber's extra year afforded her no great advantage. They were close friends and spent much of their free time together.
"Girl, a distinctive scent is one thing, but you go through a bottle of that stuff in two weeks. It would be just as attractive if you were to make it last a few days longer."
"Better yet, try convincing her to make that bottle last a whole month."
Both turned, focusing their attention on the youth who interjected himself in their conversation. Like the female squirrel, the male hedgehog was a full year older than Chitter, which gave him a slight height advantage. Firelog's reddish fur shone in the growing morning sunlight that filtered into the room and highlighted the damp, black quills that protruded from his back.
Highclimber shot off her seat and stood muzzle to muzzle with the hedgehog. Her frown remained in place while the two engaged in a staring contest. Firelog placed his paws over his snout and in a melodramatic move, staggered back to the far wall as he pretended to swoon. The hedgehog fanned his face while he moaned about needing more air.
His friend's antics antagonized the female squirrel. She stamped her bare foot on the hardwood floor. Highclimber turned about and marched over to her footlocker. As she fastened her sandals, she glared at him. Chitter wondered why she targeted him since Firelog made the comment. No doubt his expression displeased her since her bushy tail thumped her bed in a rapid cadence. Whatever retort she may have planned ended when Tassel's voice echoed within the room.
"I have Chitter mopping out the dinning hall after breakfast and Firelog on laundry duty. The rest of you have a free day; make the most of it as I will need several eager paws tomorrow."
Chitter faced Mother T, wondering why she was picking on him; he hadn't done anything to Highclimber. Children parading past him giggled. Highclimber strutted over to where he and Firelog stood, her expression showed how pleased she felt. He didn't enjoyed the prospect of losing out on any portion of a beautiful summer day and he knew she knew it too.
"Meet me by the river tree after lunch." Highclimber whispered as she returned to her own bedside where she spoke in a slightly louder voice. "Of course that assumes you can finish your chores by then."
At that moment, Tassel donned her mask, which she always did prior to leaving the dormitory. The children formed a line for the perfunctory inspection before following her to the dinning hall. All waited as the Badgermom finished checking the youngsters. Her mate groused about them wasting daylight, something he was inclined to do whenever he intended tending to the orchard beyond the Abbey's outer walls.
Later that afternoon, Chitter walked down the corridor between the inner and outer gate. He stepped beyond the gate and inspected the wide fields that surrounded the Abbey's outer walls. A full menagerie of creatures tilled the furrowed soil in preparation for seeding. Now, he knew the task Badgermom Tassel referred to as needing eager paws the next day.
At the end of a cobblestone path Chitter came to a wooden bridge spanning a broad stream. Once he crossed over, he turned south and entered a wide forest. He scampered into the upper reaches of the forest and darted from one tree to the next. Chitter felt exhilarated as his swift passage ruffled the long fur on his face while swinging from one branch to the next. It took him very little time covering the distance between the forest edge and the small meadow.
Like a lonely sentry, a tall tree stood out in the grassy opening. Its roots spanned both sides of the stream that bisected the open field, which gave this particular tree its nickname, River Tree. The stream's shallow water rolled with a bubbling sound over the gravel bed giving the area a calming affect. Since he learned of this place, it had become his favorite retreat where he could daydream without some passing elder deciding such idle paws needed more work.
Halfway to the River Tree, Chitter halted. His hedgehog companion, Firelog, lounged there on one root. A bewildered look came over him as he responded to his friend's wave.
"Must not have been much laundry if a ground-pounder like you can beat a squirrel crossing a forest."
Firelog's quills rattled as he approached. The hedgehog's sandals lay beneath the tree as he dangled his feet in the cascading water. He reached for the backpack sitting by the tree and rummaged through its contents.
"Turns out the bed sheets were done last night. I folded whatever garments hung on the line and return them to the proper household. I finished before the clock struck the hour."
He joined his companion. Chitter slipped off his backpack and leaned it against the old tree. His eyes scanned the nearby forest and for a moment, he could feel a frown cross his features. Firelog must have noted the dour expression and placed his paw on his shoulder. Chitter gave a light snort as he tried to mask his displeasure.
"You would think Highclimber could have been here earlier instead of keeping us waiting. We have a lot to discuss and not much time." He turned to the hedgehog, not sure how to voice his apprehension. "Think she changed her mind? That seems to be something girls are known to do."
"This quest was her idea; I doubt she has had any second thoughts. We all know our bottoms may well feel Mother Tassel's switch for this, but we also agreed it will be worth it."
Chitter nodded. "Maybe she still hasn't gotten the information she needs. Yesterday I saw her reading the diary of our prior Father Abbot but judging by her snippy attitude last night, she hasn't found the right passage yet."
"And speaking of our favorite lady demon, look who just dropped by."
Chitter followed the hedgehog's extended paw and spotted Highclimber exiting the nearby forest. Based on her stooped shoulders, something had not gone well. Even from a distance, the two of them could see her worried expression. Worse yet, the girl walked to this spot as she now stood where the forest trail met the glade. One glance told him she had something weighing heavy on her mind.
After greeting her friends, Highclimber found a shady spot and stared across the meadow. Her expression had Chitter wondering what weighed so heavy on her mind. Neither Chitter nor Firelog disturbed her. For a time the sound of rushing water acted as a soothing background, adding joy to a peaceful day.
"What do you two think about delaying this quest? I mean, do we need to do this now," inquired Highclimber.
Firelog jumped off the root he used as a seat, standing before the girl. When he placed his paw on her shoulder, she raised her muzzle high enough that her eyes met those of the russet-colored hedgehog. The male tried keeping his voice reasonable, but still each word sounded like a verbal lashing.
"You must be joking. Ever since you suggested this quest, we have been busy planning for every possible contingency. If we stop now, Mother Tassel will learn about our lies. If I have to suffer some kind of penalty, be it scrubbing pots and pans or feeling the switch, I may as well receive it after completing this grand adventure. At least then it would be well earned and worth it."
Chitter voiced his opinion. As he spoke, he saw how each word dug into her soul. Like termites in rotting wood, he felt her resistance crumble under their combined verbal barrage.
"Firelog has a point. We all told Badgermom Tassel lies. You told her there was a sleepover with some of the moles. Firelog said he got permission to stay overnight with that itinerant wheelwright staying in a nearby village. I told her about some farmer's market in the next town that carried her favorite spice. If even one of us turns coward, the quest ends here and now. I don't know about the two of you, but I worked too hard to have our plans ruined. Not when we're so close to success."
Chitter reached out and grasped the distraught girl's muzzle, lifting it until their eyes met. No longer did he speak in a harsh tone. Now his words were gentle, yet he saw how they affected her. Tears formed in her eyes.
"I know we agreed not to help each other on our part of the quest, but if you need assistance, you know we're here for you. This is something we must do; you know that better than any beast here since you're the one who suggested it first. It's our best opportunity, as Pa Badger will be escorting his pups to that badger clan gathering three day's travel to the south and east. By the time anyone learns we're missing, it'll be too late."
Highclimber gave her eyes a quick rub, which removed the teary look. Her tongue ran across her lips. She gave a shake of her head. Whatever thoughts she must have had escaped as if they were a caged bird set free. Instead, she closed her eyes and leaned against the smooth bark of the river tree. Chitter remained quiet, waiting patiently for her response.
Another voice interrupted their conversation. The three teen's eyes searched the tree's foliage until they located a youth clinging to the lowest branch. His legs hung on either side of the tree's limb while his face stared down between the heavy leaf cover. In unison, all three growled the same thing in near unison.
"Narkade, why are you spying on us?"
The eight-year-old squirrel shimmied down the tree on its far side before approaching the others. The young squirrel held a high place within Abbey society as the adopted son of the Mother Abbot. The problem was he preferred avoiding the responsibilities such a position entailed and insisted upon romping about the grounds playing with the other children at every opportunity.
"When I saw Highclimber walking into the forest, I thought it would be fun seeing where she went. Then I spotted everyone sitting at the base of this tree, so I circled the field and came up behind you. You never looked my way and I reached the tree without any of you knowing I was there."
Highclimber's paws rested on her hips, her pose resembling that of a disappointed elder. "How long have you been spying on us?"
"Let me put it this way, if you don't take me, I'll tell my mother."
With such a threat looming, the three youths had but one choice. Even the reluctant Highclimber supported the quest she considered abandoning only moments earlier. They revealed their mission. Narkade listened with an attentive ear as the others told him what was involved. They emphasized their departure must happen in two days and could not be delayed. If Narkade wasn't ready by then, he couldn't come, but must agree to keep their secret.
"I'll be ready. Just make sure you're here by noon or I'll return to the Abbey an hour later."