Chapter 1
"What yeh con't shoot down, duck fer yeh bloody life."
-Lieutenant Strypi
It was late Autumn and in a few passing suns Winter would take over the climate for Rodentina. Creatures scurried around collecting food for the cold season to come. Also everyone began to camouflage their homes in case of attacks done in stealth. Some beasts without no real proper home began to move underground where Falkner's spy birds could not reach them. It was a busy period of time for all. Creatures who could scale the looming trees in Rodentina Forest lived in the trunks of the thickest trees. A chosen tree would be hollowed out in a few areas and so for one average tree there would be four floors for one dwelling. Many lived together. In the high boughs of the tree there would be platforms that wrapped around the exterior. The platforms were used as posts to scan the skies and report any danger. These too, were hidden well. The majority of the population of the dwellings in the trees were composed of chipmunks. All of these who were in the Arbesi (R. B. C- Rodentina Beserk Chipmunk) Brigade. Every fine morn they would carry out drills in the shooting of eagles (with crossbow) and following that would be dagger throwing practice. No beast fancied close combat with either winged enemy or feline nightmare. So the practices of swords and spears were few.
"Load, aim, fly! Drop!"
Simultaneously all straight rows of Arbesi trainees loaded their crossbows, aimed, and let the arrow fly. Following that immediately they dropped. These crossbows were of the odd sort. Larger and with longer range of flight. At one post on a faraway tree squirrels flung wooden discs into the air to be shot. Sshthunk, sshthunk, sshthunk! All of the cadets's arrows hit their target. Phut. General Tuff now was missing a certain beret. His favorite dark green cap with a peacock tail feather held in place by a medallion on the front. The beret was now pinned by an arrow, five feet in the air on the tree, and definitely not on General Francois Rodney Vigilant Tuff's head. A poor young chipmunk looked up from the ground as he was fumbling with his crossbow. His paw struck the wrong thing. Phut. It thudded into the spot in the tree next to General Tuff's ear. General Tuff puffed up his cheeks and yelled at the only Arbesi trainee that usually never got anything right. Or rather, got in trouble alot.
"Walnuuuut!"
Walnut "Wally" Treeknot Barkstrip the chipmunk cringed and dropped his crossbow nervously. His head sunk into his shoulders and he looked down at the ground. General Tuff strode over to Wally. He stood right in front of him so Wally's face was at the general's footpaws. General Tuff looked disapprovingly at Wally and clucked his tongue against his teeth.
"Tch! Tch! Wally, look at me!"
Wally timidly raised his head and met his soft black eyes at Tuff, he stammered as he spoke, "Y-yes sah."
"Do I look loike I'm wearin' mah cap?"
Wally shrunk under the gaze of his fellow Arbesi cadets as they chuckled and chittered quietly in the ranks. He gulped and shot a quick glance at the pinned beret and General Tuff's head. Wally shook his head slowly under the piercing gaze his general gave him sternly.
"N-no sah?"
"Correct 'O Wally," the general replied, "An' d'ye think I'd like mah beluv'd cap back on m'head?"
Wally scrambled up and leapt onto the trunk of the tree that held the beret captive. His little stubby claws dug into the bark with slight difficulty as he made his steep ascent. Poor Wally sniffled a bit as he climbed onto a branch to relieve his paws. He reached out with both paws and with one he took hold of the beret and the other tugged the arrow free. This was a good hard shot too and had embedded deep into the bark, if this had hit a plate then General Tuff wouldn't have been so angry. He'd be proud and that very thought made Wally's heart drop. He was only five seasons old and so many expected so much from him. Especially his father Ryestripe and his kindly mother Soya. With the beret tucked into his dark green tunic and the arrow shaft in his mouth, he began climbing down securely. As he began to climb down, he heard sniggering going on in the rows of his fellow cadets. The one who looked the most amused was Cuirodi Beechnut Vigilant Tuff. This one was a season or two Wally's senior and everyone called him Cuiro. Wally scowled. Cuiro was Wally's worst enemy, in fact, Cuiro was his archnemesis.
"Wally can't even hit a silly plate once!"
That comment by Cuiro was followedv by more little giggles and now stopped when the general looked sternly at them. A look that could freeze running water as Wally had often thought. Cuiro still whispered jokes about Wally to nearby cadets. Cuiro often wore a smug malicious look around Wally. He was bigger, stronger, and he was a classic downright bully. Also Cuiro was General Tuff's beloved grandchild to add to Wally's problems.
"'Urry up Wally!"
Wally stopped glaring at Cuiro and stretched out to place the beret onto the general's head. Apparently he had stretched out too far and fell onto his face in the dry deadened pine neeldes. Wally shot up immediately to avoid anymore humiliation, went and picked up his crossbow, and ran away. General Tuff twitched his whiskers and called out to the small disappearing chipmunk youngling.
"Come back 'ere Wally! Cadet Walnut Treeknot Barkstripe!"
But Wally would not turn back as he hopped over felled logs and rocks. Cuiro smiled secretly in triumph.
"What yeh con't shoot down, duck fer yeh bloody life."
-Lieutenant Strypi
It was late Autumn and in a few passing suns Winter would take over the climate for Rodentina. Creatures scurried around collecting food for the cold season to come. Also everyone began to camouflage their homes in case of attacks done in stealth. Some beasts without no real proper home began to move underground where Falkner's spy birds could not reach them. It was a busy period of time for all. Creatures who could scale the looming trees in Rodentina Forest lived in the trunks of the thickest trees. A chosen tree would be hollowed out in a few areas and so for one average tree there would be four floors for one dwelling. Many lived together. In the high boughs of the tree there would be platforms that wrapped around the exterior. The platforms were used as posts to scan the skies and report any danger. These too, were hidden well. The majority of the population of the dwellings in the trees were composed of chipmunks. All of these who were in the Arbesi (R. B. C- Rodentina Beserk Chipmunk) Brigade. Every fine morn they would carry out drills in the shooting of eagles (with crossbow) and following that would be dagger throwing practice. No beast fancied close combat with either winged enemy or feline nightmare. So the practices of swords and spears were few.
"Load, aim, fly! Drop!"
Simultaneously all straight rows of Arbesi trainees loaded their crossbows, aimed, and let the arrow fly. Following that immediately they dropped. These crossbows were of the odd sort. Larger and with longer range of flight. At one post on a faraway tree squirrels flung wooden discs into the air to be shot. Sshthunk, sshthunk, sshthunk! All of the cadets's arrows hit their target. Phut. General Tuff now was missing a certain beret. His favorite dark green cap with a peacock tail feather held in place by a medallion on the front. The beret was now pinned by an arrow, five feet in the air on the tree, and definitely not on General Francois Rodney Vigilant Tuff's head. A poor young chipmunk looked up from the ground as he was fumbling with his crossbow. His paw struck the wrong thing. Phut. It thudded into the spot in the tree next to General Tuff's ear. General Tuff puffed up his cheeks and yelled at the only Arbesi trainee that usually never got anything right. Or rather, got in trouble alot.
"Walnuuuut!"
Walnut "Wally" Treeknot Barkstrip the chipmunk cringed and dropped his crossbow nervously. His head sunk into his shoulders and he looked down at the ground. General Tuff strode over to Wally. He stood right in front of him so Wally's face was at the general's footpaws. General Tuff looked disapprovingly at Wally and clucked his tongue against his teeth.
"Tch! Tch! Wally, look at me!"
Wally timidly raised his head and met his soft black eyes at Tuff, he stammered as he spoke, "Y-yes sah."
"Do I look loike I'm wearin' mah cap?"
Wally shrunk under the gaze of his fellow Arbesi cadets as they chuckled and chittered quietly in the ranks. He gulped and shot a quick glance at the pinned beret and General Tuff's head. Wally shook his head slowly under the piercing gaze his general gave him sternly.
"N-no sah?"
"Correct 'O Wally," the general replied, "An' d'ye think I'd like mah beluv'd cap back on m'head?"
Wally scrambled up and leapt onto the trunk of the tree that held the beret captive. His little stubby claws dug into the bark with slight difficulty as he made his steep ascent. Poor Wally sniffled a bit as he climbed onto a branch to relieve his paws. He reached out with both paws and with one he took hold of the beret and the other tugged the arrow free. This was a good hard shot too and had embedded deep into the bark, if this had hit a plate then General Tuff wouldn't have been so angry. He'd be proud and that very thought made Wally's heart drop. He was only five seasons old and so many expected so much from him. Especially his father Ryestripe and his kindly mother Soya. With the beret tucked into his dark green tunic and the arrow shaft in his mouth, he began climbing down securely. As he began to climb down, he heard sniggering going on in the rows of his fellow cadets. The one who looked the most amused was Cuirodi Beechnut Vigilant Tuff. This one was a season or two Wally's senior and everyone called him Cuiro. Wally scowled. Cuiro was Wally's worst enemy, in fact, Cuiro was his archnemesis.
"Wally can't even hit a silly plate once!"
That comment by Cuiro was followedv by more little giggles and now stopped when the general looked sternly at them. A look that could freeze running water as Wally had often thought. Cuiro still whispered jokes about Wally to nearby cadets. Cuiro often wore a smug malicious look around Wally. He was bigger, stronger, and he was a classic downright bully. Also Cuiro was General Tuff's beloved grandchild to add to Wally's problems.
"'Urry up Wally!"
Wally stopped glaring at Cuiro and stretched out to place the beret onto the general's head. Apparently he had stretched out too far and fell onto his face in the dry deadened pine neeldes. Wally shot up immediately to avoid anymore humiliation, went and picked up his crossbow, and ran away. General Tuff twitched his whiskers and called out to the small disappearing chipmunk youngling.
"Come back 'ere Wally! Cadet Walnut Treeknot Barkstripe!"
But Wally would not turn back as he hopped over felled logs and rocks. Cuiro smiled secretly in triumph.