Crest Rise
Chapter Two
Oree playfully twirled through the water of the great river, Corin. Many others otters' swam as well. Torin, Oree's brother, was trying unsuccessfully to calm down a riot of hungry pups.
Raising her nose, she took a good whiff of aromas. All coming from inside the Holt. She yelled, "Who wants to play otter and minnows?"
All the paws of the baby otters shot up, along with shouts of, "me wanna be da otter." "No, I'm da fastest, me be da odder." Or "No, dan't would nit be fair."
Oree giggled at the sight of the arguing babies, saying, "This is a special game."
She continued with a merry smirk, "Torin's the minnow and everyone else is an otter."
Moments later Torin popped up, out of the water with a grin plastered on to his face.
"I'll get you for dis un sis'," Torin whispered.
He ducked under the surface of the water only to pop up several yards away, still smiling.
Oree quickly fled as the mod flashed by her. Laughing she climbed up the bank and shook herself dry. She trotted to the Holt's entrance in the base of a great oak tree.
The scents she smelled earlier, she could now tell to be watershrimp with Hotroot pepper, boiling with carrots and onions.
Licking her lips, she walked into the ground entrance of the Holt. A door in the base of the great oak served this purpose, with a tunnel going down beneath the earth.
Oree walked down the passageway of dirt. After a minute of slow walking she reached the main cavern. The floor, walls, and ceiling were carved from sandstone.
A great stone furnace with blazing flames stood at the head of the room.
Otters of all sizes and ages sat or roamed among the huge room. Even a few sea otters were present.
Oree sat down with a group of otters her age.
"Oree, where have you been," asked a plump ottermaid named Coral.
"Outside with Torin playing wid the little uns," replied Oree.
"M'kay," remarked Coral, who looked around. She gestured the group into a small circle.
"What is it?" Fleck whispered.
Taking another quick peek around herself, Coral whispered, " Ya'll know my cousin, Jeffrey."
They all nodded.
"Well, she was telling Silvertail, Oree's pa," She gestured to Oree, then continued. " Well, Jeffrey told Silvertail dat she saw a group of vermin.
"She said that they were yelling 'get that vixen', 'get dat emerald'. Jeffrey told Silvertail dat she thinks some vixen stole the vermin's emerald or somethin'."
The group stared at Coral, wide eyed. Mindy bravely spoke up, "Are you sure she saw vermins, it was hot the other day and it could of gotten to her head."
Coral shook her head, "Nope, my cousin doesn't go thinkin' things like that to mess wid animals. No she …"
"Dinner time!" Yelled an elderly female otter, with slightly white and silver fur. "Wash up!"
After a bustle of paws, everyone finally got some shrimp'n'hotroot soup with some bread lightly filled with acorns and hazelnuts. They also had cider, chilled by the river.
There was a large amount of entertainment. A squirrel who had been visiting with the otters for several days begun to play his flute, while several otters sang along;
"As the water flows,
The kingfisher goes.
Yo Hey Youu!
The whistle blows,
As the sparrow woes.
Yo Hey Youu!
So stomp your feet,
And sing this song.
Yo Hey Youu!"
Everyone clapped their paws singing aloud the "Yo Hey Youu" parts.
After awhile many otters got up and left the main room for their sleeping chambers. The squirrel, Martin, along with several otters, including Oree, watched, as Torin and Jeffrey fake fought with their otter javelins.
The two strong warriors sent blow after blow at each other, only for their foe to block them.
The narrow pole of the javelin whooshed through the air, metal tips flashing in the firelight.
Oree stared at the clashing figures, wishing she too, would be allowed to fight.
