A Measley Little Tale
Chapter 3
Looks like I'm on a roll with these stories. XD
Huge thanks to my lovely beta, Contemperina! You really help my stories shine!
Poor Measley never gets a break, it seems. :C Hopefully that'll change soon!
The first thing Measley noticed upon awakening was the sharp pain in the back of his skull. He groaned softly, lifting his head off the hard surface of whatever it was he'd hit it on. He squinted, the darkness around him confusing his boggled mind. He turned around and squinted, barely making out the shape of a rock. Ow, my head... How did I end up down here? Where are Mother and Father?
He called out for his parents, but the eerie sound of wind running down the hole was all that greeted him. Memories of earlier events suddenly flooded back to him: attacking Shade, Shade chasing him to a tree and biting his leg... Then the two of them tumbling down, ending up in this—a hole of some sort. He gingerly stood up, walking to the thin ray of light beaming down from above. Peering straight up, he saw the stars of the night sky twinkling high above. There was no hope of him climbing out of there on his own.
Sighing deeply, he turned to look around for his brother. "Shade? Shade, can you hear me?" Measley called, glancing around for him. He caught sight of a dark figure, roughly the same size as himself, rubbing his nose and mumbling to himself.
Relief flowing over him, the younger weasel padded over to greet him. "Shade, get up. Are you all right?" Measley nudged his side.
Shade blinked his eyes, unsure of where he was. He then noticed Measley and pushed him away. "You!" Shade snarled, hopping to his feet. "This is all your fault!"
Measley stared back, shaking his head. He didn't want to fight; he just wanted to get back home. "Now is not the time for that! We have to get out of here," Measley snapped, looking back up through the hole. With a small nod, Shade grudgingly agreed to let their previous fight go and joined his little brother under the light. Measley didn't know how they were going to get out of there, but he wouldn't give up hope. Chances were they were in a den, and a den usually had more than one exit.
He glanced around and soon spotted a dark hole to their left, which he quickly pointed out to Shade. "Let's try that one," Measley suggested, walking over to the pathway. "It might be our only way out."
Shade followed close behind, sniffing at the strange scent emanating from the tunnel entrance; Measley wrinkled his nose at the odor as well. "What makes you so sure this is the right way?" Shade asked, glaring.
Measley resisted the urge to roll his eyes, taking the first few steps into the long passageway. "I don't see you coming up with anything better!" he whispered, creeping down the tunnel. Without a proper comeback, Shade simply followed. The odd scent was getting stronger the further they traveled. I wonder if this is a rabbit's burrow? But it doesn't smell like one...I can't place it, but it's different.
The ground beneath Measley's paws suddenly cut off, causing him to stumble. He fell on top of a strange pile of round objects, Shade right behind him. Measley quickly recovered, scrambling to look over the objects beneath him. They had the appearance of rocks, but they were warm and all had the same ovular shape. Some even had similar markings.
Shade complained about Measley's clumsiness, but he paid no mind.
"I wonder what these are," Measley murmured, curiously nudging at one of the "rocks". He felt a small movement from inside and quickly pulled back. "Shade," he called, "there's something in these!"
Shade yelped, immediately running to his brother's side. What had scared him, Measley soon discovered, was a long body, slowly coiling around them. Measley trembled in fear as the unknown creature reared up, its head rising to stare straight at the pair. Two large, luminescent eyes cut through the darkness, paralyzing them where they stood.
Overall, it had to be the oddest animal Measley had ever seen! What in the world is it? It's missing its legs! Gulping, he attempted to greet the advancing figure. "H-hello... I'm Measley."
"I could care lessss what your name isssss. All I know issss that you're sssitting on my eggssss!" it hissed, opening its mouth to reveal long, ivory fangs.
Measley gasped and took a few steps back. Shade was hiding behind him, equally horrified. "I'm sorry, I really am! We didn't know..." Measley whimpered, immediately hopping off her brood. The large, yellow eyes watched them the whole time. "I… Can you help us?" he asked. "We accidentally fell into your home."
The serpent slithered around her eggs, checking for any signs of damage as Measley looked on, horrified. Once she was satisfied, she turned to them again. "Isss that ssssso?"
Measley nodded meekly. "Yes, ma'am."
The mother adder stared back at them for countless seconds. Measley feared she was going to lunge at them and bite them with her terrible fangs. Shade seemed to share the same thoughts as he whimpered behind him, but finally, the snake responded.
"Follow me," she ordered, slithering beside them and into yet another tunnel.
Measley didn't think twice about following her, but Shade seemed much more hesitant."Come on!" Measley urged. "She's trying to help us." Reassured for the moment, Shade ran to catch up, and the trio traveled up the tunnel. It was so dark, Measley could barely see the adder in front of him. Rather, he listened out for her to keep track. After a few minutes, the snake slithered out into the night air, shortly followed by the young weasels.
Now that he could clearly see, he could make out their savior. She was a long adder, with dark blue scales that shone in the moonlight. Her eyes still glowed their eerie yellow, and Measley thought, maybe, that was how she saw so well in the dark.
"Thank you," he said with a smile. Shade was silent, preoccupied surveying his surroundings.
The adder nodded. "You're welcome, though you ssssshould really be more careful, little ones. Not all adderssss are as nicccce as I wasss. And that'sss only becausssse I had a big dinner!" The female snake smirked before diving back into her home.
Measley shouted out a quick goodbye before turning to his brother."That was really nice of her," he pointed out happily.
"Forget that!" Shade snapped, appraising the unfamiliar area around them. "Now we need to get back home!"
Measley looked around as well. Everything was unfamiliar: the snow covered a lot more ground, the trees were fewer, and there was a strange building not too far off. "I wonder what that is," he said, gesturing to it. "Maybe we should go over and see." Measley didn't bother to look back at Shade, instead running towards (what Measley would later discover to be) a cabin.
Shade called for him to wait up as he took off to follow behind. They stopped when they came up to a fence, peering through. In the center of the fence stood a sturdy little cottage, lights shining from the windows. Chained to the side of it was a large dog, who was eating hungrily from his bowl. Measley tilted his head at the canine, examining it. He was even bigger than the rabbit they'd encountered before.
Shade suddenly nudged him, pointing in the distance."I think I see the hill!" he exclaimed. Measley turned hopefully, looking over as well. The landscape Shade referred to did look similar to the one they had run down earlier.
Relieved, he nodded, saying, "Let's go home!" Measley smiled, scampering towards the hill. Shade ran ahead, keen on rejoining their family. To their relief, it did turn out to be their den, and immediately darting inside, they found their family curled up next to one another.
Measley, overjoyed to be reunited with them, ran and joined them a second after his brother."Mother! Father! We're back!"
Jessamine's head snapped up. To her amazement, there stood her two boys, unharmed! She ran over to them, hugging them tight. "Measley, Shade! Thank heavens you're alright! Flint, Flint wake up!" she called.
Flint's eyes flew open to take in the sight of his mate hugging their two missing boys. He sighed in relief, getting up to join them. The other kits, awakened by the sound of their mother's voice, happily ran over to greet their brothers as well.
"Thank the lord! How in the world did you make it back here by yourselves?" Flint asked. He was sure that they'd been lost to the family forever. Young weasels rarely made it past their first year, much less kits! He had accepted the sad possibility that they had died of the cold, starvation, or from a predator, so to see them there in front of him was almost unreal.
"Not now, Flint!" Jessamine cried, carrying her two shivering sons over to the nest. "I'm sure the poor things must be exhausted." She lay them down in the middle of their siblings, watching fondly as they cuddled together. She curled up around them protectively, not wanting a repeat of the day's events to happen again.
The following morning, as their parents slept, Measley could hear some minor chatter off to his right. He lifted a heavy eyelid, still exhausted from his journey a few hours prior, and barely made out the colors of Breeze, Dusk, and Shade. He tuned his ears into the conversation.
"As I was saying, there was this huge animal! Measley was being a pansy, as usual," he heard Shade tell them all. Cringing in annoyance, Measley could hear the guffaws of his other two brothers as they listened to the lie.
"What a baby! What did you do then?" Breeze snickered, leaning in.
"Did it have huge teeth?" Dusk asked, holding his paws a distance from each other for comparison. Shade shook his head and held his paws even wider apart.
"Bigger!"
"Bigger?" Dusk and Breeze gasped. Shade nodded, wearing a proud smile.
"Much bigger! We had landed on its eggs, and it was going to gobble us up for its dinner! Measley cried for mother, and I was left to fight off the beast!" he said, miming a fight. "Bam! Whap! I punched the snake until it went down! Then, I grabbed Measley and ran out of one of the exits!"
"Amazing!" Breeze praised.
"I've never heard anything like it!" Dusk said, completely impressed. Measley had half a mind to get up and tell them what had really happened. But he was so tired… He's such a liar! he thought. If it wasn't for me, we would have never gotten out of there! And she didn't attack us at all. She helped us!
"Aww," Breeze sighed. "I wish we'd been there. It would have been great to see you put that stupid slithery down!"
Shade puffed out his chest proudly, an action that heavily resembled one of their father's. "Heck, it's nothing difficult for a weasel."
Measley had heard enough. He stood up, shaking off the drowsiness that still lingered. The three weasels looked over at him as he rose. "Good morning," Measley greeted curtly, stretching out.
Breeze smirked at him. "Why are you up so early? I'd think you'd want to stay in forever after your experience," Breeze teased.
Measley stared at Shade, who quickly looked away. "How would you know what happened? You weren't even there," Measley replied coolly, walking over to the entrance of their home.
Breeze glared at him as he went. "Measley, don't go anywhere."
Measley looked over to Jessamine, who had just woken up. Her blue eyes peered right back, and he smiled sheepishly.
"I won't, Mother. I was just looking!"
She stretched out before walking over to sit at his side. "And what are you looking at?" she asked.
"Those noisy things up in that tree," he told her, watching the chattering animals flit about each other. "What are those?"
"Those are birds. They come in many shapes and sizes," his mother explained. "Some can even make an easy meal out of us."
Measley gasped. "Really? What kinds of birds can do that?"
Jessamine giggled, stroking his head affectionately. "Owls and kestrels. They have sharp beaks and claws. They're very quick and attack from the sky. But some, like those bluebirds over there, are small and helpless enough for us to eat."
Measley continued to observe the small birds, who seemed to be composing their own symphony. He then remembered a question he'd meant to ask her yesterday. "Mother? Me and Shade met a very funny animal while we were away. It had no arms, long fangs, and big yellow eyes. What are those called?"
Jessamine's eyes widened in astonishment. My God! Did they really come across a snake and live? How is that even possible? she wondered.
"Those are called snakes," she clarified. "The ones in the park are commonly known as adders. Where did you see one?"
Measley smiled at her. "We met a mommy adder in her home. She led us outside. She was very nice. She also had a lot of... eggs, was it?" Measley tried to recall, remembering the strange oval items in her nest.
Jessamine's jaw dropped. They actually fell into the home of an adder? On her eggs, no less! I simply can't understand it.
Despite her bewilderment, Jessamine was thankful that they had returned to her unscathed. She was going to have to keep a closer eye on every one of them to prevent another accident. She felt blessed that nothing serious had happened, but she knew she couldn't continue to risk it.
"That was very nice of her to do so. Today, we're going to go out again," Jessamine said with a grin, walking back to wake up Flint. He grumbled, reluctantly getting up from his spot. By now, all of the kits were wide awake, eager to go out and explore. After making certain everyone understood to stick together no matter what, they made their way outside again.
Each day in White Deer Park was getting warmer. Most of the snow had melted, and the presence of previously hibernating animals was more common. Measley saw a family of rabbits as they walked around their territory: three little ones stared back at him before darting away.
Breeze looked at them longingly, wanting to chase one down. "Father, where are we headed today?" he inquired. "I want to catch one of those rabbits." Breeze watching one of them chase its sibling.
Flint chuckled, blocking his path before he could attempt to run after them. "We're going to the pond."
Measley decided not to ask what a pond was; he didn't want to annoy his father with so many questions. Flint always seemed so on-edge around him as it was, and Measley wasn't sure why. He wanted to impress him, and he felt today was the perfect chance to do so.
They arrived at a rather large pond not too far from their home a few minutes later. The water was clear and cold, much to Measley's enjoyment. He lapped at it thirstily alongside his sisters. They had only ever know water to come from the snow, which had covered everything since they were born. This was a lot more enjoyable for the little weasels.
Fawn shrieked, jumping back and clutching Measley's arm. "Eww! What's that horrible slimy thing?" she screeched, pointing.
Measley looked at what had spooked her. A fat, green toad landed on a rock near them, its throat inflating into a wide bubble. Measley gulped, stepping in front of Fawn protectively.
"You stay away from Fawn, you...you... whatever you are! Shoo!" Measley yelled, trying to scare it off. The toad simply jumped towards him, completely unfazed. Measley yelled, he and Fawn fleeing from the toad.
Jessamine giggled as her babies ran away from the toad, finding it adorable. Flint, however, found it to be quite embarrassing. "Oh, lord. This is humiliating, Jess! What if another weasel family sees us?" Flint mumbled, his paws over his head.
Jessamine rolled her eyes at her mate. "Oh, lighten up! They're kids! We were all like that once, and if anybody has a problem with it, they'll have to answer to me!" Jessamine snapped.
Flint sighed, turning his attention to his other sons. His mood brightened as he saw Breeze chase after the toad, making it retreat back into its watery home. Now, that's how a real weasel goes about things!
Purity, losing interest with the pesky frogs around the pond, suggested they all play a game. "Let's play hide and seek!"
Faith looked up at Flint. "Can we? We won't go off too far."
Flint looked over at Jessamine before nodding. "All right, go ahead."
Purity happily hopped off the rock she was sitting on. "I'll start first." Turning around and closing her eyes tightly, she began to count. "One, two..."
The baby weasels immediately scattered in different directions, but they still remained well within view of their parents. Measley looked around for a suitable hiding place. He considered hiding in a small, abandoned den but soon thought better of it. Don't want to go through that again! No, no...
He settled on hiding inside a bush that was nicely hidden behind a large tree. From his place, he watched as Purity finished counting and began looking around for her siblings. "Ready or not, here I come!"
Measley smiled excitedly. She won't find me here.
A light giggling behind him made him whirl around, after which he came nose-to-nose with another weasel! She wasn't from his family, however. She had light, almost blonde fur and stunning hazel eyes. She batted her eyes at him, causing him to shyly back away.
"Hello." She smiled.
Measley gulped, scratching the back of his head. "H-hi," he replied softly, glancing back through the leaves of the bush. Thankfully, Purity was a safe distance away, likely on someone else's trail.
The little girl weasel tilted her head. "Are you playing a game?" she asked, eyes bright.
Measley nodded. "Yes. We're playing hide-and-seek! I'm hiding."
"What's your name?" she asked.
Measley cringed inwardly. She was talking a bit loud, and he was afraid she might give away their position. However, he didn't want to be rude. "I'm Measley."
"Measley? That's an odd name for your parents to give you. I mean, what must they think of you? Not very good parents at all!" she said disapprovingly.
Measley cut his jade eyes at her. Wow, she's awful chatty, isn't she? "What's yours?" he shot back. Measley wasn't comfortable with her judging his parents. Especially his mother, who had always been kind and loving towards him.
"I'm Margaret. It means 'pearl', because I'm my parent's most precious jewel," she boasted as if she'd said those words many times before.
Measley wasn't paying attention anymore. Instead, he was watching Purity discover Breeze hiding in the tall grass.
Margaret pouted a bit. "Are you even listening to me?" she snapped, stomping over to him.
Measley sighed and turned back to her again. "Yes, Margaret. I'm listening. It's just... we're in a middle of a game." Measley tried to gently imply that he wanted her to quiet down.
Margaret, unfortunately, did not get the message. "A game is more important than talking to me, then?" She put her hands on her hips, glaring at him.
Measley was growing increasingly uncomfortable with the situation. Oh boy... I barely talk to her and she's already angry with me. "I-I didn't say that," he quickly corrected her. "I just don't want to be found ou—"
"Gotcha!" Purity reached through the leaves of the bush, poking him in the back. He groaned, turning to see her wide grin. "Found you, Measley!" Purity repeated. She didn't seem to notice Margaret, however. "You have to join the rest of them out here while I find the others."
Measley sighed. "All right."
He walked out of the bushes, Margaret hot on his heels. She was still chatting non-stop, much to his annoyance. "Wow, Measley, you're not very good at that game. Maybe you should try being quieter."
Measley balled up his fists, willing himself to hold his tongue. He'd tried to be nice, he really had. But the girl was irritating him to no end! Sure, she was very pretty. One of the prettiest weasels he had ever seen. But only if she kept her mouth shut.
Faith, who was pouting, glanced over at the ever-chatty Margaret. "Who's your friend?"
"Oh? Uh, this is Margaret," Measley introduced, hoping she'd latch herself onto one of his brothers.
No such luck. She simply held his hand possessively. "It means 'pearl'. Isn't it a pretty name?" She looked around at Faith, Fawn, Breeze, and Dusk. They all reluctantly agreed, sensing she'd throw some sort of temper tantrum if they disagreed. (They were probably correct.)
Purity soon returned to the small group, Shade in tow. "I can't find Silver anywhere," she whined, frustrated that she couldn't locate them all.
Measley smiled and called out. "Silver! Silver, you've won! You can come out now!"
To everyone's surprise, Silver climbed down from a nearby tree. She descended it carefully before walking over to them with a smug smile on her face.
"Hey, that's not fair!" Purity complained, folding her arms. Silver grinned and shrugged at her.
"Nobody said trees were off limits!" Silver high-fived Measley, who had seen her climb it earlier.
Silver examined Margaret silently before addressing her. "And who are you?" Silver asked curtly, her icy blue eyes boring straight into the other's.
Margaret bristled slightly. "For the last time, my name is Margaret!" she screamed angrily, trembling slightly.
Silver narrowed her eyes at her before taking both Measley's and Purity's hands and leading them away. "Come on, let's go," Silver mumbled, tired of being around the bothersome girl.
Measley glanced back at Margaret, who was glaring at them. "Well, um... she's my friend," Measley mentioned, wincing slightly. I know she's a bit of a pest, but this is the first weasel I've met outside my family. I shouldn't be so picky! he told himself.
Faith clicked her tongue. "I guess we can let her play—if she promises to keep that trap of hers shut."
Measley sighed and called out to Margaret. "Come on, Margaret! You can play with us, if you'd like."
Margaret smiled, happy she had gotten her way after all. She skipped towards the group merrily. "Oh, goodie! What are we playing now?" she asked, sitting between Measley and Fawn.
Fawn raised her hand. "Let's play tag! Margaret can be it first," Fawn suggested, smirking at the newcomer. Margaret gasped, vehemently against the idea.
"That's not fair! I'm new," she argued..
Dusk smirked and shrugged his shoulders "And that's exactly why you're it."
With that, the weasel siblings scattered away from Margaret, taunting her. Huffing, she began to chase after Dusk. Dusk easily dodged her attempts, laughing at each failure. She growled in frustration, deciding to chase after Fawn instead. Fawn was quicker than she let on, darting off-course and making it difficult to follow her without faltering.
Margaret skidded to a halt, stomping her foot. "This is insane! You're all cheating!" she whined, close to tears.
Purity laughed at her, alongside Faith. "Big baby!" Faith mocked, blowing a raspberry at her. Margaret sniffled, staring at her feet.
Feeling bad, Measley walked towards her. He hated to see anyone sad—even her. "Aw, Margaret, don't cry. It's just a—"
Margaret suddenly shoved him down to the ground, Measley landing painfully on his back. He blinked in confusion, staring at the sky. Margaret looked down at him, wearing a smug smile. "You're it."
Measley felt a strange emotion well up in his chest. Is it anger? No... it was more like shock. Disbelief. He couldn't believe that she had taken advantage of his feelings like that! Measley rose up a little, resting on his elbows. Margaret was laughing at him. Purity, Fawn, Faith, and Silver all scowled at her, walking over to aid their betrayed brother. Shade, Dusk and Breeze all looked on in amazement.
"Go away, you pest!" Silver snarled, baring her teeth at Margaret. Margaret gasped and ran off, likely back to her parents.
Faith stroked Measley's head, worry clouding her face. "Oh, Measley, are you all right?" she asked. "What a horrible thing for her to do," she said bitterly.
Measley smiled at his sisters, thanking them as they helped him back up. Dusting himself off, he tried to lighten the mood. "Oh, yeah! I'm all right, no need to worry. I guess I shouldn't be so gullible." He laughed, rubbing the back of his head as Purity smiled at him.
It seemed that even if someone had obviously treated her brother wrong, he always tried to look on the bright side. Though Purity couldn't help but worry that this would become a problem later on…
Breeze walked over. "Wow, that girl... She was really something ,wasn't she?"
Measley raised an eyebrow at Breeze. The way he remarked about Margaret was somewhat... dreamlike?
Shade nodded his agreement. "She knows how to play the game!"
"Not at all like Measley, who fell for that obvious ploy!" Dusk said, walking over. "You girls should stop coddling him. Mother already does that," he sneered, shaking his head at them.
Silver rolled her eyes at them all. "You're so dumb. I'd rather be like Mother anyway. Father never wants to play or teach us. Only you three," Silver snapped. She wasn't blind: her father made no secret of preferring the company of the three boys rather than all of them. She wasn't hurt by it anymore—just angered by it.
Breeze smiled proudly, pointing at his chest. "Don't get jealous, now. We're just the pick of the litter."
Measley glared at him. "Are not!"
"Are too!" Breeze retorted, folding his arms.
Measley folded his arms as well. "Are n—"
"Hey! Look at that over there!" Fawn pointed toward a large, white animal drinking from the pond. The weasels ran over to him but made sure to keep their distance.
Measley, being the most outspoken of them, waved. "Good morning!" he greeted cheerfully. Ever since his meeting with the adder, he was sure there were many friendly animals in the park he could get to know. Now that they were closer, they could see the animal had branches sprouting out of its head!
The large animal lifted his head, calmly looking over the band of weasels. He smiled kindly, speaking in a strong voice. "Hello, weasels. I suppose you all must be the little ones Flint and Jessamine told me about," he mused, straightening up. He was even taller with his head held high! Measley marveled at his majestic figure, wondering if there were others like him.
Shade stepped forward, pointing at his head. "You look silly! Why are trees popping out of your head?" he asked rudely. Measley, embarrassed, nudged him. "Ow! What?"
The creature chuckled. "Those are my antlers. I am a white deer. A stag. Everybody knows me as the Great White Stag," he explained.
The weasels all voiced their amazement, coming closer to the friendly stag.
Fawn jumped up and down. "Just like the park! White Deer Park! They must have named it after you!" she squeaked, happy because of her revelation.
The Stag smiled down at her, flattered. "Oh, not just me, young one. There are many white deer in the park, which I'm sure is how it got its name," he corrected. "But we are all equally important in the Park." Looking off into the distance, he nodded down at them. "I'm afraid I must be going now. You all stay out of trouble."
They all waved as the stag galloped off to rejoin his herd, Measley left in awe. He has to be the biggest animal in the park!
Jessamine called out to them. They immediately heeded her call, making their way towards her voice. To their surprise, Flint was dragging a dead bird by its neck.
Dusk sniffed at it. "Is this one of those birds, Mother?" he asked, staring at its open beak.
Jessamine smiled, nodding. "That's right! This one is called a chicken. They're easy meals, really. They can't fly, they can't run fast... Just fat birds," Jessamine explained, poking the fowl's fat belly. "Dig in and see how it tastes!"
Measley went to try the new food. As soon as he bit into it, he tasted fluffy feathers. He coughed, spewing feathers everywhere. "It tickles!"
Flint laughed, plucking the bothersome feathers off the chicken. "That's why we pull them off before eating."
The kits mimicked him, pulling out patches of the chicken's feathers. Jessamine waited until the kits were too busy to overhear before turning to Flint.
"Flint, how in the world did you manage a chicken?" she hissed. Chickens were only found on farms, and where there were farms, there were humans. Jessamine knew many humans that weren't dangerous, but she also knew that they were as protective of their meals as the weasels were. Chickens were a precious commodity, and anyone who tried to steal them faced the danger of getting shot.
Flint smiled, licking his lips. "Not to worry, love. I found this one left behind after a raid by one of those foxes. They were making off with some of the farmer's chickens, and one of them was hit. Before the farmer could take the chicken back, I ran off with it."
Jessamine gasped. "Flint, that was too risky! You could have been hurt."
Flint rolled his eyes, dismissing the thought. "Have you so little faith in me? Your own mate?"
Jessamine looked down sadly. "That's not what I meant. I just want you to be more careful," she elaborated. "I need you—the kids need you. Would it kill you to have a little more common sense?"
Flint ignored the comment, ripping off a leg. "I brought us dinner, didn't I?"
Jessamine decided to just drop it, ripping off the other leg. "Yes, you did."
Measley happily played tug-o-war with Fawn, the two pulling the wing of the chicken apart. They both laughed as the wing snapped in two, sending them rolling on their backs. Their siblings laughed and joined in, playing with their food. Jessamine's mood cheered greatly at the sight as she ate her fill.
Flint, however, glared at the scene. Even his pride and joys were playing the stupid game! "Stop that this instant!" he growled. The children ceased playing immediately, fearfully looking up at him. "Eat," he ordered.
They all quietly returned to the meal.
Jessamine cut her eyes at him. "Wow, you're a regular bag of sunshine today, aren't you?" she snapped. She was getting tired of his foul mood. Sure, she had known him to get a bit moody once in a while, but never like this! Where was the laid-back weasel she had grown to love? The one that enjoyed having fun with loved ones?
"Weasels shouldn't behave like that," Flint answered in his defense, closing his eyes. Jessamine sighed.
After the family finished its dinner, they walked back home. Measley didn't really want to turn in for the night yet, with the sun just now setting in the distance. He caught up with Flint, taking his hand. Flint glanced down at the boy, flinching a bit.
"Father, can we sit and watch the sunset before we go to bed?" he asked, looking up at him with his innocent, green eyes. Flint was about to say "no", but Jessamine's warning stare prevented him from doing so.
"That's fine with me," Flint replied.
The kits rejoiced, sitting right at the entrance to their den. They all leaned on one another, watching the vibrant colors of the sky. Fawn cuddled next to Measley, her head resting in his lap. Measley smiled contently, stroking his little sister's back lovingly. Jessamine lay down beside her children, proud of her little family. She didn't even mind when Flint shyly snuggled up to her. As the sun slowly set over the horizon, the family of weasels sat in companionable silence, happy simply to be together.
Mrf... what is that sound? Can't get any sleep! Measley groaned, pulling some bedding over his head to drown out the sound. He was surprised no one else could hear the awful singing! Surely it was loud enough for the rest of the family to hear? Or maybe I'm just a really light sleeper.
Fed up, he got out of bed and stomped to the entrance of his den, intent on telling whomever it was to shut up so he could get some more sleep. The sky was still dark, for heaven's sake!
He poked his head out, looking for the singer. To his surprise, it was Margaret, singing a few feet away.
"My name is Margaret! Please remember it! Pretty as a pearl, most beautiful in the WORLD!" she screeched, prancing around in time with her lyrics.
Measley covered his ears, wincing. Oh, why doesn't she just go away! She's even worse than those silly birds! "Margaret!" Measley hissed, not wanting to wake up the rest of the family. "What are you doing here?"
Margaret turned to look at him, smiling widely. "Hello Measley! Do you like my song?" she asked, ignoring his question.
Measley sighed, rubbing his head. He couldn't bring himself to hurt her feelings. "Er... It was quite... unique, yes."
"I knew you'd like it! It's the best you've ever heard!" Margaret squealed happily. "I must be going now! My Mum and Dad must be wondering where I am by now!"
Measley watched her dance down the hill, back to wherever her home was. Sighing deeply, he returned to bed. Oh dear. If this is what having friends is like, I'd rather have enemies.
Woah, another chapter? So soon?
This was a bit easier to write, thank God! Hopefully the next chapter will be just as easy to write.
Thank you for reading! Much love!
