Chapter 3- the food delivery and sorting according to the Queen's laws
After Dashiell and his family of Cheetahs, adopted Nekomata kits and additional family members had finished their rather simple breakfast, everyone rose from their seats and dispersed from the log disc table until only Honeycomb, Rubyfeather, Rosebush and Daisytail were left to clear away the plates and cutlery to wash and put away. Gingerfur, Sandstorm, Amberpaw, Nyarth, Satoshi, Akira and Kushanku went straight for the crystalline TV-like screen while Snowwing, Dahlia and Crystal went to play with some of the toys Dashiell and his family had for the young members of the family.
"I wonder what's on TV today," said Sandstorm as he, his brother and sister and four adopted Nekomata siblings sat around the crystalline screen mounted on a wooden cube. The TVs in Narnia were flat, crystalline planes, and were Narnia's equivalent to our own world's TVs, and were used for broadcasting programmes, mainly from the Queen's palace. However, the TV system in Narnia had some magical traits even though the crystalline plane screens behaved like the screens our world's TV sets had. Very, very, VERY few creatures in Narnia had this TV system in their homes and Dashiell and his family were amongst this tiny handful of creatures to have one. And like our world's TVs, the TVs of Narnia were operated by a type of remote, although the remote used magical waves to operate the device. Sandstorm then switched on the TV and then seized the remote which resembled a crystalline cuboid with smaller, cylindrical crystalline buttons adorning its top, and pressed the 'on' button, the remote aimed for the screen. As the shiny mirror-like screen flashed to life, the seven cubs and kits all sat down and prepared to watch the broadcasted programme of the morning. As the seven fixed their eyes on the crystalline screen, Mensa came by.
"Don't get too focussed on that TV, you seven," said the Skvader and Snowwing's mother, "It'll be time for lessons soon."
"Not to mention the food delivery, which should be any minute now," added Shadewing and with that, the Bat flashed a glance at the clock (Some of Narnia's inhabitants also had clocks like we do in our world) and registered the time. Then he left to help Honeycomb as she prepared to wash the eating equipment in a very simple sink with Rubyfeather, Rosebush and Daisytail. Kushanku then turned to Mensa and asked, "What subject will we be learning in our lessons?"
"It's the prehistory of Narnia, little adopted brother," said Amberpaw with a wide smile as the crystalline TV screen began to display some moving images, like how our world's electronic equivalents did, "I overheard Mom and Dad discuss about it while we were getting ready for breakfast."
Kushanku's head tipped to one side. "Prehistory?" he squeaked confused.
"It's the past of Narnia before recorded history," explained Sandstorm, "and we're gonna learn how we, and Narnia and its universe as a whole, came to be."
"But…" began Akira when suddenly, a knock on the door sounded, cutting her off and making her, the other three Nekomata kits and the three Cheetah cubs turn their attention to the door. Shadewing ran over to the door.
"I've got it," he said. He was followed by Rosemary the monkey who beckoned the four Nekomata and three Cheetah cubs to come over. At this, Kushanku, Akira and Sandstorm exchanged glances with Amberpaw, Gingerfur, Nyarth and Satoshi before abandoning their sitting spots before the magical TV and converged in a beeline towards the door after Rosemary and Shadewing. As the group neared the door and Shadewing opened it, bringing in a gust of frigid air that made the Bat, along with the Monkey, the Cheetah and Nekomata youngsters flinch, the group was greeted by a small flock of Owls and Eagles, all of them dressed in coats and many of them with sacks in their large talons. However, two of the delivery group members resembled humanoid women with feathered wings with claws, and tails and talons like the Owls and Eagles, their feathers and hair being a ginger and orange colour with a metallic sheen strewn through their feathers. These two creatures were called 'Harpies' and they were essentially humanoid creatures with the wings, tails and talons of an eagle, similar to how Centaurs were humanoids with the body of a horse and how Fauns were humanoid creatures with their legs resembling the hooves of a goat, alongside a pair of horns on their heads in many. As Shadewing's group greeted the lead deliverer, which was a lead Owl, that Owl said, "Food delivery for Dashiell and his family," which was accompanied by some of the other Owls, Eagles and one of the Harpies coming forward with the sacks. Shadewing and Rosemary smiled, gave the group a polite, thankful nod and took hold of the sacks which were full of food. Kushanku and the other six youngsters with him did the same and soon, the food sacks were taken into Dashiell's den. Dashiell, Chiseltooth the Beaver and Rosebush's cousins Spikeball, Quill and Thorn the Hedgehogs came in to help. As the group took in the sacks of food, Kushanku examined the amount of food in each sack as Shadewing and Dashiell began to check with the lead Owl and his group as the latter began to deliver further instructions. Scattered throughout the den, Honeycomb and the other family members continued with the washing up of the pots and tidying.
"Her Majesty the Imperial Queen's visitors will be coming by to collect the ninety percent of your weekly delivery of food, Dashiell," said the Owl, "So make sure that you set aside that ninety percent and make sure that all the food in that offering is the best of the delivery."
"Yes, and make sure that you do not include any of the fruit and other food that looks bruised or damaged," added one of the Eagles, a female, "All of the food in the offering to the Queen and her highest ranking followers should be as best as possible."
At this, the eyes of Kushanku, Satoshi and Akira flashed in confusion as they helped the Hedgehogs set down the sacks and prepare to empty them of their contents while Nyarth's face formed a look of utter distain. In the delivery group, one of the Harpies, a female with red hair and metallic orange feathers on her wings, tail and lower feathered legs, and yellow talons put on an uncertain look, especially as she gazed at Dashiell's family and at the Cheetah and Nekomata kids. Dashiell nodded in understanding to the Owl and Eagle's instructions as some of the other Owls, Eagles and the two Harpies checked the larger bag containing more food sacks to be delivered to the other animals and creatures.
"We will," said the head Cheetah, "You have a safe journey and be careful of any blizzards."
"We will," said another Owl as he and his comrades took hold of the large bag with their talons. Then within moments, the delivery group was off, and Dashiell shut the door. As soon as he had done that, the adult Cheetah male went over to Shadewing, the Hedgehogs, the three Cheetah cubs, the four Nekomata kits, the Beaver and the Monkey as they began to sift through the food, and began to help.
The food delivery consisted of a variety of fruit, among them apples and bananas; vegetables like carrots; game creatures like dumb (ordinary, non-talking) pigeons and other creatures and a variety of nuts. As the group sorted through the food and set aside the best in the ninety percent to be delivered, Kushanku gazed at the apples in his paws before moving his eyes to the fruit in Rosemary's hands as she segregated the unbruised and undamaged fruit and veg from the bruised and damaged ones. The former went into the pile to be offered to the Queen while the latter went into the pile to be packed away into Dashiell and his family's food storage for future use. At this, Kushanku frowned and returned his gaze to the two apples in his paws. One was green and the other red and yellow and the red and yellow one had a large, unsightly bruise on its side, as though it had been badly punched in that area leading to the dark patch. Then Kushanku used a finger in his other paw to feel that bruised spot and noticed that it felt very soft. Much of the food Dashiell and his family had left to eat was often bruised and/or had pieces of their flesh torn away, and the nuts and meat had also sometimes not been very palatable either. To add, some of the youngsters in Dashiell's family, such as Crystal and Dahlia, still felt very peckish for the meals the group ate were very small portions, and Kushanku also felt his stomach begin to rumble. At this, the youngest Nekomata kit gazed down to his rumbling tummy and placed a paw on it. It was clear that the breakfast portion had been small and his stomach was not even half-full. In fact, Kushasnku and the rest of the family had always had very small meals with most of the food either bruised or badly damaged as they had to give away the best food to the Queen's food collectors. As Kushanku was about to allow a wave of lament at the hunger to overtake him to the point of the temptation to complain to take hold, Dashiell's voice pulled his attention from his partially full stomach to the little commotion stirring up.
"Nyarth, take that pear out of your mouth this minute. We're not finished with the sorting of our food yet!" shouted the adult male Cheetah, his rebuking frown on a certain Nekomata that had a pear very close to his open mouth, his teeth about to plunge into it. At this, Nyarth's face morphed into a very disgruntled glare and he reluctantly did as he was told. Then the oldest of the Nekomata quads dropped his paw and the pear and sat back bitterly.
"I'm STILL hungry," he muttered, "Why can't we at least eat some of the food we have just received?"
"Nyarth, you've just had your breakfast," said Chiseltooth as he placed some of the best bananas into the to-be-collected pile, "I'm afraid you're gonna have to wait until lunch."
"Yes, we MUST preserve some of our food stocks if we are to avoid starvation," put in Dashiell, to which Kushanku, Akira and Satoshi exchanged glances, "Now shut up and resume placing the best food into the Queen's collection pile."
Nyarth, however, was so saturated with bitterness, especially from his rumbling tummy that he was just about past caring. It was clear that the past ten Narnian years of such small meals, with larger, fulling ones being very rare, few and far between, was finally getting to Nyarth and some of the other kids in Dashiell's family (and even the adults though they were able to conceal their complaints better than some of the kids). Then Nyarth stole a glare at Dashiell, turned that glare to the pear in his paw and returned it to his mouth. He opened his mouth and placed his teeth just above the skin of the fruit in defiance.
"Nyarth, don't you even THINK of taking a bite out of that pear," growled Dashiell in rebuke. Rosemary nodded in agreement. "Yes, take that pear away from your mouth, Nyarth," she added. However, Nyarth defiantly kept the pear in his mouth and threatened to sink his teeth into its flesh to take a chunk out of it, and Kushanku, Satoshi, Akira and also Gingerfur, Sandstorm and Amberpaw could clearly see the boiling anger on the faces of Dashiell, the Hedgehogs, Shadewing and Rosemary as their glares converged on the defiant oldest Nekomata kit.
"Nyarth, do as your adopted father says," commanded Quill as he, Thorn and Spikeball glared at the Nekomata. No compliance and refusal to obey.
"Nyarth, this isn't a joke you know," said Thorn, "That pear is one of the best in the pile and we are required by the Queen's orders that we hand her the best of our delivered food to her in the ninety percent portions that we give her."
"No take that pear out of your mouth and place it into the to-be-collected pile," said Spikeball in a rebuking voice. Still no compliance and Nyarth's teeth moved closer to the pear's surface skin such that his fangs were now in contact with the fruit. Kushanku continued to gaze at his older brother and began to think again about letting his urge to complain get the better of him.
This wasn't the first time this had happened. The previous times Nyarth and also Gingerfur, Sandstorm and at times Satoshi, Snowwing the Skvader kit, Dahlia the Jackalope kit, and Crystal the Parrot chick had disobeyed these orders and had either sneaked aside a best apple or other fruit or had taken a bite out of one in front of the adults had landed them on the receiving end of a harsh punishment set upon them by Dashiell and Honeycomb. Then a memory of Kushanku himself disobeying his adopted parents and the other adults like this flashed in his mind and he remembered how he had been forced to shovel away the deep snow walling the entrance to the den under the strict eye of Honeycomb after he had been caught sneaking away some best bananas and apples from the to-be-collected pile by Daisytail and Hopper the Jackalopes, and that punishment had been completely unpleasant for the poor Nekomata and he actually thought he was going to catch a very bad cold, for that day it had been absolutely freezing. Not to mention the hard work that had to be injected and it made Kushanku's muscles groan and ache from the effort.
The giving of ninety percent of the food delivered, or the food grown indoors such as the Jackalope's fruit tree, to the Queen and her highest ranking followers had always been a very strict rule that EACH and EVERY creature living in the frigid land of Narnia had to do, weather they liked it or not, and that ninety percent must contain ALL the best food in that 'offering'. If they did not comply, they would be dragged away to the Queen and severely punished. Kushanku, Akira, Satoshi and Nyarth did not know what kind of punishment the Queen bestowed on the disobedient yet but Kushanku daren't think of those consequences. However, the giving of that much food to the Queen always came with a severe side-effect; there was always little left for the animals to eat and that remaining ten percent most often consisted of bruised and damaged food that often had a very unappetising appearance. No wonder so many creatures were struggling to keep their bellies full and ravenous hunger, even to the point of starvation, was not an uncommon thing throughout the winter-trapped land of Narnia. Because of this, many of the oppressed animals were beginning to despise this law and bear a massive grudge against the Queen and her followers for making these rules, alongside the other oppressive laws that female dictator had set upon the poor creatures, and sooner or later, that volcano of rebellion will begin to erupt. Something has got to give at some point.
Suddenly, Kushanku, together with Satoshi, Akira, Sandstorm, Gingerfur and Amberpaw, all jumped into the air as though the ground under them had suddenly sprouted spikes as Dashiell's voice exploded right at Nyarth, the Cheetah's anger at the Nekomata's disobedience having finally erupted. The fruit and veg they had in their paws were dropped and the six backed away as they watched the head Cheetah lunge at Nyarth and seized him by the arm.
"LOOK, if you are GONNA BE CHILDISH and REBELLIOUS," bellowed Dashiell as he began to drag the screaming and balling Nyarth away from the group and in the direction of the corridor to the sleeping quarters, "Then YOU SHALL have an EARLY NIGHT, shall NOT PARTICIPATE IN OUR LESSONS and FACE WHATEVER PENALTY US GROWN-UPS decide to GIVE YOU…"
As Dashiell dragged a tantrum-erupting Nyarth away, Kushanku shot a timid gaze in the direction of where his brother had been and saw a pear; that same one Nyarth had in his paw and mouth, lying on the floor, a bite-shaped crater gouged into its side. Kushanku then arrived at only one conclusion.
"He's bitten into it," whispered Amberfur near him. Kushanku flashed his adopted Cheetah cub sister a gaze and said nothing while Satoshi, Akira, Gingerfur and Sandstorm continued watching Dashiell then shove Nyarth into the sleeping room at the other end of the corridor and slam the door hard, shutting the screaming and crying Nyarth in the sleeping quarters and leaving him to throw a MASSIVE paddy. As Dashiell came out of the corridor and returned to the large living quarters of the den, he was met with a convergence of stunned looks from the others in his den, including Honeycomb, Rubyfeather, Rosebush and Daisytail, who had been disturbed from the washing up and putting away of the eating tools by the commotion stirred up by Nyarth's defiance and tantrum. At this, Dashiell put on a firm look, raised his front paws and said, "Look, just continue with your tasks, okay? We'll deal with Nyarth later."
At this, the other family members exchanged glances and resumed their tasks, with Kushanku, Satoshi, Akira, Amberpaw, Gingerfur and Sandstorm resuming their task of helping Shadewing, Thorn, Quill, Spikeball, Chiseltooth and Rosemary with finishing the sorting of the delivered food into the Queen's pile without any complaints or hesitation for fear that they might end up facing the same consequences as Nyarth as well, while Dahlia, Snowwing and Crystal hastily rushed over to Honeycomb's group to help with the washing of the eating tools.