I hope you enjoy this chapter! - ZS


A Rose and a Warrior

Chapter IV


By the time the fox fiddlers had stopped playing and many of the attendants had departed (some to the next party), Rose had made up her mind that she must see for herself the Gates of Dark Forest, and learn all the secrets the Forest was hiding.

She had left Felldoh and his adoptive family some time ago, unable to separate her reality and her friend's "memories," making conversation difficult. The only notable thing that happened between the group was when Firky had identified his adoptive father has "Wohawk", prompting Rowlock to burst into proud, fatherly tears.

Bidding the two mice farewell, she pushed her way through the thinning crowd until she caught sight of Windred drinking with two otters and a vole with a stomach the size of a hare's. It was obvious that the mousewife had become incredibly tipsy as she leaned heavily on the vole's shoulder, occasionally spilling her drink on his head.

Rose waited patiently on the outskirts of the conversation, hoping for a good time to jump in and suggest that they leave. A moment later, one of the otters stumbled backwards into a fruit tray, the others laughing uproariously. It was as good a time as any.

"Come now, Windred, it's about time we left," Rose prompted, grabbing the mouse's elbow.

"Awww! Can' I jes' h-have a liddle more fun?" The mousewife hiccuped twice, dropping her drink. "Whad a wasssse!"

Rose sighed heavily, still dragging Windred away from the party. "I'm sure you've got more important things to do besides drink 'til you pass out."

"Dead things don' sleep. 'Sides, we sober quick."

"Ah, a mousebabe did you say? Always sad when one of them comes this early to Dark Forest, knowing nothing and unable to recall a single memory." Windred had apparently recovered as quickly as she had said.

"What do you mean by that?" Rose pressed.

"We all awaken in Dark Forest with the bodies of our youth. For the old, like myself, it is a blessing, but to the youngsters who have regained their memories, the transition is confusing and sometimes depressing, as they begin to wonder what could have been.

"Those who are not prepared to die have a difficult time recalling their memories, which makes sense, since as a younger beast you would focus more on the present and future compared to the past... But the ones who are too young to understand, they have the worst time of it. They never learned what it meant to live, and so they must rely on the kind of life they can obtain in Dark Forest. For them to have any recall is miraculous, but they will mainly rely on other beasts to care for them."

"Like the mouse..." Rose mumbled, mostly to herself.

"Hoi, you... Rose!"

The mousemaid turned expectantly toward the familiar voice. Felldoh stood a ways away, obviously fighting with some inner doubts, probably about her. "What is it, Felldoh?" Rose asked, trying her best to keep the edge of sadness out of her voice.

Apparently the squirrel heard it, because he approached cautiously, his head tilted as if under the weight of an unasked question. He still didn't say anything until he was an arm's length away from her.

"Who in Hellgates is Felldoh?" Fortunately he sounded more bemused than angry.

Rose expected to hear something from Windred, but the mouselady remained silent, indicating that this was Rose's territory. 'Thanks for the help,' she thought to herself.

"You're Felldoh."

"No, who's really Felldoh? You couldn't've just pulled that name out of thin air," he frowned.

"I wish I could tell you everything, but I didn't know much about you when... to begin with. Your father was Barkjon, and your best friends were Martin and my brother Brome." She didn't want to be the one to tell him about his gruesome death at the paws of Badrang's horde.

"There's something important you're not telling me Rose. All I hear are bits and pieces," the squirrel took another step forward, staring down at the mousemaid with smoldering eyes.

"You'll have to find that out for yourself, Felldoh," she replied shortly. Even if he threatened her, what could you possibly do to a creature that was already dead?

"Then let me come with you, wherever you happen t'be going," he pressed. "Maybe you'll feel like telling me something soon."

"But what about Rowlock and Firky?" Rose frowned.

Felldoh shrugged. "Dunno, soon as you made t'leave he did the same, I guess. Took Firky with 'im. 'E knows I kin look after myself. Where're you two headed?" he asked again.

"Well, I've got a place in mind," Windred beamed, as though the confrontation had never happened.

Rose sighed. Leave it to Windred. "Where to?"

"It's time you met Luke and Sayna."

xxxx

Martin had finally stopped for the day. Hunger was gnawing at his empty stomach, but in an effort to conserve his supplies he just ate whatever came his way on the road.

Sitting himself down on a tree stump, the mouse warrior calculated the distance he had travelled so far. Noonvale and any of the landmarks he knew that led to it were out of sight, so he must have gone fairly far for a days' journey.

Popping wild raspberries into his mouth, he wondered what the road would be like ahead of him. How far would he go? Would it be better? Would he be able to move on? Where was he going to go? He didn't even know where here was.

All these things passed through his mind as twigs cracked in the forest directly behind him. Acting as though he had not heard the obvious noise, Martin silently pulled his sword from its sheath and held it ready.

"Hoi yew! Mousey!" a gruff voice called from the surrounding trees. "T'ain't good manners te pick apart somebeast's property!" Leaves showered down on the warrior mouse's head as a hedgehog perched upside down appeared from the trees.

Martin let out a sigh, but kept a tight grip on his sword. "My apologies. I'm just passing through here!"

"Hmph! Well that's a lame excuse!" said a second hedgehog directly above the mouse. "Yew shoulda pegged 'im while yew 'ad the chance, Alto!"

"An' why didn' yew, Octa? Yew were right above 'im!"

The two hedgehogs began arguing with each other, completely ignoring their trespasser.

Martin shook his head, sheathing his sword. "Can I speak to some sensible beast?!"

"That ye may, mousey," said a new voice. A one-eyed sparrow stood at his feet. "Ignore the hogs, they argue like shrews. I'll take ye t'see Ribad. I'm Pluto, by the way. Lookin' after those two is an awful job."

The arguing continued at a steady rate, neither fading from hearing nor getting any louder. Martin figured they must have been following. "How does it work around here?" he asked.

"Not well, I'm afraid. Hasn't since everybeast moved up from the south during the drought too many summers back te recall. Everybeast fer himself. Still, we're alive and learnin' te flourish agin. Where d'ye hail from mousey?"

"The far north. I am called Martin."

Pluto looked him up and down shrewdly. "Aye, yer a northerner alright. Had some run-ins wi' bad comp'ny, I see. You alone?"

"Yes," Martin replied, almost too quickly. Rose and Noonvale were still so fresh in his mind.

The sparrow blinked, but said nothing.

They walked on, the silence of the woods broken only by the two hedgehogs shrieking back and forth. A topple of trees appeared ahead, and Pluto flitted to an opening covered by strings of moss. The trunks formed a dome and Martin felt himself pulled back in time to Polleekin's treehouse. Maybe he could go back and see her-

"Martin, eh?!" a clear baritone pulled him back to reality. Pluto had turned to face him, along with an ancient beaver, the apparent occupant of the tree-dome. The beaver scrambled out of his home, coughing to hide a smile.

The beaver stumped toward him, then proceeded to sniff Martin. Try as he might, the mouse warrior could not mask all his confusion, and the two hedgehogs tittered from above. "Mousey got bad manners for a gennelbeast!"

Finally the silver-haired beaver seemed satisfied and looked Martin straight in the face. "Things down here're different than what you're used to, Martin. You smell of war, when all we know is peace. But we need you, aye, we need you."

"Kick his tail outta here, Ribad! 'E was eatin' our berries earlier!" one the hedgehogs interrupted.

"Yeah, 'e ain' nothin' but a mooch!"

Ribad snorted. "Shut up the two of ya! Don't make me tell cousin Trixy!"

At this the two hedgehogs fell silent and dropped from the trees on either side of Ribad, wailing and clinging to the beaver's tunic.

'Like Pygmys,' Martin thought before he could stop himself.

"Don't mind these two Martin. Alto and Octa are just some orphans my cousin found when he came here. I'm just looking after them while he- well, I'd best tell you inside." Ribad motioned to the opening in the trees, shooing the two hedgehogs off with the other paw.

The beaver waited for his guest to clamber inside before signaling to Pluto. Blinking his understanding, the sparrow flitted away silently.

xxxx

To be continued...