Chapter 9: Mud Castles
With the cool breeze of autumn upon them, Letti and Blyth played on the rock face gardens. Joining the sisters was a young highland hare named Adair McGearr, who was only a season older. The McGearr's were longtime friends of Peony and Tutsan. Both Adair Sr. and his wife Thistlelow patrolled with Peony. As both young Adair's parents were away, Peony was pleased to look in on the leveret from time to time. He had grown quite a friendship with her girls. The trio was covered from footpaw to eartip in dirt. Adair had come up with the idea to build a castle out of stray stones lying around the gardens. Using soil, stone, and bits of vegetation, the leverets constructed a lopsided pile, but to them it was a castle. Peony watched on from a distance. She didn't mind how dirty they got; there was lots of time for baths before supper.
"Mummy look." Blyth pointed proudly to the pile. In her excitement to show her mother, she turned abruptly and her paw connected with the stones. Held together with only loose soil, the pile tumbled apart. At this Letti began to cry, which started young Blyth to well up with tears. The two small haremaids sobbed piteously as their beloved castle turned to rubble. Young Adair, being a little older, picked up some of the fallen rocks. "Dinna cry, Ah'll fix yon bonny castle."
The little highland hare took great pawfuls of dirt and rolled it into balls. "Ah has a better h'idea. Let's make braw mud pies fer tea."
Peony hurried in, scooping up Adair and tickling his ribs. The little creature squeaked with joy and instantly dropped the ball of soil.
"Stopit stopit!" he squealed.
"Beg pardon, young sah, did you want some more?" Peony laughed, holding him in her paws and twirling about. Adair was the picture of joy as his ears blew back in the light breeze created.
"Me!"
"No, me mummy."
The paws of both maids rose towards their mother, begging to be spun around.
"Well, will you just look at the state of these young'uns. Peony, they've absolutely ruined those smocks." Mem Semara glanced coldly towards her daughter, observing the dirt on each of her grandchildren.
"Nothing that a little soap and water can't fix." Peony set down Adair, then brushed the soil from her tunic. "What a pleasant surprise to see you, didn't think you would venture out to the gardens. What with the autumn chills an' all."
Mem licked a corner of her apron and proceeded to try and clean a squirming Blyth. "I was actually on my way to an Officers' Wives meeting. I thought I might bring along the little miss, to see the ladies."
"I go too," piped up the smaller voice of Letti. The young leveret held out her paws towards her grandmother. It was enough to break Peony's heart, and soften that of Mem's. If it wasn't for the physical difference in size and slight fur variation, anyone might believe the pair to be twins.
Blyth grabbed hold of her grandmother's apron, and began dusting off her sister's face. "Clean up, Letti," she announced in the charming toddler talk of her youth. Blyth imitated almost perfectly the stern look of her grandmother, much to the amusement of her mother.
Mem had been trying for weeks to show off Blyth to the ladies. Peony was rapidly running out of excuses not to allow it. She wanted her mother involved with her children, but didn't agree with the club that the elder harewife held in such high regard. Sighing heavily, she gave into the wishes.
"Mother, you can take the girls tonight if you wish. "
The announcement thrilled Mem. She gingerly patted each girl between the ears, careful to avoid any dirt. "Oh, we will have a jolly time, won't we, darlings? I'll see to it that Mrs. Maudberry makes a special pudding for the both of you. But first we're off to a bath. Then into pretty little dresses and bonnets, yes, that will be just the thing."
As with all hares, the promise of food would light up their eyes, and cause stomachs to growl. Taking both haremaids by the paw, Mem leads them away. Young Adair tugged on the edge of Peony's tunic.
"Ah wanna pudding too." He looked up imploringly.
Patting the leveret's ears, Peony picked away some of the caked-on dirt. "Of course y'do. Growing chap like y'self. How about we get you washed up and see about that pudding."
This pleased young Adair greatly; taking her paw he was content to be lead away for a bath.
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For Letti and Blyth, it seemed the pudding was not as readily available as they suspected. Mem had seen to it that the girls were bathed. Both had squirmed and protested while she scrubbed them down with lavender soap, then squirmed again as she roughly dried their fur and brushed their downy leveret coats. Each were dressed in matching pink dresses that Mem herself had made. The maids found them to be scratchy and uncomfortable, nothing like the free-flowing smocks their mother dressed them in. These garments had lace sleeves, and bows and puffs. None of the other leverets owned anything puffy. Worst of all was the bonnets, lace trimmed with silk bows tied under the chin. There were no ear holes cut in the bonnets, so the maids were forced to keep their ears draped down their backs. Young hares like to fidget, and wiggle their ears; forcing them back was near agony for them.
Holding their grandmother's paws, the two little maids toddled towards the meeting chamber. Blyth scratched at her bonnet.
"Enough of that, m'dear. Maids shouldn't scratch like that." Mem gave Blyth's paw a light, yet warning, squeeze.
"Grandma, m'ear's twitchy." Blyth explained.
"Now, now, best behavior little 'uns." With one last warning, the maids were brought forth.
For all the fuss that Mem made about her little club, there wasn't a large membership. Six hare wives in total made up the Officers' Wives club. All were around Mem's seasons, none born and raised at Salamandastron. For as long as the club had been in existence, members were largely from the south. A few had come from the east, but it seemed that the maids from the southern country, those used to living a particular comfortable lifestyle, were more inclined to gather. None of the members had ever been northern or highland hares. Just as it wasn't surprising for hares to take brides from the southern country, occasionally Patrol hares found companions beyond the northern border. While there were cultural differences, they seemed to adapt and find companionship with others like themselves, rather than form social clubs.
Blyth in particular was paraded around the group. Her cheeks were pinched by every harewife who looked her over. Again and again Mem was informed of how much the leveret resembled her side of the family. Letti quietly watched as her sister was paraded around. She was too young to realize she was being excluded. The smaller of the pair adored her sister, and thought it all some sort of game. She clapped her paws cheerfully, as Blyth came once more to stand beside her.
"Don't see no pudding," Blyth whispered to Letti. The pair looked disappointed, and waited, and waited. They waited while the older females drank their mint tea and talked about things that neither interested nor were understood by the leverets. It seemed that Mem's idea of fun was far different from theirs. They sat, paw in paw, on a bench. They were not allowed to make any noise, and they couldn't have any of the plum cake, as it might stain their dresses. The scratchy garments were made all the worse by sitting still. Letti in particular couldn't help but fidget.
"Little 'un, why are you wriggling like a bally worm?" Mem questioned.
"Sorry." Letti could pick up her grandmother's disappointment and tried to stop.
From the halls came a ringing: one of the alarm bells fixed by the watch windows. Letti and Blyth perked up, curious as to what the noise was all about. The six wives of the Officers' Wives Club all descended into various forms of panic. Wringing paws and anxiously looking for places to hide, some voiced fears of searat attacks. For the two leverets the sight was quite amusing. They were a quite disappointed when Mem took both their paws and with speed went in search of their mother.
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Unlike Blyth and Letti, Adair got a helping of pudding. As he had behaved like a proper gentlebeast when Peony bathed and put him in a fresh tunic, the leveret received the prize. Peony had used her sway with the kitchen staff to get it. It also helped that the tiny highlander had stolen the hearts of all the kitchen hares. His adorable features and the thick accent coming from such a small creature, was too much to resist. The young hare sat atop the preparation table with a bowl of bread pudding on his lap and a large spoon in his paws. Knowing he had an audience, he made a great show of eating, pausing to comically rub his belly and smile, other times smacking his lips. His antics were rewarded by the swoons of the hare maids who worked in the kitchen.
"Aww, will y'look at the jolly little fellow."
"I say, he's quite the little gentlebeast."
"Can't we get him some more pudding, might fill out those cheeks a bit, wot?"
"No more pudding," Peony insisted, right as two of the haremaids were about to prepare another helping. "Can't spoil the little chap's supper." Her ears perked, hearing the warning bells. "What's all this din about?"
Unlike the Officer's Wives Club, the kitchen staff was calm about the alarm. They knew orders would reach them, and as they were not responsible for responding to the call they didn't leave their duties. As none of the kitchen hares were worried, Adair continued eating, ignoring the noise.
Tutsan arrived; he seemed relieved when he spied Peony. "Oh, good, found you. Bad news I'm afraid, m'dear. Trouble up in the North Country. Two birds just showed up out of the blinking blue, osprey types I think. They were carrying a message, from Major Bernie. Colonel Hardan briefly went over the bally scrawl, but it seems there was a skirmish with rats. I'm afraid…" It was then he caught sight of Adair. Looking to his wife, his brown eyes were grim, but he said no more words. There was no need for words. The leveret remained blissfully unaware of what was left unsaid.
Nodding slowly, Peony passed a look to the kitchen hares. All had lost their content demeanor, and now passed sympathetic looks towards little Adair. "M'dear, we ought t'go discuss this business with the Colonel. Ladies, I hope you will keep an eye on master Adair, see that he's entertained. Perhaps another helping of pudding wouldn't hurt." Kissing the little leveret on the top of his head she excused herself with Tutsan.
"Who did we loose? Adair or Thistlelow?" she whispered as they crossed the mess hall.
Tutsan paused, taking hold of Peony's paw. He looked into her eyes, filled with the deep sorrow of losing a dear friend. "The blighters stole both of them from us."
Clenching her jaw, she blinked back a tear. "Any other casualties?"
"No, the others are fine. The details of the note were a bit rough sketched, but when the birds recover we should learn more. One was badly wounded; she's up in the infirmary now. Colonel Hardan will want t' see me again. Discuss tactics and all that rot. I should like you t'come with me. "
Peony nodded and followed her husband to the officer's mess. Other officers had gathered there; she quickly spied Bloomberry and Aubrey. As they too had gotten the news, their usually playful selves had faded into somber exteriors. The bells had stopped their ringing, and as there was no immediate threat, most hares returned to their duties. In the mess those gathered looked to the figure of Lady Oranna who had come to join them.
The young badger seemed crestfallen as she moved to address her hares. "Colonel Hardan has informed you of our loss. We shall not let the death of two perilous hares be in vain. I intend to reinforce our strength in the northern border. Larger patrols to start with. Also I've discussed with the Colonel plans to expand out northern posts. We will learn from this, and honour the memory of our fallen friends with every vermin we put in the earth." The badgermaid clenched her paws into fists.
Calmly Colonel Hardan interjected. "Two ospreys brought us the report. Seems the rotten rats damaged their nest homestead or wotever. Meantime Major Miltrun and Sister Prudence will be overseeing their care. I suggest you jolly well avoid the infirmary as much as possible, an' encourage those under your command t'do the same, wot. Injured birds are especially dangerous. No need t' frighten the blighters any more than need be. Right, for now there are no further orders. Dismissed."
The officers milled about, filing out of the mess slowly. Tutsan and Peony lagged behind. When most of the hares had departed, Peony approached the Colonel and Badger Lady. She nodded her head respectfully to each in turn.
"Sah, Marm, if I may I would like to discuss young Adair. His father and mother were dear friends of mine. With your permission, Tutsan and I would like to be his guardians."
Hardan smiled, taking Peony warmly by the paws. "M'dear Peony, the McGearr's were blessed t'count the pair o'ye among their friends. I would happily grant ye such a request. However, Adair already sorted the arrangements when the lad was born. As soon as I can arrange it, word will be sent to the lad's uncle. Seems in the event of death they wished the young chap be raised in the highlands. I understand your young gel's are rather fond of the leveret. If there was some way I could keep the young'uns all together, I jolly well would. But, I can't deny a brave chap such a request."
While it saddened her that the young leveret would have to leave, Peony nodded. "Of course. I understand."
"Might you do one thing for me?" Hardan asked slowly.
"Of course, Sah." Something about Hardan's tone confused her.
"Would y'mind awfully telling the lad? I've always found it rather difficult discussing these matters with young'uns."
"Of course, Sah. Say no more." Bobbing her head, Peony took Tutsan's paw and left the mess, heart heavy with the task assigned to her.
