CHAPTER 13: Council From Lady Amber


"Then it is agreed," Lady Amber said decidedly. "The beavers have consigned to allow a treaty between themselves and the gophers to be established, and to cease their flooding of the gopher tunnels?"
A brief deliberation again broke out as Andy was pulled aside for the twentieth time that night by an important looking beaver and a fat gopher. The three huddled together and began to chatter passionately for several minutes.
"Yes, you can have your pick of the trees along the river."
More chattering.
"Okay, no popple trees."
More chattering. The beaver began waving his paws about dramatically.
"No, I can't allow that. The rules of the forest say you can't build more than one."
More chattering.
"Okay, and the gophers and moles will be allowed access."
It had taken nearly four hours for the deliberations to reach this final stage, and all the animals were showing small signs of weariness and agitation. It is never easy for forty wild animals to come to a common decision quickly about anything, especially when distractions and the occasional skirmishes abound.
As the night had crept in, a small fire had been lit in the center of the pit where the animals had gathered around. The pulsing yellow light from the flames played off of the three hunched figures as they came to a decision. Andy and the two party heads returned to face Lady Amber.
"The two parties agree," Andy answered. "The gophers will end the squabbling on the north bend of the river, and let the beavers build their dam." The beaver and gopher stood proudly aside the fox as he delivered the verdict to the ferret.
"Excellent. Well done, Fox."
Andy smiled. "Ma'am."
The fox returned to his tree stump seat next to his badger guard as the agreement was made binding by solemn oath. Suddenly, he began to feel very tired and dizzy, as if all of his energy had suddenly been drained. His vision began to blur slightly, and he had to fight to keep his senses and attention on Lady Amber and the task at hand.
Thankfully, a few minutes later the arbitration was over. The animals slowly disbanded after the beaver and gopher parties thanked the fox profusely for his assistance. He nodded and thanked them in return. Then he gave a welcome sigh of relief and leaned back on the soft grass, stretching noisily.
Lady Amber and her squirrel entourage remained, along with the badger. Sasha had also returned after the arbitration had ended, and now sat quietly off to the side.
Lady Amber poked at the fire between herself and the fox. "You seem tired, Andy. I trust I have not put you out this evening."
The fox sat back up and shook his head. "Nothing of the sort, Lady. I just feel a bit tired."
The ferret looked regally across to Andy in an oddly disarming manner. "The arbitration was not the only reason I summoned you here tonight, Sir. We here know what has been happening with you lately."
"Oh?"
"We have been watching you for many years. Your path... your family... is not unknown to us."
Andy looked startled. What Lady Amber was eluding about was no trivial matter. It was not everyone who caught the individual attention of the leader of the entire region of animals, and Andy recognized this. He bowed slightly to the ferret. "I am honored, my lady, if a bit confused."
"There is an unrest in you, Sir Fox, that cannot be silenced by the secession of time that has fallen upon those around you. The long forgotten callings have been stirring you lately. You have heard them, yes?"
Thoroughly shocked, Andy slowly nodded.
The ferret continued. "You have reached your heritage crossroads, my friend. It's a true sign that the callings have been received, causing you to feel at odds--left out. But as you will soon discover--you are a stranger only in spirit, not body."
Andy looked back at Lady Amber, slightly bewildered at her words. He had the very unsettling feeling that she knew something he didn't.
"Thank you for your wisdom, Lady," Andy said, taking the ferret's paw in his and touching it to his lips, but the ferret was not finished with her words. She began speaking confidentially to Andy in Toon Ferret, her amber eyes glowing from the light of the fire.
"The fox you saw today," she started, almost dreamily, "came from a very distant place--beyond time--beyond our world." As she spoke, Lady Amber took Andy's paw and slipped something small and round into it. "Your toon spirit is calling for help, fox. He... is lost. Perhaps, it is time for him to come home. You have always had a kind heart, Sir Fox. That is why we let you have your land. Your duty here... is not by chance..." The ferret broke off somewhat abruptly, as if realizing she was saying too much.
She smiled and stood up, switching back to Common Wild. "Now, fox, go home to your family." Andy rose as well, but was overwhelmed by another sudden wave of dizziness. The badger quickly caught him before he could fall over.
Lady Amber looked concerned and walked over to the fox. "Are you sure you Are all right?" she asked.
Andy muttered and nodded affirmatively. He shook his head to clear his senses, then turned to the badger. "Thank you, Fern." he said, extracting himself from two large black paws that were holding him gently. He held on to one and squeezed it affectionately. The badger smiled back at him.
"Sasha," Lady Amber called, "please see that our friend has proper conveyance home, would you?"
Sasha exchanged glances with Lady Amber, then smiled and walked off. She returned a short time later wearing a soft birch bark saddle. Around her neck, half-buried in her dark fur, was a red leather collar studded with several jewels, suggesting status and high social rank in the animal community. She walked over to Andy and stood patiently.
Andy stumbled slightly as he turned to regard the raccoon, then turned back to Lady Amber. "Oh, I don't think..."
"Come on, dear," Sasha interrupted casually, tugging on the fox's fur with a paw. Lady Amber nodded to the fox.
Too tired to protest, Andy turned and gave the badger a final smile and paw-shake, before making himself comfortable astride Sasha's broad back, the world continuing to swim around him. He bid Lady Amber and the rest of the animals farewell, as Sasha turned and quietly padded back to the forest.
"By the way, Sir Fox," the ferret called after him, "please tell your rabbit that he is welcome in our section of woods as well. He always has been."
Andy nodded and waved a paw to the remaining animals as their forms, lit by the dying firelight, grew small and distant. As they re-entered the thick forest, Andy glanced back to see the badger raise a paw, bidding him a sad but silent farewell. The fox frowned as scenes from decades ago replayed themselves in his mind. With a heavy heart and somber eyes, he watched as the badger's form slowly disappeared behind the deep foliage of the forest.

"You know you don't have to do this," Andy said, his senses and energy slowly and inexplicably returning. He patted Sasha's side. "I feel better now. I'm sure I can..."
Sasha's voice was playfully gruff as she cut in, "You know very well Lady Amber will not have any of her guests make their way home alone when they are injured or unable," she chided, again reading from an invisible rule book. "Besides," she added, casually, "I am the official escort to our friends of the forest, you know."
"You're not getting too old for this, are you?" Andy asked.
Sasha smiled and shook her head. "Not for you, dear."
Andy sighed and ruffled the 'coon's head fur. "You are one of a kind, Sasha."

It was an hour after midnight when Andy returned home, riding upon Sasha as she trotted effortlessly out of the woods and across his back yard. She lumbered onto the patio and stopped next to the door to the mansion.
Andy thanked Sasha for her company and kindness, then the two bid farewell to each other. Sasha turned and padded off the deck, her heavy claws scratched the patio floorboards noisily as she leapt off into the grass. Her large body moved gracefully across the yard, disappearing moments later back into the woods.
Half-asleep and still trying to understand what Lady Amber had told him, Andy stumbled right into the closed patio door. A bright halo of stars circled about his head as he rubbed it in confusion. Smiling at his own action, he opened the door and disappeared inside.
He found Slappy fast asleep in bed, her resting form illuminated by a cool blue light of the moon through the bedroom window. He gazed at the small object he held in his hand and frowned, a feeling of guilt mixed with annoyance welling in him. He tossed the object tiredly onto the dresser. It made a metallic clang as it hit the hard surface. Andy turned quickly to see Slappy stir.
"What was that hooey all about, Fox?" Slappy yawned, stretching her body lazily.
"Sorry, hon," Andy apologized, gazing at himself in the dresser mirror. "They just needed someone to settle a dispute." He crawled into bed next to Slappy. "Just helping out the woodland creatures, you know."
Slappy snuggled up to the fox, using his soft white cheek fur as a pillow. She buried her nose in it happily. "Sure you were." She yawned once more, before falling back to sleep. Andy cupped an arm around her back and hugged the squirrel happily as he too slipped into a quiet slumber.
That night, Andy was plagued with a flood of disturbing dreams. Blurred images of toons he didn't know flashed in his mind. He saw a female squirrel, shimmering with gold fur, and a odd-looking grayed fox sitting under a tree. The dream had ended in a wave of unsettling imagery that had caused him to awaken with a start. It was morning. He glanced over to Slappy, fast asleep next to him. Seeing that everything was all right, Andy laid back down, only to be harshly disturbed by the alarm clock/radio blaring to life one minute later. In quick reflex, a gray arm wielding a large cartoon mallet shot out from the bed and swiftly silenced the device.
Andy was definitely back in the world of toon comedy.


To Be Continued...