Azura awoke with a horrid headache late in the afternoon. She could hear
the sound of rushing water beneath her head. Suddenly, she jerked into her
senses and looked around her. She saw little Caley lying on the grass at
the base of the tree, sleeping, and underneath her a waterfall. Azura almost
yelled out loud. There was a vertical drop of that seemed to go on forever
beneath her, where foaming white water cascaded down violently. Her footpaws
had been lashed to the branch above her, and a large squirrel eyed them
dangerously in the safety of the large boughs higher up the tree.
"SQUIRREL SNATCHER!" The squirrel, who was dressed in dark green pants
which were sliced at the knee and a brown cloak, bellowed at her.
"I did not snatch 'im! 'e was alone in the forest, and he wanted to come
along! I'm a goodbeast, y'know." Azura told the squirrel.
He eyed her suspiciously. "If you are goodbeast, I will let you down,
but if you are trying to decieve me, you shall die."
Just then, Caley woke up. "Let 'zura down! She be good!"
The big squirrel believed Caley, and let the ferret down from the branch.
"My apologies. My name is Barkfir, and I'm the cheiftain of the squirrel
tribe around here. What is your name?"
"Azura Wildfyre. Pleased to meet yer." Azura grinned.
"I know your father well. He started the Vermin Rebellion. Come, join
us at the feast." Barkfir set off through the trees, with Azura and Caley
trying to keep up. Soon, they were at a little clearing, where there were
many small treehouses made from wood sitting on the massive branches of
a large oak tree in the middle of the clearing. A big table was securely
fastened on the biggest bough of the tree (which was at least ten beasts
wide and thirty long), and the branch was carved into seats.
"That is our feasting table. Come, let us go up. Just step on yonder
platform an' haul away on the rope." Barkfir took Azura by the paw and lead
her to a platform. She stepped onto it and began pulling on the rope next
to her. Soon, she was moving up the tree towards the big branch as Barkfir
and Caley leaped nimbly up the giant oak.
The ferret took her seat next to Barkfir, Caley on her lap. There were
honey and oat scones, salad, blackberry pie, candied and crystallized fruit
and nuts, rosehips and apples dripping in thick syrup and, as the centerpiece,
a bowl piled high with fresh cherries. Azura ate her fill, her favourite
being the rosehips and syrup. A couple of hares were also at the table.
"Squirrelhares. Nice they're a nice lot." remarked Barkfir. "Just about
at home up 'ere an' on th' ground. We raised 'em ourselves. That 'un over
there is Briskpaw," he indicated with a cherry stem at a hare wearing a
vest and loose pants, "An' the other 'un is Fleetspaw. They're twins y'see.
We found 'em orphaned on one of our expeditions. Parents were nearby, slain,
and vermin were littered all about. Bet those hares put up quite a fight."
Azura nodded, knowing that hares are brave creatures. She approached
the two. Briskpaw, the female grinned. "Hullo, ole ferrety-type! Come to
nick our dinner, eh?"
"Rather not, Brisky. I think she's come for some of the bally courage,
wot!"
The ferret laughed and replied in her best harespeech. "Bah, bally
cads! I'm quite a goodbeast, y'know."
"Our humble apologies, marm." Fleetspaw said.
"Just a bit of jokin' y'see." added Briskpaw.
"Now, young hares, up to your treehouse. Leave the ferret alone."
A squirrelwife shooed the squirrel hares up into a treehouse.
"G'bye, ferrety-type!"
"See ye on the morrow!"
Barkfir smiled as he hopped next to Azura. "I'll be showin' ye to
your house, now. We always keep an empty 'un for a visitor."
Azura's treehouse overlooked Mossflower. The view was beautiful.
Trees stretched out in all directions, a light brown path snaked its way
here and there. Somewhere in the distance was a thin strip of blue, the
ocean. Before the ferret fell asleep, Barkfir came up with a beaker of hot
soup. She drank it all in two gulps, thanked Barkfir for his hospitality
and dropped onto the bed. She fell asleep next to Caley in a snap.
the sound of rushing water beneath her head. Suddenly, she jerked into her
senses and looked around her. She saw little Caley lying on the grass at
the base of the tree, sleeping, and underneath her a waterfall. Azura almost
yelled out loud. There was a vertical drop of that seemed to go on forever
beneath her, where foaming white water cascaded down violently. Her footpaws
had been lashed to the branch above her, and a large squirrel eyed them
dangerously in the safety of the large boughs higher up the tree.
"SQUIRREL SNATCHER!" The squirrel, who was dressed in dark green pants
which were sliced at the knee and a brown cloak, bellowed at her.
"I did not snatch 'im! 'e was alone in the forest, and he wanted to come
along! I'm a goodbeast, y'know." Azura told the squirrel.
He eyed her suspiciously. "If you are goodbeast, I will let you down,
but if you are trying to decieve me, you shall die."
Just then, Caley woke up. "Let 'zura down! She be good!"
The big squirrel believed Caley, and let the ferret down from the branch.
"My apologies. My name is Barkfir, and I'm the cheiftain of the squirrel
tribe around here. What is your name?"
"Azura Wildfyre. Pleased to meet yer." Azura grinned.
"I know your father well. He started the Vermin Rebellion. Come, join
us at the feast." Barkfir set off through the trees, with Azura and Caley
trying to keep up. Soon, they were at a little clearing, where there were
many small treehouses made from wood sitting on the massive branches of
a large oak tree in the middle of the clearing. A big table was securely
fastened on the biggest bough of the tree (which was at least ten beasts
wide and thirty long), and the branch was carved into seats.
"That is our feasting table. Come, let us go up. Just step on yonder
platform an' haul away on the rope." Barkfir took Azura by the paw and lead
her to a platform. She stepped onto it and began pulling on the rope next
to her. Soon, she was moving up the tree towards the big branch as Barkfir
and Caley leaped nimbly up the giant oak.
The ferret took her seat next to Barkfir, Caley on her lap. There were
honey and oat scones, salad, blackberry pie, candied and crystallized fruit
and nuts, rosehips and apples dripping in thick syrup and, as the centerpiece,
a bowl piled high with fresh cherries. Azura ate her fill, her favourite
being the rosehips and syrup. A couple of hares were also at the table.
"Squirrelhares. Nice they're a nice lot." remarked Barkfir. "Just about
at home up 'ere an' on th' ground. We raised 'em ourselves. That 'un over
there is Briskpaw," he indicated with a cherry stem at a hare wearing a
vest and loose pants, "An' the other 'un is Fleetspaw. They're twins y'see.
We found 'em orphaned on one of our expeditions. Parents were nearby, slain,
and vermin were littered all about. Bet those hares put up quite a fight."
Azura nodded, knowing that hares are brave creatures. She approached
the two. Briskpaw, the female grinned. "Hullo, ole ferrety-type! Come to
nick our dinner, eh?"
"Rather not, Brisky. I think she's come for some of the bally courage,
wot!"
The ferret laughed and replied in her best harespeech. "Bah, bally
cads! I'm quite a goodbeast, y'know."
"Our humble apologies, marm." Fleetspaw said.
"Just a bit of jokin' y'see." added Briskpaw.
"Now, young hares, up to your treehouse. Leave the ferret alone."
A squirrelwife shooed the squirrel hares up into a treehouse.
"G'bye, ferrety-type!"
"See ye on the morrow!"
Barkfir smiled as he hopped next to Azura. "I'll be showin' ye to
your house, now. We always keep an empty 'un for a visitor."
Azura's treehouse overlooked Mossflower. The view was beautiful.
Trees stretched out in all directions, a light brown path snaked its way
here and there. Somewhere in the distance was a thin strip of blue, the
ocean. Before the ferret fell asleep, Barkfir came up with a beaker of hot
soup. She drank it all in two gulps, thanked Barkfir for his hospitality
and dropped onto the bed. She fell asleep next to Caley in a snap.