Chapter 12
The sun was up and shining. Birds chirped their high songs as they busied themselves in their regular morning chores. Abbey dwellers were rising from their beds, all prepared for the new day and the events that laid ahead. Manei the otterbabe rubbed her sleepy eyes as she sat up in her bed. Her eyes opened slowly, and what greeted her made her yelp with fright.
"Eek! 'Oo are ye, an' wot are ye doin' in me room?"
The creature in Manei's room was a hare. Actually, he was a march hare. The hare didn't seem to notice that he was bothering Manei, or that Manei was even in the room. He went around looking in and around objects, looking for something in particular. When the otter had spoken, the hare finally seemed to notice her. He gave her a some what toothy grin and hopped over to the frightened Dibbun.
"Good morn, mah wee bairn, jolly day fer a snack, eh?"
Slowly, Manei got out of her bed, still in her night wear. A bit bolder, Manei spoke out, "Ye 'aven't answered me questions yet. Come on, tell me."
The hare grinned and made an elegant leg. "Mah name's Nipfleet; call me Nippy. Ah'm lookin' fer some vittles, y'ken. Mightily 'ungry, y'see. Who are ye?"
The otter curtsied and extended her paw, like she had been taught to by her mother. "Me name's Manei." A mischievous grin grew on Manei's face as she pointed her other paw that wasn't been shook at the door. "An' I know jus' where da vittles be."
Manei tried her best to creep down the stairs. Peeking into the kitchen, the little otter tiptoed into the large room and scurried over to the nearest platter that had a beaker beside it. Standing up to her full height, she tried to see the contents of plate and cup when a large, forceful paw spun her around. Manei gulped as she faced Badgermom Ttricino, Rambati the Warrior, and Friar Horvory. Ttricino's rough growl seemed to make the otter shiver, Rambati's stern glare made Manei cower back under the gaze, and Friar Horvory brandishing his beloved ladle caused the otter to back away from the mouse and his cooking weapon. Very frightened of the three creatures before her, Manei gathered her wits and managed a slight squeaky, "'Ello!"
Rambati sighed and shook his head, paws crossed. "Manei, Manei, what are we going to do with you? How many times must we catch you stealing food before you actually stop? I'm getting tired of…"
"Catchin' me wid stoden food an' havin' to sen' me to mama. Really, mista 'bati sir, can ye tink o' some other lecture to give me? Dis one's getting' borin'. Maybe nex' time ye could say-"
Manei was interrupted by a loud howl made by Ttricino. The Badgermom was covering her face with her big blunt paws, shaking uncontrollably. Afraid that the badger was going to burst with rage, Manei jumped and scrambled behind Friar Horvory, who was also somewhat afraid. Rambati was staring Ttricino in surprise, not knowing exactly what to expect. When the Badgermom finally uncovered her face, Rambati sighed with relief. The large badger was laughing. She was laughing so hard that tears streamed down her cheeks and she could stop shaking. Finally, Ttricino seemed to calm down. Taking deep breaths, she sat down on the ground and closed her eyes, trying to relax herself. When she peeked them open again, she saw Friar Horvory and Rambati the Warrior staring at her, faces blank. This caused the badger to start laughing again, causing her to topple over. This made Horvory and the Abbey Champion ever more confused, and they tried their best to try and calm their Badgermom down, who was rolling around on the floor with uncontrollable laughter. Manei, seeing that they were too busy paying attention to Ttricino, grabbed the plate and beaker from the table and dashed out of the kitchen.
Stumbling into her room, Manei shut the door hurriedly and rushed over to her bed. Looking around cautiously, in case anybeast was watching her, she called out urgently, "Mista Nippy!"
The March hare popped up from under the bed and waved cheerful. "Och, missie, ye goot something fer meh? Though so, eh. Ye look like a clever an' crafty one to meh, y'ken. Les see wot ye got. Hmm…elderberry wine an' blackberry crumble. Thank ye kindly, Manei. 'Tis been a while since Ah've laid mah eyes on such wunnerful spread. It must 'ave taken ye a lot o' skill to get meh this!"
The otter Dibbun was immensely pleased with the flattering compliments. She nodded in agreement as she lied outrageously.
"Yes, 'ee Badgermom an' mista 'bati an' Friar Horviry were all dere, an' dey said dey were gonna choppa me tail off an' use it in de fresh wa'ershimp an' 'otroot soup an' den dey cut me ears off an' trow dem into 'ee pond, but when dey were talkin' about wot to do wid me, I slid unner Ttricino's legs an' den I ran up here. Dey probably tink I'm still dow' there wid 'em."
Hiding his laughter very well, Nipfleet grinned toothily as he patted Manei on the back with mock awe. "Och, wot an adventure. Like Ah've said before, ye've got a spread swipin' talent, y'ken. But…er…tell meh, Manei, are ye good at keepin' a secret?"
Manei, who enjoyed being treated like an Abbey elder and not like the Dibbun she was, nodded proudly as she, again, told another lie. "O'course I can, mista Nippy! Mama used to call me 'Manei de Secret Keeper.' Ye ken tell me yore secret; I won't tell."
Nipfleet's grin grew broader as he drained his beaker of elderberry wine. "Ye already knoo mah secret, Manei. Don't tell aboot meh stayin' here!"
The sun was up and shining. Birds chirped their high songs as they busied themselves in their regular morning chores. Abbey dwellers were rising from their beds, all prepared for the new day and the events that laid ahead. Manei the otterbabe rubbed her sleepy eyes as she sat up in her bed. Her eyes opened slowly, and what greeted her made her yelp with fright.
"Eek! 'Oo are ye, an' wot are ye doin' in me room?"
The creature in Manei's room was a hare. Actually, he was a march hare. The hare didn't seem to notice that he was bothering Manei, or that Manei was even in the room. He went around looking in and around objects, looking for something in particular. When the otter had spoken, the hare finally seemed to notice her. He gave her a some what toothy grin and hopped over to the frightened Dibbun.
"Good morn, mah wee bairn, jolly day fer a snack, eh?"
Slowly, Manei got out of her bed, still in her night wear. A bit bolder, Manei spoke out, "Ye 'aven't answered me questions yet. Come on, tell me."
The hare grinned and made an elegant leg. "Mah name's Nipfleet; call me Nippy. Ah'm lookin' fer some vittles, y'ken. Mightily 'ungry, y'see. Who are ye?"
The otter curtsied and extended her paw, like she had been taught to by her mother. "Me name's Manei." A mischievous grin grew on Manei's face as she pointed her other paw that wasn't been shook at the door. "An' I know jus' where da vittles be."
Manei tried her best to creep down the stairs. Peeking into the kitchen, the little otter tiptoed into the large room and scurried over to the nearest platter that had a beaker beside it. Standing up to her full height, she tried to see the contents of plate and cup when a large, forceful paw spun her around. Manei gulped as she faced Badgermom Ttricino, Rambati the Warrior, and Friar Horvory. Ttricino's rough growl seemed to make the otter shiver, Rambati's stern glare made Manei cower back under the gaze, and Friar Horvory brandishing his beloved ladle caused the otter to back away from the mouse and his cooking weapon. Very frightened of the three creatures before her, Manei gathered her wits and managed a slight squeaky, "'Ello!"
Rambati sighed and shook his head, paws crossed. "Manei, Manei, what are we going to do with you? How many times must we catch you stealing food before you actually stop? I'm getting tired of…"
"Catchin' me wid stoden food an' havin' to sen' me to mama. Really, mista 'bati sir, can ye tink o' some other lecture to give me? Dis one's getting' borin'. Maybe nex' time ye could say-"
Manei was interrupted by a loud howl made by Ttricino. The Badgermom was covering her face with her big blunt paws, shaking uncontrollably. Afraid that the badger was going to burst with rage, Manei jumped and scrambled behind Friar Horvory, who was also somewhat afraid. Rambati was staring Ttricino in surprise, not knowing exactly what to expect. When the Badgermom finally uncovered her face, Rambati sighed with relief. The large badger was laughing. She was laughing so hard that tears streamed down her cheeks and she could stop shaking. Finally, Ttricino seemed to calm down. Taking deep breaths, she sat down on the ground and closed her eyes, trying to relax herself. When she peeked them open again, she saw Friar Horvory and Rambati the Warrior staring at her, faces blank. This caused the badger to start laughing again, causing her to topple over. This made Horvory and the Abbey Champion ever more confused, and they tried their best to try and calm their Badgermom down, who was rolling around on the floor with uncontrollable laughter. Manei, seeing that they were too busy paying attention to Ttricino, grabbed the plate and beaker from the table and dashed out of the kitchen.
Stumbling into her room, Manei shut the door hurriedly and rushed over to her bed. Looking around cautiously, in case anybeast was watching her, she called out urgently, "Mista Nippy!"
The March hare popped up from under the bed and waved cheerful. "Och, missie, ye goot something fer meh? Though so, eh. Ye look like a clever an' crafty one to meh, y'ken. Les see wot ye got. Hmm…elderberry wine an' blackberry crumble. Thank ye kindly, Manei. 'Tis been a while since Ah've laid mah eyes on such wunnerful spread. It must 'ave taken ye a lot o' skill to get meh this!"
The otter Dibbun was immensely pleased with the flattering compliments. She nodded in agreement as she lied outrageously.
"Yes, 'ee Badgermom an' mista 'bati an' Friar Horviry were all dere, an' dey said dey were gonna choppa me tail off an' use it in de fresh wa'ershimp an' 'otroot soup an' den dey cut me ears off an' trow dem into 'ee pond, but when dey were talkin' about wot to do wid me, I slid unner Ttricino's legs an' den I ran up here. Dey probably tink I'm still dow' there wid 'em."
Hiding his laughter very well, Nipfleet grinned toothily as he patted Manei on the back with mock awe. "Och, wot an adventure. Like Ah've said before, ye've got a spread swipin' talent, y'ken. But…er…tell meh, Manei, are ye good at keepin' a secret?"
Manei, who enjoyed being treated like an Abbey elder and not like the Dibbun she was, nodded proudly as she, again, told another lie. "O'course I can, mista Nippy! Mama used to call me 'Manei de Secret Keeper.' Ye ken tell me yore secret; I won't tell."
Nipfleet's grin grew broader as he drained his beaker of elderberry wine. "Ye already knoo mah secret, Manei. Don't tell aboot meh stayin' here!"