Chapter One: Where There Is a Remarkable Amount of Well-Placed Panic
Horatio woke up one fateful morning to a completely unexpected sound. Birds were singing outside his window. As a seasoned naval officer, he'd almost forgotten any bird song but the cry of the sea gull. Had he been fully awake, he would have found this odd. But Horatio was *not* by nature an early riser, and he put down this unusual awakening to a dream...
This was not surprising. Intelligent as he was, he really didn't get going until after his sixth or seventh coffee each morning, a fact which caused much snickering in the wardroom aboard Renown.
Rolling over, he nestled deeper into the feather mattress...his eyes flew open. Decidedly awake now, he struggled free of the covers into a sitting position. Birds, his caffeine-deprived mind could explain away, but his cabin most definitely did *not* contain a feather bed...or a fireplace...or a comfortable armchair.
Oh dear.
Most people, upon awakening in a strange place, would have panicked, or at least checked themselves for any new piercings or tattoos, but not Our Hero. He rolled swiftly off the bed, all thoughts of sleep forgotten, and he headed for the door. Almost as an afterthought, he grabbed a poker from beside the fireplace, just in case a weapon would prove useful.
He wandered out of the bedroom, examining what appeared to be a comfortable, although otherwise uninhabited home. It was completely unfamiliar, however, and there were several strange elements, such as perfectly round windows and doors. Sunlight streamed through these windows, and he heard faint sounds of activity outdoors.
Intrigued, but not quite alarmed, Horatio headed for the door and potential answers.
He had just reached to turn the knob when it flew open of its own accord. Rather violently, actually.
Horatio's jaw dropped as he took in the panting figure in the doorway. "Archie?"
It was indeed Archie Kennedy, but as Horatio had never seen him. He appeared to be wearing some kind of homespun garments, completely unlike his normal uniform. His hair was loose and mussed, and his chest was heaving from what appeared to be a long run.
His eyes widened as he looked at his best friend, and Horatio realized with the first stirrings of panic that he had no idea how *he* currently looked.
Slowly, he tore his gaze from Archie's and glanced down, first at his own odd clothing, and then...he suppressed a scream as he saw his feet. Oversized, bare, and covered with soft fur, they looked as if they were slowly being eaten by manic weasels.
He looked up abruptly as the other former officer of Renown stepped through the door.
Archie the Hobbit met his gaze, and unconsciously echoed his current thought: "We're in deep trouble."