Prologue

"Someone, get help! She's fading quickly!"

A young mouse by the name of Tintcream, was giving birth. She was too young to have children, some said. Another mouse, the father, was frantically trying to get help for his wife.

"'Cream, don't go. Twill be all right."

"I must leave, Tucani. It's my time.'

"No, no! Tintcream, you mustn't go!"

"I must." Tintcream faded into unconsciousness.

"No!" Tucani, the father mouse, fell weeping at her side. Though she was unconscious, she gave birth. A beautiful, fussing girl. Help came a few minutes later.

"What's wrong?" a helper mouse asked the weeping mouse. He looked up, tears stained his face.

"You came too late!" he yelled through sobs.

"No, we didn't, Tucani. She is not gone yet. Acuu, get the babe." Acuu, a strong mouse, a born warrior, lifted the whining babe carefully. He calmed it with ease. "I'll get Tintcream. Come, Tucani." The five left the sad scene for the infirmatory of the small village of Okeecheekeewa (oh-kee- chee-kee-wah).

After many sad, dull days, Tintcream woke, very week, and very close to death. Tucani sat at her side.

"Tucani," she said in a very week voice, "Let me hold the babe."

"Are you sure you are strong enough?"

"I don't care how strong I am. It's my child, and I have rights to see her." The sick mouse's voice was very demanding. Her husband nodded slowly.

"As you wish, you're highness." He bowed, and left the room. A few minutes he returned with the babe in his arms, still unnamed.

"She's beautiful!" she exclaimed when Tucani placed the babe in her paws.

"What shall you name it?"

"I.I." She couldn't finish her sentence. She struggled on the last word: "Sworddance." Her eyes fluttered closed, never to open again.

Tucani repeated the one last word, starring at the squirming babe in her arms, "Sworddance." He fell weeping at her side.

Tucani couldn't bare living with something that looked so much like his lost wife. He abandoned her as soon as she could walk, not knowing what else to do with her. After that, he traveled to a far place that he heard that he could live in peace. He expected never to see his child again, but he was wrong, really wrong.