Chapter Four
In the depths of Mossflower, the young mouse slept. As she slept, a pair of eyes watched her from the bushes. A twig snapped, the mousemaid woke instantly. She sat bold upright. She peered at the bush where the sound came from. A lean ferret with a golden paw stepped out from the bush. He had a long straight sword drawn.
"W-who are you, and what do you want w-with me, ferret?" The young mouse's paw inched near her dagger. The ferret was too quick. He slashed out with the sword, and stopped the mouse from reaching the stone blade.
"Excuse the interruption, miss, but I'm a wonderer. I fled from my horde for a new life of peace." The ferret eyed her vittles. The mouse noticed.
"If you want food, I'm giving you any 'til you tell me your name."
"Sorry, I seem to have forgotten me manners."
"I thought all vermin lacked manners. And I thought they couldn't swim." She had noticed he was drenched to the bone.
"Anyway, the swimming thing is a long story. My name is Goldpaw. You?"
"I have no name." She looked ashamedly at her footpaws.
"Ah, pity. 'Tis a pity to have no name. So, how 'bout some vittles?"
"What do ya like, ferret? I've got blackberry scones, lemon-cream pasties, some trifles of who knows what, and some Burdock cordial."
"Anything you wish to give up, marm." She threw him a pasty and a trifle.
"Tell me what's in those pasties, I've been dyin' ta know, never dared to try 'em, though. Can't trust those otters. They can pull a nasty trick on ya." The two ate the rest of the small meal silently, until Goldpaw got to the scone.
"Mmm! That's good!"
"What is it?" the mouse asked eagerly.
"Umm. I would say raspberry. Very good. Go ahead, take a bite!" The mousemaid cautiously picked up one of the mystery trifles. She took a bite out of it, and chewed thoughtfully.
"This isn't raspberry! It's wild strawberry!" She was so exited, she almost choked on the rest of the trifle as she stuffed it in her mouth.
"Don't you think it's a little stale?" the ferret asked as she guzzled down some cordial.
"I've lived with staleness all my life, I don't mind it one bit!" She took another bite of a new trifle. After she chewed up the rest of the trifle, she decided to start a conversation. "So, Goldpaw, where ya from?"
In the depths of Mossflower, the young mouse slept. As she slept, a pair of eyes watched her from the bushes. A twig snapped, the mousemaid woke instantly. She sat bold upright. She peered at the bush where the sound came from. A lean ferret with a golden paw stepped out from the bush. He had a long straight sword drawn.
"W-who are you, and what do you want w-with me, ferret?" The young mouse's paw inched near her dagger. The ferret was too quick. He slashed out with the sword, and stopped the mouse from reaching the stone blade.
"Excuse the interruption, miss, but I'm a wonderer. I fled from my horde for a new life of peace." The ferret eyed her vittles. The mouse noticed.
"If you want food, I'm giving you any 'til you tell me your name."
"Sorry, I seem to have forgotten me manners."
"I thought all vermin lacked manners. And I thought they couldn't swim." She had noticed he was drenched to the bone.
"Anyway, the swimming thing is a long story. My name is Goldpaw. You?"
"I have no name." She looked ashamedly at her footpaws.
"Ah, pity. 'Tis a pity to have no name. So, how 'bout some vittles?"
"What do ya like, ferret? I've got blackberry scones, lemon-cream pasties, some trifles of who knows what, and some Burdock cordial."
"Anything you wish to give up, marm." She threw him a pasty and a trifle.
"Tell me what's in those pasties, I've been dyin' ta know, never dared to try 'em, though. Can't trust those otters. They can pull a nasty trick on ya." The two ate the rest of the small meal silently, until Goldpaw got to the scone.
"Mmm! That's good!"
"What is it?" the mouse asked eagerly.
"Umm. I would say raspberry. Very good. Go ahead, take a bite!" The mousemaid cautiously picked up one of the mystery trifles. She took a bite out of it, and chewed thoughtfully.
"This isn't raspberry! It's wild strawberry!" She was so exited, she almost choked on the rest of the trifle as she stuffed it in her mouth.
"Don't you think it's a little stale?" the ferret asked as she guzzled down some cordial.
"I've lived with staleness all my life, I don't mind it one bit!" She took another bite of a new trifle. After she chewed up the rest of the trifle, she decided to start a conversation. "So, Goldpaw, where ya from?"
