• • •
"Your eyes are like limpid pools of gravy my sweet," Tody said, taking Maria's paw in his and kissing it a few too many times than necessary.
"You are just saying that because I helped you in your goal of getting back at Molvo. Anyway, this was all Fezz's idea."
"Ah yes, but to kiss his paws would not hold the same pleasure as kissing yours."
"That maybe only on account of Friar Sly setting my paws to mixing an extra large bowl of meadowcream."
"I thought my lips detected an extra sweetness," Toby noted, "Still, your face is a treat in itself."
A hiccup from underneath a nearby apple tree bluntly shattered the moment between the hares. Toby's nose wiggled in agitation and he stomped his oversized foot to get the attention of the dozing squirrel, "Andrew, do you know the meaning of subtlety?"
"Don't know dat dere Toby, wot sorta flavor be it?" Andrew asked, tipping to cask he had upside-down to see if there was some missed drop of ale within it. A revelation occurred in his drunken head, "I shall be marring Oliva, is dat wot you mean?"
Maria shook her head, "Andrew, you know you have little to know chance with Olivia, I don't even think that love is why you seek her, unless being drunk most of the time is your definition of it."
Andrew nodded his head, "Yes, yes it is, dat is a sign of love."
"Of course it is," Toby said, lifting the intoxicated squirrel to his feet, "In his despair of not receiving love from his beloved, he had turned to his only known relief, drink."
"Haven't you even been in the Abbey you two, it had been spreading from every beast from the eldest to the littlest of Dubbins?"
"Wot 'as, a plague?" Andrew gasped.
Throwing her paws up in desperation, she called for a mole babe who happened to be wandering by, "Rubbs, what is the news about Olivia?"
"M'am, 'e bes in luv wit a miss-e-oyes skurl," the button eyed molebabe answered, tugging at his snout.
Andrew remained oblivious, "Is that 'skurl me?"
"Nope. You drukin' miter 'Drew."
"Yes, now run along," Toby muttered, now annoyed, "Who is this 'mysterous squirrel'."
Maria shrugged, "Don't know. He seemed a nice enough fellow when I met him. Strange acting, still nice though."
In Andrews drunken mind he laid out the vague outlines of a plan to win Olivia, It's too bad to say, that even though the plan was masterful and sure to work, that it was a fleeting thought that faded away to thoughts of candied chestnuts in the kitchens...
• • •
""Ere we are, at de closest point to de grand buildin' know as de wonderious Redstone Abbey and de feared place of all of me kind where horrible things 'ave been masse on de vermains that dare to trod near dis 'eres area..."
The grizzled fox found his speech of sorts had been falling upon deaf ears because it appeared that his squirrel companion had sank in the deepest of sleeps.
Antonio had grown attached to the squirrel in the short time he had been ascorting him into this country dangerous to his kind. The fox didn't mind this danger for some reason, maybe because of this squirrel's companionship. Carefully, he stroked the fur of Seb's cheek. This caused the squirrel to stir and the fox to jump back, his odd feelings fleeting away.
He decided to not bother the squirrel yet and to take a little walk to get his bearings on this location, also a walk to clear away his weird thoughts involving the squirrel. Little did this fox know it, but the direction which he choice to head from the tied up boat was the exact direction of the 'Redstone Abbey' which he unwittingly sought, it was also the direction of trouble.
• • •
"I don't get it."
"That's the point Valentine, I don't get it either. He's a great apprentice, don't get me wrong, there's just something about him that is kinda odd. The way he acts when I'm around, the way he looks at me, and then there's that strange feeling that I...I...nevermind that part of it. What matters is something is going on."
As Duke's best friend, Valentine was tempted to tell him the whole truth, to give him the whole scoop. The only problem was that when the otter evaluated what the whole scoop was, it didn't sound like a great thing for a best friend to reveal. "I wouldn't worry about whatever it is you're worrying about...we are talking about Ces, aren't we?"
"Yes," said Duke, now sounding very much an example of exasperation, "That's it, I'm going to do something." The squirrel grabbed a cloak from a hook on the wall and headed for the exit. Before he could make it there, Valentine stepped into his path.
"Wait one second here Duke. What do you think you're doing? What do you mean by 'something'?"
"You know very well, you know me better than any other beast, you know where I'm headed."
That's what scared Valentine and his rudder like tail blocked Duke as he tried to edge around. If Duke was doing what Valentine thought he was doing, it was time to take into account his agreed friendship with the squirrelmaiden disguised as Ces. He knew that Duke was an all around good guy, he also knew of the temper that floated underneath the surface, which rarely came forth except on special occasions.
Duke said what Valentine figured he would say, "I'm going to find out what Ces is hiding from me."
To have his trust infringed, tricked in such a way, if explained and revealed in the wrong way, Valentine could expect that the result would be explosive in Duke's reaction. "You can't go."
"Why not?"
The otter knew he was stuck, he couldn't give an answer without breaking the trust of a friend. He swerved out of the way.
"I'm coming with you."
This wasn't going to be good. As they exited the treehouse residence, Valentine remembered there was also the problem of Olivia's love. However way this played out, it was going to be messy.
• • •
"I don't know what could be wrong with him," the hedgehog confessed. The hedgehog was the infirmary keeper, who was speaking to Olivia as they walked on the Abbey grounds, warm sunlight flowing over everything, bringing out the color of the thick grass. "I mean, nothing wrong with him besides you knocking him out."
"I guess I'm sorry I did that. It was my first reaction and he was scaring me."
Mari, the hedgehog, shrugged, "He's going to fine, in fact, I left Fezz to visit him. He appeared in genially sympathetic mood." This statement caused Mari to pause and Oliva caught on to what it was on her mind.
"Since when has Fezz been sympathetic to Molvo?"
"I Ithought/i he seemed slightly too willing to visit with him...no...he wouldn't...I think I better go check," Mari decided, "I'll speak to you at dinner Olivia."
Olivia watched as the hedgehog departed, still wondering what brought around Molvo's weird behavior, also smiling at the clues that Fezz was messing around again. A moment caught her eye from the direction of the Abbey gatehouse, a figure that made all of her petty thoughts disappear and put one desire in her mind to run to this figure. Somehow, she kept her ladylike disposition long enough for the figure to make it to her. The figure, of course, was Ces, who took as tiny steps as possible to get to the awaiting squirrelmaiden.
"Good day Olivia, I trust that it is a nice day for you?"
Olivia fluttered her eyelashes at the squirrel, "As of now, it has turned into a glorious day."
"Please, I've come with a message of love from Duke..."
"Duke, Duke, Duke, do you speak of anyone else other than Duke. I would rather hear of you." Olivia stepped ever closers on every one of her words.
Attempting to back away, Ces continued, "He exclaims from the mountains his..."
"If you say love that does not come from your own lips, I dare say I do not want to hear your musical voice."
"Then I shall leave."
The squirrel leapt into Ces' path in a sudden panic, than appears to calm once more, "What I mean to portray, is the pain that I feel every moment that I think you do not fel this pain."
"I don't."
Olivia gasped, "Please, please, I need your words to save me from paril. Say the words that secure our fates together."
"I pity you," Ces muttered, half to himself.
"In 'pity' do you mean love?"
"No, I meant 'pity' in the word 'pity'."
"Oh," said Olivia, evidently disappointed, "I guess I shall leave you to your own fates, to some lucky squirrelmaiden that finds herself not to be I."
Ces started his route at the gate once again, hoping to make a run for it, "Off I go then, our business done." His goal is once again blocked by persistence.
"Stay, please, I know it dwells in your bosom as it does mine. Say what you think of me."
"I think that you are not seeking what you think you are seeking."
"I think about the same of you."
"I think that you think you are right, in more than you know."
"Yet I think what I think is the thought that is correct."
"It is false as I think I'm not what you think or anyone else thinks I be."
They both decided they had gotten themselves lost in that dialogue. Olivia took this moment of stunned silence to embrace Ces and have their noses nuzzle and she opened her mouth to ki-
Kicked in the foot, Olivia released and only saw the bobbing squirrel tail high-tailing away from her. Slightly hurt, slightly confused, she couldn't help the excessive happiness that continued to embrace her even after the failed attempt at a kiss.