"Juniper, dear, this is your older aunt, Poppleleaf." Song stood by Juniper's side as the tall squirrel opposite of her made a polite curtsy.

"Oh, goodness, she's such a wild-looking young thing," gushed Poppleleaf. "My, my, and the look of a hardened warrior is upon her. Naughty little thing, going about and pretending to go after vermin. Ho ho, you have quite a little imagination, you little rough and tumble…"

"I am not an imaginative little babe," Juniper corrected, her voice fierce. "Scores of vermin have fallen by my paw."

Poppleleaf pretended not to hear. She whispered, she thought, to Song, though Juniper could hear, "Silly little thing, toting around a quiver and bow. Funny thing, ain't she?"

"Er, Poppleleaf, please, Juniper isn't a 'silly little thing' as you call her."
"Nonsense, Mother. Now, squirrel maids are all sweet and delicate, except your aunt Hollyhock, of course, Juniper. You just look like a dibbun who's in need of a good scrubbing!"

Juniper frowned and quickly strolled away. There was a thought in her mind that perhaps this was impolite, but she was raised on no-nonsense ways, not politeness.

Dann and Hollyhock had witnessed the event, and the female laughed. "Seems Juniper has met Poppy, the poor thing."

"Oh, your sister's not that bad, Hollyhock," Dann protested. "But still, I can't really see them becoming the best of friends."

Father and daughter chuckled, then Hollyhock rose and followed Juniper. The young squirrel was quickly striding out of the abbey, and Hollyhock followed, keeping up with the speed of her junior. Juniper eventually stopped by the abbey pond, and frowned at Hollyhock.

"When I met you, I assumed that you, like my father, were noble and practical," Juniper remarked. "I see that not all my relatives have inherited those traits."

"You must excuse Poppleleaf," Hollyhock said. "She is just different from Glendor and me. Just try to ignore her when she says that little stuff about you. She's not quite used to the idea of young ones fighting."

Juniper grumbled something unintelligible and stared at the flat surface of the abbey pond. Soon, however, it would be disrupted. Hordes, it seemed, of dibbuns were running Juniper's way, with all aiming to jump into the pond. Hollyhock, however, wouldn't hear of it.

"It's freezing out here, little ones!" she declared, holding them back with her paws. "You are not allowed to go into the pond!"

"But we wants to!" whined a little mouse babe, Dweemo.

"Burr, we's be hot!" stated Posie, a mole.

"We ottas gots to swim!" cried Toolie, the daughter of Rewall's Skipper.

Juniper could tell that the little ones were about to overpower her aunt, and she decided that, just maybe, for Hollyhock's sake, she could do what she really, truly detested.

"Hey, you little ones!" she exclaimed rather brusquely. All the little heads of the dibbuns turned and all the little eyes stared at Juniper.

"You may not know me, but I'm Juniper, and I've got a deal for you. If you stay out of the pond, I'll show you a trick."

It worked. All the babes clambered about Juniper, demanding to know the trick, their plans of swimming now vanquished. Juniper was not used to little ones, and her speech with them was rather rough.

"Sit down or I'll gut ye!" she shouted. Immediately, they sat down, and more than one began to sniffle at the outburst. Hollyhock hurried to defend her niece.

"Little ones, Juniper isn't used to being around those of your age, and she means no harm. I'm sure she would love to show you the trick." She turned away from the audience. "And just what is this trick?" she whispered.

"Get me a rag, a little oil, and a lit candle."

Soon, after the supplies were gathered, a crowd of older abbey beasts had gathered to see what had attracted all the dibbuns. Juniper set the candle that Hollyhock had brought her upon a pile of logs a ways from the pond. She then walked away from the candle, binding an arrow with the rag as she did so. She was now quite a distance from the pond, with the candle in the middle. As Juniper dipped the rag-bound arrow tip in the oil, Hollyhock made the proper warning.

"All beasts need to stay out of Juniper's path. Stand clear to the sides, and do not move until I say so!"

Oh wonderful, the entire abbey knows my name now, Juniper thought as she notched the arrow. She pulled the string back, aimed down the shaft, and let fly. In a blink of an eye, the arrow flew down to the candle's flame, igniting at once, and then gradually was pulled to the ground, and being extinguished in the pond. All the beasts cheered, though at what Juniper did not know. The "trick" had been a simple training technique instilled by her father, many seasons ago.

The older ones departed, but the dibbuns gathered around in awe.

"Amazing, Juniper!" cried Dweemo.

"Vewy good," said Toolie.

"Well, young ones, let this be noted. If you venture into the water before your elders say you may, you shall go up in flames, since that arrow is still blazing down there, and will not go out until when warm weather comes again." Juniper delivered her warning with such a straight face that every little one believed her, and all their plans of further swims in the pond were dashed.