A/N: I know, I know. I was only supposed to do one chapter, two at most. But I can't help it. Marlfox is one of my favorite books, and I just love Janglur and Song! Don't hate me!
New Journey
Janglur Swifteye strolled through the thick woods, whistling cheerily between his front teeth in an attempt to hide his anxiousness. A few stray leaves danced on the gusting wind that made it into Mossflower despite the thick branches. Autumn was almost over, and winter would be upon the squirrel and his family soon. Which meant the deep snowdrifts would be flying in soon. He racked his brain for a safe place to hole up for the winter. While they were in Mossflower Woods, Redwall Abbey was still too far away to travel to before the deepest snows came. And his mother would not be able to tramp through that kind of weather. So that left the warrior with two options.
The family would have to pick up the pace and make it to the nearest bend in Broadstream and hole up for the winter, or try to follow the stream out to the shores and wait out the winter there. Either way, they would have to start traveling lighter and faster. Which would be hard with his young squirrel child and his aging squirrel mother.
"Papa, look at me!"
Janglur's hooded eyes lifted above his head, where a little squirrel walked precariously along a thin elm branch. She grinned and waved down at the stout squirrel, her tail swaying in the wind. "Look at how high I is!" She proclaimed with her arms stretched out wide.
"Look at how high I am, Song." Janglur corrected, chuckling softly as her face scrunched up in thought, contemplating his comment.
"Song, get down from there. That branch is too thin." Ellayo demanded, her gaze trained on the little squirrel bouncing about between thinning branches, watching them spring back to life as soon as she stepped onto another.
"I be fine, Gra'ma. Stop worrying. There's nothing wrong with the-" Her sentence was cut off sharply with a strange cracking sound and the whoosh of a body falling through the air. Rimrose screamed and started to rush forward. But by the time she would have gotten there, it would have been too late. Janglur's normally half-lidded eyes went wide with surprise and fear as he jumped back a pace to match her fall and reached up, catching her under the arms and just in the nick of time. Song's eyes were as wide as a hare's dinner plate, blinking as she looked up at the hole she had left in the treetops, then down at the ground that was almost her doom.
Janglur let out the breath he had been holding. "I am fine, Song." He corrected softly, holding her a little closer to his chest.
She looked over her shoulder and grinned. "Yes yes. I am fine, Gra'ma."
He shook his head, chuckling and set her on his shoulders. Rimrose was right next to them in less than a second, holding Song's little paw in her own, asking if she was hurt. Ellayo followed not far behind, scolding her grandchild, worry and relief still etched all over her face. Janglur just picked up whistling where he left off. How could he worry about next season when everyday with little Song became an adventure in itself?
"It's cold." Song complained, rubbing her arms as she sat in the small opening in the cave Janglur had picked out at the start of the winter season.
"Song, come away from there and sit by me." Rimrose patted the ground next to her invitingly. But her daughter shook her head. "It's nice and warm here by the fire." Her daughter still didn't move. "Supper will be ready soon. Stew and oatcakes." She told Song, hoping that the thought of a good warm meal would convince her to come away from the opening.
The little squirrel shook her head again. "I'm waiting."
Janglur lifted an eyebrow and Rimrose cocked her head to one side. "Waiting for who, dear?"
Song looked over her small shoulder and smiled. "For spring to come back, silly." She answered, rolling her eyes as if it were obvious. "If spring comes back, then it'll be warm again, and we can get leave this cave and keep traveling down towards the shore. And then we won't have to listen to Gra'ma snoring all day and night."
Ellayo scowled and waved a paw threateningly at the young squirrel. "You mind your manners, young'un. I'll tan your hide so hard you won't be able to sit down for the rest of the season."
"Sorry, Gra'ma." She turned her head back around, watching the darkened winter sky vigilantly for any sign of spring's arrival. "I wanna see the shore." She said to no one in particular, pouting at the white landscape that blocked her from the warm western shoreline.
Janglur smiled and shook his head. "Spring won't come any faster if you sit by the entrance, Song."
Song blinked, turning back to face her father. "But if spring can't see me, how will it know that I want it to come?"
"Spring doesn't come just because you want it to. It'll come in its own good time, you'll see." Janglur answered, tossing another twig onto the cozy little fire, watching it catch and bud with a flaming yellow flower.
Song shivered again as a cold snowy breeze blew past the hole and jumped up, running closer to the welcoming heat deeper in the cave. She glanced one last time at the opening, peering out at the snow-covered bank across the frozen river before plopping down next to her mother. "Why does it have to be cold? Why can't it be spring all the time?" She asked, cuddling into her warm mother's side.
Janglur paused. He never really questioned it. He knew the seasons came and went, but he never knew why exactly. Not that it really mattered to him. Seasons came and went, and traveling started and stopped. It was just part of life for him.
"Every season needs a little time with us; otherwise we would take the other seasons for granted." Rimrose explained, softly stroking her daughter's soft ears. "If it was always spring, we would never realize how wonderful spring really is. Winter helps remind us to appreciate spring."
Song stared into the fire, pondering her mother's words before slowly nodding. "I guess so." She conceded. "But it's still cold."
Ellayo pulled a ladle full of thick stew from the bubbling pot and poured it into a tiny wooden bowl, glancing over at her granddaughter. "Of course it is. It's winter, for seasons' sake. Now hush and eat your dinner."
For the first time that night, Song did as she was told without any questions.
The sweet sound of a soft song rang out through the bare trees, dripping with slowly melting icicles. Janglur Swifteye stood outside his family's makeshift home by Broadstream and picked up his little flute, trilling out the melody to the little song that danced on the freshening breeze.
Green rushes green rushes an' lilies so pale,
Pray sit ye down friend now an' listen to my tale,
For the rivers flow fast an' the mountains are tall,
An' across the wide moorlands the curlews do call,
Dirry wallaker williker doodle rum day!
"Durrie willi wakka dumble doogle roodle say!"
Janglur's flute playing stopped and he chuckled at his daughter's newest words to add to the end of the song. Everyday she seemed to forget her last verse and create another to occupy herself. Sooner or later, he was sure her mother would teach her the rest of the song. Until then, they would have to make due with her creative endings.
"Papa! Look what I found!"
Janglur's eyes flicked up at the two figures coming down the thin path between bulrushes. Rimrose trailed behind, carrying a small basket full of herbs and food while Song raced ahead, waving her arm with something clamped in her fist. "Well well, my liddle Song. What have you brought for me?" He asked kindly, stowing his instrument away into his belt.
She skidded to a stop, sending a few stray pawfuls of snow over the edge of the bank to rest of the thinning ice of the river. She opened her paw, revealing a tiny white bud in the center of her palm. "Mama says it's a snowdrop. She says it means spring is coming." Song babbled excitedly, bouncing up and down with energy.
Janglur held her paw still and examined the little budding flower. "That's right. Snowdrops bloom just before spring comes around."
Song giggled and jumped even higher, her tail bouncing and dancing behind her. "That means we can start moving soon. And then we can get to the shore. And we can see all the fishes and the big lake-y thing."
Janglur chuckled. "It's called the ocean." He told her, releasing her paw so she could jump more easily.
She nodded vigorously. "Yeah, yeah, that too."
Ellayo laughed quietly from just inside the mouth of the cave. "Gracious me, girlie. You have the energy of a bee in a meadow."
Song grinned at Ellayo. "Spring's coming, Gra'ma. That means winter's going away. No more cold." She cheered, racing into the cave to hug her ageing grandmother.
Ellayo smiled fondly at her little granddaughter. "Aye, that's right. The cold will be over soon." She told her, patting her tail.
Janglur smiled and threw an arm around his wife's shoulders as she came to a stop by his side. Song was the best thing that could have happened to they're little family. They didn't need a spring so long as they had her. For all the warrior cared, it could have been winter everyday for the next two years, and he would barely notice if he had Song with him. He kissed Rimrose's cheek lovingly before releasing her and picking his pipe up again. "Come on Song, let's try out that Green Rushes song again."
The little girl nodded and started before her father could even get the first note out. He kept up with her stumbling words and watched her face scrunch in concentration, trying to remember the words as she went.
"Dullie wakka wibbi dummle dookle ruffle hay!"
But eventually, she would have to learn the words to the rest of the song.