Chapter 15
Back at the Great Hole, the sounds of yelling could be heard.
"Mud must be cleaned up!" shouted what sounded like Fishface's voice.
"But it's so warm – why can't we just keep it?" demanded another voice.
"It's icky!" exclaimed a small voice.
"Warmth during Great Freeze might change Freeze!"
"So what?"
"I am Leader!"
Definitely Fishface.
Princess Gwenalot and Sir Blunderbrain dashed into the Great Hall to figure out what was going on. To their surprise, bald Fraggles were scrubbing the cave walls furiously while hairy Fraggles were slathering themselves in warm mud while singing.
"Princess Gwenalot!"
Everyone stopped working or singing and stared at the shocked Princess.
"Fishface is Leader. Princess not needed to end squabble," Fishface said haughtily.
Princess Gwenalot bit her tongue. What she'd really like to do is walk over to Fishface and slap him … or at least chide him for letting this get out of hand. However, she resisted. "There doesn't have to be a squabble," she announced. "Both sides have a point."
"No point except to obey Leader," retorted Fishface, coming closer.
Princess Gwenalot frowned slightly. She inched closer to him. "Then obey her," she hissed, "Assistant Leader."
Fishface growled under his breath and turned his back on her.
Princess Gwenalot turned toward the other Fraggles. "We will keep the mud around as long as it is warm," she announced with a happier tone. "As it begins to cool, it will be cleaned up – or else we'll never get rid of it."
"But milady," offered Sir Blunderbrain quietly, "all this warm mud could postpone the Great Freeze for months."
"Probably Princess' plan," muttered Fishface, crossing his arms as he plopped into a warm puddle of mud – the pleasant feeling of warmth making him smile instinctively despite his foul mood.
Having not heard the grumbling Assistant Leader, Princess Gwenalot shrugged and laughed. "Then I suggest we enjoy this mud while it lasts! As long as we have the bells ready before the Great Freeze does come, we'll be just fine!"
A group of about twenty hairy Fraggles stood up. "We're not cleaning this up," they announced. "The Rock provided us warmth." They pointed at the bald Fraggles. "If the bald Fraggles, who all complain that they suffer more from the cold, want to complain about the gifts of the Rock, then let them! We're going to wander the tunnels and look for adventures – keeping warm." With that, they stormed out.
"Do you want me to return them?" asked Sir Blunderbrain.
"No," replied the Princess. "The tunnels belong to Blundig. Maybe she can talk some sense into them. She's good at that sort of thing." She glanced at her knight. "Besides, as Leader I protect the Rock – I don't live Fraggles' lives for them, Sir Blunderbrain."
Just as Princess Gwenalot headed out of the Great Hall, she was stopped by two tiny toddling Fraggles, one with bright gold skin and one with dark gray skin. They were so encased in clothes they had to speak before the Princess could even tell what gender they were.
The gold one spoke first in a female voice. "Are you the Leader?" The Princess nodded. The toddler continued. "My brother won't stop picking on me. Make him stop!" she demanded as she shouldered the gray one, who shoved her back.
The Princess pried them apart. "How old are you?"
They held out one finger.
Princess Gwenalot smiled. "Just that many, huh? You must be the Rock's youngest Fraggles!" She kneeled down beside them and stared deeply into their eyes. "I want you both to work this out on your own, okay?"
"But he won't stop picking on me!"
"Nuh-uh, she won't stop!"
The Princess stood up. "You'll get tired of it eventually," she told them coldly and began her long journey back to her cave. Just outside the entrance stood Crooner, who tried to stop her. She shoved her way past him, knowing that his expression betrayed bad news, and saw to her horror that her mirror, that Mallory, was missing. Princess Gwenalot stared into his downcast eyes and cried, clutching him tightly before he could even offer an explanation.