Chapter 26

"Watch it!"

"Move it over there!"

"No, the other left!"

As scores of hairy Fraggles moved into their new homes, Princess Gwenalot threw flower garlands over the large arch near the Fraggle Pond.

"Excuse me," a small baritone voice said from behind the Princess. She looked down to find Roughchin, who seemed a bit confused. "What ha-happened t-to Fi-Fishface?" he stuttered, terrified that Fishface's insistence of war led to something dreadfully awful – and it would be all his fault.

"Hooba, Roughchin," greeted the Princess calmly. "He and your fellow Fraggles decided to move to the Great Cave where it's warmer and they don't have to worry about getting so cold."

He sighed, sitting down from the sudden lack of stress. "Thank goodness," he said. "I was afraid something bad had happened. He wasn't in a good mood before." He didn't want her to know about his role in the weapons stash – but did she already know? "I decided to come back from my meditation when everything turned cold and then warm again."

She smiled and nodded. "The rhythm of the Rock is working just fine again," she told him. She put a hand on his shoulder. "Do you mind doing something for me?"

He nodded, then shook his head. "Uh, which one means I'm willing to do what you ask?"

She giggled. "Never mind. I need you to help us make all sorts of weapons back into bells."

He looked up at her. "You … you do?"

She nodded. "Fishface and I decided that bells sound better than banging and clanging swords. You wouldn't mind, would you?"

"I would of course do anything my Princess commanded," he told her, bowing low to the ground. His cap fell off and a dark red fuzz showed on his scalp.

Princess Gwenalot squeaked and jumped back. "I – I thought you were bald!"

Roughchin hurriedly replaced his cap and smirked sheepishly. "Fishface was terrified of hair spiders," he told her with a chuckle. "Bald Fraggles aren't really bald at all. We just shaved every day." He sighed. "Princess? After I fix the bells, can we never mention weapons again?"

"Of course," she replied.

"Oh, here," he continued, pulling a small rectangular blue piece of cloth from underneath his robe. "I forgot. I found this on my meditation retreat." He handed it to her.

She stared at it in shock. "This – this is my invisibility cloak!" she gasped, eyes wide. She looked up and locked her arms around him. "It's my good luck charm!"

He patted her on the back, straining to breathe from over-zealous hugging. "Uh, yes … may we all have good luck from … now … on."