A/N; Here we go the first real chapter of this tale. I hope you like it.

1.
Songs, Soup, and Stories

"Mama! I pricked my paw! Mama!"

Aryah looked up from her sewing as her small daughter came running into the cottage. The mousewife looked kindly at Rose as the young one attached herself to her mother's legs.

"Here now what's this?" Aryah asked as she picked up Rose and placed her on her lap.

"I was playin' outside with Grumm and poked my paw on the rose bush," Rose sniffed.

Aryah peeked at the small scrape and drop of blood on her daughter's paw. Taking a wet cloth she cleaned the small wound before giving it a loving kiss. "There now, all better?"

Rose wiped her small hazel eyes as a grin blossomed on her face. "Yes mama, thank you. Can I go back outside and play now?"

Aryah smiled at her daughter. "Of course, but don't wander off too far. Dinner will be soon in Council Lodge."

Rose gave her mother one more hug before she jumped down off Aryah's lap and ran outside. The mousewife looked fondly at the door as she picked up her sewing again. She was mending one of Rose's dresses that had been ripped while Rose had been off running through Noonvale.

"Something wrong?"

Aryah looked behind her as Urran Voh came walking in from his study in the back of the cottage. Smiling at her husband Aryah added a few more stitches to her work. "No dear, Rose just had a small scrape that require a mother's touch."

Urran looked outside where he could see Rose running off with her good friend Grumm Trencher. "I do wish Rose wouldn't run around quite so much. She's always pricking her paw or scraping her knee or tearing her dresses," said the Noonvale Patriarch with a glance at the small dress in his wife's lap.

"Oh don't worry so much," Aryah told him. She's always with Grumm and his brother Trumm. Those two moles wouldn't let anything happen to her and you know it."

Urran only grunted in reply. "All the same I had hoped she'd be more interested in playing with the other young maids her age."

"You mean that small group of maids that won't let anyone else play with them and stay indoors all day long so they don't ruffle their fur?" Aryah asked. "Personally I think it's wonderful that our Rose spends so much time out and about in Noonvale. Since you're always telling me that she could very well wind up in your chair in Council Lodge one day it's good for her to know about the valley she might have to lead."

"You mean help her husband lead," Urran said as he turned from the window.

Aryah furrowed her eyes a bit at that remark. "Urran Voh are you honestly going stand there and tell me that you don't think a female can lead Noonvale as well as a male?"

Urran knew that tone of voice from his wife and immediately tried to recant his statement. "No that's not what I meant at all. I only meant that she'll be…um…what I mean is…er…that…oh blast!"

Aryah set aside her sewing, stood up, and took her husband's paws in her own. "She's still so young Urran. Let her play and laugh and explore. She doesn't need to have the weight of leadership on her shoulders yet. Grumm and Trumm will keep her out of any serious trouble. Besides there's not a beast in Noonvale who doesn't keep an eye and an ear out for her. She's safe here in this valley so stop worrying so much."

"Burr Miz Roser! Wait oop! You'm be a-runnin' to quick loik for us." The two mole brothers Grumm and Trumm Trencher were striving to catch up to Rose as she ran ahead of them.

"Last one there's a tadpole," Rose called back to her friends as she ran up the path to her favorite spot under the willow trees along the inlet of the Broadstream. Though she was two full seasons younger than the two moles the young maid could outpace them in every activity save digging, which Grumm and Trumm were the undisputed masters of

Ducking under a curtain of willow branches Rose reached the spot before the mole brothers and sat down to catch her breath. As she waited a nightingale began singing in the tree branches above her. Rose looked up but couldn't see the bird, though she could hear its song very clearly. When the bird stopped singing, Rose took a deep breath and began to imitate the bird song as best she could. Her young voice rose and fell in the exact same pitch as the bird had called out. Rose stopped vocalizing and cocked her head to listen again. As she had hoped the nightingale again called out its sweet song over the river. Rose again imitated the song when the bird stopped singing. When the nightingale sang out for a third time Rose joined in its song. She harmonized with the unseen nightingale till she heard the bird cease its song and fly off its perch to disappear in the woods on the other side of the river.

"You'm do sing noice like Miz Roser. Et was a purty song."

Rose spun around to see Grumm and Trumm standing behind her. Swishing her blue dress from side to side she tried to make light of the remark. "Oh it was nothin'. Just singing with the birdies."

"You'm should ask your daddy if'n him be lettin' you'm sing at 'ee Council Lodge after dinner toim tonight," Trumm said.

Grumm agreed whole heartedly. "Oi agrees. You'm be the noicest singer in 'ee whole valley. Oi'd dearly luv if'n you was to sing Miz Roser."

Trumm nudged his brother. "You'm makin' Miz Roser turn red jus' loik 'ee flowers in 'ee gardens."

Rose was indeed trying to hide her blushing face after the two moles had complimented her singing. Smoothing out wrinkles in her dress she suddenly bound forward and tagged Grumm on his shoulder. "Tag you're it!" she called.

The three friends spent the afternoon running around their secret glade tagging each other and playing hide-and-seek under the canopy of new spring willow leaves. As the cool of evening began to fall they made their way back down to Noonvale and into Council Lodge where most Noonvalers had gathered for their evening meal. Grumm and Trumm left to join their parents as Rose found her usual seat between her mother and father.

"Rosie! Where'd you get off to today?" Urran asked as he scooped her up into his lap and tickled her.

"Hee hee hee! Me and Grumm and Trumm went to our secret spot. Hee hee hee!"

"Your secret spot!" Urran said with a wide expression. "And where's that?"

Rose only laughed at her father. "If I told you it wouldn'ta be a secret anymore."

Urran gave Rose one more quick tickle before he set her down in Aryah's lap to rise before the assembled creatures of Noonvale. Raising his goblet of chestnut brown beer he toasted those before him. "Good food, good friends and peace in this place forever in this place!"

"May the seasons always be kind to Noonvale," came the enthusiastic response from all assembled.

Aryah served her daughter a slice of carrot and celery pastie and a mug of mint and lavender water before dishing her own helping onto her own plate. "Did you have fun with Grumm and Trumm today Rose?"

"Bery mush! We wan an' flayed ag," Rose said around a mouthful of pastie.

"Please don't talk with your mouth full dear," Aryah gently scolded.

Rose swallowed with help of some of her water and tried again. "Very much. We ran and played tag!"

"Don't you want to play with Camilla, Joyce, and Teerla, Rose?" Urran asked. "I think they'd let you if you asked nicely."

Rose pulled a face. "But Daddy they're boring. They just sit inside all day and dress their dolls. I like being outside and hearing the birds."

Aryah looked at her husband with an I-told-you-so look to her eye as Urran talked to his daughter again. "You don't like dolls Rosie?"

"I like my doll," Rose told him. "But Camilla an' Joyce an' Teerla an' them are always trying to change her clothes an' I don't like that."

"You should give them another chance Rosie," Urran told her. "I'll talk to their parents and I'm sure they'd be happy to have you over tomorrow for tea."

Rose only grumbled as she pushed the last few bits of her pastie around with her fork. Eating the last few bites she looked up at Aryah. "Can I go now Mama? Grumm promised me he'd let me try his new special soup."

"Of course honey," Aryah said. "But please don't leave the Lodge."

After Rose had left Aryah looked to her husband. "You know she doesn't really want to play with the other maids don't you?"

"She needs to learn how to be a lady as well as where everything in Noonvale is," Urran replied.

"And you think I won't be able to teach her how to behave like a proper Noonvale maid?" Aryah asked.

Urran didn't reply and only sipped on his beer.

Rose at the moment however was sampling Grumm's newest soup. The young mole had boiled potatoes, carrots, and some herbs into a simple yet delicious blend for his closest friends. "Here you'm go Miz Roser. Oi made it expecerlly for you'm."

Rose sipped the soup from her bowl and her little face lit up. "Ooh! It's yummy Grummy!"

Grumm smiled as he turned just as red as Rose had earlier when he had complimented her singing. "Burr hurr hurr et be nothin' special. Jus' something Oi made oop quick loik."

"Can I try some too please Grumm?"

The mole looked up to see the old mousewife Gracelyn standing behind his bench. All the young creatures of Noonvale knew Gracelyn to be a kind and gentle mouse who looked after all of them. "You'm be mos' welcum to try moi zoop Miz Grazlyn," Grumm said as he scooped the old mouse a bowl.

Taking the bowl from Grumm she sat down between Rose and Grumm as sampled the soup. "Oh yes this is very well made Grumm. Perhaps we can convince Aryah to let you help out in the kitchens tomorrow?"

"Oi'd loik that very much marm," Grumm told her.

Gracelyn looked to where Rose now had a long face. "What's the matter dear?"

Rose gave a quick sniffle as she answered. "If Grumm's in the kitchens all day it means I have to go with Camilla an' her friends."

"Don't you want to play with Camilla and her friends?" Gracelyn asked as she leaned her head down near Rose.

"They don't play nice," Rose told her. "They always try to change my doll an' they don't like to go outside an' they're boring an' I like to play outside and hear the birds."

"Have you ever played with Teaslepaw? She's that shy hedgehogmaid that's just about your age." Rose shook her head. "I'll make sure I introduce you." Gracelyn stood up to leave but before she could the old mouse felt a tug on her dress. Rose was looking up at her with big eyes.

"Miss Gracelyn do you have your pipes with you?"

Gracelyn reached into a pocket as she pulled out the set of pipes she carried with her. Quite often of late the old mousewife had been sitting alone near the Noonvale waterfall playing the small instrument when she had been joined by Rose who had hummed along with whatever tune the old mouse had been playing.

Taking a breath Gracelyn trilled out a few notes. Rose responded by singing "la la las" just as she had responded to the nightingale earlier in the day. Gracelyn played a longer string of notes on her pipes to which Rose sang back. Gracelyn began playing a simple but lively tune as Rose sang along with her. The young maid and the old mouse keeping together in perfect harmony as their duet continued. With a crescendo and a quick trill their song ended.

A wave of applause rang out through the Lodge from every creature. Rose's face turned bright red and she leapt from her chair to run to Aryah. Reaching her mother Rose buried her face in Aryah's dress in her embarrassment. Aryah put a comforting paw on her daughter's shoulders as she waved her thanks to the applause of the Noonvalers. "It's okay Rosie. They liked your singing," she told the young maid.

Rose didn't respond but only held onto her mother more closely. Aryah looked up to where Gracelyn was walking towards the head table. The mousewife had a smile on her face as she looked at her longtime friend. "So she's still a little shy about singing in front of everyone?"

"Yes," Aryah responded. "'Tis a pity, she's got such a lovely voice."

"Don't fret yourself Aryah. I'm sure it won't be long before she'll be regaling all of Noonvale with song." Bending down to Rose's level Gracelyn again addressed the young mousemaid. "Would you like to hear a story before your parents send you off to bed tonight?"

Rose peeked out from her mother's dress and nodded. Picking the young maid up Gracelyn walked around the Lodge singing her story song.

"Come gather around by the bright fire,
to hear a new tale before your eyes tire.
A fable we'll weave as night sets in,
Come gather around let the story begin."

Gracelyn walked around the Lodge singing her song. Soon she had a troop of eager young creatures following her eager for her to tell them a story before their parents sent them off to sleep. Tables and benches were pulled away from the hearth to make room. Cushions were laid out for the young ones to sit on. Soon they were all gathered in front of Gracelyn who was sitting on a stool in front of the fire with Rose in her lap. Taking a breath she began her story.

"A long time ago there lived a pretty mousemaid named Sorella. Now Sorella was the daughter of the wise chief of mice who lived and fished near the great western ocean. There was nothing Sorella liked better than to watch the sunset over the waves as the sea birds wheeled and called high above. Her tribe was excellent fishermice and wisely left a few fish away from their homes so the sea birds wouldn't attack them. All day long Sorella would watch as her friends and family laid out their nets and worked in the warm waters. As she watched she would walk along the shore and pick up shells and smooth rocks the waves had polished.

"Then one day when she wasn't being careful she walked too far along the beach. Past the point where her tribes protection ended. With a great cry from above a seagull swooped down and picked up Sorella in its huge beak and carried her off to its nest on a small cliff looking over the ocean. The gull dropped Sorella inside the nest where three eggs were resting. Sorella was scared that the eggs would hatch and the baby gulls would gobble her all up.

"Nighttime fell on the coast and Sorella curled in a ball and wished she was safe at home with her mother and father and brothers and sisters. Soon she fell asleep. The next day she woke up to see the big seagull that had grabbed her standing over her with its wings spread wide. Sorella thought she would get gobbled up. Then a rock came out of nowhere flying and hit the seagull in the head. With a squawk the gull looked down on the shore. There stood Sorella's best friend, Lucaius. He had seen Sorella get snatched by the seagull and had run all night to find her.

"Just as the seagull was about to gobble up Sorella, Lucaius had thrown the biggest rock he could find at the seagull. He threw another rock and another rock and another rock until the seagull flew down and time. Taking a piece of nearby driftwood Lucaius swung it with all his might. It hit the seagull on the side of the head knocking out the seagull for a little bit.

"Lucaius called up to Sorella. "Sorella jump! I'll catch you!" Sorella gathered all her courage and leapt as high as she could from the nest. With a bump she fell into Lucaius' arms."

Gracelyn looked around her to see that every the spell of good food, a warm fire, and a good story had worked its magic on the young creatures. They were all sitting and lying down next to each other as they had all fallen asleep. Gracelyn stood up and carried Rose over to where Aryah was waiting to take the little maid to her bed.

As the old mousewife passed Rose to her mother Rose's eyes flickered open. "Gracelyn? What happened to Sorella and Lucaius?"

Gracelyn smiled at the young maid and answered as Rose's eyes closed again. "They went back home and lived happily ever after."

Aryah bid Gracelyn goodnight as she carried Rose out of the Council Lodge. Rose fell asleep in her mother's arms with a smile on her face under to cool spring air of Noonvale.