Episode 11: Between Two Evils
Loveday pondered restlessly as she walked beside the larger animals, early the next morning. She had been hoping to encounter Kell once again in her dreams last night, but no he didn't come back…well yet.
"I was so expecting him to explain to me why people can't see me in human form. I'm wondering if?...being disguised as a white fox in front of their eyes would actually work to lead me better in future, without causing much suspicion. Oh well…at least now I know I'm being shielded for my own protection. It's actually incredible" she thought intrigued. The new feral psychic secrets kept on making her head spin in vivid awesomeness.
All the morning long, she and the animals had been back cruising on route to White Deer Park, so far they'd been traveling for many weeks, months even.
Their newest member Whistler the heron, was feeling enraptured having to be excepted among them unnaturally. Having so many different animal friends was a brand-new pleasure for the bird since he'd been growing very lonesome while he resided inside the abandoned quarry. That is until the Farthing Wood party showed up on his doorstep.
"I never imagined myself to be following such a group. It makes me feel happy just to be in among them" Whistler though as he admiringly stared at his new comrades.
Right now, the biggest party members of the group were trying to wait patiently for the little ones on the layout trail, they didn't notice until Loveday said that they were a few steps far away and had to pause for their sake.
Course they didn't mind taking a break but the small animals would surly beg to differ. In their minds it seemed that every time they had caught up, the bigger animals and Loveday wouldn't dangle long to give them an equally deserved break and would be on the go again.
To surpass the time being, Loveday was telling Whistler more stories about herself and the daring adventures they had all been having lately. She even demonstrated her Grandmothers ring to Whistler by pulling out orbs of light like a snake made from stringed fairy lights.
Though over inside the shade, a very dreamy fox couple were imagining how the future predicted for the both of them romantically.
"If Toads on course we'll be there for winter" Fox spoke smoothly to Vixen.
"Our own den" Vixen sighed fondly.
"Footprints in the snow when we go hunting"
"No one to disturb us"
"And in the spring our cubs will be safe"
"Safe…for always"
Seeing the Foxes nuzzle amorously made Loveday breathe out an affectionate sigh to see how pleasureful it was to witness the proclamation of being in love.
"They are very lucky to have each other" Loveday thought until Owl solidly interrupted them.
"If we ever get there!" Owl hooted in a cranky mood.
"Oh yes we will…" Loveday called pitifully back up to the tree the owl stood nagging in.
"Won't we?" Vixen asked now looking worried.
"Course we will mateys, not far to go now" Toad reassured with enthusiasm.
"Well that's good to know" Loveday lightened them.
"He who risks the lives of many on the word of one, will soon learn that words cost little and accomplish nothing" Owl quoted firmly.
"Oh really?" Loveday rolled her eyes.
"Is she always like this Loveday?" Whistler asked quietly referring to Owl.
"Aye affirmative. No matter how vague or hard she can actually be, Owl's only just trying to keep responsibility for everyone in her own metaphorical way" Loveday explained to him "she drives us nuts I tell you".
"Hmm…I see what you mean" Whistler agreed "You know, she'd woken me up last night to ask me such strange questions".
"Did she really?"
"Oh yes, I was fast asleep you see and then I heard her saying something-". While Whistler told Loveday, the smaller animals had breathlessly been able to catch up.
Both the Voles and the Hedgehogs thankfully rested themselves close by.
"Looks like they stopped ahead" Vole informed.
"Thank goodness" Mrs Hedgehog panted "I'd thought we'd never catch up".
"Yeah it's all very well for them taking little rests along the way, but when do we have a break?" Hedgehog grumbled exhaustedly.
"Ha! I expect they've done us a favour too" Vole cracked.
"Now there's nothing for it, we smaller animals must convene a meeting" Hedgehog devised.
"The oath calls for all animals to protect one another. And that means we get rests too" Vole huffed.
"Hear…hear" Hedgehog nodded with his arms crossed like the vole.
Slowly but surely, the rest of the small animals appeared. Including Adder who was the most tired and hot looking.
Owl flew down to meet her "Thought you'd got lost".
"Sorry to disappoint you" Adder replied.
"If your so slow…how slow is a slowworm?" Owl taunted.
"Ha! Their just lizards without legs" Adder scoffed with her skinny neck held high.
"You're as proud as Toad" Owl criticized.
"Not possible" Adder hissed "Fox and Vixen have made him feel so important, his heads swollen ta the size of a puff-ball".
"I'd blame Loveday for starting that, for no good reason she's always making us animals feel so special when we actually aren't as such" Owl disapproved.
Weasel was passing by them and had heard what was going on "Coming for a hunt?" she asked.
"At this time of day?" Owl sleepily declined with a yawn.
"Please yourselves" Weasel left sounding disappointment.
With everyone back in their alignment they headed straight for the hills sprinkled with large grey rocks and purple thistles. While ascending upwards they happen to see Kestrel swoop down to them. This meant something inconveniencing was afoot and they urgently had to be prepared for anything mental.
"Gee-Gee!"
"Now what?" Owl groaned as she saw Kestrel coming.
Loveday bent her neck up with the foxes and badger to the hawk.
"Did you see something Kestrel?" Loveday asked.
"There's a road ahead, a big road!" Kestrel replied with a concerned face.
"A big road did you say?" Loveday gasped in disbelief.
The shivers of horror soon spread among the creatures once they'd suddenly heard about this. Apparently this wasn't their lucky day so far.
The animals all kept on whispering paralyzing thoughts to each other.
"A what!"
"What are we going to do now?"
"That's not fair"
"Oh I'm so worried"
"What did I tell you?" Owl coaxed that they should've listened to her advice about allowing false hope to get the best of themselves.
In concluded silence, Badger first spoke calmly to Toad.
"Do you remember a road Toadie?"
Toad sluggishly recollected his thoughts about it "Oh dear! Let's see now?...yes come to think of it. There was a…sort of road?".
"Oh no! now he tells us" Mr Rabbit blamed.
"Toadies done a blunder!" Weasel chanted.
"But it was rough, lots of stones. No traffic on it…well there were some? Big machines but they were only digging" Toad continued.
"Building!" Fox realised "and we all know how quick humans are at that".
"Oh yes" Loveday remembered the impact her kind had schemed to destroy farthing wood "and if what Toads just said is true, then it must've happened ages ago…I'm so sorry I have to say this but…".
Toad soon read Lovedays lips "…Oooh! You mean now it's finished" his jaw gaped.
"Yes" Kestrel agreed "I've seen it".
"So that's where they were taking all the quarry stone" Whistler figured.
"Oh this is the last straw!" Hare gritted.
"All that walking for nothing" whined Mrs Shrew.
"How big is it exactly Toad?" Badger wondered curiously.
"Wide…come to think of it. There were two roads side by side" Toad describes.
"Two roads!" Badger gasped so hard that Mole nearly fell right off his head.
"The traffic moves like two rivers, flowing in opposite directions" Kestrel continued to explain.
"Oh No-No!" Loveday stomped down on one of the rocks in devastation "Oh bloody! I don't believe this at all".
Concerned by Lovedays outburst Vixen turned to Fox "Whatever's wrong with Loveday?".
"I reckon she probably knows what Kestrel and Toad mean…Do you Loveday?" Fox went up to comfort the upsettened girl.
Feeling calm by having Fox's tail rubbing against her back, Loveday steadily spoke "We're coming up to a motorway, that's what".
"I knew it…A motorway, that's what you humans call it right?" Fox remembered.
"Yes it is" Loveday replied.
Fox was just as apprehensive as everyone about this, but knew he immediately had to take precautions calmly weather he wanted to or not
"Is it very busy Kestrel?" he shouted.
"There are six lines of traffic, three going south, three going north with a grassy bank between" Kestrel replied with all eyes gazing at her above on the hill top.
"This is what comes of putting your trust in a toad" Owl condemned in Fox's face.
"I'm very sorry" Toad began to spill regretful tears "but I didn't know what they were building did I?".
"He didn't know because he's stupid" Weasel insulted.
"Yes, quite right" Mr Rabbit agreed.
"Now stop it!" Loveday scolded them "You shouldn't disdain people for their lack of memory. I know you're scared for your lives but blaming somebody for it won't make it all go away".
"Then why didn't you know about it?...I thought you were the one who has the power to see what's coming, if you did then we would actually know about this motorway you're kind has built right in front of us" Owl retorted.
"You don't understand, my predictions aren't always true, they're only just guesses because I'm the only one who's ever really experienced how it is all controlled inside me" Loveday defended herself "Well I'm sorry if I couldn't be of any help now, I really do feel for you all…really".
"Loveday that's enough, we already know you can't help it if you're in control of your dreams or not" Fox supported in a serious tone "but right now we really should be thinking straightforward".
"Aye Fox" Loveday nodded feeling a little emotionally recovered.
"Good. Is there no way round it?" Fox questioned back to Toad.
"Oh dear, I am sorry Fox but you see…White Deer Park is on the other side" Toad nervously said, though the amphibian wished he knew a better answer to tell him.
"Ah hahaha! Why did the chicken cross the road?...ta get to the other side! Hahaha" Weasels joke caused everyone to facepalm in annoyance.
"That's the stupidest joke I've ever heard Weasel do and that's a fact" Loveday thought.
"Quiet Weasel!" Owl hushed before she focused her effortless gaze back on top of everyone "when there is no way forward, the only way is to go back".
Everybody turned their heads to look behind.
"But we can't go back..." Loveday protested "Because?...Because…?".
"Because what eh?" Owl impatiently asked. Loveday had all of a sudden gone pale and lost.
"Loveday?…What's-" Fox tilted his head to see if there was anything wrong with her.
"Shsss!" Loveday forcefully placed a finger on her pink lips "Listen!". Her heart beated so rapidly as her ultra-hearing had picked up a familiar sound coming from the way they've just came from.
Faint thundering hooves, howling dogs and a tooting horn!. The bringer of death and destruction it sounded in the animals sensitive ears.
"The hunt!" Fox jumped with alarm "We can't go back!" he exchanged a frightful look to Vixen. There was absolutely no way the fox couple was daring to face them again. Either was Loveday to be exact, she had no strength left to defend with her telepathical powers like last time.
"We could" Weasel referred to herself and the refusal animals who were not prone game to the forthcoming hunt. It was basically the foxes dirty business and not theirs.
"Yes we could, your just being selfish" Mrs Hare added. Most of the smaller animals nodded to an agreement with her.
After a moments of sufferable silence, Badger fumed out wildly.
"How dare you!" he growled out "after all Fox's done for us, why he could've stayed with Vixen and left us to our fate but he came back didn't he? Why?...because we animals stick together".
"Yes! You can't just abandon him like that after all he's risked for you. There's no time for us to be doubting him, sticking together will guarantee for us to live through this one" Loveday persuaded "Wherever Fox goes I go too because I trust him, and you should be trusting him too. Apart from me, he's the one who's promised to defend all of you and your refusing to give him a chance, that's not like you at all".
The animals faces shamefully dropped down in defeat. They knew better then to beat Badger or Loveday in this argument, for they had been redeemed to think about their disgraceful behaviour toward Fox their undefeatable leader.
"Hooray!" Mole cheered in praise.
"Kestrel! Can you see them?" Vixen desperately called.
The hawks eyes zoned right behind Loveday and the group "Their coming this way! I think they're on your scent!".
"She's right. I can feel them getting closer to us" Loveday said when she quickly stood up, "We've got to get out of here now!".
"Then we've no choice" Fox agreed willingly with Vixen.
"To the road!" Badger shouted and began to run down the curvy path wedged between the hills which led towards the motorway.
"Can we vote on it please?" Vole hesitantly asked.
Already the Foxes and Loveday began to move hastily away.
"No time!" Fox responded with irritation.
"Come on! Let's go" Loveday beckoned as they all started to run without looking backwards.
Owl took her time to recite a quote "Sometimes fear of one evil overcomes the fear of another" she said before taking to the sky with Whistler and Kestrel.
"In other words, Lets scarper!" Weasel expressed as she too took off at an extreme speed.
"And I'll second Vole if I get the chance" Hedgehog supported.
Very soon all of the farthing animals were hitting the road. Though a weary Adder had only just slithered to the top of the hill and was shocked to see them all disappearing way ahead from her.
"What's the rush?" she deadpanned with a yawn. "Lucky I'm thick skinned isn't it" she spoke to herself then slid down the dirty trail, straining to try and catch up to the tiny, black dots in the distance.
Momentarily streaking across a few yards, Loveday and the worried animals soon found themselves going upwards to a line of pine trees where a fence bordered between the bank of the motorway and hunting grounds.
Mr Rabbit stopped himself to check his limping paw which looked all red and sore until Hare shoved him furiously.
"Get a move on!" he snapped at him without delay.
Nonetheless Loveday most of all was feeling stressed, it was never any easy task volunteering to be the peacemaker and guardian for the animals to help make a difference. Other than that she felt sorrier looking at Fox whom she saw was in a much riskier position.
As she ran closer up the bank in struggling pants she thought "Of all the days we've been traveling this one's got to be the worst. How are we ever going to cross a motorway without getting run over? Its hopeless" she thought sadly.
Before anything else came into her mind, Kestrel broke Loveday out of thought.
"Gee!-Gee!"
"What is it Kestrel?" Badger answered out of breath.
"The hunt is getting nearer!" Kestrel warned.
"It's alright we're nearly there" Fox calmed as they all collapsed on the bank.
"We'll be caught between two evils" Vixen hinted anxiously.
"It feels like were prisoners" Loveday added feeling the same.
Then somebeast coughed to get their sudden attention, it was none other than Whistler himself "Um…excuse me for interrupting but I'd just thought you'd like to know, I've flown over that road but I never saw the hunt on the other side of it…never".
Although attempting to cheer them up, Whistlers words only brought slight comfort.
Not wanting to show disapproval Vixen turned toward the kind heron with gratitude "Thank you Whistler".
"That does help a little" Loveday too thanked. While she regained her breath her animal ears detected the hunt closing in on them more.
Looking out overhead she watched the hunting party's dark silhouettes appear from over the hill and made a complete stop in the backscene.
"What's happening? I can't see" Mole asked nervously.
"I don't know, but I can see that they have stopped" Loveday said as she squinted her eyes more to see what they were up too.
"Somethings up" Loveday perked with hope.
The animals gasped to see what they then saw next; the hunt had withdrawn itself, disappeared back over the hill and rode out of clear view.
"They're turning back!" Vixen gasped with thankfulness.
"I thought they might" Fox said with please.
"Don't want the hounds near the road eh Fox?" Badger chuckled.
"That's about it" Fox smirked.
"Oh Yes! That's the last we'll see of them…I hope" Loveday wished.
"I hope we don't too Loveday" Vixen nodded as they both smiled happily.
All the animals celebrated joyously to hear the good news. After running away from the hunt maniacally they felt so rewarded.
"Jolly-good!"
"Hooray!"
"They've turned back!"
"Oh thank goodness!"
"Yippee! I knew we could do it"
Although their restored spirits didn't stay long, the next chain of disturbing events they had to endure was beyond over the wire fence. Where Owl sat on it with a distraught look.
"Now…Take a look?" Owl dramatically demanded.
The animals gulped and dared not to move themselves forward where they could hear the overpowering growls and shots of vehicles breaking wind through the fence.
Involuntarily Loveday made her way up to a gap see could see "I'll go look first" she offered.
"Uh…allow me and my wife to accompany you Loveday" Hedgehog invited himself.
"Are you certain you want to see?" Loveday asked.
"Not really but its instinctual to tell you the truth?" Hedgehog shrugged.
"Yes we just have to see for ourselves" Mrs Hedgehog nodded.
"Aye I understand how you mean, then say no more" Loveday understood.
Carefully the girl and the hedgehogs leaned through the hole at the bottom of the fence. In front the grassy bank went straight down for two parallel highways lined with three rows on each one, with a thin strip of debris and weeds paved in the middle where the road barriers stood. Basically any boring old motorway looked exactly the same.
Taken by this new sight, Loveday was positive that the first range of cars were stationary at the very spot. While the cars on the opposite side sped at lighting speed.
"Well Hedgehogs there it is" Loveday sighed.
"Oh crumbs" Hedgehog gasped "that is a big road".
Mrs Hedgehog was so traumatized by this, that she rolled up her body into a ball of defensive prickles instantly.
"Don't do that dear please?" Hedgehog begged his beloved mate "You'll make me want to curl up as well, please don't do that".
"But I'm frightened!" Mrs Hedgehog cried.
"I know but it won't help you know" Hedgehog negotiated.
"It's ok to get a little scared" Loveday said to the ball, "I get like that all the time".
"But you never get scared, how do you do it?" Mrs Hedgehog asked Loveday.
Loveday knew the hedgehogs were vulnerable and helpless but she wondered what her Grandma would say to an animals situation like this.
"My Grandma used to say, 'we don't grow when things are easy, we grow when we face our challenges' it means we have to learn how to find the strength that is hidden within us if we really want to win our battles in life".
"But its impossible for us, every time we've tried acting brave we always end curling up" Mrs Hedgehog replied, "And there's no telling if we'll end up dead because of it".
"There's no hurry when it comes to trying" Loveday explained "all it takes is a bit of courage and effort to push yourself out of your comfort zone and…I'm here, I'll be right here to help look after you both".
"Will you really?" Hedgehog asked looking up to her.
"Till we find the end of the rainbow" Loveday promised as she lifted back up "Now if you'll please excuse me for a moment, I have to let Fox know about this".
"You hear that my dear? Lovedays gonna help us. That'll make you not want to curl up eh?" Hedgehog patted his wife's prickles.
"I don't know darling, I'm still scared" Mrs Hedgehog shivered still "And what did she mean by the end of the rainbow?".
"Hmm…It must be a human thing" Hedgehog shrugged. Confused by Lovedays expression.
Then as Loveday confirmed to Fox about the motorway, the animals started to panic.
"Oh No"
"What are we going to do now?" they all whispered.
"Could we tunnel under it, do you think?" Mole suggested to Badger.
"Oh it would take?...years Moley" Badger regretted.
Once again the Voles, Shrews and Field mice rebelled against the larger animals furiously.
"See! Think only of themselves" Mr Shrew said
"How are we supposed to cross a road like that?" Mrs Shrew remarked "I thought Loveday was supposed to take better care of us".
"She didn't even bother to give us all rides" Vole agreed in a heated manner "We can't trust her or the larger animals".
Hare swung himself over after hearing this verbal abuse "The only time you smaller animals have gotten into trouble is when you left the group remember and didn't Loveday said she'd buried the baby mice out of respect?".
"He's right there" Fieldmouse and his wife nodded in memory to their children's loss because of their pride.
Weasel crawled herself over "It's alright for him, he won't have any trouble getting across the road will he?" Weasel pointed making Hare glare at her.
"Weasels right" the small creatures agreed together.
At the right moment, Badger made an announcement "Can I have your attention everyone!" he shouted.
"Kindly listen to what Fox has to say" Loveday exclaimed.
After clearing his throat shyly Fox reminded everyone "No one said this journey to White Deer Park would be easy but we've come through it together so far! And were going to come through this! So let's forget about our differences and lets stick together. Are you all with me?".
Thanks to foxes uplifting voice, the farthing animals soon obliged and began to reinstall their faith and trust for the canine.
"Yes Fox!"
"Oh yeah!"
"Yes!"
"We haven't got all night!"
"We're behind you all the way Fox" Loveday praised exchanging a loving look with him. In times like these Fox was so glad to have Loveday standing there on his side as he returned his softer look.
"And how do you propose to achieve such a laudable aim?" Owl fiercely broke their bonding moment.
"Why Owl?" Fox glared back "Have you any ideas?".
"Well?...I'd have to think first" Owl respectfully replied before shutting herself off from the world into her calm mediation.
"Oh no, we haven't got all day" Mr Rabbit complained.
"She hasn't got an idea in her head" Weasel teased.
"When have I let you down!" Owl reacted out on them, she always hated it when somebody interrupts her thoughts. The creatures slouched to her.
"Or Fox?" Badger pointed.
"Or what about Loveday?" Kestrel argued.
"Please!...can we all just calm down" Loveday motioned "we keep getting into so many silly arguments for nothing. Look here's what we can do, first we look at the problem nice and calmly right?" Loveday scooted over for Fox to see the motorway beside her.
The Hedgehogs payed thought to Lovedays wise words in mind and peeked down the bank with them again.
"See for yourselves" Loveday directed a finger toward the first lane of vehicles. Random cars and lorries of every description stood motionless in a tightknit traffic jam, with waves of baking hot fumes and smog growing out from their exhaustion pipes and funnels.
"The nearest cars aren't moving at all" Vixen noticed.
"There you see, now all we have to do is decide what to do next" Loveday concluded.
"So we could get as far as the grass in the middle without too much trouble" Fox decided.
"Couldn't we just wait until its dark?" Mr Rabbit suggested as he looked through the fence.
"Don't be silly!" Hare scoffed "you know what your like with car headlights".
"Uh if I may be so bold?" Whistler uttered apologetically "This isn't a country road, oh no its never quite. It was the same with the quarry you see, they worked at destroying the land day and night without stopping, until they had exhausted it. Uh…excuse me for mentioning it".
"Not at all Whistler" Fox replied with appreciation.
Badger turned his stripy head to the others "Well I agree with Fox. I think we should get as far as the grass in the middle while we have the chance".
"One step at a time" Fox instructed proudly.
"This shouldn't be too difficult" Loveday confirmed "We'll make it to that traffic island before we are even spotted".
"Traffic island?" Vixen asked in confusion.
"The grass I mean" Loveday defined.
"Oh!" Vixen nodded.
"Some of us have bigger steps than others" Mrs Fieldmouse complained to her mate.
"We better double-check that its safe before we get this show on the road" Loveday advised.
"Righto Loveday" Fox nodded as he and Vixen looked out again with her. By their accordance there didn't seem any likelihood of the traffic jam ending so soon, if they were going to get halfway they'd better make a run for it while they had the time.
"They've stopped, there are no cars moving on this side" Vixen observed.
Fox turned his red face around to the rest of his followers with a determined yet charismatic look "Come on! while we have the chance".
"It's our golden opportunity, White Deer Park is calling to all of us" Loveday encouraged as she was the first to slide herself through the gap and fearlessly rushed all the way down toward the roads siding. Fox, Vixen and the Hedgehogs followed after her.
Without a word, the animals bravely stood up one by one and hustled themselves down too.
Loveday felt strange to stand so close to the human passengers in their giant vibrant-coloured cars. Despite how much they towered over her small size, she intentionally knew it was her duty as a feral psychic to shepherd every single member of her little family across, and with no more fatalities like from their journeys rough beginning.
The memory of losing the newts and the pheasants made her feel even more determined as she approached the roads edging. Lovedays animal senses picked up another new normality for her to experience. For the first time the cars seemed more of a nuisance because of their fowl leaking smells and stenches.
And the sudden breaths and smoke from the cars made poor Mrs Hedgehog curl up instinctively. She thought they were living metal monsters ready to pounce on her as soon as her paws touched the road.
"Don't let your instinct get the better of ya!" Toad hopped next to her.
"No need to shout, I'm not deaf!" Mrs Hedgehogs voice muffled.
"Here we go" Loveday thought with a big sigh. Thinking how stinky the place smelt.
"Well…Here goes" Fox nervously addressed as he puffed up his chest, "are we all ready?". The animals nodded in reply while Loveday gave him a thumbs up.
"We're ready" Loveday nodded; Fox returned to her with a face saying good luck.
"Come on!" Fox enthusiastically beckoned and stepped himself lively onto the road first.
With a running Weasel and hopping Toad behind him they all threaded between the wide spaces surrounded by bumpers and front headlights. The road had three lanes so it took them some time.
The rabbits shook uncontrollably worse than usual, it was lucky that Vixen took pity on the poor Leporidae's "No need to panic, just watch out for sudden movements that's all" she soothed them.
"That's right, always look before you leap" Loveday instructed to them.
They all watched as Toad was almost unexpectedly flattened by a yellow lorry in the second lane and had narrowly made a jump for it.
"Oh!" Mr Rabbit screeched.
"Well that was a close one matey" Toad chuckled as he emerged on the traffic island where Fox awaited.
"What are you all waiting for?" Fox called.
"Go on Rabbits, you can make it" Loveday prompted.
"We…We can't" Rabbit said back.
"I'll come with you…now!"" Vixen offered and lightly pushed the bunnies onward.
"Thanks Vixen" Loveday whispered.
"Your welcome love" Vixen replied.
They all went across with the hares joining them, especially to keep support of dumb Mr Rabbit from losing his head.
"Look my paws all red" Mr Rabbit whined at his injured paw.
"You'll have to wait until I am across to look at it!" Loveday called "Hare give him a hand!".
"A paw don't you mean" Hare corrected as he shoved the rabbit "Why am I always the one who has ta deal with the likes of you?".
"Ahh!" Mr Rabbit screamed in pain after getting pushed. Vixen came up to him and tried to keep him calm.
"Just look where you're going. Look at Fox, make for him" she motivated the rabbit to look firmly ahead where all the fellow animal crossers stood loyally. Not wanting to be left out from them, Mr Rabbit limped across with Vixen who now nuzzled Fox in reunion.
Weasel had boisterously crept away from Fox's side of the road and was skipping about the road foolishly like it was her private stage for showing off in front of everybody.
"Oh stupid Weasel! Why didn't you stay where you were?" Badger stressfully asked.
"We could always jump over the cars" The first Squirrel laughed playfully.
"It's safer over the tops!" her twin sister agreed as they both scrambled up on a car's front bonnet and climbed over various roofs.
"You'll never know if the cars might start moving again and then you'll fall. Watch yourselves now!" Loveday warned them.
"We will!" they answered excitedly, jumping and leaping from one row to the next.
"I'm going underneath…dare you to follow me" Weasel snickered.
"Don't you even think about it" Badger said to her.
Weasel ignorantly went under a blue car's undercarriage, at the same time the car brutally rolled itself forward with a hissing of smoke. As the smoke dissolved itself Weasel was laying on the ground, clutching to her chest like as though she had been hurt. Rolled over apparently.
Mole and Badger's jaws dropped in such horror. Had she been killed by her own actions!.
"Ahahaha!" Weasel woke up laughing, turns out she'd been pretending. She didn't stay long afterwards and finally stayed putt where half the group now waited for Loveday, Badger, Whistler and all the other little beasts.
"You're putting us all under pressure!" Loveday scolded the Weasel "Silly little thing" she muttered.
"That Weasels asking for trouble" Badger shook his head.
"She's out of anyone's control" Loveday presumed "she thinks this is all a game and we're already delayed as it is".
"Then lets get going, all of us. Come on you lot shake a leg" Badger said.
"Don't ya think we should wait for Adder?" Mrs Hedgehog asked looking edgy.
"We'll help Adder when she gets here" Badger said as he turned to gaze the fence, there was still no sign of the viper anywhere since they all have mistakenly ran away without consideration for her whereabouts.
"I'm sure Kestrel will let us know for sure" Loveday said.
"Its your turn now" Badger said to the gloomy hedgehogs.
"Oh dear" Mrs Hedgehog's whined.
"N-Now just be calm dearest, don't curl up" Her mate place a paw on her shoulder.
"I'll try…I promise I'll try" she replied.
"Remember what I have told you earlier" Loveday leaned and stroked her spiky head.
"Yes I will" Mrs Hedgehog nodded "W-will you please come with us Loveday?".
"All the way" Loveday said, "cause friends never leave anyone behind".
"Thank you Loveday, you really are a good friend to us"' Hedgehog smiled.
Loveday didn't reply back, instead she just smiled brightly to see that her new ever-growing relationship had been taking a major effect by changing many of the animals perspectives on her in a good way. Her company to them became even more valued overtime.
"Off we go!" Badger yelled and took to the lane with the remaining rodents.
"Now Hedgehogs" Loveday said as she too strode on ahead, tearing in and out between the maze of radiating cars, while keeping her eye on the last few animals who were crossing the road.
"Keep going!" Badger shouted as he was the first who can see the audience by the road bannisters. Only he and Loveday were the closest ones and were already on the other side.
Though for the Hedgehogs it was a living nightmare.
"Just checking" Hedgehog excused as he and his mate suddenly froze for a second.
"I want ta curl up!" Mrs Hedgehog begged in excruciation.
"Uh…uh a few steps at a time my dear, a bit of courage and effort will seed to us. Come on its safe, remember what Loveday's Grandma said" they both got down on all fours and continued at ease to their curling instincts.
The Voles, Shrews and Fieldmice weren't doing too well either. Vole's mother was overstricken by the stress of it all and had been stubbornly refusing to remove herself.
"C-Come on!...Mother!" Vole struggled to push her forward "Use your legs!"
Old Mrs Vole uncovered her shielded eyes "No! this isn't natural I tell you, it just isn't natural" she yelled out of anguish.
"Help! Heelllppp! Help!" Fieldmouse's little tail had gotten caught underneath a tire and was trying to pull himself free. His friends Vole and Mr Shrew quickly came to his rescue and they all tugged roughly on Fieldmouse until the tire had loosened its grip on him.
While they did that, Badger politely picked up Mrs Vole over to the other side with him.
"Come on mother it's only Badger" he said.
"What are we going to do with you?" Loveday stared at Mrs Vole as she stepped into the traffic island gratefully. A few of the creatures gathered up to greet her and she petted a few of them in return.
"You alright there Lovely?" Fox asked with a glad face.
"Yes I'm alright but it's the hedgehogs I'm worried for" Loveday turned to see the Hedgehogs had managed to make it half-way across.
"It looks as though you've helped them to overcome their fears" Fox smiled "They haven't gone and curled themselves up ever since".
"You're doing really well!" Loveday called to them "Just a little bit more!".
"We're coming!" Hedgehog said sounding less scared than before.
"Come on you thorn bushes on legs, you can do it!" Weasel shouted impatiently.
"Don't curl up!" the squirrels cheered them on and on.
"Keep going don't stop!" Toad shouted nervously.
What the Hedgehogs didn't see was that the line of traffic was starting to move inches forward again like a wave rippling upon the shore. At any rate, the cars might crush them if they got trampled in-between the bumpers and wheels.
"Watch out!" Badger warned.
"Hurry up!" Loveday called desperately "the traffic's starting to move".
Looking panicked the Hedgehogs were only just about to reach their friends in the last lane, when the car they were passing under jolted to life and sharply lurched against them.
"Don't curl up!"
The animals and Loveday held their breaths as everything around the hedgehogs went pitched black, for the car had automatically bumped into the one in front.
Thankfully though, the Hedgehogs were quick enough and had ducked themselves in time. As they showed up from beneath the shadowy passage everyone felt so pleased to see them unharmed.
"You did it!" Loveday beamed as she watched them emerge from under with Fox.
"Well done!" Fox yelled looking just as relieved as Loveday.
"Now were all here!" Vixen said happily.
"Except Adder" Owl reminded resting on top of a cars rooftop.
"Owl? Would you mind flying over. See if you can spot her?" Fox demanded with concern.
"Since you asked I wouldn't mind actually" Owl replied leaving them to their new ordeal.
When Loveday was about to go check upon the hedgehogs, a paw tapped against her leg.
"My paw is still hurting me; I just can't bare it anymore" Mr Rabbit complained pointing to his swollen red paw.
"Yes I know" Loveday pulled out some acid wipes and a bandage for him "Oooh it looks like you must've hurt it when we were running away from the hunt but don't you worry its very treatable".
"Oh why does nobody care about me; nobody I'm telling you and Now-" Mr Rabbit paused. He began to cough and gasp aggressively.
Loveday bearably concentrated to clean and fix up Mr Rabbits injury, suddenly she began to feel rather unwell. Her animal nose had suffocated in the polluted atmosphere being caused by the vehicles right beside them. Her eyes began to burn blindly from the smoke and her throat tickled.
The same went for all the animals, their sanctuary was nothing but a junk pit. Debris and rubbish were scattered and their lives hanged in the balance from choking over the gassy unliveable air.
"We can't stay in here for long" Fox said feeling sick as he saw everybody else suffering.
"Better not, or…we will all die from this…filth" Loveday coughed as she finished tying up Mr Rabbits paw.
"At lease only one of us seems to care about me, I'm starving" Mr Rabbit thanked Loveday and started to chew the off-coloured grass. Till he went wide eyed in disgust.
"Pah! Disgusting!" Mr Rabbit spitted a dandelion out, right onto Hare's nose by accident.
"Who's disgusting?" Hare growled in an insulted tone.
"The grass, it tastes funny?" Rabbit realised in bafflement.
Mrs Hare took a nib at it and coughed the greasiest weeds from out of her mouth "She's right! It tastes like the funny smell in the air".
"Hmm?…the cars must've been spilling patrol or fuel ever since this road was first in operation, that's why it's been spoiled" Loveday wondered "You didn't swallow it did you?".
"No none of us did" Mrs Hare explained "I hope we can find some proper food somewhere soon".
"We will once we're safely across" Loveday nodded.
"I hate this place" Mr Rabbit moaned "I nearly got poisoned".
"Oh do shut up" Hare grumbled as he crossed his arms "you do nothing but complain about everything".
"We already…know Mr Rabbit. Thank you very much" Loveday cleared her throat before Vixen joined her, "How are you holding up Vixen?".
"I'm well but are you alright Loveday" Vixen empathized, "Your eyes look a little inflamed".
"Don't worry it's only a reaction to the smoke" Loveday replied, "I'm fine really".
"Well we don't want to see you getting sick" Vixen concluded trying to hide her worry.
"Just as long as I don't try anything with my powers for the time being. I'll be back to normal" Loveday insisted.
"Let us hope so" Vixen beamed.
As the farthing wood party sat still and gaped over the rail to study the second road.
The excited voice of a child screeched from behind a cars lowering window.
"Daddy!...look at them".
"Mum! Dad! There's a lot of funny animals beside us".
Loveday and the creatures stared uncomfortably to see the car behind them had a whole family of passengers inside it, looking very disapprovingly at the exposed beasts hanging around near the motorway unexplained.
"Oh no! that's all we need" Fox murmured stressfully.
"Don't panic" Loveday whispered with unease, slipping to hide behind the road bannister with the rabbits and hares following her "Be still and back away from those people slowly".
"All of you get behind the rail with Loveday and fast" Fox demanded as he and Vixen and Badger slowly crawled away cautiously.
But the human family didn't bother to leave them alone as they had hoped.
"Are those squirrels daddy?" the child innocently asked.
"Vermin! Get rid of them" the mother distressfully induced her dim-witted husband. By now most of the animals had gone under the steel railings for cover.
"Badger can I get down please?" Mole asked him once they'd slid over.
"Stay where you are!" Badger answered.
The Squirrels instinctively felt entranced and would've run up a tree if there were any around them.
"Squirrels look out!" Loveday shouted as she saw the man thrust a drink can directly at them.
"Take that!" the man threatened and laughed rudely with his wife after he'd meanly threw the can out. The hasty Squirrels jumped to a siding and didn't see directly where they were leaping toward.
Fox quickly came out to help them "don't run into the road!" he warned hurriedly.
Too late. The squirrels blindly lost their focus and bonked their heads painfully against the family's car.
"You snotbags! Pick on somebody your own size!" Loveday growled to the people in the car, although she remembered that humans cannot exactly see nor hear her this way. Carefully she snuck herself out from her hiding spot and pleasantly guided the giddy squirrels back to the sheltered area.
"Nobody calls we vermin and gets away with it!" Weasel temperamentally wanted to take satisfying revenge on the offensive tyrants as she aimed the same can over her shoulder as payback for their evil attack.
"Weasel don't!" Fox tried stopping her.
"You'll only make them angrier!" Loveday added.
Weasel had already thrown the can back through the cars window successfully "Take that!" she yells.
She laughs so hard and distracted that she didn't see the incoming raid from out of the cars window frame.
The humans were too enraged by the weasels tactic that they crazily launched out everything they owned to hit her back with. Mainly bits of rubbish or even a few old toys.
Poor Weasel tried dodging everything that targeted her but her head had gotten spanked several times over and over.
"Ha! Got him!" the husband mocked as they all laughed at the head stirring weasel.
"Oh don't you ever listen?" Loveday complained as she kindly pulled on Weasels arm to get away from the car.
"Damn those snobby people" Loveday hissed inside her head. Usually she never swore but seeing the squirrels and Weasel get attacked by them really tore her apart "but they're not worth it, I've more important matters to deal with than giving them what for".
"Oh we've got to get out of here" Badger exhaled after seeing Weasels dilemma.
Enough was definably enough for the farthing party, they just had to evade across the other half of the motorway once and for all.
"Easier said than done mateys" Toad gulped as he apprehensively pointed at the opposite road in front. The vehicles that drove on it flamed pass the animals constantly like bullets.
The Foxes and Loveday examined it together.
Lovedays hair flapped violently into tangles every time something flew by. She pushed it away from her eyes to see that some of the animals had helplessly been knocked over by the rampaging wind.
"The smaller animals don't stand a chance" Vixen regrettably spoke to Fox beside her, while her ears and fur flapped against the wind.
"They won't last five seconds" Loveday indicated.
Nodding in agreement Fox suggested of an idea "Kestrel and Owl could carry them over?".
"Yes" Vixen thought "But their natural enemies, wouldn't they be frightened?".
"Hmm…Got a point there" Loveday said, "Not even my powers will be able to lift them all the way since I've had no time to really practice".
"I think you should forget about involving your powers, if you don't mind?" Fox politely disagreed.
"I wasn't going to anyway" Loveday declined as she continued to think. She very much wanted to make amends to the little creatures who had suffered enough by coming up with a better solution for them.
"Maybe they could ride in my bag but it wouldn't carry everybody…no that wouldn't work" Loveday thought.
Whistler whistled as he fluttered down to the island "Need some help?" he asked looking as though he knew what their troubles were.
"Wait…that's it!" Loveday blinked as an idea struck her. She shook Fox's shoulder "Fox listen? I think we've had the answer standing right here with us all along".
Fox didn't quite get what Loveday meant until she presented straight to Whistler.
"Loveday you're a genius" Fox smirked with content "It might actually work after all".
"I always knew that Whistler would be of use to us" Loveday smiled as she and Fox faced him.
"Whistler? You only eat fish don't you" Fox asked in a trusting tone.
"As a rule…yes!" Whistler answered, sounding very excited to hear what opportunity they had install for him.
"Will you please carry some of the smaller animals over the highway?" Loveday kindly offered "If you do, we'll always be grateful for having you for a friend".
Whistler didn't need asking once "I'll be delighted!" he beamed.
"Splendid" Loveday then gathers up all the small creatures around "Listen you lot. Our friend Whistler here is going to take you all across the sky so then you won't have to risk your lives to get there".
"But is it safe?" Vole demanded. He still resented toward the girl even if he did had a soft spot.
"Well…you'll just have to found out for yourselves, Whistler take good care of them" Loveday presented.
"You can rely on me" Whistler accepted "Who'll go first?".
"I trust you Whistler; you saved my life" Toad volunteered gladly.
"Right you are, hop into my beak"
As Toad sat tightly in Whistlers bill ready for take-off, the heron unfolded his wings slightly and in one flap shot up and zoomed over the road in a single short flight.
Once they'd landed, Toad dropped out with thrill and astonishment written all over his green face.
"Come on its lovely!" Toad addressed back. The experience of flying was a chance not worth missing.
The little ones kept on pestering each other over who's next turn it was.
"Me next! Me next!" the shrews said.
"No Me!" the field mice butted in.
"Me and mother should go first" Vole argued to them all. In no time at all Whistler made a surprise comeback.
"Come on queue up! everyone will get a turn" Whistler reassured as he enjoyed his new commitment to give them all rides up through the air.
"That takes care of that" Loveday nodded as she proudly watched Whistler.
"That solves that problem" Fox added.
The powerful din from the road suddenly softened, the number of cars had even decreased, overstretching opportune slots that they'd all been grasping for.
"Look!" Vixen spots in surprise "a gap in the traffic!".
"Come on Loveday, Hare's" Fox eagerly saw their chance.
"Actually Fox, I think it's best that if I remain here in case of any emergencies" Loveday insisted.
"If that's what you want, then I'm afraid you'll have to wait with Badger and the rabbits for the next coming gap this time Loveday" Fox thought it was he who should've remined.
"I'm patient enough, you get going first. And please don't get killed" Loveday pleaded with hints of panic.
"We won't as long as you will not do the same for us" Fox sniggered, he tried not to show how scared he was leaving Loveday on her own like this.
"Now Fox…" Vixen scolded "must you be joking like that".
"No I suppose not" Fox sheepishly apologised.
"Be careful Loveday please" Vixen begged.
"I will, I'll see you on the other side" Loveday tried to not let them get distracted with over worry for her sake.
"Come on let's run!" Hare beckoned to the foxes, even he and his mate were scared to not have Loveday come with them.
"Wait there's something coming!" Toad halted them as one last car was about to pass by.
"Once that cars passes make a break for it and stay alert" Loveday advised.
The hares and foxes stayed calm and got themselves into position "Ready, steady" Fox started, suddenly the car steamed pass leaving a trail of smoke behind.
"GO!" Loveday finished.
Away they all dashed. It only took them seconds to sprint over all three lanes and bumped right into Toad. Which Fox actually did by kicking him right over on the grassy bank.
Toad rolled and tumbled until his eyes could see stars circling around him.
"Ooh sorry! Couldn't stop" Fox apologised to Toad.
"We're safe, We're safe!" Mrs Hare praised in deep gasps.
"Hooray" Toad muttered with a dizzy expression.
Whistler brought Vole and his mother next and continued fetching the rest.
Old Mrs Vole was overwhelmed by the flying stimulation "I never thought I'd see the day a vole in flight, oh my lord".
"That makes us the first ever voles who flew in the sky. Just wait till those voles in the park hear about this" Vole bragged.
Back on the other side.
"They're alright" Loveday notified to Badger "there's only you, me and the rabbits, hedgehogs, an Weasel left".
"Don't forget about me" Mole waved his arms to make himself visible.
"Oh sorry…you too Moley" Loveday replied.
Weasel was still swishing and wobbling, her head injury had made her gone bonkers "Where's everybody gone?" she asked baffled.
Badger answered, "Some have run across the road, Whistlers taking the rest".
"I'm gonna run across too" Weasel chose for herself.
"With that nasty bump, I don't think so" Loveday refused for Weasels own good.
"Agreed, you're not going to run and that's that" Badger nailed his paw on top of the wriggling Weasel's body until she was secured on the ground.
"Is Whistler taking us?" Mrs Hedgehog asked her mate in longing desperation.
"Whistler what about the hedgehogs?" Badger asked as soon as the heron flew back.
Whistler regretted to say his declining "Oh dear! if only I could but your so thorny".
"Its alright…we know its no good" Hedgehog disappointedly understood.
"Yes we know…its alright" his wife sobbed.
"I'm afraid you'll just have to make it across yourselves" Badger guiltily said. The hedgehogs sad faces went down disheartened.
"Or you may not have to" Loveday interrupted as she took off her bag and placed it down. "My bag might just be big enough to carry the pair of you. I'll be glad to take you with me".
The hedgehogs lit up unbelievably.
"Your offering to take us with you?" Hedgehog asks.
"We can't possibly allow you do that" Mrs Hedgehog gasped.
"Nonsense, that's what friends are for" Loveday reassured, "let's be honest, even if you did try you may only have a ten percent chance of making it. Now are you going to get in?".
"Oh Loveday" Mrs Hedgehog began to cry out of guilt and thankfulness.
"Guess it is better than trying to risk it" Hedgehog accepted the fact and climbed into the bags opening with his wife.
As Loveday got them settled she noticed somebody was missing "Badger where's weasel?".
"Weasel?...she's right over-" Badger had forgotten to hold his grip on Weasel and she'd must've slipped out from his grasp when he wasn't paying attention.
"She's over there!" Rabbit pointed in front.
"Weasels walking funny" The baby rabbits giggled to see that Weasel was idiotically walking on the still busy lanes like a tipsy penguin spinning around in circles.
"Come back!" Badger shouted to her but it was no use trying to make her stop showing off in such a stupid state "Weasel the cars!".
"Whistler we need your help" Loveday asks.
"On it" Whistler eagerly took off once again and swiped down to grab Weasel before she'd met her end. Thankfully it was all taken care of.
"Ok" Loveday anxiously took a breath "it's all up to us now".
"Can you make it Loveday?" Hedgehog asked poking his head out from Lovedays right side.
"I'll get you there if it's the last thing I do" Loveday exclaimed.
"Oh I hope not" Mrs Hedgehog anxiously poked out on Lovedays Left side.
"The rest of us must wait for a long gap in the traffic" Badger observed.
"It will have to be a very long gap" Mrs Hedgehog mumbled.
"I'll second that but at least Lovedays bag will hold us in" Hedgehog tried keeping her calm.
"Try talking about something positive, it will keep your minds off the road" Loveday suggested "and me".
Mrs Hedgehog thought that was a good idea "I wonder what White Deer Park looks like? She said sweetly to her mate.
"Oh I don't know?...lots of white deer I suppose, grass, streams that sort of thing" Hedgehog imagined.
"Sounds nice"
"Hope we make it"
"I'll second that"
"We will I promise you" Loveday assured, she kept looking to her right-side where the traffic drove from.
"Please let us live to see White Deer Park" Loveday preyed as she couldn't imagine herself dying without knowing more about her ancestors secret located in the nature reserve. That would be a disaster.
"Ah! I think I can see a gap coming" Badger announced.
Luckily Loveday spotted a long gap advancing behind a speeding car, van and motorbike "Its definably coming now, remember we won't have a second chance so don't take this for guarantee".
"We certainly won't Loveday" Badger nodded in admiration.
"But what about me?" Mr Rabbit cried "My paw still hurts".
"Don't you say a word" Rabbit stood up "we've waited long enough to come this far and I am not waiting a moment longer".
"That's the sprit" Loveday nodded "Good luck guys and make sure the baby rabbits stay with us".
"We will" Rabbit made sure.
The last of the vehicles flashed pass leaving the welcoming gap in front.
"Now! quick as you can!" Badger gruffly shouted.
"Onwards ho!" Loveday screamed at the top of her lungs and without fear she sprinted, keeping her shaking bag close to her as possible "Hang on Hedgehogs!".
Loveday wasn't prepared for how uneasy this leading stream of action would turn out. This time the road seemed wider without a traffic jam like the first one. She ran and ran and ran with her eyes flashing brightly ahead every time she took a galloping step. It felt almost like her magic had been summoned to come protect herself and something new was happening.
The cars were coming and they all only had twenty seconds of crossing time left. Undoubtably Badger and the rabbits even managed to make it for the second lane with Loveday who seemed to be beyond restlessness.
Mr Rabbit stopped himself as he saw the cars coming near "Don't panic! There nothing coming!" .
"I'm noting panicking" his mate replied as she and the babies bolted pass him.
"Come on faster! Faster!" Badger repeatedly said as he crossed through the last lane.
"Hurry Loveday!" Fox furiously shouted as she came to the edge.
"Hooray we're all going to make it mateys!" Toad cheered.
"Don't give up" the animals shouted.
Ten seconds now gone; the hedgehogs struggled to keep hold of Lovedays bag from the inside. They'd been shaken and rumbled all the way across, very sickly.
"Hold on dear" Mrs Hedgehog said.
"I am" Hedgehog replied, "I think we're nearly there!".
"I didn't know Loveday ran so fast" Mrs Hedgehog thought.
"Yeah how strange…Loveday are you doing alright?" Hedgehog asked.
"I'm going to jump hedgehogs, hang tight" Loveday yelled.
"What Loveday?" Hedgehog soon found out.
With perpetual energy she'd never felt before, Loveday was hurrying across the last lane and without thought made a big amazing leap for the bank. Like a lioness, she flew high over the animals and crash landed on top of the grass without turning.
"Loveday!" Fox cried and ran up to her.
"She's made it!" Toad cheered with some of the animals.
"Hooray!".
"But is she hurt?" a Squirrel asked.
"Are the Hedgehogs alright?" Mrs Hare wondered "Quick check her bag".
"Badger and the rabbits are here. We've all made it" Hare informed until they saw Loveday didn't move.
Mole did a happy dance on Badger's head "We're safe!".
"Yes Moley but what about Loveday and the hedgehogs" Badger reminded him.
Fox desperately kept nuzzling Lovedays face, by miracle she muffled and lifted her body half off the bank, feeling drained and happy to see that she'd made it all the way across.
"Is it over?" Hedgehog muffled from inside the bag.
"Yes you can come out now" Loveday slid off her bag and opening it.
"That was quite a ride you gave us back there" Mrs Hedgehog panted in relief as she hastily got out.
"Our lives are yours Loveday, thank you so much for what you've done for us" Hedgehog smiled to her then his happy expression melted away into a gasp.
"Oh please think nothing of it, it was actually a lot of fun" Loveday giggled "By the way how was that jump I did?".
The hedgehogs and Fox were awkwardly silent. They looked as though they've seen a ghost or something paranormal.
Loveday twists her head around to see if there was something wrong "What is it?".
Vixen strolled up and gasped to see Loveday face.
"Can one of you please say something" Loveday asked impatiently.
"It's you Loveday" Fox answered in a surprised tone "have you seen yourself?".
"Why?" Loveday replied as she stuffed her hand into the bag and pulled out a mirror "Have I scarred myself?".
"Um…No Loveday you should take a look at your eyes" Vixen calmly explained.
"My eyes?" Loveday held up the hand mirror and angled it right for her to see. There staring back at her wasn't her natural blue eyes. The pupils were diamond like the ones foxes bared and their colour had transformed into something out of a fantasy world. They were vibrantly red, green and blue all together.
Loveday couldn't take her familiar eyes off of the mirror, these were the eyes she'd saw in the dream that had revealed her foxy reflection to her before. First it was her new animal senses, now she had a new pair of striking canine eyes. What could this all mean?.
"Its my eyes. They've changed" Loveday finally realised.
"You look almost like us with those eyes Loveday" Fox described in fearful amazement.
"How did it happen?" Vixen asked.
"I…I don't know?" Loveday replied then she looked at the mirror again to see if it all wasn't a joke.
"I say how very peculiar" Badger said.
"Rather colourful I must say" Whistler admired.
"They suit you well" Mole complimented.
"Why thank you Mole" Loveday replied.
"Maybe it had something to do with your…Powers maybe?" Fox wondered.
"Maybe" Loveday said as she admired herself, "I'll say, they really are…beautiful".
"Perhaps it has something to do with her helping us" Hedgehog suggested with his wife beside.
"Of course! I must've found another part of my feral psychicness when I lease expected it to happen. Sometimes things like that do happen when you've done a good deed for someone else's sake" Loveday figured.
"It does seem to make sense in such a strange way" Vixen agreed.
"I still don't get it" Fox said still confused.
"I know you wouldn't you told me you didn't believe in anything spiritual" Loveday laughed at him.
"You actually said that" Vixen looked at her mate.
"Um…it's a bit of a long story" Fox excused.
Everyone else seemed both scared and surprised to see Loveday with her new eyes. But that didn't stop them all from congratulating each other for a job well done and making a big step closer to their destination.
The hedgehogs said to Loveday they would never forget about this and were eternally grateful for her friendship.
As a cause of celebration the animals and Loveday cheered until their throats ran dry.
"Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!".
Kestrel had been watching from above and was happy to see all her friends safely together from the motorway. But Adder was still missing.
"I can't find Adder anywhere" she said to Owl who offered her help.
"She can't've gone far" Owl said.
For ages she and Owl had scanned the bank where the fence was. They found her laying in a ditch taking a well-deserved rest.
"Everyone else has either been carried or run over the road" Owl greeted the snake with a straight face "they've all been worried about you".
Adder softly woke up "I trust I shall not be expected to apologize for lateness, four legs are faster than none".
"If you are done complaining, let's have you join everyone over on the other side" Owl resumed.
"I've no desire to commit suicide" Adder drawled.
"Then let me take you" Owl kindly offered to her close friend. Adder hissed in protest toward that idea.
Kestrel flew to bring the message to Fox and the group. They all watched as Owl tried her hardest negotiating with Adder sensibly.
"She'd never let herself be carried over, not by Owl or Kestrel anyway" Vixen remarked.
"Vixens right" Badger sighed "far too proud".
"We can't go without her" Loveday reasoned as she used her new animal eyes to see from a distance "it wouldn't be the same without her".
Just then Fox knew exactly what to do "Can you help Whistler?" he asked with a mischievous smirk.
Whistler had the same idea "Element of surprise hmm…See what I can do".
"What are you up to" Loveday asked Fox.
"You wait and see" Fox chuckled.
"Any luck on Owls part Loveday?" Badger wondered.
"No…Not any luck" Loveday continued to observe miserably.
Apparently Adder was refusing to listen to Owls ongoing negotiations.
"Reflect Adder, on the ancient wisdom expressed in the phrase 'better to lose ones dignity than to lose ones life" Owl calmly said with a patient face.
"I won't lose either!" Adder snapped "If I stay here. Which is exactly what I'm going to do, you pompous bundle of feathers".
Owl gaped to Adders rude behaviour.
"Because no one can force me to do anything I don't wish to" Adder continued in a prideful manor.
The next thing you know, Whistler startled the snake as he snatched her between his beak without comprehension. The best part was when everybody saw the indignant Adder dangle around the sky so hilariously as Whistler ferried her to them. This was the best surprise they'd had seen in ages.
"Put me down at once!" Adder screamed.
"Well done Whistler" Fox congratulated.
"Here they come" Loveday pointed as the heron dropped Adder on the roads edge. The animals laughed uncontrollably loud at the snake with welcoming giggles, chuckles and chortles.
"I don't see what's so funny" Adder growled in embarrassment.
"Hehahahaha! Up there in…in the sky…hahahaha you looked just like a wiggly old maggot!" Toad teased between his out of control laughter.
"MAGGOT!" Adder roughly slithered and tried to lunge at Toad.
"At least your safe" Owl laughed.
"Yes we should count ourselves lucky" Loveday giggled.
"Hard to believe that it's all thanks to you Fox" Vixen added.
"No we all did it together" Fox calmly held in his laughs "Thank all of you for still believing in me".
"Like what Loveday says we're all behind you, you know" Badger patted Fox on the back.
"Hear. Hear!" Mole cheered happily.
"Well uh…most of us anyway" Badger said as he saw Adder's monstrous look.
"Clearly this has been a day full of endless surprises" Loveday smiled "tell me truthfully. Are my eyes a new look for me?" she said blinking them.
"They're a new look for us I'm telling you, I wonder if you'll start to grow a tail next" Fox honestly replied with amusement.
"Hey!" Loveday placed her hands on her hips as everybody laughed once again "If it weren't for me our good friends the hedgehogs wouldn't be laughing too, kindly show some respect at lease".
"Oh come on Lovely" Fox recovered.
"Don't you lovely me" Loveday giggled back.
"Never mind Loveday" Vixen laughed "your eyes suit you perfectly".
"Yes you deserve them from helping us" Mrs Hedgehog agreed.
"Thank you" Loveday calmed down and turned to Toad "Well shall we get a move on Toad?".
"Aye-Aye to you Loveday! Its all clear sailing to White Deer Park. Come on mateys!" as Toad cheerfully hopped himself up and over the bank, the farthing wood party left the motorway behind and continued to walk down to the neighbouring fields leading them on to their next adventure.
"White Deer Park we're coming home" Loveday thought as she lead the way proudly showing off her beautiful, charismatic eyes.
Authors notes:
Hey! did you miss me because I've been missing you all very much.
I know I said i would update this back in July but sadly I got delayed. You see I'm back in my work and its had me all tied up in knots. Thank you all very much for being so understanding and patient with me, and please do keep showing me your support i really am grateful towards you all.
Please keep sharing your comments they are very helpful for me to keep on continuing and I hope your satisfied that Loveday has saved the hedgehogs so now we can see them more in the adventures to come.
I hope you all are doing well and i promise I'll get episode 12 done sooner than this one.
Enjoy the rest of your summer while you can.
bye bye my friends.