《A Woodland Tail》


 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1


    The heavily armored Mouse stood there on the edge of the cliffside, pondering. His green cape adorned with a bright red maple leaf emblazoned on a shield of gold flapped in the gentle Spring breeze. His left paw rested on the pommel of the longsword that lay sheathed at his hip. His right foretoe tapped on the steel plate that covered his thigh. He wore the same sour expression he had for the past several minutes since coming out to observe the battle, no doubt contributing to the light gray furs that had begun sprouting up around his nose and above his eyes, which stood out nicely against his already dark gray fur.


    ¡°Scribe Plumbase?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Commander?¡±


    The Bird scribe perked up at being called on. The Commander had been staring down at the battle in the field below for several minutes now, not so much as muttering a word. The scent of earth and blood drifted through the early Spring breeze. The sounds of steel meeting claw and the telltale ringing of spells being flung rang through the air, filling the silence that existed before the Commander finally spoke up. The Bird hoped that the Commander was just getting some fresh air before going back to the safety of the office so that they could continue with the day¡¯s affairs. Even at this height, the atmosphere of the battle lay heavy on the Bird¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°These Ferals grow more relentless with each passing Spring, but we must hold this pass at all costs. The survival of the Valley depends on it. Bring a message to all the different kingdoms.¡±


    The Bird turned his head at this, they had already sent out the monthly reports and requisition forms for the various supplies they would need come Winter. So what would the Commander need to say? And why all of the kingdoms? That had certainly never happened before.


    Commander Titus hadn¡¯t taken his eyes off of the battle that lay before him, a fire having lit in his expression at the mere mention of the Ferals. The heavy scent of blood slowly made its way up to him, only slightly perturbed by the morning Spring breeze. This was the latest in a long slew of melees that had occurred since they started showing up over ten Springs ago. He flicked his long tail in annoyance thinking of the Ferals¡¯ increasingly complex behavior. This Spring, they had even started employing simple strategies. At first, they were just throwing themselves around blindly, attacking all who came near, even each other. But now it seems they¡¯ve rallied behind some cause, but what, the Commander could only guess. Only a handful of scouts had returned from beyond the Pass, all reporting the same thing: amassing Ferals in the South, deep into the Wildlands.


    ¡°We need to recruit the strongest, smartest, and bravest Woodland Folk we can to repel this invasion. Go forth to all kingdoms, it matters not the species and tell them we need assistance. We can not go on like this. I have a feeling that come Winter, we will have bitten off way more than we could chew. No pun intended, of course.¡±


    The Scribe ruffled his feathers, trying to shake off thoughts of Winter. He wasn''t built for these harsh Mountain Winters. His thoughts drifted off briefly to his warm hollow North of the Valley and across the sea, untouched by the chilling winds of the Pass. Thoughts of home retreated for now as he turned his attention back to the Commander. One day soon, maybe.


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    ¡°It will be done, sir. When shall I leave?¡±


    ¡°Immediately. The more recruits that we get trained up before the Summer Festival, the better. Oh, and take Knight Captain Rurik with you for protection.¡±


    Titus¡¯s large ears twitch when he hears the scribe sigh in exasperation behind him and anticipates another of his famous complaints; he¡¯s never been afraid to speak his mind on these matters. No doubt the scribe was already dreading the months of companionship that¡¯ll be shared with the Knight Captain on their journey. The Commander himself wouldn¡¯t walk away from such an endeavor unscathed. But the Knight Captain was strangely effective at his job of rallying one¡¯s fighting spirit.


    ¡°Right away, Commander.¡±


    He briefly smiles as he hears the scribe hold his complaint, spread his wings, and take to the air as the Commander returns his attention back to the battle raging below. Then, as quick as it had come, his smile disappears. His face briefly lit up with orange light as a fire spell detonated amongst a crowd of Feral Squirrels that had grouped up, much to their misfortune. Off in the distance, Titus could make out the gathering of several storm clouds. Good. The scent of blood won¡¯t spoil the coming of Spring for long. Titus could taste the magic that had saturated the air from days of fighting. Some rain would do the battlefield some good.


    Squirrels, Rabbits, Raccoons, Mousefolk, and all manner of other forest-dwelling creatures. All have answered the call before to come and defend against these Ferals. Now, they must do so again. For the Valley.


    Titus watched as a young Mouse Pikeman was slashed by the large claw of a Feral Raccoon. A Frog Mage¡¯s Water Bolt slices through the air and blasts the raccoon in the chest in response, sending the Raccoon reeling backward, screeching in the way that only Ferals do. Seizing the opportunity, two soldiers, a young Rabbit Shieldmaiden and another Mouse Swordsman rush forward and grab the young Pikeman under his arms, dragging him towards the cliffside where the Healers had set up emergency triage. Titus releases the tension in his body, unclenching his fists and releasing the breath he didn¡¯t even realize he was holding.


    Too many creatures had fallen in this conflict. Too many names he could no longer remember. The Memorial Stone in the plaza of Fort Redleaf had long ago run out of space, prompting the soldiers to drag in several smaller stones to be placed around the main one. Even the Ferals that were killed were a loss in his eyes. The Scholars of Evertree were hard at work researching the phenomenon, but so far had come up empty-pawed. And sadly, the death of his subordinates was the least of Titus¡¯s worries right now. First, the supply issues the Fort was having because of some kind of failed harvest in the Northern Sunfields, now there were even rumors that Ferals had been seen North of the Pass. Titus sighed and rubbed his eyes as the thought of paperwork weighed down his mind. It was going to be a long night.


    His hand rested on the pommel of his longsword at his side. Absent-mindedly, he rubbed the freshly shined steel while silently reliving his glory days in his mind. The Predator Wars were long over, yet he could still feel the heat on his face from the battles fought. His longsword had never been this shiny back then and saw far more use. Watching the melee down below, his tail began to swish back and forth as a brilliant idea came to mind. Head Scribe Bravary could be made to wait just a couple hours; the paperwork wasn¡¯t going anywhere after all. It¡¯s time I make myself known, he proclaimed to himself as he started the descent down to the Gate of the Wilds, the only barrier between the Northern Valley and the Southern Wildlands. Time to see if the Ferals can still feel fear.

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2


    ¡°What are you waiting for? Are you scared? What are you, some kind of Rat?¡±


    Graham clenches his jaw at the insult. He held his tongue as he continued to circle his opponent with his shield held before him and his shortsword poised to strike. He wasn¡¯t going to let his opponent get him riled up that easily. That¡¯s how he ended up in this predicament to begin with.


    ¡°Fine, have it your way.¡±


    The other Mouse hoisted the two-handed axe behind him and charged at Graham, letting loose a battle cry. In a wild horizontal swing, the red-furred Mouse tried to take the head off of the smaller brown Mouse before him. Seeing the axe flying at him at impressive speed, Graham hurriedly ducked below the axis of the¡­axe, making sure to bring his ears down with him so they didn¡¯t get caught up in the mayhem. Poised in a crouching position, he shoved his shield into the exposed gut of the Mouse standing in front of him. A small grunt of pain came from the bigger Mouse but he barely moved a foot. Using the momentum, the bigger Mouse pivoted on his foot and brought his axe back around for another pass. Graham, wide-eyed, barely raised his shield in time and caught the axe head straight on, making him tumble away, nearly losing the grip on his sword from the sheer force of the swing.


    Standing up, he lightly shook the dust off his head and ears and once again took his stance in front of the Mouse Brute. Graham clicked his tongue looking at the Brute wearing the same characteristic sneer he had when the confrontation began. He had to find an opening, or he would get squashed by that oversized axe, and the last thing he¡¯d see would be that damned sneer. He¡¯d wipe that look off of the bigger Mouse¡¯s face if it was the last thing he did. The fight had escalated way past the reason it began.


    This time taking the initiative, Graham rushed forward, trying to catch the Brute off guard. Graham swings his sword in a diagonal slash towards the Mouse¡¯s shoulder but it¡¯s easily deflected by the axe. Recovering into a horizontal slash, Graham¡¯s strike is once again deflected as the Brute simultaneously side steps behind Graham and kicks him square in the back, sending the smaller Mouse tumbling once again.


    ¡°See that, boys?¡± the Brute shouts as he rests his axe on his shoulder. ¡°Little Mouse wants to be a big Knight in shining armor! Running to protect others when he can¡¯t even protect himself. Pathetic. You wouldn¡¯t last two seconds against a Feral.¡± Three bigger mice snicker off to the side. Two of them had already exchanged bets on how much longer Graham would last before passing out or surrendering.


    ¡°You should just go work in the Sunfields like your Mother and your Rabbit friend. You shouldn¡¯t be anywhere near a battle.¡±


    Seeing that his back was turned, Graham rushed to attack Hould. Noticing his advance, Hould turns to Graham with a sinister smile on his face, ready for the Mouse to try and make his move. Feinting to the right, Graham manages to catch the cocky Mouse off-guard and spins around on his left foot to deliver a decent slash to the larger Brute¡¯s arm, drawing blood for the first time.


    ¡°Heh, looks like you might have some fight after all. More fun for me, then.¡±


    This time, Hould doesn¡¯t wait for Graham and rushes at him with an underhanded axe swing, which Graham barely manages to move out of the way of, losing a couple of hairs and a whisker or two. Recovering the strike into an overhead swing that would cleave any creature in half, Graham desperately rolls out of the way to Hould¡¯s right side, his axe slamming into the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.


    Recovering from the roll, Graham discovers that the larger Mouse had abandoned his weapon in the ground and instead delivers a swift knee to Graham¡¯s head before grabbing him by the back of his vest and throwing him almost a full 20 feet across the clearing.


    Graham picks himself up out of the dust and spits out a mouthful of blood. Looking over to the side of the clearing, he could see the three mice brutes were laughing at him, and on the opposite side, he saw a familiar Rabbit with half of her face covered with her paw as she watched Graham bite the dust. Again. Her eyes were already pooling with the tears that Graham knew there¡¯d be no stopping once that dam was broken. Still tasting the iron of blood in his mouth, Graham hastily tried to catch his breath. Getting pulverized in a fight was tiring work, apparently. Who knew?


    ¡°I will be a Knight. Being a Knight is about more than just strength.¡±


    ¡°You know, all the Knights who said that usually already had the strength to back up their words. Stop kidding yourself. Just lay down and don¡¯t get back up like a good little Mouse.¡± Hould started twirling his axe playfully as he walked closer to where Graham was trying to catch his breath. Even the wind stilled as Graham uttered his response.


    ¡°Never.¡±


    Shrugging, Hould charged once again with a roar, his axe looming, looking to take Graham out of the fight for good.


    ¡°Stop this tomfoolery!¡± A loud female voice rang.


    Several Rabbits entered the clearing behind the younger one that was already watching in astonishment.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, you lot. Go back to the Burrow.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Roxy! It¡¯s my fault I told Graham to meet me out here and¨C¡± The younger, brown and white rabbit began.


    ¡°Silence, child. I¡¯ll hear of this later. Go on! And rest assured your parents will hear of this! No, not you. You stay.¡± The Rabbit gestured to the barely-standing Graham.


    The Mouse Brutes wandered back into the forest, grumbling. Strong as they are, they knew not to antagonize the Druids of House Clearfoot. Watching them go, the Rabbit identified as Ms. Roxy scowled as only Rabbits could at the backs of the Mousefolk wandering back into the trees, stealing glances back at Graham who had moved to sit down in the clearing, still shaken up from the beating he took. The entourage of Rabbits moved over to Graham, but none so fast as the young Rabbit who had already seen the fight.


    ¡°Graham! Are you ok?¡± The rabbit made a waving motion with her arms, drawing the visage of a leaf with green energy-tipped paws before pressing into it, sending a soft green glow into Graham¡¯s seated form, visibly restoring the cuts and bruises that he had accrued in the bout.


    ¡°Thanks, Fleur. I owe you one. You¡¯re not hurt are you?¡±


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    ¡°No no no. Those Brutes never touched me. Thank you for saving me.¡±


    ¡°Graham Northtail, was it?¡± The pair looked up at the other Rabbits that had made their way into the clearing.


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. I appreciate you looking out for me. But I had it handled.¡±


    ¡°Stubborn and foolhardy, just like your father was. How is your mother these days?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s¡­better. You knew my father?¡± Graham looked up at the Rabbit with a curious glance, completely ignoring the question. He had never gotten to meet his father. He had left long before he was born; went off to slay monsters, his mother had said.


    Ms. Roxy chuckles. ¡°Come, children. We¡¯ll have tea. And maybe pie if there¡¯s some left.¡±


    At the mention of pie, Graham immediately perked up, despite the beating he just took. With hardly a thought, he confidently strolled after Ms. Roxy, who was leading them away from the clearing and into the forest, followed by her entourage of Rabbits, none of whom spoke during the exchange.


    Leaving for a Rabbit village with what was basically a complete stranger? Yes. I mean, who was he to turn down free pie? Getting to see the Rabbit village again was a plus, too. He hadn¡¯t been since early Fall, since he had to help prepare Burrow and some of the other surrounding farm villages for the Winter.


    Following closely behind the group of rabbits, Graham looked around at the forest that was now fully into Spring, the last embrace of Winter had gone, giving way to the bloom that now spread through the forest, celebrating the return of warm sunshine. Flowers of all colors and sizes bloomed along the path they now walked on, already being visited by butterflies and bees alike, starting their working seasons of pollination. Birds chatted in the trees and also sang their melodies, celebrating the new year. The Spring Festival would be happening soon depending on when the Sage of the Earth decided to wake up from his Winter slumber.


    Soon enough, the path and the canopy of the trees opened up into a series of cottages all surrounding a much larger tree in the center whose canopy towered over the surrounding trees, making the small village that rested at its base seem almost like it was in a massive cave. This was Honeypot Village, the nearest farming village to the Burrow, the Mousefolk city to the East. There were no guards here watching the roads, for the borders of this village were maintained by the Clearfoot Druids, so the trees themselves offered more than enough protection against any would-be invaders. Though the village didn¡¯t have to worry about anything of the sort since the Predatory Wars almost a dozen Winters ago now. Back then, the predators of the forest were leading small bands of raiders, mostly Squirrels, into believing they could conquer the forest and rule over it themselves. After the wars ended and the Predators scattered, the Squirrels mostly kept to themselves, having been shunned by the rest of the woodland folk for their more-than-willing participation.


    The small convoy of critters slowly made their way through the village where various Rabbits milled about, tending to their gardens, or fixing roofs or fences that had weathered during the Winter months. As Ms. Roxy passed them, most turned and waved to the older rabbit leading the pack, calling out greetings and pleasantries, all of which Roxy returned. The feeling of Spring was still fresh in the air which meant the whole village was abuzz with cheer and general well-wishings of their neighbors after the harsh Winter. Winter was hard everywhere in the valley. Even along the Northern shores to the Salty Sea, the cold would invade. Most of the Birdfolk flew past the Salty Sea and over towards the land beyond, where Humans and other Largefolk dwelled. They didn¡¯t interact, though. If there was one thing that the denizens of the valley agreed on, it was that larger creatures bring about even larger problems.


    Graham adjusted the shield on his back as he walked and rubbed his shoulder with a sigh.


    ¡°Graham? Are you still hurt? Oh my gosh don¡¯t worry I¡¯ll hit you with another healing spell!¡±


    ¡°Fleur, a healing spell won¡¯t heal wounded pride. Right, Graham?¡±


    With a sigh Graham turned to Fleur with a downcast look.


    ¡°She¡¯s right, Fleur. Let¡¯s just go get some tea.¡±


    Graham straightened his back and jogged up to catch up with the Rabbits in front. Fleur watched his back and sighed. For all the healing that she could do, she still couldn¡¯t help her best friend.


    Ms. Roxy led the crowd to the base of the large tree, where it appeared that a two story cottage stood, smoke already wafting out of the chimney, with the scent of a fresh-baked pie in the air, which Graham quickly picked up on and started drooling.


    ¡°Thank you, all, you may return to your duties.¡± As one, the Rabbits that had accompanied Ms. Roxy bowed to her and began scattering to different parts of the village from whence they had come, still as silent as when they had arrived.


    ¡°Do they not talk?¡± Graham asked curiously, watching them return to their duties, which apparently involved using their nature magic to clean up the streets, tend to weeds, and maintain general order in the village.


    ¡°They do not, at least not in the same way as you and I do. They are Druids. In service of nature, they¡¯ve offered their voices in contract for the powers they possess. Instead they commune through nature itself. They can speak to one another or any other who hold the contract. I myself once walked that path. Though that was long ago, long before either of you were born.¡± Ms. Roxy looked at both Fleur and Graham.


    ¡°Then how are you able to talk now?¡± Fleur and Graham both were looking at Ms. Roxy in amazement now.


    ¡°You¡¯re only bound to serve for 20 Winters, then, if you are willing, you may leave the service of nature. Though I still serve nature in my own way, as all who dwell in the valley do.¡±


    ¡°But who makes the contract? It¡¯s gotta be someone strong right? Is there someone stronger than you that does it?¡±


    Ms. Roxy laughs heartily before answering the young and inquisitive Rabbit.


    ¡°Dear one, the contract is with the Tree itself. You do know of this Tree¡¯s importance, do you not?¡±


    Graham could only direct his sense of wonder over to Fleur, for he had grown up in the Burrow, not subject to the tales and folklore that surrounded Honeypot Village. Though the village was less than a day¡¯s walk from the main city entrance to the Burrow, the cultures were significantly different, in no small part due to the Druids¡¯ protections around the village. Graham was one of the only Mousefolk from Burrow allowed in, these days.


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am, I know the story by heart! It¡¯s my dream to one day be like Villia!¡±


    ¡°A fine goal for a budding Druid.¡± Ms. Roxy smiles. ¡°It seems we have a lot to discuss with young Graham here.¡± She gestured to the positively vibrating Graham standing next to Fleur. Graham couldn¡¯t control the swishing of his tail in his excitement and a passing Rabbit almost paid the price for it.


    ¡°Excuse me Mr. Mouse? Could you please not do that with your tail? Someone could get hurt.¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Graham hugged his tail close to his chest to try and hide his reddened cheeks.


    Ms. Roxy chuckles again while waving to the passing Rabbit in thanks.


    ¡°Come inside, children, and we¡¯ll see about getting some tea and pie while we chat.¡±


    Ms. Roxy turned and walked toward the door of the house. The house was built entirely of stone, and had roots from the tree whose base it was built at running through the stones and accenting nicely with the dark gray of the stone. It looked as if the stone house was being retaken by nature and pulled back into the ground from whence it came.


    The front door gave a loud creak as Ms. Roxy opened the door, beckoning them inside from the doorway. They could already see the fire roaring in the hearth inside, fighting off whatever wisps of Winter dared still reside in the village.


    Graham and Fleur gave each other a sidelong glance and together strolled up to the front door of the building that had a sign hanging above it reading Villia¡¯s Respite.

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3


    Stepping into the space of the inn, Graham immediately felt the early morning chill melt off of him. The aches in his body evaporated and were replaced with a feeling of home as he looked about the spacious inn.


    Warm, dark wood beams accented the walls made from large, polished stone bricks. The floor was the same dark wood present in the walls and ceiling and had a slight creak to it as they walked. The various tables and chairs strewn about were of a very fine polished wood that almost still seemed to be living, as some parts had branches and leaves growing off of them.


    And through it all, a bar stretched over half of the space, with a pure black-furred Rabbit manning the bar, currently washing a glass and trying to look as busy as possible now that Ms. Roxy had entered.


    ¡°Hiya! Can I get ya anything Ms. Roxy? Or anything for the younguns ya got there?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please, Gloria. A pot of Pommeberry tea and 3 cups please. And also, I believe this one was wanting some pie.¡±


    ¡°Commin right up!¡±


    Ms. Roxy looked over the two young animals in front of her. She gave an exasperated sigh followed by a small smile upon seeing Graham¡¯s eyeballs threatening to leave his head at this entire experience. A lecture can wait, I suppose.


    ¡°Now sit, children. I believe I owe you a story about our Tree.¡±


    Before long, Ms. Roxy was seated in a specially carved wooden rocking chair in front of the hearth while the small Rabbit and Mouse sat at a table across from her with several desserts and a teapot placed on the table.


    ¡°The Tree is what¡¯s left of the Goddess Villia, the Queen of the Forest. Long ago, before the Sleeping Dragons were¨C¡±


    ¡°DRAGONS ARE REAL?¡± Graham¡¯s eyes were so wide that Ms. Roxy could see her own reflection in them.


    ¡°Yes, now hush and please don¡¯t interrupt. Where was I? Ah, yes. Long ago, before the Sleeping Dragons were still roaming these lands, before all manner of magic beasts had been driven down into the Wildlands to the South, and before the Woodland Folk had come together and learned to speak to one another, this land we stand on was fraught with fear and danger. Terrifying magic-wielding Beasts hunted one another in search of power, creatures like you and I hid underground in fear for our lives, with some generations never seeing the surface. The Dragons were the worst of them. They hunted and fought for sport, always seeking to improve their own power and discover the means to which they could achieve their rightful place among the divinity. Back then, the Gods weren¡¯t exactly keen on interfering with the affairs of mortals, they had spent eons fighting one another in the God Wars on the far side of the planet and were either too weak, or the pain they caused too fresh. Much time passed while the monsters here fought and ruled the surface, and the Woodland Folk we know today cowered in fear. That is, until a brave young Rabbit named Villia ventured out from her burrow, determined to see the surface and tired of living in fear. She ventured to the lair of the Great Dragon Gugnir, and stole one of the magical artifacts that he had collected.¡±


    ¡°Whoaaaaa, what was it?¡± Graham could barely contain his excitement. Fleur shook her head seeing the dumbfounded Mouse before turning back to Ms. Roxy.


    ¡°It was a seed, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Correct, Fleur. It was a seed. The seed of a very special Fig Tree. Villia took this seed back to her burrow and nurtured it. She nurtured it for many years until it grew big and strong, bearing fruit of extraordinary power.¡±


    ¡°Is this Tree the same one?¡±


    ¡°No, once again, please don¡¯t interrupt.¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡± Graham¡¯s ears drooped. Fleur giggled at the movement.


    ¡°Not long after that, Villia began giving the fruit to all of her family and all Rabbits she could find, and when they ate it, they were given the gift of magic.¡±


    Letting this sink in, Ms. Roxy took a long sip of her tea. Light, fresh, and fruity with hints of earth.


    ¡°Wait wait wait. That¡¯s how Rabbits got magic? The Mousefolk story is way way cooler. In our story there was a Mouse Warrior named Gorepaw who fought 100 of the magic beasts all by himself! And then he was given magic by some creature that he rescued from the beasts. He was able to pass it along to his children and that¡¯s how we all got our magic.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s dumb, Graham. Villia¡¯s story is way better. She was a guardian and a nurturer not some cheese-headed war junkie.¡±


    The sound of Ms. Roxy¡¯s hearty chuckle filled the air.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t mind me. I was just thinking about how young you both are.  But you know, both stories have been passed down through Mousefolk and Rabbits alike. I¡¯m surprised you¡¯ve never heard the Rabbit version before though, Graham. And also, the Mousefolk version you¡¯ve no doubt heard from your parents didn¡¯t mention Dragons?¡±


    ¡°Yea well in school everyone just wanted to talk about the Mouse Patron God. And sometimes the Squirrel one. But that story is freaky. And no my mom never used Dragons in the story. She used to say they were Predators.¡±


    ¡°Not entirely wrong, mind you. And yes, Firnhkin¡¯s story is a bit too brutal for such young ears. But that is something they celebrate in the Squirrel clans. Their Patronage Ceremony is infamous even today. I knew a couple of Squirrels back in those days.¡±


    Ms. Roxy looked into the warming fire with a longful expression. But she quickly composed herself and returned to looking at the two sitting before her. This was no time to lament on the past.


    ¡°But to finish, the story goes that Villia guided those who ate the fruit and they rose up to rebel against the monsters of the surface. Then, in joining with the other Patron Gods, they drove the monstrous magic beasts out and sealed the Dragons in their own dens. There, they still sleep today. And it was during that battle that Villia gave her life for the other Patron Gods to live; her sacrifice was immortalized and her soul was turned into this Tree. This Tree has been here ever since, providing shelter and nourishment to all who seek its leaves.¡±


    ¡°Can the Dragons ever come back?¡± Fleur wore a look of fearful questioning.


    ¡°So the story says. It is said that when the Gods join their hands at the Fall, the Seals will give way, releasing the Dragons from their dens.¡±


    ¡°Why would anyone want to wake the Dragons? They sound like they were all evil.¡± Graham furrowed his brow skeptically.


    ¡°Would you say all Rabbits are nurturing and hospitable? Or that all Badgers are warmongering and ruthless? How about Squirrels? Do you think they all will put their lives on the line for their own honor?¡±


    ¡°I¡­I guess not.¡±


    ¡°Let this be an important lesson for the both of you. Predispositions exist for all species. In fact, most pride themselves on it. But it is not all encompassing, and it is not absolute. Understood? The most chivalrous Mouse is still capable of treachery as if it were a Predator.¡±


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    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Got it.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, that lesson was hard learned. As even the Dragons that supported the cause of the Patron Gods were sealed away, the majority of the Gods deemed the Dragons all too dangerous to be allowed to roam free.¡±


    The trio sat in silence for a moment before Fleur perked up.


    ¡°But wait, Ms. Roxy. If this tree is Villia, what happened to the Fig Tree she planted?¡±


    ¡°Nobody knows. Some stories say it was cut down and the wood used to build a statue in her honor. Some say it¡¯s still there, haunted by her spirit. Though none of the stories say exactly where in the Valley she planted it. I looked for it once upon a time in my youth.¡±


    ¡°Wow, maybe I¡¯ll try and find it too one day!¡±


    A smile broke through Ms. Roxy¡¯s calm demeanor.


    ¡°Another worthy goal, Fleur. Though you must not lose yourself in your lofty goals. They may end up consuming you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be careful, Ms. Roxy.¡±


    The trio sat and chatted a while longer over tea. And once the teapot had run dry and every crumb was consumed, Ms. Roxy sent the two children on their way. The evening sun sent its pink-golden rays through the leaves of Villia¡¯s Tree, signalling the coming night. She watched as they playfully jabbed each other as they walked down the street in the direction of the Sunfields. Shaking her head, she returned to the cozy fire of the inn, eager to begin the preparations for the night time rush.


    __


    ¡°You sure you¡¯re ok?¡±


    Fleur watched Graham as he walked, who wore a grimace while staring at the dirt path they currently walked. Now that they had left Honeypot Village, the path they walked was relatively quiet save for a couple of travelers making their way to Honeypot with intention of staying at the inn.


    ¡°Yea of course. You¡¯re the one that healed me, remember? Or are you suddenly not good enough to heal a couple cuts and bruises?¡±


    Thwack


    ¡°I can give you some new ones if you like. That¡¯s not what I meant and you know it.¡±


    Graham rubbed the spot on the top of his head that was suddenly looking a bit taller than the rest. He didn¡¯t respond immediately, choosing instead to turn his gaze down to the dirt path they were using to exit the forest and go into the Sunfields. In the silence, the wind ruffled the leaves and the distant conversation of two Birds talking about their Springtime plans drifted to the ears of the walking pair.


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­I don¡¯t know what else to do.¡± Graham suddenly spoke up. ¡°I¡¯ve been training. So hard. But it means nothing in the face of someone like Hould. He¡¯s bigger, stronger, and faster.¡±


    ¡°Yea but he¡¯s an actual idiot. Your mind can run circles around his!¡±


    ¡°What good does that do me if my body can¡¯t keep up?¡±


    ¡°You just need to look at the positives. Even if you almost got decapitated, you still got some good hits in, right?¡±


    Graham briefly thought back to the look of surprise on Hould¡¯s face when Graham managed to cut him on the arm. Is it bad that I kind of hope it still hurts?.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have been able to do anything. I would¡¯ve just froze up and he¡¯d have killed me. Thanks again for saving me, by the way. I promise I¡¯ll make it up to you one day.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Really. What kind of Knight would I be if I didn¡¯t even stand up for my friends? What did they want with you anyway?¡±


    Fleur hesitated, her whiskers twitched slightly. ¡°At first¡­they were just being mean. You know how Hould is.¡±


    Graham nodded to himself. Boy oh boy did he know. They¡¯d practically grown up together but that extra Spring gave Hould the edge he needed over Graham in strength and size. Maybe next year once Graham got a bit of a growth spurt, things would be different.


    She sighed. ¡°I guess they were on patrol or something and saw me carrying the gift I had for you. I brought you a whole Redberry Pie as a surprise.¡±


    ¡°Wait. There was a pie?¡± Graham¡¯s ears perked up.


    Fleur gave him a flat look.


    ¡°Yes. But they took it before you arrived.¡±


    ¡°Now I feel much better about cutting that oversized Rat.¡±


    Fleur chuckled before returning to her downcast look.


    ¡°But then¡­They recognized me. They know that you and I are friends and hang out a lot. So they started asking me questions about you¡­and your family. They were saying things¡­I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s true but¨C¡±


    ¡°I think I have a good idea of what they said.¡± Graham looked away and his tail flicked once before he turned back and faced Fleur with a fire in his eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be sorry or feel bad. I only intervened because there was pie involved.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t even know there was pie until I told you, dumbass.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t surprised at all. I knew in my heart that pie was involved. That¡¯s why I came running as quickly as I did.¡±


    ¡°Sureeeee. It definitely wasn¡¯t because you were LATE!¡±


    ¡°Ouch. My heart. It can¡¯t handle all this ungratefulness.¡± Graham grasped his heart and winced at the phantom pain in his chest.


    Fleur laughed and shoved him away from her. The weight of the conversation drifted away with the Spring breeze, and soon they were almost home. Before them, they could see the break in the trees where the world opened up before them. For miles in every direction, rolling hills and fields lay stretched out like a green and gold quilt. Dotted on the landscape were small groups of buildings that clustered together to form villages or small farming estates. The Springtime breeze rolled across the Sunfields, gently swaying the crops that had already started growing in neat rows. The evening sun gazed on the pair, softly embracing them in its warm glow as they looked out at the cluster of buildings that were their destination. The small farming village of Wheatbrook.


    ¡°Are you planning on going back to the Burrow again tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Yea. I have another lesson with my Master tomorrow. I just hope it¡¯s not more sword drills. I need to learn how to actually fight.¡±


    ¡°My Master says that he fears the Mouse who has swung his sword 1000 times versus the Mouse who has swung every kind of weapon 100 times.¡±


    ¡°Great. Now you sound like my Master too. Tell me, what do I owe you for your words of wisdom, O¡¯ Great Rabbit Sage?¡±


    Thwack


    ¡°Consider the payment satisfied.¡± Fleur says with a smug grin.


    Graham winces feeling the twin bumps that have made a home on his head. May be a good time to stop antagonizing the violent Rabbit.


    ¡°What about you? What are your plans?¡±


    ¡°Well, I have to help Master in the garden this week. Something about feeling the magic in the roots of different flowers.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s pretty cool, right? I¡¯ll bet there¡¯s a flower spell in your future!¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re a Seer now too? Gotta add that to the list.¡± Fleur rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Oh, bite me.¡±


    ¡°Sorry sorry. I was just hoping for the chance to learn some real magic by now. Healing spells are great and all but that¡¯s not really what being a Druid is about.¡±


    Fleur kicks a stray rock on the path.


    ¡°Don¡¯t pout. I¡¯m sure your training will take off this year by the time the Summer Festival happens. And besides, you¡¯re already the best Druid at healing magic in the whole village!¡±


    ¡°Not much of a compliment.¡± Fleur mutters to herself. ¡°But thanks, Graham. That means a lot.¡± Fleur gives him a small smile.


    The two finally reach the village of Wheatbrook and go their separate ways, waving their goodbyes. A couple of the farmhands were just now returning from work, carrying various tools and chewing on wheat. No idea why they do that. Graham puzzled to himself. The scent of freshly baked bread wafted in the village from the local bakery that sat in the center. An older Rabbit exited the bakery with her arms full of baguettes and gave a short farewell to the presumably the owner of the bakery. A couple of Mousefolk children ran through the streets, coated in mud, laughing and giggling as they chased each other. Graham could barely make out the yelling of the two kids¡¯ mother as she scolded them for getting so filthy.


    Graham walks up to a small cottage with smoke lazily listing from its chimney. The cottage looked like it had seen better days, with patchwork repair jobs visible on various walls and beams supporting the house. The fence outside housed a small garden with various vegetable seeds planted in the loamy soil, little wooden signs with images of what lay beneath the sat at varying points in the garden. Through an open window, Graham could hear the familiar humming of his mother as she worked to prepare dinner for the evening. The scent of roasted vegetables wafts to his nostrils making him perk up. He was Home.

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4


    ¡°Must you walk so agonizingly slow, Rurik?¡±


    ¡°Ha! Why the rush, my purple-feathered bombastic travelling companion?¡±


    Plumbase wished he could just die. 2 moons. 2 ENTIRE moons of this. He had known the Knight Captain to be eccentric, but he always made a point to never spend longer than a couple of minutes with the Mouse, let alone actual weeks of constant interaction. They had just left one of the bordering villages on the Eastern side of the Burrow, with little success. To say that the Scribe was in the mood for Rurik¡¯s overwhelming positivity was a massive overreach.


    ¡°Because, we need to make it through the Burrow and all of these villages nearby before we head to the Western settlements. And then we have to meet with all of the Squirrel clans. At this rate, the snow will reach the Fort again before we do.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, my plumage-crested avian friend. Though, our job is to find the best and brightest as per the Commander¡¯s orders. I assure you, this method of testing is most thorough. Quality over quantity as they say.¡±


    ¡°Gods please don¡¯t call me an avian. You¡¯re associating me with those flying Predators. And do you really think these villages will have anyone like that?¡±


    ¡°Indubitably! I myself came from one of the border villages in the East. Trust me!¡± Rurik let out a hearty laugh, his red-brown mustache flowing in the gentle Spring breeze.


    ¡°Ugh. Well. Next up is the Burrow itself so what kind of assignment are you going to dish out this time?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I have several ideas already. And there¡¯s one bit the Fort and the Commander are personally interested in.¡±


    ¡°Oh? What is it?¡±


    Rurik straightens the edge of his mustache, chuckling briefly before turning to the Scribe.


    ¡°Tell me, what do you think caused the failed harvest up here in the Northern Sunfields?¡±


    __


    Graham stood in front of the Dragon, a massive flaming sword in his paws. The Dragon had already taken a beating from Graham¡¯s impressive strikes, and blood oozed out of several wounds all over the Dragon¡¯s torso. The spiked tip of his tail had been removed already, laying in a pile of rocks several feet away from where the two were squaring off for what would be the final time.


    Suddenly, Graham launched himself forward faster than any arrow, taking the Dragon entirely by surprise. The Dragon barely had time to lift a claw as Graham¡¯s upward swing caught the Dragon¡¯s claw at just the right angle, cleaving straight through and severing the claw while continuing into the neck of the Dragon. The sound and feeling of steel meeting flesh engulfed Graham¡¯s perception¨Cuntil the unmistakable whoosh of a wood flying at his head brought him back to reality.


    ¡°GRAHAM!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Graham shook his head and ears as the shout of his Master brought him out of the daydream he had fully committed to living in for the rest of his life. Just in time to see a wooden sword flying at his head. Barely moving his head out of the way, he looked over at the source of the blow, a fully gray Mouse wearing a red robe holding the wooden sword in a relaxed posture as if he didn¡¯t just try and take Graham¡¯s head off.


    ¡°Instead of daydreaming about something unreasonable, get back to swinging your sword.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Master. But it wasn¡¯t that unreasonable.¡±


    The gray Mouse looked at the younger brown Mouse with an eyebrow raised as they stood in an empty cobblestone courtyard.


    ¡°Did it include a Dragon or some other sort of magic beast?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­possible. But I¡ª¡°


    ¡°Unreasonable. You¡¯re not slaying anything right now. Take your proper stance and swing. 500 more reps. Let¡¯s GO!¡±


    A groan escaped Graham as he assumed the fighting stance he had been practicing since starting his training last Summer.


    ¡°Master, how long before¡ª¡° whoosh ¡°I get to practice something new?¡±


    Whoosh


    The gray Mouse¡¯s expression didn¡¯t shift. He somehow even looked more unimpressed than before.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what. If you finish those 500 reps before lunchtime¡± whoosh ¡°I¡¯ll show you something new today: magic. Specifically, enhancement magic.¡±


    With a fire right and properly lit underneath Graham¡¯s spirit, he launched himself into his sword swings, making sure to pay close attention to his stance and footwork so as not to be told to repeat the entire set.


    __


    His arm felt like it would fall off, his paw was bleeding, and he had only been told to repeat the set one time, but Graham was the happiest he had ever been as he sat cross-legged in front of his Master. The promised lecture on magic was about to begin.


    ¡°Boy, I hope you¡¯re ready to take notes. Tell me, what do you know of magic already?¡±


    ¡°I know there¡¯s elemental magic like fire, water, earth and air, and that nature magic that the Druids use. But I don¡¯t really understand how it all works.¡±


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    ¡°Ah, so we¡¯ll need to start from the beginning, then. Very well. Let us start with the two types of energies our bodies contain. Do you know what they are?¡±


    ¡°Physical and mental?¡±


    ¡°Close but not quite. Vital and Spirit are their names. Though in essence, they each respectively represent physical and mental attributes. Both are necessary in order to use magic, and how much you have of one or the other will determine what kinds of spells you can cast.¡±


    ¡°How do I know how much of each I have?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to start casting magic of different kinds and basically exhaust yourself repeatedly to know. Everyone has their own limits. Though there is a test of sorts to determine how much of each energy you possess. But we¡¯ll get to that another day. You¡¯re nowhere near ready for that.¡±


    Graham drooped his ears. Disappointing. But not the end of the world. Magic is magic. Gotta start somewhere.


    ¡°Anyway, for any given spell, a certain proportion of Vital to Spirit Energy is required. For example, a type of spell where you¡¯re lobbing a ball of fire will require far more Spirit Energy rather than Vital Energy. And the reason for that is you¡¯re projecting energy into the world around you, outside of your body. On the opposite end of the spectrum, a spell that makes you move faster will require more Vital Energy, because it¡¯s self contained in your own body.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The gray Mouse sighs as he collects his thoughts before turning to the confused, yet eager young Mouse sitting cross-legged in front of him.


    ¡°Think about it like this: Vital Energy manipulates your body or things directly near your body. Spirit Energy is your way of influencing the world around you. Both are necessary for magic, but both have their quirks. As do the people who practice magic. For example, a Warrior¨Cwho would focus on strengthening his or her own body¨Cis more likely to train their Vital Energy, therefore they will have a larger pool to pull from. Because of this, the Warrior¡¯s magic will likely include spells that make them faster, stronger, or improve their weapon of choice somehow. In fact, it¡¯s common practice for people who favor that sort of fighting style to invest the time to learn this magic. That is what we are learning today: enhancement magic.¡±


    ¡°So does that mean that someone who primarily uses fireball type spells like a Mage will be using only Spirit Energy?¡±


    ¡°Again, partially correct. You¡¯re quite good at half measures aren¡¯t you?¡± Graham gave his Master a scowl. ¡°As I said, all spells require the right proportion of Vital and Spirit Energies. The key takeaway is that all spells require both energies. No matter the spell. The fireball spell you mention will be made up mostly of Spirit Energy, but not 100%.¡±


    ¡°What happens if I use all my Vital or Spirit Energy?¡±


    ¡°Nothing pleasant. Vital Energy is tied directly to your physical self. So think: exhaustion, thirst, and even shorter lifespan. Spirit Energy is a little more¡­complicated. It¡¯s not been worked out exactly what it is. It just seems to make you¡­.well¡­you. So when someone is depleted of Spirit Energy, their emotions go haywire, they lose focus, motivation, and sometimes their sense of self. I¡¯ve even seen a Mage suddenly fall into a deep slumber, unable to be woken by those around her. That¡¯s why dealing with Spirit Energy is considered dangerous, and only the most mentally disciplined are allowed to become true Mages.¡±


    ¡°How do you even train Spirit Energy then? I imagine that Vital Energy just comes from physical effort right?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Strengthening the body is the quickest way to increase your overall Vital Energy. Though keep in mind, the word strengthening does not always imply muscles. Spirit Energy is a little different. It is far slower and requires deep thought, meditation, and time to train. Some even believe that age is a primary factor in the size of one¡¯s Spirit Energy pool.¡±


    ¡°And what do you think is the primary factor? That sounded skeptical.¡±


    ¡°Well, in my experience, life experiences seem to make a significant difference. I¡¯ve met children who have been through terrible childhoods with massive pools of Spirit Energy. But you must not speak of this. There was a time where that was the common belief. And raising children in harsh environments with the intent of creating soldiers was an unfortunate reality. The practice has been outlawed, thankfully. No, the more likely answer is that there are some who have innate talent in magic.¡±


    ¡°I think I get it.¡± Graham brought his paw up to his chin in thought. ¡°So then, how do you actually use Vital or Spirit Energy? I know about the whole ¡®draw a picture and poof¡¯ part. But how do you get from here to there?¡±


    ¡°By drawing a picture I¡¯m assuming you meant the Sigils?¡±


    ¡°Yea, I¡¯ve seen my friend do it. She¡¯s a Druid so she knows some Life magic. She draws a leaf in the air and then poof, cuts and bruises and pain are all gone.¡±


    ¡°Think of the Sigils as intent. You harness the right proportions of energy and draw a Sigil. The Sigil is what takes the offered up mix of energies and converts it into an element. For example, making yourself faster involves mixing Vital and Spirit Energy into your legs and feet, granting you a burst of speed. If you were to apply that mix of energy to the Fire element, you would leave flaming steps behind you, or in extreme cases, combust and catch nearby objects on fire. Painful, but you¡¯d be very fast indeed. In the same way, infusing the Air element will grant you a much cleaner and safer burst of speed, hence why it is the more popular version.¡±


    ¡°But wait. If Sigils are intent, do you even have to draw certain symbols for the elements? Couldn¡¯t you just wave your hands and make the spell happen?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you absolutely can. Though doing so requires extreme mental clarity. Drawing the Sigils in the form of the element you¡¯re intending to use is just a mental exercise. Why, there are even Mages who can draw two Sigils at once, unleashing devastating combination spells.¡±


    ¡°Coooooooool. I wanna meet one of those Mages. What if your hands are full? Like I use a sword and a shield, does that mean I¡¯m screwed?¡±


    ¡°Language. And no it does not. You can technically draw Sigils with anything so long as you can properly mix the energies. Most people use their hands because they¡¯re an easy focal point. But with practice, you don¡¯t even need to move. Observe.¡±


    His hands folded behind his back, Graham¡¯s Master stared directly into his eyes when a Sigil of what appeared to be three wavy lines outlined in white appeared before him suddenly. With a brief flash of light, the Sigil disappeared and the Master started floating in the air right before Graham¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Whohohoaaaa. That¡¯s so cool!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited. You¡¯ll be starting at the bottom with basic Air spells. Just know that you won¡¯t be touching Fire anytime soon. I¡¯ll not have you destroying the Burrow because you want to see how big a ball of fire you can make.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­fair. Totally.¡± Graham was definitely going to test that out.


    ¡°Also, I touched on it briefly, but if you get the mix of energies wrong even with the correct intent, the results could be disastrous. Even the smallest of spells could go haywire. The spell I just did? If I mixed in too much Spirit Energy, I would shoot up to the roof of the Burrow. Now then, stand up so that I can show you how to summon your Vital and Spirit Energy.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master!¡±


    Ding Ding Ding


    ¡°That¡¯s the City Hall bell. It seems they¡¯ve called for a gathering. Strange. Come, young Graham. Our training can wait.¡±


    Graham couldn¡¯t stop the groan from coming. He drug his feet behind his Master as they both exited the stone courtyard of the Master¡¯s house and made their way down to the city center of the Burrow. Though sad to leave behind his magic training, a small spark of curiosity flared to life. City Hall gatherings were rare, and usually not for good news. This day is getting more and more interesting.

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5


    ¡°Wow, so this is the Burrow, huh?


    Rurik nodded curtly with an affirmative chuckle, twirling the edge of his mustache as they approached the gate.


    ¡°Quite impressive, is it not? Did you know the Burrow was founded in the midst of the Predator Wars, my feathered friend? A battalion of Mousefolk had taken up refuge at the base of this tree, and they discovered a cave under its roots. Through some good old-fashioned Mousework, they cleared themselves a small hideaway. Throughout the last decade of the Wars, the Mousefolk forces used it as a rallying point. Then, after the Predators were purged from our fair Valley, the Mousefolk started expanding and digging. They raised families and a new generation of youthful Mouse spirit. And so, the Burrow was born.¡±


    The Scribe hummed along as he listened to Rurik¡¯s telling of the Burrow¡¯s founding. If there was anything Plumbase was ever eager to hear more about, it was Valley history.


    Rurik began regaling tales of grandeur and strife during the Burrow¡¯s rise as a major city as they continued their journey to the Burrow¡¯s City Hall to deliver their message. And ever so slowly, even Plumbase¡¯s love for history started to be overshadowed by Rurik¡¯s tendency to blow things out of proportion.


    Before them stood the tree that housed the Burrow in its roots. The tree itself was a relatively plain Oak Tree, though quite a bit larger than its neighbors due to its age. What served as the entrance to the Burrow proper was now a carved wooden arch leading to a polished stone staircase that descended into the earth. Around the tree, a settlement of stone spread out in all directions with the tree at its center. Knight Captain Rurik and Scribe Plumbase passed through the entrance to the stone settlement that served as the communal entrance to the Burrow and made their way to the underground entrance that would take them to City Hall. The Guards at the entrance recognized the official emblem of the Woodland Alliance and immediately granted them passage, not bothering to ask questions they wouldn¡¯t get the answers to. Envoys were known to only deliver their messages to the intended. No exchanging of paws allowed. Along the way, they passed numerous places of business. Inns, tailors, smiths, and all manner of shops. The underground portion of the Burrow could completely go undiscovered by the casual traveler.


    The Guard that granted them entry had already sent a messenger down into the city to notify the Mayor. Rurik and Plumbase¡¯s arrival would be of the utmost importance as they were official emissaries of the Woodland Alliance. The two travelling companions steadily made their way towards the city center where an envoy¨Cconsisting of the Mayor and whoever else he deemed worthy to represent the Burrow¨Cwould be waiting to greet them. And, likely too, droves of Mousefolk and Rabbits who were far too bored in their everyday lives to pass up a chance to see an actual diplomatic visit.


    __


    Joining the crowd that had begun gathering in the center of the city, Graham could see that as many as a third of the population answered the bell: almost 2,000 Mousefolk were gathered around the square. The stone square in front of City Hall had a statue of the Mousefolk Patron God standing tall on a plinth of polished stone in the center. The City Hall entrance faced the large stone staircase that led to the surface area of the Burrow, with two other stone buildings framing the other two sides of the square. City Hall towered over all buildings around it, with a steeple of brick housing the bell that had called the population there today. All of them, whispering to each other and trying to get the best view of whatever would be coming down the staircase. It was a little past midday, and the sun rays were shining through the Mouse-made holes in the top of the cavern that housed the Burrow. Tree roots made up the bulk of the ceiling, spidering down along the walls. As the Burrow grew, the walls were expanded farther and farther. Small, strategic holes were cleared out from between the roots, illuminating the cavern with the Spring sun, and allowing accumulated smoke to filter out.


    Graham squeezed between a couple of younger Mousefolk that had found a spot at the front row just as two figures of interest were seen descending the main stairway that led to the surface. A black-feathered Bird with an extremely vividly purple breast, sporting a grey vest that marked him as a Scribe, gracefully walked down the final set of stairs. Behind the Bird, a fully-armored Mouse with a large sword strapped to his back descended the stone stairs. The excessive gear in addition to the backpack he was wearing did not seem to perturb the Mouse in the slightest. In fact, underneath an absurdly flagrant mustache, the Mouse was smiling as he glanced around the crowd that had gathered at the bell. The mustachioed Mouse¡¯s gaze rested on Graham himself for a second before moving on, notably landing on the various citizens who were armed at the time. Not even for a second did the smile leave his face as he took stock of the room.


    Waiting at the bottom of the stairway to receive them was the Mayor of the Burrow along with his two assistants, one Rabbit and another Mouse, who clearly looked as if there were more important things to attend to rather than some kind of unannounced visits. The Mayor and his assistants, as always, were dressed immaculately. The Mayor himself wore a gold-trimmed green vest with a green cloak emblazoned with the symbol of a tree with a hole in it: the official emblem of the Burrow. The Scribes were also dressed far more eloquently than Scribes typically do. They shared a similar gray attire to the Bird visitor, but exquisite golden trim lined their otherwise simple clothes.


    Graham didn¡¯t know much about the Mayor, only that he was always the Mayor so long as Graham had been around, and no one challenged his office. Apparently, he was some kind of bigshot noble from Evertree, and no one dared to stand against him in the running.


    The Mouse and Bird visitors bowed to the Mayor, exchanging pleasantries that Graham couldn¡¯t quite hear. Introducing themselves, I guess. He closed his eyes and strained his hearing, trying to pick out anything they were saying but there was too much chatter happening around him.


    Maybe if I try and use a bit of magic to better pick up the sounds¡­


    As quickly as the idea popped into his head, the chatter stopped, prompting Graham to open his eyes. He noticed the Mayor nodding to the two guests and turning towards the crowd. The Mayor clasped his hands in front of him, and Graham made out a brief Sigil of Air appearing before him and disappearing just as quickly as it had come. The Mayor then spoke with an elevated voice that carried across the entirety of the cavern.


    ¡°Mousefolk and Rabbits of the Burrow. I want to thank you all for taking time out of your incredibly busy and industrious days to answer the gathering bell. It is a momentous occasion for us citizens of the Burrow and its surrounding villages. I have the pleasure of introducing these two magnificent beings. Scribe Plumbase and Knight Captain Rurik of the Woodland Alliance.¡±


    At the mention of the Alliance as well as the Knight Captain, the crowd started muttering to each other, which when 2000 creatures all muttered it once, it ended up being quite a cacophonous disturbance.


    ¡°Peace, everyone. Peace. I suppose you¡¯re all wondering, why would the Alliance travel this far North, to a city such as ours? What do we have to offer such prestigious individuals? Well, it is my great despair that I bear terrible news from our guests. The Feral forces of the Wildlands grow stronger, my fellow Mousefolk and Rabbit friends. Every day, their incursion into our lands becomes closer to reality.¡±


    The Mayor shakes his head sadly and looks down at the ground for a dramatic pause before returning his attention to the crowd.


    ¡°But, my creatures, we now come to our solution. The brave Soldiers of the Alliance have seen fit to ask us, the creatures of the Burrow, for assistance. They request that we ask for volunteers to join the Woodland Alliance. I say, there is no better place the Alliance could have looked for the strongest and smartest of the Valley. We citizens of the Burrow are unlike any other!¡±


    Wow he¡¯s really laying it on thick. Some members of the crowd were beginning to roll their eyes while others were getting extremely pumped up by the Mayor¡¯s speech, doing all they can from screaming in agreement.


    ¡°And that is why, in the morning of the day after tomorrow, we are requesting that those who wish to put forth their names for consideration into the Alliance, meet here, in the square, at dawn. There, you will undergo a test to determine your eligibility for the Alliance. Though it is not up to me, I say ¡®a test? Ridiculous!¡¯ for there is none who call the Burrow home that would ever be denied entry. Citizens, go forth and make the Burrow proud. Etch your names forever into history by joining the Alliance and ending, once and for all, the Feral Scourge!¡±


    The Mayor ended by pumping his fist into the air, and that was the last straw. A couple hundred voices rang out in resounding agreement at the Mayor¡¯s


    Graham pursed his lips. Has the incursion gotten that bad? He¡¯d heard about the Ferals and the defense against them, but he kind of assumed that to just be a regular thing. Like a Feral here and there, not something requiring an army!


    This changes things. Originally, he had planned to apprentice under his Master for a while, before asking for a recommendation to go to Evertree and offer his services there. However, if he was in the Woodland Alliance, he could prove himself on missions and maybe even get a recommendation for the Academy in Evertree. Then, he could become a Commander, or a Grand Knight! The possibilities were endless. This was the opportunity of a lifetime!


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    __


    ¡°Absolutely not. 1000 times no.¡±


    Graham¡¯s mother had her arms crossed and stood looking down at Graham, who despite being taller, had shrunk down in the face of his mother.


    ¡°But Mom! I may never get another opportunity like this!¡±


    ¡°You can always join the Burrow¡¯s Guards or even head to Evertree one day to work there. But you absolutely can not join the Woodland Alliance. What they do is dangerous.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s necessary! Mom, they¡¯re the greatest the Valley has to offer! They¡¯re the ones who keep us safe from whatever lies in the Wildlands. Please. It¡¯s what I¡¯ve always wanted.¡± Graham looked at his mother with pleading eyes. He hadn''t been able to sway her with his ¡®look¡¯ since he was barely older than a baby.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose you the way I lost your father. He wouldn¡¯t want you to follow in his footsteps.¡±


    Graham¡¯s mother looked well and truly mad. But he could sense the pain behind her large brown eyes, her paws were clenched as she looked outside the window of their small cottage. He saw the corner of her eyes glisten and then a tear cascade down her brown-furred cheek. Her whiskers twitched when she realized her emotional state. She took a deep breath and turned to face Graham directly, having calmed herself.


    ¡°I can¡¯t in good conscience let this happen, Graham. You¡¯re still small. What is it that you think you can do?¡±


    ¡°You once told me that you thought I¡¯d be destined for great things. That I could mean something to the Valley. Do you still believe that?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do. But there¡¯s plenty around the village and even in the Burrow that could fulfill you. Why do you think you need to leave?¡±


    ¡°Because, Mom. The threat is real. It¡¯s out there. And it doesn¡¯t exist in the Burrow. The Ferals are getting worse, according to the emissaries from the Fort. I have a chance to make a difference in the world. For my life to mean something. I would rather fight out there to make sure that the Feral threat never makes it here, rather than stay and defend you here in the village, when that means the Ferals have already spread across the Valley.¡±


    Graham¡¯s mother sighed deeply, steadying herself, closing her eyes briefly before returning to meet Graham¡¯s steely gaze.


    ¡°You look just like him, you know.¡± His mother¡¯s look softened for a moment before returning to one of opposition. ¡°I don¡¯t like this, Graham.¡±


    ¡°Mom, let me at least go to the gathering in a couple of days. They¡¯re going to explain all the details and give out some sort of test. If I fail the test or if the job sounds too dangerous, I¡¯ll come home and I won¡¯t mention it again.¡±


    Graham noticed his mother tapping her paw on the side of her leg, thinking the proposition over as she stared unerringly into Graham¡¯s determined eyes. Graham could hear his heart pounding. If that didn¡¯t do it, he doubted anything would.


    ¡°Hmmm. Fine. On one condition.¡± Graham¡¯s sudden excitement wavered a bit.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°You have to convince Fleur to go with you. And not only that. You have to convince her mother and Master also. She¡¯ll need their permission.¡±


    All the energy left Graham. Crap. It would be hard enough to deal with just Fleur, who was likely to take the same stance as his mother. But her mother too? Now that would be a battle. Graham nodded resolutely. ¡°Deal.¡± He left his house and headed for Fleur¡¯s straight after spending some more time with his mother. He had a feeling he would need the rest of the day to deal with Fleur¡¯s mother.


    __


    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest, I don¡¯t know how you managed to get Mother on board with this. This is lunacy. I don¡¯t even know why I agreed to this.¡±


    ¡°It was actually much easier than I thought. I just told her that you were planning on taking Villia¡¯s Druid contract next year and that this was a good opportunity to get you to expand your horizons. You know, see reason and discover there was more out there in the world. Your Master seemed to agree with that part, too.¡±


    ¡°You what! Graham, that was very irresponsible. You should really be ashamed of yourself for lying to my mother like that.¡±


    ¡°But was it really a lie? You were seriously thinking about accepting the contract weren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­the thought did cross my mind. But I don¡¯t think power is worth that kind of sacrifice. Power for power¡¯s sake isn¡¯t right. I want to improve my magic skills so that I can help others. Of all species. I can¡¯t do that if I lock myself in Honeypot Village for decades.¡± Fleur¡¯s ears twitched as she looked to the sky with determination. ¡°I will be like Villia, but I¡¯ll do it my way, not piggybacking off of her power.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an admirable goal, Fleur. I can¡¯t say I ever wished to be a tree. But to each their own.¡±


    Fleur turned to Graham, clearly upset.


    ¡°You¨Cyou¨C¡± She blew steam out of her mouth and ears as she took a moment to let her natural brown and white color return to her face. ¡°That¡¯s not funny and that¡¯s not what I meant. You know, I¡¯m only coming with you because you¡¯ll just get yourself killed the first chance you get if I don¡¯t. Plus, like you said, my Master seemed pretty eager to shove me off on an adventure. Says it builds character.¡±


    ¡°Your Master is probably just sick of all the questions you sling her way day after day.¡±


    Fleur shot Graham a flat look.


    ¡°Oh yea? And what about you? What did your Master have to say about all this? You were learning magic too, right? Finally got those Sigils down?¡±


    ¡°Ugh. No. But he pretty much said the same thing. He said there was only so much I could learn in practice. And I keep messing up the mix. Half the time I end up flat on my face and the other half I crash into a wall. Master had to stop my training and meditate because he had to heal me so much yesterday.¡±


    Fleur brought her paw to her chin and thought for a moment before turning back to Graham.


    ¡°It sounds like your intent is all screwed up. Are you thinking of yourself being as light as a feather and moving really fast? Or are you trying to give your legs the power to make you move that fast like some kind of story character?¡±


    ¡°The¡­uh¡­second one.¡± Graham pursed his lips at the realization.


    ¡°Figures.¡± Fleur rolled her eyes. ¡°Go on. Try it again while we¡¯re heading to the Burrow.¡±


    Graham nodded resolutely as he brought his paws up, closed his eyes, and focused as he felt the gentle mix of the two energies within. Measuring out the proportions his Master had taught him, Graham brought his paws out in front and drew the Sigil of Air. Fleur noticed the flaws right away as the Sigil that Graham drew wasn¡¯t steady at all, instead wavering and fluctuating with intent as Graham tried to focus his mind.


    ¡°Oh, here we go. This¡¯ll be good.¡± Fleur muttered with a smile forming as Graham finished his spell.


    Opening his eyes, Graham finished the Sigil and pushed the energy into it, directing it towards his legs. He stopped and inspected the spell of Air that was now wrapping around his legs, appearing as two self-contained tornadoes that surrounded each of his legs. Taking a test step, Graham was flung sideways into the bushes on the side of the trail they had been walking to the Burrow. Hearing the snapping of branches and twigs, Fleur heard Graham finally come to a stop in the trees. She started crying and laughing, nearly falling over before turning to follow the path of destruction that Graham¡¯s body carved.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Fleur struggled to say between laughs.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m getting the hang of it.¡± Grumbled Graham, his face still pressed into the bark of a tree.


    After peeling Graham off of the tree trunk that he had crashed into, Fleur healed his injuries and dragged him back to the path so they could continue their short journey to the Burrow. The two of them were planning on staying at Graham¡¯s Masters compound that night, so there was no need to rush. Fleur had only barely stopped laughing by the time they made it back to the path as Graham pouted at her teasing.


    ¡°Not sure what¡¯s so funny. I¡¯m sure you were the same way.¡±


    ¡°No! Not at all! I could tell when my Sigil was bad or the energy mix wasn¡¯t right so I just cancelled the spell. I would never just activate it to see what happened!¡± She resumed laughing, tears threatening to stream out of her eyes.


    ¡°Wait, you can cancel them? My Master didn¡¯t teach me that! How?¡±


    ¡°Seriously? You thought that if you just accidentally set yourself on fire, that was just it? No way to stop it?¡±


    Graham rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding her look of amusement. ¡°Kinda?¡±


    ¡°Gods, you¡¯re an idiot. Or you¡¯re just reckless. I¡¯m not sure which is worse. Now I¡¯m glad I¡¯m doing this with you. When you activate a spell, can¡¯t you tell that it¡¯s continuously drawing on your Spirit and Vital Energies? You just have to stop supplying it with fuel, and it¡¯ll fizzle out.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you should be my magic teacher then.¡±


    ¡°It looks like I¡¯ll have to be if we¡¯re really doing this Woodland Alliance thing. If you¡¯re going to have my back I¡¯d rather you didn¡¯t send us both into the sun with an Air spell.¡±


    Graham finished picking the sticks and leaves out of the battered metal armor that he was wearing. His Master had given it to him from his old stash of stuff he had left. He had been given it originally so that he could get used to wearing armor and moving around in it. He had been doing drills in his full armor at home for almost the whole Winter.


    The armor set consisted of a chest piece, a pair of greaves, and a pair vambraces that were still a bit too large for his forearms. The helmet he had been given left a little room for his head to grow, but thankfully had been made with a Mouse in mind, giving him space for his ears. The gear felt heavier than he thought it would, but it didn¡¯t feel like a burden to him. He could feel his confidence in facing the test grow as he got more familiar with the weight. The weight reminded him that this was real. That he was really leaving for the Woodland Alliance after the test.


    Fleur was wearing her apprentice robe that her Master had given her when she started learning Druidic practices. It was an earth-brown robe weaved from fibers made from Villia¡¯s Tree roots. The robe was apparently as tough as some metals and just as resistant to magic. It was, in Graham¡¯s eyes, extremely unfair. Unfair, but her quiet confidence while wearing it bolstered his resolve for the days to come, and he felt proud to be with her.


    He thought about how far he¡¯d come since the day they met. The days of them prancing around as children playing make believe and fighting imaginary beasts were over. Now they were about to set out on a real adventure, and he wouldn¡¯t want anyone else by his side. This felt right, and real.

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6


    Graham stood on the far side of the stone courtyard across from his Master. Out of reach but still a respectable distance. Graham wore the same battered armor he had received from his Master at the start of his training: A battered chest plate that covered most of his torso, stopping just above his navel, a set of leg guards that protected his shins, a set of vambraces that covered his forearms, and a faceless helmet that allowed his ears free. His Master wore his characteristic orange robe that he always wore and was currently poised with his paws clasped behind his back and feet together. The orange robe contrasted heavily with his charcoal colored fur that had begun graying around his eyes and nose. Several other students and Fleur were on the side of the two Mousefolk that were currently staring at one another, waiting for the other to make the first move, signalling the beginning of the fight.


    Graham steadied his breath in an effort to calm his pounding heart. This was the final lesson he would receive from his Master. If he were to pass the Alliance test, that is. Sword in paw, Graham dropped his right foot back, entering a battle stance that had his shield at the ready in front of him and his sword readied for a strike.


    ¡°I see, it seems you''ll wait for me to make the first move then. So be it.¡±


    The Master unclasped his paws from behind his back and drew the longsword he carried from its sheath, tossing it to the side. Squatting into a ready position, Graham barely had time to register the sword already approaching his neck. What the¨C


    Graham raised his shield and deflected the strike just in time. What was that? One second he was dozens of feet from me and then he wasn¡¯t! Was that magic?


    His Master smiled as his strike was deflected. ¡°Good.¡± He followed up with a horizontal cross cut aimed for Graham¡¯s torso. Jumping backwards, Graham narrowly avoided the strike, clearly panicked at the pace of the combat so far. ¡°Don¡¯t get overwhelmed. Relax. But also focus. Take deep breaths.¡± The Master continued an onslaught of strikes against Graham, who blocked and deflected all of them with a crazed look on his face.


    ¡°And exactly how am I supposed to do that?¡± Graham exclaimed, dodging underneath a spinning slash that would¡¯ve taken an ear.


    ¡°If you can complain, you can focus. Fight back!¡±


    Graham blocked a few more strikes before he finally looked a bit more surefooted. He was starting to get the rhythm and made the mistake of letting a small smile appear on his face.


    The Master took that as a challenge and adjusted the tempo, mixing in lightning quick slashes with a couple of delayed heavy blows to Graham¡¯s shield. Cuts started appearing on Graham¡¯s upper arms that weren¡¯t quite covered by the vambraces he wore and on his exposed face.


    Sidestepping a lunge from his Master, Graham used his shield to deliver a blow to his Master¡¯s unprotected side, sending him reeling and off-balanced.


    Having finally gotten himself an opening, Graham leapt onto the offensive. Their swords clashed and sparks flew as blows were blocked, parried, and deflected, none finding purchase on the other. The Master never let Graham get too close, using his longer sword to maintain the distance between them. The Master suddenly lunged forward with a stab aimed at Graham¡¯s chest. Bringing up his shield to block the would-be devastating blow, the Master¡¯s sword suddenly changed directions in a flourish, scoring a sizable gash on Graham¡¯s stomach, right where his armor stopped near his waist.


    Grunting and clutching the new wound with his shield, Graham backed off, clenching his teeth while he regained his composure. I need to close the gap. I can¡¯t beat his reach.


    The Master only gave him a slight respite before resuming his advance, his expression hardened and unreadable. Is he planning on killing me here and now if I can¡¯t get him to yield?


    Graham¡¯s resolve cracked a bit seeing the expression on his Master¡¯s face. He took a look at the blood on his paw from the cut on his stomach. What should I do?


    ¡°Don¡¯t think, just act!¡± Fleur¡¯s voice came from the sidelines. Graham looked and saw her wearing a determined expression, unlike the one of fear that she had that time when he fought Hould. Even though the Master was ten times better than Hould, Fleur still had full confidence in him.


    The Master dashed forward into an overhead strike and Graham, trusting his instincts, took two steps forward rather than backwards to receive the blow. The Master¡¯s eyes widened a bit in surprise as the blow was stopped short by Graham¡¯s shield arm and he brought his sword down and cut through the Master¡¯s robe from his collarbone down to his opposite hip. The Master quickly retreated, inspecting the new gash that now adorned his torso. No blood appeared, as the Master was wearing a sort of chainmail underneath his robe.


    ¡°Well done, Graham. But we¡¯re not through yet. Prepare yourself.¡±


    What followed almost appeared as a dance of steel as the two circled one another, matching each other¡¯s footwork, exchanging blows as the melody of clashing swords filled the courtyard. A high slash by the Master was ducked under by Graham, who spun into a slash aimed at the Master¡¯s calf. In response, the Master angles his leg guard to force the blow to deflect, priming his other leg for a solid roundhouse kick to Graham¡¯s sword shoulder that sends him spinning onto the ground. Sensing the follow-up strike, Graham threw his shield arm up and behind him to stop the sudden stab at his back. The tip of the blade slid past his shield, catching Graham on his cheek. Sliding in closer to his Master from the ground, he delivered a swift punch to his Master¡¯s torso, scoring a decent grunt of pain from his Master but also injuring his hand in the process.


    The two separated from each other to reset their footing. Graham suddenly perked up a bit as he got an idea from reflecting on that last engagement. Seeing his student¡¯s sudden decisiveness, he smiled proudly, fully intending to spring whatever trap his student had come up with.


    Graham winced as he once again felt his side. The bleeding wasn¡¯t stopping. This is bad. I have to end this soon. Graham stepped forward, intending to not waste the limited time he had. He stabbed and slashed forward, but his blows were parried and deflected, the Master having noticed his more sluggish movements and content to let him swing himself to defeat. Graham feinted a slash from the left before bringing his sword back into a stab. The Master side stepped and countered with a stab of his own. Seeing the point aimed at the spot underneath his armor again, Graham contorted his body, forming his body into a ¡®C¡¯ as the tip of the sword slid against his armor, lightly catching his exposed side. Wincing but committing to the act, Graham stepped forward along the length of the blade, once more closing the distance between himself and his opponent. Then, locking his shield arm down and around the blade, he kept the Master from being able to retreat without abandoning his weapon. Instead of the look of surprise he had last time, the Master only had a smile on his face as he watched Graham¡¯s counter movements.


    Sliding along the blade¡¯s edge and further injuring himself, Graham brought his sword around in a slash that would¡¯ve decapitated the Master if it continued. Graham stopped the blade just shy of his Master¡¯s neck, the both of them panting.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­my¡­win¡­¡± Graham panted out before his eyes rolled backward and fell to the ground, exhausted from the loss of blood.


    ¡°Indeed it was, young Northtail. Indeed it was.¡± The Master said proudly to the unconscious form of Graham. He looked at his student proudly for a moment with a large grin on his face before he knelt down to inspect his student. The students on the sidelines erupted in a series of shock and cheers for their senior student. Fleur quickly ran up and began to assess his injuries, sparing the Master a couple of angry glances as she got to work healing him. The Master chuckled to himself at the gesture. She can¡¯t help herself, it seems. Even knowing this was a spar.


    __


    Graham¡¯s consciousness wavered. He caught glimpses of large, long ears and whiffs of tea and herbs. He could hear a fire crackling as his senses finally came back and he opened his eyes to see the roof of his Master¡¯s house above him. He looked over and could see Fleur brewing a pot of tea over the fire. His Master sat contentedly in the corner, not a scratch on him.


    His injuries still throbbed a bit despite being healed. But he won. He actually won. He smiled as he returned his vision to the roof of the house, reflecting on the fight with his Master.


    ¡°Ah you¡¯re awake. Good. Fleur, my dear, could you help him sit up?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get him, old Mouse. Wouldn¡¯t want you to strain yourself now would we?¡±


    The old Mouse chuckled before turning his attention back to Graham. ¡°I must say. I¡¯m proud of you, Graham. No student of mine has been able to thoroughly beat me in that way in quite some time.¡±


    ¡°Thorough? What part of this shouts ¡®thorough¡¯?¡± Graham gestured to himself laying in bed, his body still covered in bandages and wracked with pain and soreness even though any outward wounds had closed already.


    ¡°You were facing a stronger opponent and you turned your disadvantage into an advantage you could exploit. You analyzed the situation at hand, accounting even for the difference in weapons between us, and devised a strategy that took that into account. It was a very well fought battle. You should be proud of yourself.¡±


    Graham studied the bed sheets that still covered him intently, absorbing what his Master was telling him. He clenched the sheets in his hand and broke into a grin. He actually won!


    ¡°But don¡¯t let it get to your head. You still have a long way to go. There were several openings you presented that I could have exploited. And don¡¯t forget. We were facing each other on equal terms. If you meet an enemy who is willing and able to include magic as part of their arsenal, a whole new world of fighting opens up. Which is why you must learn magic sooner rather than later. You must keep practicing as often as you can. Your life may depend on it.¡±


    ¡°But Master, how many Warrior-types actually use magic? Since it¡¯s so difficult to learn there can¡¯t be that many right?¡±


    ¡°Most veteran Soldiers and Warriors can use some enhancement magic. Though few master the magic necessary to truly call themselves a Spellsword, or any equivalent. To be clear, I don¡¯t expect you to reach that level, but I do expect you to be able to give anyone a run for their money. I would expect nothing less from one of my students.¡±


    Graham nodded and was quiet for a moment before suddenly looking up with a panicked expression.


    ¡°Can Ferals use magic too?¡±


    Having pulled the teapot from the fire, Fleur began pouring cups of tea for all 3 of them. Clearly listening intently to the answer the Master would provide.


    ¡°That, I do not know. What I know of them is that they truly are creatures the same as you and I. However it seems that something has gone terribly wrong with them. That investigation is ongoing, so unfortunately we know very little. But what you should know is this: Predators can use magic. In fact, they¡¯re innately talented at magic. They¡¯re able to manipulate their Spirit Energy in ways we Mousefolk and other woodland creatures can not. It¡¯s why even one Predator is dangerous for even a full squad of Mousefolk Soldiers.¡±


    ¡°Yea but when¡¯s the last time a Predator has even been spotted this far North? Let alone North of the wall?¡±


    ¡°True, it has been some time. But they¡¯re known to slip through the cracks of the Woodland Alliance now and again. You must remain vigilant. Remember to look and listen for the signs.¡±


    ¡°I will, Master. I can¡¯t thank you enough for everything you¡¯ve taught me.¡± Graham bowed his head in his Master¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Nonsense, dear boy. I took you in as a student because I saw you had potential. All I did was nurture you from a small seed into the flourishing flower that you are today.¡±


    Fleur snorted at Graham being called a flower and he shot her a pointed look. She handed him a steaming cup of the tea, which smelled of roots and sweet berries. A knock suddenly came at the door, and a younger student of the master admitted himself. He was a small, young Rabbit who was entirely light gray, the color of a thundercloud. Everyone called him Stormy because of that, much to his dismay.


    ¡°Master? You asked me to let you know when people started showing up in front of City Hall for the test. The first ones just started gathering.¡±


    Graham suddenly thanked Fleur in his mind for being as good a healer as she was. If he had to spend more time recovering, he might¡¯ve missed the test. But he felt pretty good overall, even if he was a little stiff.


    ¡°Thank you, Stormy. You may return to your daily training.¡± Stormy gave a quick nod, not seeming to mind the nickname coming from his Master.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    The Master rose from his chair, a small grunt of age escaping him. ¡°Well then. It seems your true journey is upon you. I wish you best of luck, Graham Northtail. Perhaps the next time we meet, you will be able to address me by my name, and not as Master.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I could ever reach that level.¡± Graham chuckled out while scratching his head. ¡°But I¡¯ll try.¡± He nodded resolutely.


    Graham swung his legs off of the bed, and with help from Fleur, stood up and got his armor back on, which had been noticeably cleaned and polished since the duel.


    ¡°Come on, flower boy. We¡¯ve got work to do.¡±


    Graham rolled his eyes but couldn¡¯t stop the grin from appearing on his face.


    __


    ¡°Is this all of them?¡± The Mayor turned away from the crowd. A gathering of chattering Mousefolk and Rabbits were in Burrow''s square to volunteer for the Woodland Alliance.


    The Mouse Scribe jumped at the sudden attention, then quickly counted the names on his clipboard.


    ¡°Yes, Mayor. Everyone who put their names in with me the other day are accounted for plus a couple of extras.¡±


    The Mayor looked around at the crowd, satisfied with the results of his speech, though he secretly wished he had gotten twice this number. The more he sent, the better he would look.


    ¡°Magnificent news! Then we can begin in earnest!¡± Knight Captain Rurik shouted from several feet away as he entered the square, with Plumbase nowhere to be seen.


    At the loud outburst, the crowd of gathered recruits looked up from their conversations to see the arrival of the esteemed Knight Captain. As always, he was sporting his shining plate mail and perfectly trimmed mustache. Graham looked over from where he was standing with Fleur and noted that the Knight Captain seemed to have even more pep in his step if that was possible.


    ¡°Now then, recruits! Form a line if you please! Let¡¯s have a look at you!¡±


    At this, the Mayor and his assistant bowed to Rurik briefly before re-entering City Hall, no doubt with more pressing matters to attend to.


    The Knight Captain¡¯s words left no room for argument. The chattering crowd quickly shuffled into a line, standing shoulder to shoulder. More than 150 Mousefolk and Rabbits had shown up from the Burrow and the surrounding villages. Graham looked around nervously, his paws sweating in anticipation with a little smidge of fear mixed in.


    ¡°Hmm, yes. Hmm, indeed. I see, I see. Quite.¡± Rurik mumbled out loud as he walked down the line of recruits, personally inspecting each one as if they were fruit at a market sale. ¡°Very well! We shall proceed!¡±


    ¡°Wait, was that the test?¡± a yellow-furred mouse blurted out from down the line.


    ¡°Of course not, little pine cone! I was merely judging if any of you weren¡¯t capable of surviving the test. I¡¯m happy to report that all of you possess at least some chance! Ha! Far better than some of the population we¡¯ve visited so far!¡±


    A wave of mumbling went through the crowd at Rurik¡¯s remark. Graham gulped.


    ¡°E-e-excuse me, sir?¡± A meek white black spotted Rabbit raised his paw. Rurik, wearing his never ending smile, motioned for him to proceed.


    ¡°What are we going to be doing, exactly? This isn¡¯t like¨C¡± the Rabbit hesitated, ¡°a tournament is it? Like where we have to fight each other?¡± The Rabbit worriedly eyed some of the recruits standing near him, in particular, one large Mouse Brute who wore his characteristic smirk of arrogance. Graham vaguely remembered that meek Rabbit from Honeypot Village. What was his name again?


    ¡°No, my soft-spoken comrade in arms! It isn¡¯t quite so barbaric as that. Instead, I will be breaking the lot of you into teams of 5. Then, you will be given an assignment. These assignments are just the kind of missions you¡¯d actually receive as part of the Alliance. The test is for you to complete this assignment within the given time period.¡±


    ¡°Hey, man, what¡¯s the point in that? I mean, aren¡¯t we just doing your dirty work?¡±


    Graham turned his head to find the Mouse who spoke out. It turns out, it was one of Hould¡¯s cronies who decided to volunteer. Hould himself was here too, but the two other members of his little crew decided not to come. Figures. Hould¡¯s friend was taller and thinner than Hould and Graham, and his dark fur was splotched with spots of light gray. He carried a spear in his hand and wore the standard issue breastplate that¡¯s given to the Guards of the Burrow.


    ¡°The point, dear fellow, is that I will not tolerate trash in my ranks, if you would excuse my frankness. There is no place for those who would flee at the first sign of danger, or refuse to follow my orders. Consider this a test to sort out those unworthy to call themselves a Soldier in the Woodland Alliance.¡± Rurik¡¯s smile faded slightly as he gave his explanation.


    The line fell silent at his words. The reality of joining the Woodland Alliance settling in on some of the recruits.


    ¡°Now! Break off into teams of 5 if you will! Choose wisely! Your lives just may depend on it!¡±


    The crowd slowly dispersed as everyone looked to each other to try and form groups. Everyone was still tense from what the Knight Captain said. Fleur and Graham stood off to the side, not quite sure who to approach. Who should we ask? They look nice¡­no they have 4 already. Hmm what about them? They could be¨Candddd they have 5. Graham started to get a little nervous as he looked around him, the anxiety building. Fleur placed a comforting paw on his back. She casually walked over and struck up a conversation with a couple of Mousefolk that were standing around. The Mousefolk looked over to where Graham was standing and back at Fleur before shaking their heads in apology and moving elsewhere.


    Graham steeled himself. He couldn¡¯t let Fleur do all the work. He strode off and approached a group of 3 Rabbits that were standing together, anxiously looking around.


    ¡°Hi there! Have you found a group yet? My friend, Fleur, and I are free!¡±


    ¡°Well, actually we were just¨C¡±


    ¡°Hey! Theo! We¡¯re over here! Come on!¡±


    The brown Rabbit Graham was speaking to suddenly turned, seeing another group of 2 Rabbits standing there and waving, with smiles on their faces.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry! I hope you guys find someone. But our friends are waiting!¡±


    The young brown Rabbit gave a quick bow, nearly losing the arrows in his quiver, before scurrying off to join his friends. Graham gave a small sigh of defeat. On to the next, I guess.


    Graham looked around him in exasperation as he saw most of everyone had their teams. Though he did notice that one particular pair of Mousefolk were refusing all who advanced them. Hould and his friend seemed to be perfectly content tackling this thing themselves.


    Graham noticed Fleur walking through the crowd back towards him with a bit of a downtrodden look on her face.


    ¡°It seems everyone has found their teams! Wonderful!¡±


    Fleur caught up with Graham, sadly shaking her head as she revealed her failure. Shrugging his shoulders a bit in defeat, he gave Fleur a comforting smile before turning to Knight Captain Rurik.


    ¡°Sir, we still only have 2.¡± Graham raised his paw and waved at the Knight Captain.


    ¡°Hmm? Is there anyone else who failed to find a group?¡±


    A few paws went into the air around the crowd. And upon inspection, it seemed like some were left out of their groups when multiple groups merged together, leaving stragglers.


    ¡°By all means! Let us remedy the situation! Those without 5, please step forward!¡±


    A group of 8, including Fleur and Graham, stepped forward to the Knight Captain and into a line. Graham noticed the same black-spotted Rabbit that addressed the Knight Captain before in the line. He was one of the younger Rabbits of the village and one of the youngest that had shown up today. He carried a bow and quiver of arrows on his back, nervously gnawing on bits of a carrot that he had brought with him. Graham could see a sack of them hung at his side over his green tunic. Obviously, he had come prepared.


    Tracing his vision, Fleur saw the young Rabbit too and perked up a bit. ¡°Oh! It¡¯s one of Ms. Roxy¡¯s helper Rabbits.¡± She said to Graham before calling out to him. ¡°Heya, Stevie! What are you doing here?¡±


    Hearing Fleur¡¯s voice, the Rabbit turned in confusion for a second before recognizing the one who called his name. ¡°Fleur? Oh hey! It¡¯s good to see you here! And¡­you too¡­I guess.¡± He muttered when he saw Graham standing next to her.


    ¡°Come over here! You can join our team if you don¡¯t have one!¡±


    ¡°Oh. Sure.¡± He eyed Graham nervously. ¡°If that¡¯s ok?¡±


    ¡°Fine with me. What¡¯s your name again? I know I¡¯ve seen you around.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Stevie. You mean you don¡¯t remember¨C¡±


    ¡°Splendid! There¡¯ll be plenty of time for introductions later. Come over and join your new team, young carrot wrangler. So that gives you 3! Let¡¯s see here¡­There¡¯s you 5¡­ Ah yes, you two in the back there! Do you have 5?¡±


    ¡°Captain, I don¡¯t need a team. My friend and I here can handle anything you throw at us.¡±


    Oh, Gods. Graham thought as he heard the Mouse¡¯s voice. Please don¡¯t have them join us. I¡¯ll do anything! Graham prayed to any God he thought would listen.


    ¡°Nonsense! That wouldn¡¯t be in the spirit of the test! Grouping up is an order, recruits. So you two can come and join this party of 3 then.¡± Ignoring the protests coming from Hould and his friend, Rurik turned his attention back to the remaining recruits. ¡°That leaves you 5. You¡¯ll be a team. Teamwork triumphs again! Work well, recruits! This may be your forever team in the Alliance! Ha! Probably not, but the possibility exists! Now for your assignments!¡±


    ¡°But Captain! These runts will just slow us down!¡± Hould walked far enough forward to finally lay eyes on who his new teammates were. ¡°Scratch that, sir.¡± Hould looked at Rurik seriously. ¡°They¡¯ll get us all killed.¡±


    ¡°Oh? And have you been on a mission with these 3 before?¡±


    ¡°No, but¨C¡±


    ¡°And have you worked with them before?¡±


    ¡°No, sir, but I¨C¡±


    "Then there should be no issues then!¡± Rurik laughed as he walked over to another group to start handing out assignments.


    Hould clenched his paws and turned towards his new team, glaring daggers directly at Graham.


    ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t the Northtail Rat, I¡¯m surprised you showed up to this. You that eager to disgrace your family some more?¡±


    Graham clenched his teeth, biting back the insult he had prepared. Of all the Mousefolk and Rabbits, it had to be these two.


    ¡°Can it, Hould. Having to look at you is bad enough, I¡¯d rather not hear you too. Let¡¯s just focus on the mission, not your little obsession with Graham.¡± Fleur¡¯s response came swiftly before Graham had a chance to say anything. Hould glared at Fleur but didn¡¯t respond.


    The last member of their group, Stevie, just looked even more nervous at the addition of Hould and his friend to their team. He pulled his bag of carrots a little closer to his chest.


    ¡°Maybe I should, you know, go find another¨C¡± Stevie started slowly shuffling out of the group and tried to make a run for it.


    ¡°Ohhhh no you don¡¯t.¡± Fleur grabbed him by the back of his collar. ¡°You¡¯re with us now, got it?¡±


    Hould scoffed and rolled his eyes. His friend hadn¡¯t said anything so far, just looking at Fleur with disdain for her attitude against Hould.


    Rurik had been walking to various groups and giving them their assignments. Now, he was approaching the group of 5 that had been made with the spares. Briefly, his eyes wandered to Graham¡¯s group, assessing the situation that he had no doubt overheard, before turning to the group in front of him with a grin.


    ¡°You 5 will be investigating a series of thefts at the Ottergrove Crossing to the South. You have 7 days to report back on the situation. Whether or not you solve the situation depends on your judgement and skills. Best of luck, recruits!¡±


    Graham could hear some groans and complaints coming from the group. ¡°Just great. I didn¡¯t bring any spare clothes. What if I get these wet?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about? Not the bandits? Or worse, the bugs?¡± ¡°I think you need to sort out your priorities, dude.¡±


    Rurik turned away from the 5 still complaining amongst themselves and walked over to Graham¡¯s group, who were still stewing in the awkward silence created by the new teammates¡¯ tension.


    ¡°Getting along splendidly already, I see!¡±


    No response was given for a moment as Graham looked back and forth at each member, still brooding in their own misfortunes. Graham stepped up and addressed the Knight Captain.


    ¡°Sir, we¡¯ll be ready for whatever you throw at us!¡± Graham announced proudly.


    ¡°Ah, well said, lad. Tell me, what is your name?¡±


    ¡°Graham Northtail, sir!¡±


    ¡°Northtail?¡± Rurik looked at Graham from head to toe with an eyebrow raised. ¡°Indeed, hm, yes, indeed. Magnificent. It¡¯s a good thing I saved this assignment for last then. You 5 will be responsible for investigating the failed crop harvest here in the Northern Sunfields. I assume you have all heard of this rumor?¡±


    The 5 glanced at each other, with Graham and Fleur locking eyes and nodding.


    ¡°Yes sir, we live in a village called Wheatbrook in the Sunfields. We heard the news from another neighboring village.¡±


    The other party members listened intently, clearly not having heard the rumor before.


    ¡°Yes, our reports say that a village further to the north, a village called Stone Ear¡¯s Bluff, recently discovered that an entire section of their crops had died. You are to go and investigate these happenings. You have 7 days to report back to the Burrow with your findings.¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t let you down, sir!¡± Graham stood with a rigid posture and head held high to meet Rurik¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Splendid, oh the youth of today. So much fire! I¡¯m looking forward to the results of your investigations.¡± Rurik¡¯s gaze lingered on Graham for a moment.


    Rurik returned to the front of the crowd of recruits, once more taking charge with his commanding voice.


    ¡°Now then! You all have your assignments! Some of you have shorter time limits, and I assure you the time is selected appropriate to the task! Best of luck to you all! Dismissed!¡±


    Graham looked around at the crowd of recruits who had broken off and dispersed, some moving over to benches or nearby restaurants to discuss the planning for their assignment.


    ¡°We leave in an hour. If you¡¯re not ready by then. You get left behind.¡± Leaving no room for discussion, Hould and his friend scoffed at their team once more before turning and leaving the square.


    The city had started to wake up around him as Mouse and Rabbit alike made their way to their jobs. Some stopped and watched the gathering curiously before moving on, resolving to continue with their morning routines.


    Graham let out a slow and steady breath as he looked to the ceiling of the Burrow as the Spring morning sunlight trickled in. He wondered what his mother was doing right now. He pictured her humming in the garden as the Sunfields lit up with a golden glow from the sun. Graham¡¯s shoulders tensed as he imagined what it could mean if he let her down. He¡¯d come back. He wasn¡¯t like his father.