Chapter 11

  “Graham, are you sure you brought everything?”

  “Hmm? Yea of course. I brought you, didn't I?”

  “Wha–what do you mean by that?” Color immediately flooded Fleur’s cheeks.

  “What do you mean ‘what do I mean’? You’re the one who said that without you, I’d probably die somewhere. And if these last couple days have taught me anything, it’s just how right you are.”

  “Ah. Right.” Fleur looked a bit downcast, but shook herself out of it.

  The two were about to finally head out to Fort Redleaf, having gotten resounding recommendations from Knight Captain Rurik, who refused to acknowledge that such an occurrence was ‘too dangerous for recruits’ as ‘far too often are we exposed to situations where intelligence isn’t optimal, and we must do the best we can with what we have’ or something or other. Upon hearing that declaration, poor Stevie just didn’t have the heart to continue on this adventure. At least, not yet. He was able to come to terms with his shortcomings and resolve himself to improvement.

  Dropping by to see him in Honeypot Village, Graham and Fleur were a little hopeful that he would change his mind and come with them, seeing as how he had received the official recommendation to join the Woodland Alliance as had the rest of the group, but his decision was final. Instead, Stevie saw them off, wishing them the best of luck. Though that may have been more directed at Fleur whom he still looked longingly towards, but that also may have been Graham’s imagination.

  The events of the past week still weighed heavily on Graham’s mind. In particular, the Badger that offered to train him. He had never seen anything move like the Badger did, and then he offered to train Graham basically out of nowhere. Is that some sort of Valley-sent blessing? He didn’t know, but his decision to defer his training for another time weighed on his mind a bit. The Badger didn’t seem at all disappointed, instead offering for him to visit the Badger in Hollowvale, the city to the Southeast, by Lake Mirewater. In fact, he was given a token so that he could get into the city and get directions to the Badger’s home. He had tried to ask the Badger about some things that happened in the fight, but he refused to answer, clearly saving it so that Graham would eventually seek him out.

  He still had so many unanswered questions about magic and the like. His Master wasn’t keen to answer him either. According to him, this was the prime moment of any budding Warrior or Mage. The moment where things stop making sense, and where only by experience and experimentation can you overcome the walls that your own mind has built. Graham personally would just rather his Master hand him a metaphorical ladder, but alas, it would not be so.

  He felt the cold steel brush against his leg, and his attention turned down to his new sword. Its handle and guard were made of polished steel that had been inlaid with images of leaves, flowers, and various Mousefolk performing laborious tasks. According to his Mother, the sword was meant to remind the wielder of the purpose and meaning of wielding it. To protect the peace of the Valley. It had been his Mother’s sword, back when she herself was a Knight. A fact unknown by Graham until now. Apparently, his Mother and Father met while they served together, with only Graham’s father continuing his service. He had for sure thought that once she heard of the Snake, Graham would never leave his house again. But, the opposite had happened. Graham supposed that the defeat of the Snake was the true reassurance she craved in her heart.

  Graham smiled down at the sword now strapped to his waist. A bit longer than the last, but that wouldn’t be a problem for too long. He’d drill with it as much as it took. His Mother said naming it was his job now. She hadn’t named it when she wielded it, never coming up with the perfect name, so she literally and figuratively passed the responsibility to Graham.

  Hmm. Seedbearer? No, that’s lame. Cragflame? Well, I’m not sure where that came from but no. Hmm. I’ll think on it.

  As Graham stared at his new companion and pondered, Fleur was walking next to Graham, her face deep in thought as she considered the new magic she had been taught by her Master, having learned of her encounter with the Snake. It was a form of curing magic that would help with status conditions that were the result of magic. Though, she couldn’t make sense of it. The intent was all screwed up. She was somehow supposed to picture them as the normal version of themselves and then bring that into reality? That sounded like a quick way to accidentally give Graham Rabbit ears. Although… Fleur smiled devilishly over at Graham, who was still staring down at his sword in wonder. Nah…if I screw it up, the backfire would be miserable.

  The problem with such magic is that you had to impose your will over another’s. You couldn’t just transfigure someone just because you wanted to. Though apparently it was a common punishment in the Mage’s Academy in Evertree for young rambunctious Students. Proper use of your will and your intent was needed. If your intent was to help someone, it would make their body subconsciously accept the magic. But any nefarious intent would see tremendous backlash, unless of course, you overcame that with raw Spirit Energy, as some master Illusionists were able to do. Tricking the body was significantly easier than affecting real change. Curing someone, on the other hand, required a clear conscience and a dedication to the healing effect. Fleur pondered how she would manage to squeeze out any malicious intent when healing, especially if she suddenly needed to heal something that had been trying to hurt her. Thinking about these moral questions made her head hurt, and it was good that the Burrow was just starting to come into view. Save that for the road.

  Entering into the Burrow, Fleur and Graham quickly saw the gathering of recruits that were meeting to make the trek to Fort Redleaf together. Standing there with the rest of the recruits were the last two members of Graham’s former team: Hould and Cruz. Noticing them first. Cruz gave a curt nod to the two, which Graham returned. Hould turned to the approaching duo and gave Graham a complicated look before looking away. Well, that was certainly a step up from being insulted on sight.

  After about an hour of standing around, and more and more recruits showing up that had passed the test, a Mouse stood up on one of the benches in the square they had gathered in and raised his paws to the crowd.

  “Everyone! We’re getting ready to head out! Now’s your last chance to back out! It’ll be a week’s journey all the way down to the Fort, and we’ll need to stop in Evertree on the way to pick up some more recruits from there apparently! We leave in 10 minutes!”

  Evertree? Now that had Graham’s attention. He had always wanted to go to Evertree. It was home to all the major institutions of the Valley. The Knight’s Academy, the Mage’s Academy, the Critter Council that governed the laws of the Valley, and so much more. All sorts of artisans and anyone who was trying to be someone gathered there.

  Taking a deep breath and looking at the majesty that was the Burrow, he wondered if he would be coming back here before squashing that thought. Of course he would. This was only the beginning of his adventure and he refused to believe that he was somehow marching to his doom. Even if he had to turn the tide of the war himself, he’d make sure of their victory.

  The column set out after that, approximately 75 recruits strong, less than half of what showed up for the selection. Most decided that the life of a Soldier of the Woodland Alliance wasn’t worth the danger they were put in. A few recruits had even died apparently. Bandits were a problem in some of the parts of the Valley. Most were crimes of desperation if they were put in that position due to an attack of some kind. But there were still some who enjoyed taking from others. Unforgivable.

  The Mouse who had gathered them had said that the trip would take a week. A week of sleeping on the ground. Graham already missed his bed.

  __

  Benny absolutely loved his bed. ‘His’ being a relative term of course. After all, there was a reason there was a bounty on his head placed by the Rat Gangs that lived below Evertree. How did one even steal a massive bed, including the headboard and frame? Well, it turns out that a couple words to the right Guard, and you can have a whole raid ensue. Who knew? Well, Benny supposed he did, as the Rats’ existence was barely tolerated in Evertree, instead choosing the sewers as their preferred home. So, just a quick ‘hey I think the Rats stole some stuff’ in the ear of an over-eager-to-prove-himself Guard, and bingo. In fact, if Benny recalled, they ‘took everything that wasn’t nailed down’, so that was quite a funny spectacle to behold once the King returned. Poor bastard even tried to be all ceremonial and sit on a throne that wasn’t there, not realizing his mistake until he was halfway to the floor. From there, the job was easy. It would take the Guards weeks to process all of the seized goods, which were already stolen. So Benny just liberated that poor massive and ornate bed that had been so wrongfully relocated. It’s not stealing if you’re stealing something that’s stolen not once but twice, right? If two wrongs don’t make a right, what about three? Surely there’s a line somewhere.

  Benny wished he could lay around all day, but unfortunately, there was an artifact to move, and a city to escape. So much to do, so little motivation. Why can’t life ever be easy for once? Ever since he was kicked out of his tribe, this was his life. Always on the run. Always pursuing some sort of comfort. Always wishing he could just be…normal. Eugh. That word tasted kind of bad in Benny’s brain, who gave a shudder. No more thoughts like that, they’ve already ruined his breakfast.

  Stretching, Benny stood up and looked around his little hideout. It was a small storage type area that was used back when Evertree and its sewers were under construction, so likely no one but Benny even knew it was down here. It was moss covered, damp, and there was constant water dripping somewhere, but it was safe. Paintings lay stacked against the walls, covered with tablecloths or other large canvas sheets, protecting the paintings from the damp air. Benny’s ornate bed sat nearly in the center of the room, so as to avoid whatever water dripped. A couple of candles flickered and melted on top of a decrepit table that sat in the corner. Next to it, a journal sat, the only thing that Benny kept from his old life.

  Walking past it, Benny walked over to his backpack that had been laid out on the floor near the table and inspected it. It had everything he would need for an extended trip out of Evertree. Better to lay extra low somewhere else. Perhaps he’d make his way back to the Squirrel Territory in the West. He had a couple of identities there that should still hold up. Though he doubted that Baron Von Ringtail would stand up against further scrutiny, much as he would like to be treated as a noble visitor.

  No, he’d have to live normally for a while. Blegh. There was that word again. It tasted like a really bitter pommeberry or an old boot. Both equally distasteful. But, what’s done is done. He picked up the artifact he retrieved from the Museum along with several other relics that he took in order to disguise the true target. A pendant that had some sort of golden crystal in the center. Benny had seen it before. In a storybook that his mother read to him when he was small. He recalled seeing the Raccoon’s Patron God wearing it. It was another small piece of home, in a way. He wondered for a brief moment whether he should bring it with him. Benny couldn’t help but feel an intrinsic connection to the pendant beyond the sketches in the storybook.

  Placing the pendant onto his journal, he resolved to leave it behind in case something happened and he got caught. At least the pendant would remain in his stash. There was no use hiding the pendant, because if someone found the stash, well, it was already game over anyways. Gathering up his pack, he strapped his daggers to his belt, blew out the candles, and strode off to the door leading to the seemingly endless passageways of Evertree’s sewers. Thinking he heard footsteps, Benny stopped suddenly, focusing on his hearing. Not hearing anything else, he continued down the deep dark of the sewer tunnels, starting to whistle his favorite tune.

  __

  The large convoy marched down the road that led to Evertree from the Burrow. They had just crossed Otterwell River, passing by a couple of families of Otters that lived near the crossing, who waved at them as they passed.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  “Man they sure do have it easy, don’t they?” Cruz mumbled from where he was walking with Graham and Fleur. Hould had chosen to keep his distance from his former squad-mates, having rarely spoken to them since departing the Burrow.

  “I’m sure they have their own problems. Like which rocks they want to keep today.” Fleur jokes, making Cruz chuckle in agreement.

  Graham liked Otters. They were generally pretty friendly, and very happy-go-lucky. It made them easy to get along with, but also kind of hard to talk to, as they had a pretty much one-track mind when it came to things they liked to talk about. Mostly rocks, or water, or fish.

  Since fish were an unenlightened critter, and could neither communicate or contribute to Valley society, much like deer and some other larger critters, they weren’t protected by Valley laws. That still felt odd to Graham, as critters were critters, how could they be excluded from the Valley? He’d asked his mother about it once, but she could only say that those without name or true thought were more like the trees than like him or her. That never quite sat right with him, but the Valley agreed on this premise. And hey, it’s not like he was eating the fish.

  “Do you guys think there are any Otters in the Alliance at the Fort? I think they’re pretty cool.”

  “Hmm. Ms. Roxy always said that all kinds of critters found their way into the Alliance, so I’m sure there’ll be some there. I just want to meet a Beaver or a Skunk. They’re supposed to be super rare in the Valley!”

  “A Skunk? Why those? And why are you two so fascinated by other critters? What about the Mousefolk or the Rabbits that are in the Alliance? You aren’t excited to meet them?” Cruz asked with a raised eyebrow.

  Graham and Fleur shared a look. “Nope.” They both responded in sync. Rolling his eyes, Cruz shook his head and made his way up to where Hould was marching alone, several groups ahead of them.

  Walking down the road, Graham noticed a couple of Bird families had made their communities in the tops of the massive trees that adorned the Central Valley forests. A couple of the younger Birds looked down at the convoy, whispering amongst each other, while a couple of the adults sang the songs of their species. Graham heard that when they stop to sing, it’s because they’re spreading the blessings of the forest. But also Fleur used to say that they just liked to sing, and that Bird parties were apparently a huge contest, and not a party at all.

  Birds hadn’t always been considered members of the Valley either. The songbirds were welcome now, but only after the Predators were driven out. It was a bit of a point of contention, Graham remembered hearing his mother talk about it. Apparently since there were Predator Birds, a whole investigation had to be done, separating the Predators from the Birds that Graham knew today. They were a nomadic species, and rarely lived in other Valley cities, likely still a tad bitter that their community was split into two.

  The road ahead of them seemed to stretch through the trees forever, and Graham could already feel his sore feet from the day’s marching ahead of them. Well, Graham liked to think of them marching off to war, when it was really just a rabble of critters stumbling their way down to Evertree. There just happened to be a war on the other side of the journey. Graham could only hope that his stop in Evertree would be long enough for him to see some of the sights. Like the Museum of Modern Valley History, or even the Critter Council building. It was supposed to be enormous.

  __

  “Wow.” Was all Graham could squeeze out walking into Evertree for the first time. The walls towered over what Graham was used to seeing at the Burrow, easily twice as tall, and thrice as thick. Towers dotted along the wall, serving as periodic beacons to the grandness of Evertree. Buildings stretched into the distant forest, all shaded by the massive trees that grew on the outskirts of Evertree. Towering above them all were the three massive grand trees at the center, which were all comparable to Villia’s Tree in size, connected between each other with wooden bridges at a multitude of levels, making the sight look as if a giant wooden tapestry had been woven in the sky. Stone buildings up to 4 stories tall lined the main road that led to the center of Evertree, with more side streets and alleys branching off, creating a web of interconnected ways. A large main road carved a path alongside the inside of the wall, tracing the entirety of the oval that made up the perimeter of Evertree.

  They had been on the road 5 days already, the most exciting part being when the convoy passed a group of travelling merchants, who were happy to sell some of their wares to the passing recruits. At exorbitantly marked up prices, naturally. So the sight of Evertree was like walking into daylight after days in the darkness of a cave. Graham could barely contain his excitement, seeing the hustle and bustle of the crowds, the likes of which he could not have found in the Burrow. The crowds were not excited to see him or his fellow recruits, however. Graham wasn’t the only excited one, and the starstruck newcomers were beginning to clog up the streets.

  Thwack

  “Get yourself together before you get run over!” Fleur yelled in Graham’s ear over the rising noise of the crowds, grabbing his paw and leading him to follow the river of recruits making their way to the center of the city, where they were supposed to meet the group of recruits from Evertree.

  __

  Benny looked both ways before crawling out of the sewer entrance. Nothing suspicious about a naturally-dressed thief just making his way out of a hole in the ground. Nope, not at all. You know, the black mask that Raccoons were born with really didn’t help with the stereotypes. Now wasn’t the time for him to ruminate on the static genetics of Raccoons. No, now was a time for action. For some good old-fashioned deception. How else was he supposed to get out of the city? Act totally cool and unsuspicious because the Guards wouldn’t stop him if he wasn’t? What is this? Amateur hour? Not only would that likely work, but it was also so magnificently boring that if anyone caught wind of such a tactic, his reputation would be irreparably damaged.

  Though, one could argue that this sort of chaotic thinking results in thieves growing bolder and bolder, wishing to outdo each other like some sort of criminal competition. It certainly made the Guards’ jobs easier, so they wouldn’t complain. But Gods, the competition was getting stiff. He had certainly taken the cake with the Museum job, but who knows before some thief gets a grand idea like stealing one of the Patron God items from the Critter Council Headquarters or something. Wait. That’s a brilliant idea! Dang it! If only he didn’t have to leave the city right this minute. But ohoho he would be back. Rest-assured precious God items, he would be back.

  Coming out of the alleyways and joining the crowded street, Benny wished he had waited at least another hour before coming out, so as to avoid some of the rush of Citizens eager to get to their jobs or make their deliveries. Making his way to the main boulevard that ran down to the center of Evertree, something peculiar caught his eye. What is that Mouse doing? He’s just standing there gaping. Tourists. Benny rolled his eyes before continuing on before he saw a Rabbit whack the Mouse on the head before saying something about ‘Alliance’ and ‘recruits’.

  Well well well. What do we have here? Following the pair, he began to pick out a stream of critters that were more equipped for travel and were strangely well-armed making their way to the center of the city. Arriving at one portion of the center, with a statue of Firnhkin, the Squirrel Patron God, standing in the center of the street. Seeing that, he could tell what street he was on, and that these tourists came in from the Northern gate, meaning they had been on the road, likely from one of the greater settlements in the Northern Valley.

  “Gather round, recruits! I’m Captain Gritzkin, and I’ll be escorting the lot of you to Fort Redleaf here in just a moment. Please make sure you have everything before we leave. And Burrow recruits, if you could please make sure none of your lot got lost on the way here, that would be magnificent. Alright, we’ll form up and be off shortly!”

  An idea shot like lightning through Benny’s brain. Impersonating an Alliance Soldier would be a wonderful addition to his list of fun things he’s done. Now the question is, how? He saw the Mouse and Rabbit from before conversing with one another, with another, taller gray Mouse standing nearby, looking around him at some of the other recruits. Showtime.

  Putting on a winning smile, Benny walked up to the pair with a paw raised.

  “Hiya! Are you guys heading out too! I’m Benny! Good to meet ya!”

  He noticed the smaller brown Mouse look him over briefly before smiling and reaching out his paw in greeting. The Rabbit also smiled, seeming a little surprised by the sudden approach but otherwise fine with it. So far so good. Benny shook the Mouse’s paw as he replied.

  “Hey there. I’m Graham, and this is Fleur. That Mouse there is Cruz. You must be one of the Evertree recruits then, right? I don’t think I remember any Raccoons coming in with us.”

  “Yes, that’s right! The Burrow, huh? How was that journey? That must’ve been quite the experience for you guys!” Benny’s eyes shot to the gray Mouse known as Cruz, who was eyeing him with an eyebrow raised. Clearly suspicious. But why? Well put together. Tidy, despite the journey. Possibly a former Guard or other Soldier type. Just my luck.

  “Oh man, you have no idea.” Graham rubbed the back of his neck and winced. “I can’t wait to get back into a real bed.” The Rabbit, who Graham introduced as Fleur, chuckled beside him, clearly amused at his pain. She did whack him earlier too. So she enjoys external pain. Definitely someone to look out for.

  “Tell me about it! I once spent over a week out in the forest, sleeping in the dirt. I couldn’t even afford to light a fire!”

  “Really? Why?” Fleur asked him, confused.

  “Well, that’s because I was–” Benny almost spilled about him hiding from the local Guards after pulling a heist. Is she using magic on me? Hmm. Something about her. Fleur raised an eyebrow at Benny as he looked at her, his sentence remaining half-finished.

  “I–uh–a story for another time, perhaps. I would not want to bore you with such trivial adventures. Not when the greatest adventure ever awaits us! Wouldn’t you agree?” Fleur wasn’t buying it, but Graham was more than happy to latch on to the mention of adventure.

  “I know, right? Though it’s hard to imagine it can be much more exciting than it’s already been, right, Fleur?”

  “Yea, seriously. In fact, if it keeps being this exciting, I’m afraid I’ll start to get gray fur.” Fleur pulled one of her ears close to her face, inspecting it.

  “Oh no no no, that could never happen I assure you. You are the most lovely–” Benny stopped himself again. Gods, what is happening? Benny narrowed his eyes at Fleur, who looked slightly shocked at what Benny was beginning to say. “Erm. What I meant to say was, I am sure that nothing could ever do that. You’re still so young, after all.”

  “Right. Thanks. I guess.”

  “But yea, our test mission was crazy! We had to fight a whole Predator! What was your mission like?”

  “My mission?” Benny hesitated.

  “Yea! You had to do a test mission given by Knight Captain Rurik to get one of these tokens, right?” Graham held out the token that would grant him access to the Alliance.

  “Ah, yes, the token.” Benny’s wheels were spinning. “I nearly forgot about it. My mission wasn’t quite so difficult as facing a Predator. Why, the Knight Captain just had us addressing some local concerns here in the city.”

  “Oh, interesting. Like what?” Fleur asked, her tone not quite matching the look on her face.

  “Well, you see, we have quite a Rat problem here in this city. So, a couple of us were sent into the sewers below the city to sort of clean them out. Not kill them, mind you. That would be too barbaric.”

  “What did they do?” Fleur asked again, crossing her arms.

  “They’re known to be involved in gang activity, those Rats. Devious creatures. Why don’t you tell me more about your Predator encounter? That sounds exciting!”

  Graham began to open his mouth to speak before Fleur cut in. “Do you mind if I see your token? I’m just curious if it’s the same as ours. You know, since we’re from different areas and had vastly different missions.”

  “Of course! A completely and totally natural curiosity. One moment, madame.”

  Benny took one of the straps of his backpack off his shoulder, the wheels in his mind beginning to turn. This one is a sly one. First she gets me to say ridiculous things, now this. Probably because she has such fluffy and luxurious looking fur that–what the Gods is happening! Slowly lowering his backpack, he slightly turned his back to the waiting duo. It was then that he saw it, a token shaped imprint in the back pocket of a passing Rabbit. Sorry, dear friend, but my needs are dire. Quickly flicking his tail in faux annoyance at not finding his token, Benny swung around with an object in his hand, quickly replacing the Rabbit’s token with a metal coin. Consider that a bit of compensation. He held out the token for Fleur to inspect, and seeing that it was the same, she just nodded, seemingly satisfied.

  Certainly dodged that arrow there. Would be a shame for it to have hit him in the knee, ending his adventures before they had even begun. The Captain that had addressed them before clapped his paws, once again announcing their departure.

  “Shall we?” Benny shot off another winning smile as he gestured to the duo, who took the lead and fell into the rough formation that the recruits were forming. Breathing out a sigh that took the weight of the world off of his shoulders, Benny fell into line behind Fleur. What’s the deal with her? She’s wonderf–ugh, damn this Rabbit!