Seyth considers the missions at hand. Barton had been right that it was nessesary to drive out the whistlepig. but Seyth wasn't one to go into danger unprepared. that's not how you get to be this old.
Lad, who would I talk to ta get a map of whassername's tunnels? he asks Barton.
That would be, uh, me sir. I hand him the maps my mom made for me.
Loremouse Taryn, a dusky yellow mouse with corrective goggles, pushes past the rest of the scientists, leaning into a staff as she walks. "What's going to cause you lads the most trouble is the tunnels. Those maps may show you where she's got her hoards and bedding chambers, but Gorgette, like all her kind, can change the connecting tunnels on a whim. Tunneling, digging, burrowing, she's more like to keep you turned around down there than face you directly. The whistlin' will grate yer bones, but don't mind it. It more means she's feelin' cornered than that she'll actually bite. She speaks a fair tongue, for such a big rodent. You could try to parley wi' her, but I daren't guess what she'd want from us which we could spare. If that's what you'll want to try, I could come with you myself. Though, I would ask that the traitor remain in custody." She gives Mitsy a withering glare.
"This whole plan was my idea!" Mitzy bites back. "She's not just going to give us food. -and I have been nothing if not loyal to the legally elected leadership. Maybe next time pick someone less nuts."
With all due respect, Mitzy’s information on Sprucetuck’s failure to produce scent barrier will save a lot of lives, and her weapon will make scaring Georgette much easier...
Well, I'd be right glad if you'd accompany us, then. Never did 'ave much talent with them funny-folk languages. Seyth says. he spoke some weasel ("we haven't seen that mouse, Honest", "the guard doesn't have Jurisdiction over darkheather" and several expletives all feature in his vocabulary I'd love to have you along. he says
then he rounds on Mitzy "Next time pick someone less nuts?" That's a load of shite if I've ever heard it. You've a higher duty that to your leaders. If you follow an order you know to be wrong, it's on you. You did wrong, own up to it.
He turns back to Taryn. I don't much like the girl either. But she knows how to make the musk, and that's bigger than our grievances with her.
Mitzy crosses her arms and looks crestfallen. "I just want to make it up to Sprucetuck. Isn't it my right to clear my own name? I'll do better, I swear. You can even cuff me while you do your little negotiations."
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I don't like it more than you do. but we need help, and she's got some right fancy stuff to use. he says.
Barton, would you fetch Bry? Tell him we're setting off to the Whistlepig's den in an hour.
Outside, the air is damp, and the sky is a muddy grey. The rain has washed away all but the last traces of snow, revealing a landscape lush with grass germ peeking out from the sodden fall foliage. A robin sings from the distant bough of a spruce sapling.
The entrance to Gorgette's den closest to Sprucetuck is very near indeed. A large stone, from which the village's cistern was carved, juts out of the back of Sprucetuck's titular woven tree. Beneath this stone is the mouth of a large tunnel, adorned with washed out gifts of potpourri and notes, carefully folded and tied to a woven wreath. As she clambers down, Mitzy kicks away the decorations to clear the way in. "She'll be in there. The map shows the way we usually go see her... When we need to. Unless she's already upset with us, it should be clear."
Taryn leans into her staff and peers down the sheer bluff. "These knees aren't what they once were. Would one of you lads help this old girl down?"
I politely interrupt the proceedings. What if we just bring her clean bedding and offer to clear her soiled den for free. It’s not as exciting as fighting a whistlepig but it’s more likely to be successful and safer to boot.
Look, I have enough clean, soft cotton right here. She’d love this!
Seyth pats Barton on the back Good lad, now you're thinking. Lets go talk with the Whistlepig. he smiles a little, knew the boy had it in him.
Barton lept with joy. He was sad that they wouldn’t have a deadly battle, but this is vitally important.
Once the cotton is gathered together, fibers are used to bundle the portions into manageable parcels that each of the five mice carry. Mitzy charges ahead, insistent on walking near, and in front of Barton. Taryn lags behind, speaking in hushed tones with Bry about Whistlepig culture.
Every few feet through the tunnel, sharp sticks are driven into the packed earth, pointed toward the exit to prevent larger predators from taking advantage of this easy access. It's odd to think that Gorgette would have done this herself, so it would seem this arrangement was made by the mice of Sprucetuck.
After several minutes, the patrol reaches a large chamber. Separated wood fibers fill the floor, and Gorgette herself fills the far end of the chamber, breathing rhythmically. An acrid scent fills the stale air. A few spruce nuts spill out from a small side chamber. At a glance, the chamber does not contain enough food to keep Sprucetuck fed while they wait for a supply Patrol, but it's not Gorgette's only pantry chamber. Mitzy makes a point of crossing her arms and looking away from the food, but her stomach grumbles.
Mornin' Georgette, sorry to wake you, but my friends an' I have a proposition for you. see, the fancy mice over in Sprucetuck need some stuff that you've got a lot of in your bedding.
So, we're thinking, if you're amenable, that we'd give you this nice fresh bedding, and take that old stuff off to the fancymice. sound like a deal?
Seyth indicates to Barton to display the new bedding, and for Taryn to translate for him
Barton showed her the bedding. Soft, comfortable. Not full of Groundhog scat.
Taryn's attempt to translate is met with a series of tiny whistles, then a deep and sonorous cooing. Gorgette shuffles in place for an agonizing moment before settling down, her snout turned to one side with a heavy-lidded eye turned your way. "Twerp... What want mouses loud? Tendays more." Georgette's voice is hoarse with sleep.
There is another bout of shuffling, and a little pinky groundhog rolls out of the bedding, not much bigger than Bry. "Allo. Ma say it early. Winter. What you want?" He looks from Taryn, hiding behind Bry, to Mitzy, who is lowering her weapon. "You say fresh bed? You'cn put, I show you. Move ma out stinky hole. You want stinky bed for cyans?" Twerp leans down to hop forward, then stands back upright."Mouse always doin' cyans." He hops a few paces past you to a side tunnel. "I say ma, we do cyans? She say no, roll over." He looks around at the Patrol, waiting for something.
Bry stands there, waiting for the others to tell him what he needed to do.
Seyth moves to follow, but decides to turn to taryn instead. Right, what's it doin'? he asks.
Taryn shrugs. "I think it just told a joke? I've never seen a whistlepig do any of this." She gives a patronizing, and nervous laugh. "Hah?"
Mitzy looks really uncomfortable.
Twerp nods and heads into the side tunnel, showing you all where you can put the bedding. "Ma'll be up to munch. I push the stink out then. Mouse kin okie dokie? Ma say weren't much food. Mouse never forage. Ma say mouse die this winter, an' I see mouse cyans then."
Twerp helps you set out the bedding, and reassures you the old bedding will be at the entrance later in the afternoon.
I...I think we won. This should be enough to cover the losses for the scent barrier. Now...uh...I guess we head out to the fields to save Sprucetuck...
We did what we set out to do. our next task probably won't go as smooth. C'mon lads, we wanna do this in daylight.
Seyth pats Barton and Bry on the shoulders and begins marching out, taking care not to take his eyes off Mitzy.
On your way out, Mitzy breaks the silence: "I had no idea she had pinkies. That would have been terrible if we had run in there blastin' caps."
Once you've returned to Sprucetuck, Taryn assures you that she will make see to it that the Scientists get to work on the bedding as soon as it surfaces.
On Bry's suggestions, the Labor teams have built shelters and camouflage over the tops of their carts. The Harvesters are equipped with scythes and spruce nut caps. The sun has crested the treeline when the teams are ready.
The trip out to the cloverfield is uneventful. The afternoon is humid, but warm, and all around signs of green are poking up out of the deadfall. The field itself is lush with germ and a few early blooms. The rain has pooled into the low ground, leaving a terrain which may prove a challenge for your Laborers' carts. You can see a single lone rabbit grazing nervously beside a mossy stump.
Seyth moved ahead of the group, so as to be the first to arrive. he wasn't proud of what he was about to do, but it was in the name of the greater good, and the snows would melt soon.
he drew up his spear, and moved into the clover-field. Right, gonna need you ta leave. he says, in the broken bunny he had persuaded Taryn to teach him before they began., and he prods any that don't immediately run.