| Subject: The Lord (or Lady) of the Spoon: the Fellowship of the Spoon: Part 3 |
Author:
Marie Blue-eyes
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Date Posted: 01:55:05 08/18/06 Fri
Tumbletail groaned and blinked a couple times, wincing at the bright light that met her eyes. Rubbing fists to eyes wearily, she sat up and yawned, stretching out the aches of sleep. Glancing about the room, she asked no one in particular. “What time is it?”
“It‘s about noon. On the twenty-first day of Summer, in case you‘re interested.”
“Trilli!”
“Yes, I‘m here.”
Tumbletail grinned, then looked around, perplexed. “Where am I? I don‘t… I don‘t remember anything.”
“You‘re in Dibbundell, the land of Lady Laurelina and her squirrels. Kuunvarjo Kultaturkki rescued you.”
“Oh, right… I remember that now. But why did I need rescuing?”
“You were fed Nettle Broth. We had to get you here for some serious sugar-rehab in order to save you from the stummick-jiggle-fluenza-ickiness.” Tumbletail nodded and rubbed her stomach ruefully, recalling the pain caused by the nasty Elders’ potion. Her head swum as she clambered to her feet, so she waited until it calmed down before taking in her surroundings. She was in the very center of the oak tree that held Dibbundell, where four branches meeting created a relatively flat area. A pile of leaves had served as her bed while she had been ill, and Trillium sat on a nearby branch, conveniently situated like a seat.
With a gasp, the hogbabe was beset by three squealing, giggling Dibbuns--Marie, Thorntail, and Star. Tumbletail growled in mock-anger and pushed them off of her. “Oh, great. I thought I‘d left you three behind.”
Marie blinked innocently and clapped her paws to her cheeks in shock. “Left us be‘ind? Star, d‘ye ‘ear this ungrateful wretch?”
Star played along, nodding seriously and crossing her paws across her chest. “Oh aye, horrible wretch. After alla we‘ve done for ‘er…” She clucked disapprovingly, sending Marie into a fit of giggles.
“Ah yes, quite horrible.” Thorntail nodded solemnly, causing Marie to fall to the floor in heaves of laughter.
The friends laughed and jostled for a few minutes, before they were interrupted by the entrance of two more Dibbuns--Walker and Tangle. Tumbletail immediately launched herself at Tangle in a tremendous hug (while Star, Thorn, and Marie held up cards like judges.)
Tangle chuckled and hugged her back. “Ah, Tumble, my friend, it‘s good to see you. I suppose DAB is doing well?”
“Aye, the club‘s doin‘ as well as ever!”
“Good, good. Been keepin’ those rascally pals of yers in line?”
The two hedgehogs continued with their conversation, while Marie gave Walker an apology. “Er, laddie buck, ah‘m sorry. It would appear that ah misjudged ye, Walker. Ah--”
She was cut off as the otter held out a paw to interrupt her and spoke kindly. “Don‘t worry, mouse, I count it only as good that you care enough about Tumbletail to be so cautious. Oh, and my name is not Walker. It‘s Bulrush Strongrudder. Let‘s just put this whole business behind us. Friends?”
Marie smiled and shook the otter’s paw heartily. “Aye, friends.”
As the gathered Dibbuns talked amiably, they were suddenly interrupted by another entrance--Kuunvarjo Kultaturkki.Tumbletail glanced at the squirrelmaiden oddly, then stood and approached her. “Kuunvarjo?”
The young squirrel turned her emerald green gaze on the hogbabe, her eyes sparkling intelligently. “Tumbletail Spikedog. I hope I find you well?”
“Yes, thanks to you. I never got a chance to properly thank you for your help. I owe you my life; in fact, all of Dibbunhood owes you their loyalty.”
Kuunvarjo nodded gracefully. “Aye, but ‘twas all in the line of duty. I shall ne‘er hold it against anybeast.” With that, she turned to the main group and raised her voice above theirs. “Dibbuns! Lady Laurelina has called a Council. She has requested the presence of Trillium, Tumbletail, and Aragorn. Come with me.” The squirrel turned and strode away, not even using the handholds carved into the branches of the tree.
Trillium set off after the squirrel maiden swiftly, followed closely by Bulrush and Tumbletail. Tangle bid the remaining beasts good day and set off to take care of personal business, leaving the other three Dibbuns alone in the makeshift bedroom, of sorts.
Marie narrowed her eyes thoughtfully and peered in the direction Kuunvarjo and the rest had taken. “Hmm…”
Star glanced sideways at her friend, a grin on her face. “If I know you, that ‘hmm‘ could make for an interesting adventure.”
“Oh great.” Thorntail rolled her eyes and crossed her arms across her chest. “I shoulda known I‘d end up doing something like this, hanging out with you two…”
Marie chuckled and started along the branch, followed closely by her squirrel- and fox-friend. “Hmm…”
~-~-~
The Council of Laurelina was held among the higher levels of the great oak tree, where dappled sunlight fell on the gathered beasts. There were several squirrels, a shrew, a fox, two otters, a badger, and, of course, a hedgehog. Laurelina herself was standing upon a high branch above the others, from where she could address the entire Council at once.
A brown-furred otter with a bow slung across her back currently had the floor. She motioned with her paws to emphasize her point as she spoke animatedly. “Friends, the Spoon should be used against the Elders, not simply thrown away! Don‘t you realize what you‘re thinking of doing?! If you do this thing, you doom us all.”
Bulrush interrupted the other otter, remaining seated in a fork of two limbs. “Legolas, don‘t you realize what you‘re thinking? What you suggest is exactly what the Enemy desires. If any one of us, the strongest of the good, were to take the Spoon, even then it would bend us to its will.”
Legolas glared at the otter, her paws on her hips, and frowned. “Who made you judge of what would happen? A lowly otterbabe? Of what importance are you? I am the second-in-command of Lord Alagador!”
Lady Laurelina hopped down from her perch to stand between the two otters, her green silken dress flowing about her. “Friends, let us not argue. Legolas, you have spoken out of line. Aragorn Bulrush is the heir of the Throne, the true King of the Land Beyond the Abbey.”
The female otter started in surprise and stared at Bulrush, then turned away frostily. Bulrush, otherwise known as Aragorn, sighed and shifted in his seat. An uncomfortable silence followed, which was broken by Kuunvarjo standing up and speaking.
“My fellow Council members, the answer is obvious. There is only one thing we can do.” The red squirrel strode to the center of the area and placed a paw gently on the Spoon, which sat on a wooden stool like a pedestal. “We must destroy it; get rid of it forever.”
“But there is only one place to do so, is there not?” Trillium spoke up, standing to address the others. “Only by traveling to the very outskirts of the Abbey, and throwing it into Mossflower Wood may it be hidden away forever.”
Kuunvarjo nodded respectfully and went on. “Aye, but if we were to do that, it would end Mellus’ reign forever; Dibbunhood would finally be victorious in their battle against evil.”
“Yes, but who would go?” Laurelina peered at each of the Council members carefully, her gaze lingering momentarily on Tumbletail. “The Spoon-bearer has come only a little way compared to the distance she would have to travel to the Abbey Wall, but she has already been beset by numerous attacks by the Elders.”
Trillium shook her striped head and sighed without responding. Kuunvarjo, however, spoke up. “Yes, but there were only four of them, before Aragorn Bulrush joined them. Perhaps if we were to create a Companionship to join together and make their way to the Abbey Outskirts together.”
“But who to send?” Laurelina’s question sparked a heated debate among the Council as they argued: squirrel or otter, mole or mouse? The debate raged on for a few minutes, until they were finally interrupted by a hog maiden, feeling somewhat overwhelmed by the whole thing.
“I‘ll take it.”
Trillium stared at Tumbletail, a mixture of horror, surprise, pride, and regret on her features. “What?”
“I‘ll take it.” This time her voice rang out strong and clear in the suddenly silent hollow. “I‘ll take it… But no… I don‘t know the way.”
She turned around at Aragorn’s voice right behind her. “I will come with you. I pledge you my sword, Tumbletail Spoon-bearer, and all my services, however much they be.”
“I‘ll come as well.” Legolas strode forward cooly, her voice icy. “My homeland will have its representative in this quest, foolish though it may be.”
“As will I.” A gray fox with a black cloak stood beside Bulrush, her gaze steadily focused upon Tumbletail.
“Yer not leavin‘ me be‘ind, y‘all!” A young shrew strode up to the steadily growing group and placed her paws on her hips cockily. “No fox is gonna get more o‘ the battle than a shrew!”
Trillium‘s face grew grave as she spoke, leaning slightly on her crystal-headed staff. “I‘m coming, too. You‘ll need a guide, and I can provide one, for I have been there before.”
“Hoi! Ye‘re nae leavin‘ widout us‘n‘s, now are ye, ol‘ Cabbage-’Ead?”
“Aye, you can‘t forget the comic relief!”
“And you‘ll need me to keep those two in line!”
Marie burst into the clearing and tumbled to a stop at Trillium’s footpaws. The badger growled lowly and bent down, glaring at Marie. “Apparently, some beasts have been sneaking out and eavesdropping on secret Councils they have not been invited to!” Marie grinned apologetically and shrugged, scrambling to stand behind Star.
Star spread her paws akimbo and spoke to the Council. “We have been in this thing with Tumbletail from the start, and we have no intention of leaving now. You‘d have to tie me up and lock me down to keep me from following her, and I suspect the same thing goes for Marie and Thorntail, too.”
“Aye, an’ feed me Nettle Broth, so there!” Marie stuck her tongue out impudently at the others.
Laurelina looked around at the gathered Dibbuns, slightly amused. “Very well then. Eight Dibbuns form the Companionship of the Spoon. Live together, or die alone. May the seasons go with you.”
Marie smiled, proud of having been allowed to go and cocked her head. “Right. Where are we goin‘ agin?”
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