Chapter 17

  Graham let out a deep sigh as his shoulders sagged. The beauty of the road to Shallow Rock did nothing to lift his depressed mood. Next to him, Hould rolled his eyes at Graham’s repeated sulking.

  “Get over yourself. You didn’t actually think you’d be able to stay with that Rabbit all the time, did you? Grow up, Northtail.”

  “I know, I know. I just didn’t think it would happen so soon.”

  Hould just scoffed at the Mouse’s response.

  “Well can you be quiet while you’re all depressed? I approve of the whole ‘not talking’ part of this, but for gods’ sake stop your sighing.”

  Graham didn’t reply, as his mind immediately went to what Fleur had said to him before he left Evertree.

  “Graham, I’m staying here. The Healers haven’t made any progress with Cruz, and I think that I can be of real help here. Plus, if what you said about Benny is true, he may need some backup. Like him or not, he’s one of our comrades now. You and Hould go on to Shallow Rock and help the Alliance. I need to do this, Graham.”

  He knew Hould had a point. But it felt a little out of nowhere to Graham. She admitted to being a bit jealous about seeing how fast Graham had been progressing, but she was also doing incredible things! She was a true Druid in the making. He tried to explain to her that it was her presence that pushed him so hard, but she wasn’t having it. Saying that he needed to learn how to be strong for his own sake, and not just for the sake of others.

  Graham bit the inside of his cheek. He’d show her how much he could grow. He silently hoped that she found what she was looking for by staying behind. He also prayed that Benny would watch out for her. The Raccoon was a lot of things, but luckily reliable seemed to be one of them.

  He tilted his head up to look at the trees towering above head. The green leaves formed a canopy over the wide dirt road they were traveling down. They would be on this path for a while and they would know they were getting closer to Shallow Rock when they came upon Mirewater Lake. Then they could follow its shores all the way to the city. Graham’s mind focused towards the mission. The Ferals were sieging Fort Redleaf. They had to be stopped. If that Fort fell, there would be nothing left to stop the onslaught of the Ferals. The cities might survive, but the outer villages and towns without serious defenses and walls would surely fall.

  __

  “You sure staying around was a good idea? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m more than happy to play host, especially to you, it’s just a little dangerous, is all.”

  Benny and Fleur walked down the streets of Evertree, Benny having donned a cloak over his head to hide his face, while Fleur was given a cloak from the Alliance that covered all of her leather gear, hiding that she was prepared for any sudden attacks.

  “Believe me, I don’t want to be here with you. But I have my own things I need to do here in Evertree, and Graham trusts you, so I’m willing to lend a hand. But just to be clear, I don’t trust you. I think you’re a liar and a thief, maybe even a murderer.”

  “Hurtful, but fair. Just in case you were curious about what I thought of you, I think that you’re the most bea–”

  “I actually wasn’t curious.”

  “So fiery. But you’re talking about that tall Mouse right? You’re going to try and heal him? Is that why we’re going to the library right now?”

  “I’m going to the library to research illness and disease to see if there’s anything I can find about Cruz’s condition. I’m not sure why you’re here, though.”

  “I told Graham I would look out for you, and I can’t guarantee that whoever is after me isn’t after you, too.”

  “But isn’t you being here making me a target anyways?”

  “I…uh…didn’t think about it that way. Maybe I just wanted to spend time with you?”

  “Nice try, but you should go and start your little investigation. Or do you enjoy being hunted by gangs?” Fleur chuckled a bit.

  “I find it exhilarating if you must know. It makes me feel like the main character in some book, you know?”

  “I guess. But it would just stress me out. I’m not sure how you’re so calm.”

  “Oh, I am stressed. Can’t you tell? Look at all my gray fur!”

  “Benny, 75% of your body is gray fur.”

  “Exactly! That’s how stressed I am! So won’t you comfort a poor Raccoon who’s destined to be hunted for all eternity?” Benny fluttered his eyelashes towards Fleur.

  “You wish. Now go. I’ll be fine. We’re here, anyway.”

  Fleur and Benny came to a stop in front of a large wooden building, one of the few that were still made out of wood. A massive archway adorned the front entrance, elegantly carved with images of Raccoons, Squirrels, and other critters. Walking up the first few stairs, Fleur turned to see that Benny had slinked away after they had arrived, and slightly shook her head. That Raccoon was trouble, but at least he had something to occupy his time.

  She walked up to the front entrance and pulled open the massive double doors, giving way to a cavernous room lined with rows and rows of books. A second level existed, bordered by a wooden guardrail that would let one look out into the massive space of the library. This was an obscene amount of books. Fleur had never seen so many in one place. More than that, this place was eerily quiet, and lit by the natural light of the sun filtering through the dome-like structure that made up the ceiling.

  This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

  Somewhere in here would be a clue to what was going on with Cruz. Time to get to work.

  __

  Benny slipped into an alleyway, narrowly being missed by a passing carriage. He let a smile cross his face as he thought about his conversation with Fleur just now. He would crack that shell eventually, so to speak. He felt like he had made a bit of progress today too. But thoughts of wonderful Rabbits were for times of peace, not peril. Benny had a couple of errands of his own to run, so to speak. He felt the pendant around his neck. Who knew that such small things could bring about such unwanted attention. But what he said to Fleur was true: he loved the attention. He truly felt like he was some kind of protagonist, destined to topple evil or something.

  He pictured himself being hailed as a hero by the Woodland Folk of the Valley but quickly dismissed the dream. Being a renowned hero was for critters like Graham, who could embody those ideals, and weren’t tainted by the darker corners of the Valley.

  “I believe you can come back to the side of good. I have to believe that.”

  Graham’s words echoed in Benny’s mind for a moment. He chuckled at the naivety of the young Mouse. There was no such thing as redemption in the Valley. The societal lines were pretty clear. Cross them, and exile awaited. The Predators knew this, the Squirrels knew this, and Benny had seen what happens to tribes that don’t follow the rules. Tucking the pendant back into his tunic, he turned and started down the alleyway towards his destination. There was only one place for someone of Benny’s particular career-path to get information from. Luckily, she had decided to move out of the sewers. Benny didn’t think he could handle any more sewer visits this week. He was tired of throwing out clothes, that smell never came out.

  Benny took off into a jog down the alleyway as he examined the buildings around him. These were perfect for climbing. This was an older part of Evertree, so the stones were a bit more weathered, making perfect hand and footholds in the stone. Leaping towards one of the walls, he quickly got his paws and boots situated on the wall, easily finding purchase. With a grin, he scurried up the side of the walls, avoiding the various windows that protruded from the sides of the building. He didn’t need a repeat of the last time he was seen outside of some random critter’s window. The crazy Raccoon had thought he was some vision or omen or something and tried her best to be rid of him. Throwing random objects such as flower vases, books, even a chair once. All while shouting something about how the spirit of the Patron God will protect her.

  Quickly reaching the roof, he surveyed the city, which was bustling under the early morning sun. He could see the market district where several stalls were filled with various goods from around the Valley. The merchants hollered and called out to the passersby, drawing in their first business of the day. Benny breathed in the city air for a moment. Disgusting, he thought with a smile. This was his home, like it or not. Enough reminiscing. Information brokers won’t find themselves. If they did, could they somehow sell that information to themselves? A question for later, perhaps.

  Benny took off and bounded to the next roof, barely breaking stride as he leapt from roof to roof. The cloak he had wrapped around him to hide his face flapped in the wind as he ran. Benny relished the wind flowing through his fur. He knew that the broker had moved to the market district, but where? A thought occurred to Benny. Ah, you sly Bird. What better place to find secret, shady information than right out in the open next to all the other mundane and perfectly legal goods. Running above the market district, he quickly scanned the crowd of merchants and stalls, looking for one symbol in particular. There! A golden Bird in flight on a purple background. The symbol of the Broker’s Guild. Manning the stall was a young Squirrel, who sat behind the table that made up the stall, her elbow propping up her head and reading a book that was open on the table in front of her. The stall had various wares one might find if a library was being scrapped for parts. Pens, ink, books, even small trinkets that might adorn a study or foyer.

  Benny moved to the back of a building bordering an alleyway so that his descent wouldn’t be seen and quickly made his way down the side of the building. This one was slightly harder to traverse as it was a little newer, but still not a problem for Benny. Reaching street level once again, Benny pulled the hood back over his head and strutted into the market street with a smile on his face, gently weaving between the swinging arms of merchants. A couple of them tried to flag him down to give their sales pitches, but Benny ignored them, heading straight for the aloof Squirrel.

  “If you want to buy something just let me know.” The Squirrel said without looking up.

  “Yes, well, I’m afraid I lost my umbrella and I was wondering if you had a replacement.” Benny recited the passphrase smoothly.

  The Squirrel girl stopped mid page-turn, glancing up at Benny for the first time.

  “Well that depends on the model you want. Do you want something for the local weather or a bit more universal?”

  “Local is fine. The rainy season is coming up, you know.” The Squirrel girl nodded once before standing.

  “Let me see what we have in stock, feel free to look around while you wait.”

  She turned and walked towards the building directly behind her stall, pausing at the door to knock rhythmically. Benny quickly memorized the knock. Amateurs. She must be a new recruit. The Squirrel disappeared inside briefly after, not emerging again for several minutes. She walked back to the stall with a complicated look on her face. Well that’s certainly not good news.

  “I’m sorry. But it seems like your clearance has been revoked. Madam Gentry sends her condolences. You are free to purchase any additional wares you see here, but sadly, our back stock isn’t available to you, Mr. LaPomme.”

  Benny clicked his teeth in annoyance and gave a curt nod to the Squirrel, who returned the gesture. He turned away and began walking back towards the alleyway he came from, and he could feel the Squirrel’s eyes never leaving his back. Strange. Perhaps it’s because of the hit out on me? They don’t want to get involved? One thing was for sure though, he was definitely breaking in there tonight.

  __

  The city of Shallow Rock appeared on the horizon without much fanfare. A thick mist was blanketing the area, making only the vague silhouette of the city visible from the shore of Mirewater Lake, which Graham and Hould were currently circumventing. The water of the lake gently lapped at the shore, the surface extremely calm in the evening hours. It had taken them the entire day to make the journey to Shallow Rock, with Graham and Hould even picking up the pace at some points, determined to not have to spend the night in the woods again after the last ambush.

  Graham breathed in the thick, humid evening air. The moonlight shone through the mist, scattering its light into a bright haze that filled the sky. Graham could barely see the city, but he could make out some of the outlines of buildings and walls. It was far more squat and low to the ground than Evertree was, its buildings only reaching one or two stories above the ground. The wall was also relatively low to the ground, poised so that it wouldn’t sink into the soft earth near the lake. The side open to the lake didn’t have a wall at all, instead using various wooden docks for transport and fishing.

  Fishing was big in this city, because a large population of Otters lived here. They preferred fresh water, so the lake was the perfect place for them to lay down their roots. Half an hour later, Graham and Hould approached the gate, made visible by the two torches whose orange glows dissipated in the thick mist. The two Guards at the gate readied their weapons at the approach of two strangers, and only relaxed when the two presented their Alliance seals they had been given.

  Passing the gate with no further issues, the Guards directed them to the local inn in the city, in which they would find the other recruits and the Captain that had brought them there. Following the Guard’s directions, the two came upon a wooden building, one story tall that was gray in color due to the constant wind and rain that infested the area around the Lake. They admitted themselves through the front entrance, and were immediately greeted by a host of critters all lounging in a massive cozy living space, adorned with sets of tables and chairs, a roaring fire in the corner turned the space into a respite from the mists outside.

  Graham recognized some of the wounded recruits from the ambush but also some other new faces amongst the crowd, all appearing to be Alliance Soldiers. There was close to fifty from what Graham could tell in this room alone. Sitting at the center of the room, across from the fire, was the Captain that had given Graham his membership to the Alliance, sharing a table with a familiar mustachioed Mouse that Graham hadn’t seen in quite some time. His face still showing its characteristic grin.