With Tooth and Paw: Chapter 5
#5 of Fates of War
You guys know the drill, right?
Chapter 5: Let the snow cover your past and be a fresh canvas
The walk up the tunnel to the surface seemed shorter the second time. The lamps were still a mystery, but the wonder had already worn off.
Raising his paw to shield his eyes from the now afternoon sun, Vedrit emerged from the tunnel to the forest and looked around at the breathtaking scene before him.
The setting sun, its golden rays still warm, cast sharp shadows and cast trees in reds, leaves stirred by a gentle breeze, cool and moist from some body of water.
He closed his eyes, enjoying the moment, trying not to think of how he would look, hood down, face turned slightly toward the sun. His reverie was cut short, however, by a mouse tapping his side, and motioned towards a long line of carts and carriages, indicating it was time to go.
With an in-ward sigh, Vedrit nodded and got in the nearest carriage with a seat open.
Tiania had told him, just before the mentors left, 'No matter what, don't break your silence. It's a long trip, but stay silent.' and left with a wink.
Vedrit found that the carriages fit four comfortably, and many were full.
Luckily Vedrit soon found a carriage with an open seat and put his small pack on top with the others.
The occupants were an older female skunk who stared out her window, an agitated male chimp and a male porcupine, his quills poking out of his cloak or hanging over his eyes. The skunk and chimp sitting on the other side of Vedrit and the porcupine. The others looked to be of varying ages, the chimp looked to be the youngest, probably only 15, the porcupine could have been in his late teens, and the skunk in her mid twenties.
Before long, the carriage jerked to a start, drawn by an unknown force, to an unknown destination.
It was dark when Vedrit woke with a start, not realizing he had fallen asleep, and looked out the window, the carriage lit by one of the mysterious lamps. The land was white with snow, the sky a dark, dark gray, and snow gently fell outside. It seemed like they were stopped, but the sound of snow crunching beneath the wheels could be heard.
About to ask where they were, Vedrit remembered his vow of silence.
Vedrit needed to ask some questions, but didn't have anything to write with.
'Someone has to have paper of some sort...' Vedrit thought.
After getting the other passengers attention, Vedrit motioned writing, and the porcupine gasped and started rummaging through a bag he had under his seat and dug out a charcoal stick and some old wrinkled paper.
'Hi, I'm Jytor. Friends call me Jyte.' the porcupine wrote before handing it to Vedrit
'I'm Vedrit. Where are we and how long have we traveled?' Vedrit wrote then passed around
'Mirrna. I fell asleep too, so I don't know.' the skunk wrote
'I'm Wern. Its now several hours into the night. Its probably midnight. It only started snowing a little while ago. I haven't seen any other carriages since nightfall' the chimp finished.
Vedrit looked out the window in thought. He couldn't think of any mountains that were a few hours away from where they were and would have snow so late in the spring. The only mountains he could think of that would have snow this time of year, and snow still falling were nearly a day's ride away.
'Something isn't right.' Vedrit wrote, 'Either the land is different than what I know, or we are moving faster than we should.'
The others didn't write anything in response, but looked out the windows.
Several hours passed before the carriage came to a stop, and for a while, silence reigned, until the door opened, Tiania standing in the snow, all wrapped up.
"Welcome to your first test." she said with a smile.
Vedrit was the first out the carriage, pulling his cloak around him against the cold, breezeless night. A small camp was set up, two tents, a pit for a fire, and a tarp covering what Vedrit guessed to be supplies.
"I'm sorry Jytor, but you have to get back on the carriage and leave." Tiania said, much to the porcupines dismay, "Since its so cold on this mountain, it was decided that it would be best to share tents. Mirrna, your tent is over there." She pointed to one of the tents, "The other is mine. Pick who you want to tent with. Who ever's left tents with me." Tiania instructed, " Oh, and anything you have done before today will stay here when you leave."
And with that, began Vedrits training. He got to know Mirrna and Wern well. Something gave him the sneaking suspicion that he would be working with those two more often in the future, not that he had any complaints. Mirrna was brave and outgoing, never afraid to back down. Wern was, as always, energetic, but attentive and smart, if a bit uncreative. Together, they made a great team, if a bit strange. When you add Tiania to the picture, it gets even stranger. From what Vedrit saw, Mirrna and Wern were coupling up in more than just tenting. To put it one way, they could be heard getting "warm", late at night. That is, if Vedrit and Tiania weren't "warming up".