LateNightHacking Louis My Writing

Auth

This chapter is roughed in and undergoing progressive refinement.

Modified: 4/23/98, 4/24/98, 5/3/98, 5/4/98, 5/16/98

It was a warm summer night and the stars were twinkling merrily where they shone throught the trees. Below, a raccoon whistled softly as he hiked through the forest. He stopped with surprise and grinned. Josh hadn't even realized he was whistling, but he knew he often did that when he was in a good mood. Chuckling to himself, he walked on. He had reason enought to be happy: he was returning from a special trip to visit his parents for his birthday. It was Josh's first visit home in two years, and he had enjoyed it. His best friend had come along, too. Actually, Nutsy had set the whole thing up as a surprise for Josh. The raccoon had been truly surprised and was hesitant to make the trip at first, but the flying squirrel managed to convice him to go. Josh was glad that he did.

Thinking of his birthday, Josh remembered the gift the flying squirrel had given him. The raccoon reached over his shoulder and took the recorder from its cover where he had it strapped to his back. He put the wooden instrument in his mouth and blew a note. The beautiful, mellow tone faded quickly into the forest. He smiled. It was a fine instrument, and as a carpenter Josh could identify skillful woodcraftsmanship when he saw it.

"Well, go ahead! Play something!" encouraged a voice from above. Josh looked up and grinned. In the trees above him was his friend Nutsy. The flying squirrel was jumping from tree to tree as Josh walked on the ground, each taking their prefered path but making the trip together.

Josh grinned and played a scale to settle his fingers and embouchure. Satisfied, he set off into a cheery little tune that sounded suspiciously like "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star".

"Not that one again! I gave you that thing three days ago and you've only played one song the whole time!" laughed the flying squirrel. "Don't quit your night job."

Josh blew a raspberry at the squirrel and then grimmaced as his thoughts took a more troubled turn. "Well, I may have to at this rate. I haven't had any work in weeks."

The squirrel scrambled down a tree trunk and paused half way down, in front of Josh. "Oh yes, I forgot to tell you," he said. "Mrs. Randolf said she wants you to build her a crib. She's expecting." He grinned mischeviously at the raccoon.

"What?! Why didn't you tell me? You know how much I need the work!" exclaimed Josh. He thought for moment, and then raised an eyebrow as he placed the name. "Mrs. Randolf?" He shook his head. "It is not a good idea to annoy skunks, you know." He gave the squirrel a withering look.

"Oh, come on." Nutsy dropped to the ground and stood in front of the raccoon. "She's not going to have her litter for another week. I explained everything to her. You had important business in the next village and you'd be back in plenty of time," Nutsy explained smoothly.

"You know very well I wouldn't have left if I knew I had an order," Josh grimmaced. "I've been here two years and people are finally starting to refer to me as 'Josh' instead of 'Gregor's replacement'. They dislike me enough just because I'm not Gregor. I don't need to give them any more reasons to hate me, thank you very much," said the frustrated raccoon.

"They don't hate you. The raid just scared them," Nutsy said with good natured scorn. "That old beaver had been around for years. He was a fixture. He was also slow and hard of hearing." He sighed. "Gregor didn't get indoors fast enough, and the raiding party caught him. I had to come back and yell at him a second time, and I nearly got caught myself!" Nutsy paused for a moment, remembering. "Still, poor old Gregor put up a good fight. It took two of the coyotes to bring him down." He shived.

Josh's fur bristled. "I hate the raids," he growled. "So many good people, so many friends get killed. And what about the Lords sworn to protect us?" The raccoon spat. "They're too busy raiding the neighboring kingdoms." The raccoon stomped ahead, seething.

Nutsy followed quietly behind, letting the raccoon calm down. He knew how much Josh despised the killing and the aristocracy that supported it, but there was little one raccoon could do. They both knew it, but it didn't stop Josh from ranting to his friends whenever the topic came up.

Eventually the raccoon's old anger subsided and his present worries returned in full force. He turned back to the sqirrel. "But, Nutsy, why don't the villagers accept me? I doubt I'm as good as Gregor was, but I've been doing my best. I don't know, maybe I..."

"Don't worry so much!" interrupted the flying squirrel. "I overheard Mrs. Samuelson bragging to Mrs. Randolf about her cupboards just last week. Really, people respect your work. Usually when someone is lost to a raid, it takes so long to get a replacement that everyone is desparate and willing to welcome a journeyman with open arms. You arrived on your journeyman's tour two days later," Nutsy explained. "You were a perfect replacement for our lost carpenter. Councilman Ezereth had to take you on. It was just unsettling to everyone to have a replacement for old Gregor so soon. People are just slow to change. As you said, it's been two years, but it sure doesn't seem that long." Seeing that the raccoon still wasn't satisfied, he continued on more seriously. "Ok, I'm sorry. Look, I'll go talk to Mrs. Randolf and tell her it was my fault, OK?" He grinned mishceviously again. "Plus, I wanted to see if your mother's cooking was as good as you keep telling me," said Nutsy as he tried to change the topic.

Josh snorted. "Well, wasn't it?"

"You better believe it. That was the best blackberry cobbler I've ever had."

The raccoon grinned. "See? I was right. I'm always right. You should just believe everything I say," he bantered with slightly renewed enthusiasm.

"Ha! It's just the exception that proves the rule. Go play your flute," chittered the squirrel as he headed back up into the tree.

Josh just laughed. "It's a recorder, not a flute," he stated as he resumed walking. Puting the recorder to his mouth, he played a jaunty new melody that kept time with his footsteps.

"Bravo!" cried Nutsy when Josh finished. "See, I knew you could manage a different so- Uungh!" The squirrel's sentence was broken by a smack and a surprused grunt. The raccoon twirled around in time to see Nutsy's limp body fall from the tree and land with a soft thud on the ground.

"Nutsy!" Josh ran over to where the squirrel lay motionless. He quickly put the recorder away and shook the squirrel's shoulder gently. "Nutsy, what happened? Are you alright? Nutsy?"

Josh heard the sound of claws scraping tree bark and looked up to see a young cougar climbing down out of the tree.

"Lord Brutus!" The suprised raccoon made a small bow. The cougar was very young, barely out of his spots, but Josh recognized him as Lord Griffe's youngest son. Already the villagers knew the lordling as a trouble maker. Usually his father kept him under close supervision in the fortress. The raccoon became even more worried.

The young cougar landed akwardly on the ground, but stood up and gave the the raccoon a hauty glare as if he were in complete control of the situation. "You may leave. I caught this squirrel and he is mine to do with as I please," he said imperiously, his voice cracking.

Josh stepped squarely between his friend and the cougar. He bowed his head slightly toward Brutus, trying to remain sufficiently respectful to the lordling. "He's one of your father's subjects, your Lordship. He has paid his tithe and is under the protection of the Concoleur Clan. Young Lord, I must point out he is not your plaything." The raccoon knew he was treading on dangerous ground, but maybe the child would listen if he spoke firmly enough.

"I told you to go away!" shouted Brutus tempermentally. "I caught him, and I'll eat him if I want to!"

"No." Josh growled. He was not going to let his best friend be killed by an obnoxious child. The cougar was not very old, but Josh was in for a serious fight.

"You can't talk back to me!" screamed Brutus, and leaped at Josh with claws extended. The raccoon dodged to the side. The cougar practically trampled the squirrel, but he did not notice. He spun around, intent on the large raccoon. Brutus lunged at Josh, fangs glistening. This time raccoon knocked the young cougar to the side, and Brutus sprawled in the dirt. Brutus swiped with his claws, and Josh jerked out of the way, getting a scratch on the shoulder.

"Leave us alone, Brutus," Josh growled in his last attempt to be reasonable.

Yowling, Brutus leaped on the raccoon. His foreclaws sliced the raccoon's haunch as Josh pushed upwards and threw the cougar over his back. The combatants spun around to face each other again, breathing heavily. The raccoon was bleeding, and his leg throbbed painfully. Josh squared himself grimly. Brutus charged. This time as he dodged out of the way, Josh raked his short claws across the cougar's nose.

Brutus screamed. "You hurt my nose!" shouted the cougar as be backed off, tears forming in his eyes. "I'm going to tell my father! Then you'll be sorry!"

Josh was scared, but only anger showed on his face. He had injured his Lord's son. An attack on the royal family meant his life was forfeit, no matter what the reason. The raccoon thought quickly.

"You won't tell Lord Griffe," Josh panted scornfully. "What would you tell him? That you cowardly ambushed one his subjects and attacked him without provocation? That you planned to eat him? That you were beaten by a peon?" The raccoon cracked a grin. "Lord Griffe would probably disown you."

Brutus quivered with fury and tears ran down his tawny cheeks. "I can't tell my father, but neither can you," he huffed. "I'll get my brother. You can't beat both of us. He'll help me protect the family honor! We'll kill you!" he screamed. "You'll be sorry for this! You'll be sorry you ever messed with Lord Brutus Concoluer!" he shouted as he ran off into the forrest.

Josh snorted at the departing figure. When the cougar had disappeared from view, he turned back to his friend. The raccoon curled protectively around the unconscious squirrel. Josh bent his ear toward his friend's muzzle and was relieved to her that Nutsy was still breathing. The raccoon licked the squirrel's wounds and then made a quick pass at his own. He quietly settled down to wait for Nutsy to wake up.

As he watched the squirrel, Josh thought about what had happened. He was in serious trouble. He doubted that Brutus would tell his father what happened; it was just too humiliating. Josh had little to worry about from Lord Griffe, but he had created a deadly enemy in Lord Brutus. Brutus would not forget how Josh had humuliated him. If he recruited his littermate Lord Briant, the raccoon wouldn't stand a chance against them. Briant was smart, but Brutus could probably convince his brother to follow along. As soon as they could escape the fortress again, the two young cougars would hunt him down. Josh had sealed his own death warrant.

But, confound it, he couldn't have stood by and allowed his friend to be killed so cruelly. The flying squirrel might be a pest at times, but he was a solid friend. Josh decided he didn't regret what he had done. He'd do it again in an instant. This just added to his hated of the aristocratic system and the Lords that had so little respect for their vassals. The peasants just paid their tithes and endured the raids and harrasment.

"Wha... What happened?"

Josh breathed a sigh of relief as the squirrel finally came to. "You fell out of the tree. Don't you remember?"

The squirrel sat up, the grabbed his head and leaned against the raccoon. "God, what a headache," he moaned. "I don't know. Something hit me on the side of the head, I think."

Josh thought quickly. He decided that Nutsy didn't need to know what happened. There was nothing the squirrel could do, but he was audacious enough that he might actually confront Lord Griffe. "You must have hit your head on a branch when you weren't looking. You fell out of the tree and hit the ground pretty hard. I was worried about you," said Josh. At least it wasn't all a lie.

Nutsy began to get to his feet, but soon fell against the sturdy raccoon. "Oh! Everything is still spinning! I think my head is going to explode."

"Then ride on my back," suggested the raccoon. "Let’s get out of here."

Carefully, the Nutsy grabbed a pawful of fur and heaved himself onto the raccoon's back. It wasn't confortable laying across the recorder, but it was better than walking himself.

Josh limped through the forest toward home.