“Ma, these are the two that saved us,” explained Marla, bringing her mother to meet the two.
“I’m Patchouli Mitchburr Dequence ma’am, pleasure to meetcha wot!” introduced Patchouli, doing a short bow of respect to the two.
“An’ I’m Furlough Scalloway,” added Furlough, bowing as well to the hedgehogs. “Jus’ two free beasts on th’ trail after th’ corsairs that kidnapped us an’ made us slaves.” Leyah bowed low, and shook the two’s paws as tears streamed down her face.
“My name is Leyah Barbzwood, and my family is forever in your debt for savin’ us,” thanked Leyah,
“Think nothin’ of it marm,” replied Furlough with a smile. “’Tis a pleasure to help ‘onest creatures in need.”
“Ma, did Ursil make it back?” asked Marla, looking around the clearing for her brother. Leyah shook her head with a worried expression on her face.
“No he hasn’t,” answered the apprehensive mother. “I thought he was with you?” Marla went quiet as the two looked at each other. Sensing the growing panic in the two, Patchouli stepped in to ease their concern.
“Nothing we can do at the moment in all this blinkin’ darkness,” said Patchouli, before giving them a reassuring look. “The lad could show up any moment now. It’ll be light in about an hour. Young Furl and I will track him with daylight on our side. Won’t be hard for a jolly ol’ Long Patrol hare to track him, wot, we promise.” This calmed the two hedgehog’s nerves, and Leyah clasped the hare’s paws.
“Oh thank ye, thank ye,” replied Leyah. “Please, let’s go inside then and have something to eat while we wait. My poor husband is still locked in the cellar, and he must be famished.”
Marla ran inside, with Leyah following close behind. Patchouli and Furlough clasped Mireye’s shoulder’s tight.
“Come on ol’ chap, let’s see how you like that cellar for a change?” prodded Patchouli as the two led their worried prisoner into the home.
Edgar Barbzwood collapsed in his chair at the dinner table, exhausted and weakened from his imprisonment in the cellar. Marla and Furlough had helped him up from his resting position on the cellar wooden stairs and got him comfortable as Patchouli unceremoniously dropped Mireye on the cellar floor. The rat whimpered as the cellar door closed behind him, leaving him in the same darkness his band had left the poor hedgehog two weeks ago.
The Barbzwood family was overjoyed at being free from their captors, though missing Ursil clouded the group’s joy as the family and the two adventurers introduced themselves. Edgar’s wounds had healed during his time in the cellar, but had developed a ravenous appetite with the lack of food. Leyah and Abresia served Edgar, Patchouli, and Furlough a plate of what the rats hadn’t tarnished, and each drank a tankard of fine October Ale.
The food did wonders for Edgar, and by the end of the meal, his spirits had returned and looked much fitter than he had before. The flakey crust of the cinnamon apple pie melted in the two’s mouths, having been deprived of such delicacies since their time on the Bloodrine. If the two adventurers weren’t about to go on a search and rescue mission, they would’ve eaten their fill of the savory delights. The Barbzwoods kept themselves distracted from worry by asking their rescuers many questions of how they came to their land, and how they discovered Marla.
Soon Furlough felt the lull of sleep pulling down on his eyelids, with the combination of the fine food, good company, and comfortable surroundings. “I’ll keep an eye out fer Ursil,” yawned Furlough, as he stood up. “I’ll holler if I see somethin’.” The otter knew if he stayed, he’d dose off and be unfit to search for the missing hedgehog.
“You two are lifesavers, that’s fer sure,” complimented Edgar as he filled his pipe. “I thought fer sure I’d never see m’ family again, what with those freeboaters pushin’ m’ family ‘round. Our home is yer home as long as ye like.”
“Well, ye won’t have to worry about those scum bothering ye no more,” promised Furlough before ducking out into the outside. “We’ll catch the one after yer son an’ teach him a lesson he’ll never forget.
Furlough walked a slow, steady march around the entrance of the Barbzwood tree, breathing deep the cool early morning air. His eyes roved around the shadowy landscape, looking for any signs of the missing hedgehog, but he saw naught but the swaying of trees in the wind. The otter heard a twig snap that broke the silence, but could not find the source of the noise. Spooked, but undeterred from his duty, the lad returned to his patrol.
The land reminded him much of the woods surrounding his home, yet the terrain remained unfamiliar and alien to him. For the first time in quite a few days, the lad felt homesick. Seeing Marla happily reunited with most of her family brought back memories of his family and holt. Furlough sniffed, but pushed those feelings aside. Perhaps one day he’d see them again, but the otter wondered if they’d recognize the otter he had become. Welt’s taunt about blood on his paws came reverberating back to the forefront of Furlough’s mind, causing the otter to sigh and shake his head.
Turning eastward, Furlough saw a most welcome sight peeking out over the tips of the treetops. Like an old friend returning from a long trip, the sun brought its warming light to the Northern lands. Furlough smiled at the sight of his old friend, enjoying the view after a long absence while in the galley. The otter marched back to the Barbzwood home to alert Patchouli and prepare for the search for young Ursil.
Furlough and Patchouli stood at the entrance to the woods in the northern direction where Ursil’s tracks began. The Barbzwood family had come along to see the two off, but Edgar then moved alongside the two searchers, ready to join the party.
“Ah’m comin’ with ya,” grunted Edgar, shouldering Grimtongue’s axe. Unlike the rat, the burly hedgehog was used to wielding axes, though only for lumber in the past. Now the hedgehog had some of his strength back, and he wanted revenge. Leyah frowned as she tugged his vest.
“Y’sure ye should be doin’ that after bein’ stuck in th’ cellar for so long?” asked the worried househog. The large hedgehog let out a belly laugh and kissed his wife on her forehead.
“Course I can, yer harvest pie put th’ strength back in m’ bones,” comforted Edgar with a wink. “Don’t ya worry ‘bout liddle ol’ me, ‘sides, I wouldn’t be able ta rest knowin’ mah son’s lost out there with vermin on his tail.”
Leyah sighed and shook her head in resignation, knowing once her mate had an idea in his mind, he’d see it through. Marla also moved next to her father, producing her brother’s sling in paw.
“I’m coming, too,” said Marla with determination. “’Twas my idea he’s in this chase, and I’m going to help find him.”
“No dear, ye can’t endanger yourself again,” cried Leyah, but Abresia held her daughter-in-law’s paw and patted it with her old, grey spiked paws.
“Leyah, we’d still be bakin’ if it wasn’t for her gettin’ in danger,” reasoned the elderly hog. “She’s a tough ‘ne, ‘sides her poppa an’ two brave warriors’ll be watchin’ her.”
“Aye, she’s in good paws, right Patchouli?” added Furlough, vouching for the young hedgehog. Leyah frowned, but relented, seeing that no one else agreed with her.
“Very well, though I don’t like it one bit,” sighed Leyah, scrunching her apron with her paws.
The four beasts waved goodbye as they set out on the path in pursuit of Orsil and the last rat captor. The two sets of tracks were still fresh and well defined, making for easy tracking. Once the four were out of sight, Abresia and Leyah returned back to their home, with Leyah giving one last glance before descending out of sight and locking the door from any further intruders.
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