The White Plains - Part 1

[Talisen Phoenix]

Darcy Lopso Drummer

Darcy ran. His long clawed feet pounded against the earth.

He dodged, weaved, ducked. The Arrows continued to rain from the sky, His long thick ears were tucked low behind his head. His legs were aching and his paws clutched to the large red stone tightly, fearful that he’d loose it.

Darcy didn’t want to risk it, he didn’t want to slow his pace down the slightest by turning his head, but he couldn’t resist it, he craned his neck backwards, and tripped.

His paws tangled and the Hare fell. He rolled against the grass, his first instinct was to pick himself back up and run, but his energies were sapped. He looked behind him, at the orphanage, a kindly old hedgehog had run it, he had spent the night there... now it was burnt to a crisp. They were on his tail quite literally; another stray arrow flew through the air and landed an inch near his small tail. It snapped him back to reality, He leapt to his feet and started to run once again, the arrows came, but this time, they weren’t aimed at him... in fact they hadn’t been the entire time. A small blob of red fell from the sky, there were calls of alarm in the distance, probably orders to attack whatever they shot out of the sky. Darcy ran. He weaved through the arrows protruding from the earth, as he ran he could see what had been shot, it was breathing steadily, a chubby tangle or red and brow feathers. Without stopped Darcy lifted the bird in his arms and continued to run. The Creature was unconscious but had not been hit, the shock perhaps? Darcy recognized the Robin as one of the young orphans; Darcy felt a twang of guilt in his chest.

Darcy Ran.


He reached the border between Rose Territory and The White Plaines, he didn’t know much about the White Plaines, but it was safe, at least it had been... he wasn’t sure if the Red Paw had reached it yet. The Grass bristled in the soft summer breeze; It was unusual green, but with a soft silver tinge to it, Darcy understood immediately where the name came from. Darcy could make out a small shape in the distance, a castle? A hall of some kind. The Robin had yet to regain consciousness, But Darcy was too tired, he made his way towards the mysterious castle, ready to drop.

[Celandine Foxglove]

Celandine Foxglove


She’d been following the hare’s unsteady progress since the outset. Although her mother had taught her to abstain from attacking any creature too big to eat (or animals that seemed sick or crippled, for that matter), Celandine had been pushed out of her home territory some days ago and was ravenous. The hare had seemed a possibility at first…she’d eaten hare before, hadn’t she? Her mother used to bring it home when hunting was particularly nice. But as she watched the furred shape race against a wave of arrows, Celandine’s hunger diminished and her curiosity piqued.

Where had the arrows come from? Riding an upcurrent courtesy of the small, rocky ridge that skirted the western edge of the plain, Celandine circled closer…not wanting to entangle herself in any of the killing-edged projectiles. Her dark eyes, almost impossibly keen and flecked with yellows and golds, picked out suddenly the burning orphanage on the horizon. She’d been to that orphanage once, during a summer festival! Although kestrels were usually considered dangerous, Celandine and her mother were friends of Primrose, the old hedgehog that ran the place, and so never preyed on any creature exiting or entering the big stone establishment.

And now it was burning. Burning!

Chased out of her territory by a pecking, screaming cloud of rooks, Celandine had thought herself lost for good a few days ago. The reason for her ousting was still wreathed in confusion—always something of a nuisance, the neighboring rooks had never banded together like they had when they’d attacked her. But now there was something else on her mind…namely, the little hare and the bundle he carried, as well as the godforsaken arrows and the burning orphanage.

Winging low and circling the hare, she called down in a voice that held only concern.

“Can you make it to the clearing beyond the thickets? There’s a path through the thorns…I can show you. An old castle lies beyond.”

One eye trained on the dark shape in the distance, Celandine knew the tales of the castle well. Its story had been passed down from generation to generation of creatures in the woodland…a hallowed place where a great mouse king had ruled a century before, a place of innovation and generosity, peace and harmony. And now it was abandoned, dark and hulking—the perfect place for Celandine and the hare to avoid further attacks. Four towers at four corners gave the castle its pomp, but the pretty dark stones and overgrown gardens surrounding it suggested something more in line with a monastery or walled community. There was a drawbridge, however, and massively thick walls…

Turning her attention back to the hare, she called:

“I’m Celandine…and no, I’m not looking for a meal. I promise.”

[† The Jaxness †]

Danse

Like the lazy dog she was, Danse spent most of her days laying in the tall grass napping. Stretched out, her head lay on a soft mound of dirt, her eyes closed to the rays of sun. As the grass swayed with the wind, so did her coat of white and gray fur. Yet all that had been ruined when her keen sense of smell picked up on the bits of smoke. Opening one eye and cocking an ear, she saw smoke trailing into the sky some distance away. Through the ground, she heard the vibrating footsteps of some kind of creature running along. Strong hind legs most definitely, yet softer ‘thuds’ with the two front legs. Damn, definitely not a deer. Rabbit, maybe. A small, helpless one if she was lucky.

The idea of lunch was enough to rouse her. Rolling to all four feet, she shook her entire body to rid herself of small clouds of sand and dust. Taking one more moment to stretch out her front paws, her muscles shook as they loosened up from her short nap. Taking notice of the projectiles soaring down into the ground far off, she started off at a quick jog, lifting her head slightly above the grass only to catch a glimpse of bouncing ears.

To her surprise, it wasn’t the body of a rabbit that she laid eyes on, but a good-sized hare; large enough to defend itself with a properly placed hind foot. Deciding to try her luck, she ran straight ahead, parallel and in the same direction as that of her prey. Danse extended her efforts to stay hidden from the view of the hare as well as that of whoever was shooting the arrows. Bending her legs, she stretched herself out to match the hare’s speed, keeping her head below the tips of the plain’s grass.