by Judy Pierce
“Okay, but first breakfast,” she said.
They scurried into the nest and dined on Neener Neener Walnutto Bread that Oliver had baked for them. Chock full of walnuts, the bread was a favorite of the squirrels. Ozette smiled to herself when Gizmo and Baby Fiona washed it down with unicorn milk without complaining.
Ozette tucked her tiara into a corner of her nest. She would hate to lose it if they took a spill while rafting. They scurried down their tree and headed for the creek. Fluffy white clouds scooted effortlessly across a vivid blue sky. A gentle breeze teased their fur. When the squirrels reached the pale gold banks, they saw Rowdy, Grayson, Grady and Dooley beaching their little raft on the shore.
“What are you doing here on this fine day?” Rowdy asked, setting down his paddles.
“We’re going to make a raft and float downstream,” Gizmo answered, jumping up and down in excitement.
“We’re done with our raft. Why don’t you take it?” Rowdy suggested. “Save you some time that way.”
“You don’t mind?” Ozette asked, thinking they were just being polite.
“Nah,” said Grayson. “We’ve been on the creek for several hours and are getting hungry.”
“Going to snag a few acorns on our way home,” Dooley answered.
“Stop by our nest on your way and grab some Neener Neener Walnutto Bread,” Ozette said.
“Sounds like a fair trade,” Rowdy said, handing the paddles to Ozette. With a wave of their paws, they headed into the forest.
The squirrels pulled the raft into the stream. The water was calm, and they could scramble on board easily. Using their little paddles to shove off from shore, they glided smoothly into the creek.
The day was perfect for rafting. A gentle breeze riffled what leaves remained on the trees. As they passed under a maple tree, a scarlet leaf landed on the water next to them and headed downstream.
“Let’s race it!” shouted Gizmo, paddling as hard as he could.
The squirrels quickly left the leaf behind and drifted lazily down the creek. Ozette heard a noise and looked behind her. Shading her eyes with a paw, she gasped. What was that coming up behind them?
Chapter Eleven
Shiver Me Timbers Indeed
“Shiver me timbers!” shouted a squeaky voice. “You’ll be walking the plank by nightfall, Matey.”
Ozette thought she must be seeing things. Coming up on their left was what looked like half of a coconut shell with three chipmunks dressed in pirate hats and sporting eye patches. One of them brandished a makeshift sword made from some sort of wood, while the largest of the chipmunks piloted the odd craft.
“Stop your craft, landlubbers,” the largest chipmunk shouted. “We’re plunderers and pillagers.”
As the coconut shell drew alongside the raft, the squirrels came eye to eye with three young chipmunks. Looking at them closely, Ozette realized they were painfully thin and bedraggled.
“Quit being silly and tell us what you’re doing here,” Ozette said, hiding a smile at the ridiculous sight of three chipmunks floating in a coconut shell.
“You’re not the boss of us,” shouted the next largest chipmunk.
Gizmo put his paws on his hips and yelled, “Yes, she is. Don’t you know who she is?”
The chipmunks shook their scruffy heads in unison.
“She,” said Gizmo proudly, “is Queen Ozette of Farlandia. We call her ‘she who must be obeyed.’ Yes, indeedy.”
“Hush, Gizmo,” Ozette hissed through clenched teeth.
“You’re THE Queen Ozette?” asked the smallest of the chipmunks, who sounded like a female.
“Never heard of you,” called the largest chipmunk. “Besides, if you’re a queen, where’s your crown?”
Ozette automatically felt her head and then remembered she hadn’t worn her tiara rafting.
“It’s true. I’m Queen Ozette of Farlandia,” she said, thinking she needed to establish some order with these characters.
“I›m Suzuki,” the little female said, curtsying and nudging her brothers out of the way, “and these rowdy boys are my brothers, Harley and Beemer. We›re triplets, but I’m the oldest.”
“I’m Gizmo,” said the gray squirrel. “And this is my friend Baby Fiona.”
Harley and Beemer nodded, their bravado vanishing. The chipmunks smiled shyly at the squirrels. The chipmunk’s little craft bumped into the raft, and Ozette reached out and grabbed the coconut shell. Peering into the coconut, Ozette noticed most of the coconut meat was gone, and there were little tooth marks in what remained. She looked into the chipmunks’ faces and saw fear behind their defiance. Her heart went out to the small rodents.
“Looks like you were eating your little craft, kids. Why don’t you come home with us for a good meal?” Ozette suggested. The chipmunks licked their lips in unison and nodded eagerly.
“We can all plunder and pillage later,” Baby Fiona said, warming to the idea.
“Hmm,” Ozette said, as they drifted lazily down the creek still holding onto the coconut. “We’re a ways from our nest and paddling upstream toward our home will take awhile.”
As they rounded a bend in the creek, they saw Rikki raccoon sunning herself on the shore. She was munching on some hen-of-the woods mushrooms she’d gathered. Seeing the strange crafts, she peered at them and recognized Ozette, Baby Fiona and Gizmo. But who were these strangely dressed creatures in a coconut shell?
The squirrels paddled to shore and greeted Rikki warmly. Ozette hadn’t seen her much since the Spring Fling, although they had gone swimming in Princess Abrianna’s pond several times during the summer, and Ozette had recognized her at the Circle of All Beings.
She explained their dilemma to Rikki. The chipmunks were blissfully quiet, having decided their best bet for survival was with the squirrels. Rikki patted the ground next to her, saying, “I can weave some vines into a rope and tow you upstream. But first, please share my mushrooms. For once, my eyes were bigger than my stomach, and I have more than enough.”
While Suzuki took each one daintily and chewed carefully, Harley and Beemer stuffed the mushrooms into their mouths as fast as they could. Ozette slid some of the mushrooms toward Suzuki, so her brothers didn’t devour more than their share. Ozette and the squirrels ate several of the tasty morsels, then thanked Rikki for sharing.
Using her clever fingers, Rikki found greenbriar vine and painstakingly wove it into a rope.
“If you’ll all pile onto the raft, we can head out,” Rikki said, fastening the vine to the raft.
The chipmunks looked longingly at the bits of coconut still inside the shell. Rikki used her long fingers to scoop out the rest of the meat. The chipmunks gobbled it up, except for Suzuki, who shook her head saying, “I don’t care if I never see another coconut.”
The squirrels and chipmunks scampered onto the raft which was a little crowded with the extra passengers.
“Hold on!” Rikki said, grabbing the end of the vine rope in her mouth.
Swimming upstream was not nearly as easy as floating with the current, but Rikki was a strong swimmer and made good progress. Harley and Beemer started rough housing when Harley accidentally elbowed Suzuki in the shoulder, causing the chipmunk to catapult off of the little raft into the creek with a splash. The current was rapidly carrying her downstream, her little head bobbing in the water.
As she dove off the raft, Ozette yelled, “Hang on, Suzuki!” Seeing what had happened, Rikki turned the raft around and shook her fist at the chipmunks, who hung their heads as they chirped, “We’re sorry.”
Ozette reached Suzuki quickly, grabbed her to her chest and treaded water until she could hoist the drenched chipmunk onto the raft. Using her sternest voice, Ozette said, “Listen up, you rascally rodents. You WILL behave for as long as you›re in my care.” By this time, she was wondering if this good deed was a smart idea after all. Except for Suzuki, who was shaking herself dry, the chipmunks hung their heads. “Yes, ma’am, your highness,” the boys said.
&n
bsp; Soon they approached the section of creek closest to Ozette’s nest. Rikki gave an extra hard jerk on the vine rope to beach them and stood there panting. Ozette felt bad that her friend needed to work so hard.
“We can’t thank you enough, Rikki, right?” Ozette said, looking at the youngsters. Gizmo took the lead and bowed to the raccoon saying, “That was very kind of you. I hope we can repay the favor someday. I mean, not that I wish anything bad to happen to you that would mean we’d have to rescue you…” Gizmo looked panicky at not knowing how to express himself.
Rikki grinned. “I quite understand,” she said.
Suzuki said, curtsying, “Thank you so much. This pirate life isn’t for me. I hope you aren’t too tired from towing my brothers and me up the creek.” She jabbed Harley and Beemer with her paw.
“Umm, yeah. Thanks for helping us. Sorry we accidentally pushed Suzuki into the creek,” Beemer said, not looking especially sorry at all.
“Shiver me timbers, Matey. That was a fine swim upstream. We’ll never make you walk the plank,” Harley said, holding up his sword.
Ozette put her head in her paws, hoping she could feed the little scamps and send them on their way. She somehow doubted it would be that easy to get rid of the chipmunks.
“Would you like to come for dinner, Rikki? Nothing fancy,” Ozette asked, mentally making a list of what she had on hand.
“That’s most kind, Queen Ozette, but I have plans later today. Perhaps another time.” Rikki waved a paw and ambled down the road.
“Come on, kids,” Ozette said, heading toward home.
The chipmunks, Baby Fiona and Gizmo chattered all the way to her nest, taking time to explore bushes along the way, tumble in some soft soil and chase each other down the path. Just watching them made Ozette long for a nap.
Now chipmunks live in burrows under the ground, but they’re talented tree climbers too, so they all scampered up Ozette’s tree. Peering inside the nesting hole, Beemer said, “Wow. Nice place.”
Ozette shooed the chipmunks inside before she searched her stash of food. Within seconds, the youngsters were amusing themselves by throwing moss at one another, except for Suzuki, who touched Ozette shyly on the leg.
“I’d like to help you fix dinner. You’ve been so kind to us. I’m sorry my brothers have been so rowdy. They’re good guys. Really they are,” Suzuki said, looking sad. “Life hasn’t been easy for us for quite sometime, and they hide their sadness and fear by acting wild.”
Ozette’s mouth dropped open. What a wise little soul for one so young. She sensed a story here but didn’t pry. She, of all creatures, knew stories could only be shared when the time was right.
After a hearty dinner of Autumn Seed Soufflé, Jumbledberry Scones, dried apples, peaches and a steaming pot of elderberry tea, they were all ready for bed.
“If I keep taking in stray creatures, I’ll need a bigger nest for sure,” Ozette mumbled, as she tucked the three chipmunks next to Baby Fiona and Gizmo. She ventured out onto a limb and watched the stars dotting the night sky.
Ozette remembered her grandmother telling her that stars were baby squirrels waiting to be born and that squirrels were all made from stardust. She smiled, wondering what her grandmother would think of the newest companions, she’d accumulated today.
When she slipped into her nesting hole, Beemer had flung a paw over Harley’s chest. Gizmo and Suzuki were curled into a ball, snoring softly, while Baby Fiona slept with her head at Gizmo’s feet. Ozette tucked herself in next to them and was soon asleep.
Morning came all too quickly, and Ozette knew the day would be a busy one. The chipmunks needed to dig tunnels and create little rooms where they would live, hopefully not too close to her nest, although she felt guilty for feeling that way.
Ozette yawned. With the upcoming conflict with Boardmore and Smiley weighing heavily on her, Ozette felt more tired than usual. After feeding her new family, they scrambled down the tree to search for a good place for the chipmunks to burrow.
“I want them to live close to us,” Gizmo said, tugging on Ozette’s paw. “Please?” The three chipmunks looked up at Ozette expectantly. The hope in their dark eyes was almost painful. She thought about her arrival in Farlandia, alone and unsure of herself, and how warmly she’d been accepted.
Ozette was wise enough to know that family could include friends with whom you form close bonds. Her grandmother called animals who were not related to you but who shared your life in important ways “family of choice.”
“Yes!” Baby Fiona shouted. “We’ll be one big happy family.”
“Of course. It’s good for family to live nearby,” she said, patting Baby Fiona and adjusting her attitude, as she led them to a grassy area near her nest.
Baby Fiona heard her parents calling for her, waved a paw, thanked Ozette for an exciting rafting trip and scrambled through the trees toward home.
The chipmunks checked out the spot Ozette had suggested. They sniffed at the trees and bushes and dug in the rich soil. Finally, Beemer pumped his paw in the air. This was the place! At the base of a huge oak tree, gnarled roots were covered with velvety moss. The ground was soft and yielding. The chipmunks started digging in earnest. Gizmo helped as best he could, and there was a lot of dirt slinging and much laughter. The chipmunks dug an entrance hole and soon disappeared underground. Gizmo wanted to follow them, but Ozette put her paw on his shoulder.
“They need to build a chipmunk-sized burrow, Gizmo. You and I are much too big to fit into their burrow. We can best help by being good friends to them.”
Gizmo nodded and amused himself by putting his ear to the ground and listening to the tunneling sounds the chipmunks made. A little brown head peeked up from the exit hole they had just dug. Beemer scooted out of the hole followed by Suzuki and Harley. They shook the dirt from their coats and carefully gathered leaves to cover the exit hole.
“We’ll build several rooms down there. It’ll be a wonderful home,” Suzuki said, dusting off her paws, her dark eyes shining with happiness.
The chipmunks spent one more night in Ozette’s nest. The next day they finished their burrow amid much laughter and digging. Ozette smiled when she saw them working so hard yet taking time to play, and Gizmo had never seemed happier.
Chapter Twelve
What’s this Cold Wet Stuff?
The weeks flew as Ozette and Gizmo gathered the last of the fall bounty to store in their nest for winter, making sure to plant numerous nuts for future trees. They found that they had enough to share with the chipmunks, as the former pirates were busily increasing the size of their burrow to avoid squabbles over who got what space.
Once settled, the chipmunks lived close enough to Ozette’s nest for them to visit frequently, sometimes as part of a sleepover with Baby Fiona. The chipmunks were also spending time getting to know the other animals in Farlandia. The elves and fairies found the chipmunks’ antics amusing. Of course, Ozette thought, they didn’t have to put up with their mischievous pranks nearly as often as she did.
Ozette quickly realized that she needed to enlarge her nest a bit to accommodate the growing baby squirrel, their frequent guests, and her winter stores. Using her sharp teeth, she chiseled out some of the inner tree wood, not enough to harm the tree but enough to give them more space. Ozette was well aware of how fragile the web of life was and was grateful that all the creatures of Farlandia respected the environment—except Boardmore and Smiley, that is. With a few ax strokes, the two men could begin the destruction of Farlandia.
The days now held a distinct chill. As the animals prepared for winter, their coats grew thick and lush. Trees lifted bare arms to the sky as if in prayer, and a feeling of expectation filled the air. In so many ways, Farlandia was much like Earth World had been when Ozette was born. Whenever Ozette felt sad, worried or missed her grandmother, she touched the Heartstone and it comforted her.
One morning, weeks later, something woke Ozette. She listened intently. She soon realized it was no
t a noise she was hearing but the absence of any sounds at all. No birds were twittering a cheerful greeting to the rising sun; there was no scampering of early-rising squirrels or rabbits through the grasses and bushes. She peered out of her nesting hole to find a silent, white world. Her gasp of surprise woke Gizmo, and they scurried down the tree trunk, their eyes wide in amazement. Surely these were not their woods! Everything was covered with a thick blanket of white.
Gizmo walked cautiously to a bush, dipped his paw into the white fluff, sniffed it then tasted it tentatively. Ozette smiled as the baby squirrel smacked his lips as he sampled it.
“Doesn‘t taste like much of anything, Ozette. Could use a little salt or better yet honey. Yikes. It’s really cold,” he added, as the cold seeped into the pads of his paws and his breath came in little white puffs.
Ozette heard the whirring of tiny wings as Ariel flitted into Ozette’s woods and landed on a low tree limb. She was clad in lavender leggings, snug black boots and a violet jacket. A jaunty lavender hat capped her dark curls. Soon Cassady bounded over to the trio followed by Oliver and Sydney. Cassady sported a striped green sweater and Oliver and Sydney were wearing hats, scarves, heavy sweaters and boots.
“This is your first winter,” Sydney said. “I guess you haven’t seen snow before.” Gizmo nodded, licking the snow from his front paws.
“What’s it good for?” he asked, walking toward the nesting tree.
“We’ll show you,” Ariel called mischievously.
Splat! Something cold and hard hit Ozette’s shoulder. “Hey!” she yelled.
She turned to see Ariel forming snow into another ball. Ariel was ready to pelt Ozette with another snowball when Cassady grabbed it from her gloved hand. Around and around she ran with the snowball in her mouth until it was reduced to a few flakes.
Ozette gently lobbed a snowball at Gizmo, and it hit him on his rump. He laughed and scooped up a pawful of snow and threw it at Oliver, not even bothering to form it into a ball.
