Amelia considered briefly, then decided that politeness was the best course of action. "Thank you!" She reached out and took the proffered cup, taking a sip. It was a cold brew, minty and refreshing.
"Ooh! That's lovely! Thank you very much. I'm Amelia, by the way. These two lumps here are Whisper and Shock." She gestured to the pile of sleeping puppy and wisp leaning against her leg.
The two animals seemed surprised by the introductions and hesitated a bit before replying. They both bowed slightly, the squirrel hanging on tightly to keep from falling off.
"I'm Hugh, my lady." said the squirrel.
"Ronan, my lady." said the badger.
"Hugh, Ronan! What a pleasure! Please, just Amelia is fine! I'm no lady! Well, I'm a lady, but not a lady, you know?"
The two bowed again. It appeared to be a habitual response.
"I assume our guests are friends of yours? Would you like to come join them?" asked Hugh, gesturing towards the hall.
"Um, sure! Yeah, they're my friends. You guys wouldn't happen to know how to break that spell on them, would you?" She asked, carefully standing and scooping up Shock and Whisper. Neither one had yet awoken from their nap.
"No, miss. If the King and his troop catch the poncy git that cast it, maybe we can force 'em to remove it." replied the squirrel, the pair following along as Amelia started walking towards the tables.
Amelia took another sip of the tea. It was good, although she preferred her tea hot. "You guys not big fans of elves, I take it? Some bad blood, there?"
"Hah!" barked the badger, nearly throwing his rider as he reared up, one forepaw in the air. "Never again!" he bellowed, before dropping back down to all fours.
"Never again!" squeaked the squirrel, likewise raising a paw into the air. He paused for a moment. "Hate the buggers. All 'light makes right' and fancy illusions and honeyed words. Lyin' bastards. Hope the dark takes 'em all, those we don't get first, that is! Never again!" He spat.
"Never again!" echoed Ronan.
"Never again!" sounded loudly as all the animals in the hall joined in.
Amelia looked around at the assembled creatures, all of whom had momentarily stopped their tasks to shout the slogan, each with a paw, hoof, or trotter raised in the air.
"Never again?" she said questioningly.
"Never again!" they responded enthusiastically, again shaking forelimbs in the air.
She deposited the dog and her nap-mate on the table with the coats and packs, then took a seat with the others. Bill nodded in her direction, then continued with the others in rapturous eating and drinking.
"Aren't you going to join us?" she asked as a trio of mice pushed a piled plate in front of her. They stepped back, bowing deeply and backing away. She sensed she'd shocked them.
"Ronan? Hugh? Join us?"
The pair exchanged glances, then Hugh shook his head. "Sorry miss, we're servants. Big table's not for the likes of us."
"Oh, if you feel that way, I suppose. Where do you guys eat?"
The question shocked the squirrel, who was at a loss for words. The badger, though, stood up on his hind legs again, staring into Amelia's face. She smiled back and nodded encouragingly.
"Kitchen." he finally answered gruffly.
"Cool! I love eating in the kitchen at home. Much more homely! Can I come join you there?"
The squirrel cleared his throat, then bent down to whisper with the badger. They conversed for several seconds before Hugh looked back up. "Yes?"
"Cool! Let's go! These guys seem happy enough here, so we can leave 'em to it." She waved at the tour group, still raving about how amazing the nuts and berries were.
Amelia followed the pair away from the tables and into one of the side halls, on the other side of a partition woven out of the living tree branches. The servers trailed after them, shocked and morbidly interested in what was going on.
The kitchen was barely in better shape than the tables outside, most of the surfaces covered in moss, lichen, or ivy, and in some cases all three. A crew of animals were frantically shelling nuts and pulling berries from their stems, piling the results on plates. They looked up in a mixture of trepidation and fear as Amelia entered.
She waved happily, then took a seat in an out-of-the-way corner. Hugh dismounted from Ronan, the two settling down near her on their haunches.
"You guys like sweets? I brought some survival toffee, for emergencies. I don't care what Quiet said, it felt silly to leave home without some extra supplies!"
The servers climbed down from the work surface, joining those that had followed from outside. They formed a loose circle with Amelia, Hugh, and Ronan, noses twitching.
"Sweets, miss? Like berries? Or ... honey?" one of the mice asked, emphasizing the last word hungrily.
"Even better! Here, let me grab a plate and split some up for you guys!" She stood and grabbed an empty plate, not noticing the involuntary flinching the animals did at her sudden movement. She settled back down, then pulled a brown paper sack from her sling bag. As she unwrapped a handful of the candies and placed them on the plate, she saw noses start to sniff the air as the smell wafted around.
They jerked back in surprise again as she pulled the pin from her cloak and expanded it into its spearhead form. Several of them had started to back away, then slowly returned as they watched her nonchalantly use the weapon to slice the toffee into smaller chunks more appropriate for small eaters.
"Here you go, guys! Sandy's finest, still fresh! I tried to keep a bit of the apple filling with each piece, 'cause it's the best! Take some!" she said, holding the plate close to ground level and offering it to the assemblage. Ronan was the first to grudgingly take a piece, grasping it between his two front paws, then sniffing it deeply. He nodded happily, before popping the treat into his mouth and chewing. The rest watched him closely as he closed his eyes in rapt enjoyment. There was a flurry of grabs as the rest snagged pieces of the candy.
She heard a small voice whisper "From her own hand!", followed by "Hush!" from several others.
Amelia put the plate down after the last pieces were taken. "I've got some more, but why don't I brew some tea as well? I've got some of Briar's energy mix. It goes great with the toffee!" She pulled out the travel kettle she carried, then moved over to the rivulet that trickled from a nearby mossy boulder. A niche had been carved from the rock to act as a basin, liquid pooling clear and cold. She dipped the vessel in and filled it, before looking around for a stove or fire source.
"You guys have someplace for heating stuff?" she asked, still looking.
Hugh finished chewing his mouthful quickly, then responded. "No, miss. We ... don't do fire. Lost the knack, you could say." He didn't explain further.
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"Okay, no problem. I got this. [Candle Flame]. [Candle Flame]. [Candle Flame]." She ignited the trio of flames on a bare patch of ground, then held the kettle over it. She'd finally learned that she could place the spell on places other than her finger, which was much more convenient at times.
The animals stared at the dancing flames, many with their jaws hanging agape, toffee still sticking to their teeth.
"Won't take too long. I can do more flames, but the kettle isn't that big, so hardly seems worth it. You guys have cups?" She looked around.
There was no response, the gathered animals completely lost for words, all of them staring enraptured at the magic flames.
"Cups?" She asked again, jarring a few into action.
Several formed an impressive acrobatic pyramid, with the large badger at the base. They managed to bring down a few cups with great care before Amelia handed down several more.
"Those are pretty big for you guys. You don't have anything more your size? I got a couple of friends that make cups and mugs for us, all sizes. Got some teeny tiny ones for the sprites, so I know they can make some that'll work for you guys. If you need a supplier, we can get you fixed up. But I guess you all can share for now."
"Cups ... in our size?" Hugh asked in confusion.
"Well, yeah! How else do you guys drink tea and stuff?"
"We ... don't, miss. We're servants. We don't eat big table fare."
"Huh. Well, when I'm around, you do. None of this servant stuff. We're friends, and my friends get the best!" she pronounced. A whistle sounded from the kettle, and she let the flames fade as she poured a measure of tea leaves in and swirled it around. The animals watched her silently as she let the brew steep, then filled the cups for them.
"There you go! Hot, so be careful! Hope you like it!"
Again Ronan was the first to try it, snuffling the liquid in one of the cups first, then taking a careful lap. He bobbed his head happily, then gestured for the others to drink. They all clustered around and started lapping and sipping, several to a cup.
"Ahh! Amazing!" said one. There were murmurs of agreement.
"Glad you like it! Briar makes good stuff."
"Never had it hot before! It tastes so ... fancy!" said one of the mice.
"Really? I love my hot tea! You guys really don't have fire or stoves or anything?"
"No, miss," answered Hugh, looking embarrassed.
"Huh. Want me to teach you the candle flame spell? It isn't hard. Actually, now that I think of it, let's start with water jet first ..."
----------------------------------------
"[Water Jet]!"
"[Water Jet]!"
"[Water Jet]!"
Amelia watched with satisfaction as the streams flew around the kitchen, animals dodging and rolling to avoid the shots. A spirited engagement was also going on up in the branches overhead, water trickling down from the limbs like rain.
There was a mixed aroma of burnt nut, charred berry, and overdone leaves billowing in the kitchen. A group of mice and squirrels were gathered around several skillets, cooking everything edible they could get their paws on. Tongues of candle flame merrily heated the cookware from beneath, proof that they had mastered the spell. Ronan sat in one corner, the badger invoking a flame, watching it for a moment, then extinguishing it, just to light it again. Over and over.
They had taken to the spells just as quickly as she and the kids had, although she was glad she showed them water jet first. Bert wasn't around to replace any smoldering wreckage like he'd been when Pancake had taught her.
She gathered up the last of the toffee wrappers and stuffed them into her sack. Whisper would probably be cranky about having to make do with berries, but she couldn't bear to hold back any of the candy. The animals had never had anything like it, so the least she could do was give them all a taste. The wisp would understand, she hoped.
A trumpet sounded in the distance, followed by the rumble of hooves and feet approaching. The raging water war stopped as the animals all raced to assemble in the great hall, Amelia trailing along after them.
More horn calls sounded as the hunting host galloped out of the trees, halting just outside the hall. The animals who had remained behind all cheered, and there were several cries of "Hail King Digby!" from them.
"We return!" cried the royal hedgehog from the back of his boar steed. He was wearing a gleaming crown and a gaudy tunic, the latter ill-fitted. He had a horn dangling from a baldric across one shoulder, and an ornate scepter he waved with his right paw.
"Hurray! Hail King Digby!" responded the crowd, several firing water jets up into the air in celebration.
"What's this? Water from the sky? What deviltry is this?" he asked, the assembled hunters gaping with him as they saw the liquid projectiles returning to earth with a splash.
"My King! A mighty sorceress has taught us magic! Look! [Candle Flame]!" said one of the mice, holding up a flaming paw.
Amelia waved bashfully at the hedgehog as he gaped at the flame.
"Hi, uh, your Majesty! I'm Amelia. Just a caretaker, not a mighty sorceress." She blushed slightly.
One of the foxes from the pack approached, sniffing the hem of Amelia's trousers. It pulled back, scowling. "She stinks of the Light, my King! A spy!" He whined, his ears flattened back on his skull as he showed his teeth.
"She smells stronger of the Dark, you fool! Use your brain, not just your nose! Look, her pets sleep there. What friend of the Light could abide those? She gave us food from her own hand. Shared her eldritch spells. I declare this human friend! Now back off!" snarled Ronan, saying more at once than Amelia had yet heard from him. The badger had placed himself between Amelia and the fox, towering up on his hind legs, teeth bared.
"From her own hand!" echoed several of the small voices behind her, sounding like a ritual response. Hugh and many of the others had moved to stand beside Ronan, all of them glaring at the fox.
The hedgehog whispered something to the boar, who moved closer to Amelia, the boar sniffing at her over the heads of the animals standing defiantly below.
"Dark, and Light, your majesty. Ronan speaks true, the Dark is much stronger," he said after a moment.
"How can this be, girl? Are you Light, or Dark? Who do you serve?" questioned the crowned hedgehog, looking at her seriously.
"Um, nobody? How can you smell light, anyways? That doesn't make any sense." Amelia responded, confused.
"We animals have powerful senses, human. You smell of Light, which marks you as a foe. We can't take chances. Never again!" said the king, waving his scepter and pointing it at Amelia.
"Never again!" replied all of the animals, although the ones whom Amelia had befriended were a bit more hesitant this time.
The hedgehog looked like he was saying something else, but the world went starkly silent. The animals looked around in fright as Shock padded over, casually leaning against Amelia's leg. The puppy's lips curled in a snarl, the sounds of the world damping and returning to mark her vocalizations. The dog was facing away from Amelia, so she couldn't see her eyes, but the animals could, and they shrank back hurriedly from the blazing orbs that glared at them.
Whisper drifted over lazily, plopping down atop Amelia's head, pulsing a complex pattern of blue and silver light from her favorite perch.
"Uh, that is, perhaps I spoke hastily!" stuttered Digby, trying to straighten the crown on his head, holding his scepter across his body protectively.
The boar the king rode on backed several steps away from them, and Shock stopped her growl, plopping down and letting her tongue hang out as she panted happily.
"Don't worry about Shocky, she's a good girl. She doesn't bite. Well, not that I know of." Amelia squatted down and patted the dog's side, the puppy turned to look cutely back up at her, no hint of fire remaining in her eyes. "She might pee on you, though, that does happen. But she's a good girl! Yes, she is!"
"My lady, show him your weapon. That will dispel any doubt," said Hugh, looking back at Amelia.
"Weapon? Oh! Jam Spreader! Here you go!" She pulled the pin from its resting place, transforming and extending it to full length. The blade blazed in the sunlight, the scarlet engravings on the midnight haft dancing and writhing.
"That's dweorgar and goblin make, no mistaking it, your majesty!" observed an old stag from nearby, turning its head to eye the weapon. "Can you feel its power? Breathtaking!" he said admiringly.
"Yup! Bellows and Olavi made it. Pretty cool, huh? Opens stuck jars a treat! Oh, and they made this, too!" She leaned the spear against a shoulder so she could raise her left arm, pulling the hoodie sleeve back with her right. The cold iron bracelet spectacularly failed to glint in the sunlight.
There was a collective intake of breath, the space between her and the animals growing as they backed away frantically.
"What? It's just a bracelet! Oh, I'm not supposed to keep it in the sun too long, though!" Amelia said, putting her arm down and pulling the sleeve over the metal.
Digby shook his head, shaken. "My lady, you have impressive bona fides. You have the taint of Light, but you are without doubt of the Dark." He paused for a moment, his gaze taking in his subjects, especially those gathered in support of the girl.
"The lady served us candy, your majesty. And cooked tea for us. She sat with us in the kitchen!" a high-pitched shrew's voice called.
"Really? You served my subjects? Cooked for them?" asked the hedgehog, stunned.
"Yeah, of course! They were taking care of my friends, it was the least I could do! Sorry I'm all out of tea and toffee, I forgot there were all you guys out hunting. Hey! Did you find Onni? The dwarf baby?"
"No, I'm afraid. The blasted elf eluded us, and took refuge in the lands of the Erlking," said Digby. He spat to one side.
There were hisses and growls as he said the name, and it was obvious the animals were not happy about that outcome.
"Erlking? Where have I heard ... Oh, yeah! Ashlee said something about being banned by him. She was really scared about being forced into Megrim, but I let her back into the hollow when she promised to behave."
"Ashlee? 'Dwells at the ash-tree meadow'? The Hag?" asked the king, incredulous.
"Yeah, that's her. You know her? She's my friend. Runs the pub now, does a great job! You should visit!"
The king gaped at her for a moment, stunned by the double shock of the declaration of friendship and the invitation. He rallied magnificently, though.
"I see. Well, miss, as friend to the enemies of my enemies, and for services rendered to my people, I declare you Friend of the Fur Folk!" He spun the scepter over his head as the crowd cheered his proclamation.