Mossy Grove (The End)

Mr. Thimbleton was up well past his bedtime. Something was keeping him awake. He shuffled back and forth between his satchel and the door. There had never been a day quite like this, no mail delivered…Maybe that’s what was bothering him. He hadn’t come home with a full satchel in decades. He walked over to his satchel and started to empty it, and stopped abruptly. There, at the bottom, was a large dust-covered tome. “A History of Mossy Grove”. Odd, that such a mundane thing would make his heart flutter in his chest. It was the middle of the night, far past normal delivery time, but he knew this needed to find its way back to the library, and he was the postmouse to do it. 

—————————————————-

Penny had just locked up after the fieldmice, and remembered what that last loaf was for. It wouldn’t rise, for once. She hadn’t had that problem since Wren gifted her that book of recipes. She swears she saw it floating one time, but it had been a long day, and flour had gotten in her eyes. Probably. 

Penny grabbed what she had left, a couple of biscuits, a muffin from this morning, and steeled herself while she unlocked the door. She was perfectly content spending the rest of the evening within the safety of her bakery, but she was a squirrel of her word. She took a deep breath, stepped out the door, and did her best to not run all the way to the library. 

——————————————————–

Tamsin and Merrin knocked on the doors of the library. It was closed, but they knew Wren would still be there. Especially on a night like tonight. What they weren’t expecting, though, was the little postman who opened the door. Apparently, he wasn’t expecting them either. Mr. Thimbleton let out a squeak, and shuffled away from the door. Tamsin let out a laugh “Didn’t mean to scare you there, little mouse”. He reached out his hand to calm Mr. Thimbleton. “Alls well” said the postman, “Just wasn’t expecting weapons in my face, you know”. Tamsin sheathed his dagger, unaware that he had had it out at all. “Sorry Thimbleton, old habit”.

———————————————————-

Robin Goodbarrel couldn’t sleep. He wasn’t sure why, but he knew it had nothing to do with earlier. The markets were just slow that day, nothing out of the ordinary, really. He shuffled to his window, lighting another candle for good measure. Nothing wrong with a little more light, nothing wrong indeed. As he peered out the window, he noticed a light on at the Library. Wren kept odd hours, he knew, but this was strange even for her. As he watched, the postman, Mr. Thimbleton walked right up to the library doors. At this hour! With his satchel, no less, as if to be delivering a post in the middle of the night. Pah. He kept watching, just to make sure nothing else out of the ordinary happened. 

As he started to pull up his chair to the window, two more figures made their way to the doors of the library. The mouse opened the door and was startled, Robin could hear his yelp through the window. It was Tamsin and Merrin! He had seen them on their way to the tavern earlier, what were they doing here now? Pah. It wasn’t his business, the comings and goings of all of these creatures at such an hour. And yet, Robin found himself halfway to the library before the thought of turning around came to him. But who turns around halfway, not Robin, no sir. 

Before he could let out another pah, he was walking through the library doors, with more eyes on him than he was expecting. 

“Robin,” said Wren, a look of amusement crossing her face. “What brings you to the library so late?”. Robin looked around and puffed out his feathers. “Same thing as you, of course. I mean, not you Wren, I don’t assume to know the goings on of the librarian of course. Pah. I mean of others, well, not Tamsin or Merrin, you know, no weapons to be had by this old bird….”He trailed off, unable to explain why he was there. 

Wren chuckled, and looked at her unexpected guests. “Well,” she sighed, “I suppose it’s time to begin then, isn’t it?”.

———————————————–

Mr. Thimbleton let out a nervous sigh. “Uhm..Miss Wren…I don’t think I need to be intruding on your business..” He said quietly. “Grove knows there’s little I could do anyway. I wasn’t even around the last…the last time..Well, you know. It’s just stories from my dear grandmouse anyway. Can’t be much help, you know.”

Wren gave him a knowing smile. “My dear Mr. Thimbleton, you’ve already helped more than you know. There’s a reason this book came to you, and I believe you should see it to the end, if you’re up to it.”

Mr. Thimbleton straightened his satchel, and sat in a chair near the fire, looking a little braver than he had a minute ago. 

“Well. Where do we begin. I suppose from the start-”

“The start of what, exactly?” Robin interjected with a shrill chirp. “What do you mean begin, why are we all skulking about the library at odd hours of the night? Pah! I would never. Nights are meant for sleeping, don’t you know.”

Wren chuckled. “Robin, you are welcome to leave anytime. We wouldn’t want to keep you from the comfort of your own bed”.

Robin sat down next to Mr. Thimbleton with a dramatic harumph. 

“Well then,” Wren started again. “I know everyone has felt a change in the forest today, and naught a firefly in sight. This has happened before, as we’ve all gathered, 

“What you may not know, is that the Grove is protected by an ancient barrier. It’s held up for as long as the Grove has been here, and something like this has only happened once before, centuries ago. The dark magic of the outside world became too powerful for the barrier to withstand, and something needed to be done to repair it.” Wren sighed. “I don’t know exactly what it was, but I know it was painful for whoever was involved.” “The oppressive feeling that we’ve all been experiencing, that’s the barrier. That is how it communicates, to let us know something needs to be done. We either find the way to restore the barrier, or let it fall and be shrouded in mystery.

“Weapons won’t help here,” she added gently, as Tamsin and Merrin straightened in their chairs.

Tamsin bristled. “We’re not afraid of a little danger.”

“Aye,” Merrin agreed. “We don’t have to stay trapped because our ancestors were.”

Maribel, silent until now, whispered: “And what about the children? The school?”

Robin nodded hastily. “Yes. To protect the children. Pah.”

Penny frowned. “I’m… unsure. There is danger — but wonders, too, perhaps. My recipe book came from beyond the Grove, after all.”

All eyes turned to Mr. Thimbleton.

Robin sniffed. “The world’s no place for a nervous mouse. Safer here, I say.”

Mr. Thimbleton stood, paws trembling. His voice wavered — then grew firm:

“You don’t know that. None of us do. That’s the point, isn’t it? I’ve spent my life delivering messages — never questioning where they came from. Maybe…Maybe I’d like to see for myself.”

Silence. Then slow nods all around. Even Robin gave only a soft, “Hmph.”

Robin gave a scoff

Wren looks around, “It seems we’re in agreement then. There’s nothing to do now but to wait. Don’t forget friends, it will be darkest before the light. Hold fast, and don’t let your fear undermine your convictions. We will face the darkness, together”

The hours dragged. Shadows stretched long and strange across the library floor. The fire burned low. The books seemed to breathe in the dark.

Robin paced in tight, frantic circles, ripping feathers out one by one.. “Please – rip- let’s raise the barrier! -rip- “It’s madness not to!”

Maribel sobbed in the corner, rocking back and forth. “Wren — the children! Please!”She screams in agony.

Tamsin slammed a paw on the table. “How long are we supposed to wait for this!” Tamsin yells. “Just put up the Groving barrier already and lets get this over with!” Wren, reading the same page on a book over and over, starting to panic because she can’t read the words anymore.

Merrin stood stiff and silent, eyes hard, gripping her crossbow.

Wren, weary-eyed, stared at the same page again and again — the words a blur. She began to panic, her claws trembling. “If you want it back up so bad, do it yourself!” she snapped, voice cracking as she flung the book down.

A cold silence followed — thicker than the dark.

Then: Mr. Thimbleton’s voice, quiet but steady.

“Don’t forget why we’re here,” he said, rising to his feet. His voice shaking as much as his paws. “You are the bravest creatures I know. We can do this. We can do this”

The sight of him — small, trembling, determined — brought tears to Wren’s eyes. “Grove bless you, Mr. Thimbleton!” She cried.

One by one, the others stilled. Breathing slowed.

They waited.

After what seemed like an eternity, Robin looked up. “Pah, can’t even get out of the sun in this cursed libr-”He paused, realizing what he had just said. “The sun!” He yells and leaps for the door, and hesitates. “Er..Thimbleton..” He says quietly. “I ah..I think maybe..well..hmph”, and pushes Mr. Thimbleton towards the door. 

Mr. Thimbleton takes a deep breath, straightens his satchel, and opens the door.

The forest is no longer silent. It’s full of sounds, familiar, and some new. Tamsin looks at Merrin with excitement. “Suppose we find out what this world is really about?” Merrin nods back, and they run off without looking behind them. 

Robin breathes deep, and for once, says nothing. 

Wren looks at Mr. Thimbleton, and gives him the book back. “I think this is best in your brave hands, my friend.” Thimbleton takes it, eyes wide, and nods with determination. 

“Well, we made it. Nothing to do but move forward.” Wren says with a sigh.

Penny looks around with wonder. “I..I think I’ll try a new recipe..to mark the occassion.” she says dreamily.

Maribel looks at Wren. “Theyll never know what happened…What they almost lost. Do we tell them?”

“No,” Wren says with a smile, “We let them find out what they were missing.

The end