The Deceiver- A tale of Keyla, Brome and Tullgrew.

[Tim Churchmouse]

The Prologue and first chapter of my book: The Deceiver. the first few chapters are a sort of introduction to the story, and the main body comes after (spoiler) the trio meet Martin. I'll post a chapter per time, three chapters per week.


Prologue

After the great battle of Marshank, Martin wandered off wherever his father's spirit would take him. He later claimed that it was Luke, his father, who brought him to Mossflower wood, through dreams. It was this good fortune that rid Mossflower of the Wildcat Tsarmina; yet alas that is another story! It is the one I am going to be telling to you today is the beginning of an epic saga telling the tales of the Otter, Keyla and the Mouse by the name of Brome.


































1
It was early morning, and the songbirds had just began their daily sing-song. The sleepy town of Noonvale awoke to the sort of morning you'd expect to see in a place of that tranquillity. Grumm rolled out of his bed and landed heavily on the wooden floor, waking him instantly as well as scaring off the thrushes nesting in the roofs of the thatched cottage. A season had passed since the passing of Laterose, and the going of Martin the Warrior. Urran Voh had grieved for his daughter like any other father would, at first blaming Martin for leading her to her death. This event caused the depression of Martin. He couldn't stay in such a place where he only had bad memories! Even the local folk seemed to dislike him; he left one day, never to breathe the air of the south coast again. The Rambling Rosehip Players moved on, as they do; not without performing one last show, as Grumm fondly remembered. Many tears were shed last season, and Noonvale became a sad, mournful place. Urran Voh went mad through grief, and ran away never to be seen again. His wife also succumbed to insanity; going the same way as her beloved husband, which left poor Brome in charge of Noonvale. The young mouse had no father, mother and had lost a dear sister. Grumm shoved all these unhappy memories out of his mind, and focused on the work at hand. He stood up as straight as he could (which was not very straight for he was only a mole), cracked his knuckles and strolled up the path leading to the chieftain's cottage. Brome was still in bed by the time Grumm entered the wooden room; the bedroom. He gently shook Brome until the young mouse blinked open his eyelids.
'Roise 'n shoine, maister Brome!'
'Ah... oh good morning Grumm!'
'Oi've brought you summ brekkist, burr aye!'
'Oh thank you Grumm, just what I need!'
Grumm bowed gracefully and exited the room.
'No need for bowing, old friend!' called Brome after him. Grumm smiled, and thought to himself. If he isn't the humble mouse we call leader I'd like to see somebeast else try!

In Keyla's house, things got off to a very different start. Owing to the fact that the freed slaves had nowhere to go, they happily settled in Noonvale. As soon as the birds sang, he jumped straight out of bed, sidled up to the mirror and performed a military salute. Throwing his shoulders down, he ran into the cold, hard stone of the kitchen floor and emptied the charcoal in the bottom tray of the oven, used to cook last-nights leek and onion pasty. Keyla smiled and licked his furry lips at the delicious prospect of tonight's dinner! Yet Keyla reminded himself that he had a lot of things to do, and the day had only just begun. He took out a scroll of parchment reciting his list of to-dos from a cupboard, and began with number one. Wash the dishes. Keyla groaned; this was by far his least favourite chore.

As Keyla began to slowly scrub the pots and pans, a loud trumpet blare brought the whole town to their senses.
'Left-right. Left-right. Left-right. Haha, this is rather fun, eh? Get a move on I say, wot wot!'
Keyla and Brome came out of their cottages at the same time muttering to themselves.
'I swear I've heard that voice before...'
'Why hello masters Brome and Keyla! A jolly good morning it is, eh? Wotwot!
'Ballaw!' They both cried aloud. They ran over to him and hugged him.
'Um, er, you're a bally good hugger, ahem, wot,' Ballaw said, slightly embarrassed. Rowanoak followed the dressed-up hare, trudging along. 'Why hello there, Brome! Things faring well here in Noonvale? Has Martin visited you lately?
'No, he hasn't, I'm afraid. Still in the Southlands, I expect.' Replied Brome, hugging the big furry badger.
'Maybe you should go and visit him sometime.'
'Yes, that would be brilliant. But we don't know where he would be, do we?'
'Well the lad said he was headed straight south, didn't he?' butted in Ballaw.
'Yes... I'd love to go.'
'If you're going then I'm coming with you matey,' Keyla said. 'I can't bear to live here, honestly. It houses too many bad memories.'
'Me too,' replied Brome. 'Me too.'

They spent the rest of the day packing, Brome helping Keyla with his chores for the day. At long last, they were ready to leave. Brome appointed Barkjon in charge of Noonvale for the seasons he was gone. At the last moment, Tullgrew the Otter came up to Keyla.
'May I, ahem, er, also come with, ahem, come with you?'
The kind otter Keyla said yes, of course. The trio left that afternoon, but not without a goodbye feast. There were blackberry and apple tarts, mushroom and chestnut stew, onion and leek soup among other delicacies. Brome sadly remembered the time when he was a slave in the prison pit of Marshank, reciting all these lovely foods to his then new friends, Martin and Felldoh. A tear rolled down his eye in memory of Felldoh, who no longer is living. Tullgrew was already at the great door by the time Brome and Keyla got there. After collecting their bags, they walked off into the distance, headed south, for Martin the Warrior.

[Jukka the Sling]

Awesome! Can't wait to see what happens next!