8. Frostbite

[Twyla]

When the meeting was over, Peri prepared for the search. Luckily her scarf had mostly dried out by now. She flung it over her shoulders in a well-practiced maneuver, before turning to her new teammates.

"We should head out, no time to waste," the bird stated. "I'll lead you to the clearing we were in before where we can discuss plans."

The sun was blinding reflected off the fresh snow in patches where the trees didn't cover the ground. Any chance of finding tracks was low, the light reaching in to fill any corner with its radiance. When Peri flew out, she perched on a nearby branch and ducked under her wing, still adjusting to the brightness after the dim light of the abbey. The snow crunched softly under her talons.

Frost clung to the forest below. It cast a sheen to its host, sparkling where the sun's rays touched it. The occasional gust of wind teased and coaxed the brittle undergrowth to play. The world seemed too peaceful, too calm, mirroring the chaos of the abbey through a distorted view. The breeze carried the whispers of the silenced bells far across the land until fading away.

"I hope we find those schemin' vermin who killed Log-A-Log," one shrew said. They had a nasty snarl, a mean glare, and looked ready to cause problems.

"Why do we have to go on this stupid search, can't the abbey deal with their own dibbuns?" another one whined.

The rest of them seemed to have similar complaints.

Log-A-Log Rubtus was quick to silence them. "We are on this 'stupid search' as you put it, to gain favor with the abbey. Now, how about you make yourselves useful and split up."

"I'll fly above and see if I can find anything. We'll meet back here in a bit. Bo, you can travel with the remaining group down here."

Peri took to the sky. The river writhed under her, twisting and turning, rushing too fast to ice over. Some of the smaller tributaries were barely a shadow with the snow piled on the frozen surface. It was nature's trail, constantly changing and never standing still.

The branches of the trees laid bare entwined in a net well above the forest floor. The shadows were laced under them, fracturing the ground in complex, twisting, shapes that drifted away from the light. Evergreens dotted the landscape every so often, a splash of green here and there.

The soft flurry danced around her wingtips as she swooped around in wide, sweeping, arcs. With little success, she dived down below the canopy. A lone leaf yet to fall broke off its tree and drifted down landing delicately on the soft sheet below. Ahead, a weaving trail of small prints led deeper into the forest.

There! Some tracks! A good lead. I'll find Acer in no time.

Peri dashed inches from the ground, brushing wingtips with the remaining flora as she sped after the tracks. The trail abruptly ended at a small stream that managed to evade the ice. She stopped in mid-air, wildly flapping her wings forward to drift into a hovering position. The bullfinch landed on the cold snow below.

Well, that isn't great, she thought. A dead end. Wait, the tracks should continue on the other side! Indeed they did, a faint imprint still left in the powder shaded by a tree. Peri lifted up and flew across to land next to it. She soon spotted another paw print embedded in the snow, and more spread out before her.

The bird shook the snow off her, and hopped over to the next one. Then she flapped over to the next set, following them to the end of the trail.Just as she went over to the last ones, a net swooped up from under her. She let out a shrill cry, flailing in the thick fibers of the net. How did I fall for this trap! After calming down, she worked on getting herself out, trying to saw at the rope with no result. Is that a hole! I just need to get my wing unstuck. With a groan, she was free.

Peri flew back in silence. The blanket of snow below her only reflected back the sun and blurred figures rushing below. Precious time, all wasted. At least I managed to clear that trail so we won't have to search there later? She sighed. It doesn't matter much anyways. Just a dead end.

After following the group for a bit, Peri flitted ahead to talk with Sticky. The badger had mostly kept to himself during this time. The bird kept pace by hopping between low-hanging branches overhead.

"So, uh, Sticky, how have you been?"

"Fine," he replied with a shrug.

"I wonder how Acer got lost. Wasn't someone watching him?"

The badger shrank back with a glare. "Are you blaming me?"

"I'm just saying I was busy teaching the class!"

"And I was dealing with the other little beasts! That badgermum should have been watching her hive more closely."

"I suppose it was Susan's responsibility."

Just behind the pair, tension was building between the few shrews left and the otters. Insults were being thrown to each side, everybeast trying to provoke the others and see who could come up with the best verbal monstrosity. The two groups were inching closer and closer together.

Peri swooped down between the two, separating the groups. "Everybeast stop!" she screeched. "We will get nowhere fighting, and the faster you cooperate the faster this gets done. If you really can't stand to be around each other, split up! If you need to signal, use fire. Pine branches send up a lot of smoke. Now go. I should not have to keep you from squabbling like dibbuns who got in a fight over a broken toy." With that, she launched herself upwards.

"Rubtus, I think we have trouble. Look west."