Jeepers Peepers

[Poko]

Poko eyed the steaming rectangle of turquoise suspiciously. It reminded her an awful lot of a giant stone cauldron. She looked back over her shoulder at the pine marten, wildcat, and otter, all lying submerged in their own respective pools save for their faces which bore expressions of blissful contentment despite their recent struggle. They sighed and smiled and at last the young ferret caved, beginning to peel off the purple rat robe. Steam hovered like a cloud all around, surrounding her like a warm blanket so that she hardly missed the garments which now lay in a pile next to a crumbling pillar. The sulfur smell she had complained about earlier was less noticeable now, and with caution she dipped a toe into the water.

?Yowch! That?s hot!? she turned back with a frown to the others, but they appeared unaffected by the temperature. Poko bent down and dipped a paw in. It seemed a little less scalding.

?Just get in ? you?ll get used to it!? Zevka?s voice carried over, though her eyes were closed. Poko took a deep breath and plunged both legs in. A tingling burn in her feet made her squeal with surprise, but soon the sensation dissipated, and she slowly lowered the rest of her body into the green-tinged bath. Green like Greenfleck. No. Goragula. His hairless, spasming legs leapt into her mind again and she lowered herself deeper into the water to try to wash away the horrible memory?and the thought that she had caused it.

Beneath the surface she could feel the flow of the hot water at her lower back and she found herself sighing the same as the others as her whole body seemed to melt into the bath, warmed and relaxed. She rubbed her arm and watched as a cloud of filth and fur was carried away. It had been ages since her last bath, and only now did she realize how many disgusting layers of grease and dirt had accumulated. She rubbed her other arm and then her belly and legs, freeing the fur of bits of dead skin, shed follicles and oil. The water flowed continually through the stone pool, entering from one end and draining through a small opening at the other. Most of the fur and dirt were carried away, but enough dark ferret hairs swirled in corner eddies and clung to the rim of her pool that Poko pitied the beast who might claim the bath Nyika used.

The ferret whispered the twisted little ditty she?d made up, based on Nyika?s irksomely catchy lullaby.

?Bloody Nyika,
Smelly Nyika,
Nasty ball of ick.
Scary Nyika,
Creepy Nyika,
Sick sick sick.?

After singing the last line Poko felt a slight pang of remorse, turning her head to see the wildcat snoozing in her bath. If it had not been for her, Nyika would not have a fresh neck wound or be suffering from sleep deprivation. Poko considered the hat Nyika had stayed up all night knitting. It was an unusually kind gesture, and one she had not expected from the beast she had considered her nemesis. ?Perhaps,? Poko thought, ?She really is just crazy.?  Nyika might be a whore for attention, but Poko knew that even she herself was guilty of attention-seeking at times. Maybe the wildcat was just more desperate, never having had a proper family to pay her mind.

?Or maybe,? Poko thought, ?she really can see dead beasts.? A shiver passed down her spine despite the warmth of the water around her. It was a silly idea, she knew, but the ferret could not deny the way she felt like she was being watched, just as Nyika had claimed.

Her gaze snapped to the nearby wall where water gushed from weasel-like heads carved of stone. She scrutinized the spouts with some suspicion, but the eyes were sightless rock. Still, it felt strange to have faces ? even faces of stone ? staring at her. She blew bubbles in the water and bobbed up and down before thinking once again that she saw something ? some quick white movement out of the corner of her eye, but when she looked she saw nothing. A snort startled her and she turned to see Nyika snoring in her bath, head lolled back over the lip of the pool. With her neck arched, Poko could see plainly the thin cut that crossed the wildcat?s neck where Goragula?s blade had sliced. She shuddered and sunk back into her own bath until only her eyes were above the waterline.

It was then she spotted him. One of the stone weasel spouts was dry, and it was above its stony gaze that a real stoat ? an ermine, crouched, watching her with glistening black eyes framed by bright white fur. The ferret gasped and sat up straight in her bath. At the same time the ermine waved his paws, shaking his head and put a finger to his lips to signal silence. Poko cocked her head to one side, unsure of whether to call attention to the spy or not. He was young ? perhaps her age even, and he didn?t seem to be threatening them despite the warrior-like stripes painted across his face. Poko glanced back at the others. Nyika was still asleep, mouth gaping, and Vanessa and Zevka looked half asleep themselves.

She looked back at the ermine who smiled and winked at her, then vanished.

?HEY!? The young ferretmaid cried out and leaped from the bath, sprinting to catch the spy before he could get away. Her paws slapped wetly against the stone and she dodged broken bits of rubble and tile as she launched herself up and over the wall, knocking part of a stone face off in the process.

?Poko! What are you doing?? she heard a voice call after her, but ignored it as she scrambled down to the now vacant space where the peeper had crouched. There really was only one way to go and she ran, hoping to catch the beast before he got too far. Pushing through a tunnel that was just large enough for a creature of her size, she was rewarded with a glimpse of white rounding a broken wall.

?Aha!? She tore after the white blur, leaping the broken down wall where it was lowest and landing almost on top of the fleeing youth.

?Whu-oh!? the ermine said with some surprise right before the ferret tackled him to the ground with her momentum.  The two young weasel-types rolled and tumbled until Poko pinned the white stoat to the floor in triumph.

?Gotcha!?

?Easy! Easy!? The ermine laughed at Poko, ?You?re getting me all wet!?

A sly look crossed the ferret?s face and she shook herself dry, drenching the ermine with a fine spray. He held his paws up in front of his face.

?Okay! Stop! I give up!?

Poko stood up and held out a paw to the contrite spy. He grabbed her paw with a wry grin and leapt to his feet. Only now did the ferret get a good look at her quarry. He was perhaps one or two seasons older than herself, judging by the adolescent cracking of his voice.  He wore a mottled green tunic and breeches that looked like pine bark, though they were made of something soft.  At his side he wore a small crossbow while across his chest were strapped about a dozen crossbow bolts within easy reach. The look on the ermine?s face was anything but hostile, however, and Poko was not afraid.

?Who are you? Why were you spying on us??

Instead of answering, the ermine returned the question. ?Who are you? What are you doing in our territory??

Poko pulled her mouth to one side and sighed, placing her paws to her hips. After a beat of thoughtful silence, she extended her damp paw again. ?I?m Poko.?

?Takis. Friends call me Tak.? He shook her black paw with his white. ?Like I said, this is our land, including this temple?and those baths.? He shrugged and started to dust himself off. 

Poko was not sure how much she should tell the strange ermine, but knew he was expecting more from her than just her name.

?We?re just travelers passing through.? She tried to shove her paws in her pockets but found she had none. She was, in fact, quite bare, and suddenly felt extremely self-conscious in front of the young male.

?Not faring so well, are ye?? Takis commented, then added, ?Your owl?s pretty beat up from the look of him.?

?Oh. Yeah. We were attacked.? Poko wondered just how much the ermine knew. Did he know about the toad too?

?Most travelers stick to the road. They don?t come all the way out here.?

?The road turned out not to be so safe.? Poko explained, her expression tightening with the memory.

Takis opened his mouth to say more, but then jerked his gaze to the left and pulled Poko abruptly behind a pile of stone blocks that seemed to have been part of the ceiling at one point in time. He put a finger to his lips. Poko heard a scuff of a footstep and a whisper. She craned her neck to peer around the edge of the blocks and sighted two full-grown ermine, stooped and wary as they moved through the ruins, crossbows at the ready. After they were gone, Takis swallowed and seemed to relax.

?What was that about?? Poko asked, her voice low, just in case.

Takis pursed his lips and shook his head. ?Some aren?t so happy about you and your friends being here. Best they don?t see us together.?

Poko felt a fluttering in her chest and smiled.

?Should I call you Tak, then??

?Huh?? The ermine looked confused.

?You said friends call you Tak. Should I call you Tak??

Takis?s face broke into an easy grin and he lifted a brow. ?If you want to be my friend.?

The ferret smiled widely, showing all of her sharp teeth, then looked back towards the tunnel. 

?I?d better get back. They?ll be wondering.? At the disappointed look on his face, she added, ?Wanna come with me??

?I don?t know?? he answered hesitantly, shifting his footpaws.

?You?ll be fine. You?ll be with me! And besides you?ve got that crossbow!?  Poko waggled a paw at the weapon.

?Alright,?  he agreed at last, albeit with some reluctance.  ?But I?ll wait at the spout to see how they react before I come down.?

The two young beasts made their way back through the tunnel and out the other side to find everyone out of their baths, looking up at the wall. When Poko?s head appeared Zevka?s spiked up, bristling fur relaxed visibly.

?Where in Hell?s Gates did you run off to? Don?t you know how dangerous it is to split off on your own from the rest of the group? You could be jumped or fall into another boiling crevice!?

?Guys ? I want you to meet someone.? Poko disregarded Zevka?s motherly scoldings. She gestured for Tak to come up beside her. ?This is Takis.?

He stood taught as a spring, ready to bolt at any sudden movements, but apart from several startled looks, the reaction of the three females was muted and uneventful. Vanessa seemed delighted even.

"Ooh, Poko ye've found a friend!" She winked slyly at the young ferret. "An? a braw lad too!"

Behind her a soggy yet clean Nyika flinched at some unseen or imagined voice beside her, ears pinned back with irritation.

Zevka smiled politely. "It's nice to meet you, Takis. Do you live around here, or are you just passing through?"

?Live here.? He responded, rubbing the inside of one ear self-consciously.

?A local?? The pine marten mused, ?That?s helpful. Perhaps he can help us find our way through this forsaken maze of ruins??

?Oh yeah! Would you like a tour, Poko?? Takis was all-too-eager for an excuse to leave, ?I can show you around!? It was evident that Poko running off again had not been Zevka?s intention, but both ermine and ferret seized upon the implied suggestion as permission.

?Sure, I?m game!? The ferret realized she was making a gamble in trusting Takis, but from what she could tell he was on the level. More than that, he seemed to have taken a sincere shining to her, which was something the young ferretmaid had never experienced. Friends her own age had been hard to come by and impossible to keep the way her family moved from place to place. She climbed down to grab her clothes, landing a little awkwardly.

?Ow!? She hopped her first few steps over to the pile of discarded garments.

?You be careful.? Zevka advised sagely. ?And next time, try to put some clothes on before you meet up with a strange jack.?

Poko grinned sheepishly and wriggled into her breeches, tying them off with her brightly dyed sash. Then she slipped her embroidered gypsy vest over both arms with a practiced shrug and ran back to her awaiting guide, pausing at the wall.

?I?ll give you a full report when I get back!? She shouted teasingly at Zevka, making a faux salute. Then, after scaling the wall, she waved at her three dripping companions and vanished again.

Exploring catacombs and secret temple passageways was going to be so much more fun than trudging after her usual group, listening to bickering and back-biting as well as pretending not to notice the missing toad. She hadn?t stuck around to see what they did with his body, but she imagined a new set of unusual bones would be added to the pillars come spring.

?Hurry up! I don?t know how you ever caught me in the first place!? Takis goaded her.

Poko laughed.

?I?ll show you slow!? She put on an extra burst of speed, trying to ignore the throb in her foot as usual, but it had grown more intense after her previous running and climbing, and she had removed the bandage for the bath. Every step the claw on her small toe brushed the ground sending a spike of pain through her entire leg so that her run was more of a skipping gallop. She hissed as she came to a stop beside the young ermine lad.

?Are you okay?? His face showed concern but Poko brushed it off.

?Yeah, I?m fine. Just a sore toe.?

?Oh. This here?s the main hall.? He gestured grandly around at the long open room with broken down colonnades. Pale sunlight shone down on them through great gaps in the ceiling. ?The more aged of my tribe like to tell us how beautiful it used to be. You can kind of still see the paint on the parts where the ceiling is still intact.? Poko looked up and thought she could make out some curling painted clouds. ?Watch out where you step,? Takis warned as Poko gaped upward. She looked down again and carefully avoided a chunk of broken masonry.

The ermine led her through to a room with several statues. Some had been fountains from the look of them, but they were all dried up. One stoat was missing an arm.

?These statues are all famous leaders who first brought us here from the Great North. They were also the first priests. It was their vision that began our great civilization.?

Poko glanced around at the ruined walls and crumbling statues, raising a brow at her new friend in unspoken doubt.

?Well, at least it used to be great,? he acceded.

?What happened?? Poko probed as he led her out of the room and along another corridor.

?In the time before I was born, an army invaded and killed all of our priests and any leaders who refused to cooperate. Not long after that the earth spirits turned against us with none to placate them. Only a remnant survived ? those who were in or near this sacred ground. The temple plain is the only safe place for us now.?

?So you still live here? You and those who remain of your tribe??

?Yes,? the ermine nodded, ?Our camp is on the Eastern side of the temple.? They approached a stairwell and Takis paused.

?Just up these stairs is one of my favorite places to go.?

Poko glanced around as they ascended and at the top she started to recognize where she was.

?Hey I remember this place! This is where that weird riddle is.?

?This is the hall of the ancients ? the priesthood that had the ability to forewarn our tribe about the earth ruptures and changes and even control them at times with guidance from the spirits. They knew things no one else did. It?s how we were able to live here in safety for so long.? He walked up to a door at the end of the hallway. Poko had tried to open it before, but it was locked so tightly it didn?t even rattle. He ran a white-furred paw over the heavy archway. ?The chamber beyond this door is where they used to congregate. It is a holy place.? He stopped and sighed, his shoulders slumping before turning around to face Poko again.

?There is a hope that a new priest will be born among us with the knowledge yet. Every year they test the young ones, to see if any have control over the ruptures, but still no priest has been found.? He looked down as if in shame. ?I failed the tests?? He turned back to the door again. ?But I feel deep down that if only I could pass through this door, maybe the power would come to me. Sometimes it feels like just being here ? maybe I?ll absorb something ? some?intuition or?or experience some sort of?enlightenment.? He mumbled the last word before checking on Poko?s expression, a hint of apprehension on his face.

Poko nodded. ?I see. So you?re trying to figure out the riddle to?open the door?? She gestured at the wall where Nyika and the others had brushed away the dust, exposing the puzzling script. Takis seemed surprised at the appearance of the mysterious words.

?You said there was a riddle before, but I wasn?t sure what you meant. That writing ? it?s always been there, but of course the meaning behind it is beyond any of us. So yeah, I guess you could say it?s a riddle.? Poko made an affirming sound, then pointed with a claw at the first line, sounding out the words haltingly.

?On-ly?those?wuh-hooose myuh- myinds?blaze?free??

?Wait ? you can read that?? Tak?s jaw dropped open in disbelief.

?Well?not very well. I didn?t learn very far, but I can sound stuff out mostly ? hey!? Poko was astonished at the ermine?s excitement as he gripped her by the vest and shook her lightly.

?Only the priests knew how to translate the writings! How can you ? a stranger and a foreigner ? possess such knowledge??

Poko gaped at her new friend. ?My Papa taught me when I was a kit! Lots of beasts know how to read, Tak!?

The ermine released his grip and rubbed his face with both paws.

?I didn?t know that, Poko. Here, scripting and translation has always been a sacred task reserved for priests and their apprentices. I didn?t know other beasts could or did?? The young white stoat looked confused and anxious, uncertain how to deal with this new revelation.

?Well, maybe I can help teach you later on ? then you?ll be able to read all the writing yourself!? She smiled and Takis seemed to brighten at the idea of being so gifted. ?For now though - maybe the riddle can help us.? She eyed the oversized locking mechanism on the door with seven small torches in the center. Wasn?t the first rhyme about fire? Slowly, she sounded out the first part of the long riddle again:

"Only those whose mynds blaze free
May know my secret.
Every flame hydes a key,
And yet
Must shyne apart.
Remember:
In all things, darkness has a part."

?Every flame hides a key?? Takis began feeling around in the empty torch spaces.

?I don?t get it.? Poko frowned. ?It?s supposed to rhyme, and I guess it does, but it doesn?t have a rhythm at all. And why are they writing ?y? instead of ?i?? It?s weird.?

?Maybe if we light them all, the door will open!? Takis looked hopeful. Poko shrugged.

?Okay, let?s try it. But I think we?re gonna need something to burn, right? All I got is tobacco and there?s not enough of that." She patted her vest pocket. "And it?d be a waste.? She added to herself.

?Poko?? A voice echoed down the hall and both the ferret and the ermine jumped in alarm.

?Oh it?s just Vanessa. She must?ve been following us or something.? Poko could see the distinctly long otter?s neck stretched from behind the doorway at the far side of the hall. ?Hey maybe she?s got some oil we could use.? The two youngsters hurried over to meet the otter.

?Hey Poke! Wot ere ye doin??? Vanessa greeted the ferret with a sparkle in her eye, as if ready for adventure. ?Et?s richt dreich times back thare. Thought Ah?d coom look fer ye!?

?We?re tryin? ta solve the riddle!? Poko explained. ?But we need some oil or somethin? ta light the torches with. Any ideas??

The otter looked pensive.

?Any alcohol perhaps?? Poko suggested brightly, ?That?s flammable, right??

A darkness crossed the otter?s face and she shook her head vehemently.

?Nae mair o? that bilge on me ? nae, nae.? She looked around the hall and spotted the projections along each pillar. ?Dae ye think we might find oil yit in thae scones??

?Scones?? Poko looked around hungrily, disappointed when no pastries showed themselves.

?Er,? the otter snapped her claws, searching for the right word, ?Sconces Ah mean.?

?One way to find out!? Takis walked up to one of the pillars and studied the surface, placing his claws carefully in strategic cracks so that he might climb high enough to reach the sconce.

?Here, let me gie ye a lift.? Vanessa intertwined her fingers and held them out as a foothold.

Takis nodded and thanked her, stepping his back paw into the broad cradling paws of the ottermaid. With an ?oof? and an ?oop ye go!? he was peering over the lip of the sconce.

?Well there?s no oil?? the ermine confessed, ?but there is plenty of this oil shale!? He tossed down a handful of black rock bits. ?Burns as well as any oil. There?s a pit to the east where you can still dig it out.?

?Hey that?s great!? Poko stooped to scoop up the small black bits. ?Bring another handful down so we for sure have enough!?

Takis obliged and hopped down with a pawful of black chunks. Poko busied herself making a mini torch she could light with her striking kit as a more reliable fire source. She tore off a piece of fabric from Gashrock?s robe where the rat had already cut away a piece or two from the hem. She found a twig in a pile of leaves and tied the fabric around the tip.

?So wot?s the plan here?? Vanessa rubbed her paws together. Poko nodded toward the wall of riddles since her paws were busy.

?The first riddle ? we think it means we need to light the torches to open the door.?

Vanessa read through the riddle quickly.

?Aye, Ah see, so yer joost goin? tae light them aw??

?It?s worth a try!? Takis answered hopefully as he stuffed each of the seven torch spaces with bits of oil shale. Soon Poko was at his side with her tiny flame-tipped twig, dipping it into each little basin.

?We gotta be sure it?s burning where the wick?s supposed to be?? The two weasel types stood shoulder to shoulder, whispering and hovering until suddenly a loud ?CLACK? caused them to jump back.

?Something?s happening!? Poko waved the flaming stick excitedly, ?Hurry ? let?s light the rest?? Another metallic clacking sound creaked and then another and another, reverberating seemingly in response to each torch. After the seventh torch was burning the ferret and stoat stepped back.

?Oooh! Let me try et!? Vanessa, having had naught to do while Poko and Takis worked, leapt at the chance to contribute. She took hold of the sliding lock that barred the entryway and tugged on it. ?Seems tae be stook!? She pulled again, putting her strong back into it, but the lock remained stubbornly in place.

?Well, that?s probably too easy an answer anyway.? Poko sighed and stepped back, putting a paw over her chin and glancing at the riddle. ?Every flame hides a key, and yet must shine apart.? The tiny torch was fading as the last bits of fabric curled into black ash and fell from the stick. ?What if we just lit every other torch so each is ?shining apart??? The ferret stepped forward eagerly again and blew at one of the torches to put it out, but it continued to burn. She glanced around and found a piece of flat stone and held it over the second torch until it died. Then she moved to the fourth, and then the sixth and stepped back expectantly. A small whine of metal answered as the locking mechanism reacted piece by piece to the loss of heat.

Nessa threw herself at the bolt again, tugging and straining, but the lock remained in place.

?Drat.? The otter puffed  and wiped her brow. ?Weel wot ef ye try the other way? Mebbe et?s every oother every oother one. Ye ken? Light the ones ye put oot and put oot the ones ye kep? lit?? Poko shrugged and sighed.

?Alright?hold on?? she ripped another small strip of fabric from the purple robe?s hem. After re-wrapping the end of the stick she stuck it in one of the flames before putting out the torch and re-lighting the ones she had snuffed. Another whine of metal and some clacking sounds, but once more the lock didn?t budge.

Takis groaned and slid down the wall with his back, obviously frustrated, but Poko was not so easily deterred. Takis needed this door open, and she knew she could help him.

?We?ll get it ? you just wait and see,? she reassured her new friend, then moved to put out all of the torches. Might as well start over from the beginning. ?Vanessa? can you read it out loud for us again?? The ferret asked as she smothered the last flame.

"Only thae whose minds blaze frae
Mey noo mah secret.
Every flame hides a key,
An? yit
Moost shine apairt.
Remember:
In aw things, darkness has a pairt."

Poko flinched at the otter?s recitation. The lack of rhythm bothered her. In fact, it was as if every line had a different number of beats and none of them matched at all. The ferret walked backwards to look at the riddle herself and count the beats.

?On-ly those whose minds blaze free?(that?s seven)?may know my se-cret?(that?s five)?Ev-ry flame hides a key?(six)?and yet (two)?must shine a-part?(four)?Re-mem-ber?(three)?in all things dark-ness has a part?(eight).? None of them matched. It was as if ? ?Heeeeey?wait a minute.? The ferret squinted suspiciously at the wall and started counting again, pointing at each word rather than each syllable. ?Six?four?five?two?three?one?seven!? She grinned broadly. ?Each line is a different number of words! One through seven! Seven torches!? She pointed excitedly at the mechanism. ?I think I got it!?

?Et makes sense!? Vanessa confirmed, equally enthused.

Poko tore another piece of fabric for a fresh starting flame. She glanced at Takis who looked more hopeful, having risen to his feet again. ?Six, four, five, two, three, one, seven? she repeated over and over in her head as she approached the door again with the small lighting torch. She lit the sixth torch and the mechanism responded with a CLACK. Fourth torch. CLACK. Fifth torch. CLACK and on and on until only the seventh torch was left to light.

?Cross your fingers! This is it!? She held her breath and paused, hovering over the torch. Something was nagging at the back of her brain. She was forgetting something important in the riddle. There had been a reason she had smothered every other flame. What was it? Something about darkness. She gnawed her lip. ?Hold on?let me see something.? She handed the tiny lighting stick to Takis and reached up to try the sliding bar herself. ?Darkness has a part. Maybe the last one is supposed to stay dark?? She put all of her weight against the metal bar to move it and it slid open with a surprising bang, throwing her completely off balance so that she rolled her bad foot, putting most of her weight upon her bad toe.

Poko collapsed to the ground, rocking and holding her injured foot as it pulsed with crippling, raw pain, gritting her teeth to stifle a scream.

?You?ve done it!? Takis shouted with delight.

?Weel doon, Poko!? Vanessa extended a strong paw to help the ferret back to her feet. Poko bit her lip and accepted the help, rising shakily to one foot. She steeled herself, stifling the tears, unwilling to ruin their moment of victory.

?Well, let?s open it!? She gestured at the door, appreciating the expression of joyful anticipation that spread across Takis?s face. ?I wanna see what?s inside, don?t you??

Takis tugged at the heavy door and Vanessa jumped to join him, pulling it slowly open with a grinding groan of ancient rusty hinges. It was mostly darkness beyond, but Takis lifted Poko?s tiny torch and stepped through. Vanessa and Poko followed, though Poko mostly hopped.

What they found was another door. This one was also locked with a mechanism, but it was a mechanism so complex and intricate, that Poko?s mind reeled at the sight. Metal pipes curled and bent and wove together, connecting and splitting like an impossible maze. Levers, wheels and knobs stuck out here and there, and occasionally a hiss of steam puffed up from a joint near the floor.

?Ohhhh great.? Poko slumped against the doorway and Takis sighed, lowering the torch. Vanessa scratched her head and shrugged.

?Weeeel, Ah guess this moost be the next pairt o? the riddle!?

?Ughhhh.? Poko slapped a paw to her forehead. ?My brain hurts.?

?We can come back to it.? Tak announced with confidence. ?It?s not going anywhere, after all ? and besides, we already solved one. It?s progress! We?re through the flame door and that?s further than anyone?s made it in over three decades!? He hid his disappointment well. Soon the tiny torch burned out and they returned to the hall of the ancients, Poko hopping on one foot with a grimace.

?Are you okay, Poko?? Tak noticed her pain at last. ?Sore toe again??

Poko pursed her lips and nodded. ?I stepped on it funny when I lost my balance.?

?Och, ets that same toe wot Gashrock sewed oop, aye?? Vanessa tutted and shook her head at the swollen footpaw.

Takis peered at the appendage with its angry puffed skin inflamed around bright green stitches.

?That doesn?t look good.? He exchanged a troubled look with the otter. ?Is there a healer in your group you can take her to??

Vanessa looked dubious as she recalled the fiasco of Noonahootin?s surgery with Istvan hacking away pieces of flesh and the owl moaning in agony as Zevka gave halting and inconsistent advice.

?Ah wouldnae sae we dae. Nae any who Ah?d troost tae ken wot tae dae.?

Takis patted the ferret as she whimpered and rocked.

?Well there is a healer among my tribe. She is very old and has lost her sight, but no one knows more about the healing arts than she.  I don?t know how she?d feel about treating a foreigner, but?maybe if we don?t mention it she?ll just think Poko?s one of us!?

?She?s a strange scent?? Vanessa cautioned.

?A visiting relative?? Takis shrugged. ?It?s not entirely unheard of. Some of the tribe lives in Carrigul these days ? those who consider it safer. Those who have given up on any priests returning.? He glanced up at the open door. ?If only they knew we?ve found a way in at last! Their hope would return and all the tribe would be reunited!?

?Weel?thare are three riddles, so dinna be surprised ef thare?s a third door after this one,? Vanessa cautioned. ?We?re nae through yit.?

Takis sighed. ?You speak true. But I have more hope now than ever before. I know we can do it.? He fisted his right paw determinedly. ?And once through, we can access the power within. Maybe if I become the next priest, I can use the ancient knowledge to guide all of you through the plains safely even.?  He smiled at Poko and she smiled back, though it came across as more pained than she meant it to be.

?But the important thing right now, is to get you to Kalliope. She can help restore your toe.?

?Alright.? Poko agreed and turned to Vanessa. ?Maybe you and the others can figure out the next riddle.? She shrugged.

Vanessa made a non-committal nod. ?Weel mebbe. Ah?ll sae wot the oothers think.?

?Come on, it?s not far.? Takis put an arm around Poko and helped her walk down the hall. She hopped and hobbled beside him, glorying at the touch of his strong, attentive paws despite the continued throb in her toe.

The two of them exited the temple through a hidden side door, and when Poko saw the ermine encampment she wondered at not only the size, but the cleverness of its disguise. The tents were all mound-shaped and white like the snow around them. From a distance even Noonahootin?s sharp eyes could have easily missed the assembly of tents.

The healer?s tent was near the outskirts. Takis stuck a paw through a flap and poked his head through before pulling it back and motioning the ferret to go through.

Poko entered, her heart beating fast as her eyes adjusted to the dark, foreign atmosphere. A strong mixture of scents ranging from sweet herbs to stinky salves filled her nostrils and she sniffed and rubbed her nose. An old ermine sat on a raised cushion at the far side of the tent, grinding some nuts down into a paste. She inhaled deeply.

?Takis, who is that with you? Don?t be shy. Please, come have a seat.?

Takis was at Poko?s side and gestured for her to sit on one of the cushions in front of the elderly beast. He plopped down next to her.

?Kalliope, I?ve brought a friend to see you. She?s visiting from the outlands.?

The old stoat nodded her head, her eyes half-closed. Poko could see they were both white with cataracts.

?What seems to be the trouble?? She continued mashing the nuts with a soft knocking and scraping sound.

?Er?it?s her left foot. Her smallest toe, really. It?s all swollen. Looks like someone stitched it all the way around.?

?Did they? Another healer, I presume??

?No.? Poko finally broke her silence. ?She was just a seamstress,? she muttered, feeling somehow that she was bad-mouthing the dead. ?A costume-designer.? She clarified, as she imagined Gashrock would have wanted.

?Ah, but flesh is living whereas costumes do not speak. Tell me exactly what happened and how, and then, if you will, how your seamstress prepared and repaired the wound.?

Poko swallowed, reluctant to relive the event again so soon.

?There?was an accident and I fell, and somehow along the way my toe got torn off except for a small piece.?

?Was there lots of debris? Dirt? Dust??

?Yes lots. It was a landslide with rocks and boulders too.?

Kalliope straightened her back and paused in her mixing. ?You are fortunate to have escaped such a disaster with so small an injury.?

Poko felt herself choking on her next words. ?Not everyone was so lucky.?

Takis grimaced and put a comforting paw to the ferret?s shoulder.

?What was the weather? I expect this was recent and there was snow and ice??

Poko cleared her nose with a sniff and breathed an affirmative ?Yes.?

?And the treatment? The sewing??

?They gave me alcohol and held me still while?while the seamstress sewed it back.?

?Did they pour alcohol on the wound? Water??

?No nothing. They just?sewed it.? Poko shifted, uncomfortable despite the cushion. The old healer made a tsk tsk sound and began scraping the nut paste out onto a small dish.

?A wound should always be cleansed.? She set the mortar and pestle aside and picked up a spoon. ?My dear,? she lectured, gesturing with the small spoon, ?it is rare that an appendage sewn back in place will ever heal rightly, even when it is done right and well. It would have been better to have had it cut off entirely than patched back on with dirt and grime between.?

Poko shrugged. How was she supposed to know?

?As it stands, your wound is going to putrefy and the flesh will die. The blood around it will become poisoned and spread slowly and painfully up your leg until it reaches your heart and kills you.?

Poko gaped at the old hag as she spooned the nut putty into her toothless mouth.

?Wh ? what? I-I?m gonna die?? her voice rose an octave.

?If you leave it, yes.? The healer stated, matter-of-factly. ?But if we remove it now ? tell me, Takis, do you see any traces of infection or is it just swollen? Remember what to look for??

Takis leaned over and studied Poko?s toe. Unlike the stoats in their white wintery coats, Poko?s fur was thick and black. Takis wondered if such colors as green or red would be visible, but as he parted the fur carefully he saw the ferret?s skin was actually pink beneath.

?Not green?but pretty red and swollen.?

Kalliope nodded and chewed the paste with her gums. She spoke between smacking sounds.

?Should you like to live, my young jill, it needs to be removed. Cleaned properly in a warm bath and properly sewn and dressed.? She reached her gnarled claw out. ?Let me examine it.?

Poko drew back. The last thing she wanted was for the old ermine to squeeze and squish her wounded foot.

?Come come, now.? The ermine snapped her fingers and Takis gestured for Poko to let the healer take her foot. Reluctantly Poko complied. The healer?s touch, once she had a hold of the foot was surprisingly gentle. She stroked the stitches so lightly that Poko merely hissed in a breath. Then old Kalliope poked a claw at the outside of the toe. ?Feel this??

Poko nodded, then at Takis?s exasperated expression added a verbal ?yes.?

?Good. We can keep that outer flap to sew over.?

?This is going to hurt a lot, isn?t it?? Poko?s voice was filled with apprehension.

?Better to feel some pain now than a lot of pain and dying later,? Takis advised, though he grimaced sympathetically.

?My instruments are the sharpest our bladesmith can fashion,? added Kalliope, who, Poko was thankful to see, had finished eating her nut mush. ?So fine, you can shave a beast smooth and so fast, you could walk three steps before realizing you?ve been cut.? Poko was not sure this was a comfort.

?Takis, be a good lad and prep the wash basin,? Kalliope ordered. ?I will thread the needle.? She turned to the ferret. ?Young jill, I am sorry, but I still do not know your name.?

?My name?s Poko.?

The elderly beast wrinkled her nose. ?Odd name for a stoat ? what is the origin??

?Uh?? Poko looked to Takis for help.

?It?s more of a nickname.? He covered for her. ?Her full name is?Paucoria.? He shrugged at Poko, lifting his paws apologetically. She stifled her smile with a paw before it could turn into a snorting laugh.

?Ah, now that one I?ve heard. ?Little? it means. Hmm...? She listened as Takis poured warm water from a kettle into a basin and dumped in some sort of powder that fizzed as it dissolved. Her needle was ready and she picked up a nearby towel once Takis?s heavier steps approached, bearing the basin with some effort.

?Bring the blades and two sets of clean towels.? Kalliope instructed and Takis did as he was bid. Poko soon found herself leaning back against Takis with a towel around her calf and her foot dangling over the basin. He handed her a soft piece of wood.

?What?s this for?? Poko inquired suspiciously.

?Something to bite down on.? He said in a low voice. ?I?d suggest doing it now.?

Distracted as she was, Poko barely had time to put the soft wood between her teeth when a blinding pain shot through her entire body. Her teeth automatically crunched down on the soft wood, sinking deep and she shrieked, straining against Tak?s strong arms which hugged her tightly from behind. As she watched the blood running down into the water and spreading across the ghost-white paws of the blind healer, Poko?s eyes rolled into the back of her head and she lost consciousness.