Shipwrecked Sea-beasts
The feast in the WooPeace on that memorable occasion was an epic of unlimited digestion. A world changed for the better, and the wild joy that came as a result, made beasts daring enough to try strange food and drink. Cheerful courage and curiosity led many a beast to sample delicacies they would have once despised as the product of savage cooks and hateful kitchens. More than a few were so besotted with the pleasant chaos that they cared not whether they liked what was set before them. Like many a fool or famished wanderer, they liked anything that touched their lips.
Beasts of both persuasions—of the WooPeace and of WooSheep Bottoms—were generous and praised each other’s provisions till the casks ran dry and the victuals were gone. There were Cave Crabs, black and orange; the black ones packed with eggs that, when tossed in sizzling oil, popped up into crunchy, toasted orbs three-times their size, that even Burwell greedily devoured. And more than Burwell were surprised to discover that Cave Bat Tongues Sautéed in Lizard Fat made a dish fit for the finest table.
The Armadillo Pie in the Shell contributed by the WooSheep was judged by all to be very good eating; and some thought their Rattlesnake Fillets worth dying for, especially when drizzled with spicy Pear Salsa. But the Buff-Jacket Tarts—dried sour cherries, tart apples, rose hips, and honey mashed into a lump, then boiled in a bag, and the juice squeezed out for a tangy drink, before the mash was baked inside flaky, melt-in-your-mouth pastry—those were Helga’s favorite.
A good feast requires good drink and the sparkling Phillup Phizz made from strawberries and apriot nectar was so deliciously sweet and plentiful that many beasts “grew fat simply by smelling it,” as Breister put it. But Burwell, true to himself, preferred the bubbly Lamb’s Wool Sparkle—mashed carrots mixed with apple cider and sparkling water—soft and smooth, but full of fizz.
As the day passed and light began to fail in the LuteWoo, the glorious celebration gradually finished with the beasts swapping yarns while sucking on hard dark chocolate nuggets. The delectable sweet nuggets, rock hard and too solid to chew, took nearly an hour to melt away in the mouth. Stuffed silly and tired out, a contented happiness settled over the feasters. On all sides, beasts of all shapes, sizes, and ages—young and old, male and female, large and small, gathered to share final farewells as the celebration began to break up. Spontaneously, as if by some unseen signal, the beasts gathered around Helga—all knew that she was the root of the great change that had occurred and, beyond that, the first stranger to walk willingly into the WooPeace in living memory!
Almost without a conscious thought, the simple song began to rise again, the words sung with a simple, heartfelt pleasure that was a fitting dessert for the feast:
A family is
a circle of friends.
Unbroken,
let the circle be.
The song drew long-separated hearts closer together, like scattered iron filings clinging to a magnet. Then the celebrators gradually began to go home or pitch in on the clean up. Late into the night, the spirit of unity kept tired beasts working together, helping the WooSheep depart and cleaning up the remains of the feast. Amidst the crush of beasts coming and going, Helga and Breister did not work together, each picking up whatever needed to be done. Helga, in fact, worked side by side with Janty, her tiredness having no effect on her happiness as she enjoyed every moment with her new friend.
As the clean-up operations ended, Helga found her father and told him that she was going to walk Janty back to WooSheep Bottoms. “The night will be nearly over by the time we get to the Bottoms,” she said, “so I’ll catch some sleep at Janty’s place, then meet you at Toshty’s cabin tomorrow afternoon.” Breister agreed and Helga climbed the ladder out of the LuteWoo with Janty.
Soon after, Breister dragged his own weary body up the ladder and made his way back to Toshty’s cabin. With a brief greeting and good night to Toshty and Annie, Breister tumbled into bed and fell into a deep exhausted sleep.
The sun was already well up in the sky when Breister awoke. Slowly waking, he lay quietly for a while, just enjoying the soft morning light and cool breeze blowing in through the window. Gradually rousing himself, Breister pulled on his clothes and wandered out of his room, looking for Toshty and Annie.
He found them sitting at the hearth drinking coffee. Upon seeing Breister, Toshty came to him and said, “Here’s something you’ll like to see.” Smiling gently, but with a look of sadness, Toshty handed Breister a neatly folded piece of paper. “This message arrived from WooSheep Bottoms via Courier Hawk a little while ago.”
Breister read the message, which ran:
Beloved father,
I am sorry to miss my meeting with you. But I am leaving WooSheep Bottoms in haste because a most unusual encounter left me no choice. Going back to the Bottoms after we left you last night, we took a shortcut through a place locals call Scurryvaig Haunt, because alot of strange wanderers and beasts from foreign lands roam through there. Not far away, Dismal Pass leads through the mountains to the Great Sea and many a vagabond comes through there. Anyway, there we met a Seabird who says he saw a ship in great trouble as he flew along the coast.
The ship was run aground and badly damaged, but the Seabird does not know much else about it, except that the crew will be in great danger from Wrackshees. I must help them if I can. They will need a good carpenter and I would do anything to prevent them being taken by Wrackshees. There is no time to waste. I must go quickly if I am to make a difference. Do not worry. I will return soon. Toshty won’t mind you resting there at his cabin until I get back.
When I return, we can go on to the Rounds as we plan—I can’t wait to see my friends there again. But, first, my conscience calls me to help these unfortunate sea-beasts. I know what danger they are in.
So, you see how it is. I feel heartsick to leave you and I hope that you understand. I almost fear that I love you so well that I will not be able to do what justice demands me to do—
I shall say no more to worry you, adding only that I send you my love and the promise to see you soon.
I will always be,
Your most affectionate,
Helga
Finishing the letter, Breister folded it carefully and gave it back to Toshty. “Helga does not love so much that love blinds her to justice; nor hate injustice so deeply to be blinded to kindness. Yes, my daughter wrote that letter.”
Smiling at Toshty and Annie, Breister shook his head and continued, “I trust Helga and will allow her to do as she wishes with this—as if there were a thing I could do to stop her! But I’ll not leave her to face this danger alone and another carpenter will speed up the repairs. I will head across Dismal Pass myself and help her.”
“Annie and I will go with you!” Toshty cried. “We are brave beasts and,” he paused, smiling at his beloved Cougar, “Annie knows a thing or two about the ways of rogues and bandits! We are in this with you!”
“Yes,” Annie said, “we are in this with you. We are now an unbroken circle of friends.”