The Change

(written by Windance Fleetsilver)

The camp, consisting of creatures from three places, was well hidden. The creatures had scattered themselves over an area confirmed safe by Log-a-Log and his shrews. This helped greatly in the camouflage. No one, with a casual glance, could have known that there was even a camp there. At the moment however, Cinnan Redtail, the red squirrel, was not thinking much about the camp. Her eyes were focused on a group of vermin approaching the forest edge from the desert. In the trees, the squirrel was as safe as she would been if she were a bird in the air. She stood still, watching the vermin come. Advance scouts, no doubt, for there were only four of them, two ferrets, a weasel and a fox, and they were exercising great stealth in their movements. She leaped into a higher branch, still watching. The four moved into the forest without hesitation, blending into the shadows and undergrowth below. Cinnan leaped to another higher branch, and then began a swift silent race towards the nearest group of creatures.

In instants, the alarm had spread throughout the encamped creatures. They drew back as the vermin advanced, alerted in advance by Cinnan and other squirrel scouts. There was tension in the air, for if the vermin found any sign of an army waiting for them, they would not come this way, and the plan formed by the leaders would be useless. Finally, as evening began across Mossflower, the vermin scouts turned and retreated towards the desert.

Four pairs of eyes watched as they strode out across the desert, moving away from the forest. As the vermin vanished over a dune, a sandy-brown figure stepped from the bushes, followed by three others. Faltilvn, hare leader of the forces from the Mossflower Guard, stared out at the horizen as Log-a-Log, Cinnan, and the otter Runia, leader of the Castle Floret otter guard, came up behind.

"They're coming this way all right," said Log-a-Log, "Those were advance scouts. They'll probably try to secure this area by dawn, using the cover of night. It's going to be a night battle."

"Yes," said Faltilvn, "You're right." he turned to Cinnan, "Go back to the camp now, and gather all the troops. Have them here before sunset. Move out."
"Yes Sir!"

Cinnan bounded up a tree and began racing towards the camp. By nightfall, the entire army, consisting of about two thousand creatures, was gathered at the forest edge. Faltilvn had a small patrol of five hares sent out to monitor the Shadowray horde's moves, while the rest of the army melted back into the forest, spreading out to form a sort of semi-circle. The trap was set, now they only had to wait.

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