Chapter Five: The Path

 

“Now watch your step, Miss Lily. We don’t want you to stumble, do we? It is dreadfully dark out here. Just leave the guiding to me and perhaps we will find the edge of the forest without further injury to your dress and stockings.” Arthur used his nose and whiskers as a guide as he led Lily carefully but quickly (especially quickly for his very short legs) along the dark path.

The forest looked very different now that night had fully fallen. The daytime animals had gone to bed, tucked comfortably into their nests, dens, and holes, and the nighttime animals had shaken off sleep’s gentle grasp and had come out for another night of hunting and jollity. All around her, Lily could hear the squeak of bat children as they swooped through the trees and young badgers snuffling about in the bracken, practicing the fine art of foraging. As she and Arthur silently and carefully picked their way along the faint path, Lily’s mind drifted back to the Rookery.

“Arthur,” she asked tentatively, “after Titus left me, and before I met you, those rooks were really horrible to me! That big one pulled out my hair, and they said they wanted to eat me. They called me a rat! Do the rooks really want to eat me? Or were they only making a very rude joke?”

Arthur laughed softly. “Sometimes a very rude joke is simply a mask for a true desire, I suppose. Rest easy, though, my dear. I am sorry Romulus frightened you—it’s just his way of greeting newcomers—but I am afraid I was the intended target of those remarks, not you.”

“You mean, they want to eat you? But you’re so kind, Arthur! How could they be so cruel?” Lily cried, secretly and relieved that she was not in danger of becoming a bird’s breakfast.

“How very thoughtful of you to say so, Miss Lily, but I am a mouse, after all. Rooks have been known to eat mice on occasion, though I don’t suspect I’m in any real danger from these particular rooks. And while I don’t believe they hold any personal grudge against me, many of the rooks have forgotten the dignity of their race and tend to be, well, animals from time to time. (Watch that stump, miss!) Who can blame them, really? I certainly don’t.”

Lily followed Arthur through a gap between two intertwined tree trunks. “But, why would you choose to stay at the Rookery if the rooks are always threatening you? Wouldn’t leaving be better than being eaten?”

“My time for leaving has not yet come. Yes, leaving the Rookery would be better than becoming a midnight snack, but I am confident that, though they threaten, the rooks won’t harm me. There is a sense of honor somewhere behind those black eyes. Somewhere...” Arthur explained, more to himself than to Lily.

Walking along the forest path seemed much easier with Arthur than it had with Titus. Perhaps it was because Arthur walked beside her rather than flying far out of reach like Titus had done. Every now and then Lily stole a glance at Arthur. His whiskers twitched as he sniffed his way along the path, and his ears turned with every snapping twig. She wondered how it was possible that she felt so safe with such a small creature. And yet, something in Arthur restored to her a confidence, a sense of protection that she only now realized she had long been missing.

They walked on in the kind of comfortable silence that often settles between close friends, and soon Lily and Arthur came to the spot where the spade had been firmly planted in the earth, though now it was hardly visible in the dim light of the moon. “Arthur,” Lily wondered, “can you explain something to me about this spade?”

“I will certainly try my best,” Arthur replied humbly, as he turned sharply to the right and continued down the path.

“When I was walking with Titus earlier, he seemed surprised to see it, but then he said that it was the ‘Legendary Marker of the Path to the Rookery’.”

“Did he? Well, I’m afraid, that Titus wasn’t entirely truthful with you.” Arthur paused, as if choosing his words very carefully. “The spade appeared on the path only yesterday. It may be that the spade is terrifically important, but it may also turn out to be nothing more than a spade. Time will tell. One thing is sure:  This spade is going to cause quite a stir in the Rookery.”

“He lied to me! I knew it!” Lily shouted, stamping her foot. “But why was he so upset? What is so frightening about an old spade?”

Arthur sighed, shaking his head. “A curious proverb has been passed down through rooklore for many years: Where a spade doth appear, ‘tis the herald of fear. In their legend, a spade on the path is a warning that danger is nigh. I noticed the spade myself just yesterday, but I had hoped that no one else would see it until I could learn more about why it was placed on the path. I am sorry that Titus lied to you, but I’m sure the shock of seeing the spade shook him grievously.”

 “Still, Titus isn’t a very trustworthy person—bird, I mean. I saved his life today—“

“You did?” Arthur said, stopping abruptly.

“Yes! He was being crushed by a big bird—a hawk, I think—and I chased it away and then Titus didn’t even say thank you, actually he did say thank you, and then he flew away so rudely and I had to practically beg him to let me come to the Rookery, actually I did beg him, and then he finally invited me—“

“Miss Lily—“

“—and then he made up a silly story about his ancestors and forced me to climb under a briar patch—“

“Dear girl—“

“—and then he abandoned me to those horrible birds the moment we arrived. I had hoped for a grand adventure, but besides meeting you and seeing the Rookery, it has been nothing but a disappointment.”

“Miss Lily, please do let me interrupt for a moment. Did you say that you saved Titus from a hawk?”

“Yes, it was very big!” Lily replied, her chin lifting with pride.

“My, that does change things. No wonder…” he said, drifting toward deep thought before checking himself. “Don’t be too quick to judge old Titus, Lily. He is at heart a true and faithful rook, even though years in the Rookery have dulled his sense of honor quite a bit. I am very sorry that your clothes were ruined by the briar patch, but he had good reason for keeping you strictly to the path. Besides wanting you to learn the way to the Rookery should you ever find yourself alone, Titus is also very concerned with keeping to the correct path, both in the forest and in life. It is a good quality when tempered with compassion, which I am sorry to say he currently lacks. But we can always hope, can’t we?” he winked. “And as for his story, he was not lying. He believes the history of the rooks in this forest to be the most compelling story known to rookkind. They all do. I am sure he was disappointed that you did not agree (Be careful of that branch, just there.).”

“But it sounded so made up!” Lily said as she ducked the low-hanging branch. “And it wasn’t interesting at all. What a terrible storyteller he was!”

“Do not be unkind, child,” Arthur said sternly, but not without tenderness. “There was truth to the story; of that I’m quite certain. The rooks are remarkable creatures, really—they never cease to surprise me. I cannot think of an animal in the forest with more potential for greatness than the rooks. No animal is more resourceful or cleverer; and yet of all the animals, none has so neglected to achieve what it ought. Titus did not tell you, I’m sure, that the forest was much different when his ancestors arrived.”

“He did mention it, I think,” Lily admitted, ashamed of her quickness to judge Titus.

“This forest used to be ruled by a family of hawks. For many years, the hawks ruled well, and with compassion, but after decades of privilege, they became cruel. For a long time, the forest creatures lived in fear. Night after night they would skitter across the forest floor, hoping to find the food their families needed to survive. It was a terrible time.

“Then the rooks came. Titus’ ancestors had flown across the sea in search of a new domain, and they alighted one autumn morning in the clearing where the Rookery now stands. All around them, where should have been the peaceful ebb and flow of forest life, was instead the clamor of war. Screams, squeaks, and terrified squawking came from every side, and as exhausted as they were, the rooks knew that something must be done. Before long, the hawks showed themselves, and the rooks, though half their size and with half their number, stood up in defense of the forest. It is curious, Lily, what happens when we animals come under attack. It is only in hardship, only under persecution that we ever realize our true potential. Though small in number, the rooks banded together and in one night drove the hawks away.

“Who can say what may have happened to the rooks had they found a forest without conflict? Without that initial hardship, they may never have discovered their true mettle. That the Rookery stands in the forest today is a testament to the courage of those first few rooks.”

“But that seems so noble!” said Lily. “If that story is true, why would Titus not have told me himself?”

“He has probably never heard it, to be honest. The rooks are not great historians, and while the ideals of success and achievement have persisted in their culture, the courage and honor their ancestors exercised as they stood together to fight a common enemy has been all but forgotten. They have forgotten that there was conflict and they have forgotten that times were difficult. They remember only that the rooks survived and their numbers increased. The flock is now so big that they have few if any enemies in the forest, but the lack of hardship and conflict has made them weak. And I fear that, if something doesn’t change soon, they will become just as cruel as the hawks their ancestors risked their lives to drive away.”

“But surely that won’t happen, will it?” Lily said.

“I certainly hope not,” Arthur answered, “especially as the Rookery has become a sanctuary for animals of all kinds. The creatures of the forest look to the rooks to keep them safe, and should you return to the Rookery during the daytime, you will see many of our little band coming and going freely.”

“Oh, I should very much like to come back during the daytime...it all seems so interesting! That is, if you think I will be allowed.”

“You will be welcomed any time, Miss Lily. But for now I must ask something very difficult of you,” Arthur apologized.

“Yes?” Lily replied, a bit reluctant.

“I must ask you to crawl under the briar patch again. But I will attempt to make it as easy a passage as possible, if you will wait just a few moments.”

“Of course I will wait, Arthur,” she said, mustering all the humility she could, and only because it was Arthur who asked. She watched as the little mouse scampered underneath the briar patch and disappeared in the tangle. He was gone no more than a minute or two when she heard him calling out to her.

“Miss Lily! Do you mind coming closer? I need a bit of help, if you please.”

Lily walked nearer the dark briar patch and noticed a twig waving slowly about. “Do you see the end of this twig?”

“I see it.”

“Please just gently pull on it until it comes free from the patch,” Arthur called.

Lily grasped the twig carefully to avoid the thorns, and pulled perhaps not as gently as she could have. As she did, she could see the passage under the briars opening up ever so slightly. When she had pulled it free, she realized that Arthur, knowing the briar patch so well, had nibbled through just enough of the tangle to make her passage along the path a bit easier.

“You will still have to crawl, I’m afraid, but the going should be easier,” Arthur noted apologetically.

Not wishing to seem ungrateful, and truly thankful for the effort Arthur had made, Lily smiled and once again began to crawl. Arthur walked patiently beside her as she crawled, and the benefit of being able to see him so closely made the passage much more pleasant.

“Thank you, Arthur. That was much easier than before. Although I do wish I could just walk around the briar patch,” Lily suggested, hopeful that Arthur would be more supportive of the idea than Titus had been.

Arthur stopped, mid-stride, to face her. “It is not safe, Miss Lily,” he said sternly.

“But why?” Lily asked.

Arthur’s face grew very serious. “The path, the briar patch, it all means safety, and you must stick to it. I don’t know just what the hawks are up to, but what happened today… to Titus and to you yourself… leaves me a bit uneasy. Now more than ever we must do what we can to keep safe. Can you promise me that should you ever find yourself alone in the forest that you will stick to the path?”

“I promise, Arthur,” Lily said.

They walked on in silence, and soon the darkness of the forest lifted, and Lily began to see the lights of the village twinkling through the trees. Sensing the approach of their parting, Arthur lifted his eyes to her and with a regal bow said, “Would you do me the honor of accompanying me, tomorrow afternoon, to Tea Time in the Rookery, miss?”

“I would be delighted,” she responded with a curtsy and a giggle.

“I will wait for you here at two o’clock, then,” he said. And with a twitch of his whiskers, he ran off into the night.

“Goodnight!” she shouted behind him, but all she heard was the rustle of leaves and the faint barking of a fox in the distance. Smiling, she turned and raced across the moor toward home.