In the days following the contest, Spring went over the various ways that it could have played out in her mind. River could have not gotten the crucial information out to the otters that showed up near the end, or Agent Capybara could have been wrong about so many things

It did not matter. As far as she was concerned, River was ready for her final rite of passage to become a full druid. She had successfully massaged the situation behind the scenes, expanding her influence and network to get eyes and ears working for her. It did not matter a whiff that the stakes were low. It would be a similar thing to take down a kingdom, just with extra steps.

In her room at the inn, she opened her cabinet and pulled out her flask of wine. Turning it over in her paws, the mouse considered how this fell in with the rest of her plans.

She would send River off back to the training grounds...and investigate a lead from one of her old friends.

He'd left a cryptic note that had been sent to her.

"Beware of Chickens"