Captain Bell-

The aviary are having trouble reaching over their supply lines. I can’t get any good information beyond our lines without using the scouts. Even the scouts are having trouble with this War Chief Alexa. From everything we’ve gathered, she has decimated the populace behind her, and her Nation has given her full support while paying lip service to her being a rogue actor. I expect her forces to be four hundred strong warriors and one hundred irregulars and supply train and support, based on the footprint. Their strong supply chain makes it difficult to predict a good time to attack. I have sent numerous requests to get the aviary to reconsider their decision to not give us an aerial overview. Last I heard after a squad was taken down, it demoralized the birds.

Master Sergeant Mongoose

Penned by the paw of Private Monroe

Captain Bell pinched his nose. Another piece of bad information among his many reports. He never thought that he would miss being a scout nearly as much as he did now, far from the lines. He filed the note into the pile of never-ending reports. He stood up and walked to the window. One of the only benefits of his office was having a window looking out on his nation, his home.

Having the aviary not stick to the plan, was one of the regular problems he’d dealt with. After centuries of working together, they just always wanted to do what they wanted to do. He barely considered them a military outfit at all and from time to time, he felt that it wasn’t warranted to have them as allies on certain days.

Raven knew that they tried hard though. They were all so nice about it, and when they were all in sync it was a thing to behold, but they rested on their whims far too often.

The coalition would hold as long as Captain Bell had something to say about it.

The rabbit straightened his ears before grabbing a second letter. There was far less paperwork as a scout, and he’d been able to dictate a lot of his reports to a trusted subordinate.

Captain Bell-

I understand that you’re a busy creature and as my man on the inside, I need your help. The scouts have been well outfitted but we need more supply trains to come through. Please if you can do anything to get either the Riverfolk or some of the underground to deliver material in the order of sustenance and some of the other listed supplies below, we would be extremely grateful.

I have many contacts who may be useful. Please let my cousin know if you require some.

-Lieutenant Muk Chin-Hwa

Coalition Quartermaster

P.S. Has Freya said anything about me? I don’t know if my letters have reached her, and I fear that my rival may try something while I am away.

List Follows

…

He wondered idly if the poor mouse had read about Freya’s encounter with the cobbler brothers in the recent society papers.

The spymaster was not going to send it. That would be too brutal.

The society papers were on his desk, however, and it was the season. Would Muk have done the same thing and not passed the message onwards if their positions were reversed?

The rabbit sighed and grabbed his only copy of the society papers, and put it in an envelope. He’d write the quartermaster a letter.

Mice loved letters, don’t they?

A blue jay he didn’t recognize and a raven was flying in formation outside his window. He smiled. There was still joy in the world, and he would protect it for as long as he could.

Then the raven landed gracefully and the bluejay face-planted onto the dusty mesa surface. Captain Bell could not help but laugh at the situation. The pair must have been young to not be working at this time of day, but he had expected a blue jay of all creatures to have control of their flight.

He looked a bit closer. This blue jay wasn’t familiar to him, but they often weren’t so green looking.

That was neither here nor there at the moment. It broke the tension quite effectively and he began to smile. Perhaps now would be a good time to review the weather forecast?

He sighed, bringing up the Yellowrock almanac. The damned weather report went out every day like clockwork to the field. It was accurate for up to three days but with two days of travel at best.

He had struggled with the strange requirements of his office. Someone had taken the time to record weather patterns over the years and historical events and each year it was updated. Usually, only farmers used the almanac, but as a scout leader, he had relied upon these reports in the field.

His worn copy of the almanac had been handed off to Master Sergeant Mongoose when he had left. All of his notes were in the liners. This pristine version in his office just didn't have the character he was used to.

He turned a page to the current month. Of the eight months of the year, this one seemed particularly long. Perhaps it was that with the harvest over, everyone was able to get into everyone else's business. Or could it be that he was not in the field this season as he'd initially intended to be?

All thoughts of his old life left him as he turned to see the winter period. He expected heavy rain on many of the upcoming days.

That might give his coalition the advantage. They would need every advantage to beat the war chief. His fox emissaries' inquiries to the cat leadership had turned out to be a waste of time.

They were complicit and he would make them pay but for now, he considered what note to send his friend.

Muk-

I cannot direct the actions of others in matters of the heart. However, I am emboldened to tell you that this Lady Bluefooted’s paper speaks that Miss Uki has been busy with the cobbler brothers when the reality is far more arcane.

She has been working with Master Sergeant Mongoose and the scouts on my behalf, equipping them with sturdy riding beasts to make message transmission faster.

She is almost certainly too busy to pursue the societal expectations thrust upon her.

Yours.

A.Bell

Captain of her Majesty's Weather service

He attached a brief weather report as well. The mouse would appreciate it. Mice love weather reports after all.