"We have to test their defenses. Normally we would take more time to do this, but time is of the essence."

The brief walk into the Furrows gave Freya more and more anxiety the closer they came to the opposite side.

"We'll take a look from the top, River?"

Sela motioned to the top of the Furrows.

"Is there a better way to look west?" She replied.

"Not unless you fly. There are several outcroppings below the top where we can get a sense of what's going on," he said, walking farther up.

Freya looked up at the twisting pathway. It seemed both organic and artificial.

“It looks like they used the land to suit the city and then the city embraced the land,” she said.

"Let's hope the burrows follow the same path," Sela said

"Did you mean the furrows?"

"No."

Freya's tail tensed.

"We're going to need to infiltrate their lines, Freya," River said, "how else would we pass through the buildup? The mass of Soldiers holding the line is a pressing problem."

"You want us to go through…."

River glared back at her as they moved uphill.

It seemed that was exactly what River wanted.

"I'm going to teach you the weave up there. We're not going to walk down this side of the burrows."

River pointed up the furrows. Freya resigned herself to this course of action. Stick around a druid long enough, as the saying went, and you might get to see some magic.

The mid-afternoon crowd inside the city was more sedate. Freya watched as badgers and raccoons all went about their business. The somber mood kept up as they passed through a bustling street market.

Interspersed with the locals, several Soldiers from the regiment were conducting business acquiring goods. One chicken was loaded down with a fair amount of food. Freya and River gave it and its rider a wide berth.

Officially as far as the coalition was concerned, they weren't there. As far as a druid circle was concerned, the coalition could go stuff it.

"Something you're going to need to think about," River said," is how well cats can smell."

Freya understood the implication. Mice had a fair sense of smell but cats could probably walk around blind without stubbing their toes.

"Have you seen any other ravens?" She replied, scanning the streets. Corvids were uncommon, but normal to be seen Interspersed with the other races.

"No. It worries me."

Sela plunged ahead following some non-verbal command.

"He is going to do his ranger thing. We'll follow behind loosely. He suspects a vestigial rear appendage."

Freya frowned.

"A tail? Why would…"

"Ssshhh."

And Freya remembered for the first time in a long time that there were two meanings to the word tail. She could only hope that the ranger was keeping them safe.

"Just act naturally. We're going to lower our hoods and duck forward before we step into the burrows. Sela will watch to see if something follows us into the alleyway."

River gestured vaguely to the right and saw that the flow of sedate badgers had dropped to a trickle.

A row of houses stopped with a jarring alley on their right and left, as the road continued upwards. River walked with a purpose, not turning behind to look as Freya followed.

As soon as they turned the corner, River began a short six-pointed weave that opened a tall portal in the air. The shimmering material was translucent, giving a view of the other side. It looked like another city and River stepped through, gesturing for Freya to follow.

Freya took a deep breath, shouldered her pack, and walked through.

The light of midday disappeared as River walked around the portal.

They were in a blocky dead city that resembled the place they had just left. Above them, the sky was dark and the little bit of light was from two large moons. At least there were two large moons.

Then something blotted out one of the moons and Freya gasped.

***

“Lady Beatrice, thank you for your kind invitation,” Lady Raina said.

The mouse welcomed the rabbit on a very blustery day.

“I take it that you’d welcome a warm beverage as much as I would.”

“My dear, I am positively thrilled that you’d offer me anything to warm my hands. This chill has me feeling positively ghastly. Tulip, if you would?”

Lady Raina took Tulip's hand as she lowered the Rabbit down from her coach.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit? It can’t be that you’ve missed me so much.”

Tulip looked up and then stood back against the coach, awaiting her mistress. Lady Raina stood up to her full height and immediately regretted it, hunching down slightly.

“I have not heard from my young protegee in quite some time, it has been nearly five or six days?”

The mouse and rabbit walked arm in arm into the Uki estate.

“Why has it been so long?”

“I should be asking her what has become of her, but I daresay that I can ask her myself. Has she made up her mind? Or perhaps her recent run-in had caused her to be a shut-in?”

“And there is always next season. Perhaps we should discuss Freya's current business venture as this might weight a bit on my response?”

“Oh, that would be quite a discussion, indeed. I find novel business approaches refreshing in this day and age, where every shop is selling the same stories. Perhaps you could enlighten me?”

“I’d be more than glad to, Miss Tulip, do come in.”

Tulip walked in to finally hear the thing that had been bothering her. She hoped that Freya had a good reason for her disappearance.