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Chip and the Quest for the Golden Acorn. Bk 1, Chp 1, Pg 2 |
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Page 2
"When will I graduate, Nana?" The young squirrel asked, innocence in his youthful voice. "Ye have a number of years for ye, little Chip, before ye git your name Name and graduate the Academy...." The motherly squirrel told her grandson, her accent that of the squirrels in the far north, where winter was everlasting and the sun rarely shine. Chip sighed wearily, pushing down his too-small green tunic over his thighs, tightening the worn leather belt about his waist, the last present his father gave him before he disappeared. Nana was, to a certain extent, big. Like most of her people, she was large and round, but strong as an ox and capable of running for miles and miles without stopping. A faded red dress graced her broad shoulders, a green apron over the dress that had more stains than clean fabric on it. She lifted the white laundry basket from the ground by their well, patting Chip on the shoulder as he lay upon their smooth wooden fence, his tail flicking about in wistfulness.
"Ye'll be a squirrel yet, young pip. Just take a metter of time...." She said sagely, before hefting the heavy laundry basket to her shoulder with one arm and waddling towards their small home. Their home was much like every other animals home: Made of gray bricks, a thatch roof, a tall chimney of brick, two windows, two doors, and a wide yard for pretty much everything. They resided by a tall copse of trees that merged with those of the Great Oaks. They lived on the outskirts, of course, on a hill overlooking the Great Oaks, rolling hills of lush green going as far as the eye can see, going everywhere even into that dense and slightly forbidden forest to the west and east.
Chip's ears pricked forward as he heard the huffing of another youth trotting up the hill. He grinned widely, scampering haphazardly across the length of the short fence, hopping to the last post in the line as he called, "Oy, Gus!!!" He grew excited as he watched his rotund friend clamber up their hill.
"It seems...... every year...... this hill..... gets bigger..... or I..... get fatter....." The short and fat squirrel said, huffing up the hill then falling on his gut at the last step. He pushed his glasses up with a shaking paw, looking disdainfully at his now dirty gray long-sleeved tunic, buckled by a length of rope about his pudgy middle. Chip giggled as he hopped to the ground, his poofy tail flicking in excitement. "Good, you got here just in time. Look, they're almost done!!!" He exclaimed, jumping up and down happily. Gus, however, wasn't amused. His rather poofy tail flicked around as well, his brownish red fur quivering with this new exercise. "You go..... ahead.... I'll catch up...." He huffed, sweat going down his furry face, waving a pudgy paw at his best friend.
"Oh, come on, butter-buns, let's GO!!! We gotta beat Gwen to Cherry Hill!!!" Chip exclaimed, declining this defeat by attempting to lift his friend from the comfortable grass. Gus, who didn't even try to stand up, simply grunted.
"You keep pullin' and you'll pull my arm off." He complained with a whine.
"Quit bellyachin' you great pudgems and get up so we can beat Gwen and Rose!!" Chip growled as he pulled his friend ineffectively from the ground. He was struck with an idea. "Bet they'll have some candied apples and strawberries with 'em. They alw-" He grunted as Gus hauled himself from the ground hurriedly, using Chip as a means to do so. Thusly, Chip found the ground touching his back.
"Come on, you lazy slug, we'll miss the tasties!!!" Gus called as he waddled quick-like towards the distant hill.
Cherry Hill is called that for a reason: It has cherry trees all over it. But Chip and Gus enjoyed the tallest one they called Old Toby, because, even though these trees didn't turn orange during the fall - which other trees did - Old Toby did. During the Autumn months, his cherries were even better. Since it was the end of spring and the beginning of the summer, he still had his numerous red bulbs growing from him happily. Chip, having successfully beaten his best friend to the tree, sat on their favorite branch, the one with the best view of the towering ages-old oak trees that stood as the Great Oaks. Twenty trees in all, each thousands of feet high, reaching far into the sky as if they alone held it up. The tallest sat in the middle, two framing the opening of the cluster of oak trees, showing the tall doors into the Great Hall, the other seventeen trees going around the Great Hall in a large circle. Chip's reverie was broken by the huffing of Gus once again, interrupted by munching noises as the out-of-breath squirrel stuffed his fuzzy cheeks with cherries below. Chip looked down, grinning triumphantly at his friend.
"You can run fast when there's food involved. I should do that more often." He commented, Gus too busy stuffing his face to do more than glare and grunt. Two figures soon came into focus, one wearing a blindingly yellow dress with a large yellow parasol and a yellow bonnet. Pretty much, everything she wore was yellow at this moment. The other, however, wore only a deep red tunic that fell below her legs, her fur almost golden, her tail shaped almost perfectly. "Look, Gus. Gwen and Rose are here...." Chip whispered conspiratorially to his friend, Gus suddenly getting nervous.
Gus was never good with talking to females, and wasn't any better in front of Rose either. The two girls, seeing their places already filled, ran - while the one in the dress simply walked faster - to the top of Cherry Hill. "No fair, you live right around the bend. Could've given us a head start!?!" said the young squirrel in the red tunic, placing fists on her hips haughtily.
"Oh quit whining, Gwen. You got a good head start since Gus had to actually run here. He fell over enough to give you two a good start." Chip retorted, flinging himself daintily from the tree branch. He looked into his other best friends amber eyes with his own starlingly green ones. Chip grinned sheepishly at those thick lashed eyes, standing just slightly taller than Gwen, or Gwendolen depending on the circumstances. She changed tactics.
"We LET you beat us. You fell for our great and noble trick..." Gwen said, her eyes twinkling, thinking she got him beat. "Oh, so you let us get here first, to eat all the yummy cherries and leave very little for you, while sitting in your seats and getting the best view of the Great Hall? Yes, very noble of you to allow us to sit in your esteemed places, fair maiden." Chip replied gallantly, bowing to her with a tease in his voice. His bow, however, didn't allow him to dodge the flying tackle of Gwen to his back. A rough tumble ensued, followed by squeaks, giggles, grunts, and name-calling. All the while, Rose in her dainty yellow dress and reddish fur sat beside Gus happily, Gus feeling rather nervous at her closeness. "Oh look, snack and a show..." Rose said giddily, giggling for no apparent reason. Gus just grunted, his mouth happily full of the cherry goodness.
Chip planted himself squarely on top of Gwen, his arms pinning hers down while his legs pinned her legs as well. "There, now admit your girly and enjoy bright colors." He commanded, getting a stuck out tongue in response.
"YOU admit it, your the one who likes pink and blue!" Gwen replied, struggling within his grip to no avail. "Pink is manly, plus blue is a boys color..." He replied sagely, just as Gus chucked a ripe cherry at his head, hitting with a plonk and getting giggles from the girls present.
"Ok lovebirds, the show's starting." He said wearily. Chip, feeling his authority threatened, scampered up the tree, closely followed by his crush and best friend, their fight forgotten. Gwen, always having had feelings for Chip, sat squarely in front of him, leaning on his chest wearily, his thin arms wrapped around her happily. They all gasped when the doors of the Great Hall opened, a tidal wave of new Steven's and Stephanie's roaring out of those wide doors in jubilation. Hats flew into the air in their celebration, a vast cloud of orange and red as the multitudes grew, their cheers even echoing as far as Cherry Hill where four best friends sat together, eyes wide and twinkling at this great event. Chip knew, with all certainty, that one day he'll be joining that crowd. He couldn't have been more wrong....
 Lord Arimor Darkheart · Sun Oct 25, 2009 @ 09:46pm · 0 Comments |
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