[Gift] FOTN | Mouse King

The Mouse King arrived with an entire Court of Mice. The tinny sound of tiny trumpets caught Mantis’s attention, and she walked carefully towards the royal procession, eyeing the trumpeters and drummers, the soldiers marching in step in their neatly-pressed uniforms, and the royal carriage in which a velvet-lined wallet lay inside out for the Mouse King and Mouse Prince Consort to sit upon and chat as they were pulled along by two harnessed orchid mantises.

Mantis gave an excitable buzz of her wings and a rattle of her tail, intending to settle carefully down and watch the parade pass by. Alas, she was too big, and the noises too loud for such small creatures. Startled, the mice who had not noticed her jumped into action. The soldiers pulled out swords the size of needles, and the drummers set up rhythm that, to something their size, likely would have been intimidating.

Instead, Mantis gave a polite bow with a small sweep of her sharp forelimbs. “My apologies,” she said, uncertain of how polite one was meant to be in a situation such as this. Surely the Mouse King deserved some politeness, but she was being threatened by his frightened army. A standard bearer waved the long pole she carried at Mantis, brandishing it like a spear.

“Halt!” squeaked the Mouse King, and Mantis wasn’t certain whether he spoke to the other mice or to her.

Neither, it seemed, did his subjects, and the group of them stared at one another for long moments. “I’m Mantis,” she said helpfully.

“You will not speak impertinently to our Majesty,” proclaimed the soldier who walked at the fore of the procession.

“Quiet, Captain Laurel!” the Mouse King demanded. “Friend Mantis — if you are a friend — do you know of any safe place in which we might camp for the night? We are on our way to treat with the Sovereign of Hares; it would be best for us to rest soon and finish the ride to the Warren tomorrow.”

Mantis blinked, considered asking if the Mouse King meant the bunnies in the forest, then decided it wasn’t worth the back and forth. “There’s a big rock not far from here. If you camp on the leeward side, you should be safe from wind and predators.”

“What a remarkable boon you are! Which direction is the rock?”

“I’ll lead you,” she offered. It was, after all, only a few paces away for her.