WINKLIN AND THE KING’S WOODEN THRONE
by Patricia Page
Chapter 1 – Winklin
Weegen Code of Conduct Number 1:
When away from your hollow, beware of the following: Prey Animals, Fire, Thunder, Rain, Hail, Lightning, Strong Winds, Flooding, anything else that could be dangerous, and ESPECIALLY HUMANS!
Winklin sprinted through the early morning mist, her wide furry feet running swiftly over the soft mossy ground. She dove into a tall stand of ferns and zigzagged between the clumps of green stems. The early morning sun twinkled between the high feathery fronds. “I’m late!” she thought and ran faster.
Dashing out from the ferns, Winklin hopped over a cluster of mushrooms, ducked through a hollow log, vaulted over a small boulder and landed on a trail worn bare by years of scurrying furry feet. She raced along the path, then abruptly veered off and slipped down a wet grassy slope. When she reached the edge of a small stream, she stopped.
Breathing hard, she watched the tumbling water flow past and felt the cool mist on her face. She crouched, ready to leap. “Jump in now,” she said to herself, but hesitated. The water would be icy cold.
“Jump in!” she urged herself again, “Before –”
“Winklin! Winklin!”
She cringed. Too late. Feet thumped behind her as her older sister Lillia hurried down the slope.
“Where have you been? I’ve been looking all over for you!” Lillia stepped in front of Winklin, her hands on her hips. “You didn’t –” She stopped and leaned back, looking her sister up and down. “Why are you covered with mud? And why are you panting like a scared squirrel?”
An explanation about the mud was what Winklin hoped to avoid. She had made yet another risky, bad decision and didn’t want her sister to know. Especially because – and this made Winklin grit her teeth – Lillia was in charge of her. Their parents had gone away on an emergency mission and asked her older sister to take care of Winklin while they were gone.
Lillia stood waiting for a reply. Winklin’s mind raced for a plausible answer. She would have to be creative.
With a casual shrug, she said, “I fell into a hole.” It was partly true. There was a hole, but she hadn’t fallen in – she jumped in. “I was running home to clean up…before Mission sign-up.” Again, not quite true. She was running home to clean up – before her sister saw her.
Her bad decision began when she woke early that morning to the rumbling of her stomach and decided to pick sunberries for breakfast. She knew her big sister would say no, she couldn’t go. The sunberry bushes are too far. “Well, I’m tired of doing everything Lillia wants,” she muttered, “Today, I’m doing what I want!” Launching out of her featherbed, she landed gracefully on the floor and her furred feet slid across the shiny wood surface. Leaning to a stop, she put her hands on her hips and surveyed her untidy room.
Winklin was a Tree Weegen – a small forest creature about the size of a young squirrel. Like other Weegens, Winklin resembled a Human, with some important differences. Her skin changed color by the season – brown like the bark of trees in summer and a light tone blending with the snow in winter. Soft brown fur covered her feet and thumbs, and her wide toes and large thumbs had sharp retractable claws she could pull in and pop out when needed.
Based on age, there were three types of Weegens: Little, Young and Grown. Winklin and her sister were in the Young group as Winklin was 10 in Human years, and Lillia was 12.
The Tree Weegens lived in little holes or “hollows” carved out of giant trees. Because she was no longer a Little Weegen, Winklin had her own individual hollow. It was a cozy room, with smooth rounded walls and a flat floor. Her domed wooden ceiling was covered with beautiful woodland flowers carved by her ancestors many years ago. The only furniture was her bed, a low table and some wooden shelving. Three colorful sitting pillows were scattered around the room.
For safety, there were no windows in Winklin’s hollow, so it was almost pitch black. However, like many creatures of the woods, she had good night vision and could see in the dark.
As her clothing shelf was empty, she scanned the floor for something to wear. Among wrinkled pieces of parchment paper, black-tipped feather pens and tins of colored ink, she spotted a wrinkled tunic and pants. Throwing off her nightdress, she slipped them on, then grabbed her backpack and hurried to the round wooden door.
Her furry thumb slid open the round peephole. Winklin looked out with one eye and smiled. She loved being awake before dawn, when the calling birds and buzzing insects were silent, and the trees were veiled in misty grey. Seeing no sign of danger, Winklin threw open the door, popped out her claws and leaped sideways onto the broad trunk of her Family Tree.
It was springtime, Winklin’s favorite season of the year! At last, she was done with school in the stuffy, torch-lit Young Weegens’ Cave. It was fun in other seasons, when the cavern was used for activities and parties, but Winklin hated it in winter! During school, she and the other Young Weegens sat on pillows at low tables lined up in a semi-circle around the teacher. Sitting still was difficult for Winklin and her teachers were often annoyed at her for not paying attention and being restless and fidgety. At times, even the other students would give her irritated looks.
Now that school was over, Winklin was free! She could run through the trees and breathe in the fresh air of spring. She pushed her round door shut, and using her thumb and toe claws, sprinted squirrel-like up the tree. She stopped at the first large branch, climbed on, then ran until she reached a branch of the next tree and leaped onto it. Jumping from tree to tree, she raced through the forest.
When she got to the edge of a wide, grassy meadow, Winklin paused. She could see the sunberries across the open ground. She was tempted to run straight through the meadow, but chose to take the safe route around, running high through the forest.
When she came upon a tree near a sunberry bush, she climbed down the trunk until she hung next to the shrub heavy with bright yellow fruit. Holding onto the bark with her toe claws, she stretched out her hands, pulled off a large berry and took an eager bite.
“Ugh!” Her mouth screwed up and spit it out. So sour! The berries weren’t ripe yet! She’d have to come back later in the spring.
Winklin scurried back up the tree and studied the sky. The glowing orange sun was just above the horizon. “It’s getting late!” she groaned. “I need to hurry, or someone will take the mission I want – again!”
She examined the meadow below. Would the spring grasses hide her from prey animals? They weren’t yet high above her head, as they would be in summer, but would probably give her enough cover to be safe. “It is called Tallgrass Meadow,” she reasoned, and decided to take the shorter route across.
When Winklin jumped to the ground and waded into the grass, she frowned. It was not as high as she thought, and her head and neck showed above the young blades. However, she decided to go ahead. If she crouched low and ran fast, it would be safe enough.
Halfway across the meadow, she stopped, then dropped down to the ground. She heard something…but what? Slowly moving her head back and forth, she listened. Like other Weegens, Winklin had large ears and exceptionally good hearing.
At first, the only noises were insects buzzing and soft swaying grass. Then a sound came from above. WHOOSH-WHOOSH! The hairs on her neck prickled. Peeking out, she gasped. A black silhouette with broad wings and long hanging talons flew straight toward her. A hawk!
WHOOSH-WHOOSH! The huge bird was coming fast, looking lean and hungry. She dropped back down, then slowly parted the grass to look up again. The bird’s black beady eyes bore into hers. Her stomach gripped in terror. It was coming for her! A young Weegen would be a tasty meal for a hawk. She needed to hide!
She peered across the meadow toward home. The trees on the other side were too far – she couldn’t get there in time. Straight ahead she saw a large rock jutting above the grass. Not the best hiding spot, but the only one close. She ducked her head and dashed toward it.
When she neared the rock, she burst into a small clearing and her stomach dropped. The rock was tall and narrow. No niches or crannies. No place to hide!
As her eyes frantically scanned back and forth, she saw something on the ground in front of the rock. It was round and black. A hole! Big enough for her? Leaning forward and gasping for breath, she ran toward it, her knees pumping so hard they almost hit her chest.
Suddenly, the great bird was above her, its black shadow engulfing her small form. Its sharp talons hovered above her head, ready to grab. She screamed. “AAAAAHH!”
At that moment, she reached the open hole and dove in. Warm air whooshed from the wings of the huge bird as it swooped down for the catch, talons out! Claws grabbed at one of her furry feet but just missed! She flew downward into the deep, dark hole.
“Oof!” Her breath was knocked out as she landed hard on her stomach. She slid down a wet muddy slope, then at the bottom, rolled in thick oozy muck. The overwhelming odor of animal fur and pellets almost made her throw up. But the smell was a relief. It was rabbit! She was in a rabbit burrow and they don’t eat Weegens!
When her eyes adjusted to the dark, she cautiously crawled back up the slope. With one eye peeking out, she watched the hawk circle above. When its black form finally disappeared behind the trees, she vaulted out of the hole into daylight and raced toward home.
Now she stood by the stream in front of her big sister, itching from the drying mud. Winklin noticed Lillia examining her and squirmed.
Facing each other, the two Young Weegens didn’t look like sisters. Lillia was tall and lithe; Winklin was muscular and stout. Lillia’s face was oval-shaped, and her eyes were blue-green; Winklin’s face was round, and her eyes large and dark brown. Lillia’s auburn hair was long and neatly pulled back in a braid. Winklin’s unruly brown hair was short to avoid tangles. She reached up to smooth it, and her fingers felt slimy with muck.
As usual, her older sister was clean and tidy. She was dressed in typical Tree Weegen style – linen pants and a tunic top tied with a thick braided belt. Her clothes were unwrinkled, and in the traditional spring camouflage colors in swirls of green and brown. She wore a small brown pack on her back. Hanging from her belt was a tightly coiled rope, a whistle for emergencies and a sheath with a small knife used for cutting ropes and plants – all standard accessories for a Weegen.
Winklin glanced down at her own clothes. Everything she wore was creased and covered with mud. Her pants were frayed, her tunic sagged, and her rope belt was missing. Fortunately, she had forgotten to clip on her knife that morning or it would be lost too!
She looked up. Her sister was squinting at her suspiciously, then leaned closer and sniffed. “Ugh! Winklin, what is that smell?”
Winklin opened her mouth but didn’t have a quick reply. Fortunately, Lillia remembered something important and didn’t wait for an answer.
“Winklin!” she exclaimed, her eyes wide. “Have you heard about the Humans??”
Chapter 2 – Winklin’s “Mission of the Day”
Weegen Code of Conduct Number 3:
Humans hunt and trap forest creatures. If they become aware of our existence, they will do the same to us. Therefore, this Code must be strictly followed: If you see a Human, be SILENT and HIDE! They must not EVER see or hear a Weegen. And that means NEVER!
After Lillia said the word “Humans”, Winklin stared at her, then burst out, spewing mud, “What? Who??”
Her sister glared and wiped the spatters of dirt from her face. “Humans! There are two of them!”
Winklin’s jaw dropped. The Tree Weegens lived in an isolated area away from Human settlements. Their Trees were surrounded by dense, dark forest and treacherous terrain, including steep ravines, foggy swamps and pockets of deadly quicksand. Humans considered it too dangerous for travel and called it the Forbidden Forest. They had never come close before. So why now?
“Uncle Ronem saw them,” Lillia said. “He was on his way to the Coast and spotted two of them on horseback riding this way! He ran back to warn everyone. He said they’re not local Humans. He thinks they’re probably lost and will find the way back to their village soon.”
Winklin hoped her uncle was right but was worried. Maybe the Humans were there for some other reason. But what could it be?
Lillia frowned at her and said sternly, “Later I need to know about the mud and –” she wrinkled her nose, “that smell. But now we’ve got to hurry. I want to see if we can find out more about the Humans! And we need to get to the Mission Hollow or all the good missions will be gone.” She pointed to the stream. “I’ll wait here while you wash off.”
“You don’t have to wait for me,” Winklin protested. She resented her sister always watching her and telling her what to do.
“Oh, yes, I do. I don’t want to lose you again. Mother and Father left me in charge of you, remember?”
“You make it impossible to forget,” Winklin mumbled.
She glided her furry feet over the smooth stones at the edge of the stream and gingerly slid them into the water. After a few more steps, the stream flowed above her ankles and over the top of her warm fur. When it hit her bare leg, she shuddered! The water flowed down from the snowy tops of the Zumine Mountains and was shockingly cold.
“Hurry up! It’s not that bad,” Lillia called. Winklin turned and with a tight smile beckoned for her to come in too. Lillia shook her head and impatiently waved her on. Winklin was tempted to reach out and push her sister face-first into the freezing water! Instead, she let out a low growl and waded into the rushing stream.
She stopped at a stone wall on the other side of the brook and sidled under a wide protruding rock. Winklin shivered as she faced a roaring, splashing waterfall pouring down from the ledge above her. Taking a deep breath, she plunged into the icy water. “EEEEEE!” she squealed.
After the mud washed off, Winklin climbed out of the creek dripping wet, teeth chattering. “I need to get on d-d-d-dry clothes,” she said.
“Nope, we’ve got to go! Those will dry eventually,” Lilla said. Winklin scowled but didn’t argue. She was in a hurry too.
The sisters ran back to the path and followed it until they arrived at the enormous trunk of a gigantic tree. It was the largest, tallest tree in the Forbidden Forest. The Weegens called it the Great Oak.
Winklin stopped beside the trunk, crouched low and with a thrust of her powerful legs, leaped into the air. As she landed, her sharp thumb and toe claws popped out and dug into the bark. Her long fingers spread out, gripping the rough surface. Then she sprinted up the tree and stopped when she reached a large open door with a sign that said, “MISSION HOLLOW”.
In Spring, Summer and Fall, all Young and Grown Weegens perform Daily Missions of gathering food and other tasks necessary for their communal safety and survival. The Mission Hollow was where the Weegens went to sign up for their Daily Missions.
Winklin reached up to put her fingers into a deep groove carved above the door. Bending her knees, she put her feet against the tree next to the doorway and pushed off. Her legs flew back into the air, then swung gracefully through the opening. She landed smoothly on her furry feet.
The Mission Hollow had been carved out of the Great Oak two hundred years ago by the Tree Weegens’ ancestors. Its wood floors were polished to a high sheen, and the domed roof was elegantly carved with birds and other woodland animals. The walls were covered with large slate boards. The room had been bursting with talking and laughing Weegens earlier that morning but now was silent and deserted.
Lillia swung in next to Winklin. “Ugh, everyone else has already signed up and gone to do their missions,” she complained. “We are really late!”
The sisters walked to a large slate board. At the top was a sign that said DAILY MISSIONS in the Weegens’ neat pictograph writing. The board showed a long list of tasks that needed to be done that day. Most had already been taken. Winklin stepped back in shock when she noticed a note tacked next to the board: “NO MISSIONS OUTSIDE OF OUR TREES TODAY. HUMANS IN THE FOREST!”
“See? I told you!” Lillia said, “And look! Some missions are crossed out. Let’s see what’s left.”
