Fairy Bunking Chapter 3: All Out

Her slate fur had such a lustrous sheen that the noonday summer sunlight seemed to spill across her back and haunches, and drip from her bristly tail. The petite mud-colored nose twitched over the tip of her comely hair-lip while she sauntered down the lane of a broad pine branch. Just before disappearing from sight, she threw a coy glance towards Perfidious, and perhaps she even smiled.

And that was the moment Perfidious knew there was something special about that particular squirrel. His heart melted and he felt himself swooning. Quickly, he looked about for Ubermensch and Apraxia, hoping they did not witness the encounter. Satisfied he was alone, he dropped to the ground from his lookout atop a hollow log. Within the log came the scamper of dainty feet and he dashed to the end, and peered inside.

Two soft amber eyes gazed out at him and his heart began thumping wildly in his chest. He was now face-to-face with the squirrel.

"I saw you watching me," she almost spoke with a friendly, airy whisper. Perfidous wasn't sure she had said anything at all.

"You're very beau...," he drew a finger to his lips mid sentence, then said, "The sunlight compliments your coat quite nicely."

His eyes remained riveted to hers for some time before stealing away to look deeper into the shadows for her bushy tail. "If you enjoy basking, I could show you a rather pleasant grove." His smile was sweet, though a subtle curve in the corner made it dubious. "There would be other squirrels, of course," he added hastily.

"Never have I seen one of your beauty," he said when she didn't respond.

He stood at the edge of the log, gazing at her, and telling the squirrel whatever happened to be in his mind.

And though Apraxia had not seen Perfidious atop the log, he could clearly see him at its end. He frantically fanned his face with his hand and wondered aloud, "Whatever is he doing?" And, more loudly, "my word!" when he saw a robin land nearby. "This simply won't do," he said and was now in such a state that he flitted to a fern because the plant's deeper green better matched his forest-green boots, and the robin had completely ruined his carefully planned participation in the surrounding flora's feng shui. He didn't need the distraction of thinking he may not be color coordinated because of an insensitive bird.

Apraxia became so distracted with making sure his powder blue vest worked well with the fern that he wasn't prepared to be tackled by Ubermensch.

Yet, that is exactly what transpired. From high above, Ubermensch dove into Apraxia, knocking him off the fern, and then pulled him behind a branch of pine.

Noticing the ruckus, and since the squirrel had scampered off, Perfidious dashed around the edge of a large stone, racing towards the other two fairies. As he ran, he drew his rifle to his shoulder, pulling the stock tight against his shoulder. When near the branch, he slid into a prone position beside Ubermensch. "Did Apraxia's shirt offend someone?" he asked.

Ubermensch tapped his helmet with a gloved hand and lowered the visor. He sighted through the magnified lens and nodded towards a far off clearing. "They spotted us."

"Who is 'they'?" Apraxia asked, perturbed. "The offended critters of the woodland?" He held up his hands and flamboyantly lay his palms across his chest. "The demon of forest fashion? Some armada of enemy forces?"

"Enemy," Ubermensch muttered tersely.

"Way out here?" Perfidious asked. "How many did you see?"

He hesitated, and then said, "All of them." He didn't look up when he spoke.

"Well did they see us?" Apraxia gestured wildly at all three fairies.