PRODIGAL: An Introduction, of Sorts

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This was Rabbit’s fourth visit to Brown Bear’s cave this morning—he’d long since learned this was the best plan of attack.  It would be better off for all of them if Bear had time to adjust, and it helped to wake the big guy in stages.  Bear wasn’t so much a grump as he was out-and-out loud, but he also had one heck of a reach.  As far as Rabbit was concerned, don’t kill the messenger.
Brown Bear harrumphed across the forest floor, still groggy from being woken up entirely too early.  Rabbit game him plenty of room as he careened through the underbrush.  The burrow with the missus would be quite welcome at this juncture.  Rabbit himself had been up since well before the sun.  Wise Old Turtle had come to him sometime in the night.  The story was long and drawn out, which was really the only way he knew how to tell them.

This was not easy listening for Rabbit.  He’d had the gist of it by about halfway through, and was dying to hop to it.  He wanted to be on the move already!  Feet thumped, like he was running in place.  Jumping to conclusions were inherent flaws of Rabbit’s character; however, he supposed he should wait.

Lightning bugs swarmed by the bottleful, fit to burst, a continual pre-dawn light necessary for council business.  At any given moment half the fireflies would be lit, while the others would be resting.  This early in the morning, however, there were quite a few still yet to be woken, the light dim.

Though the day had recently been saved, New Spring was still days away.  The chill was still here, and the threat of death lingered.  The insects arrived early enough to light the way and understood.  This was important, so much so that it would be a sign of the times before, one that advertised everything imaginable and flashed

IMPORTANT

IMPORTANT

IMPORTANT.

They didn’t know what it was that deserved the attention, but the murmurings hinted at something.  Something big.  Something possibly worth dying for, or so the Forest Kingdom breathed.

It was always darkest before dawn, so it was said.  Tonite, this morning, wherever time fell, was like no other.  Miss Moon had set and though birds were calling, Sire Sun was still hours away.  Like the animals on their way, the clouds gathered as well and fixing to storm.  The wind had not failed to mention it either as it picked up speed and shouted through the trees.