Featherclaws, Book 2, Darkleaf
Here is the Prologue of my next story! I’m really excited about the plot of this one! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
~Prologue ~
Rain drummed on the thin tin roof, before rolling down the rusted ridges and flowing like rivers down the foggy windowpanes. The small black pipe sprouting to the corner of the roof coughed up thick grey smoke that evaporated in the wet air. Low growls echoed through the clouds.
Inside the hut, a blazing orange fire crackled. Large hands hefted a chunk of wood into the flames, and instantly the orange began blackening the bark.
Ranger Bill returned to his seat, resting one leg on the other. His olive green trousers were rolled up at the bottom, touching his work boots which had quite frankly never been cleaned before. His jacket, branded by a gold Pirongia Ranger badge, was scruffily buttoned up. A cowboy hat sat on the wooden kitchen table, when in actuality, Ranger Bill wasn’t a boy, had no interest in cows, and worked on the trails of Mount Pirongia’s forest.
The hut door swung open, and in stepped another man. His figure was short and squat, and beard half-hidden by a smart grey scarf. He removed his grey raincoat, cast a bitter glare at the rusted wire hook, and begrudgingly hung it up, his crinkled face expressing a look of sour disgust.
“Gidday. Foul weather out there, ain’t it? I’ll make a cuppa milo if yeh like.” Before his guest could grumpily object, he marched across the room and put on the jug, which seemed to be the only electronic device in his cabin. While it boiled, making the room uncomfortably stuffy, Ranger Bill chucked some more wood into the fireplace.
“Greetings,” the guest replied in a smooth, oily voice; the sort of voice you’d expect a well-groomed snail to have. “My name is Benjamin Frankfurst, CEO of Frankfurst Industries.”
This statement wasn’t surprising. The enormous black briefcase in Mr. Frankfurst’s large tubby hand proudly presented those exact letters in bold capital letters, smack-bang on the side.
“I’m here with a business proposal, Ranger Sir,” the little man continued. “It’s regarding the matter of Mount Pirongia.”
18 Comments
Tess
I won’t be able to email for a couple of days because I emailed so much yesterday. What did your dad say about rabbits? We can talk through comments though
stellaslittleworld
They said no to rabbits, which is Ok. I love Maple and Pingu anyway 🙂 Did Mindy have her bunnies last night? Maple is getting soooo good at calling by her name!
Tess
Boozers! No, we’ll try with phoenix’s dad instead of bobby again, hopefully soon. I wiiiish you could get a baby bunny. 🐰 🙁🏇
stellaslittleworld
So Mindy didn’t have any bunnies?
Tess
No sadly but we’ll try again soon. Just let me know if your parents would let you get baby bunnies because I’d give you one free. Dad made two of our hutches, he made a wooden box and cut a door in for the bedroom then he did a half box for the outside shelter, attaching it with planks of wood then he covered the rest in chicken wire, it didn’t take long and I think we did it all out of scrap wood…… please try and convince them a bit more, I reeeeeeeeeeally want one or two of Mindy’s babies with you. Tess🙏🐰
stellaslittleworld
I made a slideshow trying to convince them. I’ll present it to them soon. Can I ask, what would you do if Mindy was sick? I have to fully pay for the rabbits myself and I don’t know what I would do. I’m jumping Maz today! Soo excited! Do your rabbits like digging holes? I’m not sure Dad would be too keen if the lawn under our trampoline was demolished full of holes. If Mindy did have babies, could I have two girls or one girl? I don’t think I want boys, because they’re prone to fighting, unless it was one boy. 🐇🐴🐀Stella
Tess
Eeeeeeeeeeee! I reallllly hope it works. Me and Yana are keeping two but if she only has two well keep one and give you one. If we have enough girls, definitely otherwise I’ll give you one boy. Make sure to tell me what they say through comments straight away. ASAP! Hole digging, if rabbits have wire on the bottom for the first month or two they will be trained not to dig so you can put som under the weight of the trampoline would keep it down then when she, or he is trained you can take it away. If it’s under the trampoline and you move it every day you won’t have to buy pellets for them, Mindy’s fully off grass except when she’s pregnant. Rabbits don’t get sick very often and when they do it’s usually when people have large amounts of bunnies, our friend from church, who gave me Mindy for 20 dollars had 4 and her sister had 2 one day their rabbits got sick and a day later only 2 were alive, she’s been breeding rabbits for 20 years and it’s only happened a couple of times. The other way is if a wild rabbit gets to them and passes it on. It’s not common they get sick though. Tess and Yana
stellaslittleworld
Eee thank you so so so much this is soooo helpful! I will definatly let you know how Maz goes – I will do a blog post! Hopefully Sophie will take some videos for me 🙂 It would be the bestest thing for me to have one of darling Mindy’s babies, but also I COMPLETELY understand if you want both for yourselves if she only has two. I could adopt a rabbit from the SPCA maybe, but it would be awesome if I could have one of Mindy’s. I hope the pony-trimming goes well! I clipped Maz’s mane and tail when I bathed him and clipped his coat with Sophie, and it’s grown out sooo fast! His tail is sooo thick and gorgeous black and almost dragging on the ground!! 🐇🐴🐀Also this morning i was sitting in the kitchen reading my book and Maple was ACTUALLY SLEEPING on my shoulder snuggled up in my hair!! Mum even caught it on video! It was soo cute!!!! I’ll post the video on my Maz post 🙂 Stella 🐇🐴
stellaslittleworld
PS are you still doing Duolingo? Is Yana?
Tess
Let me know how jumping mazzy goes 😃😃😃😃😃😃
Tess
Also Im going to trim Goldie’s mane and tail this avo or tomorrow, Im just looking into it now!
Tess
Eeeeeeeee, that’s sooooo cute. Duolingo, yeah we were kinda taking a break cause William was spending too much time on it and it just got out of habit, I definitely want to get it up again soon and when I do, you want to do a friend streak? Im praying she’ll have four and both her and her sister willow have always had four in every litter so Im pretty confident she’ll have enough, Im dying for you to have one of minos. If you don’t though which is only a tiny percentage, rescuing an spca one would save the life of another very cute rabbit, Im praying with all my heart your mum and dad say yes
Tess
I looove him https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/marketplace/pets-animals/other/listing/6161128430
Tess
Are you presenting your slide show soon?
stellaslittleworld
Yeah probably tomorrow night 🙂 Do you have anything else that could help with my presentation?I DEFINATLY want to do a friend streak. I’m praying that I can get Maz and that I can have one of gorgeous Mindy’s bunnies ♥️ Maz and I cantered a 65cm jump! I’m going to do a post tomorrow eek! He was soooo good and guess what? Sophie said I could go over and ride him anytime I want just as long as Mum or Dad is around!! yayyyyyy!!!!
Tess
You can litter box train them so they don’t poo all over your dads lawn, also I’ll give you a water dropper and a food bowl I’ve got spares
stellaslittleworld
Hey Tess, so sorry but Mum and Dad say no to rabbits, because they’re prone to health issues and they say that Maz, Maple and Pingu are enough for me right now. I still hope Mindy has bunnies! Maybe I can convince them when I’m older 🙂
Tess
Whaaat?? I’ve had rabbits for two years and they’re fine. My friend Abby has bred them for 20 years and she rarely has had problems. 🥺😢🙁