Rodentia Adventures

CHAPTER 16: LOST AND FOUND

The black furred middle aged mouse splashed some cool water from a clay basin (not that the water of the city came in any other temperature) onto his face. It had been a long day of clearing out debris and assisting with basic repairs. The city gates stood upright once more, even if the mechanisms holding them in place still required a great deal of work, but still, it represented hard-earned progress. 

He smiled, climbing down to the small underground chamber where his son and twin infant daughters lay, asleep, giving each one a gentle kiss on their foreheads, careful not to wake them. He appreciated the soft smiles which appeared on their sleeping faces, hoping that, just maybe, he had helped to guide them to pleasant dreams throughout the night. 

He returned to the side of his wife, who shucked off her now filthy work-clothes, having no easier and similarly no less a rewarding day than he, and followed her into the large bed, where she quickly fell into a well earned sleep. The black mouse would have loved nothing more than to join her, to cuddle against her fur for warmth, to hug her tail within his own, and to finally put the long day behind him in preparation for the next. Sadly, there was still work to be done. Important work, and sleep would have to wait. 

He tip-toed away, his wife a heavy sleeper, but still not wishing to take any chances. He climbed down below the two bedrooms, down to the small, round storage area, which housed emergency food, extra clothing, tools, and, of course, a well hidden wooden door leading to a narrow underground tunnel. 

The passage through the darkness was a short one, leading to the other storage room, the one which he wouldn't dare breathe a word of to anyone, wherein he slipped into his shiny purple robe and donned the ornate painted wooden eye mask of matching color, before finally completing his journey beyond the city walls. From there, it was but a short walk until he encountered his two similarly garbed comrades who had already gathered within a circle of standing stones. 

"Progress report?" a round faced woman in an orange robe of otherwise matching style asked. She, too, wore a similar mask, which was the same size as that of the man, and as a result didn't fit nearly so well. 

"Our winter lineup is nearly complete, High Seamstress." the third in a green robe said, tenting his paws, smiling beneath his mask. "Boots, toque hats, coats long and short, suitable for all ages, and all masterfully designed to offer exceptional style, comfort and warmth. They won't know what hit them." 

"Excellent." she turned to the new arrival. "How are the final designs coming?" 

"There were troubles with the thermal underwear, and I feared that it would prove impossible with our current technology, but I've come up with a workaround which shouldn't compromise the quality of the final product." he replied in a low voice. 

"Yes, yes!" the mouse in green laughed. "Soon, those oblivious fools will pay dearly! ...in exchange for our well crafted products." 

"Um... right." The seamstress said, coughing into her paw. "I trust your propaganda efforts are also going effectively?" 

"Indeed. These 'pin ups' are working far better than I had anticipated. They are spreading far and wide, and the citizens can't get enough of the portraits of high fashion. Soon the masses will be driven into a frenzy of clothes lust, and we shall grow more powerful than ever before!" the mouse in the green robe cackled wildly. 

This was largely true, but not entirely accurate. These pinups were of tremendously high quality, by mouse artistic standards, and they did a very good job of detailing the clothing designs, with the depictions of the mice wearing them intended to compliment said wearables. The problem was that, instead, the reverse had proved to be true.