CROOK

Chapter 4

Cedar was quite bummed out about her sister not staying here. Usually, she was the only chatty rat around the castle everyone else was busy. She set down in her bed looking at the roof with star designs. It reminded her of when she and Mae were close. She would point to the stars and say. "We will visit momma soon right sissy?" Cedar would nod and give her a nudge. Of course, being the older sibling it made her roll down. After that, she'd always laugh.

Cedar sighed and left the bedroom starting to think more about divination. How did the humans know we left down here we snuck away hidden perfectly. Her sister being unable to know what a human is saddened her. The thought of her father to keep her away from anything that happened during the incident made her heart sank. Now she has left with a thief to learn probably going to get herself murdered. Even if Mae was rude to her she still cared for her like a sibling.

Paws quivering she lurched weakly to her Ozias' room or what he'd like to call it a temple. He thinks the temple has a more powerful reason than a regular old room. She held a paw into the door taking a last deep breath before asking her question. Then it somewhat opened by itself. "I've been expecting you Cedar." Ozias' mesmerizing voice blew swiftly against her short ears. "Of course you did you're the shaman here." Cedar rolled her eyes. "You can thank my little apprentice Teo for doing well on this telekinesis spell he has been studying it for weeks."

"Good job I guess." Cedar leered. Teo stood proud of himself puffing his chest but then the most unexpected voice came out of the little rat's mouth. "Thank you!" But his voice was very deep and broadly. She held her mouth to hold in her laugh this voice did not fit him at all. Teo went up to her. "What are you laughing at?" Cedar shook her head not trying to remove her hands. "Did you need something Cedar." Ozias went over to his shelves searching for something.

"Oh yes, I have a question about the prophecy." Cedar denoted. "About the prophecy?" Ozias turned around to limp to the princess clenching onto his staff. Cedar peered at the staff it had a skull of a crow on top and was just a wood stick with colorful feathers wrapped around it. "If we were hidden safety from the humans down here for years then how did they find us now?" Cedar speculated. Ozias glared at her and signaled her to come closer for a secret.

"Someone here in this castle is a traitor." He whispered. Cedar gasped in disbelief who would want to do such a thing. "Who?" Cedar stammered. "I am unsure yet but someone has led the humans right to us." Ozias shrieked. "That's horrible who would want to do such a thing." Cedar snorted. "That's why I want you to help me find them," Ozias said. Cedar pointed at herself looking around the room. "Yes, you!" "Oh goodness no I'm not the sort of a detective kind of person." She replied in doubt. "Come on do it for rat kind and your sister."

Cedar hesitated she forgot about her sister. What if she came back and all rats are destroyed because of humans. She could imagine Mae with tears rolling down from her eyes seeing what once was a beautiful home to a demolished war zone. "I'll do it." Cedar shuddered. "That's the spirit now your first target you should be looking at is Leonie tensions are pretty high between Fulton and her."

Cedar nodded. "Then try and move on to a rat named Arlington he's one of our younger assistants being trained by Wilfred." Ozias continued."Then finally the one who reeks of human smell Annabeth." Cedar didn't understand the order so she decided to herself to do Annabeth first since she smells of humans. "Alright got it." She affirmed. Cedar sprang out of the room immediately. Heading to Annabeth's room.

Running through the corridor she finally arrived at her door. There was a sign that hung on it. It reads if you'd wish to visit me you must knock. Cedar followed the instructions and the door slowly opened. "Come in sweetie." Her voice was very mischievous and pretty soft for a female but a bit soothing to her ears. Cedar walked in her room. She noticed a bed with red sheets and her wall was black with red hearts. There was one window and a shelf with books and a picture of an unfamiliar rat to her.

"Are you just going to stand around I'm waiting for your request," Annabeth grunted. "Oh uh, I have to ask some questions for you," Cedar muttered. "Hmm go on," Annabeth said with interest. "Come come sit down on the couch sweetie." Cedar didn't even notice the couch from the corner of her eye there it stood still close behind the door. The two sat across from each other staring closely.

Cedar took a deep breath muttering her question. "Were you born along with us?" "Not really I was just a lone rat couldn't find anywhere to go to I was cold and hungry. But that's when I found this rat society I was admiring your passion for Mansi and how their energy can get you going." Annabeth cooed. Cedar nodded then continued. "Do you know about the incident?"

"Of course I was there when it happened if I didn't know I wouldn't be here." She did have a point. Every rat was driven out by the so called incident that happened long ago. "You do have a point." Cedar pondered. She didn't know whether to ask about the human smell that covered Annabeth's scent. That's when a beeping noise erupted out of nowhere from the silence.

Annabeth yowled and held her feathered scarf in pain. "May you please get out of the room." Cedar looked puzzled. "Why are you ok?" "I'm just... argh! Fine.. just get out." Annabeth stuttered. The beeping went faster starting to hurt Cedar's ears. She quickly left the room and shut the door behind her. Something was very wrong with her. A beeping noise that hurt her neck doesn't seem right. The thought celebrated in her head.

Cedar padded through the corridor to her next suspect's room. She chose Arlington mostly to get to know him better. She has never spoken too much to them or thought about it. Since Ozias choose him it would be better to have a conversation. Wilfred's room door was wide open and shown a orange light. The voices and shadow of rats came from the room.

"Ohhh yeah we and punch this and punch that and punch all of this!"

"No Arlington we aren't punching we are supposed to be studying for Fulton!"

"Nah I don't feel like it's too much work this seems more better!"

The sound of a crack fell from the room then boom. Bursted out a brown rat with a grey beanie on his head. Under the beanie was tufts of fur and they wore a light yellow robe similar like Wilfred but his was green. Arlington collided with Cedar and fell on top of her. "Oh goodness me what's a girl like you doing here?" Arlington huffed being on her stomach looking down locking eyes.

Cedar shoved him off making him fall on his back. "Arling leave Cedar alone she's just passing through...right?" Cedar nodded her head standing up from the wooden ground. "Man you're no fun!" Arlington thrusted his paws in the air. "Actually I'm here to ask you some questions." Cedar snapped. "What questions? Am I a good fighter? The answer is obvious!" Arlington puffed his chest out with pride. Wilfred cleared his throat. "Come right in Cedar and I'll get this crazy rat settled."

This meeting was certainly unexpected to Cedar. Usually assistants are calm and collected. But Arlington was pretty odd out of the bunch why would Ozias pick a hyper rat. Why was he into fighting more than being a chilled out assistance. Questions swirled in her head as she walked inside the room. There wasn't too much in it but it was certainly small. This room had a blue couch with flora pattern behind it was a curtain. A door was visible which is probably where they sleep. There was also a small coffee table in front of the couch.

"Arling may you please set the table." Wilfred ordered. "Aw man why do I have to do it!" Arlington groaned. Wilfred glared as the two exchanged glances. Arlington rolled his eyes and bounded off. "Man he's so hard to handle he was picked from a litter not too far from here. Very hyper he indeed was." Wilfred muttered frowning. Cedar eyed Arlington who was moving the table around setting things on it. He looked the same age as her. "Why was he picked instead of a harmonious one." Cedar asked.

"He was the only one that survived the birth."