She dreamt of Jonathan, Timmy and the cat.
When she went for breakfast she found Cynthia and Teresa alone."Good morning. Where are the boys?"
"They're gone," said Cynthia, "they had bekfast to go."
"Gone so early? Where?"
"I'm sorry mom, I didn't want to wake you up but-! Martin left and Timmy went with him and, and... I-"
"Shh," Brisby tried to appear calm, "where did they go?"
"I dunno, Martin said 'to get some stuff' and Timmy went with him, I told them not to-"
"How long ago did they leave?"
"I dunno, a few minutes? Mom, what if they try to-?"
"It's going to be fine, Teresa. I'm sure it's nothing serious."
"But what if-?"
"Shh," Brisby placed a hand on her shoulder, "you stay home with Cynthia, I will go look for herbs again and see if I find them on the way. I'm sure they'll be back soon."She too had her breakfast to go. She climbed the stone and took one good look all around in the distance. Nothing. They probably went to play, or to look for more food...
But what if they were looking for remains of the rats? Where would they even start?
Her mind went straight to Mr. Ages. Once, before Timmy was sick, he had been bitten by a spider and they took him to his place. The kids knew him as the doctor, knew he was a friend of their father and the rats, and Timmy knew where he was, or where he used to be.
Mrs. Brisby ran to the abandoned old plow where Mr. Ages had installed his laboratory.
It was empty. Not only that, but destroyed. She remembered how well-organized and full of light, inventions, and signs to warn off guests the place had been. Now it was a desolated hole full of ruined parts.
It reminded her of how alone she was if anything were to happen.
She went to the rose bush next. A lilac bush had been planted in its place, the tunnels that led to the rats' hideout had been collapsed before they left to make sure no matter how deep the humans dug they wouldn't find anything.
Mrs. Brisby was afraid of the cat, so she just took one more look at it from the distance while remembering this and returned home.
There was also the way under the old mill, which connected the rats' hideout with the farmer's house, but she wouldn't go there. The mill was rotten and crumbling, there were snakes down there, and you needed a boat to navigate through. The kids didn't know of it, probably..
Jeremy and his brand new mate Leslie had settled into a large tree just past the edge of the forest. They had just finished the last touches of a beautiful love nest full of colorful strings and were enjoying the wonders of a happy young couple.
Leslie found the friendship between Jeremy and the mice adorable, and jumped down from their nest as soon as she saw Brisby passing by to say hello.
"Good day, Leslie."
"Ah, good day Mrs. B! Wonderful day it is, right?"
"Indeed it is. May I ask, is Jeremy home?"
"Oh, not right now, but I can fetch him for you."
"Well, there's no hurry but if you were so kind..."
"Oh! Yes, just gimme a second."In a moment she flew above her tree and described a circle, letting out a call for her mate. Before she came back she stopped for a second on her nest, then came back down with something in her beak and left it at Mrs. Brisby's feet. It was the herbs that she had dropped the day before, when Jeremy warned her of the cat.
"He said you dropped this, by the way."
"Oh! How thoughtful!" she gasped as she picked them up. She wouldn't have to go foraging again today after all.
"He sure is, isn't he?" asked Leslie with a loving look at the figure of her mate in the distance, coming closer....Coming closer too fast. Brisby thought he was going to crash into them and crush her, but Jeremy managed to avoid both of them as he landed with that athletic grace that can seem chaotic to one who doesn't fly.
"Oh Mrs. B, how nice to see you again. Did you call, darling?"
"Yes, she wanted to see you, sweetbeak."
"I wanted to thank you for helping with the cat yesterday."
"Aw, sheesh! No need to thank me, Mrs. Brisb! You know I'm not afraid of the cat, and I'm always at your service."
"Yes, also..."
"I hope you made it home alright, I noticed you dropped the plant thingies and I got it for you."
"Yes, that was very nice..."
"It's all of them right? Sorry if I missed one or..."
"Jeremy!"
YOU ARE READING
Journey to Thorn Valley
FanfictionLittle after the rats of NIHM leave, once Timmy is fully recovered Mrs. Brisby makes the dificult decision to move her family to live with the rats in Thorn Valley.