During her brief visits to the hide-away on the hillside, Brightness's mother had repeatedly warned her cub never to go down into the sett below, no matter what happened. She filled Brightness's head with terrible images, explaining how the badgers living there would hunt her down and kill her because she was different from them.
Having convinced herself that her mother had only told her these things to stop her wandering off and getting lost, Brightness pushed the warnings to the back of her mind and set out for the sett.
Following her mother's faint scent through the undergrowth she waddled her way down the hillside under a bright moon, eager to see her once more.
After losing herself in a dense thicket, Brightness heard faint voices on the far side. Forcing her way through the tangled undergrowth she tumbled out, spotting four young cubs playing catch-as-catch-can on a nearby hillock.
Calling out to them, Brightness laughed when they shrieked their surprise at her sudden appearance. But to her dismay the youngsters backed away, a deep fear evident in their darting eyes as they scattered in panic, screaming for their mothers.
Brightness was dumbfounded with shock. Why were they so frightened of her? She had done nothing to threaten them.
Hearing a low growl, Brightness turned to find herself confronted by a large boar, top lip curled back over his teeth in a threatening gesture. The boar's coat stood erect, adding to his impressive size.
Without warning, he swiped Brightness across the snout, raking her from eye to nose. Shocked at this unprovoked attack, she turned and fled, terrified the boar would hurt her again.
Brightness ran and ran, back through the thicket and up the hillside to her hiding place. But she had only been there for a short time when the murmur of voices reached her from the distance.
Peeking out from behind a large rock she saw a band of badgers heading up the hill, the boar who had attacked her earlier leading the way. Not waiting for their arrival Brightness fled.
Her mother had been right, she should have kept well away from the sett. The badgers living there were horrible.
During the following moon-cycles, Brightness's snout swelled alarmingly, one eye closing so tightly that she could scarcely see out of it. She felt hot and weak, vomiting each time she ate. For five moons she lay under a thick bush, shivering violently, even under the hot sun that beat down on her during its cycles.
Brightness was convinced that she was dying, but she had slowly recovered, regaining a little strength with the passing of each moon.
Now all she had left to show for her brush with death, was a jagged black scar running from eye to nose, marring the pure whiteness of her fur– a permanent reminder of the hatred directed at by her fellow badgers, and the fact that she would always be an outcast.
It took a long time for Brightness to accept that she would never see her mother again, and when she finally did, a tight fluttering filled her stomach, as though she were falling from a great height, the world spinning about her head fast enough to make her vomit. Not knowing what to do, she stayed near the hillside until a new moon rose, hoping against hope that she was wrong and that one moon her mother would reappear out of the darkness, a bundle of worms in her mouth and a soft smile on her lips.
But it wasn't to be and finally Brightness left the hillside for the last time, turning her back on her burrow with a heavy heart.
From time to time Brightness tried approaching other setts she discovered during her lonely wanderings, but these attempts always ended in her being driven away. The last time this had happened the assault was more verbal than physical but it hurt her just as deeply. Brightness ran from the encounter, tears stinging her eyes, determined never again to allow any badger the opportunity of hurting her that way again.
Then one moon, stumbling upon a slender ash tree on the edge of a large meadow, Brightness decided to dig herself a small comfortable sett beneath its protective roots. Here she would spend the rest of her life, living in isolation, dreaming of things that might have been, if only she had been born as other badgers.
Brightness had spent many seasons living out a quiet existence on the edge of the meadow, snug in her sett during the winters, roaming the nearby copse during the summers. Not happy exactly, but as content as she could be, as she had any right to be.
And so time passed and her life settled down into a reassuringly dull routine.
It had alarmed Brightness deeply therefore, when late one moon she heard a badger's footsteps approaching her sett.
Thinking for one awful moment that the big boar had come back to kill her but quickly realising that this was unlikely, she'd tried to stem her rising panic. It made no difference who was coming, because whoever it might be was still a very real danger. Brightness had learnt her lessons the hard way.
But this was so unfair. Why should she have to abandon her home again? Run away and leave everything behind? No more, she decided. Enough was enough, it was going to be different this time.
Rushing back to her sett, Brightness hurriedly dug a short tunnel into the side of the sleeping chamber. Then backing into it, she carefully packed the earth back in front of her, hoping the stranger would not see her hiding place.
How long she had lain in her self-imposed prison, trembling with fright, she had no way of knowing but it seemed like forever.
Laying close to the floor and breathing slowly to preserve the air, Brightness tried to ignore the stuffiness that quickly built up, forcing her mind to be calm. She concentrated on memories of her mother and the hillside that had been her playground for so long, but finally the air became so foul that she could scarcely breathe.
She couldn't help herself and coughed once, then again. And it was this second cough that woke the snoring badger from his sleep.
When Brightness finally emerged from her hiding place, trembling and scared, it had been Darkburst waiting for her, not the monster she'd expected. Instead of an attack she'd been shown only friendship and understanding, and for the first time in her young life, discovered what friendship really was.
Brightness had finally met a badger who could accept her for what she was, a badger able to look beyond the colour of her fur.
During the following long winter-cycle, Brightness fell deeply in love with Darkburst. How could she help herself?
And now, laying snuggled against his side, watching the gentle rise and fall of his ribcage, she wondered if the future might hold some happiness for her after all.
*
Brightness stood forlornly, her heart beating wildly as she watched Darkburst moving out across the meadow under the weak sun.
Last moon he'd told her he was leaving.
In a low, faltering voice, he explained how he had to continue his search for Boddaert's Magic now that winter had ended, and all of her entreaties had been in vain, because the young boar had remained adamant.
Darkburst gave Brightness a keepsake before he left– a small piece of root that he said would keep her safe until he returned. She touched it now, feeling its warmth flood through her paw as Darkburst made his way to the summit of a far hill.
Scenting the air, she sighed heavily.
The warm cycle was returning and everywhere plants were thrusting up new growth, creatures stirring from their winter lairs. It was a time of new beginnings, not a time for such sad partings.
As she watched Darkburst grow smaller, Brightness thought back over what he had told her.
Over the past few moons a powerful urge had come upon him, giving him no rest. He'd been out hunting beetles by a large tumble of rocks when the Talisman hanging about his neck had flashed brightly, reflecting the moonlight into his eyes with a piercing intensity. Thoughts of Grindel and the unfinished search for Boddaert's Magic suddenly flooded his mind, and no matter how hard he had tried, they would not be stilled.
Darkburst explained in a low voice that he had never been happier than during the past winter-cycle spent with her beneath the ash tree, and wanted nothing
more than to stay with her, but knew that he would find no peace until he had completed the task Grindel had set him. He had to continue the search for Boddaert's Magic. It was his destiny, his reason for being, and he must do it alone.
Stumbling over his words, he'd told her that her white coat would be far too conspicuous for him to be able to take her with him. That he would be unable to protect her and undertake his task at the same time.
With a final nuzzle at her neck, he had turned away and left.
Darkburst turned back to look at her– small now from the vantage point of the hill he stood upon. Then giving one last wave, he topped the brow of the hill and disappeared from sight.
As her new found love vanished over the rise, Brightness lowered her gaze to the ground, wondering if she'd ever see him again. Then slowly raising her eyes, she let her gaze linger on the spot where, just a moment before, Darkburst had waved his last goodbye.
She stood perfectly still, almost afraid to breathe in case the overwhelming feeling of loneliness knotting her stomach crushed her completely. She stood there for a long time, empty and totally alone.
Not since her mother's disappearance had she felt so desperately unhappy and abandoned.
"Come back to me quickly, my love," she whispered at the hilltop. "Come back to me quickly."
Then, slowly turning her back on the grey heavy sky, she returned to her sett, where she lay on the bed of leaves she'd shared with Darkburst, closed her eyes and began sobbing.
Chapter 22
Soffen gazed at the old badger, sadness misting her eyes.
"I shall miss you Slikit," she said.
Slikit smiled and nodded slowly. "And I shall miss you too," he replied quietly. "But I really don't want to go to Brockenhurst Sett. You do understand that, don't you?"
When Soffen shrugged, Slikit looked away into the distance.
"I'm used to living on my own, you see." His voice took on a defensive quality. "My future is out there somewhere, in the wide spaces and lonely hills. Not in the busy tunnels and crowded chambers of Brockenhurst Sett, as grandiose as they probably are."
"I know Slikit," Soffen assured the old badger softly.
They stood quietly for a time, neither moving, both reluctant to break the mood. Then Slikit awkwardly touched his nose to Soffen's neck, turned his back and pushed his way into the undergrowth.
Soffen was able to follow the old badger's progress for quite some time as his cracked old voice, mumbling and grumbling at everything that got in his way floated back to her.
When silence finally fell over the landscape, Soffen shook her head forlornly, turning back towards the burrow. Now that Slikit had decided to leave, there was little reason to delay making preparations for her journey to Brockenhurst Sett, where she would wait for news of Brock and Broshee.
Humming a sonnet from her cubhood, Soffen cleaned the burrow for the last time, leaving it tidy for the next badger who might happen along, and once everything was spick and span, could think of no more reasons to dally.
Setting out beneath a bright moonlit sky, her spirits already back in Brockenhurst Forest, Soffen brought to mind her favourite spot, eagerly exploring it in her memory– that hidden glade, deep within Brockenhurst Forest where she'd spent so many happy moon-cycles hunting for worms, while owls flew low over the footpath hunting in their own unique way.
Travelling by moonlight and taking temporary shelter beneath a bush or thicket of ferns during the sun-cycle, Soffen made good progress. True the weather was turning cold but she was confident that she could reach Brockenhurst Forest before the chill winter winds descended and forced her to dig a burrow to wait out the snowy cycle.
Soffen's journey was mostly uneventful, with only two circumstances standing out in her mind. The first was reaching the tree that the group had used to cross the rushing torrents of the Andith River on their journey out. It seemed so long ago now, such a lot had happened.
Stopping to rest there, Soffen ate a small meal. Then, before continuing her journey, she stood on the riverbank, paying a last homage to a gentle old badger.
Tenderly dropping holly leaves onto the rippling water, Soffen watched them swirl away on the current, picturing once again the compelling smile and rotund proportions of the old Custodian. Wiping a tear from her eye, Soffen bade Grey a last farewell and resumed her journey.
The other outstanding moment was her arrival at the tunnel where Darkburst had drowned. Soffen was reluctant to enter its dark portal at first, but having no other way of reaching the opposite bank, was left with little choice. A shiver ran down her spine as she hesitated before the opening.
Would she drown when she tried to swim through, as Darkburst had done? Or perhaps stumble across his bloated body floating in the water?
This thought provoked such a deep horror in Soffen that she almost fainted, but she pushed it aside, and after much dithering, finally summoned up the courage to enter the tunnel.
Soffen discovered that the long hot summer had dried the tunnel out and now only a slick layer of mud remained. There was no sign of Darkburst's body and that fact raised a small hope in her heart.
Perhaps he'd not drowned after all, perhaps he'd survived to make it back to Brockenhurst Forest.
Hurrying through the tunnel, constantly slipping in the sticky mud, Soffen breathed a heart-felt thanks when she finally emerged on the far side.
As the sun speared the morning sky with long slim claws of brightness, and the stars twinkled and dimmed, Soffen decided it would be better not to rest during the sun-cycle. She was so near Brockenhurst Forest now that it made little sense to wait for the next moon before pushing on.
The new cycle dawned dull, with grey clouds hanging low in the sky, making Soffen feel vulnerable and exposed as she hurried along beneath their cover.
The sun had long passed its zenith when Soffen finally reached the outskirts of Brockenhurst Forest and she quickened her pace in anticipation of seeing Darkburst, Broshee and Brock once more– having convinced herself during her return journey that they would be waiting for her when she finally arrived.
Her heart pounded at the thought and it was as much as she could do not to break into an undignified run at every step.
*
"Stop right there female!"
Soffen stumbled to a halt, startled by the unexpected command.
Two rough-looking boars stepped out from behind a thicket and confronted her, their gaze roaming her body with barely suppressed lust. She stared back at them, her nerves taught.
One approached, thrusting his snout under her tail in a most ill-mannered fashion, laughing when she jumped back and squealed her indignation.
"Who are you? What do you want here?" his companion demanded of her.
"My name is Soffen," she answered with as much dignity as she could muster. "This is my home."
The boar's demeanour changed when he heard her name. "Soffen, the Healer?" he asked.
When Soffen nodded yes, both guards quickly took up position on each side of her, then keeping close in so she could not escape, they began shepherding her along the path towards Brockenhurst Sett.
The larger of the two boars wore a huge grin. He was contemplating the reward Cherva would give him for bringing in such a valuable prize. A bigger chamber certainly, and perhaps—
He leered at the female stumbling along beside him. What would she be like, he wondered? Certainly better than the skinny sow that he'd been given last summer.
As she was hurried along the forest path, Soffen kept silent, aware of the surreptitious glances she was receiving from one of her guards. His constant leers were making her uncomfortable.
Soffen was shocked at how dull and lifeless all the badgers they met along the path appeared to be. Without exception every one cast their eyes to the ground as the trio bustled by.
Rounding a sharp bend in the path, Soffen could not help but gasp aloud at the sight that greeted her.
Massive earthworks defiled
the once beautiful Brockenhurst Sett. High banks of dark soil had been thrown up, dwarfing everything around the main entrance.
Gone were the bushes and plants that had provided cover for her hunting excursions. Gone were the wild flowers that had swayed in the summer breezes, lending their scents to the comforting smell of the sett. All that remained now was a pathway leading into the great bulwark of earth that dominated the scene.
Pushed from behind by one of the impatient guards, Soffen was forced forward again.
Entering the gigantic earthworks by a small opening that pierced its walls, Soffen and her guards passed into a confusing labyrinth of passageways that twisted and turned, splitting and rejoining each other in such a confusing pattern that it made her senses reel, and before they had taken more than a hundred paces or so, Soffen had become hopelessly lost.
At regular intervals along the twisting passageways, small alcoves had been scooped out of the walls, and here large boars stood guard, nodding silently as the party passed through the maze. Soffen could not understand why they all scowled at her with such hatred in their eyes.
And where had all these strangers come from anyway, she wondered. The questions spun round and around in her head, leaving her feeling sick and confused.
The passageways narrowed and the trio fell into a single line, one guard leading, the other bringing up the rear. In this fashion the small party moved through the maze, stopped occasionally by one of the guards lounging in the alcoves. Each time her guard explained who she was, Soffen was treated to an accusing glare, sometimes even a rough slap as she passed by.
After what seemed like ages, they reached a large semi-circular clearing fronting the entrance tunnel into the sett itself. The walls surrounding the clearing had been smoothed with mud, making it impossible to climb, the sheen reflecting from the burnished surfaces hurting Soffen's eyes. She squinted, turning her head away, watching the comings and goings of the badgers in the entrance tunnel.