Lexi was not where Mousey had last left her. Neither was the rest of his family.

While maintaining the airship in flight, Mousey had focused on a compass to point him to where he could find his mother and siblings. They were far from Fluffle, so Mousey assumed they’d returned to Okber.

But, as his airship neared Okber, he found the compass directing him somewhere else. Somewhere further away.

“Where could they have gone…”

Sopher looked out to the horizon. “Maybe she went looking for you again?”

“And took all my siblings with her?” Mousey asked. “No. I can’t imagine her putting them in harm’s way.”

A cold wind blew over the airship, and Mousey fought the turbulence.

In the distance he could see the tower of the Nocturnal Patrol, and he feared his family had been taken there, thrown into those dingy, dank dungeons.

But as his airship drew closer to the tower, he realized the compass did not point that way.

And then he saw the smoke billowing out of the tower’s windows.

“What in the world?” Mousey stared at the tower, puzzling over what could have happened there.

“Perhaps we should fly closer?” Sopher asked. “Maybe we’ll get a glimpse of what caused that.

Mousey nodded and directed his airship closer to the tower, soaring with the air currents.

..........................

When they drew close, Mousey saw that the tower was damaged far more than he’d anticipated. Great holes were broken through the walls, smashed through with huge boulders. Pieces of the spire ramparts lay at the base in heaps of rubble. The stronghold swayed ever so slightly in the wind, and Mousey could easily see the thing ready to topple at any moment.

“What could have done this?” Mousey mused.

“An army,” said Sopher. “Perhaps someone laid siege to it?”

“Who would have…” Before Mousey could finish his sentence, he knew the answer. Bufo had told him the Toad King believed Mousey was held in a tower, and that he had left his palace.

Was the Toad King’s army enough to do this?

“I…” Mousey bit his lip, feeling a pang of guilt, knowing he’d accidentally started a war. If the Toad King had, indeed, lain siege to the tower he did so in hopes of rescuing Mousey, who was not there. “Oh, Heavens! What have I done?” Mousey cried.

“Probably given freedom to everyone in those dungeons,” Sopher said, flatly. “Now, if you’ll stop being melodramatic, let’s find your family and quickly! Whatever army did this moved on from here, which means their war isn’t over.”

“Right… of course.”

Mousey turned the airship and followed the compass again.

.........................

He flew over the hills and fields of the kingdom, looking down upon all the cities and towns below. A shudder came over him as he realized that had he stayed in the Nocturnal Patrol he would have been flying over these towns looking for anyone violating curfew. He’d have been a terror who swooped down to snatch up those who dared violate Queen Felicia’s laws.

But, as things were now, the beasts below had nothing to fear from him.

Possibly, not from anyone in the Nocturnal Patrol anymore.

...............................

A few more hours and he knew where the compass was pointing. There stood atop a mountain a great castle made of white marble. Each spire had a golden dome atop its roof, and the windows arched, with round columns on either side. Narrow bridges connected the towers to one another across great expanses of open air. A long, marble staircase led up the face of the mountain, winding back and forth as it went, with cliffs on either side.

At the base of the mountain was a camp with hundreds of tents.

No. Not one camp, three camps.

In one camp the tents were red, in another they were green, and in a third they were the color of burlap sacks.

Mousey looked up at the compass.

It pointed at the white castle.

“I think that’s Queen Felicia’s castle…” Mousey said. “Oh… what is my family doing there?”

“If we’re lucky…” Sopher began, “they’re bait in the Queen’s trap.”

“And… if we’re unlucky?”

Sopher said nothing in response to Mousey’s question. She merely stared ahead, wringing her paws.

“I should have been there…” Mousey groaned. “I should have protected them!”

“Could you really have fought off so many of the Queen’s minions on your own?” Sopher asked. “Even with all your magic, you couldn’t defeat an army by yourself.”

“No…” Mousey sighed. He looked down at the camps at the base of the mountain. “One of those camps probably belongs to the Toad King. Maybe he can help me… or tell me what’s going on.”

......................

Mousey found a clearing in front of the three camps and started his descent to land his airship. As he drew closer and closer to the ground, many beasts emerged from the tents to greet him. There were toads, frogs, rabbits, lizards, mice, hedgehogs, moles, and many others all gathered to see who flew this strange vehicle.

Just as the hull touched the ground, Mousey spied in the crowd a face that made his heart soar.

Sir Ranae ran up to the airship, clad in a full suit of silver-colored armor. At his belt was a longsword, and on one arm a kite shield.

Sopher’s spirit slipped away, back into Mousey’s pocket.

Just as Mousey stepped off the airship, allowing it to disappear behind him, Sir Ranae threw his arms around him and pulled him into a tight hug.

“You’re alive!” he croaked. “Oh, my dear friend! You’re alive!”

“Yes,” Mousey squeaked out, trying to peer his face around the frog knight’s shoulder. “Yes, I’m alive. But my family is in that castle. What’s going on here?”

..........................

In the Toad King’s tent, where the Toad King, Sir Ranae, Mr. Lapin, and many others gathered, Mousey listened to the tale of everything that happened after he left Fluffle. Shortly after Nycht led Mousey away from his family, the rest of the Nocturnal Patrol caught up with them and carried them all away.

“I assumed you’d be taken back to the tower,” croaked Sir Ranae, “And they would be there too. So, I spoke with Mr. Lapin and we came up with a plan. I returned to the Trembling Bog and told his majesty what had happened.”

The Toad King nodded his head in agreement and croaked, “I couldn’t let someone who’d done so much to help my son just die in their dungeons, so I gathered my armies and we marched out to set you free.”

Sir Ranae nodded. “And I told my comrades in the Dank Marsh about you, and the terrible fate that likely awaited you. Many a Dank Marsh knight owes me a life debt, and so they agreed to come and assist in your rescue. Meanwhile, Mr. Lapin…”

The rabbit puffed up his chest. “Grand stories of your heroic feats had already spread. You’d become somewhat of a legend among the small beasts of this kingdom; a mouse who could use magic. One who defied the Nocturnal Patrol in their own tower. The Day Patrol had gone from town to town asking if anyone had seen you, and the stories grew with each telling.”

Mr. Lapin chuckled. “They knew so little about you, pup, but they understood that you made Queen Felicia nervous, and that was enough for me to rile them up. The rodents you see here, armed with pitchforks, shovels, and whatever make-shift weapons they could get their hands on are all here because of the hope you

inspired in them.”

“This is a rebellion?” Mousey squeaked. He looked around at the handful of squirrels, chipmunks, and mice around the tent. “Your aim is… to overthrow Queen Felicia?”

Mr. Lapin patted Mousey on the back and laughed again. “Is it truly so hard to believe? The spirit of rebellion has been stirring under the surface for years, ol’ chap. The kindling was always there. You were just the spark that started the fire!”

Mousey felt like he couldn’t breathe. This was far too much for him. All he wanted to do was save his family and… well, he hadn’t thought about what to do next.

Now that he thought about it, they would never be safe so long as Queen Felicia remained in power.

He looked around the tent again, at all the faces of those rodents who’d lived under that cat’s cruel reign. He saw tears in their eyes, but not tears of sorrow, tears of joy at finally glimpsing hope after all these years.

How many of them had lost loved ones to the wicked queen? Had this young hedgehog watched his mother as she was turned to stone? Had this squirrel lost her husband to those vampire bats? Had this mouse lost her brother to the weasels of the Day Patrol?

Up until now, Mousey had only been thinking of the injustice he’d suffered because of Queen Felicia. All over one act of kindness to a stranger. Now he realized that his experience was far from unique. Countless others had suffered just as he had.

He nodded his head and turned to the Toad King. “Your majesty, I know that you only came here to rescue me… but can I count on you for one more thing?”

“I came here to keep you safe,” said the Toad King. “I owe you that and so much more for saving my Bufo. If you intend to fight Queen Felicia, I will fight by your side.”

“As will I,” said Sir Ranae. “As will my comrades. Every knight swears an oath of chivalry; to uphold justice, defend the weak, and vanquish those who do wrong. Now that we truly know how much wrong Queen Felicia has done, we cannot call ourselves knights if we let it pass.” Sir Ranae laughed. “Besides, I owe her for the months I spent in her dungeons.”

Mousey beamed at his amphibious friend and nodded. “Thank

you, Sir Ranae.”

“My pleasure.”

Mousey turned his attention back to the crowd. “I’m glad to have you all standing behind me, but battle and bloodshed may not be necessary. I have heard of a place near Queen Felicia’s castle called ‘The Gray Menagerie,’ and if I can get there I think I can get her to surrender without a fight.”