"Timeless" - Narnian Autumn Writing Challenge - Oneshot Collection

"Tea Time"

Word count: 1068

Prompt: Chestnuts

Pattertwig leaned back in his chair, blowing out a breath, holding his teacup close to himself, and inhaling the calming aroma of chestnut tea. There was nothing quite like this warm liquid that could brighten up anyone's day.

"So," Reepicheep asked, "What exactly are you making King Caspian X for Christmas?" The mouse sipped his tea, putting one leg over the other.

Pattertwig sprung up from his chair and placed down his tea onto one of his knitted coasters, "It's right over here in my pushcart— hang on."

Reep smiled and nodded.

Then, rushing over to his pushcart, Pattertwig searched through it and found a bright orange chunk of knitted yarn and he held it up with a triumphant squeak, "This. But make it a cape."

"My, my, what a gorgeous color!" Reepicheep put down his teacup with a gentle clink and then scurried over, his nails scattering against the solid ground.

"Uh, hang on. I have coasters for the teacups, I'd be much obliged if you would use them." Pattertwig smiled and gestured to the knitted coaster, hoping his dear friend would listen to him.

"Oh sorry," Reep moved his teacup over to the knitted chunk of fabric, and then he scampered back over and took the fabric in one paw, smoothing down the long length of cloth, gasping in awe of the softness.

Peepiceek, who had been foraging around in the kitchen, came waltzing out into where they sat in the living room, he looked like a proud father rooster, holding a thin nut-baked cookie.

Seeing the glaze coating the top of the cookie, Pattertwig heard his stomach grumble and he couldn't help his tongue from drawing a ring around his mouth.

"You can continue inspecting the lovely yarn I picked out, I'm going to get myself one of those cookies."

In a fast hurry of feet, Pattertwig was in the kitchen, admiring the fall decorations Pitterlog, his wife, had strewn around the house just for this wonderfully cozy season.

One of his favorite seasons actually. So beautiful and colorful.

Fallen dewberries lined the walls in ropes of dried green twine, acorn candles burned slowly but steadily by each window, dead leaves lined the floor in easily relishing mats for one's feet to be wiped off of filth on.

And then there was the table, but that had been Pattertwig's doing completely. The top had been an old large coconut shell, smuggled in by one of his old pelican friends— Porter — and the stand was a thick pine cone, sanded down from endless scraping on a rock so as not to drop any loose bits.

Though he could stand here and wonder at the kitchen forever, the thought of his kids and how they would devour the cookies,  hurried him on to get himself a wide stack of treats, enough to share one with Reepicheep, and then have the rest for himself.

The thin cookies were still warm in his paws as he hopped back out to the living room, a grin now framing his face in what, when he passed the mirror, he thought was a charming look.

"And he's back," Announced Reepicheep, his eyes instantly traveling to the pile of cookies, "I could really use a refreshing sweet, my old chum."

"Of course, of course," Pattertwig sifted through the heap and pulled out the thinnest of the group, handing it to his buddy, who nodded in ignorant appreciation.

"Could I snag one of those?" With a tiny hand, Peepiceek, Reepicheep's second in command, reached for a cookie.

But Pattertwig slapped him away, moving back over to his carefully carved armchair, "You've had plenty to eat. In fact, you almost ate every last one of them. What, does your wife starve you?"

Sheepishly, Peepiceek stared down at the floor, arms behind his back and his feet twitching so much that Pattertwig was sure they had grown a mind of their own, "No. She feeds me fine. But, your wife just makes really good cookies..."

Nodding with a mouthful of cookies jammed in his jaws, Reepicheep nodded vigorously,  crumbs falling to the floor from the motion, "Yes. She should start up a business."

"I'll make sure to tell her that," Pattertwig looked around, "Peepiceek! Do you mind getting me a chairstand?"

"Whatever do you mean?" Crossing his furry arms, Peepiceek rose on his toes, "Get you a what?"

Reepicheep glanced around the room, seemingly in search of more cookies, his whiskers twitching.

"You know? To put my feet on. Well, I guess you might call it a "footstool", I've always called them chairstands."

"Ah, I've got ya now, give me a moment, I think I saw one in the kitchen." In a flurry of fur and clattering, Peepiceek was off on an adventure of acquiring a footstool.

"I'm still sad," Reepicheep said, sitting down again, "that King Caspian X couldn't join us for tea."

Oh. That was terribly sad. Caspian always seemed to brighten up everything. He was such an interesting character. Seemingly alright and happy on the outside, but, there was a cloudiness in his eyes, something that dimmed out the light. He was lonely.
Which, one would think would drive him to want to come and have teach and such. But, no.

And then there was the incident, so...

Reep sighed, "I do still believe our King is forevermore scarred."

Nodding in agreement, Pattertwig cringed, "After that incident, I can't say I blame him."

Peepiceek, who must have made his way into the room very quietly, lingered by his chair and offered the footstool, "That incident was one anyone would want to forget ever existed once in time on a lovely fall day."

"Thanks," Pattertwig graciously said, taking the wicker footstool and sliding it under his feet. Now he was truly relaxed.

"Anything for you, my friend," With a chatter, Peepiceek drifted over to another chair and sat down, a sigh making it out of his mouth and settling in the air.

Both of his pals comfortably sat and drank tea with him, their laughter filling the room.

This fall day was closely his favorite of the many he had lived through— though he was sure to have said that about many before, but he truly did enjoy the company his chums provided him.

Laughs, snacks, and talks about all sorts of interesting subjects.

Oh, what lovely buddies he truly had. Oh, indeed.