The War of .Zip (Working Title)

Chapter 2: To come back again.

A small field mouse watched as the assault on the Bush began before he ran back towards Oervard.

He ran down into town to grab his belongings and found himself wandering down streets that still smelt of life.

Phantoms of echoes came from all around as he gathered his 's family's heirlooms as well as other necessary items into sacks before changing into some of his fathers old traveling clothes.

These were comprised of a white long sleeved shirt that was tucked into brown trousers. Most luxurious of all this was a green tweet waistcoat that smelt of the smoking stuff his farther had kept in the waistcoats pockets with his silver pocket watch, its chain too long for the distance between it and the attachment area, so a few inches of it hung out of the pocket.

This outfit had fitted his farther better than it had him, but it was something that he couldn't bear to leave behind.

He locked the front door before walking out into what had been the garden where he'd grown up. His family had lived here for generations and had prospered in a world that had once been blossoming. Tears came to his eyes as he neared his parent's graves under an old tree with their initials carved into it's side.

''I will return, one day. Even if it's to plant a single rose...'' Ethan swore to his parent's grave before turning and leaving the garden with a trail of silver sorrows that ran from his eyes as he walked away from the only home he'd ever had.

The trek out of the city was troublesome with his few sacks of belongings strapped to him. Ethan hadn't been born with the same strength that his brothers had had. Instead, his gift was one of words and phrasing.

This had been mostly useless in a civilization comprised of workers, but he felt it had been his duty to watch and record what he'd seen in a leather bound book he'd been given soon after his Dad first read one of his poems instead of a bedtime story.

This meant that some of the first few hundred pages were childish whilst others were bad teenage poetry that he couldn't help but cringe at now (but which he still refused to get rid of). Some of the latter pages began to resemble something like literature so, for Ethan, it chronicled his life, the lives of his parents and what had once been.

A sack fell from above his head and onto a pile of rocks whilst he reminisced. Ethan snapped out of the memory and bent down to pick the sack up.

The sack fell forward and knocked him into the dirt, muddying his typical brown hair and lodging a small rock in his left eye.

''Blast!'' He said to rub his eyes but stopped when he felt the rock prick into his eye a little more.

''Need some help friend?'' The voice boomed from behind Ethan.

He turned to see from where the voice came but his eyes betrayed him, showering his vision with circles and other shapes before finally beginning to focus once more.

Once they did, Ethan saw a hunched over figure lifting the sacks around him with one black paw whilst clasping at a wooden walking twig with the other. His long black trench coat hung over his body and almost hid the rest of his apparel, but as Ethan's eyes continued to adjust he could see a very thick set of black clothes hidden beneath. Ethan's eyes wandered up and immediately noticed the appearance of white on the being's neck.

It covered most of his head except for two black strips that fell down his face and onto his eyes.

''Oh, don't bother, I'm great thanks!'' Ethan said, jumping up upon realizing exactly what he was talking to. Badgers had remained out of the business of the fields for years now. The only occasionally showed interest when something major was going on. It was said that they could tell you of the people that had lived long before your time and of cities and fields that had long since been lost.

For this reason, Badgers were kept in the highest of regards by all animals of the fields (and by some from even further).

''Nonsense. It would seem we go same way. Come little friend, we go.'' His words felt thrown together as he lifted the sacks onto his shoulder, knocking Ethan onto his feet in the process, and began to walk along the route to the surface.

''No, really, there's no need. I can carry it.'' Ethan protested as he jumped up and grabbed the sacks, expecting the Badger to let them go due to the sudden weight increase.

Instead, he remained suspended in the air, the Badger barely registering his added weight.

''Little friend, I help you with baggage, you help me get to city, yes?'' He pounded on, his steps a rhythm of foot, stick, foot but his body remaining always hunched over.

''City? I don't know what you mean.'' Ethan said as he let himself slide back onto his feet, accepting the loss of his sacks.

''I no know where city is and I am still remembering this odd language. I help little friend, little friend help me, yes?'' He didn't turn as he spoke, he just raised his voice from its natural boom to something akin to thunder.

Ethan had no plans of his own for what came next and he did appreciate the help from the Badger.

''...fine.'' He said, turning to the Badger and realizing that his new friend had stumbled quite a way away from him.

Ethan jogged back up to his new companion.

''Ok, yes.'' He held out his hand but the Badger didn't register it.

''Good. I am friend Issac, you?'' Said Issac.

''Ethan.'' Said Ethan.

''Good, yes, to have friends?'' Issac smiled at Ethan, finally turning his head towards him to see his response.

''Yes, good.'' Ethan replied, hiding his smile as he realized that his underwear was inches away from Isaac's face, albeit in a sack.