The Many Adventures of Peter and Fi Volume I: Homecoming

Chapter 6- Caught Red-Handed

The wind had slowed to a gentle breeze as Fi lounged on the velvet seats of the Queen's carriage. She was propped up against the window, legs extended before her, as she hung her head over the sill. Her ears flopped down by the spokes of the wheels, eyes closed as she busied herself with the scurrying of ants. She squinched her nose in focus, feeling the vibrations of scratches from little legs through the dirt. Whether she could actually hear the ants or was just making up what they sounded like, she was not sure herself.

Fi opened her eyes to discover an endless blue expanse rising up to meet a carefully constructed prickly, green ceiling. An apricot tree precariously clung to the solid sky, its roots holding it firmly in place. The green giraffe greedily eyed its fruits, ready to steal them away before they fell to the bottomless pit below. A mountain hippo chased a pair of monkeys as a mud deer tore into the flesh of a checkered zebra.

Fi blinked. That really was a mud deer. She righted herself to get a better look. The deer was casually nipping away at the leaves of the zebra. The zebra itself was expertly crafted, its roots and leaves precisely shaved to capture the checkered pattern of its hide. The mud deer was ruining it spectacularly.

It had small white spots flecked across its skin around its rear. Its tuft of a tail flicked back and forth as it circled the zebra for a fresher patch to feast on. As it stepped, the viscous fluid excreted from its hooves seeped into the grass and soil below. The liquid ate away at the earth, leaving a small puddle of mud clearly outlining the deer's footprints. Fi decided to get a closer look.

The mud deer picked its head up alertly as Fi alighted on the ground, having jumped down from the window. She waited perfectly still for the deer to resume its meal, before silently creeping towards it. Low to the ground, she made sure to keep within the deer's blind spot, crouching behind a river lion relaxing in the sun. She peered through the gaps in its leafy mane; the creature not five feet away. She noted that even though it had its full face lodged deep within the shrubbery, its ears were propped and poised; the deer ready to bolt at the slightest disturbance.

Unfortunately for it, the disturbance was slighter still. A dart whizzed through the air, finding its mark in its rear. The mud deer continued to munch away, unfazed, until it suddenly collapsed on the spot. Fi stifled her gasp and ensured she was fully hidden behind the lion as two men strolled across the courtyard.

"Look at that, right on the mark!"

"Bullshit! You bet on the centre spot, you hit this one, off on the left." The second man brushed aside the deer's tail, outlining several inches between the two spots.

"Same shit. Just be happy I was here to cover for your screw up." The first man hoisted a miniature crossbow over his shoulder, securing it to the harness at his back.

"It's not my fault! The stupid thing bolted as soon as I opened the cage."

"It's an animal you idiot, of course it bolted. And you can thank God it's stupid, or else we wouldn't have caught it only two minutes away."

"Dumb beast," The second man chortled, and gave it a kick with his boot, "Its tracks led us straight to it."

"Go easy on it, it's not its fault its hooves leave these huge divots wherever it stands. Right cruel of God to make it so easy to hunt."

"Grab its legs then, let's just get it back before anyone notices."

Fi watched from her hiding place as the two men lifted the deer between them and carefully carried it back towards the castle. Instead of taking the main entrance however, they maneuvered through the topiary zoo and disappeared behind the castle's west wall. Biting her lip, Fi struggled with her curiosity. With a furtive look back at the carriage, she made her decision. Why should Peter have all the fun? She thought, and hurried after them.